Valentine: Book 1

Chapter Six

VALENTINE

It's the year 1995. I saw myself when I was 6 years old sitting on my granny porch reading a book waiting on my momma to come get me. Most of the time I would go play with my friends but I don't have many friends besides this girl named Sherraine but she was at her daddy's house for the weekend and I only get to see her when I come to see my granny. I used to only see my granny every holiday and birthday but then I started seeing her every weekend. Then weekends turned into weeks. Now it feels like I live here but my mom should be picking me up any second.

My momma said she was coming to get my Sunday at 2:00. I can't really tell time yet but I can tell by how dark it was getting that it was past 2:00. I was starting to get upset because I really missed my mommy and I haven't seen her in 2 weeks. I hope she didn't forget about me again.

I ran inside the house looking for my granny and was happy to find her in the kitchen. "Granny?" I called her. She saw me and turned around to hang the phone back up on the wall. "Hey baby." She said to me. She then bent down to my level and held me by my arms. "Honey, I got some bad news." She said to me. "Mommy isn't coming, is she?" I asked about to cry. She closed her eyes and nodded her head. "Yeah, but we can still have fun, right?" I started crying and said "I miss my mommy. I wanna go home with my mommy, Granny!!!" "I know baby, but you can't today." She said to me. I ran out the door and sat on the porch crying my eyes out. I stopped crying when I looked up and I heard a boy who looked about 2 years older than my 5 year old self singing the familiar NWA song while walking down the street. My favorite NWA song at that.

"Cruisin' down the street in my six foe',

Jockin' the bitches, slappin' the hoes,

Went to the park to get the scoop,

A car pulls up who can it be?

a fresh el camino rolled, killo g?

He rolls down his window and he started to say..."

"It's all about makin that gta!" I said finishing the line for him. The little boy looked at me and smiled. "Hey I remember this day!" I said watching the familiar scene play out between my younger self and the little boy. "Ayee, you down with NWA?" The little boy asked. My younger self nodded. "I sure am!" The boy smiled. "That's dope. Not a lot of girls listen to them. All the girls I know like listening to TLC, Aaliyah, and some niggas called Dru Hill." Both I and my younger self laughed. "I listen to all them too but I love NWA more." The little boy smiled. " Hey, you live here?" He asked me. My younger self told him the situation that goes on with me and my momma and how I had to stay with my granny most of the time. "Yeah, I hardly ever get to see my dad too." He admitted. We sat outside and played for a while.

"How old are you?" He asked me. "I'm 6." I responded

"I'm 8. You not like the other 6 year old girls I know. The other ones yucky."

"You're not like the other 8 year old boys I know. They're the kings of yucky!"

"No girls are yucky!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!!

"We are NOT!!" I yelled. The little boy laughed. "I like you. Wanna be friends?" "Sure." I said smiling a smile that was missing a tooth at the bottom. "Great! What's your name?" He asked me. "I'm Valentine!" He smiled. "I'm Rashon..."

And that ladies and gentleman was the very first yime I met Rashon. I smiled as I looked at this old memory when I heard something behind me. "We was so cute back then." I turned around and nearly fainted when I saw who it was. "Rashon?" I gasped. "You're alive? No, you can't be alive!" He shook his head. "You right, I can't be." He said to me. "I couldn't come to you as a human being so I had to come to you as an angel." I looked at my long lost love and began to cry. Rashon then took me into his embrace and let me cry on his shoulder. "Its ok, babe." He said as he rubbed my back and kissed my forehead. "Rashon, I miss you so much!" I admitted. "Then why would you hurt me even more?" He asked. Now I was confused. "What're you talking about?" I asked him.