"A story of innocence"

A story of young Latina, growing up in a broken family, and a drug and gang torn Harlem in the 80's

A story of innocence

“Ouch!” Screams little Haily as her step-dad lays a hard smack to her cheek. “Stop it, stop it ,she screams.” It is a mistake for the more she begs the more her step-dad hits her. So Haily learns to keeps her mouth shut. As well as to keep from crying. For the more she cries the more she bleeds. She wishes her mom, Margarita, would do something but mom is usually passed out on the couch from too much alcohol. It confuses her mind so much. She can’t decided if it’s safer in her home or outside where the bullets are flying around between the Latin Kings and Pingata over the control of the 1985 South Harlem drug turf.

She goes up to hers room and thinks how it used to be. When her mother used to be married to his real daddy, Elijah. That was until there was an fire. She remember that day. It’s embedded in her heart. November 2. 1980. At the flower shop, she remember how she went to her dad’s flower shop to help him. Haily’s dad used too explain the different types of flowers and what they needed to grow. She always admired all the flowers, but especially the roses. It had bright red just like her roses cheeks. It grew fast just like her too. She remembers on day when she came in to see the rose with something else on it. As it touched it she found out it hurt. As she went crying to her father. Her father explained to Haily how the roses have thorns that protect it from outside forces. This is the last conversation Haily had with her dad. For the next day, it was the fire. Fast-forward four years and her mother is now an alcoholic for the death was to much of a toll on her. Now she has married a new man, Chris, a man that cheats and on her and beats her daughter.

September 2, the first day is the first day of school for Haily. She always like school as she was always very smart. Besides that fact, that her step-dad could beat her when she was not at home. The day starts as the teacher induces herself as Miss. Daisy. She seems nice to Haily, as she has a smile that seems to rival the sunshine. She has bright blond hair and a busy bee attitude. But she was White. She never had a White teacher before. She didn’t have anything against her but how could she teach her? She had no idea what Haily dealt with a home. The abuse, the hate, the yelling, the neglect. Miss. Daisy has no idea the pain she went thought, or how she is always scared. What’s a little young White women know about all that she’s been though? She’s probably never even seen weed before, never heard gunshots. She doesn’t deal with the sights, the sounds, everything that I do everyday. But she’ll give her a chance…..one chance.

Sure enough as her attitude, she gets right into the work. Miss. Daisy starts the day with science. That was always Haily favorite subject. It made her think. It explain why think where they way they where in life.

Although it never could explain to her why it is always so cold and hard like winter at home. Always winter but yet never Christmas. But Haily is happy because today’s lesson is about flowers. Miss. Daisy explained how the basic things that plants need. Most of this Haily already know, as she thinks of when her dad used to be alive.

Miss. Daisy goes on to talk on about carbon dioxide which catches her attention. “Miss. Daisy” she ask “I thought carbon dioxide was bad?” Miss. Daisy laughs and says “yes, carbon dioxide is thought to be bad, but plants have away of taking this bad stuff and making it good stuff otherwise known as oxygen.”

Haily has been enjoy school quite a bit. She actually likes Miss. Daisy, and getting away from home is good too. It’s been only a month, but her life has actually started has started to get better. She actually has someone who cares. Not only Miss. Daisy but a girl she met in school, Violate. Haily and Violate have been best friends since the year started. She was the one she told all her screams and pain in life. She would have told Miss. Daisy about it, she’s nice enough and all…but she’s still White…she had no idea had how much she’s gone though…or how much she missed her dad. Her dad….today’s November 2^nd, 1986, it’s been five years today. She starts with a tear, but stops. I got to be strong she things! There’s not room for a little Latina girl to be weak in the ghetto! But then all the sudden her thoughts are interrupted as she hears several. cars coming down the street, fast and with load music. Something’s not good and she can feel it. Just as she felt something was wrong it was. As the cars screech to a stop several gang members step out of the cars. Haily and Violate are terrified as they pull out there guns. They fire round and round at each other. Haily has heard gun fights, even seen it, but never been in the middle of it! She doesn’t know what to do as her and Voitee try to run. They run all they way to school and don’t look back. But when they get there it’s no longer they. It is only her. Only one of them made it.

As she gets to school she goes to Miss. Daisy and just cries and cries. This is embarrassing but she doesn’t care. As Miss. Daisy ask her “Oh Haily whatever is the matter!?” As Haily tell her Miss. Daisy wrappers her up in a huge bear and hug and tells her about her childhood. Tells her that it was similar. Tells her that she feels her pain. Tells her that is she ever has anything’s she wants to talk about just let her know. She dries Haily’s tears and goes one with the day.

As Haily walks home she thinks of what Miss. Daisy told her that one day. Maybe all the bad things in her life are like carbon dioxide. It is bad but, it makes me a stronger person. She goes home, to her garden. This is the one place where she feels safe. This feels like her “Garden of Eden” It seems perfect. Like no harm can go on here. But she realize it only a false idea as her step-dad comes in. This time he does more than hit her. This time the scars are permanent. She realizes that she this never be again be the “Garden of Eden.” She will tell you now that in the Bible it never says what kind of fruit was talking from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But she will tell you that fruit was a cherry.

The next day Miss. Daisy can tell something is wrong with Haily. As she confronts her, Haily loses it and spill all of it. But the tears are not of Haily they are of Miss. Daisy. They are watering Haily soul. It gives her comfort. She knows Miss.Daisy will take care of her now.

The police come to the door to arrest her step-father who to this day is in jail for his crimes. But as for the mother all the found was a note. The note reads: “Haily baby I’m so sorry. I have not been a mother in so long. When you needed my the most, I was getting over my own problems. I should have listened to you father the advice he left for me raise you. But I didn’t and I’m so sorry for that. I hope your can forgive me for I cannot forgive myself. If you can forgive me leave me a rose. Did I ever tell you your father wanted to name you Rose?”

November 2. 1990. It’s been ten years since Haily’s father had died. It hurts still. But she’s grown up so much in faith and in love. Her father would be so proud of her. She would her mother….she though about her mother too…Haily’s just started to forgive her mother. She thinks of Violate, it was hard growing up without her. She can’t count the times she wished she was there. At least Miss.Daisy was always there. All this boggles in her mind as she starts up her old truck. She starts to drive as she puts on her radio. “Here’s an old favorite” Says the announcer. As the radio seems to be almost singing to her “Swing Low Sweet Chariot coming to carry my home.” Haily thinks to herself I wonder if I would have made it this far without Miss. Daisy? “I looked over Jordon and what did I see, coming for to carry me home.” Haily thinks how she thought at first how Miss. Daisy was just a little White young women who had no idea who had know idea what she went though. “A band of angles coming after me, coming to carry me home.” Oh, I was wrong Haily thinks to herself. “The brightest day that I can say” Oh so wrong. “Coming for to carry me home.” All the event of the last ten years flash though her mind maybe it was to make her stronger she thinks…like the flowers. “When Jesus washed my sins away” “Coming to carry me home.” It’s changed me so much she thinks. If you get there before you do”
She gets to the graveyard and steps out of her old truck but leaves her window down and the radio just load enough to hear. “Coming for to carry me home.” She wonders if her dad can she her know. “Tell all my fiends I’m coming too.”
She got some much on her mind. It hurts so bad, but yet she feels at peace. “Coming for to carry me home.” I should have done this long time ago she thinks.. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. “But yet she better late than never she thinks. “Coming for to carry me home” As reaches in her bag and pulls out three flowers, roses to be exact. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” “Coming for to carry me home.” Haily walks over and places down the three roses. One on Violate grave, one on her father’s gave and on one her mother’s grave.

Reviews

[Pollyanna]

As a rough draft, this is wonderful! You have a detailed outline that is almost stand-alone while the subject is emotionally charged and engaging. Once it's cleaned up, it will be perfect.

Once again, alwaysvcheck your spelling, pronoun consistency, tense (past, present, future) and usage.

[Coyote Poetry]

A powerful and sad story. The story brought me in and held my attention to the last word. Poor girl had a hard life. I like the description of her life and family. We never know what someone is living through. A beautiful and sad ending to a excellent story. Thank you.
Coyote