Skye Bryant
Another Wednesday in the counselor's office, another pointless session to get my life together. Is it illegal for the school to be this involved with my personal life? I mean, really, child services, school counselor sessions, and unexpected visits home from the state. Whatever you can think of, I got that shit going on. It all started about six months ago, it was no secret about who I am, and who my father was. My father had everything on lockdown, from Harlem, the Bronx, and to Brooklyn.
Every corner covered by his merchandise and it was more to overcome. Any clique that tried to come in between had probably afterwards wished they hadn't. If your loved ones didn't return home that night, everybody knew who was responsible for their death wish. King of New York, they called him, but dead is how he now resides. It finally happened, somebody managed to squeezed through the cracks and take my father away from me. Despite everybody's opinion, my father was everything to me, gave me all I ever asked for and more. I would squeeze the trigger at any given moment for him. Now that's he's gone, everything has gone to hell.
"Skye, how are you feeling today?" Ms. LaRose, the school counselor asked.
"Everyday you ask that, everyday it's the same answer. When can I stop coming to these sessions? I been seeing these four walls since school started, why y'all won't just leave me alone?"
Ms. LaRose took off her glasses, placing her notepad on the desk. "I'm only doing my job, sweetie, I can't do my job if you don't participate. Now, we've had some good conversations once before, why can't we do that now?"
"I'm really tired of seeing you every damn Wednesday, no offense, but I have enough shit going on. My day doesn't stop here, for once in my life, I'm tired of talking! I'm doing just fine; I want things back to normal."
"What's normal, Skye?"
"You not riding my ass is normal, everybody not in my damn business. Shit, I mean, y'all might as well write an article about me in the school paper. Let everybody else and they momma read all about me."
"Little girl, what did I tell you about your mouth?"
Ms. LaRose don't play no games, unmarried, and no kids. I'm sure some dick would have her bouncing off the walls with a better attitude, get that goose loose and calm her stern ass down. Not like she ugly or anything, we share the same honey brown complexion. Ms. LaRose got a little thickness to her, standing at my same height of 5'6. I'm sure she would be a catch for any man, but for whatever reason, her uptight ass is single.
When this first started, I wasn't telling her anything, but she got to me and put all that psychology shit to the side and was completely real with me. But today is a hard day, I really just don't feel like being bothered.
"Can I go please?"
"How's your mother?" She pressed on.
"Probably sucking a nigga dick for an iPhone 6, I don't know. I'm not by her side all the time."
"Is that how you got that one in your hand?" She questioned.
I smirked, glancing at my champagne colored phone. "Don't get hurt now, that's still my mother!"
She giggled, picking back up her notepad. "Don't test me, little girl. You know I have the power to add on more sessions. Skye, I'm only trying to see you through on a better path. I have to file a report like the rest of them. The last thing I want to see is for you to get separated from your mother."
"I ain't even worried, she hasn't done anything wrong. All this shit is unnecessary, I'm not stupid! I know what this is really about and it's wrong. Write whatever you have to write, cause I'm done here."
With my books in my hand, I left her office to meet my friends at the main entrance. Kyree, Yasmin, and Sadeek. We all take the transit bus to get us closer to home, after the bus, Ky and I take the train. Him and I live a little further, at the same complex. While everybody else around this school looking like they wanna fuck me up, they are the only ones who stuck by me. It's good to know through thick and thin, they will have me, no matter what.
"Bitch, you done telling your autobiography in there? I'm ready to go, I'm hungry." Yas complained.
"Your fat ass always hungry." Sadeek responded. I didn't say that they were perfect.
"Let's just go." I said.
"We hanging out or nah?" Yas asked.
"Nah, I just wanna go home."
Unless my nosy neighbors spreading my shit through the streets, nobody, other than my counselor, knows what I'm dealing with right now. I was quiet the whole way home, even through the busy walk Ky and I had through the bustling streets to our complex. Our day always ends with him walking me to my door, before heading up another flight of stairs to reach his. We don't live in the safest neighborhood, but for right now, it's home.
We've fallen from grace and I'm having a hard time adjusting. I'm not used to the food stamps, piss in the hallways, and loud neighbors. When my father died, they seized everything we had, property of the government they said, as they carried out everything that once meant something to each of us.
"Skye, nice of you to join us. How have you been?"
Child services were there right on schedule, my two brothers, ages five and eight, sat well behaved on the couch. My mother, as usual, had everything in order and cleaned down to the T. We always keep a clean house, although we used to have somebody do that for us. Up in our deluxe apartment, it was like we were royalty the way we used to live.
"If I get asked that question one more time --," I paused, due to my mother's stern stare she gave me and corrected my sentence. "I'm going to share just how happy I am with everybody, everything is going great. I believe we're stronger than ever. Any more questions?"
The lady documented it. "No. This one is for Jaceon. Can you describe an average day for you and your little brother?"
My oldest brother responded. "Well, once I get home, my mother makes me start my homework. While she is cleaning and cooking, my brother is taking his nap or up playing with his toys. When Skye gets home, she does her homework, then we eat dinner together."
"Ms. Bryant, are you still currently looking for a job?"
"Yes, ma'am, I have interviews lined up this week. Skye will be watching over them, I'm hoping to get morning shifts, so I can arrive the same time they do. I would still be able to have this house in order, and have a good meal on the table."
"Well, I believe we are done here for today, I got all I need. I believe you are a good family, you just had that side of corruption dragging you down. Whenever we come, I never find anything amiss. We'll be in contact about your case."
"Thank you for stopping by, take care!" My mother pleasantly waved, before shutting the door.
Exhausted, my mother sat down at the kitchen table, the grief on her face said it all. We're all tired of this burden put on us. Just because my father is gone, doesn't mean the activity has stopped, we still sell what we can to get by. They must be smoking our own crack if they think my mother is going to work. That woman has never worked a day in her life since she met my father.
"Jace and Elliot, go to your room!" She ordered.
Shortly after, my uncle arrived, he walked in with a birthday cake meant for my father. Today is his birthday, after everybody trying to get information out of us, we can finally breathe and celebrate him. But not before we get this business out of the way. Emptying his bag on to the table, out dropped marijuana, molly's, and cocaine. All nicely separated in plastic bags.
"Here's some dime bags, don't get caught. You know to sell them for at least ten dollars," he stated.
"Do I have to do this?" I groaned, complaining.
"You wanna eat, don't you? I'm not telling you to sell the heavy shit, you sell this weed and you leave the other products to me."
"What if somebody finds out? Then my ass is out to dry! I don't wanna do this shit."
My mother grabbed me by my arm in a tight vice grip hold, speaking to me in stern controlled tone. "You will do what your ass is told, unless your prissy ass wanna live on the streets. You have to do what you can to survive, if you haven't noticed, you little, bitch, we're broke. Your father, my husband, our breadwinner, is dead! Now we take matters in our own hands. If I tell you to sell candy in a diaper, your ass is going to do it! When that day comes and I tell you to push dope, guess what? You're doing it! You hear me?"
"Yes."
"Go get your damn brothers so we can eat this cake for your father, but first, Marcus, get this shit off my table before my kids come out here."