be. We can stick this out.â
The more the room shook, the more Hadiah cried. I did my best to comfort her but after a while I couldnât take it anymore, so I took her by the hand and we crept out of the apartment and up the stairs.
Malachi and his family lived in the apartment directly above us, so he was the only one who really knew my story. His place had been my retreat for the last year. One Friday he heard my parents fighting and the next day when he saw me coming back from the police station with my mother, he whispered in my ear if I ever wanted to get away I could come to his place. He claimed his parents slept hard as a rock and seeing that they didnât wake up the times Hadiah and I came into their place, I believed him.
As always, during times like this the door was unlocked. Me and Hadiah walked in quietly. The apartment was small so we didnât have to travel too far down the hall to get to Malachiâs room. There were a few boxes in the way that hadnât been there before, but I managed not to trip over them. I eased into Malachiâs room, and he was asleep in his bed.
I looked down on the floor, and the pallet of blankets that he made for Hadiah was lying there, and as if this had become our second home, Hadiah laid down and fell asleep. I eased onto the bed next to Malachi. He slid back to give me room, shared his cover with me, and eventually we fell asleep.
A few hours later when I heard sirens blaring I woke up. That was the cue my mother had called the police. âI have to go,â I said to Malachi, who was now awake. âIâm sorry about how I acted earlier today at school.â
âItâs okay,â he said as a stream of light came into his room from the street lamp. âI want to give you something before you go, though,â he said.
âWhat?â I picked up my sleeping sister from her pallet.
He handed me a gold-plated ring with a heart on top and the word wifey written in small letters in magic marker. âItâs a permanent marker, and it wonât come off.â He hunched his shoulders in defeat. âThatâs if you ever decide to be my girl.â
I smiled. I couldnât help it, I swear I was cheesinâ hard. âDidnât you read the note?â I asked him.
âNo.â He hunched his shoulders. âI figured you said no.â
I shook my head. âI said, âyes,â silly. Of course Iâll be your girl.â That was the extent of me admitting my feelings. I couldnât stand being sappy too much longer so I grabbed Hadiahâs hand, hurried out of his room and down the stairs. Just as I was entering the apartment, the police were slapping handcuffs on my daddy. âMy kids shouldnât have to see this!â my mother shouted. I wondered if she even noticed that weâd just come back into the apartment. âIâma be right behind you pressing charges, officer,â she said with confidence as she grabbed our hands and said, âLetâs go.â
When we arrived at the police station, I was beyond embarrassed, especially since the officers knew us by name. âHow are you, liâl Miss Zsa-Zsa and sweet Hadiah?â the officer, who we saw every week, said to us as he handed us each a lollipop. He looked at my mother. âAnother weekend, huh?â
âI just canât do itâ was her response every time. âI get tired of trying to make this work for my children, and it ends in disaster.â
âSo are you going to follow through with the charges this time?â the officer asked.
âYes. It has to stop,â my mother said as she filled out paperwork, wrote down her recollection of the event, and handed the forms to the officer.
âYour court date will come in the mail.â
âThank you,â she said, grabbing us once again by the hand and leading us out the door.
The ride home was a short one, and the sun was rising by the
Jessica Conant-Park, Susan Conant