Free Bird

We pull up to a complex in the rundown part of town. I'm scared to get out of the car. I look to my left and see a group of older men with bandanna's and a lot of tattoos smoking cigarettes, and I know my vision isn't great but I can clearly see the gun sitting on the card table.
"Come on," my mother tells me as she nonchalantly opens her door and gets out. I give her a look of panic and shock, "they aren't going to hurt you."
I slowly get out of the car and await her to walk around to my side, as we walk up the sidewalk toward the complex she waves at the men and they wave back.
"Hey mamacita, who's the sexy one?" one of the men ask as he looks me up and down.
"Rodrigo," my mom says in a warning tone, "that's my daughter"
"The famous Jessica you talk about?" another one asks
Tears spring to my eyes as they mention her name, how dare they, they have no right. She has no right to talk about her either, she walked out on us when Jessica was 8. She doesn't know what kind of person my sister became. The kind soul she had. Anger grew inside of me.
"No." she answered shortly
"The one with the name that's hard to remember?"
"It's Neveah." I correct harshly
"Ooooooh chica with some flare. Me encanta una chica con fuego." he responds with a wink
"Enough boys. Neveah, lets go."
I follow her down the path as the men whistle behind me. Complex 106. She opens the door and lets me walk inside first. It's so small! Her kitchen is literally a counter that looks like it's part of her living room. Ten steps forward and I'm standing in her bedroom, only big enough for a twin size bed and a dresser. Her bathroom doesn't even have a sink, just a small toilet and a standing shower. I look around and see she has no furniture. No couch, no table to eat at, just a bed and a dresser. Pity crosses my face as I look at how my mother lives.
"Now you know why I couldn't come back for you. Why I hate myself every night." She says in spoken whispers from the door.

Notes