The young adult male strolled on the sidewalk leading to his apartment complex, the melodic beats of Nas's "N.Y. State Of Mind" flowed out of a slick black boombox held in the hands of a young girl with a rich, chocolate complexion sitting on a dark green bench. Her head bobbed to the gritty rhythm as the cold breeze rustled through his grey Champion hoodie. His masculine hands were buried deep in the pockets of his matching sweatpants, and his beige timberlands hit the pavement with a steady cadence. The jet-black night sky above was adorned with twinkling stars, and an orange streetlight flickered above him, causing his face to twist up in irritation. Suddenly, his eyes widened with recognition, as he saw someone he knew. He stopped in his tracks, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Diamond?" Anthony questioned her, perplexed, as he gazed at her again to prove that it was her.
The young melanated woman, with her legs crossed and back against a brick wall, held a crack pipe to her lips. Her brown pupils dilated as she inhaled the powerful drug, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke from her lips. Suddenly, she heard her name being called and lifted her head. Diamond, with yellow-stained teeth, lazily greeted him. "Hey, how's life treating you, baby?" But the man couldn't shake the feeling that Diamond had mistaken him for someone else.
Diamond hung there, her baggy brown sweatshirt hung in tatters around her and her dark brown box braids were crooked, barely reaching her shoulders. Her body trembled weakly, and her eyes darted rapidly towards the scurrying grey rat making its way towards the green dumpster. "Please, don't pay me any mind," she muttered, trying to ignore the humiliation of being caught in such a state.
Diamond and Anthony used to be lovers after a bad breakup due to their careers kept them busy. His rap career took him places while her writing career succeed, But as time passed, the distance between them grew until they eventually lost touch.
Seeing her now, he couldn't help but feel sadness at the state she was in. He had heard rumors that she had fallen into drug addiction, but seeing it in person was a whole other level of heartache. He walked closer to her, concern on his face.
"Diamond, what happened? Why are you doing this yo?" he asked softly, trying not to sound judgmental. his New York accent leaking through his words. He crouched down to meet her at eye level on the rough gray concrete of the alley.
Diamond's eyes flickered with a mix of shame and defiance. "I don't need your pity, Anthony. I'm just trying to survive," she said, her voice hoarse.
Anthony shook his head. "It's not pity, it's concern. You don't have to do this, you can get help." Diamond looked away, her eyes glistening with tears. "I've tried, Anthony. I've tried so many times. But it's not that easy." She buried her face in her palms to hide her sadness from him.
