Where the Road Ends

The Newbranson's had been feeling distant from each other. No one talked anymore or even sat to have family time. Torn apart by lies and shame, the mother sarah was determined to pull her shattered and scattered family together for a family trip.

The Newbranson family of four were not your typical family. The father is Jamon, late 40's well groomed, and from the where most call the hood. A town called Parc City. He had overcome a life in the streets to build a life that he felt he could respect. As a kid he had no dreams to become successful or even make it to where he is today. So when I say he had to push, fight and kill to get there. I mean it.

The mother sarah was also from Parc City. Young and thrown out on the streets, she too had to break a lot of rules to survive. The oldest son J.J, yes Jamon Jr. was now a senior in high school. He is very academic and played football for his school. The youngest son Rahmon is in 10th grade and also very academic, he plays basket ball and is very popular.

"Come on you guys we were supposed to be on the road an hour ago it raining and I don't want to be rushing" Sarah Yelled up the stairs to the boys as they were coming down.

With a angry face Rahmon talks back to his mom"I don't want to go, you think this is going to help us. Face it Sarah this family sucks and your little last minute attempt to get us loving one another again is lame."

"shut up dickhead" J.J came in with a burst "I've told you about talking to MOM that way you got 5 seconds to apologize"

Jamon jumps in "Hey hey, both of you cut the shyt" he points his finger at Rahmon "and you next time I'm going to let him have you"

"Oh my god, just 3 days that's all i want. " Sarah pleads as they all walked out of the house and get into he S.U.V.

As soon as they got in the car, every one went to do something that drowned everyone else out. But that was fine because everyone was already agitated. The ride was long and quiet and after about an hour they stopped to get snacks. While in the store a young girl approached Sarah. She looked to be around 20. She was all alone and wet.

"Mom??"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh I"m so sorry, my mom is missing and i though you were her. I apologize "

"No, your fine. are you ok?

"No, i'm hungry and could really use a ride. I've been walking for 2 days. No one would help me."

Sarah grabbed a t-shirt and some socks and took them to the cash register and told her to go clean herself up, that she could ride with them.

"what no" jamon contested

"come on baby she needs help, look at her"

Jamon looked at the girl, "Ok, But she better not kill us all' he said with a laugh.

"Ok guys come on we gotta go, come on umm, i'm sorry i didn't get your name."

"Ty, my mom called me Ty, Thank you so much i appreciate this."

With a crack in her voice Sarah replied "You're welcomed....Ty"

On the ride, the family was curious about what Ty was doing and where she was going. Grateful for the ride, Ty didnt want to offend the so she started to tell them.

"I'm from Parc City, I've been lost for a while now. I can't find my mom or any other family. So please as far as you can take me so that I can keep going would be nice."

"Sure Ty, no problem" sarah said

After a brief introduction of the family, Ty wanted to know some things about them.

"So how about we play a game?" said Ty

" what no, i just want to sit in peace" was Raymons answer

"What kind of game?" said J.J

She turned to J.J who was sittin in the 3rd row seat and touched his hand. "confessions" she looked him in his eyes and for that moment he could control his words. "Tell me what it is that you are hiding" she whispered to him. Everyone is in silence and now in a trance. "J.J, Tell us your secret and end your pain"

Tears started to run down his face, he couldn't hold it in any more, the word began to flow. "Last year the team and I were doing initiation pranks, the newest varsity player was supposed to do a prank or get pranked. he flipped the coin and it was get pranked. The ret of the team and i were all drinking and things got out of control. We blind folded jeremy and drove around for a few minutes then dropped him of naked in the old quarry. it was dark but we didn't think it was that dark because we all had flashlights and the car lights were bright. We drove off and left him. We all got so drunk that we passed out and forgot about him. the police found him the next morning Dead. it was all my fault. I'm team captain and everyone was doing what i said. I went home and acted like i was home all night. I haven't been the same ever since. Im sorry, i'm so sorry."

"It's ok, this is what you needed." then she grabs Rahmon by the arm she is sitting next to him on the second row. "Tell me what it is your hiding, rahmon, tell us your secret and end your pain."

Rahmon was a little more resistant, his strong will was soon broken when Ty put her hand on his face and stared into his eyes."Tell me."

And then he told"It all started when i was in middle school, I had learned the value of money and how it rules the world. All i could do was think about how i wanted lots of it, so i started out by stealing candy and toys from stores and selling them to my classmates. After i went to high school it went from candy to clothes, shoes and i even found a way to get ahold of x pills, vape pens, whatever they wanted i could get, and i did. For 3 years now I've been stealing and selling clothes and shoes, drugs and whatever. I feel so bad and so guilty but i can't stop until i have it all. "

"So are you truly sorry, do you feel like you deserve a second chance to do better?" Ty aske him with conviction."What about Carmen? Do you feel sorry for what has become of her?"

With tears in his eyes, "How do you know about carmen? and What do you know?"

"I know that a little girl is brain dead because you sold her pills and now her family is in ruins."

"Yes.. yes, she is 12 years old and i sold her some bad pills. I give her family money and i make sure they are ok, is that not enough?"

"No, its not. You have to actually be sorry for what you have done. Or your sins will fall to your parents."

The road was getting darker, the rain was still falling hard. Jamon was trying to remain focused on the road as the trances hold on him became stronger. "Its ok Jamon, relax we will talk soon." said Ty.

"Sarah are you ready?

"Yes" As the tears slipped from her eyes she closes them to begin to tell a painful story from a life she tried so hard to forget. She takes a deep breathe "When I was in my 20s, my life was hard. I was living on the streets and selling my body for places to sleep and to eat. I had no one and i had gotten pregnant by someone. I didn't even know who the father was. one night I Was so tired and the baby was sick, I was rocking her and i fell asleep. I had lain on top of her and smothered her in my sleep. I ran and buried her in the cemetery and went on with my life. I couldn't take it anymore my life had to change. I had gotten pregnant again and the pain of losing another child was my biggest fear. So I did. My baby girl was 2 when I killed her and I beg for forgiveness every day."

Having been listening to the stories of everyone else. Jamon was ready to tell his story so that the minds of his family could be eased. "Jamon"

"Im ready. When i was 17 I was kicked out of my grandmothers house and forced into a life of survival. I had lost everything until one day a man saw me homeless and hungry. He took me in and paid me to be his strong arm to his prostitutes and the runners who worked for him. To me it was easy money and most of all, good money. when he died I took over. But i always wanted more for myself. I had became close to one of the women who worked for the man I worked for and when he died we became really close. She told me she had gotten pregnant and I knew that this is what I wanted. We lived together during her pregnancy and i raised her son as my own and without hesitation we both ran and started over,then one day she had one for me. This was my redemption for what I had done throughout my life. For the lives I've taken, ruined, and almost taken. I have a lot of skeletons in my closet, but I know that there is a place for me to be redeemed."

"Hey whats that?" Raymon said pointing up ahead. "There's fire, Dad Stop someone may be hurt."

Jamon stopped the car and they all got out and ran to help. What they had saw was shocking to them. "What is this?" Sarah screamed out, "Whats Happening?"

"Sarah.... come. everyone come." Ty said. "Now it's time for my story. when I was a baby around 2 years old I had gotten sick and died in my mother's arms. The burden of her blaming herself is why I'm here now. I had to be here today to help my family through the rain and to find where the road ends."