Page 53 of Priest

“Different how?”

“He was getting her hooked on drugs.”

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry, Priest.”

I didn’t respond to that. I just needed to get it out before I closed that wall up again.

“He eventually stopped coming around, but she was hooked on drugs badly by then. I was between her house and my grandma’s house on bad days. There were different men in and out of our lives, and all of ’em was fuck boys. One day the nigga who got her hooked popped up out of nowhere at our house again. I hadn’t seen him in four years. By this time, I was eleven, and I pretty much hated every nigga that came through our house. But his ass, I hadn’t forgotten him.

“Soon as he stepped his bitch ass through our front door, I had some words for him. He smacked the shit out of me, and I got up and fought his ass. I ran to the kitchen at one point and grabbed a knife. By then, he was snapping on my mama and beating on her. I came after him again, but that time, he pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot her and my little sister, who was two at the time. I backed up, but then he held the gun on meand ordered my mama to handcuff me to the heater register. I begged her not to do that shit, but he told her if she didn’t, he’d put a cap in my head and my sister’s. So, she did that shit.

“I didn’t blame her for that. Not until I learned later that she had shown up at his office and begged him for some money. That’s why he came to our house because she’d embarrassed his ass. She cuffed me to the register, and his ass tightened the cuffs. The register burned me.”

“Where?” September asked. When she looked over her shoulder at me, I saw fresh tears in her eyes. That shit did something to me because she was crying for me.

“Right here and here,” I stated. I pointed to two spots on my right arm that were now tatted over with a cobra wrapped around my arm and wrist.

“Is that why you tattooed those spots?”

“Yeah. After he did that, he beat her ass again. This time, he beat her so badly that her face was all fucked up. She screamed, and my sister and I cried. I tried to get away from the register, but I couldn’t. She jumped up and tried to run for help, and he beat her until he pushed her down the steps.”

“Did he push her, or did he beat her, and she fell?”

“He fucking pushed her.”

September shook in my arms. I tightened my grip around her. “My bad. I didn’t mean to take that out on you.”

“It’s okay,” she stated softly. She rubbed my arm and leaned against my chest again. “What happened?”

“She died.”

“Your mother?”

“No. My sister.”

“What happened?”

“My mama was holding my sister when he pushed my mama down the stairs. My sister was only two. She didn’t survive the head injuries she endured.”

“Oh my God. Priest,” September whispered.

She pulled out of my arms and turned on her knees to face me. Her tiny hands on my face felt good. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Did they get him?”

I shook my head. “Nah, they didn’t get that muthafucka. She lied and said she fell down the steps. The police knew better, but they didn’t give a shit. Another nigga’s dead and gone. The drugs got worse after that. Not long after, I was out on the streets.”

“Do you think he’ll ever pay for what he did?”

I smirked. “Oh, his ass will pay. He’ll definitely pay.”

SATURDAY EVENING

“How old wereyou when you left home?”

The night before, Priest and I had opened up to each other. That created a chill vibe between us where we could talk without the walls we had erected to protect ourselves. He had left my door unlocked and allowed me to roam around the house throughout the day.

After we ate, he returned to his bedroom, and I followed him.

“The first time, I was eleven. I couldn’t take my mama’s shit, and I couldn’t cope with my little sister’s death. I was supposed to be her protector, and I failed at that. Whenever men came by to see my mama before that day, I took care of Trina, my little sister. I fed her, played with her, made sure her diapers were changed, and made sure she took naps when shit got too loud with my mama and her men. I made sure them niggas whose eyes strayed to her didn’t get a chance to lay their hands on her. If I felt I couldn’t protect her, I’d get her out of the house, and we’d go across the walk to Miss Janine’s house.”

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