I Am Not My Skin [ UNDER EDITING ]

Chapter 14:

My heart was at ease knowing that Jamal was not being mistreated, and what laid ahead for us now was his court date. They set it to a week from now and until that time I will be visiting him each and everyday to make him understand that he wasn't alone in a time such as this.

My family goes everyday and for some reason Maya was being quite eager to see Jamal, I thought that they might be hiding more than they were actually letting on. But to keep playing along I sat back and watched, it was all in those stares and I knew, they were in love.

Jamal was such a gentle soul and I couldn't have chosen better for Maya myself, she was in safe hands and I know deep down in my heart he will take good care of her well into their adult years.

I always thought he was joking when he was younger and told me that one day he will make Maya his wife and treat her like the beautiful queen she was, and I nearly teared up because Mrs. Brown did well...she did so well in raising Jamal with such values. His respect towards women was something rare, he understood for his age, he listened and he gave.

So much he gave, he showed that he deeply cared and the love he displayed was immense and so powerful, and that made me proud. If only they can see what we see everyday, what we experience and the joys we find with Jamal around. He could light up any room when he walked in. His energy was contagious and for some reason he always had a smile on his face even in the most darkest of times, he always kept smiling.

As I rinsed my hands thoroughly, I got distracted by the sound that came from Maya's bedroom, I was curious and dried my hands against my clothes. I was going to wash it anyways, I found her door wide open and saw her laying on her bed with a book before her. She had a certain song on repeat, and it was those words, just those words that had me thinking, "If you only have love for your own race then you only leave space to discriminate, and to discriminate only generates hate and when you hate then you're bound to irate." It was a song by The Black Eyed Peas and those words honestly stuck to me, and I can see as Maya was so focused with whatever she was busy writing.

"It's for a banner," a banner? What would she be doing with a banner, what was really going on? I couldn't help but be more curious now, the words she wrote down I could read clearly, there was one sentence that read, 'I AM SORRY I WAS BORN WITH THE COLOUR OF MY SKIN, CONDEMN ME FOR SOMETHING I AM!!!' I thought, but why Maya?

"It's for Jamal, and I know you'll try to talk me out of this Drew, but you have to remember, this is needed. There is a war going on and it is being swept under the rug, I am tired of always being shamed, looked down on and being mocked. I am who I am and if they cannot accept that then they sure do not love themselves. Yes I am different, but not by my mind but more by the colour of my skin, they must know Drew that we are not our skin. We are all humans and they have kept Jamal locked up because Cassidy is being forced to say that it was he who did it, it wasn't Drew. Jamal is innocent and they all know it." She added, her eyes back on the banner again.

I turned stone cold just by hearing those words, can human beings really be so cruel as to perform such an act? Why were they doing it? I know now what I have to do, and for this I needed to do alone, this now changes everything. Jamal was being kept locked up because of someone's ego, and just to know that for the rest of his life he will have a permanent record with nothing but lies.

Did this girl and her family even consider what they were doing was disgusting and that someone's life has been ruined forever and that just because of this lie? A kind and gentle person has lost their lives, it's just that easy. "I will go with you, I have to do this for Jamal and hey Maya, will you tell me where this Cassidy girl lives, I need to have a talk with her. What she has been doing to Jamal is unfair, because of her he has been put through hell and still continues to go through such. You must help me get in contact with her Maya, please."

The promise I made to Mrs. Brown I will live by. I will care for Jamal and even if it meant putting my own life and freedom at risk, I have to.

What Maya had told me I could not block out. I needed to get in contact with this young lady and even if it meant going down on my knees and beg, I shall do so. I knew Jamal could never have done such an act, it's not a mistaken identity crime no, it's more of a hate crime and I have a feeling deep down in my heart that it was organized.

I searched my bag and went through it in such a hurry. I had to let Carter know what I discovered, he offered to help since he knew Jamal as we all did, and that helped on my part. "No, not right now. I have a thing with my sister but you can come by, say maybe later. I have something that might be of use regarding Jamal's case." I hung up, and to think that for the first time in a long while Maya and I will be working side by side. I can only imagine what my mother would say but this was all in the name of goodwill and out of the love of our hearts, and the freedom of our dear Jamal.