"Blood Is thicker than Water" by @mrviquez

Living in the hood or ghetto, however you wanna call it is a rough life.  Some people are blessed to have a strong family with strong morals, but others are not so fortunate.  Sean was a ten year old living in NYC at a time when the crack epidemic was at it's peak.  The streets were littered with people so high they looked like zombies.

Real CrackHead

Walking Dead Zombie

  After abusing the drug for a certain period of time people start to look like they are being sucked in from the inside.  Every bone in the face presses up against the skin making it look like it's sticking out of the face.  People lose teeth also giving them the look of the undead.  Most families in the inner cities of America were directly or indirectly affected by the epidemic.

Sean was no different.  His family was directly affected by the crack wave.  Both his parents were addicted to the drug and life was not easy in his house.  There was never any good food to eat in the fridge because they spent all their money on drugs.  The food stamps they received was sold to the highest bidder at the beginning of every month.  Leaving the fridge empty and their lungs full of crack.  Sean always had used' clothing and doesn't remember ever owning a brand new piece of clothing or sneakers.  He lived a lonely life.  At the young age of 10 he knew how to go out into the street and hustle up food.  He would go from barbershop to barbershop and sweep the floor for ten bucks each.  He had three barbershops that he went to every night.  When he got paid he would take half to buy something to eat and save the other half.  He started hustling at the barbershops in the beginning of summer and had about $400 saved up.  He had a hiding spot in the basement under the washing machine.  He couldn't afford to have his parents smoke up his money if they found it.  So he chose to hide it instead.  He planned on saving up enough money to be able to move out the house.  

In the 80's the streets of NYC were nothing pretty.  Yeah you had Manhattan with its bright lights and tall mesmerizing buildings. But if you look close enough you'll be able to read in between the buildings and see the pain and despair lingering in the air.  So little Sean had to learn how to navigate these cold streets at a very young age.  Imagine fighting off grown men trying to rape your mother or a knife held to your neck for your hammy down kicks.  This was Sean's reality and nothing could ever change his circumstances but himself.  He dreamed of being a famous Artist one day.  He would spend countless hours in the park drawing the entire landscape on the back of old school work.  Sad thing is that he knew he would never get to become the Artist he wanted to be but the Artist the hood made him.

"Hay Boy! Get yo ass in here!!!" His mother screamed from the back room.  He didn't even remember the last time he heard his mother say his name.  "I need you to go down to Jose's house and tell your father to bring his ass home right now.  He got me sittin' here waitin' for him all day!" His mother didn't have her daily fix yet because it was the end of the month.  Things were always harder at the end of the month because the money always ran out.  Jose was his father's best friend and partner in crime.  They did whatever they had to just to feed the monkey piggy back riding them into the ground.  Jose didn't live far, he lived like four blocks away.  

Sean left the house and walked down the street to Jose's house.  It was a nice cool summer night and everyone was outside enjoying the summer breeze.  By the time he arrived to Jose's house he could see that they were hanging outside. It seemed like they were arguing about sports like always.  "Hey pops Ma's at the house throwing a fit saying she wants you to come back to the house." Sean turned and ran down the street before his father could respond.  He had done his duty and told his father the message.  By the time he got to the corner he could hear his father cursing angrily.  By the time he got back to the house there was a strange man sitting in the kitchen.  His mother was acting all strange and nervous.  He had on the prison exit outfit that all prisoners received upon release.  He also had a net bag full of thick manila envelopes.  He was tall and had muscles on top of his muscles.

"So how long has it been now over ten years?" Sean's mother asked the man.  "Yeah something like that." He responded in a loud strong voice.  "How old are you lil man?" he asked looking directly in Sean's eyes.

"I'm ten years old but I'm turning 11 in two months." Sean said making sure he pointed out that he was older than ten.  "Well I've been in prison longer than you have been alive shorty.  So what about you, what have you been doing all this time I've been away?" He asked Sean's mother already knowing the answer.  Word had gotten down to the prison that she was out on the streets acting a fool.  His mother didn't even answer the question instead she yelled at Sean.  "Go on get out of here boy! Grown folks talking." She seemed annoyed that he was standing there listening to the entire conversation.  Sean just went back outside and sat on the stoop.  He sat there watching the cars go by wishing he didn't have to be here when his father got home.  He was going to have a field day when he arrived and saw another man in his home.  The door opened and out came the strange man.  He looked at Sean and told him to stay out of trouble.  Off he went walking down the street with his netted bag of papers.

By the time his father arrived home his mother had already left to go on a crack finding mission.  His father was beyond high and couldn't even talk straight.  When he got like this he would try to stay away from him, because he knew it would only lead to trouble.  Sean locked himself in the room to avoid any problems.  He laid down and stared at the ceiling til he fell asleep.

Later on that night he was woken up by a loud noise in the house.  He sat up in bed with a puzzled look on his face starring into the darkness.  He could hear his mother and father yelling in the living room.  They fought and argued all the time but this time it was different.  The tension in the air was thick and charged with negative energy.  He jumped out of the bed and tip toed to the door.  He looked through the crack and could see his mother struggling with his father.  He rushed closer to get a better look and could see his mother was bleeding from the mouth.  His mother was no longer screaming and his father was beating her face in.  Sean was petrified and as much as he hated his mother he still loved her at the same time.  He rushed to the kitchen to grab a knife. It was now or never.  While he was looking for the knife someone began banging on the door screaming for the door to be opened.  With his heart racing in his chest he grabbed the knife and ran back to the living room.  His father must have gone crazy because he was still pounding her face.  His mother's face was unrecognizable and his father didn't notice Sean was watching.  Boom Boom Boom, the door was going to fly off the hinges.  Crack Crack Crack his mother would no longer have a face.  Boom Crack Boom Crack Boom Crack.  Sean lunged at his father sticking the knife deep in his ribs, at the same time the door flew open and there standing in the doorway was the man for earlier in the day.  Sean stabbed his father and teared into a main artery and his father bled out in seconds.  This man he had just met today witnessed him stabbing and killing his father.  

Within a matter of seconds both the man and Sean were in handcuffs.  The block was lit up with red and blue lights and the streets were filled with emergency vehicles.

Sean watch as everyone looked at him like he was a monster.  What confused him is why was this man also being arrested.  Two cops hopped in the car and sped away from the crime scene with Sean in the back.  When they got to the station they led him into an interrogation room and left him there handcuffed to the table.  They legally could not talk to him because he was a minor and needed his parents.  The thing was that his parents were both on their way to the or morgue.  Now they needed to wait for social services and a public defender to come so that they can legally interview him.  The strange man had no such luck.  He had blood on his clothing, was at the scene of the crime and was just released from prison.  He was a seasoned criminal so the moment they entered to speak to him he asked for his lawyer.  The law states that once a suspect asks for his attorney the police can not question him any longer until an attorney is present.

ONE YEAR LATER

Both Sean and the strange man had been charged with homicide.  Sean later found out that the man was named Carter through his police work.  They both took the charges to trial and what came out of the trial had Sean speechless.  Turns out Carter and his mother were longtime lovers and the argument that happened the night his parents died was about Carter. His father had always been jealous of Carter and dreaded the day he came home from prison. There was no concrete evidence to convict either of them.  Sean's father had badly bruised knuckles proving he beat her to death.  So the stabbing was justified and Sean stated he was just defending his mother.

The were both released right from the courtroom.  Carter had a grin on his face and was happy to be free and no longer facing life in prison.  He looked at little Sean and told him "Why the long face shorty you are free now." Carter said with a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah I know I'm free but I no longer have a father or a mother and they were the little I had." Sean said looking down at his feet.

"Well you're wrong little man.  You do have a father."

Sean looked at him with a confused face.

"That man you killed was not your father.  You mother was pregnant when he met her with you already.  Sean.  I am your father and you don't ever have to worry about suffering anymore cuz' I got your back!"

They hopped in the car and drove down the road to a new life.

THE END.

Blood is thicker than Water

This has been another ShortStory from the Hood by @mrviquez

Until the next post 

STEEM ON!!!!!

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