Chapter 14 – The truth
One year later…
Life is a funny thing. Everyone in my life turned out to be who I didn’t think they were, including myself.
My mother wasn’t really my mother. She was a crazy woman out for revenge.
My father wasn’t the good man I thought he was. He was a cheating, backstabbing man who drove Samantha to insanity.
The mother to my child isn’t just a normal girl. She’s the daughter to a psychopath: my fake and dead mother.
Uncle Shaun and the Vipers weren’t the bad people I thought they were. They were actually the only people who really had my back.
And lastly, I am not the loyal and good guy I thought I was. I am my father’s son.
For years I mourned only my father. I had no idea that I should have been mourning my mother as well. The whole story that Samantha told me was a lie she came up with to hide the truth.
Here’s what really happened…
My father was a loner, just like me. Samantha saw the greatness in him. She saw what everyone else didn’t: a hardworking and loving man who would make a great husband and an even better father. Some would call it a coincidence, but I believe it was history repeating itself, because just like me, my father cheated on Samantha and made her best friend, my mother pregnant.
It seemed my father never loved Samantha, because after finding out my mother was pregnant, he ran off to marry my mother. I was born and years later Jamila followed. They were happy, and even though my father was from Detroit, my mother’s family in California was happy for her.
During the year that Jamila was born, and I was eleven, Samantha began to threaten my parents. The threats had been coming in for years, but during that year, they became more intense and realistic. She’d sneak into the house when we weren’t around and leave knives in Jamila’s cot, or send pictures that she had taken of my mother without her knowledge. She was angry that my mother was benefitting from all the hard work she had put into my father to make him the successful and charming man he was. She hated that she fell so deeply for my father, only for him to break her heart and leave her.
The day that she turned her threats into actions came, and she killed everyone: my mother, my father, Uncle Jon, Aunt Rashida, and my mother’s sister, Aunt Rashawn. Uncle Shaun was protected by the Vipers, hence she couldn’t get to him. Before killing them all, Samantha went under heavy skin surgery. Body contouring, lip fillers, and everything that would make her look like my mother. She did this to convince no one but Jamila and I that she was our real mother.
She killed our parents while I was at school and Jamila was at day-care. When we returned, the house was spot-less, and their bodies were gone. As soon as she told me my father had been killed, I broke down in tears in her arms. I didn’t bother to look at her face carefully because she looked just like my mother. The only difference between the two was their hair colour and the birth mark that my mother had.
Don told me that Shaun wanted to report to the police, but that would only expose the Vipers and get them all locked up.
Samantha then started a gang to protect herself from the Vipers, because she knew how dangerous they were. She paid the members of the gang using my father’s money which he had left behind for us. The gang did their job, hence it was so hard for the Vipers to reach out to me and tell me the truth about Samantha.
Samantha made the Vipers look like our enemies. She told me that I couldn’t go outside because they’d kill me, but she was just scared that if I went outside, they’d find me and tell me the truth. She went as far as creating fake Viper tattoos on some of her gang’s arms. She sent one of the men with a fake Viper tattoo to shoot at me and Jason when I ran away from home and went to play at the park, after being told not to leave the house. She gave the man strict instructions not to kill us but shoot around us to scare us and teach me a lesson.
The story doesn’t end there. The woman was crazier than I thought. Red sneaker boy, the one who came into my school and who I later found out was a Viper: Samantha made me believe his real name and surname was Calvin Taylor, to make it look like he shared a surname with Uncle Shaun, and to make me believe he was a Viper. When I asked Don about him, he chuckled and led me to a room where red sneaker boy was being held. He’s real name was Calvin, but his real surname? Hall…Calvin Hall.
When the Vipers saw his fake tattoo, they kidnapped him and beat the truth out of him. He’s the one who told them about the fake tattoos his mother was making and everything else that she had been up to. They hadn’t decided what to do with him yet.
The whole time, all Uncle Shaun was trying to do was free me. Free me from the lie I had been living. The Vipers have never harmed me or anyone I loved.
These were all just lies I was fed by my “mother.”
I loaded my last suitcase into Don’s car. I was finally done with high school and headed off to college. My dream was coming true. I got into Stanford and I was leaving for California that same day.
We still had to drive from my boarding-school to Detroit, where I’d get my last belongings. Then I was going to take a flight from Detroit to California.
“Can’t believe you actually studied here lil Shaun. This place is so different from Detroit, I wouldn’t survive a minute,” Don says. I laugh at his remark and tell him I need to say goodbye to a few friends. He nods and I head back inside the school, silently thanking God for Don. Most of my family is dead, but he somehow manages to fill that void. He’s been caring for me since the day I was shot, and I see him as the father that I wished I always had.
“So, I guess this is goodbye,” I say to Kevin.
He shrugs and pulls me in for a hug. “Good luck, Amari.” I thank him and walk out of the room. Next, I head to Deshae’s room and knock on the door. He yells for me to come in, and I do. I find him packing his bedding and clothes in a rush. He has no top on and the girl behind him is trying to make herself look as presentable as possible.
“Deshae, Deshae, Deshae, will you ever change?” I ask laughing. He sighs and starts laughing as well.
“Yes, I will. In fact, I already have. Amari, meet my girl, my only girl. Her name is Noni,” he says proudly.
“Nice to meet you Amari,” she says with a bright smile while tying her hair into a bun. I smile and try to hide the fact that I’m surprised Deshae has finally decided to settle down, but I fail drastically and Deshae hits me with a pillow.
“Come on man, you can’t blame me. You showed no signs of settling down whatsoever,” I defend.
“Yeah well that’s until Noni came into the picture. She’s different, you know. And I’m gonna treat her right, she deserves it,” Deshae says honestly.
Never in a million years did I think I’d hear Deshae speak like this. But a lot of unpredictable things have been happening lately, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Above it all, I was happy for him.
“Look man, I just came to say goodbye, and good luck, with everything,” I say. Deshae nods gratefully and pulls me into a hug.
“Goodluck to you too Amari.” I nod and head for the door.
“Hey Amari,” Deshae calls. I turn around to face him. “I heard about Summer. I’m really sorry man. I can’t help but blame myself and…”
“Deshae, it’s cool really,” I interrupt him. “It’s not your fault.”
Deshae nods and I leave the room.
I said my last goodbyes to Karen, who was happy with how I had grown emotionally and mentally over the year. She was proud of me, and I was proud of myself as well.
Don and I drove all the way back to Detroit. As soon as I saw the rusty old sign saying: “Welcome to Detroit,” all the memories that my hometown held came flooding back.
“Hey, it’s okay. Nothing’s ever gonna be the same again,” Don assures me. I nod and put on a smile.
For the last time, I looked at children running up and down the streets. Most of the kids who worked hard and passed their final year were leaving for college as well. Cars parked on driveways were being loaded with bags that students would take to the airport with them. I was proud to know that I was one of the few students who pushed through my struggle and chased after my dreams.
Don parked the car outside my old home. I hadn’t been there since I was shot. I pushed open the door and stood in the doorway before completely stepping into the house.
“Hey Amari! Take your time, okay?” Don yells from the car. I nod and walk in the house. All the blood that once stained the walls had been cleaned up, and most of the furniture was gone. Don sold it and gave me the money. “It’s not what your father left for you, but it’s better than nothing.” That’s what he said when he handed me the money that he made from selling the furniture.
All that was left of this house now was the peeling walls, the old, dusty lights in each room and the memories it held. I spent my whole life in this house, and now that I was ready to leave, it felt so unreal.
I went to my room to get what I was looking for. I took my baseball jacket and the rest of my Jordans out of the wardrobe, then stuffed them into my bag.
Before heading out, I noticed that the table that once sat next to my bed was still there; Don hadn’t sold it. I opened its drawer and found two things: A frame with our family photo, and the album that Summer gave me to me on my birthday.
I looked at the picture carefully, examining the woman in the picture’s neck. There was a birth mark. That was my real mother. Samantha must have forgotten to photoshop the pictures that were in my room.
I spent the whole year trying to accept that my mother was really gone. At times, I'd feel guilty for not noticing that the woman who was raising me wasn't really my mother. I felt like I had betrayed my mother for not seeing what was in front of me for all these years. Don was there every step of the way. He told me that I was young when my mother died, and I couldn't have known because Samantha had completely transformed herself to look like my mother. It took time to heal, but now I understood that my mother was in a happy place, and she'd want me to be happy too. I may not remember much about my real mother, but I know for a fact that she loved me.
I was grateful for the picture and so I stuffed it into my bag.
I then looked through the album. Tears formed in my eyes when I saw the last picture that Summer and I took together. I wish everything was as perfect as it was then. There were no secrets, no pain and no tears.
I couldn’t take the whole album. It held too many memories. So, I tore out just the picture of Summer and I and stuffed it with the frame in my bag.
I looked through the window. Summer’s room was just as empty as mine. She was leaving for college too.
I stood in the doorway and looked at my room one more time. “Me and you had great times, but I’m never coming back. So long, good friend.”
I closed the door and walked out of my room, and then out of the house.
I would never come back.
“Got everything?” Don asks from the car.
“Yeah, I noticed you didn’t…” The sound of a key falling interrupted me, and I looked to my left.
Summer.
She was struggling to lock the door to her house as she had so much in her hands, from pillows to sheets and clothes. I looked at Don and he gave me a nod. I immediately dropped everything and jogged to where Summer was.
“Hey, Summer,” I say nervously. She turns around startled and drops everything in her hands.
“Damn it!” she sighs and looks up at me. When her eyes meet mine, she goes into this state of shock and goes completely silent.
“I…I’m sorry about your bags, I just came over to help. It seemed as if you were struggling,” I say.
She nods slowly, without saying a word.
Summer and I haven’t seen in each other in a long time. The last time we spoke was at her father’s funeral. He had been killed by Samantha’s gang on that night we were having Christmas dinner.
After the funeral, we went for a walk. She told me that she had forgave me, but she couldn’t forget. She said she loved me, but not enough to stay after everything I put her through. She then left and didn’t answer any of my calls.
“So, where are you headed off to?” I ask her.
“Indiana. I got accepted into a medical school,” she says cheerfully.
“That’s great, Summer. I’m happy for you.” She nods and fakes a smile. The tension between us is undeniable. She hates my guts, and if I don’t make things right now, I’ll lose her forever.
She turns around and continues to attempt to lock the door.
“Summer, I’m sorry. I know I’ve said it a million times, but I don’t think you understand how much I mean it. We can fix this, Summer, we can make it work, we always do. I just…I can’t let you go Summer.”
The door clicks as it locks, but Summer doesn’t turn around.
“You have to let me go, Amari. You don’t have a choice.”
I run my hands through my hair. “How am I supposed to do that, Summer? I love you, okay? I didn’t mean for all of this to happen and…”
Summer swiftly turns around and crashes her lips onto mine. Her arms wrap around my neck, pulling me closer to her. I pull her waist closer to me, and surprisingly she doesn’t resist.
I feel a drop of water fall on my lips. Summer breaks away from my kiss and places her forehead against mine.
“Summer please,” I beg again. More tears run down her cheeks as she shakes her head.
“I love you too, Amari,” she whispers. My heart leaps for joy at the sound of her words, but I sense a 'but' coming. “But my father is dead, and my heart is too broken to make this work again. You need to let me go.”
She pushes herself away from me, wipes her tears and picks up all her belongings. I watch her silently. She has given up on me, on us, and there’s no use trying to save whatever was left of us.
A car parks in front of her house and she walks down the stairs of her porch towards the tall guy who has now stepped out of the driver’s seat. He kisses her cheek and asks who the weird boy standing at her door is.
“Just a friend from school,” Summer replies, and my heart shatters.
After they’ve loaded everything into the car, Summer’s boyfriend starts the car and drives off. I watch them until the car disappears into Sixth Avenue.
Tears form in my eyes as reality hits me like a brick in the face... and man does it hurt.
“Your flight is about to board lil Shaun. I’d give you more time, but I don’t want you missing your flight,” Don says after watching the whole scene that just took place. I nod and wipe the tears streaming down my cheeks. Summer left the key to her house on the door, so I take it and stuff it in my pocket.
Don loads the rest of the stuff that I had left on my porch and starts his car as well.
“A new life is waiting for you in California lil Shaun. You’ve got a bright one ahead of you, and Summer will be yours again before you know it.”
I wish I could believe him, I really do, but unfortunately, Don is wrong. Summer is gone, for good this time.
I’d be living with my family from my mother’s side in California…those who survived Samantha’s wrath. They survived because they were distant family that Samantha never really bothered to go after.
I thanked Don for everything once again before passing through the gates. He reminded me to be strong and I promised him I would.
My plane was boarding, so I went straight into the flight. There were a bunch of other students who were heading to California for college as well. They were fortunate enough to have friends who made it out of Detroit, and who’d be studying in the same state as them. Unfortunately for me, and for him, Jason couldn’t afford to even apply for college, and so he never left Detroit. Jason and I had made a promise to one another that one day, we'd both leave Detroit and become what we wanted to be, and as much as I wanted to stay with him, I couldn't. Detroit made me who I am, and I will never deny it as the reason behind my new found strength. But I can never go back, and I never will, My life is in California now, but I'll forever be grateful for where I come from.
I look out of the aeroplane window as I keep reminding myself to be strong. At least I still have Jamila who’s already living in California with my mother’s family. I also have my baby girl who Cassie gave birth to last month. I’ll be meeting her for the first time when I land.
Cassie was sent to a mental institute in California right after giving birth to my baby girl. She refused to hold her and said she wanted nothing to do with her.
This gave me the privilege to name her whatever I wanted to name her.
So, I named her Vanessa.
The End.
From the writer:
If You're reading this right now, it means you have read all the chapters of Where I come From right until the end, and for that, I love you SOOOO much. Thank you for taking on this emotional roller-coaster of a book with me, you have no idea how much it means. It feels like just a few weeks ago when the first chapter of this book came out and now all of a sudden, we're done. I'm not sure if I'll have time time to type out part two or start a whole new book...i don't now, whatever you guys want, you are what matters most after all : )
Some of you guys have been here from day one when chapter 1 came out, and it genuinely just brings a smile on my face knowing that you stuck around even with the late chapter posts and the times when I left out the comments section, lol, forgive me? : )
I had so much fun writing this book, and I hope you guys did too. I also hope you took a lesson or two from this book as well............(don'tcheatonyourpartnerorelseyou'llhavetomovetocaliforniandhaveababyandshe'llbreakupwithyouforever ; )...) lol, I'm kidding. There are some really good lessons in there though.
I'll say it one more time so you never forget, I am SO thankful for your support throughout this journey, and I'd love to know if you want another book in the comments section, yeah?
Sending flowers, lights and all the nice things to you, and for the last time, leave your comments telling me what you think...Love you! :') <3