Catchin Hell is about a young man who has lost his way actually I will say Mac the main character is a male version of my younger self. Basically a selfish know it all who had all the opportunities to succeed but didn't take advantage of him. In this story he will go through some changes but he will eventually find his way. In life we all have control of our own destiny and we can only take the blame for the outcome whether it's good or bad. Please read and leave a comment I'm fairly new to this and I will admit I could use a editor lol. Thanks in advance.
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Catchin
Hell
Chapter
1
Mac
involuntarily began to stir out of his sleep he put his pillow over his head to
drown out the loud knocks on his bedroom door.
“Cletus”
Cletus” boy you better open this damn door”, his mother yelled on the other
side, as she continued to bang on the door with all her might.
Mac let out a loud sigh as he got up
from his bed with an attitude he walked across the blue plush carpet, kicking
random items of clothing out of his way.
“Momma” how many times I gotta tell
you I don’t go by Cletus anymore it’s Mac” he said as he swung the door open
facing his mother. Mac hated his name he was named after his late father he was
a police officer who met his tragic end on the job.
Ava Clemson turned around briefly to
look over her shoulder, she didn’t know who her son was talking to but it couldn’t
have been her. When she didn’t see
anyone else behind her she turned back around to face her son.
“Cletus McArthur Clemson”, I’m not
one of your friends, and if I recall I’m the one” she said pointing to her
chest “who went through two days of labor to bring your trifling ass into the
world so you better show a little respect.”
Mac rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling
he knew were this was going it was only eight o’clock in the morning and
already he was catching hell from his momma. He stepped back to let her inside
the room as she began to ramble on, he folded his arms across his chest as he
sat down in the chair at his desk. He
loved his momma but sometimes she still treated him like he was seven. Yeah he knew he fell on hard times but he was
trying to make things work in his fucked up world but his mother didn’t make it
easy. Often comparing him to his father
or his brother he wasn’t like them nor did he want to be he was his own
man.
“You hear me talking to you” Ava said
lowering her 5’7 frame to be on eye level with her son. Ava loved her son she
just wished he would get it together, she was getting to old to have to deal
with all his problems and hers it was time for him to grow up.
“Yes Momma” Mac replied sulking.
“Good now go take that trash out like I
asked you to, and clean up this room, Mrs Ava said walking in a circle
observing her son’s junkie room. Boy,
you got junk everywhere, that’s why Kenya don’t take you seriously now because
you don’t take yourself seriously if you wanna win her back your gonna have to
do better than this Cletus.”
“Momma how many times do I have to tell
you, it’s Mac now he whined.
Ava just shook her head, “You mean to
tell me all of that I just said to you and the only thing you heard was Cletus.”
Ava pointed her finger in her son’s face
“Chile you got a lot to learn, you should be proud to have that name. That man was a hard working man, everything
you have is because of him you remember that.” Besides who waits until their twenties to get
a nickname. Ava turned to walk out the
door shaking her head.
“Momma it’s embarrassing” Mac huffed
Ava stopped in her tracks to face her son,
with a frown ceased upon her forehead.
“Embarrassing,” she said slowly placed
her hands on her hips she stared at her son as if he had lost his mind.
“Oh so I embarrass you by calling you by
your name huh. She folded her arms across her chest “what’s embarrassing is
having to hear from my neighbor that she saw my son running down the street
naked, all while trying to evade having a cap busted in his ass.”
Mac stood his 6’3 fame up from his chair
he did not want to relive that faithful day he got caught with Mr. Paco wife he
was a Mexican man that lived down the street. Mrs. Paco had made several passes
at him while he was cutting her lawn, he ended up in her bedroom than being
chased down the street trying to escape Mr. Paco shot gun. He shook his head at the memory it was the
first day of his lawn service business but unfortunately it would be his last
after that incident no one else in the neighborhood would hire him. Mac couldn’t
deny his mother had a point about that one but he would never admit it.
“Look Momma, I’m a grown man now I don’t
need you coming in here every five minutes trying to tell me what to do” he
said glaring at his mother.
Ava rolled her eyes at her oldest son
“When you start acting like a man I will treat you like one, and so will
Kenya.” Ava walked out the room leaving her son standing in the middle of his
bedroom floor looking dumbfounded.
Mac quickly closed the door to his
bedroom, he went over to his nightstand and grabbed his cell phone he looked at
the screen and realized had several missed calls from his baby momma
Kenya. He dialed her number back, she
answered on the first ring.
“Where the hell have you been Mac I have
been calling you since last night.” Kenya yelled over the phone.
“I told you I had to work last night and
needed to you to watch Mackenzie.
Mac’s eyes got big as saucer’s he had
forgot all about it, “I’m sorry Kenya” he said trying to stall for time to
think of a quick lie, he couldn’t tell her he was out with Monique last night
that would only make things worse. But Kenya was already hip to the game.
“Mac don’t bother even fixing your mouth
to tell another lie, my cousin told me she saw you last night at the club with
that psycho bitch Monique.
Mac bit down on his bottom lip hard, the
line went silent for a few moments he was debating on if he should tell her a
lie, or just simply tell the truth.
“Kenya I was not at the club last night I
fell asleep I had a rough day yesterday” which was a half truth.
“Oh really well what happened to your
mother’s car” Kenya replied
“Huh” Mac asked confused
Before he could get another word out he
heard his mother
“CLETUS” she yelled at the top of her
lungs “GET YOUR BLACK ASS OUT HERE NOW”
Mac gripped his phone tightly as he ran
out into the kitchen to find his mother he didn’t see her anywhere so he made
his way out into the living room, where the front door stood wide open. He stepped outside to see what his mother so
angry about. Mac stood in shock as he
stared at his mother’s car in the drive way on four flat tires not only had it
been covered in garbage, someone had also scratched IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN
LOVE AND HATE on the side of her car. “Damn”
Mac mumbled under his breath, as he walked closer to the car.
“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY CAR?” Ava
asked her oldest son as she stared on in horror at her Benz, by now some of her
nosey neighbors had begun to come outside to see what all the commotion was
about.
“Mo…mma I don’t know, Mac said although
he already knew who was the guilty culprit.
It
was Monique they started kicking it about a year ago after he and Kenya had a
brief break up, but once him and Kenya got back together, he was still seeing
her on the side, one of the reason’s why Kenya left him again two months ago. He knew Monique was upset when he told her
that he wasn’t feeling her like that but he never thought she would take it
this far. He just didn’t understand
women he was upfront with her about his baby momma from the beginning and she
seemed okay but lately she has been trying to get him to wife her up. Yeah he liked the fact she would take him
shopping buy him nice things treat him like a king but his heart belonged to
someone else.
Ava turned to face her son she glared at
him menacingly she placed her hand on her hip while pointing a finger in his
face.
“Boy you better learn how to control your
little girlfriends, and you tell that heifer when I see her I’m gonna thin a
line on her ass with my foot” she said angrily.
“Cletus I want you out by the end of the
month, you say you a grown man, now it’s time you start acting like it” she
turned and walked away from her eldest child she done had all she could take
she tried to help him, but there was no way she was going to allow her son’s
lifestyle to ruin her own.
Mac couldn’t believe his momma was gonna
do this it wasn’t’ his fault he didn’t know Monique was gonna take things this
far. “But Momma this isn’t my fault, how you gonna blame what she did on me?”
he asked.
Ava stopped in her tracks she balled her
hand up into a fist and squeezed it tight, until she felt her nails piercing
her skin.
“Humph but you call yourself a man, yet
you can’t see how bad your shit is smellin right now” she said with her back
still turned to him, she didn’t understand what was wrong with that boy she did
the best she could by both of her sons but it seemed as if her oldest was gonna
have to learn the hard way. She began to
pray as she made her way back into the house to call the police “Please lord
let my chile see the error of his ways.” A lone tear fell down her face as she
closed the door behind her.
Mac was upset his Saturday morning had
not started off so great, not only was his mother mad at him, so was Kenya and now
he has a real live fatal attraction on his hands. He couldn’t believe all the
hell he was catching this morning, and now he had to find a job and a place to
live. He looked down at his cell phone
he had forgotten all about Kenya on the line. “Hello”
“I’m here” a voice replied on the phone
but sounded closer.
“Hi Daddy” he heard a little girls voice
call out to him.
Mac turned around to see Kenya and
McKenzie standing behind him. Mac
focused on his daughter unable to look Kenya in the eyes.
“Hey baby” he said picking her up. “How
is Daddy little girl.”
“Good” said the curly haired little girl
smiling happily, than her smile turned into a frown. “Wha happen to mom-mom
car?”
“McKenzie” why don’t you go inside and
say hi to mom-mom” Kenya said before McKenzie could ask any more questions
giving Mac the out he needed.
“Okay mommy” McKenzie replied, Mac put
McKenzie down and watched her as she ran into the house.
“So um, I guess you did have a late
night” Kenya said with her arms folded over her chest.
Mac turned to face Kenya, he couldn’t
help but to take in how beautiful she was, her long hair was styled in a
shoulder length bob, her eyes the color of emeralds, her caramel skin was
smooth as silk, with the body any woman would die for. He couldn’t believe he had been so lucky as
to have her in his life, he would give anything to have her back not because of
her looks that was a plus but her personality, she was strong, and didn’t take
nothing from nobody. She held him down
over the years she was the reason why he graduated high school, and received
his first job, but he manage to screw it all up.
“Don’t stand there just starring at me
Mac, say something” Kenya said with an attitude snapping Mac out of his
thoughts.
Mac was at an lost for words, he knew he
had fucked up again, here she was working to support herself and his daughter
the least he could have done was watch his child he wasn’t doing much to help.
“Kenya I’m sorry” was all he could say he
diverted his eyes to the ground. It was then he realized he was standing
outside in his Scooby doo pajama pants bottom and no shirt. He grabbed Kenya by
her elbow “Kenya let’s go inside and talk” he replied looking around to see
some of the neighbors looking at him with disapproving looks.
Kenya snatched away “No Mac we can talk
right here, this won’t take long anyway.” She began tapping her left foot slightly on
the grass she slowly shook her head from side to side. “Mac I’m sorry but I’m can’t do this anymore
there is not chance that we will ever get back together.” She took a deep
breath trying to hold back the tears that desperately wanted to escape the
corner of her eyelids. “I decided that
I’m moving on, it appears from the looks of things” she said pointing at his
mother’s car “that you already have.” A
tear threatened to fall from her eyes but she fought the urge, she was tired of
Mac and his mess. She was young but she
knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t about to wait around for Mac to find out
what he wanted.
Mac hands began to shake uncontrollably
he couldn’t fathom the thought of Kenya being with somebody else. He blinked real hard and hoped when he opened
his he eyes he would wake up from this terrible nightmare. But when he opened his eyes and looked into
Kenya green eyes, he knew this was real.
“Kenya please give me one more chance, I
promise I will do better this time.” But Kenya wasn’t buying it she had heard
it all before. She removed the
engagement ring she wore on her finger since McKenzie had been born she grabbed
his right hand and place the 5karat gold ring back in his hand.
“Look I have to go to work I’m leaving
McKenzie here with you that’s if you have the time.” She said quickly changing
the subject she didn’t want to hear anymore of his lies her heart just couldn’t
take it anymore.
Mac just nodded his head, he watched her
walk away taking his heart with him, the two most important women in his life
was now turning their backs on him, not only did he catch hell this morning he
felt as if he was living in it.
Chapter 2
It’s been two weeks since Mac mother
evicted him from her house he was still upset by the whole ordeal. One minute he is laying in bed sleep now he
was virtually homeless. But instead of waiting the thirty days he decided to
get his things and move out. He was
tired of his mother constant nagging anyway he first went to his friend Roscoe
house but when he got there Roscoe was fighting with his baby momma about
getting a job. So he ended up going to
his brother’s house a move he most certainly regretted not only was he living
with his eighteen year old brother Andre.
Andre wasn’t your average eighteen, year old he acts as if he was born
during the 1960’s more so than the 1990’s.
Sporting and afro and wearing tie dye and bright colors. Despite his odd behavior he graduated at the
top of his class. Most of his fellow
classmates weren’t happy being that he was only fifteen at the time.
“Hey, hey” Andre said bursting
through the door of his spare room disturbing a sleeping Mac. “Ugh” Mac grunted before turning over to face
his brother “What time is it?” he asked rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Oh
its only seven o’clock but like Mayo Angelou said “Still I rise” Andre took a
seat on the bed next to his older brother.
“What
but it’s Saturday and you don’t have to work and neither do I so why you up so
early? ”
Andre
stared at his brother as if he had lost his mind he couldn’t understand how his
brother could be so smart yet be so dumb he believed in life if you want to be
successful you must first learn how to discipline yourself even in your free
time he felt it was best to always best be productive. “Your right I don’t have to work today” he
said pointing at himself “but you my brother don’t have a job”
“And
your point” Mac replied sarcastically
“Ya
see my brotha the problem with young folk these days nobody want to work for
anything nowadays y’all just wanna sit on ya ass and wait for the work to come
to you.”
“Now
let me ask you something my brotha do you know anything about the struggle”
Mac
sat up from his twin bed with a perplexed look on his face “What” he really
wanted to smack the piss out of him for coming in his room so early for a
lecture. He could have stayed with his
momma for all that if she would let him come back home.
“I
said do you know anything about the struggle?” “Do you know…” Andre paused
dramatically standing to his feet he began to pace back and forth across the
room.
Mac shook his head “I wish he would
sit his Malcom X reject ass down some damn where he thought to himself.
“The struggles of a black man
trapped in bondage always having to prove to the white man that he is his
equal. Getting locked up and falsely
arrested everyday having to hustle in the streets to survive. Do you know what
its like not to have food on the table having to rob and steal do you know, do
you know, do you know” Andre asked his brother stopping directly in front of
the bed waiting for an answer.
Mac starred at his brother oddly for
a moment before he answered “Nigga if you don’t sit your wanna be Malcom X ass down
somewhere you don’t know nothing about the struggle either.”
“Exactly” Andre said throwing his
hands up in the air, “If you know nothing about the struggle why is it that you
struggle my brotha?” he than pointed at his brother “You have no job, no car,
and no money you are living with your eighteen year old brother” “Why is it
that you struggle my brotha, it’s time to open up ya mind get a job and start
taking care of your family.”
Mac
simply rolled his eyes up at the ceiling he was definitely not trying to hear
this at 8:00 in the morning but he continue to sit quietly wearing a perplexed
look on his face as his brother carried on.
“Our ancestors were beaten and killed all
because they wanted equal rights they paved the way for us” working his finger
back and forth between himself and Mac.
“Now what have you done to show your appreciation?” Dre stood staring at
his brother waiting for an answer.
“Man I’m not trying to hear this its
seven o’clock in the morning” Mac than took the covers and placed them over his
head and closed his eyes he hoped his brother would leave him alone apart of
him hated to admit that some of his over the top speech was true it was time
for him to grow up and get a job. Now
that he had basically been kicked out of his comfort zone he was starting to
see it.
Mac was startled out of his thoughts
by the covers being pulled back from over his head he sat up mad as hell. “Dre
“Mac I’m sorry I have to treat you
this way but you are basically a homeless guy I’m allowing to stay in my house
so” he clasped his hands together “you know how they do at the homeless shelter
where the people have to you know stay out all day until a certain time?”
Mac nodded his head not liking were
this was going “Yeah”
“Well good glad you understand” Dre
said with a smile a very small part of him felt bad for treating his brother
this way but he honestly just wanted his space back and he was willing to do
whatever it took to get it. He prided
himself on being a man of perfection his home was neater than most men his age
and his brother was the exact opposite.
Leaving clothes everywhere, leaving dishes in the sink and food on the
counters he done had just about enough he felt this was the only way he could
keep a peace of mind and not fully kick his brother out of his house he would
really hate to see him out on the streets.
Mac glared angrily at his brother
“What” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing his mother, his baby momma, and
now his brother.
“I …said…you…know..
“Nigga
I heard what you said” Mac shouted cutting him off as he jumped up out of the
bed mushing Dre in the head causing him to stumble backwards. He then walked
past him to the closet where most of his clothes remained in trash bags. He shook his head as he came to the
realization that he didn’t even own a suitcase. “My brother is right about one
thing I need to get a job.” He thought
to himself.
Dre gathered himself straightening
up his clothing mean mugging his brother
“Was that really necessary?”
“Was that really necessary?”
Mac didn’t respond he just continued
to rummage through his clothes he prayed his brother would just leave him alone
he wasn’t in the mood for anymore of his speeches he had enough for one morning
but he knew his prayer wasn’t answered once he heard Dre clear his throat. He
sighed here we go again he thought.
“Look Mac I’m not trying to tell you
what to do” Dre began he took a step closer to his brother. “I’m just trying to do is help you that’s
all.” Dre felt bad but not bad enough to
go back on his word he loved his brother but he felt it was time for him to
grow up it seemed he stopped trying after their father died. Dre knew Mac took
it the hardest because Mac and their father had always been close Mac even had
dreams of becoming a police officer one day but it seemed those dreams died
along with their father.
Mac never turned to face his brother
he just didn’t see where his brother was coming from “Yeah by treating me like
an homeless person instead of family” Mac responded he stood up when he found
something appeasing to look at a pair of black basketball shorts and with a
black T-shirt he stood up and walked passed his brother without so much as
another word. He knew he was in the
wrong because his brother did offer him a place to lay his head but he just
didn’t understand why everyone wanted to turn their backs on him yes he was
going through a rough patch but damn he didn’t think he deserved this. One thing he knew for sure that he definitely
needed to do something and quick he had been catchin to much hell behind the
recent events and decided he had had enough of everybody he was going to show
everyone that he wasn’t a slouch he just needed a little more time. He grabbed the silver cross that hung around
his neck the last present he received from his father he played with it as he
thought about happier times he missed his father he was the one person he could
always go too for advice but now those days were long gone. A lone tear slid down his face as he thought
about his predicament he never felt more lonely his life he hasn’t seen his
daughter or Kenya since the incident she found a sitter soon after that and he
hasn’t spoken to his mom either. But it wasn’t like he was really trying he was
hoping that they would come apologizing to him like in the past but this time
it was different now his brother seemed as if he had jumped on the band
wagon. He looked up to the sky “I don’t
know what to do.” A few more tears
escaped his eyelids as he gripped the cross tightly. He didn’t realize he was crying loudly until
he heard a knock on the bathroom door.
“Mac are you okay in there” he heard
his brother ask on the other side of the door.
Mac
quickly wiped his eyes “Yeah I’m good” he responded turning on the water he
quickly splashed it on his face.
“Okay I’m sorry if I hurt you man
but one day you will understand”
Mac
heard Dre walk away and breathed a sigh of relief he turned on the shower and
took all his clothes off. He placed his
hand under the stream of water to test the temperature he than stepped into the
shower hoping the steamy water could wash his problems away.
To Be
Continued
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