Brain Damage

A week went by and Zale remained comatose. The doctors said it was good he was at least breathing on his own and said he could wake up any day now. I just felt empty one of my best friends was fighting for his life and me sitting here just fine when it should have been me. Everyone told me it wasn't like that, that Zale did what he felt like he needed to do.

Fuck that. He had nothing to do with what happened with them boys he was innocent in the whole thing. I felt the tears coming again as I sat in the waiting room where i had been this pass week, day in day out. Everybody tried to get me to go home even Zale's mama who I couldn't even look at without crying, but i didn't budge. The nurses were nice, they made sure i had food and kept bringing me hot chocolate. The gang came in spurts, sometimes i think they came more for me than for Zale.

They guys who did it, the guys from that night were both dead. Zale's sister had killed one and the other one was found a couple blocks over with two holes in his head. I didn't know and i didn't ask I was just glad they wouldn't come back for us.

Day seven he woke up and I was the first person he saw. I was sitting in his room reading a book and when I looked up he was staring at me. He didn't say a word and neither did I we just stared for minute and then I put the book down and walked to him. His eyes looked different, almost child like as he stared at me and then I kissed him and thanked him.

He still stared at my, and I realized that he was probably thirsty so i gave him sips of the hot chocolate i was drinking. "Good," he said

And the tears started again. "Don't cry," he said, "why are you crying?"

"You saved my life."

He looked around for the first time and noticed the hospital room. He lifted up his arm nd saw all the wires connecting him to all the machines and then he started crying. "I'm so sorry Zale."

"Who is Zale?"

That's when the tears started even harder, he didn't remember. He didn't even remember his name. "Do you know who I am?"

"No," he said, " I want my mama."

He sounded like a little kid and he was crying. My gangster ass friend. Not knowing what to do I rang for the doctor and tried my best to calm him down.

In came three doctors, two nurses and his mother. At least he recognized her. They shooed me out and I called everybody I could think of and told them he woke up. I was beyond happy and excited. All week I had felt responsible for what happen to him and now I felt the weight lifted from my mind. He was going to be okay and I was sure with help he would remember everything in no time.

Two hours later, the doctor came out to a now full waiting room, through the window to Zale's room i could see him sitting up in bed....coloring.

The doctor cleared his throat and introduced himself. "Hello I am Dr. Morgan. Zale's mother has asked my to explain his condition to you. Because of the trauma to his head, his memory receptors were damaged as well as his perception of everything around him. We know he is seventeen, but he is more on the level of a first grader. His comprehension was damaged greatly, he doesn't remember the incident and its for the best in my opinion."

"What will happen to him?" Was that voice mine it didn't sound like it but since the doctor looked at me I guess it was me.

"His mother and I talked about it and she expressed her concerns to me on how to care for him. There is nothing she can really do. I referred a treatment facility in Cape Gerardo that could help him and they are to leave tomorrow. I suggest you all get your goodbyes in."

When he walked away. we made our way to Zale's room. He looked up and smiled at me. So I smiled back, and walked to him and hugged him.

"I'm gonna miss you Zale."

"I'll miss you to Ann. Mama said I'm going away for a while."

Hearing him talk like a baby with his grown man voice was driving me crazy. I had flash backs of me and him drinking together. Of him and me stealing candy out the gas station, of the many rap battles he had won. Of him and Christian making fun of me and Iesha. And last but not least of him jumping in front of a bullet for me.

"Don't forget me Zale, always remember Anna the girl whose life you saved because i will never forget about you."

"I wont. can I have another kiss?'

I laughed for the first time in like a whole week i laughed for real, and everybody else joined in." Of course." and I kissed him.

I stepped back so that everyone else could get their goodbyes in. I didn't feel bad anymore, he was alive and he was healthy, He would never be the same but maybe with help from the people in cape Gerardo he could be better one day.

That night we partied hard for Zale. We drank, we smoked, and we played games. I knew I would see him again even if it require a road Trip and I knew he would remember me. I fell asleep that night in my bed with Christians arm around me.

A couple days later me, Charlie and Christian were at the quick trip on Broadway. No other way to say this other than to just say it. We were stealing like crazy. This quick trip was hella easy to steal from, we would buy the ten cent ice cups and then drop candy and other stuff in them and cover it with ice. Then just walk out waving to the cashier. They big stupid asses would wave back.

This day however the boys was stealing and I was buying slushies. I noticed there was a lady standing next to me staring like she had seen a ghost. I looked back behind me and no one was there, so that meant she was looking at me.

"What?' I asked.

"What's your name?" she asked almost like a whisper.

"Anna, why?"

She let out a pint up breathe and set her stuff on the counter. Then she turned to me and grabbed me in a hug. "I'm your sister girl."

I pulled back and looked at her closely. She didn't look crazy, she was actually very pretty. She was dark skinned like me and she had long curly weave in her head, her eyes were brown and the shape was like Chinese people, perfect almonds. She smelled good to. But i knew that she had to be tripping, I didn't have a sister. Then I thought maybe she was referring to the fact that we were both African American, you know the whole brotherly-sisterly love thing.

"Your daddy name is Anthony right?" She said

That's when I backed away. That's when I got scared, when she mentioned my father.

My father my real father was in prison for the rest of his life. When I was a baby still in my mama's womb he had committed a series of crimes. He and his cousin had got high off embalming fluid. They walked into this woman's house and just got to taking stuff, she tried to stop him and his cousin ended up stabbing her over thirty times. They loaded up a van and in the process her husband came home and my father killed him with a monkey wrench. They stripped the house and left leaving the bodies behind. The couple had just had a new born baby which they left alive in his crib crying. When they were done they drove the van to the river front and burned every thing.

They were caught a couple of days later and charged with robbery, armed criminal action, arson, first degree murder, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, grand theft auto, and child endangerment. My cousin was sentenced to the death penalty, and he died in prison just last year. But my father, because my aunt begged for his life was given a sentence of one hundred and thirty-seven years with no parole. To say he was going to be there forever was a understatement.

When I asked my mom what he did, she told me and didn't hold anything back. I Haven seen him sense I was seven and at the time I didn't know what he had done to be in that place but I knew now and I had no desire to see him. As far as I was concerned he got what he deserved. What he did was wrong, he didn't care and neither do I. But in the back of my mind I cant help but love him, and wonder if he loved me why would he do something that could take him away from me forever.

I came back to reality and the lady was still standing there and I realized she wasn't a lady but a girl a few years older than me. I knew my father had other children. A girl and a boy, my sister and brother, who I haven't seen since that last visit to see him. I remember my sister, she was so mean to me. Tying my shoestrings together, and poking me saying he was only her daddy and not mine. I remember crying and telling on her to and my father giving her a stern talking to. What was her name...

"Cherie," I said.

"Yeah, Ann, its me, your sister."

Then I hugged her. I had found my sister, and maybe with her my other blood line.