Chris:
I couldn’t stand to see all those wires hooked up to her body. The breathing tube that was down her throat helping her breathe. She seemed dead but I knew she wasn’t. She just laid there, unconscious. She had no movement, she looked peaceful but I could tell that she was in pain. I stood over her, just examining her. She had a bandage wrapped around her chest, her face looked pale. A single tear drop fell down my face and I walked over to Mijo and Sean who were leaning against the walk. Ty was still holding Mel who’s crying was hysterical after seeing Mari in this condition.
I stood next to Mijo and tilted my head back into the wall. He looked over at me. I wanted to be strong for her, but this shit made me weak. I never cried and they knew that. No matter how much I wanted the tears to stop falling they wouldn’t stop. I wasn’t even sobbing or anything; it was just tears constantly pouring down. Every time I would try to hold them back, my eyes would start to burn.
“You okay, bro?” Mijo asked. Does it fucking look like I’m okay? My fucking life, everything is laying in the hospital with two holes in her chest, on a breathing tube. I knew he was just looking out for me.
“I’ll be good.” I said sniffling. I looked at her, she was still lying there. I just wanted her to get up and tell me she was okay. That wasn’t going to happen. I looked to my side and I clenched my jaw. Why did this have to happen, why?
“Look Breezy, I’m sorry dude. I truly am—” Sean said walking over to me.
“Nigga get the fuck out my face with that bullshit—” I spat at Sean stepping towards him.
“This ain’t the time for this!” Ty spat the both of us. Sean ignored him.
“Nigga I’m just trying to be here for you!” Sean spat at me.
“You wasn’t there for me when you was fucking my girl was you?” I asked rhetorically shoving him. He shoved me back. I was about to throw a punch at him until a familiar voice cut me off.
“Christopher Maurice, do you not see that child in the hospital bed!” My mom spat at me rushing into the hospital room. I stepped back and leaned against the wall glaring at Sean. He stormed out the room past my mother. My mom walked over to Mari’s bed and looked down at her. “Dear lord.” My mom said as she begin to sob. Damn I hate when my mom cries. I walked over to her and started holding her as she cried into my chest. Mari was like a daughter to her. “I came as soon as Michael called me.” My mom said as I released my grip around her. She looked up at me and caressed my cheek. “You okay baby?” She asked me. I knew she could tell that I had been crying. I bit my bottom lip and nodded yes. She gave me a worried look, she knew I wasn’t okay but she left it alone.
My mom walked over to Ty and Mel. She started rubbing Mel’s back telling her that it was okay to cry and to let it all out. I leaned back against the wall. I couldn’t stop looking at her. I hate seeing her in this critical condition. Everyone was emotionally drained and I could tell. Mel and my momma sat down in chairs close to Mari’s bed. My mom prayed and Mel sobbed quietly holding Mari’s hand. Mel’s grip was tight but Mari had no grip what so ever. My chest got tight. Ty walked pass me and walked out the room. I decided to follow him so I could talk to him.
“Yo.” I called after him. He kept on walking, ignoring me. “Ty nigga just wait.” I spat at him. He stopped and turned around slowly with his hands in his pockets. He gave me a blank face. I stood there with my hands stuffed in my pockets as well. He continued to look at me. I couldn’t look him in the face. I was ashamed in myself.
“Talk nigga.” He demanded.
“Look, I fucked up. I know. I regret everything but you can’t blame this shit only one me!” I spat at him quietly. He laughed and turned around walking forward. “We need to find out who the fuck did this nigga.” I said walking after him. He turned around quickly.
“Where the fuck you think I’m going now!” Ty spat at me. Two detectives walked from behind Ty and approached us.
“Are you the family or friends of Amarie Fontaine?” One of the detectives asked us. Ty and I both nodded. “Okay, my name is Detective Jones and this is my partner Detective Thomas.” The man said pointing to the female detective that was next to him. She had a pad and pen in her hand. “We just want to ask you a few questions and give you some information that we know.”
“Alright.” I said.
“Well first off all we have witness that seen a women that was around 5’5, medium built, and caramel skin complexion fleeing the scene. We also found a gun at the scene that is accused of being the gun that the was used in the crime. It is currently undergoing investigation.” Detective Thomas spoke up. Ty and I looked at each other. We already knew who it was. Hennessey.
“Do you guys have any information on people that had problems with her?” Detective Jones asked.
“Uhh—” I started to say.
“No, not all!” Ty spoke up before I could even say anything.
“Okay well, we will make sure this crime gets justice. We won’t sleep on it until we do.” Detective Jones said. Ty and I nodded and the detectives walked away. Ty and I stood there waiting for the detective to get a good distance ahead of us. They turned a corner and me and Ty faced each other.
“Now you can’t blame me for this shit when we both agreed to keep Hennessey being back from them! Fuck!” I spat quietly at Ty. He rubbed his hands over his face.
“Alright man, what the fuck we going to do?” Ty asked me.
“I don’t know nigga, ain’t shit we can do but wait. We have to wait till Wiz gives us the call.” I said getting frustrated. I had no choice but to wait on this nigga, he had all the shit planned out and I needed more of his men for this shit.
“Alright, let’s go back in the room.” Ty said and we headed to the room.
Amaire:
It was a cold New Year’s eve night. My mother and I spent the whole day baking cookies, cake, watching movies, and playing board games. My father was gone the whole day thankfully. I was tired of him coming home, touching me in weird places, and abusing my mother. I wished every day that my mother would just take me away from this hell hole. Just me and her living together that is the way I would have loved it. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. She was too afraid; I saw the fear in her eye every time he came around.
I hated that look that she had when she heard the front door unlock, when he walked in the bathroom while I was taking a bubble bath telling my mother to get out. She always refused putting up a fight but he would just beat her until she blackout. Then he would come for me, it was my turn to get hurt. He would touch me in my most uncomfortable places, abuse me. Later to grow up and discovered I was raped. Mostly every day from 4 to 6, for two years that is when me and my momma got abused. It finally ended at 6.
It was 11:54pm. My mom and I were looking out the window staring out the moon. It was a full moon and it was beautiful. I sat on her lap while sat in a chair in front of a window. My mom could watch the moon for hours and I could too. We were so fascinated with it.
“Mommy since it’s going to be a new year in a few does that mean we get a new moon too?” I asked look at the moon with wide eyes. My mom giggled and kissed me on the cheek.
“No baby, the moon is always the same.” She told me. She held onto me tight. “The moon changes in stages baby, but you’re too young to understand right now.” She said and rocked me back in forth in her arms. I loved my mom’s embrace. Then he walked in. There was something about him that was off. He was slurring and he had a lot of energy. My mom let go of the grip that she had on me, the fear took over her eyes.
“Why the fuckkkkk you look so scared baby.” My dad spat at my mother. She pushed me off of her lap gently.
“Go in your room baby.” She whispered to me. I ran towards my room but my father yanked me back.
“No stay here you little prick.” He spat at me. My mom got up quickly. My father pushed me down to the floor and my mom ran to my rescue. Before my mom console me, he yanked her I up and threw her against the wall. I watched in terror as my father beat my mom, it hurt me each time. My mom decided this time she was going to fight back. She punched my father in the nose. Trickles of blood shot out his nose and he wiped them away in shock. My looked up at my mom with so much anger in hate. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a gun. He aimed it the center of my mom’s head. Boom.
My mom’s body slid down the wall and blood poured down her head. I watched her lifeless body hit the floor. My father turned around and looked down at me. The same hate he had in his eyes when he looked at my mother seconds before she was still there. He slowly pointed the gun at the center of my face as I looked into the barrel of the gun. The metal so shiny.
I heard the door get kicked in. My father turned around to see police officers rushing into the house and he pointed the gun towards them. Before he could even pull the trigger, they shot him dead. He fell to the floor quickly. A police officer rushed over to me asking me if I was okay. I just continued to look at my mom on the floor as police officers shouted all over the place. Next thing I knew I was being picked up and carried out the house as I watched my mom’s lifeless body the whole way out.