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Choices

Posted by Anthony Nelson in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

A son tries the street route and his dad pays for it......




https://soundcloud.com/tony-nelson-540802950/choices




Comb your hair. It looks a mess. Fix your pants, Don’t get tattoos, Don’t wear hoods, don’t cover your face. Dress nice. You need to work harder as a black man.

In today’s society, being a person of color is hard son. People hate our tight kinks in our heads but at the same time they want it. To society we’re just some damned niggas that the government is going to do all they can do to keep us from prevailing. It is hard to be a person of color today because everyone is against it. They hate our royal blood. They hate that we are the original people. That our descendants were Kings and Queens.  But none of that matters because of societies view on our people. Stereotypes get our people killed every day no matter if it is by a policeman, a crackhead or even our fellow colored people. We are already put into a trench and the US doesn’t make it any easier. The average white person can just show up somewhere and be guaranteed a spot on the job but if someone like us shows up not wearing their sunday's best, there will definitely be a problem. Societies goal is is to make everything harder and harder for colored people, and you’re not making it any better on yourself.

I don’t care how cool it makes you look. You can have all the chains, all of the money, all of the girls, all of the clout but at the end of the day, NONE OF THAT SHIT MATTERS! Education is key boy. Being on the street won’t lead to anything good and once you get to deep, the harder it becomes. You think that shit is cool but you’ll surely end up in cuffs or in a casket. Take it from me son, I lost my best friend to the streets, Uncle Dre. I tried to tell him son I tried and tried but he was too much like us. To smart for his own good. He started smoking that stuff when he was younger, next thing I know he's selling it. When I got that call son it cut me to the white meat. I felt like it was my fault. He was in the fast lane. Now look where he's at now. My best friend in the ground at 32. I can't have that happen again. Not to you, my only son. I love you son. I can't lose you. Do you understand how devastated I would be if I got that call saying my son has  been arrested or worse.

I don’t care how thurl being “posted on the block” is considered when you could be posted up in the class getting and education instead of wasting your life being in the streets selling drugs and making less than you would working a minimum wage job.

What is it going to take for you to understand how serious this is? You could’ve already been killed. Luckily you have god on your side. It’s tragic how many people we lose from this street life. And just think son, not only are the people living your lifestyle affected but so are the innocent people caught in the middle of this. Say you are getting shot at and you hit some lady caught in the crossfire? You know what give me that gun off your hip, you’re not slick!

What do you mean no?

Son! Give me the gun!

*Grabs at sons waist, managing to grab the gun*

GIVE IT TO ME SON!

*At this point they are both tugging at the gun*

LET GO TR-----

BOOM

AHHHH DAMMIT TREY




All I had

Posted by Stephen Semine in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

I don’t have much time left, I must tell you something. You are the only person I have. Please, listen to me now. I fear silence. Aching from inside body, chewing and slurping my flesh, forcing myself trembling. I was born in 1929. In age of 14 I lost my mother, which had broken me apart. She was in fact my only parent, because my father left us when I was 5. She raised me, taught me everything. My grandmother took me and gave me love and hope. Hope for better life. When I was a child, I wanted to become a pilot, because I lived in a small town, which you can hardly find on the map. I wanted to visit other places to see how people live there. Living in a town where everyone knows everybody is awkward because you know all the people around you and they know you and there is a very small theoretical chance of meeting someone really interesting. So because of all that said, in age of 22, I moved to Boston. For the first few weeks, I felt disgusting and awkward. I couldn’t handle the number of people around me and every time they were different. I had troubles with money, so I began working in a diner. Working there helped me with forgetting about this huge mass of people. After a year of working in diner, I felt sort of disappointment in my life. I had no idea which path I want to follow in my life. I was lost and empty inside and for me there was no difference where to go or what to do with myself. I had no motivation outside of going studying somewhere, to get a job somewhere and eventually even dying somewhere. So I chose to join the military. I’ve never wanted to serve in an army, because it didn’t seem perspective for my ambitious mind in the past, but now, I had no intentions to do something with my life. In 1953, I started my service in Air Force which, ironically, was partly the realization of my childhood dreams. I was cut from all the world, nobody knew where I was and what I was doing and honestly, there was nobody to think about me. My grandmother already died in 1949, so I didn’t have anyone and that’s the best part of the military when you have nothing to lose and nobody can lose you, serving in the military becomes less stressful. Flying was a real pleasure, you feel loneliness, but not surrounded by somebody or something. All the sky was completely yours and I became truly happy, I was enjoying my every day, because I knew that I’m going to fly again. But my happiness ended in 15 years after I joined USAF. In 1968, I was shipped to Vietnam. When I found out that I’m going there, I felt myself an idiot. During 15 years of my USAF service, I never thought that I will fight for my country. Flying was the only pleasure in life I had, but I never ever thought that my pleasure would become a weapon. The Aircraft I was flying was a F-4D “Phantom”. I will never forget my first flight in Vietnam. I was responsible for monitoring and supporting the aircraft which was bombing forests. I saw land on fire as I imagined the size of the flame. I was shocked that All that we were doing there was considered very crucial to our campaign. Covering hundreds square miles by toxins, burning huge forests and bombing villages with innocent people. After my time in Vietnam, flying became a fear. I resigned from USAF after I was moved back to the States. My life became a nightmare, my only pleasure was used for killing people and destroying the country. I lost my only pleasure in life and I never found it again. For 40 years I was not living, I was only being. I adopted you, because I hoped that you would become my life value, but it didn’t happen. I had no friends, no hope. I am a really bad parent who, in fact, doesn’t like his only child. I was suffering just because nothing pleased me. And now in 2018 I’m so tired, so I can’t live anymore. I have cancer which empties me from inside. I have only about a week left. You don’t deserve a parent like me. Forgive me.

Private Talk

Posted by Camren Jones in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

I always feel like I’m going to throw up and I’m always so tired. I knew what I did was going to haunt me in the end but I like him so much. What was I supposed to do? Every time I have to go to the bathroom I look like a little kid on Christmas morning just praying something will happen, but deep down inside I know it won’t. I’ve been calling Maliq for the past week with still no answer. Maybe I should call him now since he just got out of school, but maybe I shouldn’t because I’m still at school. I’m just going to go to the bathroom and call.


[ring ring ring ring]


Hey, It’s been a minute and I miss you.

(...)

So what you, you don’t miss me back? (sucks teeth as she rolls her eyes)

(...)

No, no don’t say it now. I don’t want you saying anything that you don’t mean

(...)

if that’s the case why haven’t we spoken in the past week?

(...)

Busy my ass! (Martina begins to yell but once she realizes it she policing her voice)You always seem to make time for your hating ass best friend Maya. ( tapping her foot at a steady pace because she starting to become annoyed)

(...)
Whatever yo, I didn’t call you to argue. I got something to tell you.

(...)

You go first.

(...)

Nawl I really wanna hear what you have to say.

(...)

Alright, Alright(throws her hand up in the air) I’ll go first. I’ve been feeling really sick ever since we last you know.

(...)

I’m telling you because I’m scared (Someone walks in and she puts her feet on the toilet)

(...)

I’m scared of… ( Martina begins to choke on their words)

(...)

(She takes a pause to see if they leave)

(...)

Yeah, I’m still here, but Maliq I’m really worried.

(...)

Calm down there’s always a possibility of it happening”

(...)

Do you remember if it broke? ( she says in a whisper)

(...)

What you mean you didn’t use one probably? So you telling me you lied?

(...)

Well, I remember you telling me you were putting one on. How could you lie about something like that?

(...)

It is important!

(...)

I’m not acting like anything nigga. I am fucking pregnant because of your dumbass thinking shit isn’t important.

(...)

I’m talking to the dumbass on the phone.

(...)

What you gonna do about it, Maliq?

(...)

Stop cappin, you and me both know you love me.

(...)

( he’s yelling at her and sadness comes across her face)

I’m sorry I didn’t mean to say those things. I was just mad at you bae, but what are we gonna do? Hold on.

(Someone is knocking on the bathroom stall door.)

Someone is in here!

(Puts the phone back up to her ear)

My bad someone keeps knocking on the door, but what was I saying again?

(...)

Oh yea, hold on again

(the knocking stops)

That girl left finally

(...)

We need to talk about this now

(...)

What’s more important than this and who keeps on blowing up ya phone?

(...)

Oh it def is mine. Let me check it real quick.

(she scrolls through her phone to see all of her business posted around school)

Bae!!!! We have a problem. That girl who was just in here just posted all our business on the socials

(...)

I'm not playing you think everything is a joke, I'm scared to walk out the bathroom it's all over Instagram.

(...)

Even if she does.What about the 6,000 people that already saw it Maliq? Do you think?

(...)

I'm getting smart with you, And i know you don't care because you’re the boy it doesn't look bad on the boy it never does.

(...)

After all we been through your going to end it over an argument? While I'm about to have your baby? Are you fucking serious.

(...)

How could you do this to me yo(tears falling down)

(...)

(Yelling) What do you mean you don't give a fuck about me Maliq.You just was telling me how much you fucking love me and how you would never leave. So that was all a lie?

(...)

How can you sit here and tell me that all you wanted to do was have sex with me Maliq( wipes tears from her face).

(...)

Maliq you no what. GO TO HELL.

(...) ( phone hangs up )

(talking to herself) What am i going to do. I gotta tell my mom.

Sari call mom (calling mom with red heart suit) Mom I have to tell you something.

(...)

I'm pregnant.


She Thought She Was Slick

Posted by Gabriella Torres in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

I thought that they could be trusted but it seems like they're not trustworthy.

What are they serving today? Hm…

I’ll have a salad and ummm a water, please.

[Dials lunch number]

Why is he trying to talk to me now?

I've been what! I'm the most faithful chick out here, the fuck you talking about?

“Yea I was at the party”

“Nothing happened between me and Ethan”

“I was just talking to her this morning”

“That can’t be true shes my best friend, I haven't done nothing to her that would get to the point of her saying any of this!”

“How can you believe any of this….. I don’t care if she told you. If I'm telling you that I had never done any of this then why are you still believing it?


I can't believe she would ever say I cheated on my boyfriend.  What if this gets out and he finds out. I don’t remember doing any of this at the party. It can’t be true. I need to find Ethan like right now! [Picks up phone and dials]

Ethan, it’s me. What have you… But I….

It’s not true. You just want to start spreading lies about you and me because I told you to go be with one of your other hoes. That's why you had left in the first place.

I was at the party, yes. But I don’t remember anything. I mean you know I was drinking. Duh like who wasn’t drinking it was the first party of the school year, I wasn’t about to be sober and be with all my other drunk friends.

You can not control what I do. This is why we broke up that night because you feel as though I can’t do anything without you knowing my every move.

You have people believing that I cheated on you and that's why we aren’t together. When you were the one who cheated on me with fucking Maria. I gave you a second chance and Maria as well.

But since you both wanna be playing around spreading all these fucking rumors about me. Might as well just have the the real truth put out there.

No, don’t tell me to calm down!

Making me look like a whore out here because you're mad we aren´t together anymore.

Fuck you! Go be with Maria and all her damn issues cause she's not my problem anymore nor are you.

Maria get over here now! I know you can hear me don’t act like a bitch now!

Oh, so you wanna start talking about me cheating on my boyfriend that night. What about you sleeping with him while we were together! And I found out and didn’t tell anyone, absolutely no one. I forgave both of you.

Oh you didn’t want anyone finding out, did you? Well, Karmas a bitch isn’t it. That's what I thought so, go throt ya ass down the hallway and feel how I was feeling all day today. At least the shit you were spreading was a lie. But these all facts.

Lay a hand on me and you’re done cause all this anger will end you in a place where your pretty little face won’t be seen anymore.

[Starts laughing]

Come on touch me I dare you.

Cause now everybody knows you the whore of the school.

Yeo everyone watch ya mans cause Maria probably out here trynna get wit them.

Oh and that's right Ethan too he's in the same boat as you, both whores.

Go be together now cause you both won’t have anyone after this.

Duces honey have a nice life.


Family Ties

Posted by Nuala Cowen in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

I hate him. I can’t believe he actually did it. I made that face again. The one he hates, the one that he says makes me look miserable and snobbish. I shouldn’t have done it, it was me pushing him to the edge but still, he hit me. I should be mad right? But I can’t help feeling this guilt. No, no, he’s the wrong one, no one should ever hit their child, no matter what. He’s not an abuser, obviously, I know that. He only hit me once. Just this one time because I was being disrespectful. I talked back when he told me to fix my face.

I know I egged him on when I refused to smile. Why the hell did I push him to hit me? I knew he was having a bad day, but I still decided to make that face. Should I apologize?

No, I can’t. I can’t keep acting happy when I’m not. It’ll only make him think that what he did was right. I don’t want him to hit me or you again. I wish he wasn’t our father. At least our mother was able to escape him. You and I both know that he beat her. I still remember when she used to sleep in our bed and when she would wake up the next morning with bruises on her arms and legs. I know you remember it too. I know you remember him waking her up the next morning with little gifts to make her forget about what had happened the night before.

(sister speaks)

I know we’re his children but that doesn’t mean it’ll stop him from hurting us like he did to mom. I don’t want to stay here anymore. It’s not safe. A father is supposed to provide protection not create an unsafe environment. He makes me- both of us feel weak, vulnerable.

(sister speaks)

He hit me here! Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt and it certainly doesn’t justify his actions. Look, I know he’s our father. I know that, but he isn’t fit to be one. I’ve heard the way he’s talked to you. You’re only twelve and he’s cursing at you for making a small mistake. I know how meek and small you feel when he lectures you because I was once in your place. But now I’m sixteen and I have only two more years before I can leave this hellhole and never see him again. But I won’t if it means you are going to be alone with him.

Mom was right to leave all those years ago. If she had stayed, who knows what would’ve happened? I wish she had taken us with her. She was our only outlet. I’m not gonna do what mom did to us. I won’t abandon you. We need to leave here or this might only get worse.

What’s going to stop him from making us his next victim?

I don’t want him to hurt you too.

(dad calls main character)

It’s ok.

I know you’re sorry.

I love you too.

I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talked back to you.

I know.

I love you.

Ok.

(returns back to sibling)

He apologized.

Those things I said, it’s just what I felt in the moment. We all say things we don’t mean sometimes. Please don’t tell him that I said I hated him because I really do love him. He’s a good father and sometimes he gets upset just like every other parent. I overreacted, that’s all. I could never hate my father. I love him.


The Light

Posted by Isabela Curtin in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

THE LIGHTS


Did everything turn off? I hear the faint click of electrical appliances shut down left and right. My mother rolls her eyes and groans. She places the dish she was washing down and goes to the basement.  When she comes back up, her confused face says it all; our power circuit was fine.


People walk past our window. I need to check this out. It’s freezing out here I don’t understand why people would voluntarily go out at this time. The night sky shrouds everyone's face but I know general confusion is in the air.


The city skyline is beautiful, the fact that it’s the only light source really makes it shine. W-wait, why are the lights turning off? There is no more light. What the hell is happening?  


Let's go home, I’m cold and tired. Everything will probably be okay when we wake up...right? Mom nods her head in approval.


This blanket is comfy, Goodnight! Love you!


IT'S FREEZING! Guess the heater still isn’t working? The TV isn’t on and I can’t hear mom making her daily batch of coffee. Something must be up?


Thank god, she left some cereal! Hmm, what this.


“Had to leave for a meeting, back at 5. I would have texted you but it seems the power is still out. Have a good day and don’t be late for school!”

                                                                          - Love, Mom


Ah shoot, I need to get ready. What time is it? 7:00 okay. I got some time.  


I can just tell I'm going to be late, but at this point, I honestly don’t care. WHEW, how cold is it going to get? The amount of cars in the street is alarming, oh the street lights don’t work, that's why.


Who is honking so loud? Jesus Christ, we get it. Wait why is he getting out of the car I-.


Oh, man, are they going to fight... yup they are fighting.


You know what I’m just going to keep it pushing because I don’t have time for any of that. That crazy though… people cango one night without power and act like they lost everything.


I'm finally here, why is everyone in the schoolyard?


Wait really, they closed the schools because of a blackout?! Thank god because I had this biology assignment to finish. What do you think caused this blackout? Really, that’s… crazy. Umm okay, see you soon!


Did she really say that the power was out for the entire country? How could that happen, isn’t that impossible? I’ve only heard that in fictional stories, but for it to come true is insane.

Okay, so the country might not have power for weeks or even longer, what can I do, oh my god what can I do!


I know we need food. Okay, okay how much do I have? Okay, 35$ I can make this work.


Take a right on 22nd and then... Okay, there it is!


I guess people had the same idea whew. Ignore them we have to get dry food, remember nonperishable.


Crackers, soup what else OH of course water. Where would that be?


“Excuse me” I swear if this lady pushes me one more time.


Done! Great now I have to shove myself through this isle chalked full of people.


“Hi yes, that all. Do I put the cash in the bucket? Okay, thank you!”


At least I have some food for me and my mom… but will it last until the power comes back?


A Forbidden Love

Posted by Karim Mullen in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

August 27th,


I want to date this girl. But it’s like, “uuuuuuuuuuugh.”

Let me explain...

I like this girl. But. I used to go with the girl’s cousin. It’s weird. I know.

The girl I like is named Khalilah.

It was like love at first sight.

I had a two-year crush on her. But no one never knew.

I always acted like she was just a friend so you could never tell.

I didn't see her in 2 years, but my feelings for her never changed.

I would see her on Instagram and just think of what we could be.

Today I’m starting at this new high school.

And I saw her. My heart stopped for a second. I didn't know she went here.

We instantly locked eyes. She ran and hugged me she was happy as day to see me.

“Hey Ron”

She was real hype when she saw me but I had to play it cool.

“Sup”(said nonchalantly). On the inside I wanted to be hype, I wanted to hug her back, but I just couldn't. I didn't have it in me.

Then I found out that she was in all my classes. When got to class we spoke and made up for lost times.

We talked about how close we used to be, and how many fun time we used to have before the move.

I tried my best to act casual as we talked, but when she hugged me.

I remembered every reason why I ever liked her.

As the day goes by every minute getting harder than the next. Finally, the day is over.

I thought about her the whole time I was walking home with my new friends I made.

My conscience told me to tell her I liked her, but I was way to scared.

I opened our messages and just stared at it for about an hour.

Finally. I texted her.

“Khalilah“ I sent

“Yes“

“I like you and have for a while now“

“You’re joking right?“

“No, I had a crush on you for like 2 years now“

So she calls. My hands started to shake viscously. I was too nervous.

I almost dropped my phone.

I let the first call ring all the way through ( ring, ring... )

As the phone was ringing so many thoughts crossed my mind.

Does she like me?. Would she go out with me?. Does she even look at me like that?.

(took a deep breath)

She calls again. I answer.

“Hello“

she said “Are you joking? Because we can’t be together.“

As much as I wanted to say I was joking. I just couldn't.

“No, I’m being for real“

“You went out with my cousin in the 6th grade, I can't do that,“ she says.

I started to get frustrated. “We’re in 10th grade. That relationship was so childish.”

She said nothing. We sat their quiet. About two minutes went by, but it really felt like 2 years.

Then suddenly beep, beep, beep, .

She hung up on me.

All night I thought. How could this be? There has to be a way.

The next morning comes. The second day of school. I see her on the way to Spanish class.

Things were kind of awkward but I go along with it anyway.

“Wassup Khalilah“

“Hey, Ron.”

I knew she was nervous because she looked down and played with her nails as she spoke to me.

“What took you so long to tell me you liked me?“

“Well 2 years ago you had a boyfriend, I wanted you to notice but you never did“.

She finally picked her head up and said

“I didn't think you would like me, Karon, I thought you looked at me as a sister. Not as a girlfriend“.

As class starts all I could think about was her. I sat and stared the entire time thinking of what we could've been. What we could have become.

The class is over. I'm walking home and I get a text. It's from Khalilah.

We can't talk. We can't go out. We can't do anything.

I felt empty on the inside. I felt like my hopes of getting the girl I wanted so bad was coming to an end.

My phone vibrates again it's another text message. It's Amiyah, Khalilahs cousin.

“You like Khalilah? Rumor going around that y'all supposably got something going on”.

“I like her but we don't have nothing going on, she won't talk to me because of you”.

“Well, you can't talk to her point blank Periodt “.

I left her on read. I felt everything in my body go numb, starting from my toes.


Sitting Pretty//Sophia Monologue

Posted by Sophia Paul in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

I can’t take this anymore. I spent two hours getting ready for this date at Bello Italinao. I went out and bought this navy dress it so you would stare at me instead of anyone else. I did my eye makeup in the most dramatic way so you sigh when looking into my eyes. I got the boldest and most reddest lipstick I could find just  so we can finally have a passionate kiss. The kiss I have been dreaming of. But no! You just seem to cancel on me whenever I seem to try. You have done it twice before. And those two times I have been okay with it. We have been on many other dates before this, so I thought that you canceling on me was just a normal thing to do. For the last few times that you have canceled on me,  I have been compliant and laughed it off as a joke. But I can’t laugh anymore. You can’t just cancel on me and expect for me to be okay with it. I am not an obedient dog that will follow your every command. I am a human too.


Don’t roll your eyes at me, Orlando. You know I’m right. You never seem interested in what’s right in front of you. Whenever we are hanging out, you seem to stare at any other girls that aren’t me. Your jaw drops, your eyes are fixated on her, and she seems to be an angel sent from Heaven for you. But you have never given me that look. And I have always craved the look, but you just seem to glance over me. Remember when we are out eating at The Ruby Rooftop. All you could do is stare at that girl named Lilah. While you looked away, I would play with my hair to make mine look more like Lilah’s; I would wrap my hair around my fingers to make my hair have more volume and more waves, but you never seemed to notice. You never do.


When we do have the chance to talk and hang out, you somehow find a way to complain about everything I do or wear. “Don’t wear your hair up, it doesn’t flatter your figure.” “Stop eating so much. Fat girls aren’t attractive.” “Change your outfit, Rebeca. You look like a slut in that dress.” And everything I laugh your comments over, and I always changed for you. I would wear my hair down, I would eat less, I would wear less exposed clothing. But the most important thing is that I never said anything back to you because I loved you. I was madly in love. But not anymore.


You don’t know the damage that you have caused. There have been many nights where I have cried myself to sleep beside of your comments. You just throw around words without thinking about how it affects other people. Calling women sluts isn’t the nicest thing to say y’know. Well Orlando, I have some words for you. Words that your egoistial mind may not be able to take.


I am breaking up with you, because of you.


Don’t get mad at me. You caused it. There is so much hate that I have taken in from you and enough is enough. Now it is your turn to feel pain. Maybe I should post the picture of you and Lilah getting very …. comfortable at the mall. Or maybe a picture of all of the texts that you sent me telling me that I am an ugly whore and should present myself better while in your present. I can ruin your whole reputation.


I’m done with you, Orlando.


**phone rings**


*say this converstation sheepishly and bashful*

Hi.

(do you want to go on a date on Friday)

Ummmm... Okay

(we can go to the Riverview theatre)

The Riverview Theatre? What time?

(7:00 p.m.)

7:00 p.m. on Friday? Sounds good. See you then Orlando.


I better start planning my outfit. I want to look good for him.


Clear Glass Bottles With Water

Posted by Anthony Castro-Gomez in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

​School was lame today. I participated for the first time because we had to play this one game where we talked  about ourselves. I told my friend I did it for the participation point so that I seem cool cause the cool kids never participate. “My name is Nathaniel. My favorite color is red. My favorite food is pancakes.” The class stares at me silently, and we patiently wait for someone else to participate. Through the window, you can hear people arguing outside, traffic and maybe a homeless man asking for change to spend on drugs, it’s nothing new around here in north Philadelphia. As other students participate and time passes by, the teacher tells us to pack up. I notice everyone has a jacket but me. Why? I asked mama to buy me the red jacket from the store and she always told me that she can’t get it and i’ll have to wait. I did not like waiting because she always lied to me about getting the stuff I want, and when I complain she hits me. Walking down the hallways I see other classes, everyone wearing a coat, some wearing hats and gloves, some wearing scarfs, but everyone had a jacket except me. As usual, she is late to pick me up and I call, nobody answers.  
She pulled up 1 hour late, black trench coat, large black timberland boots, damaged blonde hair with split ends, she walks towards the front entrance where she sees me. She can’t even balance herself, swaying left and right and her long hair covering her face. Through the tangled mess of hair you can see her eyes, bags under them. She is equipped with dark baggy cargo pants. Just as she signals me to come with her, she heads out, I tell her she forgot to sign me out because I been stuck here all day. She signs it, sloppily, and we leave. I enter the car and mama gives me a kiss, and I smell her new breath, Plymouth Gin, I know she’s sad.
“What is that stench?” I say, and she responds in a raspy voice, too nasty for me to make out anything she is trying to say. The mucus in her throat, it makes everything unclear. I look down at my feet and see the white plastic bags with large glass bottles. I don’t understand, it looks just like water and she mixes it with some of the juice and when I ask for some when I am thirsty she hits me. She said I am never allowed to touch it, otherwise I would get beat. She starts up the car, it takes a few tries for the old and beat up toyota to begin because we had this car ever since grandpa was around, and we head down the street.
“Mom are you ok? You’re acting weird. What’s the proble-”
...She shuts me up before I could finish my sentence. She is swerving on the rode. Wait, is she drunk!? It all makes sense, the glass bottles, her breath, and her overall appearance, she’s drunk out of her mind. I am not up for the abuse again, not today. I am so tired of her always going out and being late to pick me up, never answering the phone when I call, always hitting me with anything in sight.
We finally get home, in one piece. She fails to park, driving up to our spot and stumbles her way into the house and collapses on the floor. She yells at me to help her up and she smacks me for having an attitude.
“I’m tired, every day I come home and you are drunk, and I act like I don’t notice, but if you touch me again I swear to God, I will put you to sleep!”
 She throws the house phone at me and I dodge it, it cracks the wall and as it falls to the hardwood floor, the battery comes out of the phone, flying to the opposite direction. 
“I warned you!”
 I yelled at the top of my lungs. My head is sweating despite how cold it is, my anxiety building up and my arm shaking. I gather enough courage to stop her from trying to tackle me, and I smack her in the face. You hear the loud clap sound, her hand on her face and as she slowly drops to the ground to lay down and cry in confusion. I have never been so angry in my life, I finally woke up from this cycle. 
“I am tired of this shit mom!”
 I never felt this adrenaline rush before. She lays down on the ground and begins sobbing. She is saying something, I lean in and she says...it’s all her fault and she never had bad intentions. Today marked the day I hit my own mother, she doesn’t understand how it feels. 
“If you could be sober for once, you would understand how I feel.”
 She lays there crying, and I walk upstairs into my room and listen to music to end this day that feels like it’s lasting forever. 

Good Cop, Bad Son

Posted by Yasir Thomas in English 2 · Pahomov/Rhymer · D Band on

“Hey doctor, I need someone to talk to. Is it okay if I sit here?” I walked over to the couch and laid down.

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My mom told me, if I ever get arrested or go to jail, she wouldn’t bail me out or assist in my early release.” I don’t understand how someone could do that to their own child, let them suffer and rot in jail. Their lives would be ruined and they wouldn’t have anything to look forward to when they get out.

My mom is an officer for the Philadelphia Police Department. Every day we leave the house we say prayers to keep everyone safe, but a prayer isn't good enough for me. They say that it’s God will if someone dies, but what stops it from being our time just because we say something so simple. Being an officer is a dangerous job. Especially with black lives matter and people shooting whoever they feel like it. How could you go out and try to do justice for other people when you have children at home, it's just selfish, and if you die helping others, would there ever be any real justice? You can’t leave your family behind because you decide to go do good.

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I release my stress with drugs and alcohol. Being underage doesn’t mean anything, as long as I get that amazing feeling that makes me forget everything. Stealing, robbing, and killing gives me a rush. Violence, sex, and drugs, they’re the only things that keeps me going. But now that I have someone to talk to, I might not need it anymore.

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I sat down on the new couch mom just bought and reached over to the remote. The first thing that was on the tv was about a shooting in Germantown. I thought about how crazy it was that there are so many shootings in this city. Then it finally hit me. My mom worked at the 14th district and that’s in Germantown. My heart started pounding rapidly like it was trying to come out of my chest. The thoughts and emotions that were going through my head were too much. Tears started to flow out of my eyes instead of words coming from my mouth. I was ready to kill someone, anyone if they had hurt my mom.

I remember rushing over to my neighbor's car and drove off with it. Once I got to the area, I parked it a few blocks away so that no one could find it. When I saw her being brought to an ambulance truck, my life flashed before my eyes or maybe it was just the edibles finally starting to take an effect. I started getting dizzy and fell onto the ground. When I woke up, I was in the hospital sitting next to the bed that my mother was laying in. I was examing myself, making sure that no one tried to run any test on me, but I felt like I was searching for something else too and didn’t know what it was. I looked up at my mom and saw her laying there as if she was lifeless and she was.

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“Doctor, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have siblings that need to be taken care of, and I’m only sixteen. What will do? She’s the only one that truly knew us and knew how to care for us. Whew. It’s okay if you don’t have an answer right now. I just came to vent.”


ENG2-030

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2018-19

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