“The boys on the sidewalk. They were bothering me since I got off the bus.” Dyami’s eyes locked on her sister. Trina hungher head, as if she were feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, Dyami. I didn’t tell you I had a half day.”
“And you know you are supposed to tell me!” Dyami snapped.
Everyone fell silent. I could see now she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was pretty as could be, but that didn’t absolve her from trying to navigate through a bullshit life and solving problems that she didn’t cause. Then what my mom always said hit me. No matter how much of a kid you think you are, once you get to a certain age, consequences come like you are an adult.
“Aye, I didn’t know y’all were dealing with this. Why didn’t you tell me?” I stepped forward.
“Tell you for what? Go in the house, Trina!” She spoke with me, then with Trina. Trina didn’t budge, and neither did I.
“Because I could’ve helped.”
“You not grown, Marcos. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. Something!” I stepped forward. I had no clue, but seeing her living conditions twisted my heart in my chest.
“It’s not that bad. We’re fine. Just leave. Go in the house, Trina!” She screamed again.
“I’m not leaving until you talk to me,” I said, because I knew that was the truth. Also knew that was the quickest way for her to talk because it seemed like she always wanted me to leave her alone. I knew why now.
“What the hell, Trina? Go in the house!” Dyami yelled.
“It stank in there!” Trina yelled back, full of attitude. Then Dyami shocked us both by bursting into tears. We both went toher to hug her before she collapsed. I held her tight while she went through it.
“It shouldn’t be this hard. I’m just a kid myself.” She whispered against my chest.
“Aye, Trina. Go to the sidewalk and play.” I said, and this time Trina obeyed. I turned back to Dyami, and she was wiping her tears.
“This shit ain’t fair! Momma on that shit, and she leaves us here for days! No lights, no water. I have to make Trina’s meals and pick her up from the bus. Everything, and mama don’t do shit! Just get high and leave. She gets her check on the first, don’t pay the bills, and is gone for days!” She sank onto the first porch step. I sat next to her, speechless.
Dyami’s pretty ass had so much on her head daily, I had no clue what she was going through. She had to be a mom to her sister, literally. I always wondered why she was the one picking up Trina from the bus instead of her mother. She poured out her heart to me right on that step. Told me how she would come home and make breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and half the time she was doing it with no lights or water in the house. I didn’t know what to say. I just listened until she got it all off her chest.
I went inside, helped her clean up, and threw out all the old food in the fridge. Thankfully, the water was on. I hated that this was her situation. After throwing all the trash out, we migrated back to the porch. I looked at the sky, and it was starting to turn into dusk. I knew it was time for me to get home, or my mom would be on my phone again. I didn’t feel right about leaving her like this.
“Y’all should come with me for a few days,” I suggested. I didn’t even know why I would ask that. My mom would flip out, but she had a heart like mine. She would help if she knew.
“I can’t, and you can’t tell anybody! Promise me!” She said desperately.
“What you mean? Y’all need help.”
“They will split Trina and me up. Please. I’m serious, you can’t tell a soul!” She demanded, tears threatening to fall again.
“I won’t,” I said quickly. I learned a lot about the system, and I understood her fear. It didn’t make it any less fucked up, though.
She walked back inside and set up battery-operated lights. She ran a bath for Trina and got her into bed. I should have left then, but my heart made me stay. My mom had called me a million times while she moved through Trina’s nightly routine, but I couldn’t leave until I was sure she was okay.
“So you was fighting today?” She asked as we returned to the porch and sat on the first step again.
“Nigga had me fucked up. That’s why.” That was explanation enough in my opinion.
“You are smart, Marcos. Not like the other boys.” She swayed into me.
That small action had me blushing. I couldn’t stop it, and my words caught in my throat. I was so shy. It never happened with any other girl but her.
“It’s getting late. You should get home.” She suggested.
“Yeah,” I said, still hanging there.
“I probably won’t see you for a few weeks. Your momma don’t play.”
