ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐉. 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞

🏀

Hampton University
Wed. Dec. 17th,
"Family Matter"

Axel smiled hugely as he made his way to the dark blue Toyota Camry. He watched as the most beautiful woman he ever meet got out of the car. The short dark skin woman with box braids turned around and smiled back at him when she saw him approaching. The excitement expressed on both of their faces was very much respected when learned that the pretty woman was London Browne. Axel's...

"Mommy!" Axel exclaimed, putting his arms out. He threw them around his mother, pulling her into a tight hug. He smelled the famous oil she always wore that lingers in their home 24/7. He missed that smell more than anything in the entire world.

"My baby." London said, kissing his cheek. They parted their ways, London cuffing his face and smiling hugely at him.

"I miss the hell out of you boy." She said, placing a kiss on his nose. Axel chuckled, feeling so much better now that his mom was here.

"I miss you too momma." He said back. His attention shifted from her and over the hood of the car when he heard the door closed. His little sister, Ivy, got out the car with the biggest attitude she ever had. He was surprised to see her here but was still happy that she was. There was nothing wrong with seeing the entire family again.

"Hey, poison." He called her by her nickname. Ivy rolled her eyes and ignored him as she opened the back door. He figured she had an attitude and that was nothing new. It was a constant thing when they were home, so he wasn't surprised it was still going on.

"Mmm, don't mind her attitude boy. Could you get Harlow out please?" London questioned, opening the back door. Axel nodded his head reaching inside to get his niece.

He gave the six-month old baby a smile and she returned one. "Hey, munchkin." He cooed, unbuckling her strap then took her out. He grabbed her diaper bag as well then shut the door. He placed several kisses on her cheek, making her giggle. The sound of a baby giggling always got him.

"Sorry baby for the change of plans." London apologized after locking the car. She look back at Ivy who was leaning on the trunk of the car, arms folded with an attitude.

"Your sister can't stay home by herself anymore since she likes fighting for no reason." She continued explaining to him why all of a sudden it was her, Ivy, and Harlow attending. Plans always changed when it came to this family and the reason behind it was the same individual.

Ivy Marie Browne.

"You're still on that." Ivy remarked, rolling her eyes. "You've been speaking on it for the past week. Let it go." She slowly spoke to her mother.

"Yes, I am still on this. It's the fact that it's a constant thing and I'm sick of it." London retorted.

Ivy rolled her eyes again, "In all honesty, it's getting annoying."

"Well, if I had other stuff to talk about when it comes to you then I would mention it. Unfortunately, I don't." London gave Ivy an irritated look only to end up with an eye roll as usual.

London shook her head at her daughter. She didn't have anything else to say to her at the moment. Sometimes when you have to constantly repeat yourself to the same person over and over again it gets annoying. And London was surely over Ivy. Axel cleared his throat so he brought the attention on him. Just like at home, he always had to interrupt his mom and sister arguing before it could even begin.

"Uhhh, we should head inside before someone take our table. Hopefully they didn't steal my bookbag." He muttered the last part to himself as he just know thought about how he left his bag in the restaurant.

"Of course baby. This Chick-Fil-A better be just as good as home." London joked, making Axel chuckle. He didn't want to tell her but it wasn't. Not bad but not that good.

Ivy scoffed, mumbling under her breath. Though Axel didn't hear her, he could tell by her face that she wasn't feeling this. He tuck in his lips then lead the way towards the restaurant. He was sure they were going to have a lot to talk about and he was not prepared at all. That didn't matter though since this was the Browne family. Once inside the restaurant, Axel made his way to his table. His bookbag still there, untouched. He took his seat, sitting Harlow on his lap. The baby grabbing his chain and putting it in her mouth.

"Hey, you wanna get our food?" He asked Ivy who was still standing up. She gave him an annoyed look but decided that that was the best thing to do.

"Yeah, whatever. What do y'all want?" Ivy questioned.

"Regular chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets for lil mama." Axel told her his order while pulling his chain out of Harlow's mouth. It didn't take long for her to grab it again and put it back in her mouth.

"And I'll take a large fry and a lemonade." London said.

"Anything else?" Ivy questioned, already tired of standing there.

Axel shook his head while he pulled out his wallet. He handed her cash, Ivy snatching it out of his hand then walking off to the long line. Axel kept his attention on her, admiring the beauty of his little sister from a far. All of the women in Axel family were goddesses and he wasn't exaggerating either. It was something in the air or at least something in his mom and dad that made these women stunning. His sister out of all people though was always his favorite person to compliment because of her imperfections.

Ivy had dark brown skin filled with pimples. Almond shaped eyes that was the color of smoky quartz with a slight sparkle to it when in the sun. She was skinny despite being a heavily active eater. Her hair barely went past her ears after her sudden urges to cut it short. Six times in total to be exact. Her voice was hoarse a little bit which made people think she had a cold or something all the time. Her attitude came straight from the gates of hell and sparked demon horns whenever she was pissed. Her mouth was the smartest Axel have even met.

Her comebacks, insults, and remarks always hit below the belt. And kept hitting, leaving behind a terrible sting. However, under all of those so called imperfections, Ivy was a lovable and pretty chill girl. She just never showed anyone, expect for Axel.

Axel took his attention off her and placed it on his mother. He haven't seen her in a year, so he was more than happy to see her now. "So, how's everything mama?" He sparked a conversation while Harlow rested her head on his chest.

London blew out a breath, pushing her hair back from her face. "Oh gosh..." she paused, clasping her hands together. "Things been going. That's the best I can explain it." she answered.

Axel nodded his head. "Yeah. You look tired." He mentioned since he noticed the bags under his mother eyes.

Typically, it was hard to tell London's age. She was one out of the many gorgeous black women in America that age like fine wine. But, after that day, things took a drastic and sudden turnaround for the worse. Energy shifted. Feelings were hurt. People were lost, physical and mentally. Days turned to weeks. Weeks to months. Months to years before an official recomposing took place. And even still things weren't as good as it was before. There was no way it could ever return either.

London wiped her face, blowing out a breath. "I'm a little tired. Dealing with that girl and her unnecessary issues will do that to you." She responded, quickly pointing to Ivy then going back to wiping her face.

Axel took a glance at Ivy for a second then placed it back on London. "What's been going on?" He asked.

Shaking her head, London blew out another breath. If she could do more without having trouble breathing then she would. The stuff Axel didn't know was far more than he even thought.

"Well, for one, she's suspended again." London began, resting her hand on her cheek. "She decided to fight some girls in the bathroom when she's supposed to be in class. She's out of school for two weeks. The principal told me that if she have one more incident like this then she's going to be expelled and not be able to walk at graduation. In all honesty, there might not even be a graduation for her since her grades are poor. She had to take classes last summer because she failed them. There's a possibility that she might have to do that again if she wants a diploma."

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she thought about more stuff that's been going on. Yeah, it was a lot.

"And Harlow's dad...yeah, she went to his house and started talking to him and his mother all crazy because he couldn't take Harlow for the weekend. But, the little boy and his mom told us several times that they were going away so they could attend his grandfather funeral. Caused an entire scene, refusing to leave that boy house and threatening to beat him and his sister up. Like my God!" London raised her voice a little bit as her blood pressure increased. Talking about all of this nearly gave her a heart attack at times.

Once his mother was finished, Axel tuck in his lips since he didn't know what to say. He glanced down at Harlow who was knocked out on his chest. He rubbed her back then gave her a small smile.

"I don't know what to do." London broke the silence. Axel shot his head up and saw his mother wiping her eyes. She sniffled as her eyes began to water.

"Mom...it's going to alright." Axel told her, reaching his free hand over the table and grabbing her hand. "It's going to be fine."

"Not until I do something with Ivy. It's like she just doesn't even give a damn about anyone else feelings and just wanna do whatever the hell she wants. The girl don't listen for shit either. I'm always arguing and fighting with her like we're two random chicks on the street beefing. I'm over it." London continued wiping her face from the tears that fell.

Axel tuck in his lips, staring at his mother. Sometimes it was hard for him to not be on her side but there were plenty of times where he couldn't. And this was one of those times. He sigh, trying to figure out a way to ease into this conversation.

"Mom..." he paused, shaking his head a little. London looked at him as she waited for him to say what he needs to say. With his silence, London knew where this was going to go.

She shook her head, "No, Axel. Don't you defend that girl and her actions." She told him, holding her finger up at him. "Ivy has always been an issue and I'm done dealing with her."

"I'm not defending her actions but you gotta be mindful ma...our lives changed." Axel continued saying what he was going to say in the beginning.

"Nope." London shook her head, trying to get him to stop. But, Axel couldn't. "No. That's not an excuse at all. You're not doing anything that she's doing? You graduated high school with straight A's. You didn't get into any fights, you had plenty of friends, you didn't have a baby. You did what you had to do like a good kid . That issue didn't hold you back-"

"But, it did though." Axel cut his mom off. "Trust me, it did mom. Everyone handle death differently...in their own way. You out of all people should know that."

London stared at Axel, his eyes getting a little water. He looked down at Harlow, blinking back any tears that thought they were going to come down. He wasn't going to cry over the situation despite it still hurting him. Four years ago felt like four weeks in Axel eyes. The reoccurring situation wasn't easy to handle either. The death of anyone would always be a tragedy. It was even worse when it's the death of a loved one. The death of a father. Axel could remember every single detail of that day with no issue and sometimes he wish he couldn't.

That day four years ago started off just regular ole days. Axel and Ivy got themselves ready for school. London was sleep while their father, Dre, cooked a huge breakfast in the kitchen. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles, sausages, and cinnamon rolls. The ultimate Disney movie meal that both Axel and Ivy made sure to eat every last bit of. The three of them sat in the kitchen, having a full blown conversation about how the day was going to do. Ivy mentioned having a math test and how she might bomb it. Only for Dre to come in and tell her that she was going to do fine. That changed Ivy entire mood that morning.

Axel mentioned his very first rap song and wanted to play it for him. Dre promised after school that he'll take a listen which made Axel smile hugely. After their talk, they made their way to school and that was it. That's how Axel wanted it to go but things don't always work out the right way. It never truly does. School was out. Axel came home. A cheery mood. Ready to show his dad his new song. His first song that wasn't filled with stupid wordings and screaming with his friends. Nah, an actual song with punchlines like back in the 90s when DMX, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, and Ice Cube threw out the hardest bars and left the studio on fire.

A song showcasing his talent at the young age of fourteen and his appreciation for his father. A song that had so much potential. Only for that song to never be heard by anyone ever since the original listener was no longer here. Some may wonder what happened and the answer was pouring out the bathroom. A thick, red colored liquid flowed underneath the bathroom door. This was far from a typical water leak that occurred every now and then in the house. No, it was far worse. Axel shaky hand reached out for the doorknob, trying to prepare himself for what he was about to walk into.

But, no matter how much preparation you could possible do, one would never be ready to see their parent body floating on top of the bloody water. Their eyes wide open, staring directly at you. The life sucked and drained out of them. Anyone would react the same way Axel did.

Screaming.

Crying.

Cursing.

Scared.

Terrified.

Exhausted.

Angry.

Devastated.

The action of pulling your father out of the tub, coddling them in your arms while hot tears roll down your cheeks. Rocking side to side and praying to the man above, if there was one, to bring your dad back. To reverse time where everything was happy. Back to that morning. Or the morning after. Or some other time besides then and right there. But, that was impossible. What happened, already happened. There was no going back. And Axel wish he could just go back just once.

His reason for never wanting to speak on it was because of the change that's occurred after his father death. Things started to move more quicker than need be and he didn't like it. Death. Funeral. Gathering. Quiet and dark home. No one speaking to each other. Suffering on the inside. Doors not allowed to be closed. The downstairs bathroom closed off for good. Nightmares. Forcing yourself to smile every day while slowly dying on the inside.

Sister and mom arguing every day. Having to step up and be a man at an early age. Watching over everyone just to make sure they don't break down. Your mother sending you away to your grandparents and not coming back for a year. Stuck wondering how you could've stopped any of this from happening. Wondering if you're able to handle all of this. Having thoughts of going to see your dad and be with him for good. Not sleeping. Over-sleeping. Not eating. Over-eating. Gaining and losing weight.

Depression 2.0. Only to finally come to your senses that this death brought a new life. Opening doors to new beginnings and closing the ones that lead to the past. Axel wasn't cured right away. He still isn't over the death of his father and he doesn't think he'll ever be. It was too heartbreaking for him and there was no way he could just let it go. But, he wasn't going to allow it to bring him down. Two years ago was when he really took music seriously. His first song still wasn't heard by anyone and he was going to keep it that way.

Axel blew out a breath, coming out of his daze. He had those moments a few times throughout the day. Something small like art, religion, or even the grass reminded him of his dad. He could fall deep into it but he tried not to. He refused to go back down that depressed route. London tapped her nails against the table, grabbing Axel attention. She gave him a smile and Axel returned one.

"He's up in heaven smiling down on you. Remember that." She reminded him. Axel nodded his head then looked away from her. His father looking down on him from above was not enough. He wanted to be there with him.

What was stopping him?

Nothing.

🏀

"So, lemme guess, mommy went on a rampage about how I'm being hardheaded and getting into fights and all of that bullshit!" Ivy exclaimed while she looked around the dorm room. A look of disgusted plastered on her face. The room seemed nice but too small for her. College was not going to be for her which is a good thing since she wasn't thinking about going either way.

She huffed then plopped on Axel bed and stared up at the ceiling. She was already bored to death and wanted to go back home. But, since her mom dragged her out here there was no way of doing that. Sometimes she couldn't stand London at all.

"Axel!" She shouted his name, sitting up on his bed. "Are you taking a shit?" She asked since he was in the bathroom for a long time.

Still no reply.

She rolled her eyes then leaned her back against the wall. She pulled out her phone and went to Instagram. Her attention went straight to the message icon with the red dot at the top. She slide over and saw the many messages she had from her. Jasmine Cortez. Ivy tuck in her lips, clicking on the message and seeing all the rude shit the girl sent her. It wasn't anything new either. Just the same stuff she says all the time.

A picture of a branch and a comment about Ivy's weight. Telling her to eat some food. Then Ivy's school picture with a comment about how ugly she was and how she was too dark to even be seen. More messages regarding how Ivy was a loser and a teen mom at the age of sixteen. All stuff Ivy haven't already heard from this same girl for the past four years. It was the same thing over and over again. No new material. Same old jokes with no laughing. Besides the dummies that Jasmine run around with.

Ivy blew out a breath, swiping out of the messages and exiting Instagram fully. After resting her phone beside her, she placed her attention on the other side of the room. Her brother roommate side was filled with basketball stuff. Signed items shall she say. Sitting on the bed was a basketball with a signature from Michael Jordon on it. Yes, she touched it. She had to since her curiosity had taken over. And it was doing so again. She wondered who this dude was getting signatures and pictures from a famous people.

A basketball player indeed she knew just by the heavy duffel bag on the floor filled with equipment and snacks. She hope he didn't notice a missing granola bar or two. While she kept staring, Axel finally exited the bathroom. Ivy turned to face him and scrunched up her face.

"So, you were taking a shit. Disgusting." She remarked.

Axel smacked his lips, moving his stuff off his bed and placing it on the floor. "I wasn't taking a shit. I was doing something." He vaguely answered.

"Ew," was all Ivy said with a scrunched up face again. Axel didn't bother to even acknowledge it as he continued moving his stuff. Once done, he sat on beside Ivy then reached inside his pocket.

Ivy watched and saw him pull out a rolled blunt. "You're a allowed to do that here?" She curiously asked.

"Nope. In college you learn that not everything is accepted but that doesn't mean you can't do it."