All in Lil Baby Story

thirty

Geonna P.O.V

Stage 3??? I sat there in shock not listening to anything else. I vaguely hear him explain my mother's next steps but how she can be released tomorrow and how she will have to come for chemotherapy treatments every week. I wanted to be my mother's full time caregiver now. I knew this would mean having to stay in Mississippi for a while but I couldn't dare leave her alone. The doctor walks out the room and i sit there just looking at my mama.
mama: it's okay baby. God wouldn't put anything on us that we couldn't handle baby.
me: yes ma'am. i understand
mama: *coughs* umm call your siblings and let them know baby.
me: yes ma'am. i will
she nods her head as i hear her cough again. i grab my phone and walk to the chapel so i can spend time alone and gather my thoughts. the minute i am alone, i break down crying. It hurts me so much to see my mother like this. I facetime in our sibling group chat to see if they would answer. the all answer on the 2nd ring
them: wassup
me: mama has stage 3 lung cancer
DJ: bro stop fucking playing wimme Geonna
Alisha: forreal Geonna. what's the issue?
me: i'm dead ass
DJ: man i'm finna leave this bitch
me: DJ you can't leave school boy. be forreal
DJ: bro I DONT FUCKING CARE. my mama is in the fucking hospital and you expect me to sit here ?? are you fucking kidding me?
me: Derrick Jr. calm the fuck down when you talking to me. I'm the oldest out of all of us. chill out
DJ: i'm a senior. mama is all i got forreal Geonna. come on man
alisha: mama is everything to all of us DJ. not just you.
me: exactly
alisha: well, okay. what's the plan about this ?
me: well, they not gone let us all come back up to the hospital as a group. i put all 4 of us on her visiting book. DJ, i'll come get you from school and we can go get some to eat and come back up here with mama. then, when jonathan gets off, let's all meet up at the house and see our next steps from here.
alisha: okay. and have you called Erick? and daddy?
me: nope.
alisha: i think you should call erick forreal. Erick loves mama just as much as we do. i mean she helped raise him. and you know how daddy is about mama. they first loves.
me: yea. i know. umm okay. DJ, give me like an hour and i'll be by to come get you.
DJ: okay.
alisha: alright. i'll see y'all later.
i hang up and slowly sigh. I scroll through my contacts until i get to erick.
me: hello
erick: long time no see and talk. how you been sis?
me: im okay erick. umm, we needa talk.
erick: wassup?
me: my mama got put in the hospital and she been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer
the phone gets quiet and i hear silent sniffs.
me: erick?
erick: you forreal Gee?
me: yess erick
erick: man fuck. is there anything i can do? do i needa leave work? wassup?
me: it's okay erick. she gets discharged tomorrow. so come by the house then and check on her.
erick: issa bet. i love you sis. keep your head up.
me: i love you more. and i'll try
we hang up the phone and i get up from my spot. i can't bring myself to call my daddy. my daddy loves my mama way too much. i go back into my mom's room.
me: hey mama
mama: hey baby
me: listen, i'm finna go get DJ from school and we coming back up here okay.
mama: uh uh. let him stay in school.
me: mama. no..he just had a horrible breakdown. i needa get my brother
mama: okay baby. look just promise me, if anything happens to me. take care of yo siblings please. you the next of person they go to for everything.
me: mama please don't talk like that
mama: just promise me
me: yes ma'am. i will
she nods and then closes her eyes. i grab my purse and walk out the room towards the parking garage. i get my ticket from yesterday and get ready to give them my ticket so i can pay. i leave out the parking garage and head towards DJ's school. I decide to call Domonique to tell him what's going on. he answers on the 3rd ring
me: hello
domonique: hey baby
me: hey
domonique: wassup?
me: my mama got diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer
domonique: are you serious?
me: very
domonique: damn baby, what i need to do? what you gone do?
me: honestly baby. i don't know 100 percent yet. we gone talk later tonight to see what we gone do
domonique: okay baby. just keep me updated. where you at now?
me: i will. i'm on the way to get dj from school.
domonique: okay well be careful baby. i love you
me: i love you more *hangs up*
i sigh as i pull into DJ's school parking lot. i walk out and walk into my old high school office.
me: hey Ms. Armstrong
Ms. Armstrong: Geonna!! girl you have just grown up!!! look at you. you look good
me: thank you.
Ms. Armstrong: lemme guess. you picking up DJ
me: yes ma'am
Ms. Armstrong: ik who you are but let me see your license and sign him out as i call him up.
me: yes ma'am. thank you
i write his name on the sign out sheet, my name, and the time. i soon see DJ come into the office.
me: thank you Ms. Armstrong. have a good day
Ms. Armstrong: you too Geonna. it was good seeing you and have a good day too DJ.
we walk out of the office and back outside to my car.
me: what you wanna eat Dj?
DJ: honestly, ion even care. something
me: well, i'm craving chic-fil-a, that's cool?
DJ: yea sure.
i nod as i put the car into drive and drive off towards chic-fil-a. As i'm driving, my phone starts ringing and i see Daddy❤️pop up on my screen. i answer.
me: he-
Daddy: WHEN WAS YOU GONE TELL ME GEONNA?
me: daddy please calm down. i didn't make it around to you yet.
daddy: what you mean?? i should have been notified when she got to the hospital. come on Geonna. that's my baby
me: dad please. I had to get DJ from school cause he had a breakdown.
daddy: tell me what's going on.
me: well, Alisha found mama on the floor passed out in the bathroom. so she called the ambulance. came to the hospital and they diagnosed her this morning with stage 3
daddy: fuck man. when she gets released?
me: sometime either tonight or tomorrow
daddy.
daddy: i'll be there first thing when she get released
me: you know that's not a good idea. especially with jonathan there
daddy: i don't give a fuck. let me know when she there
me: yes sir
daddy: alright. lemme get back to work. i love you now keep me updated.
me: love you more daddy. *hangs up*
DJ: well that just confirmed some
me: what
DJ: daddy still in love with mama
me: you caught that vibe too?
DJ: hell yea
me: well. let's just get some to eat right now and we'll see what happens later.

it's now 7:30 and me and DJ are driving back to the house to meet with jonathan. i pull into the driveway and park my car behind Alisha. we get out and walk to the door.
me: hey y'all.
them: wassup
me: jonathan i'm sure alisha told you mama condition
jonathan: yea. she did so what's the plan?
me: well, i just recently bought a house..like the same day y'all called. so i have to go back to Atlanta and get things straightened out. i'll probably do that this weekend.
jonathan: congrats on the house
me: thanks. so, i will move down here and take care of mama 100%. i'll take her where she needs to go, to her appointments, and anything else. i'll just leave this weekend and i'll be back monday.
alisha: we'll help out with mama while you gone. when you coming back?
me: monday. hopefully. just to let domonique know, move some things around, and yea.
alisha: that's a good plan. and i'm here for anything.
me: well okay. i'm leaving back tonight then. do y'all have mama tonight?
alisha: yes. i took off work the rest of the week so i will be here
me: okay. well i need to leave. i love y'all.
i nod my head towards jonathan. i might be sad but not sad enough to hug him. i went to hug alisha. then i hugged DJ. when i hugged him, i immediately felt him sink into my arms and small sniffles.
dj: ian strong enough without you. can i come back with you please?
i look towards jonathan and alisha. they both nod their heads in agreement. it hurt my heart to see my little brother like this. he never shows emotion.
me: yes dj. pack a suitcase. i'll be in the car waiting on you
dj: okay.
he goes to his room to pack and i walk back to my car and crank up as i wait on him. i feel the tears come down my face but i have to be strong for my brother