————————————————
𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟯𝗿𝗱, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭
𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝗮.𝗺.
𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸, 🅽🅴🆆 🆈🅾︎🆁🅺
~"𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤."~
-𝔸 ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣
————————————————
"You're doing so good, keep going — don't look down! Head up and eyes on the goal." Dr. Palmer coached Zuri as they were in the middle of a physical training session.
Three months and only a small amount of progress. To Zuri's peers, it was a lot because it meant she was even closer to walking out the hospital doors, but to Zuri, it wasn't enough to make her feel like she was closer to even seeing the doors.
She was just ready to get back to her regular life. It was harder than it seemed. Being limited to certain things. For 20 years, Zuri always had an opportunity to explore and expand above what she did and knew. Although she didn't like the idea of it, being forced to not have those opportunities in her grasp was killing her inside.
"Zuri—do. Not. Stop. You're quitting and you've barely started." Dr. Palmer tried to reason as Zuri stopped walking.
Zuri rolled her eyes and sat down on the mat. "That's just it! I barely started! I ain't made no huge progress and I'm tired. Ok. This is harder than it looks."
"You don't think I know that?" Dr. Palmer walked over to Zuri, kneeling infront of her. "I've worked with many people who've been in this same predicament."
"What? Fucked up and crippled?" Zuri joked, which actually made the physical therapist laugh. She was one for dark humor. Working with people who were mentally exhausted from being in physical pain, she had to find the humor in situations so she could laugh with them. Show her patients that it wasn't all sad.
She found laughing through serious situations were therapeutic.
"No." She chuckled then looked at Zuri with a smile. "Hopeless. You just need to have patience. I told you, things like this don't happen over night."
Zuri knew that. Of course she knew she wouldn't regain mobility over night. But she'd always been on her feet. There was never a waking moment where Zuri got the chance to not be moving around. Running around. Running is what she missed the most.
Zuri sighed. " I know , I definitely know that." And that's when Zuri's mind traced through a memory she'd held and had mentally cried over her entire life.
"You look just like you're mother." Jerome slurred as he lounged on the leather couch while his 12 year old daughter shaved his patchy beard. After being gone for about 2 months, he appeared on the doorstep, slumped and obviously drunk.
Zuri knew the routine, so she followed through with it.
Instead of replying to what was considered an insult according to Jerome himself, Zuri gently glided the razor against his jawline.
"You know, Zenia didn't want to have you in the first place." Jerome mumbled, going in and out of conscious for a second. His words had shocked Zuri, causing her hand to stop and stare into her fathers dark brown eyes which held sorrow and a little bit of anger.
Anger, Zuri was used to that emotion, but sorrow? She had to question herself in whether it existed sometimes, not even knowing that's what her life was.
Jerome looked over at his daughter. Yes she looked like the person that gave birth to her, but they shared some features and qualities. Big doll like eyes, smooth chocolate skin, and their mindset. They were both defensive. That was something Jerome had to instill in his daughter at a young age though.
"She didn't even want you," he trailed off, looking away from his daughters eyes. Her face expression was nonchalant, but deep inside Zuri was sad to hear her mother never wanted her.
Yes she chose drugs over her, but it was harder to hear than to have witnessed it. Hearing the words made it all the more true and that's when Zuri first experienced heartbreak.
Not when her mother collapsed in her arms and foamed from the mouth. Not when she had to sit and watch her mother's body mold to a wheelchair from being brain dead. And certainly not from when she watched her mother continuously look out the window where their cherry tree rotted.
But from hearing that her mother never wanted her.
That was truly when Zuri felt at her lowest in life. She then realized she was truly and utterly not meant to have a purpose in life. Especially when her life wasn't wanted.
Zuri's purpose was to live in sorrow.
Or so she thought. She'd come so far and she was genuinely proud of herself. She was tired of letting her past control her. She was tired and ready to move on.
So that's what she did. She moved on.
13 months. That's how long it'll take for Kel to finally be a club owner. He was proud of himself nonetheless. He'd be doing bigger and better things and was happy for his accomplishments.
So was his older brother and Kel was extremely happy that he was able to make Antonio proud. His encouragement and love was what pushed him the most. Knowing there was someone out there who was one step behind him was enough to make him want to strive for bigger and better things.
With Antonio being a street man, he knew how ruthless, cruel and self sabotaging the streets were. He didn't want the streets to get to his little brother when he knew they had nothing to offer him but a death sentence and paranoia. It wasn't something he wanted for himself anymore so he knew it was nothing Kel should be messing around with. So he was glad he'd directed him in a different direction.
"I'm proud'a you man. Fa' real." Tone said as they'd just walked out of the building where Kel had just spoke with the original owner and put down a payment. He'd been given a month to think about the offer but he was ready now and wasn't going to pass the opportunity up.
Kel briefly looked over at Tone and smirked, trying to hide his big smile. Hearing those words from his brother meant more than anything.
"I got you ta' thank fa' my upcomings. So thank you."
Tone frowned. "Nah, you got yo'self to thank. I simply was just a coach. You brought the game. Don't discredit yo'self, you earned this on yo' own so take the win and run wit' it."
Kel stared ahead thinking about the so called 'win'.
Just as they approached Tones car, Kels phone started to ring. He looked at the caller ID which appeared as unknown. He hesitated before answering.
"Hello?" A feminine voice sounded through his speak and Kel scrunched his face up in confusion.
"Yo, who is this?" He asked, settling into the passenger side of Tones car, earning his attention as well.
"I know it's been 15 years, but you've forgotten ya' own motha's voice?" And Kel fumed at the feeling of familiarity from the voice. It was sweet but raspy. The voice that used to bring him comfort, lull her him to sleep, tell him his dreams could become reality. That voice he now hated now that he was hearing it again.
Kel slowly looked over at Tone who was busy reversing out of the parking lot.
He looked straight ahead with a blank expression and said, "Nah, dat muhfucka died 15 years ago." And with that, he hung up the phone, tossing it in his lap, ignoring his brothers glances at him.
"Yo, what was dat?" Tone finally asked, noticing the negative attitude radiating off of Kel.
"Yo' momma." Kel mumbled. Tone's eyes grew wide a little, trying to focus on the road. "How the fuck she get my num—G'mama." he answered his own question and he was growing more annoyed by the minute.
"Kel, chill out, man."
Kel scoffed. "I ain't bouta chill out. I'm ti'ed of err'body tryna make me rekindle a relationship wit' ha'. I said it once and Imma say it again, and I hope this time you hea' me and relay the message to the next person that try dat shit, fuck. That. Woman."
And this time Tone knew, Kel meant it.
Kel on the other hand was upset that his moment of finally putting his dreams into action were ruined by the past. He just hoped it didn't fuck with any more future plans.
"Lay the fuck down." Tone said sternly as he'd seen Moria get up for what seemed to be the fifth time in one hour for no reason other than to move around.
Moria stopped at her bedroom door and turned to look at Tone who looked annoyed. She scoffed and continued her way out the door, waddling on her swollen feet.
She was now 6 months pregnant and the journey was nothing more than a memory she knew she would look back on and never want to experience again. The puking, the headaches, the exhaustion, and kicks from the baby—she hated it. But there were times where she would look down at her belly and just become mesmerized at the fact there was something—someone growing inside her.
Sure, it wasn't how she planned for it to happen. She wanted the whole enchilada, that came before a baby, but she saw this as a blessing. She was 26 and flourishing in her career and was somewhat at a decent point in life where she knew she was capable of being a mother.
Motherhood was something she knew she would cherish.
"Why won't you be still, woman? You called out sick to move around all day?" Tone asked as she trailed behind her.
Moria smirked. "Nope, but walking around this small apartment is better than walking around the hospital for 12 hours."
Tone chuckled, shaking his head. For him, the pregnancy was unexpected. There was nothing stable or official between he and Moria, but they were engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse so they knew the consequences beforehand. Nonetheless, he respected and cherished Moria because behind their relations, there was a friendship and he valued that.
Being someone's dad wasn't apart of his plan. He was 29, he knew if he'd wanted to have children he would've been did so, but there was a difference between not having planted your seed into the world and knowing what you want and it accidentally being planted and given all that it needs to grow then you realize it'll turn into something amazing.
He just hoped he was ready to take on the responsibility that came with the growth and results of that little seed.
Tone walked up behind Moria as she stood at the counter making a sandwich, resting his chin on her shoulder and his hands wrapped around her waist, rubbing her belly.
He just hoped this would turn out to be something amazing.
Walking around the seminar, he couldn't contain the giddiness he felt at seeing all the unknown material and data that had been collected from the space that surrounded the planet we live on.
Since the age of six, Semaj had always loved anything revolving outer space. After moving from Houston, Texas to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it was hard for Semaj to adjust to his new surroundings. Everything he knew was now brand new. Except for the sky.
Late nights, Semaj would sneak out of his room and travel to the backyard just to lay in the patchy grass and stare up at the stars. They reminded him that no matter how many changes happen in his life, he would always be the same. The sky never changed its old self so Semaj believed he never should have to either.
Those late nights brought him comfort and solace.
Even now, he would love to have the opportunity to just study beyond the stars.
"Beautiful isn't it?" A euphonious voice sounded next to Semaj as he stared at the artifact on display. He looked to the side of him and there stood a short darkskin girl. The first thing that stood out to Semaj were her angular cheekbones which made her other face features pop in a good sense.
"Uh, I guess." Semaj replied awkwardly. He didn't find anything beautiful about the rock that was locked in a glass case, more so intriguing.
The girl looked up at him and smiled, showing her white teeth which also had a gap in between the front top two. A small chuckle sprouted from her.
"I was kidding," she turned back to the display. "Looking at this and seeing how it looks like just any ordinary rock but isn't just makes you wanna break it apart and prove it is."
Semaj smirked and looked over at her. "It does, it's captivating, but also doesn't fulfill the curiosity."
"But curiosity killed the cat." They both said at the same time and chuckled.
"That's why I'm studying astronomy, so I can be an insider." Semaj shared and gained the girls full attention. She looked him up and down then smirked.
"I would have not guessed you were studying science." She said truthfully and Semaj shot her a confused looked until it registered to him.
He licked his lips and titled his head to the side. "Cause I'm black?"
The girl looked at him with a frown until she seen the small smile on his face and let out a hearty laugh.
After sobering up she shook her head. "Not because you're black, you just give off athlete vibes."
Semaj gave an approving frown. "I play a luh basketball but it's only ta' keep me busy. I'm fully invested in astronomy."
Smiling, the girl looked ahead before looking back up at Semaj. "Malaysia." She stuck her hand out to him.
Semaj looked between her face and hand before shaking it. "Semaj."
"Nice ta' meet you, Semaj." Malaysia smiled small.
"You too, Malaysia." He said.
{A/N}
It's been awhile. But I'm trying to figure out a way to end this book. Sadly, it's coming to an end🥺
If you're familiar with Alamay's Battlefield(temporarily deleted) you know how much I hated dragging the plot line of an event and the book it's self. It ended at 40 chapters but it was supposed to end at 25.
I don't like adding too many details and mixing up plots just so there's room for a sequel...maybe.
Short stories are better in my opinion!
But that's tea. I honestly hope you guys enjoy/enjoyed this book. I'm sorry if it wasn't as good and authentic but I really try.
Anyways, did you guys like how I added other characters pov. I know I said I was going to write about Moria more, but Semaj and Antonio have really good POV's too, so the next two chapters I'll invite and write about them more.
Until next chapter... which might be here sooner rather than later😉
7/15/21