"Not today please, not today" I whispered lowly enough to not alert my eight year old Kameron just waking from the bed we shared in our studio apartment.

"Kam, baby we are going to do our usual at McDonald's"

The light and water company had given me the max amount of extensions on my bill to try and catch up but with my lack of work and just enough to be consistent with, unfortunately the rent was about the only thing I could cover and left our fridge empty and at night we sat in the dark with a few candles burning to ease our fear of the dark.

Sadly a trip to McDonald's was our only hope when the water was shut off, I scrapped up enough change to buy Kameron a breakfast sandwich to grant us entrance into the bathrooms to wash up and brush our teeth.

" I'm really sorry Kam"

"It's okay can I get my sandwich?" He got up getting a fresh pair of clothes to put in his book bag.

"Yes and make sure if they have left overs at your school lunch to place it in your book bag I'll have ice tonight to keep it cold so you can have it for breakfast"

"What about you?" I forced a smile pushing the loose strands of hair back behind my ear.

"I will figure something out and if things go well with my sales I'll order us a giant pizza"

Kameron's eyes lit up at the thought of his favorite meal. I felt ashamed that I couldn't even provide the essentials for him or the things kids his age had.

"With pepperoni?"

"Of course, now come on so you aren't late to school"

I put my army sized duffle bag filled with my paint supplies around my body, letting Kameron lead us outside to make our short trek to McDonald's and then to his school.

"I was thinking I could see mom mom tomorrow since it's Friday"

" You know it's okay with me that way you can watch all the shows you love and eat all the food you want"

"You should come with me mom" I smiled weakly shaking my head and adjusting the bag to ease the pain of the strap digging into my shoulder.

" You being with your mom mom gives me extra time to try and get more cash"

I used the same excuse I always did when Kameron tried to include me on trips to my moms house knowing my presence wasn't welcomed in her home.

"I'll pack you some food up"

"Don't worry about me baby, it's my job to do the worrying not yours"

Kameron and I entered McDonald's heading straight for the bathrooms while there wasn't a crowd.

"Hurry up we are running late"

I hung my bag from the purse hook on the stall and laid down a towel for me to stand on while I undressed out of my pajamas, this was the norm in my life.

What was I thinking at twenty living in the projects and barely being able to feed myself to go and get pregnant? The most selfish thing I could have down in my lifetime was bring life into this world and not have a single resource to take care of a baby alone.

" Can I have a sausage McMuffin ?" I counted out the change in my hand to give the exact amount, having to do this so often was embarrassing.

Kameron emerged from the bathroom in his school uniform my mom had purchased for him helping me out in a major way.

"Here, we can't sit today I have a long bus ride to Disney Land" He unwrapped the sandwich breaking it in half.

"Here mom"

"No you eat, you need food to keep you through the day"

"But I'll have lunch too, you didn't eat yet"

Two days and only a small bag of chips was on my stomach but there was no way I would take food from my own child's mouth.

"Kameron we have spoken about this before, I am the parent and you are the child you need to listen and leave being an adult to me, I will find food for myself I rather your stomach full than me having food on my stomach"

He obeyed eating his sandwich in record timing before reaching the steps of his school in Crenshaw.

"Hey!" I caught him by his book bag before he could get away "Where is the saying?"

Kameron sighed with drooped shoulders.

"Reading is to the mind as exercise is to the body"

"Remember school is good to you and no question is what ?"

"A dumb question, can I go now?" He seemed to be in a rush today when usually dragged his feet.

"Excuse me what are you rushing for?"

"Hi Kameron"

His little eyes followed the young girl waving her finger tips and smiling in his direction.

"H-hi Emani" I waited for the little girl to get out of ear shot to question him.

"Oh so this is about Emani?"

He groaned throwing his head back, I folded my arms and tapped my foot.

"Mom please she's just my friend"

"She better be I'm too young and beautiful to be a mom mom" I flipped my hair.

"I love you bye mom"

Kameron quickly pecked my cheek running off to catch up with his friend Emani.

I jogged to the closest bus stop, spring break was here meaning a larger crowd presence at Disney Land and possibly more money in my pocket.

" Just need a miracle at this point" I mumbled up at the blue sky praying for some sort of breakthrough for myself and my child " I need some sort of help"

My faith was the only thing getting me through not eating and especially keeping me from having a complete mental break down.

"Guess we all have the same idea in mind"

Rico a fellow artist smiled at all the other creators riding the bus to Disney Land, I sat my bag beside me to keep him from sitting right beside me.

"Yeah"

I wasn't worried about the other artist because my work stood out and would catch eyes.

"Sad we have to lower our standards and give snotty nose kids face paintings for cash"

"They are my walking canvases, my way of promoting my art"

"And how is that going for you once they get on the log ride and wash it away" Rico smirked, I sunk down in my chair letting his words get to me.

If my mother ever crossed paths with me while I was"pursuing" my career in art she would scream to the mountain tops I told you so!

I pushed all negative thoughts to the back of my head placing my focus on at least getting enough to cut the water back on and to treat Kameron to a hot pizza for dinner.

"Face paintings 7 dollars for portfolio pictures and 10 dollars for custom art" I shouted out to the by-passers setting up my small station outside the park gates.

Every trip to Disney Land was a reminder that it was another luxury I couldn't afford to give my son and it broke my heart.

"Daddy I want Minnie" A little girl who should have been in school pointed at my art pulling him by the hand.

"How much?"

"Five dollars"

He rolled his eyes taking out a wad of cash from his pocket removing a five from the top.

"Alright sweetie sit up nice and still for me"

I sat in front of her going into my palette of paints to start crafting a Minnie Mouse mask, somehow I felt good about today even if this was my first customer.

"Daddy I wanted Mickey not Minnie" The little girl shouted looking in my mirror.

"She asked for Mickey, you did the wrong one"

I smiled knowing the game he was playing with me. The old " This isn't what I asked for give me my money back and I'll have exactly what I asked for free" trick.

"I clearly heard the both of you ask for Minnie and she had no complaints until I finished and you watched me do Minnie"

"I want a refund" The father shouted trying to cause a scene.

"Sir you got what you ask for and if you can read the sign then you know you won't be getting a refund"

"Bitch"

He charged my way pushing my station over sending my supplies rolling away some even spilling out, I stood in shock and terror I had no money to replace my wasted supplies.

"Come on Kate"

The father snatched his daughters hand dragging her to the entrance leaving me to pick up the pieces of my things.

"You ain't going no fucking where until you help pick up all that shit"

I looked up to see what all the commotion was about, a tall ass man with braids to his back stood face to face with the man who had destroyed half of my things.

"I ain't gonna let you treat a woman like that especially a black woman, go pick that shit up" He turned around making my mouth go dry and my panties go wet " Yo don't pick none of that up he gonna do it"

I nodded stepping back, the man got on his hands and knees picking up my stuff placing them how they were the rest went into the trash.

"And you messed her shit up, this how she eat and you taking food out her mouth? Nah" He looked back at me " How much your supplies cost you?"

"Seventy five"

I replied timidly, the Good Samaritan had such a confidence about him it made me nervous.

"So to keep me from getting security on you and stopping yo daughter from enjoying her little trip we gonna double that amount, hand her over one-fifty"

"I don't have cash"

"Cash app it, you got cash app?"

"I don't even have a phone" The father chuckled but quickly stopped when the Good Samaritan mugged him.

"Ain't shit funny, I got cash on me so you gonna cash app me the money and I'll give her the money"

I stood stuck I was getting two days worth of money and I could get Kameron the pizza and even soda if he wanted.

The two men exchanged cash app information, the Good Samaritan went in his jogger pockets taking out a hundred and fifty dollars I smiled putting it into my lock box.

" Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me"

"You can go" He waved the man off " You got enough supplies to make a Batman mask?"

I didn't take the stranger to be a face paint type of guy, I laughed inwardly at him still being taller than me while sitting down in my chair.

"Yeah I do"

He put his phone up giving me his undivided attention, I admired all of the artwork on his arms and neck.

" Crenshaw huh?" He asked me noticing the tattoo inked on my wrist, I nodded starting the painting "Me too"

"I figured with your Rolling 60's tattoo"

" What you know about us?"

He asked curiously.

"Nothing at all beside y'all are Crips"

"You don't recognize me or know of me?" I stared at him intently.

"Am I suppose to know of you?"

The Good Samaritan laughed shaking his head. Without television and cable I pretty much lived under a rock.

"Nah just well known around Crenshaw"

"For?"

"Businesses, music"

I shrugged honestly not aware of him or his local celebrity status.

"Sorry"

"Nah you straight, I actually like that you don't know me" I smirked " it's nice to have a woman not be a groupie for once"

"Keep still"

I finished up his face paint handing him the mirror, he nodded and smiled in approval of my work.

"That's crazy you only charging five, you selling yourself short"

"I just need money and it's a lot of competition"

"You don't lower your worth for money, I know sometimes shit gets hard out here but you never lower your value because you struggling"

His words of encouragement were exactly what I needed to hear at this moment in my life.

" The artist inside be charging twenty and they work not even touching yours"

"I'm just afraid that if I boost prices I will lose customers and I can't afford to lose money I have a son to feed"

I was never one to be open about my financial situation but for some reason this guy made me feel comfortable enough to speak on it.

"You won't ever know if you could make more if you don't take that leap of faith" He stood up going back into his pockets pulling out two Benjamin Franklins.

"Oh no I can't accept this after you helped me"

"This is me continuing to help, I got some shit I need work on at one of my stores and I think you could help me out" he passed me a black and red business card built like a flag " hit me up when you ready to take a leap"

"Thank you"

He walked away without another word, I stared down at the card flipping it over.

The Marathon Clothing

I looked up at the sky thanking the man above I could not only get Kameron his pizza but pay for our water to be turned back on and replace my supplies.