NO EASY WAY OUT
890 Words
Leon’s footsteps echoed in the quiet streets as he walked away from Darnell’s apartment. The cold air bit at his skin, but the weight in his chest was heavier than the winter chill. He had done the right thing—he knew that. But walking away from easy money meant walking toward something harder.
What now?
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
Kia: "Ma's breathing weird. I might need to take her to the hospital."
Leon’s stomach clenched. He picked up his pace, his breath forming clouds in the cold night air.
By the time he reached their mother’s apartment, Kia was already gathering things—her jacket, her keys, their mother’s insurance card. Gloria was lying on the couch, her chest rising and falling with an uneven rhythm.
“She don’t wanna go,” Kia muttered, pulling her coat on.
Leon crouched beside their mother. “Ma, we gotta get you checked out.”
Gloria shook her head weakly. “Hospitals take too damn long. Just let me rest.”
Kia shot Leon a look. He sighed. “Ma, this ain’t up for debate.”
Gloria gave him a tired smile. “You always was stubborn.”
Leon slid an arm under her. “C’mon, let’s get you in the car.”
---
Another Bill, Another Burden
The hospital waiting room was as lifeless as ever. Harsh fluorescent lights. The scent of antiseptic. People hunched in plastic chairs, waiting for news they didn’t want to hear.
Leon and Kia sat in silence while the doctors ran tests on their mother. Kia tapped her foot anxiously. Leon just stared at the floor, hands clasped together.
After what felt like hours, a nurse finally approached. “Your mother’s stable for now, but her blood sugar was dangerously high. She needs more consistent care—regular check-ups, medication.”
Leon nodded. “We’ll make it work.”
The nurse hesitated. “She also… she mentioned she hasn’t been taking all her meds. Said it’s ‘too expensive.’”
Leon’s jaw tightened. Kia looked away.
“How much is it?” Leon asked.
The nurse shifted uncomfortably. “We can discuss a payment plan.”
“How much?” Leon repeated.
She sighed. “Around $1,500 a month for her treatment plan.”
Silence.
Leon felt Kia’s gaze on him, but he couldn’t look at her.
$1,500. Every month.
More than what he made at the bodega.
More than what Kia scraped together at the diner.
Leon clenched his fists.
Three racks.
That’s what Darnell had offered. That one job alone could’ve covered two months of their mother’s medication.
He felt his sister watching him.
“Don’t,” she said quietly.
Leon exhaled through his nose. “I ain’t say nothin’.”
“You don’t have to,” Kia muttered. “I already know what you’re thinking.”
Leon stood up. “I’m gonna step outside for a minute.”
Kia didn’t stop him.
---
A Familiar Voice
Leon leaned against the side of the hospital, hands stuffed into his pockets. The cold air didn’t bother him anymore. His mind was too loud.
His phone buzzed.
Darnell: "Last chance. I ain't gonna keep askin'."
Leon stared at the message.
Before he could respond, another voice cut through the night.
“I was hopin’ I’d run into you.”
Leon turned. A man stood under the dim glow of the streetlamp, hands tucked in his coat pockets.
James “Big Jay” Carter.
Older. Late forties. Heavyset. Scar across his left cheek. He was one of the bigger names in the neighborhood, but unlike Darnell, Jay wasn’t just about the streets—he owned businesses, made real money.
Leon hadn’t seen him in years.
“What you doin’ out here?” Leon asked cautiously.
Jay smirked. “Could ask you the same thing.”
Leon stayed silent.
Jay studied him for a moment. “Darnell been talkin’ ‘bout you. Sayin’ you left money on the table.”
Leon exhaled sharply. “Not my lane no more.”
Jay nodded slowly. “That’s what I heard. But I also heard your mom’s sick.”
Leon’s stomach tightened. “What you want, Jay?”
Jay chuckled. “Relax, kid. I ain’t here to press you. Just lettin’ you know—you got options.”
Leon frowned. “What kind of options?”
Jay took a step closer. “Not all money gotta be dirty. I got businesses. Legit ones. Security, delivery, a few shops. You need work, I can make that happen.”
Leon stared at him, unsure whether to believe it.
Jay smirked. “Ain’t sayin’ it’s easy. But it sure as hell beats what Darnell’s offerin’.”
Leon hesitated. “What’s the catch?”
Jay laughed. “No catch. Just loyalty.”
Leon studied him. He had grown up hearing stories about Jay—how he had started in the streets but found a way out. If what he was saying was true, this could be Leon’s shot.
“Think about it,” Jay said, slipping a card into Leon’s pocket. “When you ready, call me.”
Then he walked away, disappearing into the night.
Leon pulled out the card. Just a phone number. No name.
He exhaled and looked up at the dark sky.
Maybe, just maybe, there was another way.
- Writer
