Mommy's Angel Read Free Page A

little sister was just coming in from school.
    “I was over Aunt Jackie’s.” Naja replied, with much attitude.
    “You’s a damn lie!” my mother retorted. Then she provided evidence. “I called Jackie and she said she ain’t seened you all day! Now, I’m gonna ask you one more time, where have you been? ”
    “None of your business,” Naja mumbled as I heard her attempt to dart up the steps. Naja lost more and more respect for my mom by the day. The next thing I knew, I heard tumbling and screaming, and by the time I was able to force myself out of bed Naja came storming into our bedroom, holding her anger-stricken face in her tiny rough hands. Before I could say a word, Marvin appeared at our doorway. He stood silent at first and picked his teeth with a toothpick. Seeing Marvin, I closed my legs tight and rested my arms in my lap. I could still feel the burning sensation he had caused hours earlier and I didn’t want to give him any thoughts about doing it again.
    “That’s what the hell you get, runnin’ around with those boys, comin’ in here this time of night. You need to be more like your sister and come straight home from school!” Marvin had the nerve to say.
    Meanwhile my mom was yelling, “Come on, let’s go,” to Marvin, and my sister was lying in her twin bed across the room crying. All I could think at that moment was how much I hated home.

Somebody Has to Feed Us
    B oom! Boom! Boom! The loud knock on my bedroom wall woke me up bright and early, as it did every weekday morning. Shortly after, the phone rang. I turned over in my bed and reached my hand down, grabbing the phone off the receiver. I knew to answer. I knew it was for me.
    “Good morning,” I said, clearing my throat.
    “You up?” Jamal asked in an upbeat tone.
    I could hear loud rap music in the background.
    “I’m not going to school today,” I told him.
    “Why not?” Jamal asked.
    “Because yesterday I got into a fight and the principal said if I get into one more altercation this year they goin’ kick me out. And I know if I go to school today that girl is gonna say somethin’ slick out her mouth and Ima have to hit ’er.”
    “That’s bullshit. You just started that school. They can’t kick you out already,” Jamal said in a know-it-all kind of way.
    “Jamal, eight fights already—I’m surprised I’m still in the school as it is,” I shot back at him.
    “Damn, I ain’t know it been that many. You been holdin’ out on me, huh? You do need to chill out then, before they do kick ya ass out,” Jamal said.
    “I know,” I said. “That’s why I’m not goin’ today. I need time to calm down and clear my head.”
    “Well, let’s get together then,” Jamal suggested, making plans with my time.
    “What time do you get off? I can meet you at your house.”
    “I get off at six, but call up to the job at like one and act like you my mom. Tell ’em I got a family emergency and you need me to come home. You got the number,” Jamal instructed.
    “Okay,” I responded, going along.
    “I’m ’bout to bounce up outta here. I love you, boo,” he said.
    “I love you, too,” I replied.
    “Bye.” He hung up.
    Jamal had been my boyfriend for the longest. We lived right next door to each other our whole lives. We started out as childhood playmates and then we became best friends, and as we grew up we started really feeling each other. He was the only one who fully understood my situation. After all, he’d been there from the beginning, before Curtis died and my mom got strung out. So in addition to liking me, he felt sorry for me and he always made it his business to look out for me. I could talk to him about anything—well, except for Marvin, but that was only to protect him. I knew if Jamal ever found out about what Marvin did to me he would have probably killed him without thinking twice, and I didn’t want Jamal going to jail for me or anybody, especially not no damn Marvin, so that was one thing I