Sea Breeze 04 - Just for Now

eleven-year-old brother, announced, and stepped outside and reached for one of the bags I was carrying.
    “I got these. There’s more in the Jeep. Go get ’em, but watch that bottom step. It’s about to go. I gotta fix it.”
    Jimmy nodded and hurried off toward the Jeep.
    “Did you get me dose Fwooty Pebbles I wyke?” Daisy asked as I stepped into the living room. Daisy was developmentally delayed in her speech. I blamed my mother’s lack of caring.
    “Yep, Daisy May, I got you two boxes,” I assured her, and walked across the worn, faded blue carpet to set the bags down on the kitchen counter. The place reeked of cigarette smoke and nasty.
    “Momma?” I called out. I knew she was here. The old beat-up Chevelle she drove was in the yard. I wasn’t going to let her avoid me. The rent was due. I needed any other bills that may have come in the mail.
    “She’s sweepin’,” Daisy said in a whisper.
    I couldn’t keep the scowl off my face. She was always sleeping. If she wasn’t sleeping, she was off drinking.
    “The dickhead left her yesterday. She’s been holed up pouting ever since,” Jimmy said as he put the other groceries down beside mine.
    Good riddance. The man was a mooch. If it wasn’t for the kids, I’d never show up at this place. But my mom had full custody because in Alabama as long as you have a roof and you aren’t abusing your kids, then you get to keep them. It’s some fucked-up shit.
    “You bought free gaddons of milk?” Daisy asked in awe as I pulled out all three gallons of milk from a paper bag.
    “’Course I did. How are you gonna eat two boxes of Fruity Pebbles if you don’t have any milk?” I asked, bending down to look her in the eyes.
    “Pweston, I don’t think I can dwink all free,” she said in another whisper. Dang, she was cute.
    I ruffled her brown curls and stood up. “Well, I guess you’ll have to share with the boys, then.”
    Daisy nodded seriously like she agreed that was a good idea.
    “You bought pizza rolls! YES! Score,” Jimmy cheered as he pulled out the large box of his favorite food and ran to the freezer with it.
    Seeing them get excited over food made everything else okay. I’d gone weeks with nothing but white bread and water when I was their age. Momma hadn’t cared if I ate or not. If it hadn’t been for my best friend, Marcus Hardy, sharing his lunch with me every day at school, I’d have probably died from malnutrition. I wasn’t about to let that happen to the kids.
    “I thought I told you to get out. You caused enough trouble ’round here. You run off Randy. He’s gone. Can’t blame him after you broke his nose for nothin’.” Momma was awake.
    I put the last of the cans of ravioli in the cabinet before I turned around to acknowledge her. She was wearing a stained robe that was once white. Now it was more of a tan color. Her hair was a matted, tangled mess, and the mascara she’d been wearing a few days ago was smeared under her eyes. This was the only parent I’d ever known. It was a miracle I’d survived to adulthood.
    “Hello, Momma,” I replied, and grabbed a box of cheese crackers to put away.
    “You bribing them with food. You little shit. They only love you ’cause you feed them that fancy stuff. I can feed my own kids. Don’t need you spoilin’ ’em,” she grumbled as she shuffled her bare feet over to the closest kitchen chair and sat down.
    “I’m gonna pay rent before I leave, but I know you have some other bills. Where are they?”
    She reached for the pack of cigarettes sitting in the ashtray in the middle of her small brown Formica table. “The bills are on top of the fridge. I hid ’em from Randy. They made him pissy.”
    Great. The electricity bill and water bill pissed the man off. My mother sure knew how to pick them.
    “Oh, Pweston, can I have one of dese now?” Daisy asked, holding up an orange.
    “Of course you can. Come here and I’ll peel it,” I replied, holding out my hand for her to give it to me.
    “Stop babying her. You come in here and baby her, then leave, and I’m left to deal with her spoiled ass. She needs to grow up and do shit herself.” Momma’s bitter words weren’t anything new. However, watching Daisy flinch and her eyes fill up with tears I knew she wouldn’t shed for fear of getting slapped caused my blood to boil.
    I bent down and kissed the top of her head before taking the orange from her and peeling it. Confronting Momma would only make her worse.