Page 41 of Chula
“Mom!” I scream, knowing I’m probably waking everyone up around here. I don’t care. I scream again and again. The door bursts open, and Tony rushes in.
“What’s happening? I heard you scream?” he asks. He was out working the corner. Of course, he heard me.
“She’s … she’s dead, Tony. She’s dead!” I scream once more. Tony pulls his phone out and dials someone as I stare at her lifeless body lying on the floor. I knew it would come one day, but not today. I thought I would be older, in a better place. I thought I would be able to take care of Davey. Oh god, Davey. What’s going to happen to him now? Where is he going to go?
The world slowly spins around me as I fall to the floor. Tony rushes to my side, wrapping his arms around me when I hear Marco screaming. It all happens so fast. It all happens in a blur.
Marco rips me off the floor and drags me away from my mom, but I can’t pull my eyes away. She’s dead. She’s gone, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
The cops show up, as well as the paramedics and even the Department of Family and Children’s Services.
“You can’t take him!” I scream when they pick Davey up and start to carry him out. I lunge at them, but Marco wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back.
“Stop, Chula. There’s nothing you can do!” he yells at me.
“He’s my brother! He’s all I have left. They can’t take him!” I scream as I fight the hold he has on me. It does no good. I can’t get away from him no matter how hard I try.
“He’s going to be okay, Chula. Calm down.”
“He’s not okay. He needs me. I’m all he has left, Marco!” I scream as I fight harder. I claw at his hands, but that still gets me nowhere. Marco’s hold is strong, and he doesn’t let go as they move my mom’s body onto the gurney and out of the apartment. Tears run freely down my cheeks as I watch the door close. When Marco finally lets me go, I do what I do best and run.
“Chula!” he calls out to me, but I’m already running down the stairs. I hear his feet hitting the steps behind me as I go, but I just need to get out of here. I can’t do this. I can’t breathe here. I’m slowly suffocating, and I can’t do anything about it.
I keep running until Marco’s arms encircle my waist, and he jerks me back into him. I hit his solid body as he clings to me while I sob and scream.
“It’s not fair! What am I supposed to do now?” I yell.
“Everything’s going to be okay. I got you, Chula. It’s okay.”
“It’s not okay, Marco! They’re both gone!” I sob. He finally lets go of me, and that’s when I take off once more. This time, he doesn’t chase me. He lets me run, and I do. I don’t know where I’m going, and I don’t care at the moment. I just keep going because I can’t be there. I can’t be there anymore.
I end up at Damion’s, and I don’t fucking know why. I ride the elevator up to his floor and pound on his door. When he opens it, he looks around for Marco before looking down at me.
“She’s dead, Damion. And they took Davey. You have to help me. You have to help me get him back,” I cry harder. Damion looks around once more before grabbing me and pulling me into his arms. He has to see that I need help.
“Where’s Marco?”
“I ran! Did you hear me? She’s dead. My mom’s dead.” I break down now. I fall to the floor, curl into myself, and cry. I hear Damion on the phone, no doubt calling Marco to tell him I’m here. Damion is the only one with money, and he knows people. He can help me. I’m sure he can.
After what seems like hours, arms wrap around me once again, and I’m lifted off the floor. I know it’s Marco. I can feel him. He carries me inside and sits on the couch with me still in his arms.
“It’s going to be okay, Chula. I promise,” he whispers in my ear. He keeps me tucked into him until I eventually fall asleep.
Chapter 18
Marco
“She feels safe with you,” I tell Damion as I hold my Chula in my arms once more. She ran straight to Damion. A part of me hurts because of that.
“She knows I have connections, Marco. That’s it. She didn’t even want me touching her,” he says. My eyes shoot to his, and I wonder what that means. “Not like that. I tried to hug her, and she dropped to the floor.”
“This is all fucked up.”
“What happened?” Damion asks. “Why is she all bruised up?”
“She fought at the Pit. Trying to get my fucking attention. It was my fault. Anyway, she was at my place, went home at some point, and found her mom. She overdosed, and the state took her brother.”
“Fuck. That’s going to rip her apart.”
