Page 34 of Differences

“I don’t care about that. Get him here, now!” I cut her off.

The nurse rushed out of the room. I paced back and forth, trying to control my breathing. I looked over at my mama, who looked as if she was sleeping peacefully. I ran to the side of her bed, grabbing her hand.

“Mama, don’t worry. I’m going to make this right. Trust me, once I get the paperwork, you will be going to the best facility there is. I don’t care about the cost. I’m going to take care of you, Ma. I swear I am.” My voice was breaking, and tears were flowing.

Seconds later, the doctor came marching into the room with the nurse behind him. “I heard I was needed?” he asked, looking back and forth between us.

“Yes,” I said, wiping my tears. “I want my mother out of here. Who are you to play God and say how long my mother has to live? Give me the goddamn paperwork to have my mother transferred to a hospital that won’t give her a timeline and try to play God with her life.”

“Weston!” Rae shouted.

“Nah, I don’t want to hear that shit, Rae. We wouldn’t be dealing with this if you would’ve just let me move her the first time! I bet if it would’ve been about something stupid, you would’ve taken the money!”

Rae gasped. “Fuck you, Weston. You will never change. I’m the power of attorney, and we are not moving her. Plus, she has a DNR in place.”

The room went quiet. Keezy stood there, shaking his head. Taja looked at me with so much sadness in her eyes.

“A...a what?” My voice cracked.

“She didn’t want the burden of us having to take care of her if something happened to her. She knew it would be a strain mentally, physically, and financially. So, if her heart stops beating, there is nothing we can do.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My mother wasn’t even giving herself a chance to fight. My emotions were all over the place. I was more angry than sad at this point. It felt selfish of my mother to even think of doing something like this. I pulled out my phone in search of my attorney. I wanted him to review the paperwork because there was no way my mother would think to leave this earth without a fight.

“Weston, who are you calling?” Rae asked.

“My attorney! Who the fuck else? I don’t believe Mama would want to leave us on this earth without her. You’re full of shit, Rae. Who even reviewed the paperwork? Y’all probably had some piss poor lawyer instead of just asking me for my attorney! Now look at this shit that we are in!”

Rae’s eyes widened. Keezy shook his head, still holding onto Rae.

“Sir, I understand you are upset about your mother. If you move her, the damage will be done. It’s best if you prepare to say your goodbyes now.”

The doctor left the room, shutting the door behind him. My eyes bounced toward my mother. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Everything felt as if it was my fault. If I had just listened that day at her house, all of this could’ve been avoided. I moved closer to her bed, laying my head on her lap.

“Mama, I’m so sorry. Mama, I didn’t mean any of the shit I did. Mama, please, please wake up for me so I can make this right,” I begged.

I broke down. My sobs were loud, and my shoulders shook. I could have spent years loving her and experiencing our relationship instead of building a wall between us. My mother was supposed to live forever. I felt a hand slowly rub and down my back. I turned around and saw a wet-eyed Taja standing there rubbing me on my back. She said nothing as she continued her gesture of comforting me. That broke me more. My mother would have never gotten the opportunity to meet the woman who I was falling so deeply for.

12

Taja

After twenty minutes of Weston crying on his mother’s lap, he stood up from his mother’s bed and walked out of the room. He tried to look at Rae, but she turned her head, ignoring his presence. His shoulders dropped even more. He walked away like a scolded child. I rubbed his mother’s hand and followed behind him, but not ’til I stopped in front of the gentleman, who I now knew as Keezy.

“Sorry we didn’t get a formal introduction. I’m Taja.”

He softly smiled. “Nice to put a face to the person who got my boy’s head gone. I’m Keezy, Wes’ best friend.”

I did not know what Keezy was talking about. Nothing I had done could have caused me to have Weston’s head gone, so instead of addressing it, I extended my hand.

“Nice to meet you, Keezy.”

Rae stood there, eyes swollen at this point. She was sad and angry. Instead of having to grieve the loss of her mother, she was having to deal with her brother and his asshole ways. I opened my arms and pulled her in for a hug.

“Rae, I’m so sorry. If there is anything I can do for y’all, please let me know. I’m here for you both. Don’t crucify him just yet. Weston is hurting, and he doesn’t know how to control his emotions. He is a work in progress, but that’s not an excuse for his behavior.”

She scoffed. “Ugh, the sad thing is, I know, which is why I can’t hate him or be mad at him for long. I know he needs help. My brother has so many walls built up that he is in a room alone. He’s all I got left now.” She sniffed. “Just...can you take care of him for me? This is going to be a long road for us. I even hate to ask with everything you’ve got going on.”

No matter what I had going on with Jay and his scandalous ways, I knew Weston needed me, and there was no way I wouldn’t be there for him.

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