*Aunt Ruby's Song

Aunt Ruby's service was beautiful. I could tell she was well loved by everyone in the neighborhood and at her job. Darrius held himself together as much as he could until the choir song one of Aunt Ruby's favorite songs. He cried as he held Marcus and his uncle consoled them both. The entire basketball team came to support too and Chris was right there in the front with the family.

Everyone was invited to the house after the service was over. I got to meet some of Darrius's family and understood why they never spoke to them. They were acting so distance with Marcus. Every time he would come into the room, they would all just stare at him. He wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary so I didn't understand why they were being like that until one of their eldest aunts said to him, "So I guess you are still going through your little phase."

I looked over at him as he clenched his jaw but smiled and nodded his head. She rolled her eyes and I could feel the hate radiating from her as she gave him a fake smile to say, "Well you are still young, God will forgive you once you come to your right mind. Come on Arnold, we should speak to Darrius. I know he is feeling upset right now."

She wasn't the only one acting like that either. Everywhere he went it was like no one wanted to talk to him. However, with Darrius, he was getting words of encouragement to keep playing basketball or being asked about what college he wanted to go to. I stood away from him so that he could be able to talk to his family but looking at him I could tell he wanted nothing more than for them to leave.

His house was so crowded and the only place that had any peace was outside. The house made me claustrophobic with all the fake smiles and fake words coming from his family. They didn't even try to figure out who I was and their biggest concern wasn't even Aunt Ruby passing. It was all about Darrius and his future.

"Kind of makes you want to blow yo brains out right," I heard Lawrence's voice as I walked outside. He was smoking a cigarette leaning against his car in the drive way. I guess he couldn't stand being in the house either.

"Yea tell me about it," I said sitting on the steps, "it's like Aunt Ruby's death is being looked over just because Darrius seems to be a meal ticket."

He slightly laughed, "Yea that's what they always do. Darrius is the golden boy that's going to take our family to another level. They use to look at me like that too."

He said it with a distasteful tone. It was like it took him back to a memory that he knew all too well. He continued taking a small drag from his cigarette," until they realized that I wasn't about to give them any money. They really hated me then."

"So they think Darrius would?"

He grinned and said, "They know he won't, that's why they are sucking up to him now. That is until he tells them that he is with you."

"What you mean?" I asked him curiously. He blew a few smoke circles in the air before looking at me and saying, "Our family doesn't take too kindly to homosexuality. I know you have seen the way they treat Marcus."

"Yea I saw it but just can't believe that shit still happens."

"Darrius told me you were like this," he grinned, "he said he always has to remind you that he is black and that the world isn't always what you think it is. Now I guess I have to tell you...old black family members will never be happy. Shit not even some black family members that ain't even old. If you come out, you are labeled as a weak black male. The devil is in you or it's a phase. That's why my sister Ruby was a saint in our family. The only person that would accept you whether you had money or not. Or whatever you wanted to be."

He paused for a moment looking at the ground and I could sense that bringing his sister up was a sore spot. He let a lone tear fall before saying, "I had lost everything at one point. Before Darrius and Marcus was even born. She didn't give up on me like everyone else did. Which is why I feel, taking care of these boys and showing them the love she showed me... that it is what I owe her."

I smiled at him as he took another drag. He seemed to care about Darrius and Marcus. Plus, he didn't seem like everyone else in the house who was probably still asking Darrius questions. He had a positive attitude and an aura that oozed confidence. Before I could ask him another question, I saw someone approaching the house.

She had black curly hair and was wearing a tight black dress. She was a petite light brown woman and she had a tall white guy on her arm. She walked with the same amount of confidence as all the Mitchell's had but hers was a little off. Looking at her I didn't feel optimistic, I felt a rather strong sense of worry rush through me. I guess Lawrence felt the same because he looked at who was coming and he dropped his cigarette. The atmosphere became tense and the anger that Lawrence was not only feeling but was displaying, was evidence that this woman was trouble.

"The fuck is you doing here!" he yelled and the couple stopped in their tracks. I went back inside to go get Darrius who looked like he was looking for me as well. I rushed over to him but he held me at arm's length to study me. He asked me, "Why you look paler than usual?"

"I don't know," I answered him and then I remembered what I came in for, "Your uncle is outside talking to someone and he doesn't seem happy."

His eyes became wide indicating he probably knew who this person was but he needed further clarification. So, he asked, "Who?"

"A woman. She has curly hair and she came with this white man and- "

Before I could even finish, he was rushing past everyone to get to the door. Chris then came up to me concerned and asked what was going on. I told him about the woman and all he said was, "AH SHIT!"

Everyone stared at him but then Darrius yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

His voice echoed through the house and I rushed to get back outside. Uncle Lawrence was holding Darrius back from getting any closer to the couple and they looked unfazed at how Darrius was acting.

"I came for my sister," the woman answered bitterly, "I think that should be reason enough."

"You ain't give a shit about her, so why start now!" Darrius continued to yell, "All you ever were was a freeloading, ungrateful bitch!"

"Darrius calm down!" Uncle Lawrence shouted and people begin to crowd around outside. Darrius was fuming and I didn't know why. Then I remembered she said that she was Aunt Ruby's sister and a lightbulb went off. This woman was Darrius's mother.

"No fuck ha! She's only here for money, right? Well here!" Darrius pulled out a few dollars from his pocket and threw it at her, "It ain't what you use to but it's what you worth!"

"Now I'm not about to allow you to disrespect her like that," The man that she came with injected pulling off his coat before Lawrence turned to him and shouted, "Touch him if you fucking want to! I dare you to because it ain't going to be him just whooping yo ass, you going to have to deal with me too! Try me!"

"How are you going to sit there and let him talk to me like that Lawrence?" Darrius mom whined almost hysterical, "He is being completely disrespectful!"

Lawrence's face had a look of pure disgust and the tension was so thick I couldn't even tell the difference between the air and the anger that was surrounding us. Then Darrius practically growled, "The same fucking way you sat there and let this trash beat on me!"

I gasped when he yelled. He had never said anything about being beaten before and I could tell he wasn't done yet. He went past his uncle shrugging him off as he tried to grab him. He continued, "The same way that you left us in the middle of the night right after dad died and got with this piece of shit! And let's not forget the ultimate disrespect when you sat there and let him molest your child!"

When she slapped him, I didn't know what came over me but I ran up and pushed her. She fell, tumbling a little. Whether she gave birth to him or not, she wasn't about come in and demand respect just because she wanted it and she sure wasn't about to get away with putting her hands on him. Especially not in front of me.

The man ran after her trying help her up and I tried to make sure Darrius was fine. Then I turned around to see that he was coming after me but uncle Lawrence ended up pushing him as well.

"Get out of here," he warned him, "or so help me God, I will end your life in front of these people. Leave now!"

Putting his hands up in surrender, he grabbed Darrius's mother as she protested to stay. She threw her shoe in my direction but Darrius blocked it from hitting me. They walked back to their car and drove off. That's was the first and last time I ever saw his mother.

"You just going to let him do that D?" One of his cousin yelled out to him.

"What?" Darrius yelled back as we came back up to the door.

"This is family business he don't need to be interferin," the same aunt from earlier said to him. They were getting mad at me because I took up for Darrius? Darrius looked just as confused as I was before yelling back, "What the hell are y'all talking about? At least he has the balls to help me! Where have y'all been at? Tell me that!"

"He still shouldn't have pushed her, that is your mother," his aunt said looking at me as if I pushed her. I wasn't a disrespectful person but Darrius family was pushing it. I have never seen a group of people this fake in my life. Scratch that, because Michael and his friends take the cake. It was like they blatantly ignored everything Darrius said about what she did and just focused on the fact that she was his mother. I rolled my eyes and said, "And who are you to tell me what to do?"

She was taken back by what I said but I continued, "I have been watching you being disrespectful all day and Darrius... I don't want to come off disrespectful because it's your family but these people are horrible. The only other sane person in this family is your uncle."

Then a big commotion broke out about what I said. Everyone that lived in the community didn't say anything. Even the people that worked with Aunt Ruby didn't say anything. The only people that responded was his family members.

This was not how I planned on this going. I didn't want to have a big argument with his entire family because that wouldn't be a good way to start off with them. However, after seeing how they treated them, I just couldn't hold my peace anymore. When someone went to push me, Darrius hand blocked them and he yelled, "Naw man you ain't touching this one. I be damned!"

"So you going let him disrespect yo family like that fam?" A cousin wearing white pants with a long shirt asked him still trying to get to me but Darrius barricaded me because I was trying to get to his cousin too.

"Caleb calm down!" he said shaking me to stop. Then his aunt put her two cents in and said, "He needs to leave if he going to be that disrespectful!"

Every family member agreed with her until Darrius said, "He ain't going no fucking where! You can go but he staying right here!"

"Why you taking up for this little faggot boy man?" The same cousin asked him. Darrius stared at me as the commotion went on about letting me leave. He then looked at his uncle and his uncle shrugged. I didn't know what that meant but the next thing I knew Darrius kissed me.

All the commotion stopped but I didn't care. I kissed him like I have always have and when he pulled back I just stared at the faces of everyone in his family. Without saying a word, everyone went back inside. A few minutes later they were leaving.

"I hope y'all have a safe trip home," Darrius said as everyone cleared out except for Aunt Ruby's staff and people from the neighborhood. His aunt gave us the look of death before saying, "Y'all are going to rot in hell!"

"We'll be seeing you there too," Darrius responded and she stomped off with her husband behind her. I didn't want this to happen but I'm glad Darrius didn't let them hurt me. He turned to me and kissed me on my forehead before turning towards his uncle who was smiling.

We all walked back in and saw the remaining people staring at us. The room was so quiet that the wind from the outside could be heard. Then the doctor that took care of Aunt Ruby came towards us and said, "I think your aunt would have been so proud of you at this moment."

Darrius and I smiled as he hugged Darrius. Everyone else smiled as well as we walked through the living room.

"That worked out better than I thought," Darrius said as some people made room for us on the couch.

About 2 hours after the chaos, everyone began to leave. That left me, Darrius, Chris, and Uncle Lawrence to clean the house. Darrius and I were in charge of the kitchen. We were washing dishes as I leaned over to say, "Thank you."

He turned to me with his sleeves of his dress shirt pulled up. He turned to me and said, "I was 13. He had been hitting me for 6 months."

I stopped what I was doing but I didn't look at him as he continued, "it started off with them moving in for a while when Marcus turned 12. She took advantage of Aunt Ruby's kindness and told her it was for us. It was actually because he was in between jobs and the lease was up on their apartment."

"Darrius- "

"No don't Caleb," he said taking my hand as I finally looked over at him, "I want to tell you this."

He paused for a brief moment before speaking again,"It started one night when Marcus and I were playing our video games. I guess we were too loud and we didn't hear him say be quiet from upstairs."