Syd+C

=Lateesha =  I came up here for what should have been a week, but I could never find the urge to leave the place where my dad and brother had died. It was late one night and my mom, dad, brother and I were coming home from a new years party while in what would be considered a winterwonderland for kids. As we pull into the parking lot of my apartment building, there was a driver who had been drinking that ran right into our rusty pick-up truck. It then flipped over on its back with all of us inside. I thought that was the end for all of us. Mostly because of the story that has been passed down in my family for decades. It was long ago, and my ancestor from the south, had just been in what was considered the worst car crash of the century. The man who hit her ran, and she was left on the streets. No hospitals would take her in because she was African-American. I knew this wouldn`t happen now a days, and we were all rushed to the nearest hospital where my dad and only brother died. My mom lived, but we have never been close. I'm a daddy`s girl, and she went right back to Tennessee as if nothing happened and I just disappeared from her life. I lived, obviously, but I have this huge scar on my face, telling everyone my story and what I have been through.

 So my day started like it usually did. I wake up from the shredding sound of my alarm clock and push my curly black hair out of my face. I waddle down the creeky hallway towards the kitchen to make myself a warm cup of hazelnut flavored coffee overloaded with sugar. As I get all cozy on my old ragged couch, I turn on the television and a show about relationship problems is on. Then, I remember how stupid I was to fall for him. A cheater. Liar. Never loved me. His life was so simple, dates, gym, sleep. An open book, but I tried reading it with my eyes closed. when it starts getting all hot and stuffy in here, I go over to my old cracked window that looks like it has been through everything, and start trying to yank it open. As soon as I get it nice and breezy in the small space of an apartment, I look out at the world and everyone is in that old junkyard! What are they doing over there? Everyone has shovels and packs of seeds. Is it a... garden? Since when! I look around and that's when I see... him. Curtis. My head heats up like a hot air balloon and my veins start popping out of my face as my blood rushes to my head. Slowly, he turns around and his dark eyes stare into mine, begging for forgiveness. I was almost thinking of giving him another chance, but why should I? And I yank the blinds closed.

 The next morning, I wake up and get outside for one of my daily walks. I try to sneak past the garden, but my mom's old friend Leona notices me.  "Hey girlie! I haven`t seen ya in a while!" Leona announces in her thick country accent.  " Its good to see you too." I reply annoyed.  "Why don`t ya come on ova here and plant yer favorites... Tomatoes!"  "I have never planted anything before, and I shoul..."  "Why don`t ya have that young man over there teach ya! His tomatoes are doing pertay good!" Leona shouted while pointing at Curtis. So against my will, I am taken over to Curtis and he starts showing me how to plant and care for tomatoes. He seemed so different, but I bet he was still the same beast as he was two years ago. When it starts getting dark, I take one last look at all the people of different cultures, sharing stories and different foods from different places.

 I went to the garden to check up on my tomatoes each day, I always did want to plant tomatoes, just like my aunt and eat them nice and fresh. and they got more red and plump each time I layed eyes on them. One night, dreams of the last night I had spent and saw my family kept me twisting and turning in bed. At one point, I got so frustrated that I decided to get some fresh air. As I walk outside, I see a little girl, not american, maybe... chinese or from vietnam. She was in the garden, bending down with a clear glass of water sparkling under the moonlight and a shovel next to her. I take a deep breath and the girl turns around in an instant and jumps at the sight of me. I don`t blame her, if I was nine or ten like she was and saw a lady who looked like a clown sweating and panting, I would have jumped and ran just the way she had. I felt bad for scaring her off, but then I see an old man, he is not what caught my attention though. It was a young teenage boy on the old beat up bench in a sleeping bag and a flashlight next to him that that caught my eye. I had seen that boy in the garden many times before. Usually, he was next to Curtis and talking to him. He was in the same ratty clothes that he had been in earlier that day and he was just lying there under his sleeping bag with his bloodshot eyes bulging from his face. I started wondering if he had family or a home, but probably not if this was where he spent most of his time. Poor boy. I looked at my tomatoes and started wondering when it was the last time that boy had eaten. I gently pick the biggest, beefiest two tomatoes and when the boy starts looking at me more carefully, I walk over to him and he starts shaking and looking petrified like a little kid after his worst nightmare. So to keep him from getting more scared, I set my tomatoes down next to him and I make my way home for the night.

I wake up very late the next day and head out to the garden around dinner time. When I get there, i seean woman, along with many others and the old man that I had seen the night before. He went over to the teenage boy in the sleeping bag, and handed him some fruits and water. Had he done this because of him seeing me give him my tomatoes? As he walked out, he smiled and waved to me. I felt important.

Each day I went to the garden and later, I would look out my window to see some one else giving that poor boy some of their vegetables or fruits. I would still leave him some of my tomatoes, and I usually left some bread, turkey and cheese for him to make a sandwich.

One day, I finally made up my mind to give Curtis another chance. I really thought he had changed. Besides, he told me he was all wrong and sorry and he would love it if I gave him another chance. I walk and partly skip to the garden taking my time and nothing could have felt better than the fresh air on the summer day. As I approach Curtis, I see him hugging a girl and he says "Lateesha, I would like you to meet..." that's as far as he got when I interrupted him yelling that I was finally sure he had changed and I was trying to give him another chance and I knew there was a reason not to. I was stupid to believe it when I told myself he had changed.