Page 36 of Wings of Ebony
Hmmm,but the scrapbook…
“Tash, where’s all Moms’s old stuff? My stuff?” The scrapbook I kept when we were boo’d up was full of pictures, ticket stubs. The first test we studied for together I got an A, so I put that in there too. So lame in hindsight. He added pics of each of his tattoos, signed by the artist, hoping it’d be worth something someday. If I getmy hands on my scrapbook, maybe I can find out who did the tats to see if there’s a connection or something.
“Ms. Leola’s, I think.” She nuzzles the cat cradled in her arms and he purrs. “That’s what my daddy said. But I haven’t been over there since the CPS lady came and got me.”
“Then that’s where we’re going—to Ms. Leola’s.” She’s everybody’s grandma in East Row. Whatever’s going down, you can count on some pound cake from Ms. Leola and tea so sweet it’s like instant diabetes. “The bus stop’s right on the corner. Don’t even need a transfer. We should hurry up.”
She hands me her bus pass and some spare change in her pocket as we make our way to the door. The cat’s under her arm nibbling on one of her fingers.
“You gotta leave that thing here, you know that, right?”
“His name is Cupcake.” She smiles big and her eyes do too. “We can’t just leave him here all alone. That’s so sad. Everybody should have somebody.”
“Tash, we don’t even know if we can feed ourselves. How the hell are…”
Her expression droops.
“Don’t look at me like that.” I cannot believe this shit. “Fiinnnne. Tuck his ass away so we don’t get kicked off the bus.”
She grins bigger and hurries past me out the door. Out of sight, I tap my watch.
Me: Bri, can we talk? In person. It’s urgent!
Two taps and the geolocation for Ms. Leola’s house sends with a swish.
Ms. Leola came over first that night, even before the cops. Cops ain’t stay long. Didn’t write shit down. I ain’t never been more scared in my life.
But Ms. Leola fed us, had us come to her house, and even let us stay home from school the next day. That morning, though, some lady came from CPS and took Tasha. She told Ms. Leola someone else would be coming for me. But I don’t have family like Tasha. Ms. Leola’s the closest thing I have to a grandma. I didn’t understand why I had to leave at all.
Ms. Leola argued with the CPS lady for me to just stay there. It didn’t go well because she slammed the door when she left. Hours passed and I just sat there by the door, hoping it was a mistake. Hoping somehow Moms was actually at the hospital and she’d be okay. Ms. Leola tried to feed me, tell me somehow it would be okay, but I refused to move from that door. I just knew Moms was coming back. Tash too. That it was all some bad dream.
I waited so long that I dozed off.
Next thing I knew, I was in Ghizon with Aasim standing over me, introducing himself as my father.
Haven’t seen Ms. Leola since.
Going back to her house feels like walking into the past, about to relive that night and morning all over again.
I’m not ready for this.
As if that matters.
I have to be.
I give Tasha a reassuring nod as we step onto the bus. My watch screen’s black. No response from Bri yet. The front of the bus isempty, so I fall in a seat and tuck my face deep in my hood. Tasha sits next to me talking into her jacket,because that’s not suspicious.
Two elder ladies sit in the front row, giggling over an issue ofOmagazine. A boy no taller than the seat, with earbuds, sits near the back, nose in a book. No one else. Bus is empty otherwise.
I hunch down in my seat as we roar into motion. Buildings and blocks move past in a blur and I almost nod off when my watch buzzes.
Bri: What’s wrong? Are you okay? You mean you want me to leave? Like leave Ghizon and come there? It’s been crazy here since you left. Security is insane.
Bri’s a rule follower. Hacking is her one vice, which is I think is actually a useful skill. She always makes the best grades. A model student. And the irony is she ended up with me as a best friend. But she’s my only access to information in Ghizon and I need answers.
Me: Yeah, pls! Something’s wrong
Everything’s wrong.
