Thank You: To the reviewers who told me to keep going. I know it seems odd now, but I hope it will all make sense in the end. TY again.
~*~*~*~*~
Rose sat in the office, she knew this was going to be an all day event. The doctor looked towards her, waiting for her to give details bout her youngest son, Mikey.
"What is Mikey like?"
"Was, he's dead now."
"How did he die?"
"He was shot to death, in a drug war."
"So he was a drug dealer?"
"And user. Let me explain. Mikey never took to the beatings the way Maurice did. Maurice would protect his brother and sister from the beatings by taking them himself. When he moved out and went into the Military, Mikey couldn't take the beatings and couldn't protect Mercedes, and turned to drugs."
~*~*~*~*~
Mikey sits on a bathroom floor. He has a mirror on his lap as he breaks up the rock, crushing it with a $100.00 bill. He makes it into a fine powder, and gets a straw, snorting the lines he just created. He leans his head back against the wall and sniffles, enjoying the drip, which gave him the high. He looked to his friend an offered the 2nd line, but his friend was passed out. He shrugged and snorted the second line and moaned in pleasure. He ran his finger over the mirror and rubbed the residue on his gums, feeling them go numb. He stumbled up and put the mirror away, walking out of the bathroom. He sat the bar; he felt his heart racing as little beads of sweat crossed his forehead. He looked around as he was asked if he wanted the usual. He nodded as he looked around.
b"He was always into drugs, not the little things, big things, like Cocaine, and I think he did heroin a few times. He just couldn't handle the stress of being the protector. He went on and off the drugs so many times. He did it in front of Mercedes, he was caught once by Maurice, and Maurice flipped out. Maurice even arrested him the first time he caught him selling in a school zone. That's what almost tore the family apart. Mercedes and I were stuck between doing the right thing. She couldn't choose and walked out on both of them. She was crushed that the family had almost fallen apart. She knew she would have Maurice's back, no matter what, but she also wanted Mikey to be happy. She knew about his use from the beginning and never told a soul. She tried to help him, she would meet with him at all hours of the night, but she could never keep him clean. When he was killed, she blamed herself. That was a terrible day."b
Mikey sat on a bench in Central Park, looking around. He was high, as always. He called his sister to meet him and was waiting. After a little while she pulled up in Maurice's Mustang, and got out, walking to him. They started talking and Mikey started to cry on her shoulder. She held him and rocked him as he just cried and let it all out on her. He eventually looked up at her and she kissed his cheek, telling him that she loved him, no matter what he did. They walked down the park, quietly. Mercedes was only 20, but she knew he had issues. They talked quietly about his life and how he kept messing it up. She just listened and nodded, pointing out all the good he did growing up.
b "My daughter, Mercedes, she's the youngest. And where Maurice had severed ties with Mikey, Mercedes is the glue that held them together. Mercedes' getting hurt while working is what cleaned Mikey up. She helped him every step of the way, and when he finally got out of rehab, she was so proud of him. She even helped him get into college, to try to get a degree. She gave up her scholarship, for him. I remember the night he came home from rehab."b
Mikey, Maurice, Mercedes, Carlos and Rose were standing in the kitchen. Mikey and Mo were talking as Mercedes helped her mother get dinner ready. It was a celebration with 'WELCOME HOME MIKEY' on a banner. Mikey moved to Carlos and talked to him, getting to know him as Mo moved to Mercedes and pulled her into her old bedroom to talk to her in private. Mikey and Carlos helped Rose put the food and plates settings out, as Mo and Mercedes walked out. Mercedes held an Envelope, and Mo held a small box. They each passed Mikey the items and Mikey looked up at them. Mikey opened the box first and saw gold chain in it. It had a charm on it, the Celtic symbol for brothers with an inscription 'Love, Mo' engraved on the back. Mikey hugged Mo and they smiled as Rose got the food ready to be served. Mikey opened the envelope given to him by Mercedes and blinked a few times. Pulling out a voucher for the equivalent of what her Scholarship was, he looked at her and she nodded. She sacrificed her future, so her brother could have another one. No one knew she did that and Rose moved to her and looked at with an 'Are you sure?' look on her face. Mo patted Mikey's arm as Mikey got up and hugged Mercedes. Carlos smiled softly, as Mo went to sit down. He knew Mercedes had done the right thing, and though he wasn't exactly tickled at the idea, he knew Mercedes trusted Mikey enough to sacrifice that.
~*~*~*~*~
"So you see, Mikey was the odd one out, but somehow, we stayed together. I rarely spoke to any of my children until Mercedes was hurt. When she got married, it was like the entire family just came together. We went from a family of 3, to a family of close to 20. The Precinct they work in celebrates holidays together now, we all go down there and celebrate together. And where Mikey and Mo haven't found happiness, Mercedes has."
"Why don't you tell me about Mercedes? Her marriage, her life, whatever comes to mind about her."
Rose sighed and nodded. Drumming up memories was starting to get to her and she was getting fidgety.
(OK, work with me here. The confusing metaphors and statements will come together soon. Just have patience. TY. Please R&R)
~*~*~*~*~
Rose sat in the office, she knew this was going to be an all day event. The doctor looked towards her, waiting for her to give details bout her youngest son, Mikey.
"What is Mikey like?"
"Was, he's dead now."
"How did he die?"
"He was shot to death, in a drug war."
"So he was a drug dealer?"
"And user. Let me explain. Mikey never took to the beatings the way Maurice did. Maurice would protect his brother and sister from the beatings by taking them himself. When he moved out and went into the Military, Mikey couldn't take the beatings and couldn't protect Mercedes, and turned to drugs."
~*~*~*~*~
Mikey sits on a bathroom floor. He has a mirror on his lap as he breaks up the rock, crushing it with a $100.00 bill. He makes it into a fine powder, and gets a straw, snorting the lines he just created. He leans his head back against the wall and sniffles, enjoying the drip, which gave him the high. He looked to his friend an offered the 2nd line, but his friend was passed out. He shrugged and snorted the second line and moaned in pleasure. He ran his finger over the mirror and rubbed the residue on his gums, feeling them go numb. He stumbled up and put the mirror away, walking out of the bathroom. He sat the bar; he felt his heart racing as little beads of sweat crossed his forehead. He looked around as he was asked if he wanted the usual. He nodded as he looked around.
b"He was always into drugs, not the little things, big things, like Cocaine, and I think he did heroin a few times. He just couldn't handle the stress of being the protector. He went on and off the drugs so many times. He did it in front of Mercedes, he was caught once by Maurice, and Maurice flipped out. Maurice even arrested him the first time he caught him selling in a school zone. That's what almost tore the family apart. Mercedes and I were stuck between doing the right thing. She couldn't choose and walked out on both of them. She was crushed that the family had almost fallen apart. She knew she would have Maurice's back, no matter what, but she also wanted Mikey to be happy. She knew about his use from the beginning and never told a soul. She tried to help him, she would meet with him at all hours of the night, but she could never keep him clean. When he was killed, she blamed herself. That was a terrible day."b
Mikey sat on a bench in Central Park, looking around. He was high, as always. He called his sister to meet him and was waiting. After a little while she pulled up in Maurice's Mustang, and got out, walking to him. They started talking and Mikey started to cry on her shoulder. She held him and rocked him as he just cried and let it all out on her. He eventually looked up at her and she kissed his cheek, telling him that she loved him, no matter what he did. They walked down the park, quietly. Mercedes was only 20, but she knew he had issues. They talked quietly about his life and how he kept messing it up. She just listened and nodded, pointing out all the good he did growing up.
b "My daughter, Mercedes, she's the youngest. And where Maurice had severed ties with Mikey, Mercedes is the glue that held them together. Mercedes' getting hurt while working is what cleaned Mikey up. She helped him every step of the way, and when he finally got out of rehab, she was so proud of him. She even helped him get into college, to try to get a degree. She gave up her scholarship, for him. I remember the night he came home from rehab."b
Mikey, Maurice, Mercedes, Carlos and Rose were standing in the kitchen. Mikey and Mo were talking as Mercedes helped her mother get dinner ready. It was a celebration with 'WELCOME HOME MIKEY' on a banner. Mikey moved to Carlos and talked to him, getting to know him as Mo moved to Mercedes and pulled her into her old bedroom to talk to her in private. Mikey and Carlos helped Rose put the food and plates settings out, as Mo and Mercedes walked out. Mercedes held an Envelope, and Mo held a small box. They each passed Mikey the items and Mikey looked up at them. Mikey opened the box first and saw gold chain in it. It had a charm on it, the Celtic symbol for brothers with an inscription 'Love, Mo' engraved on the back. Mikey hugged Mo and they smiled as Rose got the food ready to be served. Mikey opened the envelope given to him by Mercedes and blinked a few times. Pulling out a voucher for the equivalent of what her Scholarship was, he looked at her and she nodded. She sacrificed her future, so her brother could have another one. No one knew she did that and Rose moved to her and looked at with an 'Are you sure?' look on her face. Mo patted Mikey's arm as Mikey got up and hugged Mercedes. Carlos smiled softly, as Mo went to sit down. He knew Mercedes had done the right thing, and though he wasn't exactly tickled at the idea, he knew Mercedes trusted Mikey enough to sacrifice that.
~*~*~*~*~
"So you see, Mikey was the odd one out, but somehow, we stayed together. I rarely spoke to any of my children until Mercedes was hurt. When she got married, it was like the entire family just came together. We went from a family of 3, to a family of close to 20. The Precinct they work in celebrates holidays together now, we all go down there and celebrate together. And where Mikey and Mo haven't found happiness, Mercedes has."
"Why don't you tell me about Mercedes? Her marriage, her life, whatever comes to mind about her."
Rose sighed and nodded. Drumming up memories was starting to get to her and she was getting fidgety.
(OK, work with me here. The confusing metaphors and statements will come together soon. Just have patience. TY. Please R&R)