Skye
"How you been honey, you coming home soon?" Joey asked.
"I'm okay, it should be tomorrow. We just going to head to the airport and cop the ticket."
"You sure you good?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. What's my mother doing?"
"I don't know, this exhumation must really got her mind rattled. She ain't been the same since she came back, did y'all have any problems?"
I sighed, shaking my head in disappointment. "No, we didn't have a problem at all."
"Alright, we'll I'll see y'all when you get here."
"Alright then, bye."
I can honestly say, since that attempted suicide Joey checks on me daily. I still feel out of place about the whole thing.
"Who was that?" Legend asked as he came fresh out the shower.
"It was my moms boyfriend."
"Oh," he blandly said as he wiped the back of his ear with the towel.
"My mom still didn't tell him or my brothers about my pops being alive nor that fact that she hooked up with him."
"Maybe you should look at it like this, it was probably a mistake. Just like me and you. We go through some shit and stay apart but when we get back together drawers is coming off."
"That's not right to her though, you know deep down my brother would love to see my dad no matter how he really feels about him."
"You need to give it time, at least for your brothers to know. This is about to get really confusing for them. You honestly don't know you trying to see the good in this but, it could potentially mess them up for a while."
"I see little good in this. What the hell even happens from here? That's the part that's killing me inside, I don't know what the fuck to do from here. I can't sleep thinking about this shit!" I shouted.
I been having so much pent up anger since leaving New York. Nobody fucking understands this shit, I just keep reviewing everything I been through over and over. I don't want to close my eyes because it's all I see.
"Skye I been asking and asking you what's wrong for the longest. Why haven't you come to me?"
"It's shit you already know, I'm trying not to talk about it because I'm tired of repeating the shit."
"Skye I don't give a damn what's it about. If anything has you feeling some type of way, I want to know. What else would I be here for if you don't tell me your problems. Baby you know you don't ever have to go through this shit alone. Even if some shit were to happen, I'm right here. I'm sure everything is gonna be good now, I can't really be certain on it but that's something you have to believe on your own."
I took in a deep breath, "I'm trying but baby I can't. I don't know if god just don't like me or this family, maybe he just punishing my dad for all the shit he did back in the day. But he ain't through with us yet."
"We about to get the hell out of here, you need some fresh air."
"Shannon it's cold as fuck outside."
"I don't care, bundle up. Somebody need to show you what's life is about or something, I'm not used to you talking like this."
"It's not about fresh air, I just want to be by my family."
"Then why didn't you say so Skye?"
"At first I did want to be alone with you, we never spent this much time alone together. But I'm going through so much, I can't enjoy this thinking about my dad, his other kids, my mom, my brothers. At the same time I'm afraid of going home because I'm still ashamed of what I did."
"We talked about this -."
"I know, I know. But I really feel horrible with what I did. That's not in my character, that wasn't me at all! I tried to sleep with him for a dumb reason I can't even really think of, then I tried to kill my self. When do black people ever do this shit, we usually stick through it. I don't know in that moment, it just seemed easier. I didn't have you, I didn't a sense of purpose. Shit was crashing down on me, I was tired of the arguing with mom. I was tired of everything. Now that the dust seems like it's settling I feel like all the bad things I've down are affecting me."
"Baby, you have to realize that a lot of people do things they would've never expected. I been down that road before, I did things that's was hard for me but I had no other choice. Who matters more? Whose life do I value at the end of the day? If you aren't the one in harms way then I'm not trading my life for nobody. At the end of the day I need to worry about me and me only!"
"You don't realize how bad it sounds and reflects me saying, I gave my body up for $5,000 for help selling crack."
"Skye, money or no money I still wanted to hit. If I didn't get the opportunity then that's cool, can't force you. And why do you care so much? I can understand if I fucked you and left you high and dry. But I didn't."
"I killed someone."
"Okay, me too! The nigga did shoot you right?"
"I seen my mother get rape."
"I seen my mother get beat to death. You not the only one whose been through shit. You can kiss your mother, hug her, talk to her! You had your differences but she's here breathing on earth. I take that back, I'd give my last breath so my mother can come back. You complaining about your life and tried to give yours up, well I bet she would be glad to switch places with you! She ain't ask to die, but you damn near begging for it! Life ain't fucking easy ever! Everybody deals with their problems and they move on! On to the next fucked up situation!"
I couldn't believe he spoke to me like that. I grabbed my shit and tried to leave. I was mad and in such shock I didn't even grab a jacket.
"Where you going!" Legend shouted, but I didn't say shit. I just marched right out the door and began heading down the stairs of his apartments stairwell. "Skye wait," he said right behind me.
"Bye, just leave me alone right now!"
"Skye wait," he said jumping ahead of me in front of the door.
"Get the out the way."
"I'm sorry."
"Real fucking sympathetic of you!"
"Skye I'm trying to talk to you the best way I can, I'm trying to tell you that it's nothing to feel sad about. Shit happens, it happens for a reason. It's reason why you didn't die when Lancer shot you. God gave you a second chance, you still have things left on earth for you to do. Yeah, you killed somebody. You seen your mother get raped. But you and I both know Lancer deserved it. You mother been through hell and back but that didn't stop her from putting her trust and love in another man. You found out your dad is alive and been throwing a pity party ever since. Baby if I knew somebody was trying to kill me I'd fake my own death too. You got a few brothers and sisters out of it, but they didn't have a say in that. You know you got a soft spot for all of them. At the end of the day you still here through all of it. Stop making your parents decisions and mistakes your own, all this shit happened because of your pops not you. Stop taking on his burdens and be glad you barely have any of your own."
Under the stress that I'm under, I started to breakdown, my chest was beginning to hurt. "What's wrong with me?" I asked.
"You alright, I'm right here. Ain't shit wrong with you, you just need to take it easy. From now on worry about you, nobody else." Legend stated as he wiped my face.
Legend
I thought us taking this time together would be a good thing, but it seems like the shit didn't change anything. Throughout the remainder of the day I made sure Skye didn't do anything but sleep. I was right there with her, checking on her, and making sure she was good. By morning the next day she was looking a little better, we ate breakfast before hitting the airport to catch a flight. I rather her wait another day but she insisted on leaving. It was 8 AM, we booked a flight for 10 AM that ended up getting delayed due to weather.
"Thank you," Skye said as we waited.
"For what?"
"Putting up with me, I know I been a headache since the moment you met me. But there isn't a day I'm not thankful for you."
"Ain't nobody else allowed to get under my skin but you."
She smiled rolling her eyes, "You make me sick sometimes. But you always come through for me."
Interrupting our talk it was her mother calling. Even though it was loud in this airport I could still here her loud ass on the phone.
"What happened I thought you were supposed to have been here?"
"Yeah but our flight got delayed, we should be boarding soon."
"Well hurry up, I miss you and I need you here to break the news. I can't do it alone. Do you think we should even still do it for the boys?"
"I mean, at the way I'm feeling about it I don't think so unless he's going to around for us. It don't look like he's trying to come back."
"Him and I talked about it, it's just going to take a little more time."
"Ma, how much more time? Another year? Don't get your hopes up, I know you still love him but how many times has he lied before? What if he comes back because he has no choice? He can't live another life with somebody else, it's going to be too difficult and new people are going to start picking up on shit. With you though, you been through this and he knows you would never turn your back on him."
"You're too young to understand, you don't know shit about what he was really in. I know I never set the best example, but this is my life. Maybe I don't see what you see now, maybe I will later. Your father is the best that ever walked into my life, he changed my life. I wouldn't have you guys if it wasn't for that man. I really want to put the pieces back together."
"Ma .... I want you to be happy. If this how you feel, then I'm not going to say anymore about it. I can't give my energy to you this. I don't want to hear about what you and daddy got going, I'll see it unfold as it happens."
"So, you just going to dump me with this bag of shit? Fine! I have no problem figuring this shit out. You should be happy I want to get back with your father! Why do I have to still play the role of the bad guy?"
I started to go down the rabbit hole again, but I decided to let it go. "Do what makes you happy, I'll love you regardless."
"Just hurry up and get here, I have to go. Love you, bye!"
"Bye."
"I said, I love you. Don't do that to me, I'll snatch your lips off through this phone."
"Love you too ma." She sighed. "We'll talk when I get back, bye."
"Y'all kept saying he back and forth, why?" Legend asked?
"In case the Feds still listening."
We finally were able to board our plane after an hour. With the availability they had we were lucky to get joined seats in second class.
"This has been a crazy week, I'm glad it's all over." She mentioned
"Would have expected you say bye to your pops before we left."
"I thought about it, he called me but I didn't answer. I'm not ready to just forgive him like that, I'm not like my mom it's different for me. I'm not trying to push him away or anything, it's just I need a minute to adjust."
"Well I hope y'all can get through this soon enough."
"I'm going to follow what you say, only worry about me let their problems be theirs. My main concern is making sure we stay good."
"We straight baby, till death do us part."
She smiled as she laid her head on my shoulder for the duration of the flight. I'm no time we touched the sunny California grounds, it was time for the street lights to come on by the time we grabbed our bags and held a taxi. It took under 30 minutes for us to reach her house. We paid the man and carried out bags to the door.
The front door was slightly opened, the car keys was displaced on the floor as well. I looked up first to see Skye's mother body laying in a pool of her own blood at the bottom of the stairs. I tried to shield Skye from seeing but I was too late. Momma, was the only word that left her mouth before the loud heart wrenching screams. It was absolutely nothing she could do, her mother was already dead.
"Jaceon! Elliot!" I shouted to find the boys while Skye cradled her mother.
As I walked around the corner Joey was clinging to life clutching a pistol in his hand. "They're in the closet. You need, to get out, of here. Niggas still upstairs, they strapped."
"What happened?"
He coughed up blood before getting his last out. "Old friends caught up to me, tell Skye I know it will never mean anything but I'm sorry. This goes to show, you can never leave the streets." He coughed up even more. "Take this, make sure everyone gets out safe."
Before he handed me the piece, he shot two bullets pass me and hit the first dude coming down the stairs.
"GO!"
Taking the gun I aimed at the top for anymore coming down stairs. I darted over to the bottom of the stairs to get Skye out of harms way. Just as I pulled her away shots was fired at us, as I rushed her to the other side of the floor I took a few shots in defense. By the time we rushed back over to Joey he could only utter out the words I'm sorry before passing away.
"We got to go!" I shouted as I searched through the closet to find the kids.
"I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HER!"
The kids were obviously frightened, Joey's daughter was about to let out a scream till I covered her mouth. A shot was fired but with all the kids in my arms I couldn't shoot back.
"Put the kids in the car now!"
"What about you?"
"Just do it! Keep it running, look in the rear view mirror. If anybody but me walks out the door, drive off."
"Shannon I'm not leaving you!"
A shot grazed my bicep while she was standing there bullshitting.
"GO!"
I turned around to fire back, took the nigga down with two bullets. Long as I could get away with my life I didn't give a fuck who else was upstairs. No other niggas came down in that moment so I ran to the car. I had Skye makes all these crazy turns, I don't know where I was trying to lead her just far enough so we could switch seats and fucking think.
Soon as she got out the car she broke down in my arms, I didn't have any words for her because shit wasn't alright there was. I sugar coating it.
"We got to call the police, we need to go back!" She suggested.
"If you do that shit could get mad fucking ugly. They going to dig up everything on you, your mother, Joey, and maybe even your pops. Too many questions are going to be raised. The big ass one is where the fuck you got all this money from to afford this big ass house. You could lose everything, maybe even them."
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT SHIT! What fucking else is there to do Shannon. If I don't show back up then who do you think their number one suspect is? It's a lose lose situation. I'm fucked either way!" She shouted
"It's got to be something we can do."