Time Stone

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” Ray screamed joyfully as he ran through the crowd of pedestrians on the road. He was trying to get away from the men who were after him. He was also delighted that he had gotten what he wanted.

“Get that kid!” The men would scream from behind hoping that someone or anyone would just help them in catching up with the kid who just stole from them.

This was his favorite part, the chase. He knew he could outrun the old men and escape. But he would love to run a bit slower so that they would run after him until they were exhausted.

And then, he would Go home, feeling happy and victorious. This is his alley and you can’t catch him on his turf. He knew every alley, street, and corner and used that to his advantage.

He turned back slightly to see that the men had stopped chasing him, they squatted with their hands resting on their knees, trying to catch their breath. He chuckled and turned to a corner and started walking down as if nothing had happened.

He was heading home, and as much as he hated the idea of going home, he still had to.

The streets leading to his home were busy, bustling with activity, just like every other hood, the roadside business was ongoing, Crack dealers selling their drugs, and others are trying to sell stolen items at a cheaper rate and this is where Raymond came in, he also had to sell the jewelry he had just stolen from the jewel store.

If you lived in the hood, you would notice that whenever you stood in or around any alley, one guy would run to you and start asking you to buy something from him; “hey would you buy this or would you buy that?” they would say.

Ray strolled down the street, he wasn’t ready to sell the Gold neckless just yet, he planned on keeping it for something more important. He finally got to his apartment; squeezed the doorknob open, as quietly as he could so as not to announce his arrival.

He slowly shut the door and that was when he caught sight of Andrew, who was seated on the Sofa with his eyes fixed on the news displayed on the Tv.

Always watching Tv, what a lazy person, he thought to himself.

“Hi,” he mumbled lazily and strolled up the stairs.

“Raymond!” Andrew called, picking up the remote and turning off the Television.

Raymond sighed slightly on hearing his name and turned; “What!” He spat back.

“Where have you been all morning, your mother has been worried sick?”

“I’m here now and that’s all that matters ain’t it?” Ray replied sarcastically and started walking away.

“You don’t walk out on me young man!” Andrew barked, rising to his feet. His eyes flashed red and thoughts of how to teach the disobedient and disrespectful Ray a lesson coursed through his mind, but he restrained himself.

“Look, you’re not my dad. So, you don’t have any right over me. So, I’d advise you to let me be!” he added and continued his trail up the stairs.

Ray disliked Andrew. And maybe he blamed that on the fact that he had witnessed Andrew beating his mother up.

Most of the time, was when he was drunk. And thinking about it now, he was drunk almost every night. The recent fight they had 2 weeks ago, ended with him being the scapegoat.

Andrew had returned home that night, drunk. He met his dinner on the table but complained it was cold and asked his mother to microwave it.

Ray’s mother complained she was too tired to go back into the kitchen.

“If you had returned home earlier, you would have met a hot meal.” She had stated. And that was how the fight started.

Ray rushed down to put a stop to it, only to end up getting punched in the face.

His dad never laid his hand on his mother. His father died when he was 14, that was 4 years ago and in the next 7 months, his mother remarried.

Didn’t she love his father enough for at least waiting a year before she decided to remarry? He often found himself wondering.

Her marriage with Andrews made him distance himself from her and her new husband. The more he grew distant from his family, the closer he got to the hood.

He shut the door behind him. Took a few steps before dropping his bag on the floor and falling flat on the bed. He pulled out the gold necklace from his pocket and stared at it. This was one beautiful piece of jewelry, he thought to himself as he admired the way its pendant let out bright radiation as the sun's rays hit it.

It was perfect, he mumbled before dropping it off in the drawer beside his bed for safekeeping.

Almost as soon as he shut the drawer, he heard a gentle knock on the door before it creaked open.

“Raymond?” His mother called softly as she walked in.

“Hey mum!” he muttered and he sat up.

“Why didn’t you go to school today?” she asked. Taking her seat beside him on the bed.

“This is the fourth time this week that you’re skipping school.”

“Mum I just had some things to sort out, but I promise I’ll go to school tomorrow.”

“Seriously, you’re sorting out something!” She cuts in immediately. “Or you are now going about robbing jewelry stores?”

“Mum I, I.” He stuttered, searching his brain for words to defend himself, but found none.

“Raymond! I didn’t raise you to become a thief. Did you think I won’t find out?” she asked with her hard glare boring a hole into Raymond’s soul. The anger in her eyes and the tone of her voice didn’t go unnoticed.

He tried to avoid catching her gaze. But somehow it just locks in.

“The next time I find out that you stole, anything at all. I’ll personally call the cops on you. Are we clear about that!” she warned sternly.

“Yes, ma!”

“Good. Come downstairs for your lunch!” she said and rose from the bed, making her way out of the room.

He relaxed back on his bed, he can’t tell his mother the reason why he was stealing, he just couldn’t.

“Ray!” his mother yelled again from downstairs.

“I’m coming mum!” he replied and sluggishly climbed down the bed and walked out of his room.

He joined the family at the table and they had their lunch quietly, and then everybody went away to their various activities, the air between them had gone all sour. Ever since his mother remarried, Ray drifted far, not that he was angry at his mother for remarrying but he just doesn’t like Andrew. He might act cool, but it seemed as if there is more to him than meets the eye. Andrew was dangerous, avoid him, that’s what his mind always told him.

The day went by quicker than expected, everyone retired to bed for the night.

*****

The sun shone brightly, its rays finding their way in through Ray’s window and casting its light on his face. He turned around avoiding the light rays from the sun, his eyes were still shut as he had not gotten enough of his sleep yet and was still wrapped up in his cozy blanket.

But then, there came a knock on his door, he tried to ignore it, but it came again and again. He grumbled angrily into his pillow knowing fully well who was knocking. His mum. This was her routine, especially now that she had found out that he had skipped school. She would come to wake him up and make sure he leaves for school.

“Mum, can I just take 5?” Ray mumbled, still sleepy-eyed.

But instead of getting his mother’s usual cutting remark, the door opened up and Andrew walked in, he looked around the room like an officer at a crime scene. Inspecting the messed-up wardrobe, the clothes littered on the floor. Even the bed was ruffled up.

“What are you doing in my room?” rolling around to face Andrew.

Andrew ignored his question and sat beside him on the bed, after taking one more disdainful look around his room, he turned to face Ray.

“Look here you little…” Andrew paused and seemly swallowed his word and spoke again. “you don’t get any 5 here. I’m married to your mother now, whether you like it or not, it’s happening. So, you know what your gonna do?” Andrew popped a question with this murderous look in his eye that made Ray freeze at the spot as he nodded a ‘no’ to Andrew’s question.

“you’re going to get your room cleaned up, then clean yourself up, dress up for school and come downstairs for your breakfast. I’m I clear!” his voice thundered with a clear authoritative tone that made Ray shudder.

Ray nodded sharply. The door opened and his mother walked in with a smile as she sees them talking.

“Awn, seems you two are already getting along!” she said with a bright smile etched on her lips. Ray turned his attention to her, it was either she was oblivious to the tense air between the two people in front of her or she just choose to ignore it.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, we are. Aren’t we Raymond?” Andrew replied and turned to Ray with a glare.

Ray nodded with a plastic smile on his face, Andrew stood up and hugged his mother before the both of them walked out of his room. He let out a sigh of relief and tried to calm his racing heart. Andrews scared him.

He stood up from his bed and got his room arranged, before he went into the bathroom, freshened up, and then got dressed for school.

He came down and ate his breakfast and ran out of the house. Although he hated school, he didn’t like staying at home, either. Especially when Andrew was around.

He ran down the road and stopped at the junction where the school bus would come pick him up. The morning sun is already situated in the sky. The birds chirp and a few kids trail the road down to school.

*********

School, some would say that school is not for the weak. It is for the tough kids and the rich kids. While the poor and the weak kids don’t fit in. it is just like a game of prey and predator, it’s either you are a predator or a prey.

Well, in school, Ethan was the prey.

He sighted the old yellow bus from afar and sighed. Every day was just the same. It was just as if the guys at school had sworn to not let him have peace, to always rob him of his joy. Sometimes he wonders, is it because I’m black?

The school bus stopped in front of him, the door opened and he climbed in.

“Hey, it’s that Nigga again. The toilet freak, where did you run off to yesterday?” the familiar voice of Liam said mockingly from the back as he threw a tissue at Ray.

He hated being called a nigga, he hated all the boys that bully him at school, and amongst all, he hated Liam the most for making his life miserable

“Maybe he got a job at the dumpster.” His cohort Ken chirped in and they and other students laughed at him as he walked over and took his seat.

Now you know the reason he hated school. He was always picked on; he was nicknamed toilet freak after the boys had pushed his head into the toilet and recorded everything on tape. He hated school, he hated Liam, and he hated all of Liam’s friends.

But each time he returns home, he acts all tough

so no one would know what he was going through at School.

The bus drove down the street and into the popular hood, only a few kids from the hood were Lucky enough to attend Preston high, and Raymond was one of those kids. The bus pulled over and Ray hopped in on the bus.

The bus taxied down the road, picking up a few other students before it took a quick turn and returned to the school.

Ray sighed Ethan walked over and sat beside him. Ray was all smiles, but Ethan was the opposite, he had this sad look on his face, probably because of what the boys were doing to him.

“Hey, why the frown?”

Ethan looked up to Ray but silently brought his gaze down to his feet.

“Hey, toilet freak, when next are we getting a new tape of you in the toilet?” Ken teased from the back. Ray turned to face them and then back to Ethan, now he understood why he had the sad look on his face.

“Don’t let them get to you and besides, I have got you this!” Ray stated and took out the gold jewelry from his bag and handed it over to Ethan.

“Ray, how did you get this?” Ethan asked, his eyes flashing in surprise as he raises his eyes to meet Ray’s gaze.

“What matters is not where I got it from, what matters now is for you to give it to them and they’d stop bugging you”

“Thanks!” Ethan muttered softly

Ray smiled at him and zipped close his bag and relaxed on his seat. The bus was taxed into the school environment. The carved sculpture of the school’s name stood boldly in the middle of the school “Preston high” it was indeed a privilege and also a tad bit of Goodluck for a boy like Ray to be attending such a school and the thought of it alone makes his heart leap for joy.

The bus pulled over and the door opened up and the students trooped out of the bus. Ray picked up his bag and walked up ahead of his friend. Ethan placed the Jewelry inside his bag. He knew that sooner or later those motherfuckers would come knocking and asking for something to appease them. And the Jewelry would be his ticket to gain liberty from their incessant bullying and finally have peace.

He was about to stand up to leave when he was pushed roughly back to his seat. He looked up and saw Liam and his friends standing before him.

“Hey toilet freak, where is the package?” Liam asked.

“I have it here.” Ethan stuttered weakly and hurriedly brought down his bag from his shoulder and brought out the necklace and handed it to Liam.

He chuckled and looked at the necklace; “this looks important” he muttered and handed it to one of the boys behind him; “there has to be more where that came from.” Liam added with his eyes fixed on Ethan.

“I’m sorry, but that's all I have. There's nothing else to give. You promised to leave me after this.”

“we’ll see about that!” he cackled wickedly and walked away with his boys.

Ethan sighed again; his heart was racing but he tried to calm himself down by taking deep breaths. he picked up his bag and made his way down from the bus.

He thought about what Ray might have gone through to get that expensive necklace, too bad he wasn’t able to stand up for himself and he hated himself for this.

Liam had told him that if he gives him something of great value, they would leave him alone and won’t bully him anymore, so at least this would be the last time he would be hearing from those boys.

Ethan hung his bags on his shoulders and walked out of the bus. His eyes glanced around the school which was bustling as always. Everyone else was in pairs, but here he was, a loner except for Ray actually, who had still decided to wait for him to come out of the bus.

*****

“Did they take it?” Ray asked as soon as he stepped down from the bus.

“Yeah, they did.”

Ray let out a sigh of relief. He had gone to steal that necklace because of Ethan because he noticed that he was going through a lot at the hands of those boys, both outside the school premises and in the school. Although he knew it was wrong for him to steal, that was the only way he could think of. He couldn't get the money they asked for, so he figured that expensive jewelry would suffice. And besides, it was fun, he thought as a smile crept on the corner of his lips.

“Hey, Ray!” Jamie said, popping out of nowhere and startling Ray, disrupting his thoughts.

“Jamie, oh goodness,” Ray