heard the television playing. Walking through the apartment toward the sound of the television, Smurf kept his hand on his gun. His mother normally didn’t keep the door unlocked, and just in case there was foul play, someone would meet his maker, messing with his mother.
Smurf arrived at his mother’s bedroom door and saw that it was open. He saw a figure sprawled across the bed.
“Momma?” Smurf looked around, then back at the figure. “Momma!” Still no response. Smurf ran over to her. “Momma!” he yelled again. Just then, he saw a wet spot on the bedspread and a glass where the spot was. Smurf took a deep breath in and exhaled.
His mother had been drinking. Smurf knew that a lot of his mother’s problems stemmed from alcohol, but he had never seen her in such a stupor before.
Just as Smurf began to clean up the mess, his mother startled.
“Demond,” she said softly, but groggily. “Why did you leave me?” Smurf stopped and listened. “Baby, I tried to make it without you, but you didn’t come back. You didn’t want me anymore. I gotta find a way to live, baby.”
Smurf looked into his mother’s face and saw that alcohol was taking a toll on her looks. She had a tear that wanted to escape her closed eyelids, so he touched it with his finger and let it free. This was the first time in Smurf’s young life that he had seen his mother so vulnerable. He didn’t know who she was talking about and couldn’t make out everything she said, but he knew she was talking about someone important to her. But who was he? And better yet, where was he?
CHAPTER 9
L ACI STILL SUFFERED from the withdrawal effects of her addiction, but they were lessening day by day. The rehab center’s doctors and counselors told her that she might suffer some permanent side effects from the crack cocaine, but Laci said she’d take it one day at a time. Some days were better than others. While she was in her comfort zone during the day at school with other people like her, Laci refused to be in one-on-one or small group situations. She felt that people would take advantage of her, so she rarely hung out.
She often woke up at night from bad dreams, tremors, night sweats, and extreme paranoia, so she napped as much as she could during the day. Laci’s body writhed forcefully in her slumber. Dink walked into their bedroom when he came home to check on her. He sat down on the side of the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. “Laci. Baby, wake up.”
Laci opened her eyes and blinked to bring her surroundings into focus. Without saying a word, she tore off the covers and frantically jumped out of bed and peered out the bedroom window, then ran to the front window in the living room.
“Baby, who are you lookin’ for?” Dink asked.
“Those trifling bitches,” Laci grunted through tight teeth. “I know they’re here.” She ran to the closet and thrashed clothes around, mumbling how she hated them. She tried to leave the room, but Dink grabbed her and held her tightly. He’d known that in time this would come, and he was glad he was there for her. The comfort that Laci felt instantly brought her to tears. “They’re everywhere. When I close my eyes, when I’m awake,” she cried, running all of her words together. She tried to break free, but Dink held her close to him. “Tonette and them followed me here. Everywhere I go, they’re there!” She was on the verge of hyperventilating.
Dink felt lost, because he couldn’t imagine how she was feeling inside. Counseling didn’t prepare him for this. “Baby, nobody’s here but me and you,” Dink told Laci softly. She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth, as he walked her to the couch and sat her down. “Just me and you, baby.”
Dink went to the kitchen for a glass of water and brought it back to her. Laci drank it quickly and handed him the empty glass. With a blotchy red face and tear-drenched eyes, she ran her fingers through her wild and tangled hair, then
Smurf arrived at his mother’s bedroom door and saw that it was open. He saw a figure sprawled across the bed.
“Momma?” Smurf looked around, then back at the figure. “Momma!” Still no response. Smurf ran over to her. “Momma!” he yelled again. Just then, he saw a wet spot on the bedspread and a glass where the spot was. Smurf took a deep breath in and exhaled.
His mother had been drinking. Smurf knew that a lot of his mother’s problems stemmed from alcohol, but he had never seen her in such a stupor before.
Just as Smurf began to clean up the mess, his mother startled.
“Demond,” she said softly, but groggily. “Why did you leave me?” Smurf stopped and listened. “Baby, I tried to make it without you, but you didn’t come back. You didn’t want me anymore. I gotta find a way to live, baby.”
Smurf looked into his mother’s face and saw that alcohol was taking a toll on her looks. She had a tear that wanted to escape her closed eyelids, so he touched it with his finger and let it free. This was the first time in Smurf’s young life that he had seen his mother so vulnerable. He didn’t know who she was talking about and couldn’t make out everything she said, but he knew she was talking about someone important to her. But who was he? And better yet, where was he?
CHAPTER 9
L ACI STILL SUFFERED from the withdrawal effects of her addiction, but they were lessening day by day. The rehab center’s doctors and counselors told her that she might suffer some permanent side effects from the crack cocaine, but Laci said she’d take it one day at a time. Some days were better than others. While she was in her comfort zone during the day at school with other people like her, Laci refused to be in one-on-one or small group situations. She felt that people would take advantage of her, so she rarely hung out.
She often woke up at night from bad dreams, tremors, night sweats, and extreme paranoia, so she napped as much as she could during the day. Laci’s body writhed forcefully in her slumber. Dink walked into their bedroom when he came home to check on her. He sat down on the side of the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. “Laci. Baby, wake up.”
Laci opened her eyes and blinked to bring her surroundings into focus. Without saying a word, she tore off the covers and frantically jumped out of bed and peered out the bedroom window, then ran to the front window in the living room.
“Baby, who are you lookin’ for?” Dink asked.
“Those trifling bitches,” Laci grunted through tight teeth. “I know they’re here.” She ran to the closet and thrashed clothes around, mumbling how she hated them. She tried to leave the room, but Dink grabbed her and held her tightly. He’d known that in time this would come, and he was glad he was there for her. The comfort that Laci felt instantly brought her to tears. “They’re everywhere. When I close my eyes, when I’m awake,” she cried, running all of her words together. She tried to break free, but Dink held her close to him. “Tonette and them followed me here. Everywhere I go, they’re there!” She was on the verge of hyperventilating.
Dink felt lost, because he couldn’t imagine how she was feeling inside. Counseling didn’t prepare him for this. “Baby, nobody’s here but me and you,” Dink told Laci softly. She looked into his eyes, searching for the truth, as he walked her to the couch and sat her down. “Just me and you, baby.”
Dink went to the kitchen for a glass of water and brought it back to her. Laci drank it quickly and handed him the empty glass. With a blotchy red face and tear-drenched eyes, she ran her fingers through her wild and tangled hair, then
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