Gone and Never Coming Back
Gone: Chapter Nineteen
Hang in there
Aaliyah
I didn’t hear from Cay since Cameron left and I told him to go run a bath. The water was still running causing me to hop up and open the bathroom door.
“Cayden Maurice Brown if you don’t turn that water off!” I shouted. Looking towards my bedroom to see if there was a towel in sight.
When I looked over to the tub his body laid still and limp under the water that was now running across the bathroom floor. “Oh my God! Baby!” I screamed letting the tears fall. “Stop playing Cayden get up!”
I snatched his body out of the water and cried against his chest. “Cay!” I screamed. I put my lips to his trying to give him CPR but it wasn’t working. He wasn’t moving, he wasn’t breathing and it felt like his life went on vacation of no return. I held him close to me and ran into my apartment building hallway. “Someone call 911! Help me! My baby boy drowned!”
I fell to my knees crying loudly and uncontrollably, if he did breathe another breath I was sure to die, because I can’t live without him. I thought I couldn’t live without Chris but I’m managing, Cayden is a whole different story.
I kissed his face and held him closely to my body as I watched tenants pour into the hallway and look at me crazily. Some were pulling out their cell phones to call, others were running to our aid. I just needed my baby to breathe.
“Hang in there baby!” I sobbed.
Chris/Cameron
I looked over to my left and watched as Jada slowly got dressed and ready to hit the beach with me. I really didn’t come here to have fun or do anything wild like she thought, I just came to clear my head and stay away.
I kept looking down at my phone to see if Aaliyah would call or text me because I felt like something was completely wrong.
“What’s the matter Cammy?” She asked pulling her messy hair up into a pony tail and looking back at me. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” I mumbled running my hands over my face. “You the one pregnant, how are you feeling?”
She blushed and put her hands against my chest and giggled. “I’m feeling wonderful actually, don’t even feel pregnant.”
I shrugged and slid on my Nike flops and pushed passed her and out the hotel room. It was in her name for the simple fact that any minute now I could be on the run on the run. It sounded stupid, but it meant that I’m already on the run being someone else, and that someone else gets into trouble and has to go on a run as well.
Here I was living the life and Aaliyah is probably curled up somewhere missing out on work she shouldn’t be missing. Crying about Chris and Cameron at the same damn time. Cayden is probably lost and tired of seeing his mother cry and not even knowing the exact reason why. If it was up to me I would tell her already and see how she’d react.
I stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby I looked around at my surroundings and stepped outside and to the curb. I breathed in the fresh air and looked at the bright sun that was damn near blinding me. I pulled out a Newport and lit it with my lighter, before I knew it all the feelings I felt were gone. I wasn’t tense anymore and my posture stood lean and cool. I felt better, cigarettes did that for you. It wasn’t weed but it was enough.
“Can I get a light?” I heard a familiar voice say.
I whipped my head to my left and saw Hope standing there with a huge smile and wide arms for me to step into. “Hope!”
She giggled and pulled me into a hug and grabbed my cigarette taking a long pull and smiling at me lightly. “Why the fuck you in Miami?”
“Because I am.” I mumbled, she obviously didn’t know and it could stay like that. “Why you here?”
“I’m on vacation moron.” She shrugged taking another pull. “I just feel like going to places I’ve never been and I’ve never been to Miami until now.” She grinned. “It’s beautiful.”
“I guess.” I shrugged and grabbed my cigarette and looked it over. “All this nasty ass lip stick on my shit.”
She laughed pushing me, “How’s Aaliyah?”
“Not good.” I kissed my teeth and tossed the ruined cigarette to the curb. “I fucked up again.”
“What did you do?” We took a seat on the benches against the hotel.
“I got a girl pregnant…” I said fumbling with my words. “And she’s done with Cameron just like she’s done with Chris.”
“You’re the definition of a fuck up.”
“Don’t remind me.” I laughed. “Your boyfriend is back.” I said referring to Tyler. I was more than sure she was going to pretend like she didn’t know who.
She blushed. “Who might that be?”
“Tyler Brown.” I laughed. “You need to go reunite with that nigga and get him to settle the fuck down.”
“I’m over him Chris, pipe that shit down.” She grinned.
Over him? I know Hope like the back of my hand, she isn’t over Tyler whatsoever. She can say she’s over him all she wants, but I know for a fact she isn’t. I looked over at the hotel door and Jada walked out behind a few people.
“You ready babe?” She asked eyeing hope with a stank eye.
“Yeah.” I kissed Hope’s forehead and walked after Jada, going wherever she wanted to go. I guess I could admit I hated being lonely and the feeling was always surreal, and I can never turn it down. For the time being Jada could be it.
Tyler
I held her closely to me as she cried in my chest. I know what Aaliyah is going through is real and hard to get passed. I had mad love for her to be quite honest and I felt like what I’m trying to do will help her.
“I really don’t know Ty.” She cried loudly and harshly. We both had been here since twelve Pm today and it was now 8:00 O clock. Since I’ve been here she hasn’t stopped crying and it sucked.
“Shh, he’ll be fine.”
The doctors hadn’t come to see her since we’ve been in this joint and I guess they were having a hard time getting him together and breathing like we both wished.
“No he wont!” She screamed. “If I wasn’t so worried about Cameron I wouldn’t have told him to go take a fucking bath Tyler. He’s four fucking years old! How stupid can I be?”
“Shh.” I said patting her back softly. “Just stop it.”
The doctor walked up to us and Aaliyah quickly raised her head and tried to get herself together. She wiped her cheeks and nose with my shirt causing me to roll my eyes and look up at the ceiling.
“Ms.Rome.” She smiled.
Aaliyah looked at her with a stone hard face. “Just tell me he’s okay.”
“I’m afraid not.” She mumbled. “The police would like to issue you in for questioning, there seems to be some foul play.”
Aaliyah stood up. “Foul play?!” I could see the vein in her head starting to show. Anyone with eyes could see that Aaliyah loved Cayden more than anything in the world. She would never ever do anything to hurt him. That wasn’t her style.
“She would never hurt him ma’am.” I said standing and holding Aaliyah around the waist. “This ain’t one of them cases.”
“Sir you wouldn’t believe how many young mothers we get coming in here every week with the same old act. We don’t know that.” She rolled her eyes and walked off.
“Don’t fucking let this happen to me Tyler! That’s my baby!” She screamed to the top of her lungs. “They won’t even let me see my baby!”
I kissed her forehead. “Shh Lee, shh.”
“Stop fucking telling me to shh, you shh!” She yelled.
The officers walked up and looked at her closely. “We would like to issue a questioning, us and child protectors service.”
“Why are you and child protectors service involved?” She questioned with her big wild eyes. Her hair looked like she was a mad woman, and I wouldn’t believe her either if I didn’t know her.
“This case did involve a child in danger, only a few questions.”
“Talk to our lawyer.” I stated pulling Aaliyah small frame into my arms and looking directly at the officers.
“No I’m talking to them Tyler, get off me!” She pushed me, and before I knew it she was following the officers down the long white hallway. It would be her bad if she said or did something stupid and they snatched Cayden right from under her nose. Her bad.
Aaliyah
They passed me a cup of coffee that I declined and stared at me oddly. If they took Cayden away from me, I’d die. If he didn’t make it out of this hospital I’d die as well.
“So how long was Mr.Brown in the tub?”
I looked at them crazily. “I lost track of time.”
He nodded writing it down on the pad. “Does he usually bathe by himself?”
I bit my fingernails. “No…I usually help him, I sit on the toilet seat and watch him bathe until he’s ready to get out.”
“Why didn’t you do that this afternoon?” He questioned.
“I was busy talking, and I mistakenly told him to run his bath water.”
“How long did he run his bathwater for?” The officer questioned.
“I told you I don’t know.” I said covering my mouth and letting the tears fall down my cheeks. If they haven’t noticed that I’m hurting by now they’re blind.
“Well the doctors results say that he was drowning for at least fifteen minutes.” He rolled his eyes. “But you don’t know how long he was in the tub for.”
The other office which I’m guessing is the good cop stopped him from saying anything else. “It’s obvious Ms.Rome is a single mother, with a four year old child on her hands.”
“A single mother who has a man sitting right in the waiting room with her! Seems to me she pays attention to her men more than her child!” He yelled.
I stood up tossing the table towards them and letting the hot coffee spill on their laps. “You don’t know shit about me! I love my fucking son, and he is the only thing that matters in my life!” I yelled. “Who the fuck are you to judge me? Guess what mutha fuckers! This is not your big break in months, you won’t be winning this case! Fake ass, Broke ass detectives.”
One of them on the floor rushed to me and pushed me against the wall and cuffed my hands. “You’re under arrest You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.” He said dryly and I was hauled out of the room.
I’m a mother who has gone crazy. What did they expect from me? Did they really think I was going to sit there and let them talk to me all kinds of crazy because I looked crazy. I’d be damned, I may be hurting but I will never let someone kick me when I’m down; They have me mistaken. Cayden wouldn’t be proud, but it was for him.
As I exited I saw Tyler texting away on his phone, he looked up at me and shook his head. “I’ll call my lawyer Leah Beah Sacajawea, hang in there.”
Hang in there.
Hang in there.
Hang in there.
I’m tired of hanging in there, what if you couldn’t hang any longer?
Aaliyah
I didn’t hear from Cay since Cameron left and I told him to go run a bath. The water was still running causing me to hop up and open the bathroom door.
“Cayden Maurice Brown if you don’t turn that water off!” I shouted. Looking towards my bedroom to see if there was a towel in sight.
When I looked over to the tub his body laid still and limp under the water that was now running across the bathroom floor. “Oh my God! Baby!” I screamed letting the tears fall. “Stop playing Cayden get up!”
I snatched his body out of the water and cried against his chest. “Cay!” I screamed. I put my lips to his trying to give him CPR but it wasn’t working. He wasn’t moving, he wasn’t breathing and it felt like his life went on vacation of no return. I held him close to me and ran into my apartment building hallway. “Someone call 911! Help me! My baby boy drowned!”
I fell to my knees crying loudly and uncontrollably, if he did breathe another breath I was sure to die, because I can’t live without him. I thought I couldn’t live without Chris but I’m managing, Cayden is a whole different story.
I kissed his face and held him closely to my body as I watched tenants pour into the hallway and look at me crazily. Some were pulling out their cell phones to call, others were running to our aid. I just needed my baby to breathe.
“Hang in there baby!” I sobbed.
Chris/Cameron
I looked over to my left and watched as Jada slowly got dressed and ready to hit the beach with me. I really didn’t come here to have fun or do anything wild like she thought, I just came to clear my head and stay away.
I kept looking down at my phone to see if Aaliyah would call or text me because I felt like something was completely wrong.
“What’s the matter Cammy?” She asked pulling her messy hair up into a pony tail and looking back at me. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” I mumbled running my hands over my face. “You the one pregnant, how are you feeling?”
She blushed and put her hands against my chest and giggled. “I’m feeling wonderful actually, don’t even feel pregnant.”
I shrugged and slid on my Nike flops and pushed passed her and out the hotel room. It was in her name for the simple fact that any minute now I could be on the run on the run. It sounded stupid, but it meant that I’m already on the run being someone else, and that someone else gets into trouble and has to go on a run as well.
Here I was living the life and Aaliyah is probably curled up somewhere missing out on work she shouldn’t be missing. Crying about Chris and Cameron at the same damn time. Cayden is probably lost and tired of seeing his mother cry and not even knowing the exact reason why. If it was up to me I would tell her already and see how she’d react.
I stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby I looked around at my surroundings and stepped outside and to the curb. I breathed in the fresh air and looked at the bright sun that was damn near blinding me. I pulled out a Newport and lit it with my lighter, before I knew it all the feelings I felt were gone. I wasn’t tense anymore and my posture stood lean and cool. I felt better, cigarettes did that for you. It wasn’t weed but it was enough.
“Can I get a light?” I heard a familiar voice say.
I whipped my head to my left and saw Hope standing there with a huge smile and wide arms for me to step into. “Hope!”
She giggled and pulled me into a hug and grabbed my cigarette taking a long pull and smiling at me lightly. “Why the fuck you in Miami?”
“Because I am.” I mumbled, she obviously didn’t know and it could stay like that. “Why you here?”
“I’m on vacation moron.” She shrugged taking another pull. “I just feel like going to places I’ve never been and I’ve never been to Miami until now.” She grinned. “It’s beautiful.”
“I guess.” I shrugged and grabbed my cigarette and looked it over. “All this nasty ass lip stick on my shit.”
She laughed pushing me, “How’s Aaliyah?”
“Not good.” I kissed my teeth and tossed the ruined cigarette to the curb. “I fucked up again.”
“What did you do?” We took a seat on the benches against the hotel.
“I got a girl pregnant…” I said fumbling with my words. “And she’s done with Cameron just like she’s done with Chris.”
“You’re the definition of a fuck up.”
“Don’t remind me.” I laughed. “Your boyfriend is back.” I said referring to Tyler. I was more than sure she was going to pretend like she didn’t know who.
She blushed. “Who might that be?”
“Tyler Brown.” I laughed. “You need to go reunite with that nigga and get him to settle the fuck down.”
“I’m over him Chris, pipe that shit down.” She grinned.
Over him? I know Hope like the back of my hand, she isn’t over Tyler whatsoever. She can say she’s over him all she wants, but I know for a fact she isn’t. I looked over at the hotel door and Jada walked out behind a few people.
“You ready babe?” She asked eyeing hope with a stank eye.
“Yeah.” I kissed Hope’s forehead and walked after Jada, going wherever she wanted to go. I guess I could admit I hated being lonely and the feeling was always surreal, and I can never turn it down. For the time being Jada could be it.
Tyler
I held her closely to me as she cried in my chest. I know what Aaliyah is going through is real and hard to get passed. I had mad love for her to be quite honest and I felt like what I’m trying to do will help her.
“I really don’t know Ty.” She cried loudly and harshly. We both had been here since twelve Pm today and it was now 8:00 O clock. Since I’ve been here she hasn’t stopped crying and it sucked.
“Shh, he’ll be fine.”
The doctors hadn’t come to see her since we’ve been in this joint and I guess they were having a hard time getting him together and breathing like we both wished.
“No he wont!” She screamed. “If I wasn’t so worried about Cameron I wouldn’t have told him to go take a fucking bath Tyler. He’s four fucking years old! How stupid can I be?”
“Shh.” I said patting her back softly. “Just stop it.”
The doctor walked up to us and Aaliyah quickly raised her head and tried to get herself together. She wiped her cheeks and nose with my shirt causing me to roll my eyes and look up at the ceiling.
“Ms.Rome.” She smiled.
Aaliyah looked at her with a stone hard face. “Just tell me he’s okay.”
“I’m afraid not.” She mumbled. “The police would like to issue you in for questioning, there seems to be some foul play.”
Aaliyah stood up. “Foul play?!” I could see the vein in her head starting to show. Anyone with eyes could see that Aaliyah loved Cayden more than anything in the world. She would never ever do anything to hurt him. That wasn’t her style.
“She would never hurt him ma’am.” I said standing and holding Aaliyah around the waist. “This ain’t one of them cases.”
“Sir you wouldn’t believe how many young mothers we get coming in here every week with the same old act. We don’t know that.” She rolled her eyes and walked off.
“Don’t fucking let this happen to me Tyler! That’s my baby!” She screamed to the top of her lungs. “They won’t even let me see my baby!”
I kissed her forehead. “Shh Lee, shh.”
“Stop fucking telling me to shh, you shh!” She yelled.
The officers walked up and looked at her closely. “We would like to issue a questioning, us and child protectors service.”
“Why are you and child protectors service involved?” She questioned with her big wild eyes. Her hair looked like she was a mad woman, and I wouldn’t believe her either if I didn’t know her.
“This case did involve a child in danger, only a few questions.”
“Talk to our lawyer.” I stated pulling Aaliyah small frame into my arms and looking directly at the officers.
“No I’m talking to them Tyler, get off me!” She pushed me, and before I knew it she was following the officers down the long white hallway. It would be her bad if she said or did something stupid and they snatched Cayden right from under her nose. Her bad.
Aaliyah
They passed me a cup of coffee that I declined and stared at me oddly. If they took Cayden away from me, I’d die. If he didn’t make it out of this hospital I’d die as well.
“So how long was Mr.Brown in the tub?”
I looked at them crazily. “I lost track of time.”
He nodded writing it down on the pad. “Does he usually bathe by himself?”
I bit my fingernails. “No…I usually help him, I sit on the toilet seat and watch him bathe until he’s ready to get out.”
“Why didn’t you do that this afternoon?” He questioned.
“I was busy talking, and I mistakenly told him to run his bath water.”
“How long did he run his bathwater for?” The officer questioned.
“I told you I don’t know.” I said covering my mouth and letting the tears fall down my cheeks. If they haven’t noticed that I’m hurting by now they’re blind.
“Well the doctors results say that he was drowning for at least fifteen minutes.” He rolled his eyes. “But you don’t know how long he was in the tub for.”
The other office which I’m guessing is the good cop stopped him from saying anything else. “It’s obvious Ms.Rome is a single mother, with a four year old child on her hands.”
“A single mother who has a man sitting right in the waiting room with her! Seems to me she pays attention to her men more than her child!” He yelled.
I stood up tossing the table towards them and letting the hot coffee spill on their laps. “You don’t know shit about me! I love my fucking son, and he is the only thing that matters in my life!” I yelled. “Who the fuck are you to judge me? Guess what mutha fuckers! This is not your big break in months, you won’t be winning this case! Fake ass, Broke ass detectives.”
One of them on the floor rushed to me and pushed me against the wall and cuffed my hands. “You’re under arrest You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.” He said dryly and I was hauled out of the room.
I’m a mother who has gone crazy. What did they expect from me? Did they really think I was going to sit there and let them talk to me all kinds of crazy because I looked crazy. I’d be damned, I may be hurting but I will never let someone kick me when I’m down; They have me mistaken. Cayden wouldn’t be proud, but it was for him.
As I exited I saw Tyler texting away on his phone, he looked up at me and shook his head. “I’ll call my lawyer Leah Beah Sacajawea, hang in there.”
Hang in there.
Hang in there.
Hang in there.
I’m tired of hanging in there, what if you couldn’t hang any longer?