𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 (𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟐)

036

"We'll pay the bail." Armani and Nasir finally said after talking for forty minutes to an hour. "But if he commits another crime, you people are more than welcome to keep him here for a couple of nights." Armani added making the woman chuckle.

The bail was a whopping sum of $1,550 and Armani was pissed right alongside Nasir who kept himself busy by messing with Savior— to stop himself from jawing Raseem the second he saw him. Armani paced up and down with Kaori in her arms as they waited. The door soon opened and out came Raseem in handcuffs along with the cop.

Raseem avoided eye contact as he felt the rage almost elevate from off Armani's and Nasir's body as they exited the building and walked over to Nasir car. Armani placed Kaori in the car seat in Nasir's car and snatched Raseem up by his collar slamming him into the side of the car.

"Have you lost your goddamn mind Rah? Huh! I've gave up so so much to raise you right in this white ass world, and this the shit you do in return? Huh Raseem?  What the FUCK happened to making me proud? All that shit you was talking was just a lie huh? You run with your wack ass friends now and you think you hood nigga? You think you bad nigga? You not bad! You ain't shit up in these streets! Boy as God as my witness its taking so much for me to not fuck you up, lord knows...lord KNOWS the damage I can do but I'm not going to." Armani yelled. "What the fuck is wrong with you? With the way you been treating me and my household, im not even sure if I claim you no more! In fact since you want to be hard so bad how bout I drop you back in Chica—

"No!" Raseem suddenly yelled as he busted into tears after moments of long silence. "Please don't make me go back."

"Petty theft Rah? Stealing a fuckin' car!" Armani punched him in the side. "Why the fuck would you go and do that stupid ass shit when you know better!"

"I didn't know it was a stolen car!" Raseem yelled out.

"The fuck you mean you didn't know!" Nasir joined in the yelling as he balled up his fist. He couldn't help but to be angry because of how much he's done for the boy. He felt disrespected and he was by far as furious as could get. "The FUCK you mean you didn't know Raseem? Why the hell would you even ditch school in the first fuckin place?!"

"Man Maurice pulled up at the school talking bout the car and showing it off! He ain't say shit but lets roll so I went." Raseem said.

Armani looked around forgetting her surroundings as she sent another blow to Raseem's side. "These the same friends I told you was gon get you in trouble huh? Ain't they? Them the same fools waiting for they mom to come pick them up from jail? Them the fools you running with?"

Raseem didn't say anything but look down at his hands causing Armani to yell making him flinch and look up at her. As many times as she yelled at him, she never scared him as much she did now and his nerves was bad.

"You forgetting you got a little brother now huh? I guess you forgot bout that, you want him to be like you? Doing bad shit and potentially fucking up his future? You want him to wake up one day and you gone because you did some stupid ass shit that gets you killed!" Armani yelled. "THIS the type of stuff I was trying to get you away from! You want another reason for these white people to look at you and profile you?" Armani yelled out in frustration. "Answer me when I talk to you Raseem Jachai!"

"No momma!" Raseem yelled as he broke down in tears. "No...I don't...I'm sorry." He mumbled.

Armani took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down and took a step back away from Raseem."I want you to slowly enter Nas's car and we're going to finish this when we get home." Armani spoke slowly. "As far as your birthday goes, its done and cancelled so congratulations to that. As far as any signs of technology goes, best believe thats gone also brotha' man."

"How Imma talk to Epiphany." Raseem said looking as if he was about to cry again.

Armani contemplated silently to herself as she chose her next words. "Epiphany is only allowed over on Fridays along with any other friend you have. Jamal and Maurice are no longer your friends, and before you say says who? Says me because I'm your mother and I run shit got it? Good. As far as any instant messaging goes, better find you a carrier pigeon or start sending letters because you're on COMPLETE... and I mean complete lockdown."

"As far as that new control goes for your game, that shit not happening. As far as that upgrade you asked for, you don't even have a phone anymore do thats up and gone too. You're cut off homeboy hope you adjust to this new life, since you wanna be hard nigga." Nasir said with an expression on his face that read disappointment and anger. "Welcome to jail."

"Jail?" Raseem looked over at him.

"Trust me, if we left you in there, youd already be somebody bitch in there nigga." Nasir said as he took Armanis hand and pulled her closer to him. They watched as the passenger door closed and looked at each other.

"I'm really trying Nas... I tried being less strict, I tried being the lenient mom, I tried being the fun mom and that shit just isn't doing it." Armani said as she rubbed her temples.

"Its not you momma, its just Rah overstepped his boundaries but we gon put him back in his place, believe that." Nasir said. "I stand on that no phone shit, I should say no visitation neither cause he done lost his mind." Nasir sighed as he bent down and kissed his wife on the lips. "You go and ride to the park beside the house and take a breather, I'll deal with the kids mama, we got this and I got you. Raseem is gon learn sooner than later who the people who run the Carter household is."

Armani sighed again as she took a step back and glanced towards the back seat seeing both Savior and Kaori in the backseat asleep.

"Okay baby, I'll see you back home."Armani said turning on her heels towards her car.

As a mother, Armani had found herself praying far more than she ever used to. She understood why her mother was always praying for her when she was younger, because now she was doing the same praying for her babies. She knew she hurt Raseem when she said she didn't know to claim him anymore; but she was angry and he had really disappointed her. She prayed that Savior would grow to be his own person and not follow Raseem down this destructive path.

Reality after all, was she was raising not one but two black boys who were soon to be men in a world where whites had the advantage. She knew one day her babies would be racially profiled and fit some false description, that placed her babies as criminals. She knew she was raising a black baby girl, who'd grow up and face discrimination based on the color of skin, and sexism based on her gender. She knew her babies would have it hard in the world not built for them. So with that being said— all she could do is pray for her babies and hope that they'd grow to be good people with good reputations.

"In Jesus name I pray that you watch over my sons and daughter. I pray that you keep them protected in this evil...evil world. I pray that you guide them away from all evil and help me to raise them to be good good people." Armani finished her prayer. "In Jesus name I pray...amen."

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Damn not our boy Raseem getting his ass in trouble and shit 😭.

Thoughts?

Y'all think Armani was too hard on Raseem? Y'all think she was too soft on him?

What are y'all thoughts on this situation all together?

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