Red White and Black

Chapter Twenty Four

Markus

For the first day in weeks, clouds rolled in and threatened rain. The television spewed forth a never ending stream of warnings concerning the approaching storm with each reporter putting their own spin and angle to the oncoming destruction. Some of them, even most of them, spoke with a barely concealed glee and a strange smile turning up the corners of their mouths in apparent anticipation over the potential mayhem. Markus sat in a trance watching the same dire warnings played over and over, his eyes fixated on the grim messages scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Warning, dangerous storm approaching. Take cover.

Although he stared at the television as if mesmerized, his mind felt sluggish and unresponsive. The confrontation between Mr. Morris and Jay C played over and over again, sometimes the entire scene, other times just the part with the gun. But it always ended focused on the venomous, hateful look on his best friend's face. A face he had been accustomed to seeing filled with laughter or mischievousness, never with harsh, cruel animosity and malice. It hurt him deeply to realize his friend had changed. Is that my future? Now that basketball is gone, am I gonna become like Jay-C?

With no college and no job prospects, he knew he was a burden to Aunt Sadie. Every bite of food and every stitch of clothing came as a result of her back breaking labor while he did nothing to contribute. Guilt swept over him as he remembered countless times of wolfing down the food while she claimed she wasn't really hungry or had already eaten. Am I really that blind? Or maybe just too dense to notice the obvious. He resolved to do better, he had to. She was all he had remaining in this world and he couldn't let her down.

He wandered outside and sat on the back steps, not connecting the turmoil of clouds churning overhead with the cataclysmic warnings on the television. A full fledged tornado could have been roaring down the alley before breaking his reverie. Maybe Jay-C wasn't so far off base after all. He was gettin' paid. He had a nice car. He had a wad of cash. He was doin' all right for himself. But the hatred and anger? Nah, it could be done without all that. He could take up Jay-C's offer to work together and stay above all that rage. But what if you had to do something... well, something bad? He swept that notion under the rug. His mind whirled with possibilities never before considered.

Markus? You here me boy? Don't be a fool. You stay away from that dope. You hearin' me? His Momma's voice sounded distant and muted and he didn't want to hear from her anyway. A man has got to do what he has got to do.

"Markus? You alright?"

Abbie's voice cut into his reverie like a beacon through thick fog.

He looked at her with vacant eyes. As much as he liked Abbie, he really wanted to be alone right now. There was too much to think through now that his future had been cast. He needed to think. He needed to be alone.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said instead.

"Well, you don't look so hot. Why don't we walk down and get some more ice cream?"

"I can't"

She said nothing, then sat on the step beside him. In spite of himself, Markus resented her presence. He realized this had to be a function of the hole of despair he was sinking into, but the resentment persisted.

"Why not?"

"I just can't!"

Abbie wasn't anything if not persistant. "Come on, Markus. It'll do us some good to get away from here."