Nasty Grind

67

Mama dug in her food, not waiting on daddy like she would normally do. The phone in the livingroom rang, and I went over to answer it.

"Hello." I said with my cheerful voice. I was in the best of moods lately.

"Good evening, may I speak with Mr. And Mrs. Andrews please." The male caller asked.

"May I ask who's speaking?"

"Jeffery Owens, I'm one of the homicide detectives here at the local hospitals." He said.

I waved mama over, and placed the phone on speaker. "Hello?" Mama said sounding worried.

"Good evening, Mrs. Andrews, this is Jeffery Owens calling from the local hospital. I'm calling to inform you that your son Carson Andrews was found shot to death on Moore avenue today.  Sorry, but your son did not make it."

Mama broke down, "no, not my baby!"

"I'm sorry ma'am." He said. "I do need you to come down and identify the body."

"Thank you sir." I cried and hung up the phone.

I picked mama up from the floor and set her down on the sofa. "My baby's gone."

"Ma, please be strong." I cried right along with her.

Daddy was coming down the stairs, and he looked so confused. "What's going on?"

"Carson's dead!" I yelled wiping my tears from my eyes, "he was found shot to death daddy."

Daddy looked shocked, and set down on the sofa next to mama. He wouldn't blink, he just stared off into space. I tried my best to comfort mama, she loved Carson to death, and I knew that it was killing her.

"Who would do this to my baby?" Mama cried.

Carson had lots of enemies, but he also was loved by so many. I didn't understand who would want him dead. "Mama, let's go down to the hospital, please."

Mama shook her head no. "You go Zana, I can't see my baby like that."

Daddy helped mama up the stairs. I grabbed my keys off the key holder, and headed down to the hospital. I was hoping that this was all a joke, and that my brother was living, and breathing.

I walked into the hospital, and asked the front clerk where do I need to go to identify a body. She explained where I needed to go, and I headed to the third floor of the hospital. I got off the elevator, and noticed two cops standing in front of a metal door. I walked slowly over, afraid that this may be the last time I ever get to see Carson.

"I'm here to identify the body." I calmly said to the two cops.

Their attention was on me. Quiet, yet afraid to tell me where he was.

"Hello?" I snapped my fingers in their faces.

"Miss!" Someone called out to me jogging up to me. "I'm Jeffery Owens, I called earlier for someone to identify the body."

I nodded politely. "Yes, I'm Carson's sister Tarzana Andrews-Damewood."

"Right this way Miss." Mr. Owens opened the door for me, and their was a sheet over a body in the center of the room. My heart skipped a few beats, as I made my way over to the body. I became nervous, hoping that Carson wasn't the one under the sheet. I could see blood seeping through the sheet, as I placed my hand on the sheet to pull it back.

"Ma'am, before you do that, I need to tell you that his body had taken a few bullets, especially to the head."

I nodded, and took a deep breath before pulling the sheet back. I started to hyperventilate as soon as I seen my brothers pale, almost unrecognizable body lying naked on that table. I started to cry, touching the side of his bruised face.