Free Back to the Streets by Treasure Hernandez

a problem. I haven’t failed you girls yet, so just trust me.”

    The girls drove for three more hours before they finally arrived in Brooklyn, New York. They pulled up to a modest two-story home, and Tasha smiled when she thought of the familiarity she felt just being there.
    â€œLet’s go, bitches!” Tasha yelled excitedly at the thought of seeing her brother.
    Halleigh and Mimi got out of the car and followed her up the walkway that led to the house. Tasha knocked lightly on the door and stood impatiently as they waited for an answer.
    â€œI don’t think he’s here,” Halleigh stated with a sigh as she leaned against the porch ledge.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. This dumb boy always keeps a key underneath his doormat.” Tasha knelt down and lifted the mat. Just as she had predicted, her brother hadn’t changed.
    Leaving the key under the mat was a habit Tasha’s grandmother had always had. That way if any of her children ever needed to come, they would always have a way in. That tradition had passed down to their mother as well. Even though Tasha’s brother didn’t have any children, he had picked up the habit too. Now Tasha could see why it was such a good habit after all as she scooped up the key and let herself into his home.
    They entered the home and were greeted by a ten-foot foyer with a shiny hardwood floor.
    â€œDamn, he’s living nice,” Mimi stated as she nosily walked around the house. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it was definitely better than what she had grown accustomed to. He was hood rich, with flat-screen televisions and nice leather furniture. A huge fish tank with exotic fish took up an entire wall. Surprisingly, the house was clean, but you could tell that it was a bachelor’s spot.
    Halleigh, too, was impressed with the sense of style as she looked around the four-bedroom home decorated in brown earth tones.
    â€œMake yourselves at home.” Tasha walked down the hallway and into one of the rooms. “I’m crashing in here. Y’all can pick whatever room you want,” she said as she went inside and closed the door.
    â€œHow this bitch gon’ tell us to make ourselves at home and this ain’t even her shit?” Mimi stated with a laugh.
    Halleigh ignored Mimi’s comment. “I’m going to lie down before I pass out,” Halleigh stated wearily. “That shower can wait. I can’t even stand up long enough to wash up anyway.”
    Halleigh looked inside the remaining three rooms and chose the one that didn’t look occupied, assuming that it wasn’t Tasha’s brother’s. She pulled her shirt over her head, took off her jeans, and released her hair from the tight ponytail, allowing it to fall freely to her shoulders. She was tired, and all she wanted to do was sleep. She needed to wrap her mind around the fact that she no longer belonged to Manolo. She was free, the owner of her body again. Although she could never take back the fact that she’d lain down with more men than she could count in the name of money and security, she could take back what was hers, and that was peace of mind.
    Her body had been abused and misused for so long that she no longer viewed herself as a lady. She felt like a ho, and it would take a while for her learn to love herself again. But this was a start. The last two years of her life had been hell. She’d done things she never thought she would do, and had been through tribulations she thought would be the death of her. Now all she wanted to do was move forward.
    Serenity took over her body, and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she drifted off into the deepest sleep ever.

    Halleigh awoke and hopped out of bed. Her head was still cloudy, but she was grateful for the couple hours of peace that she had experienced while she slept. A note rested on the pillow beside her. She picked it up and read it.

    Hal,
    Mimi and I are going out