Three Deep

Connections

Connections

The next day at 2:00 p.m. Sarrachi and his family were coming back from church. Packed in their old green SUV, they finally pulled into their driveway. Out of the car hopped Sarrachi followed by his 9-year-old twin sister Quandaisha (Quan-day-sha), and 6-year-old cousin Diamond. Diamond, Sarrachi’s little cousin has been living with Sarrachi and his family for two years. Her mother, sister and little brother were killed in a car accident on her fourth birthday. Diamond was the only one to survive the accident and got placed in critical condition. Upon her release from the hospital she found her new home with her Aunt at Sarrachi’s house.

       Sarrachi’s mom stepped from the driver’s side to get her 18-month-old daughter Anisha (An-isha) from the back. After she took Anisha from her car seat she walked around the car where she saw her eldest son, Kayron, sitting on the porch. He was smoking a black looking like he had been out all night.

      It wasn’t hard to tell Kayron and Sarrachi were brothers; their faces were alike, only Kayron’s was rougher. Kayron was 16-years-old, had long braids, and dark scared skin. Hardly ever home, he spent most of his life hanging on the block with other gang members. Dressed in all black he wore a black bandana on his head. Kayron blew out a cloud of smoke as his mother approached him.

      “Well look who came home today.” She said, not looking amused. She stared her son up and down; it looked like he got into trouble last night. Kayron paid her no mind and took another puff on his black. His mother tightened her fist, she wanted to slap the taste out of his mouth, but withheld herself. “Where you been last night?” There was no answer from him, as expected. His mother folded her arms. “Yo behind shoulda been in church this mornin’.” Kayron shrugged his shoulders.

      “I aint got time for that,” he replied.

      “You better make time… ” She snatched the black from him and tossed it on the ground. “Didn’t I tell you not to smoke round here!” She scolded. Kayron stood to his feet and looked agitated.

      “Whatever,” Kayron sighed, he walked into the house with the rest of the family behind him. Even though Kayron and his mother often fought, he was still the man of the house. When their father got locked up, Kayron had no choice but to set up and help pay the bills. As much as his mother hated how he got his money, she couldn’t let her pride get in the way of the needs of her other children.

      While the family got situated and ate their late lunch, Kayron disappeared. After lunch Sarrachi went to find his brother. He wandered in their room to see if Kayron was there. Sarrachi saw his brother sitting on he bed counting money with a large revolver by his side. Kayron glanced at his little brother then went back to what he was doing.

      “What?” Kayron asked.

      “Where you get all that money?” Sarrachi wondered.

      “Where you think dog? The streets. I hit a few licks last night,” Kayron answered, a smile grazed his face. “You might see that shit on the news.” Sarrachi tried to hide it, but his face showed his excitement. Regardless of how rotten his brother was, Sarrachi thought the world of him.

       “You can break me off somethin’?” He asked.

      “Huh? Break you off somethin’?” Kayron repeated. “You can break off these nuts.” Sarrachi frowned at his brother who grinned at him. “Relax dude… I got you, nigga.” Kayron handed Sarrachi a ten-dollar bill. “You better not spend it on candy either.”

       “Man that’s kid stuff,” Sarrachi said, Kayron smiled.

      “Nigga you are a kid,” he laughed.