Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2014 4:10:13 GMT
The brown crusty stuff in the corner of his eyes break open – the sun is shining down on the double wide bed that barely fits the overly large man. The room was filled with the man’s ring tone which was the chorus to “Runnin’ my Momma Crazy” by Plies.
“I'm a goon to the streets but to my momma I'm still her baby
Raised a street nigga by yaself you a hell of a lady
Shit Im doin' now got nothin' to do wit' how you raised me
Shit killin' me to know I'm runnin' my momma crazy”
He swings his legs over the side of the bed, his white sheet covering his lower-half but his hairy chest showing. He reaches down and grabs up his blue jeans from the white tiled floor. Kodi digs his hands into one of his pockets but fails to find the phone – quickly he reaches into the other pocket and pulls out his phone. Still hazey eyed he looks at the screen and slides the bar over to answer.
“Hey Grandma, whats up? “ His voice cracking from dry mouth.
“I... I have to tell you something “
He can hear the sorrow in her voice as he wipes off the smuck in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Kay has cancer.”
Kodi almost drops the phone, Kayla was his younger sister. She wasen’t like him, she was smart and talented. She never gave into the violence of Flint – yet that is where she called home…Right where he left her.
“Wh- when did you find out?”
“Yesterday… Kodiak…I can’t take care of her. I don’t have the money.”
“ And what? You think that I do? I’m staying in a hotel… I haven’t even gotten my first paycheck yet!” There was a hint of annoyance in his voice. This was supposed to be his new start, his dream.
“Kodiak Hershal Jackson! Your little sister is sick! You need to come home and take care of her.”
“MA! I can’t do that! I have signed contracts, I have a commitments to uphold.”
“Well you are just going to have to break them.”
Kodi could hear that she had begun to tear-up on the other side of the phone. But what was he to do? He wouldn’t be making enough money to cover the doctors’ bills… But he would have to try he thought to himself – laying back on his bed.
“I’m not going back to flint…I don’t feel like getting shot up because of who I used to hang out with. But.. fuck… I guess I’ll try to find some extra money and fly her out here, I’ll go get the rest of stuff when I have the time. She will be better here than there. I’ll… I’ll just fucking figure something out."
“Are you sure?”
“What other choice do we have ma’?”
“We love you… I hope you know that.”
Kodi paused for a second, he was trying to hold off tears himself. Not her... anyone but her - he thought to himself as his head slowly started to shake in disappointment, not in his grandmother or his sister. But to life itself.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know… But I gotta go… Get dressed for the day n’ shit… I’ll call you later after I’ve figured something out.”
Kodi hangs up the phone before the elderly lady could give him a reply. His hands come up over his face – covering most of it, he screams “ Fuck” into his hands. As the scene slowly fades to black.
----
We open back up to the bar at the motel in which Kodi is staying. He wasn't a rich man and the bar was a bit wore down as was the whole side of town Kodi was staying at. But none the less it is what he could afford and this was his dream. We find our portly young man sitting on one of the stools in front of the counter. He is wearing white wife-beater that some of his chub falls out of and some black and white basketball shorts. He has a beer in front of him and his head is buried into his arms, which are crossed on the counter.
The bartender walks up to him and slams down a shot glass that makes Kodi shoot his head up. The older looking, greying haired man then poured Kodi a shot of Jack. “You look as if you could use this”. “Thanks” Kodi says, a touch of hate in his voice. He then grabs the shot glass and slugs it down his throat. Reaching down in his pocket he puts down a twenty dollar bill along with the shot glass. “Three more?” The bartender nods to him and takes out two other shot glasses – pouring the amber colored liquor into the glasses.
Kodi takes two of the shot glasses and takes one after another before signaling for the bartender to take the last one. He indulges the intimidating looking brute and takes the shot.
“So… Any place around here hiring?”
“Actually the strip joint across the street is looking for a new bouncer.”
“Oh really?”
Kodi takes a swig out of the beer bottle in front of him, the once brisk liquid now stale and warm. He turns his back to the bartender and heads out of the door, the strip club in his sights.
