Chapter 4. What does mother knows?

I came down from the bus once it got to my bus stop. Evergreen street was well known to flourish day and night with people. Every house was built facing each other with a road that has enough space in between for two cars to pass the same time. Our street is one of the small streets in this town. It's being occupied by average and low class people. Two story building was the pattern for all the houses built here. Children loves running round the street playing hide and seek or any games that makes them happy and fill the street with their laughter. Everyone is sure to mind their business here cause if you don't someone or something else will help mind it for you. This territory is being controlled by gangsters. Wealthy gang leaders are everywhere oppressing those who's got any business with them. Worse is they try to force teenagers and young adults to join their gangs. The famous gang leader here is Cordello. People fear him and they're right to be scared. He doesn't show up unless of course he has a score to settle with you. I have three siblings- two brothers and a sister. As the eldest I work hard so I can provide for them. Not that I'm forced to do it but it's the only way I can appreciate my Mom for all her sacrifices since Dad died and also help reduce the burden of providing for us all. It's not easy training me through school. I'd be done with my degree in three months time and i'm super excited.

" Mom I'm home."

"She's not in. She's gone to get seeds to plant from the local store." my immediate brother Jamie replied me.

"You're home early today."

"Yeah. Zekel employed a new staff today so she took over from me. We're running shift now."

"That's great." He said working over to where I was and opening the bag I just dropped on the table, before I could stop him he already took the berries I bought for mom and shoved some in his mouth.

"Jamie." I queried. "Those berries are for mom. And the hell, you didn't even wash it before eating. What if it's infected?" I tried to collect the rest from him but he runs round the table.

"Germs are for the weak."

"Jamie?" I called through gritted teeth when he ate more berries. chasing him was futile so I gave up and settled for scolding him instead. "The last time I checked you got your ass kicked by Billie, a girl."

"Funny. I call that lovers fight."

" So you're confessing you love her?" I teased him. He and Billie grew up together and although he never admits it, detective me knows he loves and adores her.

"Ahhh. You never give up do you. I'm out of here."

"Hey, I need a hand in the kitchen." I yelled as he turned to leave . He stopped, turned around, looked at his hand and without making a move did that annoying face he knows always upsets me

"OOOOO, since you need the hand so badly, you might as well come chop it with an axe." He said and finally exit the room . Who was I kidding? He never was the kitchen type.

"Thanks for the meal." Jenner my sister and also the last born said to me

"Thanks darling. At least some one knows how to appreciate my effort." I told her lovingly while I throw glares at my two brothers. They both looked at each other and shared a silent giggle.

"Uh, uh, somebody help." Ben my other brother shouted and fell from his sit. I screamed his name and rushed to his side. Mom was also on her feet.

"Ben, what is it?." Mom asked him with worries written on her face. My mom even with the stress of taking care of four kids on her own still looks so young that we could pass for sisters. She's a beauty to behold and we all inherited that part of her gene. She's five feet nine inches tall and Jamie and I inherited that but Ben and Jenner, as they grow everyday I see nothing but my late dad's height. My Dad was a very tall man. My never relenting hardworking Mom has taught me hard work can be rewarding and that explains why I'm one of the best in my class.

"I think I just ate poison." He said and Jamie laughed sarcastically.

"That wasn't funny." Mom scolded him holding her chest with her right hand.

"Assholes." I insulted both of them. I guess that explains the knowing giggling.

" It's just a joke." Jamie chimed in as I made to exit the room.

"Yeah, an expensive and rather lame one at that." Jenner replied him.

I heard running footsteps behind me as I made my way outside the house. I turned briefly to see Jamie and Ben running after me .

"We're sorry Rose." Jamie shouted after me.

I stopped walking and they came closer.

" I'm sorry Rose." Ben apologized again.

"The next time this happens you're buying all the groceries in the house." I told Ben who was ready to protest but I shut him up and continued, this time facing Jamie. "And you are cooking the meals for two weeks Jamie"

" But how am I supposed to buy them when I'm not working? Ben still aired his concerns.

"Then maybe it's time you start working , that way you'll learn to appreciate someone else's hard effort. " He was quiet. "And my God! you're seventeen already, I need to remind mom that cause last time I checked Jamie and I started working at seventeen."

"My cooking part is fine by me. That way we all get to eat actual poison." Jamie said laughing like a clown and that earned him a glare from Ben and I.

A red alpha romeo spider vehicle with five guys passed. A black guy who I'm sure either the mom or dad was of white descent drove the car and seated beside him was a white guy whom we all know as Cordello's handler. He wants to kick people out of a house, threaten someone, beat the crap out of someone, send a message or do any creepy tasks, you name it. That's the guy he uses. At the back were three guys. Two were seated on both sides while the one in the middle with a cigarette stood up as the car slowed it's pace. He blew the cigarette's smoke in my direction and blew me a kiss , I throw my face in another direction avoiding his intense gaze that seems to be undressing me. The guy in the front sit whispers to the driver and he stopped the car

"Come on, let's go inside." I told my brothers . We were leaving when one of them, I'm very sure the first guy , the handler, asked us to stop.

"Stop right their amigos." We did. "You in the middle come here." Goosebumps was all over me. my family has avoided these people for years. And now they're here demanding a presence.

Whatever his reasons for calling my brother wasn't good. Jamie looked at me as if asking my opinion. Who are we to refuse their call anyway? They're the thugs for the man who rules this neighborhood. The other guy winked at me and still continued with his seductive look.

Jamie went to meet him and he looked at Ben and i with a dismissed look. If he thinks he's going to make me leave my brother with them then he should try again.

"What did they call you for?" I asked the paled Jamie when they finally released him and left. He was very nervous now.

"They want me to join the gang."

"What! " Ben and I screamed. We knew they do this everytime but it still came to us as a shock. These were not good people, drug addicts, smugglers and many more bad things are what this gang do. Three boys who joined them from our neighborhood last year were found dead. Parents of the deceased couldn't place charges cause of course it was Cordello. Even the Cops look the other way at the mention of his name.

"Mom you know we cannot let them take Jamie, they'll ruin his life." I told her when we were all sitting in the living room.

"I'd rather die than see any of my child turn wayward or die before my eyes. Your father left a good legacy for all of us and all my years I've tried to bring you all up in it. I will talk to Cordello, it's the least he can do to honor your late father."

"Honor our late father? Mom in case you haven't noticed that man does not care about anybody much less Dad. Ben blurted out. Jamie just sat their on the sofa so quiet. I know that look. He only wears it when there's more to whatever he is revealing.

"Jamie, what else did they say to you?" I asked him directly cause the Jamie I know will twist the whole topic if you don't come at him directly.

"No.. nothing. that's all."

"That's not all Jamie. I know that look you're wearing now."

"If there's more you have to let me know before I meet Cordello." My mom said confidently. I don't know but she sounded like Cordello will listen to her no matter what. Does she know him somehow? And come to think of it compared to other family we've never been disturbed until now. And she said something about him honoring my father, do they somehow know each other? What is Mom not telling us? I shake my head to keep away all the questions coming up and focus on the present situation. We all turned to Jamie, waiting for him to say something. He rubbed his knees anxiously with both palms.

"They said something about taking the house and raping my sister" he turned to look at me as he spoke. "if I don't cooperate." He swallowed hard as he finished his statement. The house is the only thing Dad left us before he died. Though here is a gangster area, house rents are very high here because of the illegal tax that Cordello imposed on all households. Another area the police has turned a blind eye to. If we're evicted that means we'd be homeless. We've seen them do worse to other family just to force them to join the gang. Worse is each of those kids turns up dead later or are arrested and locked behind bars for life while the root cause of everything walks freely. And me being raped? God knows I can't stand that. All of us were quiet before Mom stood up.

"That's it. I'm going to see him now."

I was scared for mom but I just have to trust her guts.

"Mom you really shouldn't go." Jamie said worried for her too. Mom just smiled and touched Jamie's chin.

"I'll be fine baby." She said before walking out of the house. This leaves me wondering, what does mom know that we don't?