Miracle
The wind blew through my hair that sat on my shoulders as I waited on the front steps for CJ. It's been a hour and he still hasn't showed up.
I sighed and pulled my knees to my chest watching as cars passed slowly.
"You look a little sad. Maybe this will cheer you up."
Once I turned my head the other direction I saw CJ standing there with a Twix in his hands. Which happens to be my favorite chocolate.
"You thought I wasn't coming huh?" He laughed sitting next to me on the old wooden steps.
"Mhm. It took you long enough to get here." I opened the Twix and took a bite licking the caramel from my lips.
"Sorry. My grandmother was tripping. She wouldn't let me borrow the car so I had to walk."
"It's fine. You must live with her now?" I questioned out of curiosity.
He shrugged. "I might as well. Don't know the last time I've seen my parents."
CJ was such a hard book that I wasn't able to read. He barely opened up to me.
"What do your parents do for a living that causes them to be gone so often?" I turned my body towards him.
"It doesn't matter. Their jobs aren't the reason I don't see them. They just don't care about me."
"Oh don't say that. I'm pretty sure they love you."
He shook his head no. "My mother just keeps me around just to get my dad to stay. And my dad just keeps me around for image."
I sighed not knowing what to say. "Well if it makes you feel any better my biological mother died when I was born."
He looked up at me. "That's suppose to make me feel better?"
I began laughing and he did as well. We sat there in silence for a moment while I laid my head on his shoulder. The temperature began to drop causing me to shiver.
"Wanna go inside? It's getting chilly."
"Sure." I stood up dusting the back of my pants and CJ followed me inside the house.
"This your place?" CJ asked looking around. "Kind of old."
"No. This is my Grandma's house. I'm staying here for a couple weeks." I grabbed blankets from the hallway closet.
"The Henderson Family Christmas." CJ said reading the title of a family picture. "Who's that?" He asked pointing.
I walked over and saw he was pointing to mama. "That's my mom."
"Thought you said she died."
"Well that's my Aunt Monica. But she took care of me all my life so I call her mom."
"And who's that."
"My uncle."
"And that?"
"My dad."
"Wait what? Your dad and mom are brother and sister? Type of shit is that?"
"It's complicated okay." I laughed sitting on the couch pulling CJ down with me.
The door swung open just as I leaned in to kiss him.
"Aye Miracle! Granny whooped ass at bingo." Jr yelled coming around the corner. He stopped dead in his tracks seeing me sitting next to CJ.
"What he doing in here!? You need to go!" Jr said yelling at CJ.
"You can't make him leave."
"You right but I know who can. Unc."
"No! Jr don't! My dad would beat my ass!" I jumped off the couch chasing him around the house.
He went into the kitchen picking up the house phone connected the wall.
"Stop!" I tried to snatch it out his hands.
"Aye Miracle. I'm gonna head out." CJ stood up opening the door.
"Wait! No! You just got here." I went and grabbed his wrist.
"Yea But it's clear I'm not suppose to be here." He walked down the steps and down the street.
"Was that the paper boy?" Grandma Sheri asked entering the house with her cane locked in her wrinkly hands.
I sighed shaking my head. Heading back into the kitchen I heard Jr on the phone running his mouth.
"Ight unc." Jr said ending the call placing the phone back on the hook.
"I hate you." I folded my arms and rolled my eyes.
"I love you too." He opened the refrigerator door.
"Why would you do that knowing how crazy and overprotective my dad is!"
"I'm looking out for you! Uncle King said you weren't allowed around boys! Being the cousin I am Imma make sure you're safe! Besides that nigga a senior and you're just a freshman. You better be glad I didn't tell him that."
"Don't talk to me." I stomped up the stairs getting ready to hear my dad's lecture about how I'm "too young for love" and how "boys aren't any good"
"You'll get over it!" I heard Jr say before I shut my door.
King
"Mo slow down and calm down." I repeated myself for the third time. Monica came home talking a mile a minute.
"King what aren't you understanding! Nick isn't safe here or anywhere!" Monica said wiping a wet wipe across her face removing her foundation and any other makeup products that coated her face.
"Wait a minute I just thought of something!" Nicked hopped up from the recliner that sat in the corner of the room.
Ah hell. "What Nick?"
"I'm not Nick remember. Im Mike Livingston!" His smile brightened.
"No Nick- you know what? I'm not even gonna say anything. You're right." Mo patted Nick on his back trying not to crush his spirit.
I took a deep breath and lit a cigar watching as Monica started back panicking and rambling. At this point I was stuck. It was basically a dead end. The hair on my head was turning grey and this was becoming to much for me to handle.
"King! Are you listening!" Monica stood in front of me.
"I'm not honestly." I inhaled from my cigar and exhaled sighing. "What can we do Mo? Huh? What?"
"What about that stupid ass plan you came up with?"
"Not sure if it's gonna work in time. If the cops are searching like you said they are they'll have Nick by the end of the week." I blew smoke through my nose being honest.
"What? I must be going deaf because it sounds like you're giving up and losing hope. One day you say "let's do this" and the next day you come back and say "no we can't" MAKE UP YOUR MIND!"
It was true. I was going back and forth contradicting myself. I can honestly say I didn't know what to do.
"I'm tired Monica."
"Tired? TIRED? You? Hell what about me King? You don't think I get tired?"
"Here we go." I said feeling an argument heading my way.
"I'm not about to preach to you today. You're like a drain. It goes in and comes straight out." Monica said while brushing her hair into a pony tail.
"But let me tell you something I don't care how tired I am or how tired I get. I will not let our little brother go down again. We thought we lost him once and knowing we could lose him again you're acting like this? Wow."
"Alright Mo since you think you got shit all figured out. You handle it. It's all yours."
"I surely will." She turned going back into the bathroom.
"That girl." I sighed rubbing the bridge of my nose. Finishing my cigar I noticed an incoming call.
"Talk to me." I stood up tossing the cigar out the window.
"Unc."
"Jr? Wassup my man. What's going on? You good?"
"Yea I'm good. But after I tell you this your daughter ain't gone be."
*
*
*
"King that was a red light!" Monica said holding her seat belt as we weaved and bobbed through traffic.
"Yea bro. I'm not trying to die again. You going a lil' bit to fast." Nick said from the backseat holding onto the handle above the window.
My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as all of my weight came down on the gas. I was livid at this child of mine.
Finally turning into the neighborhood I parked the truck outside my mom's place and jumped out not even shutting the car off. I pulled the front door opened and turned on all the lights.
"MIRACLE!" My voice became loud waking up the entire house.
"Kingston! What in lords name! Gone' mess around and put me in my grave scaring me like that." Mama came out her bedroom with a headwrap on.
"My bad mama. How you doing? Good? Great. Gone back to bed now." I rushed her inside her bedroom.
"Miracle!" I yanked the guest bedroom door opened and found her asleep. I snatched the covers off of her then lifted the side of the mattress tilting it in the process. Her body slid off the bed and hit the floor with a great thud.
"Dad!" She whined getting off the ground.
"Dad my black ass! Give me this got damn phone." I pulled it out her hands. "I see you just won't learn!"
Monica came inside the room and crossed her arms. "I'm very disappointed in you Miracle. You know better than to let a boy inside the house."
"But mom-"
"But nothing! Your dad told you no and you went behind his back and did it again."
"Ugh! Why are you guys being like this! I can't do anything! I literally have no freedom!
"You lost your freedom! We have to do this babygirl. It's our job to protect you. Some stuff you don't know and you don't need to know. We live a very hard life and you can't trust any and everybody in this cold world. That boy could've taken you." Monica explained and I nodded agreeing with every word she said.
Miracle covered her face trying to hide the tears that were slowly escaping. "He's not like that."
"You don't know that Miracle! Anybody could lie just to get to you!"
Miracle sighed and dried her face. "Okay I understand."
"Do you really?" Monica asked grabbing her face. "Understand we do things for a reason. We're not fussing at you and controlling you just because. It's to keep you safe. If something happens to you I'll go crazy and you know it." Miracle cracked a small smile.
"Yes." She sniffed. "I understand."
"Good" I bent down kissing her forehead.
Nick entered the room with a plate of leftovers in his hand. "Yea! What they said." He said coming into the conversation late as hell. "Did I miss the fussing part?" He licked his fingers.
"Yea uncle Nick you're about two minutes late."
"Well how about we end this night playing a good ol' game of family uno." Nick suggested smirking.
"I'll shuffle the cards!" Jr popped up outta nowhere.
Monica and I shook our heads going downstairs. While Nick and em' got the cards set up I pulled Mo to the side.
"I'm not giving up on Nick you know that right?"
"Duh! I wasn't gonna let you give up." She laughed pouring her a glass of kool-aid.
I chuckled. "Sometimes I just confuse myself and don't think before I act."
"That's understandable."
"I'm gonna try and stop being selfish as you say and think about how you feel."
"Oh wow. Where was this King years ago?"
We both laughed.
"So Mo, do you feel safe continuing with the plan."
"Mhm."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes King. I'll do anything to get Nick out of this."
I placed my hand on her shoulder. "I'm telling you. If you feel unsafe at any point we won't move forwards."
She nodded.
"Uncle Nick you already cheating!" We heard commotion from the living room.
"Oh boy. It's gonna be a long night."
Carter
"Nurse! I need more pain killers please." Joseline waled fanning herself as she laid in the hospital bed being dramatic as hell.
She was suppose to be discharged yesterday but she refused to leave because her back was quote on quote "broken"
The nurse brought her two pain pills.
"Gracias babe." She thanked the nurse and popped the pills inside her mouth washing them down with water.
"Jos you're gonna have to leave at some point."
"Yea yea. I know Carter. Thank you so much for stating the obvious." She continued to fan herself.
I rolled my eyes. Sometimes I couldn't stand her.
"Alright Jos I'm gonna ask you some questions just to clarify the incident." I whipped out a pen. "How would you describe the person that broke in."
"Okay first of all I thought we went over this and second of all its people not a person."
"People? Meaning more than one."
"Yes." She took another sip of water. "One of them was skinny, the other was kind of buff. The skinner one looked better though." Joseline said smirking.
"Stay on topic please. You see anything peculiar? Maybe a special tattoo or something."
"No." She shook her head. "I don't remember much."
"Well great. That's just fucking great." I threw my pen down. "How stupid do I look going back inside the office and giving them a blank identification report."
"I don't know what to tell you babe." She shrugged turning on the television.
The hospital door opened and in walked my son CJ.
"There's my baby boy!" Joseline held out her arms for CJ to hug her but instead he walked straight passed her and over to me.
"Sup dad. You got a couple bucks?"
"Really? Whenever you see me you want money. That's all you ever ask for."
"What else am I gonna ask you for? To take me to a basketball game or to play catch outside with me? Too late. You missed out on that." CJ said taking a seat.
"Don't talk to your father like that."
"Whatever." CJ slumped down putting his hood over his head.
I turned my attention back to Joseline ignoring his ignorance.
"Come on now Jos you gotta know something. This Henderson case is serious. I'm pretty sure if I So this case over Chief will give me a promotion."
"What did you just say?" CJ looked up from his phone.
"I'll get a promotion."
"No the other thing. That name."
"Henderson?"
CJ squinted his eyes then looked up in the air.
"You know something about that name boy?" I asked.
"Nah." He got up from the seat pulling up his sagging pants. "I gotta go." He left the room.
"That kid is off." Joseline rolled her eyes and flipped through a fashion magazine.
I sighed and pulled at my beard. So far we aren't getting anywhere and I'm beginning to get anxious.
*
*
*
Monica
"GoodMorning how are you?" The receptionist asked as I entered the hospital. I had another doctor's appointment today and instead of heading to my regular doctor's office Dr. Jax told me to meet him here.
"I'm doing well. I'm here for Dr. Jax."
"Ah yes. He said you would be coming today. He has a new office here." The receptionist informed typing on the computer behind the desk.
"Oh really?"
"Yea. Says he needed more space."
This was actually good. Now my delivery would go a lot smoother with the doctor here at the hospital.
"You're a little early for your appointment but that's okay. Go ahead and take the elevator to the seventh floor. Once you go down the hall you should find a door with his name on it."
"Thank you." I said with a smile and took the elevator all the way up to the seventh floor.
Once on the hall I began searching for the office.
"Nope. Nope." I walked passed many doors. I came to a door without a name. "Maybe this is it." I entered and saw a girl laying on the hospital bed.
"I'm sorry." I said about to shut the door.
"Wait. Since you came in here could you help me out and reach me that remote." The girl pointed to the hospital remote laying on the floor inches away from her.
Being the generous person I am I entered and bent down grabbing the remote handing it to her.
"Girl your heels are stunning." She spoke astonishingly.
"Really? Thank you. They're so old."
"Where'd you get them."
"Fashion Nova."
"Hmm nice." She nodded slowly then looked up at my face. "Do I know you?"
"No. I don't think so." I shook my head.
"What's your name?" She questioned.
"What's your name?" I dodged her question for safety purposes.
"Joseline."
"Well it was nice running into you on accident Joseline. Hope you get well." I noticed the balloons and flowers along with get well soon cards.
"Thank you. Anonymous." She said realizing I never said my name.
If there's one thing I learned from King. It's to keep my mouth shut. You never know who could be your enemy, or your friend.