This story, as with all of the stories I have written, is purely fictional. No accounts are to be taken literally, and all characters in this work are fictional also. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Growing up on the west side of Detroit, in a part of town often referred to as 'the hood', 'the projects', or 'the ghetto', was not easy for Tamika.
She came from a broken home and when she was just a kid of 7 years, her father left her mother for another woman.
She had two brothers, one older, one younger named Devon and Shawn. Tamika's older brother was 14 and was forced to take care of her and her younger brother since their mother was literally a crack whore who slept around, did drugs and sold drugs.
With very little guidance, Tamika grew up not knowing a civilized world. She got into drugs, sex and criminal activity when she was only 13 years old.
She quickly lost all hope and had the attitude of 'who gives a fuck'.
Arrested for dealing coke, domestic violence and b&e by the time she was 18, Tamika contemplated committing suicide.
One day when she was at a local bar with some of her would-be friends, a violent racist seen broke out and she decided not to get involved.
"Fuck you nigger," a biker-type white guy yelled to an African American man who was minding his own business, enjoying a beer with some of his friends.
"What the fuck did you just call me white boy?" the black man snapped.
"I called you a motherfucking dirt-dumb, no nothing nigger, what the fuck are you gonna do about it bitch?"
The black man picked up a beer bottle and smashed it across the face of the white male while spectators watched in awe.
A brawl started, whites and blacks were throwing pushes toward one another in every direction.
Tamika looked on, rolling her eyes and suggested to her friends they get out of there. This was nothing new to her. Once outside the bar, she parted from her friends and decided it was too early to go back to her depressing home.
It was only 11 PM, so she decided to hit the singles bar down the street.
When she got there, she sat at the bar and ordered a shot of vodka (she was dressed like a $2 hooker so being I'd was no problem for her).
She noticed a white male sitting across the bar was staring at her.
"What the fuck you lookin' at whitey?" she said to him.
Though dejected, he was bold enough to approach her.
"Sorry, miss. I was just admiring your beauty."
Tamika was shocked. No one had ever told her before that she was beautiful. She was not even sure how to respond so she just said "whatever," casually.
He sat down next to her, extended his hand and said, "Barry, nice to meet you. And your name is?"
"Tamika," she replied glumly.
"If you're looking for a hoe that's damn bad. I don't take money for sex hunny." she then said to him.
"What?," he looked puzzled.
"Oh, no, no. You have the wrong idea sweetheart, that's not what I was looking for." he said with a smile.
"Then what chu want white boy," she asked in annoyed tone.
"Hey," he began, "I am just out looking for a good time is all. Wanna dance?"
"Hell no," she snapped, "I don't do that shit."
"What are you into then?" Barry asked her.
"What the fuck do you care? Bartender, give me another shot," Tamika said, now beginning to get liquored up a bit.
"Forgive me for getting personal, but it seems like something is bothering you, Tamika?" he asked in a concerned tone. "Look, my mama is a crack hoe and I've got to take care for my little brother before he ends up like me," snapped Tamika.
"What do you mean like you?," Barry inquired.
"I grew up without a mama, my whole life, I got into drugs and shit, fuckin people for money, there ain't nothin' fo me in dis fucking world," she said to him.
Tamika went on to tell Barry how she got into sex, drugs, crime and violence at a very young edge.
Barry listened for hours and hours as Tamika told him everything. He realized it was not her fault; this was the only life she knew.
He told her that he was 22 and told her a little bit about his life.
Barry decided he wanted to help this broken sister; he wanted to help her get back on track and live a good life.
He knew she was not stupid. She was just uneducated since she dropped out of school in 8th grade to take her little bro once her older brother moved out.
Everyone had abandoned her and failed her in the worst ways possible. But Barry was not about to do that. He saw that she had potential and he was now determined he would not let his opportunity to help her go to waste.
After she had finished explaining everything to him, all he could say was, "Wow, that is terrible. You deserve better," he said to her.
"Yeah well dis is all I'm gonna get, shit can't get any better, I will prolly just end up fuckin dead in a dumpster somewhere, who fuckin cares."
"No you will fucking not. Do not even say shit like that," he snapped at her, determined that he had to be hard on her if he was going to help.
"Who da fuck gonna stop me? I'm just as worthless as another other hoe on da streets," she said.
"No you are not, things are not going to keep up this way for you, not if you stick with me."
Tamika figured she was wasted and was probably hearing things.
Over the next few months, Barry and Tamika began hanging out a lot and become pretty close. He was helping her; she was starting to straighten up. Barry knew it would be hard to change her life completely, but he was damn determined to try.
Barry had begun tutoring Tamika and tried to teach her proper English. She was making great progress. She now had a job now decided she wanted move in with Barry. He lived in 'the nice part' of Detroit in a two-bedroom apartment. She stopped doing drugs, drinking alcohol and sleeping around.
Sex had not been a part of the relationship, until now.
They were sitting in Barry's apartment, and Tamika was telling Barry about how her day had gone.
He was starting to grow very fond of Tamika now, proud of her lifestyle improvement and believed to be in love with her.
"How do you feel about me Tamika?," Barry just asked out of nowhere.
"Uh well you're tight, you know, you have helped me a lot and stuff," she mumbled to him.
She was not good at sharing her feelings either, that too, was something Barry wanted to help her with, but he knew it would be a lot harder then the other things he had helped her with.
"Come on Tamika, tell me how you
really
feel about me."
She just sat there at a loss for words. Instead of growing impatient with her and yelling at her, as her peers had done to her in the past he said,