Mary leaves to go to the store, the phone rings again Slim rushes to pick up the phone thinking it may be her dad calling again. "You have a collect call from" "Leon" " Do you accept these charges?" " Yes" Slim said with less excitement. She loved her uncle very much too much, but she just thought it would have been her dad; she really wanted it to be her daddy. " Hey Slim how you doing!?" "Im doing fine uncle Lee" " GRANDMA UNCLE LEON ON THE PHONE!" yelling waiting for her grandmother to come. " How is momma? how she been holding up? Did your daddy call? How is he? I havent seen him since they split us up in different dorms." Slim was only 12 but knew so much. One thing about this family straight shooters at least to Slim. She guessed the family felt that she could handle situations no matter how bad. Most of the time she did, Slim was a very strong little girl. Things got to her a lot she just never showed it. She didnt like people even her family to see her being weak. She felt it was her responsibility to be strong for her mother and father. In her mind they both had issues but she loved them. Somone had to have a good mind in all of this. " Grandma has been ok, daddy just called a few minutes ago, he told me he had got in trouble last week thats why he couldnt call. I waited by the phone though. Mary walked in the room. " Grandma is here" " Ok Slim when Im done come back to the phone I need you to make some calls for me" " Ok, just make sure you tell grandma not to hang up the phone like she did the last time" They both chuckled and Slim passed the phone. " Hey Momma how you holdin up? You been taking your medicine? Hows Poppa?" Mary laughed " Boy how come when I get on the phone with you, you have more than one question all at once?" Leon laughed " Because Momma we only have so much time on the phone and I hate when we get cut off, plus Slim has some calls to make for me. Especially to Lex I hope Tonya home. Has Lexis been calling you?" Mary shook her head smiling. " I love you son" " I love you too Momma" " I wanted to make sure I say that first and if you see Will tell him I said I love him too, we had got cut off before you called" " I will I hope I catch him on the yard today. " ok well lets see, yes Im taking my meds, Im doing fine, Poppa is still Poppa. You know fussy, but he loves you dont you forget that Will too. Oh and the family is coming up to visit in 2 weeks so let your brother know that as well Slim is coming and Darius both his kids will be there. Lexis is coming dont worry." OH MAN MOMMA!, Thats great I cant wait. Who else is coming?" " Im rying to get the whole crew to come so far we have a 16 passenger van full" " DAMN MOMMA! What you trying to do have a family reunion, dudes going to be mad. Momma niggas in here dont get that kind of attention too often if ever." WATCH YA MOUTH, and Im not their momma im yours and Will, so you better make sure Will is in place and he calms is ass down so he can have visitation." Leon laughed he loved how she would tell him to watch his mouth then turn around in the same breath with the same foul language. Sometimes would ask where he got  the mouth from as if she had no part in it." Ok momma, where is Slim I need to make 2 calls before my time runs out." Ok love you baby, SLIM come get the phone" Slim ran to the phone " ok unc who to call first?" " Call Lex first then Ima have you call Poochie" " Ok" Slim dialed the number waited for the ring and put the phone down she never liked to listen to the calls. She would listen for a mumbling sound or come and check to see if there was still talking. If it was quiet then she would ask for the next number. It was a routine for Slim. She was the master at 2 way calling. " Uncle Leon daddy dont know when yall comin home, do you?" " To be honest Slim we dont know still waiting for paperwork and all kinds of stuff. Im sorry Slim just be strong , this will all be over and we both will be home." Slim always knew the truth she could always depend on Unc to give it to straight or more datail. She knew her dad didnt want to hurt her feelings and lose hope so saying soon sounded better than the truth sometimes. Time went on more birthdays went by. Slim just held on. She had left to stay with her mom for awhile but knew she had to get back so she wouldnt miss her daddy coming home. The family had thier world and Slim was in a world all on her own. She was young but always had her own visions and ways things were going to go. Nobody ever understood they only saw Slim. They never could see the pain or never tried to. Slim was the type to suffer in silence. It was like she wanted people to know that she was in pain but then she didnt want to bother anybody. Slim always felt adult issues were more important than a childs at least thats how things were portrayed to her. Never did anyone sit down and ask Slim if she was ok. She suppressed her pain and indulged in music. Music helped Slim through all her pain in her life. Moving everywhere hearing things about her parents not knowing who to trust. Music and God were the solid things in her life. Her mother always came to pick her up out the blue which caused problems with family on her fathers side. Slim was always caught in the middle but at the end of the day if her mother said lets go she had to go. It was her mother she knew if it was their mother they would do the same. Maybe the way her mom went about it was wrong but Slim felt she had nothing to do with that. The family took their anger out on her at times. The only one to have her back was her grandmother Mary. The only woman in her life that ever cared and knew the pain Slim was going through knowing that none of them could go thorugh it and keep their mind. Slim for the most part was left to defend her self especially if Mary wasnt around. When she would go to her mothers side of the family they were the same. They were more jealous of her mom because she traveled so much and was seeing the world and was doing that being a single mom. Then women thought that when you have a child your life and dreams are over. Slim s mom didnt have that thought process. Slim loved the traveling but also wished to be stable.
Slim was sitting on the edge of her grandmother bed wathcing tv eating boiled peanuts and drinking Coke. when the phone rings.Slim heard the operator for a Collect call. She waited to see Mary s expression waiting to hear the name she screams in her pitchy voice she gets when she is happy. " AHH HEY WILL!" Slim jumped up " DADDY!" " How are you? Why havent we heard from you in awhile. "  " I know momma but let me speak to Slim real quick I wanna tell her somthing." " Ok hold on" Mary passed Slim the phone. " Hi daddy I miss you!" with all the excitement in the world. " I miss you too baby girl. I need you to listen to me Slim ok? " Yes daddy" " daddy loves you soooooo much and I am sooooo sorry that I put you through this. I love you, I love , I love you, I love you Slim always know this. I have to go away for awhile. " What do you mean go away your already away" " I know but , what I mean is I wont be calling. You wont understand now but when you get older you will. I just need you to be strong for daddy ok. I will write when I can but I wont be calling and I dont want yall to come and me anymore." " WHY? DID I DO SOMETHING? IM SORRY !" " SLIM stop now your better than that, you didnt do anything I just have to go away. you are way stronger than this." " I wish you and mommy would be strong for once Im tired you know. IM SOOOOOOOOO SICK AND TIRED OF BEING TOLD TO BE STRONG! HOW MUCH STRONGER CAN I BE? I GO AND DO  EVERYTHING YOU TWO WANT ME TO DO. WHO IS GOING TO BE STRONG FOR ME!? WHEN DADDY WHEN YOU COMIN HOME!? HUH WHEN?" Tears flowing down her face and her grandmothr grabs the phone and holds Slim so tight in her arms and starts to pray asking God to not allow the devil to break up her family. She squeezed as tight and as close as possible praying on the phone and over Slim to heal her pain. Will had tears rolling down his face listening to Slim cry over the phone killing his spirit deeper than before. He always knew Slim was hurting he just didnt know how to handle it and didnt want to. he doesnt know not one father out or behind prison walls that wants their baby girl to feel any pain. If anything he was to protect her and thats what he thought he was doing. Protecting her from reality not realizing that this was her reality and has been for a long time... ;)