𝐎𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐧𝐠 ᥫ᭡

XXXV

N'laisah Dior Olsen
Monroe, Louisiana

Once we finished allat ✂️gay✂️ shit it was dark outside so I got dressed to leave.

"Baby whea you goin?" She asks laying down on my lap.

"It's like 6, we been at it fa like 2 hours. I gotta go home." I sigh.

"You could just spend the night." She gives me pleading eyes.

"I got to get up early tomorrow and ion got my clothes." I shrug.

"Set a timer and you could wear mine."

"That's not gone work." I pat her arm to signal for her to get up.

She frowns and gets off of me.

"See you later boo." She pecks my lips.

"See ya later." I walk out.

"Put it on ha make ha wanna marrrrry me." I sing walking to my car.

Emoni Banner
Monroe, Louisiana

"Come onnn Emmanuel. Stop crying, please." I beg.

My son has been crying for his dad for at least an hour.

"Dadaaa!" He screams with snot bubbles coming out his button nose.

I tried calling his father but I guess his girl made him block me.

"I'm sorry bubba ion know if he coming back to us." I pick him up.

I rub his back while he cries on my chest for about 10 minutes until he falls asleep.

I gently place him close to the wall, on the bed. He's only 2, he shouldn't have to cry about missing his father.

"God I don't know what I did to deserve this. Ion wanna see my baby crying like this." I cry silently to not wake him up.

My brother let me stay with him in his extra room but it doesn't have a crib so Manuel's sleeping next to me tonight.

I dry my tears with my shirt and go lay on my bed.

The single bag of clothes and Pullups I managed to grab before Tyree kicked us out sits on the floor next to our twin bed.

I lie awake thinking about everything I have to do.

Firstly, a job. I think Amari is gonna let me work for him since I'm his friend's sister and we knew each other since elementary even if we were in different grades.

Secondly I know Chubby will let me stay as long as I need to but I still want my own place.

All my savings were in that house but now I can't go back so I gotta start fresh.

Maybe this won't be a bad thing tho.

I fall asleep in the midst of my thoughts.

My alarm wakes me right back up at 10. I get me and Manuel ready.

I think he cried most of it out yesterday, he hasn't really spoken this morning.

"Bro when we leaving?" I ask Chubby as I walk down the hall to the kitchen.

"Couple minutes, I just gotta eat sumn real quick." He eats his plate of pancakes and eggs and biscuit sandwiches.

I grab a PopTart real quick and make instant oatmeal for Manuel since his teeth ain't all in yet.

"Chubby why you always eating? You on yo second meal of the day and it's still morning." I clown him.

"Shutcho ass up, least ian malnourished like you." He teases me cuz I'm skinny.