Neriah

8

Jacques

I sat on the front steps of my house trying to wrap my mind around what just happened.

Flashback....

"Jaq can you open the door for me. I think someone's at the door". I huffed and pulled the covers off of me.

I have two hours more of sleep before I have to head to practice. I didn't plan on spending my precious sleep time playing door man.

"I'm coming. I'm coming". The person banged on the door loudly.

I looked through the peephole and saw the top of someone's head.

"Who the hell is it?" I opened it and three men in white jumpsuits busted through the door.

"Yo, what the fuck? Who are you?" Two of them headed upstairs. I went to after them but the bigger one stepped in front of me.

"Are you Jacques Van Zion?"

"Why the hell you playing 21 questions with me? When you'd could be telling me what the hell you doing in my moms house".

"Well I'm Dunbar. I work for The Gerad Facility and we saw here at our base that your three and a half weeks late on paying for your mother's at home care, so that means she has to come with us". My heart stopped.

"What?! I just paid you guys three days ago!" He flipped through his clipboard and shook his head looking at one page. He flipped it over and showed it to me.

"The check you sent was $400 even but the outstanding balance on your mother's account is well over $2,000". I took the clipboard from him and stared in disbelief.

"How is this possible I never missed a payment". He took the clipboard back from my grip.

"If you read here in the red print at the very top, it says: insurance is canceled due to inability to pay renewal fee. Which means they call me, I come here, I take the patient till the bill is paid". They brought my mom down in a straight jacket.

"Jaq where are they taking me?" Tears rolled down her face and there was nothing I could do.

"The insurance was canceled and - and I can't afford to pay it right now. I'm gonna get you out as soon as possible. I'm sorry ma". She pulled her head back and spit on me.

"Keep me there you bastard!"

"Let's go! Put er' in the truck". They walked right out the house with the tips of her houseshoes dragging on the ground.

I wiped her spit from my neck and sat on the porch watching as they put her on the back of the truck. She banged her head on the glass window. Her muffled screamed somehow escaped the car and got to me ears. She was screaming I hate you.

But there's nothing I can do.

Present......

I laid my forehead on my fist trying to stop from crying.

I should be getting ready for practice but i can't seem to move from this spot.

"Rookie? Is that you?" I looked up to see a yellow Volkswagen with the passenger seat window rolled down. Wiping my eyes I saw it was Neriah.

"Are you okay?" She got out of her car and walked up my driveway.

"Yeah im fine". I can't believe she's seeing me cry.

Embarrassed ain't even the word. She put a hand on my cheek and made me look at her.

"If you were fine you wouldn't be crying".