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Back Hood Rat Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. Part Two
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. Part Three
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. Sometimes It Goes Down Like That
  49. Also by K’wan
  50. About the Author
  51. Newsletter Sign-up

After a while she seemed to be coming out of it. She had quit drinking and gone back to work. Everyone was glad to see her coming out of her stupor and getting on with life. This lasted until right before Yoshi graduated from junior high school. She came home one day and found the house flooded with water. She called out to her mother, but got no answer. Making her way to the back, she found the source of the flooding. Someone had left the water running in the tub.

She figured her mother had done it by accident and went into the bathroom to shut it off and begin trying to clean up. It was there that she found her mother. Carol had settled into the tub and slit her wrists. The water was pinkish from the blood that still ran from Carol’s veins. Yoshi threw up almost a half-dozen times before she was finally able to call 911. The image of her mother’s prone, nude body as the ambulance carted her away was something that would stick with Yoshi for the rest of her days.

“Yoshi,” Vivian continued, “I’m not trying to hurt you, I swear I’m not. I just want you to see what you’re doing to yourself before it’s too late.”

Yoshi looked away so her aunt wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes. “I’ll be okay.”

When she made to leave, Vivian stopped her with an embrace. “You just don’t see it, do you?” she said, with tears in her eyes. “I love you, Yoshibelle.”

Yoshi could feel the lump forming in her throat. “I gotta go,” she said, grabbing her purse off the couch. “Tell Grandma I came by.” She didn’t even wait for Vivian to answer before she made hurried steps toward the front door. By the time she got across the threshold, the tears had burst from her eyes and were soaking the front of her new blouse.

12

Marlene sat within the confines of her plush office, listening intently to the woman across from her as she explained her situation. For the last five years she had been used as a punching bag by her husband. She told the attorney how the man would go into drunken rages and proceed to beat her and her son. When asked why she didn’t go to the police about the abuse, the woman informed Marlene that her husband was a respected officer of the Thirty-second Precinct. The beatings finally stopped several days prior when their son had taken the man’s gun and shot him. Her sixteen-year-old son was now being held in the Tombs awaiting his court date.