Troubled Lives Of Darkness
"Morning Alex."
"Morning Na-t, It's a cold one isn't it." said Alex ,my 23 year old neighbor. There was a three year age difference between us (him being older). We weren't the best of friends ,but we weren't enimes.
"Yea, ,but then it is Febuary"
"Ok smarty-pants, my mom sent me over to see if your mom was making any progress."
"No, I can't talk about this now!" I said as tears started running down my face. "The kemo's not doing anything and they told me to go ahead and start making arrangements." As I said that I looked up and noticed that he was crying as well.
"My mom ain't...."
"Isn't."
"Isn't doing any better. She has three months left." his eyes left mine as he said it.
"Do you have your driver license?" I questioned.
"Yea?" he hesitated at the subject change.
"Do you have a job?"
"Why are you doing this Natasha?" He demanded.
"Just answer the question. Yes or No?" I said sternly.
He took a deep breath. "Yes."
"How's the pay?"
"Two hundred a week."
"Is that a steady pay check?"
"Unless I Quit!" He yelled. "WHY!"
"This is the last one. I promise. Do you want to see your mother die?"
"What kind of question is that!" He screamed as he stood up to leave.
"So do you?" I challenged.
Quietly he whispered."Course not."
"Then listen to me. Lets leave. You already have a job and I ..... I could get one. We can make it. I know that you think this is crazy ,but I'm sick or watching her die.....You don't have to say yes ,but eather you go with me or I go alone." I had to stop there. I could fell the tears welling up in my eyes ,but I didn't have to say anything more eather cause before I could he threw his armms around me.
"How could you think that? How could you even think of leaving when they need us the most. I don't want to see her die eather ,but we can't run from our problems."
"That might not be your way of life ,but that's not mine. I grew up on the streets and I'm not afraid to go back. I will leave tomorrow. If you change your mind , meet met me at the dock at 11:00pm. If you don't come ,then I'll go alone. Now leave this house. I must pack and pay my last regards to my mother. You know where the door is. Good-bye Alexander James. May God bless you." with that I left him standing speechless in the dining room.
When I got to my room I let the tears fall. With the same questions countinuously spinning in my head. 'Did I mean what I said?' 'Where would I go?' 'Would Alex come with me?' and 'Was I doing the right thing?'
After I got my head back on straight I was relieved to find Alex gone and his car not in his or my driveway.
Today was Thursday and tomorrow I would leave this place forever and start my life over.
I stoped a lot while I packed to go back in my mind to when I got that item. Each one had a story behind it. Like the pair of gold earings that my grandmother had given me ,reminded me of how she had always told me to shoot for my gools and that the sky was the limit.
I thought of this for Awhile.
When I was packed I went into what had been my mothers room ,before she was put in the hospital , and took the small jar that sat on the dresser. It had $800 in it. That would take care of me till I found a job.
The cab got to my front door about thirteen minutes too late.
"Methodist North." I said to the driver. "And hurry."
It took about tweenty minutes to get there. "Can you please wait here? I'll only be a minute."
"Yes Ma'am. Meters running."
"I wen't strait up to her room. She was a sleep, So I took out on of her checks and wrote her a note. It read:
//Moma, Guess who? I can't stand to see you hurt. So by the time you read this I'll be gone. Living under a different name in a different. Don't worry. --- Natasha Yvette Scotts//
I left her room and had the cab take me to the dock.
It was 9:57 and the ferrie left at 10:05.
"I'm on my own." I said to myself as I borded the ferrie
"Not quite." a voice behind me said.
"Alex you came!"
"How could I let you go alone?"
I was lucky that the only other people on the farrie was an older couple who traveled by night cause they said it was cheaper. Whatever.
Because we would be on that ferrie boat for nine hours, If all went well, Alex decided we should plan something just incase we couldn't make it on our own.
I realy do believe that we would have thrown ourselves over board and swam for are new life if the ferrie wasn't going so fast.
During the time that that we did talk about our past life. I found out that Alex had a harder life that I had thought.
"When I was four my father walked out on me and my mom. I didn't hear from him untill five years ago when I found his return adress on a chil-support notice. I took a bus against my mom's will to his house and just knocked on the door. When he answered the door he just stood there crying. It was then that I noticed all the pictures of me on the walls. I couldn't believe that he had been following me all this time and he never tryed to make contact with me.
Sence then things have calmed down a bit. I guess?
"He remarried and his new wife is pushing him down my throat. If he do things in moderation, mabey we could get a father-son relationship back. But with him being so pushy, I just don't want to do it." he said it so out of the blue that it kind of scared me.
That was the first and last time that I heard him mention his father.
"What's that?" I said pointing to one of his tatoos.
"It's a drama mask. It represents comedy and tradgedy."
"Why?"
"Because I grew up doing theater, which is my first love." he whispered.
"I'm the complete opposite of every clean-cut decent-looking guy you could think of ,but I've got the biggest heart in the world." It was the only time I heard him bragg on himself.
"Ok, anoth bout' me. What's your story?" asked Alex.
"What do you mean?"
"People are like books. Each one has a story and no two are alike."
"I've had a hard life. I don't even know where to start."
"Just close your eyes and see what's in your heart. Is what you say."
"That easy?"
"That easy."
"When I was eight my dad was killed in a car wreck. The doctor told me not to worry about him cause he was a good man and that he died instently, but I don't know about that.
"I ran away from home on my tenth birthday and my mom found me a year later in a city five miles down the road. It turned out that she had never reported me missing. That's about it."
I had cut it short so of course Alex had to pry more out of me.
"Ok, What's your favorite type of music?"
"Pop."
"That's it?"
"Yea."
"Mine is R&B , country , and pop. How about your Birthday?"
"January 28, 1980"
"Zodiac sign?"
"Aquarius."
"Mine's January 9, 1978 and I'm a Capricorn."
"LIGHTS OUT." came a sound over the speaker. Then it all went dark.
"Goodnight Alex."
"Night Na-t."
"Memphis."
"This is our stop ,Alex."
"Yea. I know." he sounded sad as he spook.
"Hey Alex, this is no time to start thinking of...of them. We have a whole new life ahead of us and the last thing we need now is them. Now come on we need to get started and to do that we need tofind a cheap place to live in this town."
"No first we need to get a job so we can pay the rent."
"Your wrong." I said as I pulled the eight hundred dollors out my pocket.
He swallowed hard. "O..Ok. Let's find a place to live then ,but where do we start looking?"
"Here." I said pointing to a phone both.
"We don't have any quarters."
"No, we're not going to call anyone. We are going to open the phone book to apartments and tear those pages out. Then we will go to those places and go foe the cheapest. You got that?" I was determind to make this work and Alex was the last person I was going to let stop me.
"Yes ma'am."
"Shut-up and watch my back as I go tear up that phone book. Ok?" It was clear to me that Alex didn't agree with me stealing ,but he didn't try to stop me. "Ok, I got them. Let's get out of here."
"Right with ya sister."
We must have checked out a hundred or so places that day. Cause by the time we found one we could affored it was already dark. We had been looking for ten hours.
The place was a $200 a month, two bedroom ,one bath piece of junk located on the fith floor of some building on the river ,but we couldn't be more proud of ourselves if it was a two story mansion off the coast of Flordia.
By the time we had unpacked our four small suitcases it was already 9:30 pm.
"Let's just get some sleep tonight. We can start looking for jobs early tommorrow morning. You can take a shower or something while I go to the store so we can have some food in this house." With that he grabed his coat and left.
"I can't believe this!" I mumbled to my self as I sat down on the couch. I did take his advice thou and take a shower. Not because he told me to ,but because it would keep me awake.
I had not been out of the shower for two minutes when someone knocked on the door.
"Hello ,I'm Mrs.Robertson ,your neighbor. Is your mother or father here?" the older lady asked.
"Um... my mom or dad... no ma'am." I started. "They died when I was little. I moved up here with my legal gardiene. He's my cousin." I was pretty good at lien'.
"Well is he here?"
"He went to the store, but come in, He should be back any minute."
"You sure? I mean I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Positive, here sit down." I said as I moved a pile of rags from one of the chairs.
"Hey Na-t, open up. My hands are full."
"Sorry Alex. We have company." as I said that the ladie turned and looked at us both susspesiusly. "Here, let me take those. Alex, this is Mrs. Robertson. Mrs. Robertson, this is Alex, my legal gardien." he glared at me as I said that.
"Pleased to meant you, ma'am."
"Feelings mutural. Aren't you a little young to be her legal gardien?"
"Actually, my mother was, but when she died I was all Na-t, here, had left."
"And how hold are you?"
"I'm sixteen ma'am."
"And how old is she?"
"Thirteen." obvious no good at fibbing. Everything he said was pretty much true.
"You two arn't old anoth to be own your own, but I was at your age. Ohh, look at the time. My husband is probaly looking for me. Well got to go. If you need anything, I'm in room 512. Now don't be afraid to come visit me. My husband and me, well we don't get much company. I'll be seeing you two later, goodnight."
"Well she seemed nice anoth." Alex said as he started to unpack the groceries.
"Alex, listen to me. We can't trust no one. Not for a long time. You got that? Of course, she might seem nice anoth, but that don't mean you can trust her. I'm going to bed." with that I left.
"This is getting to familer Na-t." he screamed after me.
Alex woke me up at 6:30 am, the next morning, so that we could get a early start at finding a job." Now, remember," he said, "The places with help wanted signs will hire anybody over fifteen. So if anyone asks, you are fifteen. Now goodluck Na-t." after his speach we both went our seperate ways.
It took me longer than I thought to find a job, but I was finally hired to work 8:00 am to 5:00 pm at the pick-up window at Taco Bell. I would start work the next day.
When I got home I was greeted by a worried Alex.
"Where have you been?"
"Getting fitted for my Taco Bell outfit."
"You got a job?"
"Yea, of course I got a job. Did you?"
"No!"
"I'm sorry. hey, I know Taco Bell still needs people!"
"NO thanks, I can get a job without a 13 year olds help."
"Ok, I was just trying to help. I guess $250 a week isn't good anoth for ya."
"$250 a week!?"
"Yea."
"I take it back. Can you get me a job?"
"I'll take you to see the manager tomorrow."
"Thank you. Thank you."
"Wait! I changed my mind."
"What?!"
"I'll take you right now."
"You'll do that for me?"
"Sure will. Come on. Let's go."
"Mr. Billy?" I asked. "Do you still need more help?"
"You already work for me, my dear."
"Of course." he turns to Alex. "If you can start tomorrow."
"You bet I can!"
"Great. You're hired. Just get here the same time Yvette does."
"I told you he would hire you." I whispered to Alex as we left.
"You were right, I should have never douted you. Now let's go home. We have to get some sleep so we can get up to go to work tomorrow." He said proudly.
"Mrs. Robertson?" the older lady had invited Alex and me for dinner and I was helping her with the dishes.
"Yes, Natasha?"
"I was just wondering, how long you and Mr. Robertson have been living in Memphis?"
I moved out her when I was 17. I always was the adventurus type and one day I was reading a book that took place in Memphis.
"It's called 'The Client' Have you read it?"
"No ma'am"
"Well anyway, I'm getting off the subject. The book inspired me and well, the next thing I knew here I was, but my husband, he has always lived here."
"Ohh, I was j......."
"Na-t." Alex interupted. "We got to go. We're on the news."
"Not now Alex."
"Na-t, We got to go. Now!"
"You mean..."
"YES!"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Robertson. I've got to go." was all that I managed to say before Alex pulled me from their apartment.
When we got back to our place, Alex turned on the tv to Channel 5.
//two teenagers, Alexander Mclean and Natasha Scotts have disapered. The only likn to their whereabouts is a note that Natasha's mother found that read 'By the time you find this I will be gone.' The boy Alexander has several tatoos up and bown his arms and the girl, Natasha, has a cross tatooed on her right shoulder blade. Both have police records for running away. If you have any info on these two please contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI//
"Now what do we do?" I asked
"The Robertsons were bound to have seen this."
"Alex..."
"Ok, you two. Open up." It was Mr. Robertson's voice."Alexander, Natasha. I'm serious."
"Na-t, you go start packing our stuff. I'll try to stall them."
"How?"
"I don't know. Just go." as he said that the door swung open and they came in. I tryed to run to the back fire escape, but Mrs. Robertson grabbed my wrist.
"Natasha Yvette Scotts! What on earth were you thinking."
"My middle name wasn't on tv."
No dear. It wasn't. You really don't remember me do you?"
"Who are you?"
She smilled.
"I was the one who took care of you the first time you ran away. I was also on the same ferrie that you came up here on....."
"But,"
"No buts about it. I've been following you and I want to know why you left again."
"I just didn't want her to die." I whispered.
"What do you mean?"
I had moved over to the couch where Alex sat and slowly we told them the whole story. From our mothers meating at the cancer treatment center and then us moving next door to eachother, soo that we could help one another. Then how we decided we didn't want to see them die and finally how we got here.
Through the whole thing they just sat there quiet and listened to what we had to say. After we finished, Mr. Robertson called the news station and said that he was our grandfather. About half way through the phone conversation he grew pale.
"What is it John?" Mrs Robertson asked her husband.
"Umm...Alex, Natasha, can you leave the room for a moment? Caroline and I have to talk."
"Yes Sir." we both said at the same time.
We waited in Alex's room for about fifteen minutes before they called us back into the living room.
"I'm afraid we have some bad news." Mr. Robertsons said, "When I called the radio station..... they said.......well they said that you mothers both died yesterday. Within' ten minutes of each other." the room grew quiet. "And," he continued. "They had both agreed that if they died before you were found that they would let you stay where you were."
"Alex..." I said through tears.
"No, no, before you start getting teary eyed, I want you to know that we are sorry and that if it is ok with you.....we would like for you to both stay with us. You see we never had any children and we would love to take you in."
"I kind of had other plans for us, but thank-you." Alex said. I don't know how he managed to keep from crying, but he did.
"But why? You don't have anyone..."
"....,but we do have eathother." he finished for her.
It has been nine years sence that night and me and Alex will be married in the fall.
We have lost soo much in the past, but one thing is certian. We will always have our past, present, and future, out good times and our bad times, and our acomplishments and our goals.
We still keep up with the Robertsons, even though we have moved to Lexington, Kentucky.
Alex joined a theater group there and I am going to collage to become a counceler for troubled teens.
We might not have had an easy life, but we did gain our love for eachother and a strong respect for life. All in all, I think we came outahead in life.