📍atlanta, georgia
OMNISCIENT
"Niyel, come jump double dutch!" Suki yelled making her get up from the park bench
"Yes girlllaaa it's been a minute though, here hold my stuff" she took her keys and phone out her pocket and handed it to her older sister, Serenity. The kids (Ella and Suki) began turning the rope ensuring to make a consistent beat as it hit the floor. Niyel walked over to her jumping corner and began bouncing up and down, prepping herself to jump in.
"1,2,3 up the ladder" The kids sang in unison watching as she jumped in "4,5,6 up the ladder. 7,8,9 up the ladder 10 up the ladder 10."
"speed it up" Ella, who was turning the rope on the left side said and Niyel made sure to concentrate on her feet making sure to jump over each rope at the appropriate time.
"1,2 1,2 1,2 1,2" the kids counted her jumps every time her left foot hit the floor. "speed it up, speed it up!" they yelled and Niyel did just as they instructed.
"i'm tired y'all" Niyel said stopping dead in her tracks in the middle of the rope. "wheew chile, that was a workout" she placed her hands on her knees while trying to catch her breath.
"I'm surprised you still got it" Serenity said walking over to her and giving her the water bottle they both shared
"Girl now you know i used to jump double dutch like my life depended on it" Niyel replied sipping on her water before closing it
"I'm hungry" Serenity said poking her bottom lip out and rubbing on her stomach
"Aye let's go to the candy lady" Suki said wrapping the rope around his forearm putting it away in his knapsack.
"Yess i could go for a cool cup right now" Ella replied fanning herself with her hand "can we go like now, i'm finna burn thee fuck up"
"wait hollon, ion have money on me" Niyel said frowning "i'm finna just go home"
"girllaaaa i gotchu, it's only a dollar anyway,
come on" Serenity replied and they all made their way towards the park exit and walked up the block towards the candy lady's house.
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"Hey Miss Carlotta" Niyel said smiling showing all 32 as she waved to the candy lady through the screen door.
"Hi my babies, what can I get for you all today?"
"I want a blue cool cup please and a blow pop" Ella said pulling her crumpled money out her pocket.
"I want a cool cup too, a red one please" Suki said pulling his money out as well
"What do you want?" Serenity asked her younger sister
"I just want a cool cup dassit" Niyel shrugged and Serenity ordered her stuff too and they all handed Miss Carlotta their money.
"I'll be back, i'm going to the back to get y'alls stuff. Stay right here" Miss Carlotta said and they nodded waiting for her to come back with their treats. After about 2 minutes she came back and handed each of them their respective treats.
"Y'all be good okay? See yalls again" she smiled waving at them
"bye Miss Carlotta" they all said in unison before walking off her porch and walking up towards their block.
"Mane ion wanna go back to school" Suki said slurping on his cool cup, his lips were now a bright red.
"Who does? I'm just excited cause mama always goes all out for that back to school shopping" Serenity said nudging Niyel who nodded
"For real, mama dont be playing" They all
lived on the same street in Bankhead Courts. Growing up for them was hard especially coming from the jects, there was always violence and the only thing they looked to and confided in was one another.
"well this is me" Suki said as they approached his house
"Bye Suki" they all said as he went around giving hugs. Soon after they were in front of Ella's house and she did the same as Suki, giving her round of hugs as they parted ways. Serenity and Niyel walked side by side with one another making sure there wasn't any room in between for someone snatch them up or break in between them. They pulled up to their house seeing the empty driveway which meant their mama wasn't home. Niyel used her key to unlock the door before dropping the cup to her cool cup on the pavement.
"Yeli that's you?" she heard her dad call out to her
"Yes daddy it's me and Serenity" she said slipping off her shoes and closing the door behind her making sure to lock it because anything could happen where they were from.
"Where's mama?" Serenity asked as she went to the kitchen sink to wash her hands and their dad soon joined them in the kitchen.
"Grocery shopping. Ha ass always spending money" her dad shook his head chuckling
"Boy you betta leave my mama alone" Niyel bucked her eyes at him causing them all to laugh.
"Girl yeen scaring nobody looking like ah damn owl with them big ass eyes" their dad said. The relationship they shared with their dad was one that many wished they could have. Their dad was really more of a friend to them than a parent.
"Not too much on my sister grandpa" Serenity said and Niyel busted out laughing
"Not she said grandpa" Niyel boosted
"Mane y'all get y'all aggy asses out" their dad waved them off to their room but before they could make it to their room, they heard honking from the porch. They looked out the window and saw their mom had pulled up with the groceries. The both of them ran outside and hugged their mom.
"Hey mama" they said in unison as they pulled away from the hug
"Hey my babies, come help me with these damn groceries" she said chuckling opening the trunk. Niyel grabbed 3 bags and Serenity grabbed 2.
"What's for dinner?" their dad yelled from the front door causing them all to shake their head
"Thats all you do is eat fat man" Niyel said teasing her dad
"Girl i oughta whoop yo ass one day" he said and they all laughed
"i'm thinking of making some candies yams, macaroni and fried chick-" their moms sentence was cut off when gun shots were fired.
"Get in the house!" their dad yelled but it was too late their mom had already gotten hit.
"No Mama!" Niyel dropped her bags on the floor not caring about anything but her mom. Serenity had already ran inside the house and watched with tears streaming down her face from the front door everything that had just went down.
"Somebody help! please!" Niyel yelled "Daddy call the ambulance. Mama please don't go, i love you" Niyel said through sobs but it was too later the loving solicitude of her daughter couldn't save her, she had passed on.
