'What's Life' by LL Fraser

Blurb:

Vanessa is a 17 year old mother of fraternal twins, Janet and James. After the twins’ father denied them, Vanessa only had her best friend Lisa by her side; until Lisa decided to move out of state. With no one to turn to, Vanessa becomes suicidal and constantly injects illegal drugs into her body. She continually have flashbacks of when she was raped by her uncle as her favorite aunt watched. 

As James grow from an adolescent into an adult his mother's way of life slowly rubs off on him. It gets worse when he finds out he might have a disease that will cause him to die young. Janet tries to stray James on the right path, but she is no match for her mother. Vanessa hates life so much that she even wants to see her kids do badly. She targets James because she knows stress has him weak.

Follow Vanessa, Janet, and James as they tell you what life means to them. 

Read an excerpt:

Meet Nessa

Since I woke up this morning I have not felt like doing anything what so ever. When I first awoke it was 1:00 pm then by the time I turned around, the clock read 3:00 pm. I do not know where two hours went. Time sure can fly when you are lying in the bed.

I just stayed in the bed reminiscing and contemplating as I heard the next door neighbors play in the hallway of my apartment. I can’t let them know that I live in here by myself. Since they never liked my parents, I am sure that they would call child protective services and rat us out in a heartbeat.

Child protective services consist of people that take kids from their family when they are in a horrendous situation. They have no problem taking your kids away from you. Plus you’re a lie if you think they have any sympathy for you. Sympathize and empathize are two words that are just not in their dictionary.

My mother Ann was a nurse, and my father Joseph was a boxer. I loved my mother, but I hated my father with a passion. When I was younger I would overhear him and my mother arguing and throwing things around the apartment. Some nights he would come home drunk and just beat the shit out of her for no apparent reason.

I hated men that beat on women. He can come home and beat up his wife, but he couldn’t do that to his opponents in the ring. Out of approximately thirty matches, he only won nine times. That is why he was unknown. I never understood why my mother never left him.

One day, at the age of twelve, I woke up and my father was not around for the entire day. I was happy, because my mother and I spent the whole day together. Another day went by with my father not being around. Then a third day passed without my father around. It went from three days, to a week, to a month.

After a month and a day, we finally realized that he was not coming back. At first I just thought he was with one of his other women, because he was continuously having an affair with other women. My mother did not even know if he was still alive. Her husband was gone without a trace.

I was happy that my father abandoned us, but I would feel sad whenever I see my mother cry. I don’t know why she was crying over that son of a bitch anyway. After a while my mother never really talked. She was very soft spoken. I tried my best to keep her happy, but it was only so much I could do.

When I was fifteen years old, my mother abandoned me. Iguess she caught the abandoning act from my father. I have been living here, on my own, since then. Everyday I wonder where she might be and why she just left her daughter to fend for herself. If I ever see her again that will be the first thing I ask her. I do not know if I can ever forgive my parents for running away from their responsibilities. After two years of feeling unwanted, I just decided to move on with my life. Like they say, “Do not feel sorry for yourself. Life is too short.”

When I finally got out of the bed, I went in the bathroom to take a shower and brush my teeth. I remembered that Victor was coming to visit today. I still do not know what time he is coming, thank God my place is always clean. I just had to straighten up a little and wash a few dishes.

In the middle of washing dishes I hear someone knocking rapidly on my door. It better not be a game. These dirty kids in my building are always banging on my door and running away. One time I snatched one of them by the shirt and dragged them into my place. I locked the door and began to beat the shit out of him with my black cow skin belt that I purchased from Wilson’s Leather. When I was through with beating him, I kicked him out the door. He ran up the hallway holding his but cheeks with whelps on his arms. I have never seen him since then. I guarantee you that he would not mess with my ass again.

Some idiot is still banging on my door, like they are the police or somebody. “Coming, hold your damn horses!”

I opened the door with the chain still on it. I have to do it that way since I don’t have a peephole. You have to be very cautious in Brooklyn, especially if you live in Marcy Houses Projects. There is always someone getting shot, stabbed, or held up out here. I don’t know why everyone is killing out one another. We are all one, no matter if you’re from Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, East New York, Flatbush, Harlem, Southside Bronx, Southside Jamaica, or anywhere else.

When I looked out my door I saw a nice chocolate man, who stood about six feet. He was well groomed - clean nails, white teeth, low haircut, suit and tie with Stacy Adams on his feet. He stood there holding a dozen of roses and a box of chocolate with a bright smile on his face. This was like the man of my dreams.

“Hi, I’m -” he said, attempting to genuinely introduce himself.

“Victor, I know. Come on in.” Just him saying hi alone, got my draws wet instantly. This is the kind of gentlemen that will have a lady at a lost for words.

Available on Amazon

Bio

LL Fraser is a 25 year old young man with a passion for writing songs, poems, and of course novels. When he is not hanging with his friends or his fellow soldiers fighting and training to protect our country, he is sitting by some window on his laptop or smartphone, writing another story. LL Fraser’s passion for writing began at the tender age of nine. It started with a song about his neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, then a poem. At the age of 15, after reading “A Raisin in the Sun,” he decided to take his creativity to the next level by writing his own novel. It was all history after that. In fact, his novel “What’s Life” relate to what he witnessed as an adolescent in the city.

LL Fraser earned his Associates degree in Business Management. He is now 30 credits away from obtaining his Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix. Besides writing, and being a soldier, LL Fraser enjoys working out, playing with his son, being a role model for young adults, and watching the TV series, “Scandal.”

LL Fraser does not only write YA Fiction. Other genres include Urban Fiction, and Children’s Literature. Look out for his upcoming children’s novel entitled, “Joe the Bully.” The most effective way to stay in tuned with LL Fraser’s present and upcoming material, is to view his blog http://lamontlf.wordpress.com. He also participates on Twitter and Instagram @LL_Fraser.