KENNETHO & MELANET

BY

Reginald Fredericks

(start date 8/15/00)

Reformatted & updated 8-2-2008

--

Inside a deep, lighted pit of loneliness and depression, a young man named Kennetho lays on his bed while listening to headset radio. The room is filled with bright lamp light, the window is closed with a curtain over it, the walls are filled with poetic rhymes of love, and Kennetho’s body is filled with anxiety. Kennetho is a tall boy with brown skin and brown eyes, strong arms, dark hair, and with an expression that could make a person commit suicide. He was wearing black top and bottom silk pajamas and had his head on the pillow. He stared at the wall as if he could only look forward while avoiding to look up or around. Music plays loud from the headset and Kennetho just sighs in despair.

It’s a beautiful and lovely February Saturday morning, about ten o’ clock. The trees continue to dance to keep warm as they did all winter thus far. The sky is filled with rich, white, snowy clouds, and the air is still and chilly, but fairly warm. Birds chirp from the trees and peck the stomps for insects. The basement door opens and a tall, dark female figure walks down the basement steps. Kennetho’s mother walks into his room and then places puts her hands on her hips.

“Kennetho!” His mother cried. “Kennetho, boy can you hear me?”

Kennetho continues to stare at the wall and does not move a single inch. It’s also like he was a statue stationed in one place while a parade marches by his side. She walks over to Kennetho and yanks the headset from his head. Quickly returning to reality, Kennetho pulls back and he snatches the headset from his mother.

“MOM! Why’d you do that?” He snapped. “What do you want?” He said while continuing to lay on the bed, this time facing his mother.

“Are you coming with us to the mall today?” His mom asked.

“Probably.” He said. “Why do I need to go?”

“Because you need to get out of the house and out of your depressing state.” She said. “I really don’t like it when you are like this.”

“So what?!” Kennetho snapped back. “Just don’t come done here, then.”

His mother became furious and reached over to him and smacked him.

“Boy, don’t ever talk to me like that! I am your parent! I talk to you like that and I don’t expect any back talk! You got that, young man?”

Kennetho was rubbing his cheek and he became even more upset.

“ Whatever...! I’ll go to the mall with you!” He said angrily. “Just so you can get out of my face!”

“You betta get ready and come up from here with some clothes on. Your breakfast is upstairs and it’s getting cold.” His mother explained madly. She began to walk away, but she suddenly mumbled something that just angered Kenneth even more.

“Ever since that girl broke up with you, you’ve been a total jackass!”

“At least I don’t look like one!” He responded.

Angrily, his mother dashed upstairs and slammed his door! Kenneth rushed out of bed and ran upstairs.

Coming into the living room, his father looked at him angrily.

“Boy, what the hell is wrong with you?!”

“...Nothing.” Kenneth denied as he made his way to the kitchen.

“Nothing, huh? I’ll whoop your butt if you talk to your mother like that again, do you understand me sir!?” His father explained.

“Humph!” Kenneth growled! He got his plate full of bacon, eggs, and pancakes along with a cup of coffee and dashed back downstairs. Going to his room, his places his food on a portable table. He rolls the table to his room and eats while getting dressed.

“They don’t know my problems!” He cried. “If they were me, they’d understand how it feels to be heartbroken or alone! All they want to hear is ‘do this, do that, then do well in school or none of this!’ It gets on my last nerves!”

He suddenly stopped and knelt to the ground in pain. He placed his right hand over his heart. A sharp, burning pain cruised through his heart.

“Oh, Rosalil!” He said. “Why did you leave my heart asunder? Why did you leave me alone in this world with no love or compassion for others? Was I not the one you dreamed I was? Why...why, then, break my heart and allow me to live my days in agony and heartbreak? Oh, you fortune’s fool! You woman of misery, you damsel in distress, you vulture of the heart! My own family curses me because I have had a curse of no love placed upon my heart! Thy heart cries out in agony and thy lips swell up for lack of love and kiss! Thy heart turns blue, thy mind turns soul, and thine heart is broken. Curse you, o Rosalil! Curse you, o family! Curse you, o God, for allowing this to happen! Has thou made thee thy enemy? Why? I...I can’t imagine...why?” Kenneth begins to cry in pain and his wails are so great that the birds scatter, the sun hides behinds the clouds, and the chilly air becomes cooler than ice! The basement then becomes a pit of woes and sorrows.