Chapter 11

Stephany Harris

It had been two weeks since we left my father at the Best Buy. Our money was running out. Sterling and I had been cooped up in that house and only went outside to cross the street to eat at Grandma Hattie’s.

About a week after we arrived on the nights we ate at Hattie’s I began to go over early and help her cook dinner. It was something to keep me busy and I enjoyed being with the old black woman. I learned a lot about her, her family and how she cooked.

One night just past the end of the second week I was helping Hattie cook when she turned to me and asked. “When chew gonna tell him?”

I was lost by her question. “Tell who what?”

“Ant-nee, When chew gonna tell him yo his baby’s mama.”

“WHAT!”

“Yo is pregnant chile.”

“No, I can’t be! I’m only fourteen!”

“Yo bleeds doncha.”

“Oh My God.” I had been so preoccupied with all that had been going on I totally forgot my period was overdue.

I dropped into a chair as the reality hit me. “Oh fuck me.” I moaned.

“Yep,” Hattie said. “Thet be how it happen.”

“Please don’t tell anyone Grandma Hattie.” I pleaded.

“I aint his baby’s mama. It aint up ta me ta say nothing ta nobody.”

I don’t even remember eating dinner that night. Tony noticed that I was acting unusual and asked. “Chew ok baby?”

He had pulled me out of my thoughts. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. I just was thinking about my parents that’s all.”

“It gonna be ok baby. Yo daddy gonna fix everythin.

I hoped so things were not going as smoothly as I would have liked.

Sterling was getting really irritated with Jamal to the point Tony had to get up into his brothers ass a couple of times to get him to quit fucking with Sterling. It was getting so that whenever Jamal was in the house my brother locked himself in his room and wouldn’t come out unless it was to eat.

Consequently Jamal spent less and less time at home. Then two days after I found out I was pregnant, Sterling came to me and asked “Do you have the car keys?”

“No. I haven’t seen them since you took them out of the ignition the day we arrived here.”

“Well I’ve looked all over my room when I noticed they weren’t in the drawer where I put them.”

I asked. “Are you sure you didn’t put them somewhere else and forgot?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I know right where I put them and I haven’t moved them once.” He paused. “You don’t think Jamal or Tony took them and are driving around in mom’s car do you?

“Tony would never do that, but I wouldn’t put it past Jamal.” I said getting worried. “When was the last time you saw Jamal?”

“Just after lunch.”

“It’s five twenty now so he could’ve been riding around in it for four hours or more.

“Shit!” Sterling yelled, snatched up his hoodie and slipped into it. “I’m going to look in Hattie’s back yard and see if the car is still there.”

“What about Rufus? That dog will chew your ass up if you go into their yard.” I told him.

“I can walk around the block and look over the fence from the back alleyway.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Sterling. Someone might see you and a white boy looking into someone’s yard in this neighborhood would not be cool if they caught you.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Sterling wait!” I pleaded. “Let’s wait for Tony and let him look. There isn’t anything we can do if it’s gone anyway, so let’s not take the risk.”

“I said I’d be careful.”

“I believe you, but someone could still see you and if you get caught then I’ll get caught, then we’ll both end up in jail where the mob guys could get to us and then dad would be really pissed and mom would be in more trouble, Just wait please.”