That OF WHICH I Entrust to THE SUN| POP SMOKE

1.2

May 17, 2007

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock, it was currently 6:00 in the morning. For as long as I can remember, on school days, the rules were as follows:

1. Wake up at 6:00 a.m.
2. Do not wake up father or mother for anything unless it's an emergency
3. Make your bed
4. Brush your teeth
5. Take a shower
6. Get dressed
7. Eat
8. Be ready by 7
However, I occasionally acted like I was saying a prayer to cramp in a little more sleep. Lord please forgive me.

My eyes were barely open yet, but I somehow managed to get up out of bed-not without staggering though. As I made my way to the bathroom, grumbling to myself, I bumped into a wall. The thud was loud enough to wake my mother up. I heard some shuffling in their room down the hall, and all I saw was her come out with a bat.

"Ma, it's just me. I just bumped into the wall and fell," I voiced groggily.

"Chiiiiiiillllllllleeee...turn on the light next time. Good morning," she semi-whispered.

"Sorry, good morning."

She then headed back into the room. I got up from the floor and finally used the bathroom, then completed all the steps.

By the time I finished getting dressed, it was 7:03. Guess I'll just eat breakfast at school; the food wasn't that bad anyway. Shooooot, I'd take it over eating apples& cinnamon oatmeal with toast everyday.

"Lenci, have you seen your father's belt," my mother asked from her room.

"No," I said quietly.

"Why are you acting like that?"

I walked into their room with knots in my stomach. I didn't know what she'd say or how she would react, but I was slightly disturbed by what happened yesterday.

"Um...mom, I think dad was drunk yesterday."

"What, what do you mean?"

"He was talking funny yesterday."

"Did anything else happen?", she asked me.

"Well...he told me about Raven-Symoné being a lesbian, and then I saw that his zipper was down. So, I tried to show him because I wasn't trying to seem inappropriate. But then he asked me to zip his zipper, and I just told him I had to use the bathroom and went to bed."

"Uuuuuuuggghhh my gosh," she said with her hand on her forehead, facing the ceiling.

"Why didn't you say something yesterday? And I'm only gonna ask you once, did he touch you inappropriately?"

"No, and I saw that you were sleeping and I didn't wanna wake you up."

At this point, she was pacing the room.

"Lenci, that is no excuse. Next, time you need to tell me."

K. How about next time you stop leaving your man out there alone with your kids. He drinking alcohol, drunk off his ass and you not even aware of it-to any degree. Yo, she blows me.

I looked down, and felt guilty. I can't explain why, but I'd felt as if I'd done something wrong.

I looked up after hearing her phone dialing a number. When the call connected, I heard that it was in fact her husband.

"Hey sweetheart, I'm not on break right now. What's going on?" he asked

"Malcolm, I don't give a rat's ass if you on break or not," she yelled with her hand on her hip. The West Indian in her dna was coming out more; you could see her lips curving inwards, and to the side as she spoke.

"Whoa, why are you talking to me like that?"

"No, I should be asking you why is it that Lenci telling me you asked her to zip up your pants yesterday,  a grown, fucking man asking a little girl to zip up his pants."

I decided to leave. I couldn't listen to it anymore.

"Lenci, just go in your room and tell your brothers and nem' y'all not going to school today," she said from in her room.

"Yes ma'am," I replied.

I did as told, and then made us all some food. I wasn't really that hungry. I kinda lost my appetite after all that.

It was currently 4:37, my dad-

K. Bitch, we don't have to call him dad. He's a fuck up, and will be recognized as such.

Anyway, Malcolm came inside the house after working OT, and looked at me with a face that was unrecognizable.

He made his way into their room. I could hear yelling and arguing through the walls. I just wanted to get away at this point. I didn't know what I did, or what I told her made her do.

"Lenci, come in here please," my mother called me.

"Yes, mommy here I come."

After I made it inside, Malcolm spoke.

"Um...Lenci, I honestly don't remember what happened last night, but your mother said I asked something inappropriate of you, and I wanted to apologize for that."

"Ok," I briefly responded.

"And Lenci, your father and I were talking, and decided that we'll make sure there is no alcohol in this house, ok?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright, go head and watch some TV or something."

After that, things between my step-father and I were weird. But little did I know, that was only the beginning...

--------------------------------------------------

Ok, so I know things are moving slowly, but trust me it's worth it. There will be a ton of thematic elements in the upcoming chapters. So, stay tuned