𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐆 𝐋𝐔𝐕. || 𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐜 𝐬.

19. Distant family

May 13th, 1993
Harlem, New York

Emoni,

I woke up from the sound of the loud phone ringing directly in my ear because I had left it on the bed. I scrunched my face up forcing my eyes to stay closed, not wanting to get up and lowkey hoping that Birdie would wake-up to grab it but he didn't.

I sat up in bed sighing before I reached my body up on the bed to grab the phone. "Hello?" I spoke ever so lightly as I held the phone to my ear.

"Emoni? Is that you?!" Asked the familiar voice through the phone.

My eyes widened in shock. "Auntie?"

"Yeah, girl. It's me."

"Oh my God. I can't believe this." I said taken back for words.

"Yeah, sweetie. I heard you were in town and I wanted to see you."

My auntie Caroline Mitchell, also known as my mother's twin. She's the complete opposite of her. Ghetto, loud, hood, crazy, and trashy, while my mother's proper, classy, the opposite of loud, and wouldn't even hurt a fly.

Literally.

I didn't see my auntie much growing up because my father would always accuse her of stealing and one day my auntie got tired of it and she went on one of her little crazy rants. So my mother told her never to come back and my auntie obeyed her orders.

I just remember her teaching me how to fight since my parents were too pussy to do it, as she would say. She would always buy me chips and soda because my parents bought me vegetables and water for snacks so she snuck me all kinds of good things.

I used to love it.

The last time I saw her was the first birthday I had after Camille died. I remember she came and brought me a couple gifts and what not. I think I ended up smacking them out her hand though. I appreciated them it was just that I didn't like her happy attitude especially since her daughter just recently passed.

Growing up I didn't understand that you can't let the things that happen in life hold you back. Nor did I know that all of Caroline's smiles were fake and I mean all of them. After Camille died she was distant from us all. Never called or paged anyone she would just stay cooped up at home.

It breaks my heart to think about it...

"Wow um, okay. I'm grown now so yeah, of course, I'd love to see you, auntie Caroline."

"Good! Good! Just tell me the address and I'll pull up."

"No! Um, I'll come to you, yeah just stay put." I slammed the phone on the hook causing Birdie to shift in his sleep.

I smiled at him, leaning over to peck his open cheek. I can take his car while he's sleeping, perfect. I'm pretty sure that I'll be back before he even notices that it's gone.

So with that being said and done, I got up and took a quick shower, changed into some black jeans and a white half top, a black leather jacket I tied my hair up into a high bun, with a black bandana to match. Birdie's really got me cramping his style haha.

I walked into the bathroom checking myself out in the mirror.

Pleased with the way I looked I finally made my way out. I grabbed Birdie's car keys off the table twirling them around my finger as I made my way outside. I wanted to take Birdie's car because I don't want my auntie to know how I'm living down here.

Because I know that if I drive down there in my little busted up car. She's gonna have 20 billion questions and concerns about how I'm living and I just don't have the time or energy for that, and frankly, it's none of her god damn business.