What Is a Friend

With no money and nowhere to go Angel wandered around and slept in the streets with her two babies. They were very hungry, tired, and due to their discomfort, the kids cried constantly.

            She came to a gas station and began begging the customers, as they walked in and out of the building, to help her. No one even gave her a sideways glance. She was now ready to give up. She sat down on the sidewalk in front of the gas station. Holding Kevin and Marques close to her, she began to cry.

            “Need a place to stay?” a voice spoke to her.

            She looked up through tear drenched eyes and saw a tall husky chocolate man, with devilish eyes.

            “No, thank you,” she responded. “I just need food for my kids.”

            “Those babies need shelter too. Let me help you,” he offered again.

            “I don’t know you,” Angel said. “Besides, the last time I allowed someone to help me, it didn’t go well.”

            “I promise you I’m cool. I’m not crazy and I’m not trying to get fresh with you either. I just can’t walk away knowing these babies are sleeping in the streets. My girl and I have an extra bedroom. You and the kids can stay with us until you get on your feet,” he explained.

            She looked at him, trying to decide whether or not to trust him. She was in no position to turn down any form of help, but there was something about his eyes that scared her.

            “My name is Donavon,” he said, putting his hand out for her. With a silent prayer for protection in her heart, she placed her hand in his and he lifted her off the sidewalk.

            “I’m Angel,” she said.

            “Nice to meet you. Come on, my car is right over here,” he said directing her to a small brown Honda Accord.

            “Where do you live?” she asked, getting into the car.

            “Los Angeles.”

            “You’re a long way from home, aren’t you.?”

            “Yeah,” he said, putting the car in gear and pulling off, “I came out here to play the slots, hoping to get lucky. What about you? Where are you from?”

            Angel stared out of the window and answered, “From under a rock.”

            “Where’s your family?” he asked.

            “This is my family.”

            “What about their father?”

            “What’s with the twenty questions?” Angel snapped.

            “I’m just curious as to what kind of man would leave his kids and their mother living in the streets.”

            “It’s complicated,” she said in a tone that promptly ended the conversation.

            That evening they pulled into a driveway of a small, cozy, yellow house that was tucked snuggly between to huge oak trees.

            “Keisha,” Donavon calls out as he steps through the door. A high yellow lady comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “I bought company. Thins is Angel. Angel, this is my girl Keisha.

            “Hello,” Keisha said in a soft sweet voice, followed by a friendly smile.

            “Hi,” Angel responded back.

            “Her and her kids have fallen on hard times. Is it okay if they stay here for a while?” Donavon asked.

            “Of course, they can stay. You guys can have the extra bedroom,” she said.

            “I won’t intrude on you for very long,” said Angel. “As soon as I get on my feet, I’ll be out of your hair.”

            “There’s no rush,” Keisha said, warmly. “We were in a similar situation not that long ago. We know what it’s like out there. That’s why we don’t mind helping you out. So, you just take your time.”

            “Thank you,” Angel said with a smile.

            Angel got job as a cashier at Sim’s Supermarket, not far from Keisha and Donavon’s place. She immediately began saving her money so she could get back the independence she once had.

            Keisha was a very sweet girl. She had no kids of her own, therefor she adored Marques and Kevin. She and Angel quickly became good friends.

            Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. It seemed Angel could never save enough to get out on her own. Something always came up. Marques had new school fees and Kevin fell ill resulting in him having to have emergency surgery. There was also her prenatal care. She was glad she had people in her life like Keisha. It was nice to have somebody to talk to, especially when she felt down about her situation.

            She never learned to trust Donavon. She got bad vibes from him, and she didn’t like the way he looked at her. He was always starring, as if he were undressing her with his eyes. Keisha seemed oblivious about it, and the entire situation made Angel very uncomfortable.

            Donavon’s true colors came out one day, when Angel was coming out of her doctor’s office. She spotted him across the street at an ice cream shop, and he had his mouth on more than just a vanilla cone. He was hugging and kissing on another woman. She crosses the street and walks up to them.

            “Donavon, what a pleasant surprise,” she said as she approached them.

            “Angel, what’s up”

            “Who’s this?” Angel asked

            “This is a friend of mines from work.”

            “Really! Funny, of all the times I’ve been at the shop, I’ve never seen her.”

            “And who are you?” the girl asked.

            “She’s just some homeless girl that I took in,” Donavon responded. Angel rolled her eyes in disgust. “Where did you come from anyway?” he asked her.

            “I was at the doctor’s.”

            “That’s good. Do you know the most important thing about a doctor’s visit?”

            “What?” Angel asked.

            He looked her in the eyes and responded, “Confidentiality. What happens during your visit stays there.”

            “Information can be released if it’s important enough.”

            “Yes, but not without proper consent.”

            “Whatever,” Angel said, as she walked away, irritated.

            She wanted to tell Keisha, but didn’t know how.  Now that she knew what type of person Donavon was, it seemed everywhere she turned around she was catching him with another woman. She eventually found herself protecting Keisha from ever knowing. There were to many times she and Keisha would be walking together, and she would spot Donavon doing his dirt. She would create an excuse to take and alternative route. “Don’t worry about it. All dogs have their day,” she would tell herself, as she shielded her friend from the inevitable heartbreak.

            Donavon’s day finally came late one evening. He had just gotten off from work, and he walked into the house shouting for Keisha, as he always did. Instead of Keisha, Angel came out of her bedroom.

            “Keisha’s not here,” she said.

            “Where is she?” he asked.

            “I don’t know. She’s been gone all day. Didn’t she go over to the shop? She said she was gonna surprise you with lunch.”

            “I didn’t see her.”

            “Well, I don’t know where she is.”

            “So, it’s just you in the house?” he asked.

            The tone in his voice made Angel very uncomfortable. “The boys are in the room playing,” she responded.

            Donavon walked up to her slowly. He had a strange look in his eyes. It made Angel very nervous.

            “How far along are you?” he asked.

            “Eight months. Why?”

            “Your hormones must be raging out of control.”

            “My hormones are none of your business.”

            “You can’t tell me you’re not in heat. You’ve been here for almost six months now, and I haven’t seen you with not one man. I know you must be horney as hell,” he said, sliding the back of his hand down the side of her face.

            Just as Angel slaps his hand away, Keisha walks in. Donavon backs away from Angel quickly.

            “Hey sweetie, what’s up?”

            Keisha had a look in her eyes that made his insides feel cold. She looked back and forth between Donavon and Angel. Then without a word, she goes into her room and slams the door.

            “Oh no, did she just hear what Donavon was saying to me?” Angel thought.

            Donavon turns to Angel. “What the hell was that about? Did you tell her something?” he asked.

            “I didn’t say s**t.”

            “You must’ve said something.”

            “I didn’t.”

            “Go and find out what’s wrong with her,” he demanded.

            Angel goes to the door of their bedroom and knocked softly. When entered, she saw Keisha sitting on the bed crying.

            “Hey friend, are you okay?” she asked Keisha, as she sat on the bed next to her.

            “No, I’m not,” Keisha responded.

            “What’s wrong?”

            Keisha looks at Angel. “You wouldn’t keep secrets from me about Donavon, would you?” Keisha asked.

            Angel knew then that Keisha knew, or at least suspected Donavon was cheating. “It not my place to tell you what’s going on with Donavon,” she replied. “Whatever happens between the two of you, good or bad, I don’t want to be in the middle of it.”

            I understand,” said Keisha. She laid her head in Angel’s lap and continued to cry.

            That night, in bed, Keisha turned her back to Donavon. He drifted to sleep without a care in the world. She listened to the sounds of the ghetto, the loud music, the people talking, a gunshot here and there. Tears started falling down her face again. She was hurting so much.

            In the next room, Ange lie awake. Guilt wouldn’t allow her to close her eyes. She couldn’t help feeling guilty about not informing Keisha of Donavon’s indiscretions. As she lay there, wishing with all her heart that there was something she could do to fix everything, she felt the baby kick. Her thoughts began to drift off into the land of Angel and Khiry. She imagined how different her life would have been if she would have waited for him after basic training. Those thoughts overflowed her mind and heart and rocked her to sleep.

            “Donavon just leave me alone,” Angel heard Keisha yell firmly, as she awoke from her slumber. She got out of bed and went into the living room. Keisha was sitting was sitting on the sofa, and Donavon was kneeling in front of her.

            “Come one baby, just talk to me. What did I do? What’s wrong?” Donavon begged.

            “Don’t you have to go to work?” Keisha snapped.

            “Yeah, but baby…”

            “Then go.”

            “Keisha.”

            “Go Donavon; get the f**k out of my face.”

            The guilt of deceiving Keisha had begun weighing him down, as it did Angel the night before. Donavon looked hunched over as he walked out of the door.

            That day was a very depressing one for Angel. Now that she had unlocked the door of Khiry again, he was invading her every thought. She remembered that he was stationed in Virginia, and could feel a giant magnet pulling at her heart from the east. She decided she did not want to be in the mist of Donavon and Keisha’s problems. She began packing her things. She was going to find Khiry.

            Donavon walked in that evening and saw angel sitting on the sofa with her suitcases in front of her. She was waiting to tell them both thank you, and goodbye.

            “Where are you going?” he asked before she could say anything.

            “Virginia.”

            “Oh, I get it. Now that you’ve done your damage you’re running away.”

            “I’m not the one who caused this damage.”

            “I know you told Keisha that I’ve been messing around,” Donavon accused.

            “I told you I didn’t say s**t,” said Angel. “She figured this one out all by herself. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy that she did. It’s about time she sees you for the dog you are.”

            “What do you think she’s gonna say when she finds out you’ve been covering for me?”

            “Believe it or not, Donavon, I don’t care. I’m leaving anyway, and I’m not looking back.”

            Angel gets up and heads towards the room to retrieve the rest of her things. Donavon grabs her by the arm, and swung her around.

            “You’re not going anywhere until you fix this,” he shouted.

            “I don’t have to fix nothing because I didn’t break it. You did. Now, let go of my arm,” Angel shouted back.

            He slams her against the wall. “No, you’re gonna make this s**t right. Keisha and I have been through too much together to let a b***h like you rip us apart.”

            Keisha walked in to see Donavon pinning angel against the wall and screaming at her. “Donavon, what the hell are you doing?” she asked, shocked.

            “This b***h ruined our relationship with her sorry a*s lies, and she’s gonna fix it.”

            Keisha forces him to release Angel. “She didn’t tell me anything. I saw for myself what kind of two timing dog you are. I went over to the shop to take you to lunch and saw you kissing some tramp.

            “Baby, I wasn’t kissing anybody. That wasn’t me,” Donavon lied.

            “That’s the worse lie ever,” Angel said, rolling her eyes.

            “You, shut the f**k up,” Donavon shouted at her.

            “I don’t want to hear anymore. Just get out,” said Keisha.

            Donavon looked at Angel and then at Keisha. “So, that’s how it is? After everything we’ve had, you’re gonna walk away from us, just like that?”

            “You walked away first,” said Keisha.

            With a deep breath Donavon walked to the front door, “Fine!” he said as he opened it and walked out.

            Keisha sat on the sofa and cried, as Angel held her tightly. Suddenly they heard a tire screech.

            Outside a car stopped in front of the house. A man was walking pass the house stopped and looked at the car. Suddenly he took off running through the yard. Shots were fired. Angel and Keisha dropped to the floor, as bullets scattered all through the house. When it came to an end, Keisha and Angel could hear sounds of grunting. They opened the front door. Donavon was lying on the porch bleeding from his chest. He was training to breathe. Keisha could not find her voice to say anything, or even scream for help. Angel ran inside and dialed 911. Before she could finish dialing she heard and ear-piercing cry. She ran back outside to see that Keisha had thrown herself over Donavon’s lifeless body. He was gone.