Dark Like Me (Chapter 2: Family Too)

The car comes to a halt and Sirrah looks at her father handing a post officer his Military ID. The post officer nods and hands Sirrah's Father his ID back, and waves them through, on Base. Home is an Base but not in the apartments where the Privates live. But, a ways from the P-Xtra; a mile or so.



The car stops again in the drive way of a 1 story house with another car in the driveway. Sirrah gets out and goes to the front door with her bag and cup. Her father follows behind and unlocks the door. Sirrah goes into her room that she shares with her older sister. The two boys room is across the hallway. She sits on her bed and takes the salad out the bag, the taunts from the strangers are still going through her mind. She did not get how people could be so mean, just cause of her skin tone. Sighing, she looks at the salad, her appetite now gone. She pushes the salad to the side and just sips on her tea, and turns the television on.



Sirrah looks around the room and her amber tone hues stop on the pictures of her sister and her sister's steady boyfriend of 9 months, on her sister's night stand. He is a high yellow young man, a little older than her sister but they make it work. Sirrah looks on her own side and only has one picture and that's of her and Alchemy on Summer Break of last year. She hears her brothers loudly enter in the house and race to the kitchen. Sirrah gets up and goes to greet their mother.



        "Hey, Ma." Sirrah greets.



        Her mother turns around from the kitchen sink and hugs Sirrah, "Hey, did you get your food?"



        "Yes, ma'am." Sirrah says as she watches her little bothers, ages 14 and 15 play around at the table.



        "Did you get hit on today, Sirrah?" The 14 year old; Nickolas teases.



        Sirrah hangs her head and their mother scolds, "No Football practice for a week. I will talk to your coach as well to ensure that you don't play."



Nickolas' mouth gapes open in shock as if he said nothing wrong. Then a hard smack on the side of his head comes from their father. Tears swell up in Nick's eyes as he rubs the side of his head.



        "What did I tell you about that, Nickolas?" Their father shouts. "What did I tell you?" He snatches him by his shirt collar and Nickolas cries. Their father jerks him down the hallway to his room. Nickolas cries as he goes into his room.



        "Are you okay, Sirrah?" The 15 year old, Zander asks still at the table.



        "Yea, I am okay."



        "I told that boy not to pick on Sirrah." Their father huffs and straightens his suit.



        "I know, Roy." Their mother says putting steaks on the fryer. "I don't know what else to do about it."



        "He'll learn . . .one day."



        "Yeah, when Sirrah two pieces him." Zander laughs.



        Sirrah smiles.



        "Maybe," Roy partially agrees. "But, I have to go to work." He daps Zander, kisses his wife, and tightly hugs Sirrah, then leaves.



        "Sirrah, when did you sister say she'd be home? It's a school night." Their mother asks putting the greens on the stove.



        "I don't know."



        "Well, could you go get her, she doesn't need to be at that boy's house all day."



Sirrah nods and leaves the house and walks down the street.