Around the Way Girls 9 (11 page)

by
La'Tonya West

King was startled by the loud banging on the front door. He'd fallen asleep on the sofa watching TV after getting home from school. He looked around nervously, still half asleep, trying to figure out what was going on. He was trying to figure out if the loud banging had been part of his dream or if it was real. The loud banging started again confirming that it was indeed real. He could also hear a female voice that sounded like his friend Breezy, calling his name. He dropped the remote and jumped up from the sofa stumbling over his Timbs that were lying on the floor next to the sofa. He reached the door and snatched it open.

Breezy fell into his arms crying. “I can't take it anymore, King! I wish that I could just die! Why does she have to treat me this way?” She cried holding on to him with her face buried in his chest. Her frail body trembled in his arms as he held on to her. “Why does she hate me so much? How can a mother treat her own child this way?”

King let out a sigh as he tightened his arms around her. He felt bad for the things that she had to endure at home. He knew that her mama, Teresa, had been beating on her and talking shit to her like always. He'd never seen anyone treat their own flesh and blood the way that she did. He couldn't for the life of him understand it.

He and Breezy had been friends since they were in elementary school. They were in high school now and he'd always known her to be a sweet girl, the type who would give her last and do anything to help anyone in any way that she could. She'd always been a straight A student, well-mannered, and really quiet. She didn't bother anyone, just stayed to herself. When everybody else was out chillin' and running wild it was nothing to find her somewhere with her face stuck in a book or writing. That was what made it so hard to understand why Teresa was so damn hateful toward her and for as long as he could remember she'd always been that way.

The thing about the situation that bothered him most was how many times he'd begged Breezy to report her mother to child protective services. He'd lost count of the number of times that he'd begged her over the years. Her response was always the same each time: “I can't do my mama like that.” And his reply was always the same to her response: “What about how yo' mama is doing you?” Each time she'd drop her head and shrug her shoulders.

King's biggest fear was hearing that one of Teresa's beatings had gone too far and she'd ended up killing Breezy. For years he'd lived with the fear of waking up one morning and hearing that his best friend had been killed at the hands of her crazy-ass mother. He'd tried his hardest to get Breezy to see how important it was that she do something to get herself out of the situation that she was in but none of his efforts seemed to register with her. He'd even thought about saying something to someone himself but she'd told him a long time ago that if he ever did she would never forgive him for it; because, when she'd first come to him about the situation, she'd made him promise to never say anything and he'd given her his word that he wouldn't. However, after seeing the numerous bruises and witnessing firsthand the emotional pain, it was hard to stand back and not do anything. To him that made him just as bad as her mama.

“Stop crying, Breezy,” King said as he caressed her back, rocking her back and forth slowly in his arms. Hearing her sob and knowing that she was in pain caused him to hurt also. “And stop talking all of that nonsense about wanting to die. How do you think that would make me feel if something were to happen to you?” He hated it when she talked that way. After she didn't respond, he lifted her chin with his fingers so that she was looking up at him. “How do you think that would make me feel?” he repeated, looking down into her chocolate brown eyes. Her nose was bloodied and the right side of her face red and swollen.

“I'm tired. I'm just tired,” she whispered with tears streaming down her cheeks. “You don't understand what it's like to have the woman who brought you into this world hate you and constantly tell you how much she regrets having you.” She got choked up and couldn't continue.

“Shhhh. I know it's tough,” he replied still rocking her back and forth in his arms.

She rested her head on his chest. This was the only place that she ever felt 100 percent safe, like nothing in the world could harm her. King was her safe haven away from her harsh reality. “She's just so hateful toward me. It's like I can't do anything right.”

Before King could respond, Cheeks, the girl who lived in the apartment next door, came outside. “Heeeeey, Kiiiiinnngg.” She sang the words, smiling and looking him up and down. She looked at Breezy and frowned her face up. “Uggggh I don't know why you waste yo' time with that ugly thang right there. Why don't you let me upgrade you, boo?” She switched her hot self in front of King so that he could get a real good look at the little yellow booty shorts that she was wearing.

King was one of the most popular guys in the neighborhood and there weren't too many girls who weren't trying to get with him. He was six feet one inch, with a brown paper bag complexion, jet-black wavy hair that he kept cut close, a thin mustache, thin lips, and a muscular build. The fact that he was one of the best basketball players on the school's team and was guaranteed a basketball scholarship was a plus.

“Last time I checked a ho wasn't an upgrade!” he barked giving her a nasty glare. “Now get the fuck out my face!” He was so sick of motherfuckers messing with Breezy. She didn't deserve that shit. Just because she was quiet and didn't bother anyone it made everyone feel like they could just treat her any kind of way and run all over her. They may have done it behind his back but there was no way in hell that it was going down in his presence.

“Well, fuck you too!” Cheeks snapped looking around to see if anyone had overheard the exchange of words between the two of them. A few guys standing a few feet away down the sidewalk let it be known they'd overheard it by laughing loudly and pointing at her.

“Damn, shawty, he just straight played you!” one of them called out as he held his stomach laughing.

Cheeks flipped him off. “Shut the fuck up. That shit wasn't even that damn funny.” She was embarrassed by the way King had just shut her down. Feeling the need to try to save face, she looked back at King, placing her hand on her hip. “I heard your dick was little anyways.”

“It's good that you heard because yo' ho ass will never get a chance in this lifetime to find out for yourself whether it's true,” he shot back putting the finishing touches on her already-bruised ego.

The guys on the sidewalk laughed even harder. Now, completely humiliated, Cheeks smacked her lips. “Whatever.” That was the only thing she could think of to say. Using her better judgment she decided to leave the situation alone. She walked off in the direction of her homegirl Sherita's house.

King turned his attention back to Breezy. “Come on in and let me help you get cleaned up.” He led the way inside and she followed.

Inside, Breezy sat on the side of the tub while King wet a bath cloth and proceeded to clean her face up. “Ahhh,” Breezy groaned in pain as the warm rag touched the swollen side of her face. Her hand went up, grabbing King's. “That hurts.”

“I'm sorry,” he apologized sincerely. “I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm doing it as gently as I can.”

“I know.” She let go of his hand so that he could continue.

A few minutes later, they heard the front door slam and shortly after Ms. Annette, King's mama, announced that she was home.

“We in here, Ma,” King yelled.

“We who, boy? Who you got up in my house?” she asked making her way to the bathroom where the two of them were.

“Awww, man, I hate for your ma to see my face like this,” Breezy mumbled just as Annette walked into the bathroom.

“Hey, Breezy . . .” Her words trailed off as her eyes landed on Breezy's face. “Child, what happened to your face?” Annette had a voice just like Loretta Devine but she was a little, petite brown-skinned woman with a short Jheri curl. She'd missed the memo that Jheri curls were no longer in style.

Breezy dropped her head embarrassed by her face. She fidgeted with her fingers as she told Annette what had happened. “My ma came in a little while ago drunk and started going off on me because I hadn't cooked.” She fought back tears. “She'd been gone since last Thursday. How was I supposed to know that she was going to come home today?”

“You mean to tell me that Teresa be leaving you in that raggedy house 'round there by yourself for days?” Annette asked, feeling sorry for Breezy and personally wanting to go upside her mama's head.

“Yes, ma'am,” Breezy responded, her eyes shifting to the floor. The way that her mama treated her bothered her more than anyone could've imagined. She was ashamed of her situation.

Annette shook her head. “That's a damn shame for her to treat you like she do. I would turn her in myself—”

Breezy jumped to her feet. “No, please don't. I don't want her to get in any trouble. Please, Ms. Annette,
please.
” She was nearly jumping up and down begging.

“How do you expect for her to ever stop abusing you if you won't open your mouth and tell someone or allow anyone else to do it for you? As a grown woman knowing what is going on, I am supposed to do something about it. I am just as bad as your mama or worse if I keep sitting here allowing this to happen. For years, you walked around here and lied to me when I would ask you about the bruises and so I couldn't do nothing about it. I always suspected that she was beating on you; either her, or all them different mens she has running in and out of that house. But, I couldn't prove it. I know now, though, and you best believe I am not going to sit on my ass and allow this mess to go on any longer!”

Breezy started begging and pleading with Annette with everything in her. The thought of her mama getting arrested and going to jail frightened and hurt her all at the same time. Teresa may have treated her like shit but she was still her mama and she loved her. She just kept praying that one day she would love her too. A part of her believed that the reason her mama resented her so much was because her daddy had walked out on her, leaving her with all the responsibility of caring for her. She told herself that since she was there her mama took out on her what was really meant for her dad.

“Please, Ms. Annette, please,” Breezy continued to beg, tears streaming down her face. All sorts of thoughts were running through her mind. She wasn't just afraid of her turning her mama in but also afraid of what was going to happen to her once her mama found out that she'd told someone about what she'd been doing to her. Her words were always, “Whatever happens in my damn house stays in my damn house. If I ever find out that you have been running your damn mouth, bitch, I will kill your ass.”

Sadly, Breezy believed that she probably would. After fifteen years of abuse she had no other choice but to believe it. The things that she'd seen and been through in her short life, no human being should have to go through. Sometimes she felt as though God didn't love her because if He did He wouldn't allow her to go through those things.

Annette grabbed her firmly by her shoulders and shook her. Her eyes too were filled with tears. “Breezy, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you like being beat and dogged all the time? Don't you think you deserve to be treated better?”

“Yes, ma'am, but—”

“But, what? But, damn it, what? Why are you protecting her when it is obvious she don't give a damn about you?”

Even though she already knew that her mama didn't care about her, hearing it out loud was like a stab through the heart. Those words cut her deep and the expression on her face displayed her.

Annette's expression softened as she realized the impact her words must've had on Breezy. She turned her arms loose and then wrapped hers around her and hugged her tightly. “Baby, I didn't mean for that to come out the way that it did. I know that must've sounded really heartless. I'm sorry. I'm just tired of seeing you be treated this way. You need help, Breezy, but no one can help you unless you allow them to. I know that you love your mom but you deserve to be loved too.”

“I know,” was Breezy's reply.

They stood in the middle of the floor embracing for a while. Annette took that time to speak a few words of encouragement to Breezy, feeling really horrible inside for the comment that she'd made. Before releasing her, she made it clear that this would be the last time she saw a bruise on her and not report it. Breezy nodded her head letting her know that she understood.

Breezy looked around for King but didn't see him. She and Annette had been so wrapped up in their conversation that neither of them had even noticed he was no longer in the room. She went into the living room and saw him stretched out on the sofa watching TV. “I have to get back home. Will you walk with me halfway?” she asked standing next to the sofa.

“Yeah, you know that I ain't gon' let you walk home by yourself, girl.” He smiled up at her before sitting up. He reached down and began putting on his shoes. “You sure that you don't want to stay here for a little while and chill? You could eat here and then go home. I'm sure my mama don't mind.”

“Nah.” She shook her head. “I need to be getting home.”

King stood to his feet. “Ma, I'm going to walk Breezy halfway home,” he yelled.

“Okay, but don't be gone long. I'm about to start dinner,” she yelled back from down the hall.

“I won't.” He looked at Breezy. “You ready?”

“Yeah.” She walked out the door with him right behind her. She really didn't want to go home but she knew that she had to because she didn't want Teresa to come looking for her or have another reason to beat her ass when she got home.