Page 16 of Blake University HBCU Chronicles: Nuri & Silas

S itting in the window pane inside her bedroom, Nuri sipped wine and gazed at the stars.

Her mother was on her way over, and Nuri's mind swirled in every direction. ‘ Why’ was the common denominator in every question she lacked an answer to. Who she was had taken a turn because now she wondered if she still knew. Perri Jones’ Free played low from her Bluetooth speaker, each note slipping under her skin and seeping into her chest.

"I'm free... I'm human, but I'm comfortable with me. I'm capable, got everything I need. I'm focused and I'm living out my dreams..."

She let the lyrics wash over her, but they couldn’t drown out the questions echoing in her head.

The past few days had shifted something in her, cracked her open in ways she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to fix.

Finding out that Boyd wasn’t her real father—it was a revelation that should’ve broken her.

But the truth… It felt more like a release.

A few days had gone by and after all the soul-searching she'd done, finding out that Boyd wasn't her biological father didn't break her.

As she became more and more transparent with herself, she realized that they never really had a strong connection; she'd always felt like an orphan when it came to him.

Truth be told, the connection with her mother and Boyd always felt forced and superficial.

It'd been that way for so long it became the norm, but in the back of Nuri's mind she always wanted better for her mother.

Always knew she'd demand better whenever she got her shot at real love.

"Every Life has a story. Every life has a plan. And some of us chase the glory. Some just do the best we can..."

Nuri sang along as she continued to examine her life until she heard her phone chime with a RING notification, letting her know someone was at the door.

Perri Jones sang those lyrics from her spirit and Nuri felt every word.

Nuri turned the music down, and made her way to the front door to let her mother in.

"Hey, baby girl!" Nuri’s mom, Nova, greeted with an infectious smile.

"What was so much of an emergency that you needed me to come over here after eight o'clock for?"

Nuri secured the door behind her mom, then led the way into her living room. Getting comfortable on the couch, Nuri turned to face her mom, who had sat across from her on the luv seat. She cut straight to the chase.

"Why am I just now finding out your husband isn't my biological father?" The way Nova's eyes widened was as if she'd seen a ghost, but the way Nuri bore deep into her mother's eyes, she witnessed the heartbreak that lay behind her orbs in a way she'd never seen before.

"Nuri, I-"

"Tell me the truth, ma. I promise I can handle it."

"All I wanted was the best for you. When I became a mother, I was young, and still trying to find myself,” her voice low, laced with regret.

“Ali was living a life that wasn't conducive to the environment I wanted to raise you in.

I ended up crossing paths with Boyd while Ali and I were on a break.

.. but when Ali and I decided that we were going to make our relationship work, Boyd refused to let me go.

He was so crooked, and at the time, he had connections.

Somehow he pulled some strings, and Ali ended up in prison.

Boyd told me that if I chose Ali over him, he'd see to it that Ali never got out. "

"And you believed him?"

"Yes, I knew what he was capable of, and I loved Ali too much to gamble with his life on the line."

"Did he know you were pregnant with me?"

"Not until he got out of prison. You were ten years old, and I told him it was best to keep things the way they were because I didn't want to confuse you." Nova confessed. Nuri held her peace, processing the truth her mother was revealing to her.

"He wanted to meet you, and tell you the truth," Nova continued.

"Boyd wouldn't allow it. He threatened to get Ali locked up again, and this time for life if I went against him."

When Nuri looked at her mother this time, it was the first time she saw fear in her eyes. Boyd hadn't only put Nuri through hell, but her mother had been suffering in silence longer than she had.

"Mom, I-"

"I'm so sorry, Nuri. I only wanted what was best for you. I'm not proud of my decisions, but I had to protect you and your father. I didn't know any other way to do it. Please forgive me."

"Do you have contact with him now?"

"No, I haven't spoken to him since he was released from prison, but I send him pictures of you every year. I can give you his number if you want to talk to him, but you have to keep it to yourself because if Boyd heard about this, there's no telling what he'll do."

Nuri wanted so badly to tell her mother how Boyd had been plotting her demise, but she promised Silas she wouldn't reveal their hand until they put a strategy in place. There was a war brewing.

“I’ll keep it between us,” Nuri agreed, not knowing the first thing to say to a man who knew about her almost all her life, but she knew nothing about him.

Nova let out a shaky breath, her relief obvious. “Thank you, baby. I love you so much.”

Life was complicated. It wasn’t always pretty, and it sure as hell wasn’t always easy. However, even in the mess of it all, Nuri knew one thing; she wasn’t walking this path alone anymore. She was stepping into the light, even if it burned.

Nuri had been moving on autopilot for days.

She was tired—tired in a way that sleep couldn’t fix.

Her mind felt like a battlefield, every thought a landmine she couldn’t avoid.

The last few days had been hell. The truth about Boyd.

The weight of Ali’s name now etched question marks in her soul.

The love that Silas had poured into her, reminding her of her worth even when the world tried to strip it away.

She’d missed classes, her attendance slipping like sand through her fingers.

But quitting was never an option. She was determined to step back into her routine, to prove to herself that she could handle the weight pressing down on her.

She’d come too far, and fought too hard.

With Silas in her corner, the fight didn’t seem so impossible.

The sky was a dull gray as she walked out of her Communications class with Bre at her side, their steps slow like they were both carrying too much.

Bre kept glancing at her, her eyes soft, giving Nuri a chance to open up when she was ready.

“You sure you good, sis?” Bre asked, worry lacing her words.

Nuri forced a small smile. “Yeah. I’m straight.”

Before taking another step she was confronted by Blake County Police. Officer Nichols stepped out, his expression cold enough to freeze the sun.

“Are you Nuri Sinclair?” Officer Nichols asked, his voice steady but laced with a cold detachment that made Nuri’s skin crawl.

She blinked, confusion clouding her features. “Um… Yes, I’m Nuri Sinclair,” she replied, her voice trembling as she braced herself for whatever this was.

Without hesitation, Officer Nichols reached for his cuffs. “You’re under arrest,” he said, his tone flat as he pulled her wrists together.

“What? Under arrest for what?” Her voice cracked, panic rising like bile in her throat.

“Money laundering and fraud,” he stated, his voice devoid of emotion as the cold metal bit into her skin.

“Oh my God, sis. What is going on? This is a mistake!” Bre cried, her voice shrill as she reached for Nuri’s arm.

Nuri’s heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to breathe, to remember Silas’ voice in her ear telling her to stay strong. She turned to Bre, her eyes filled with a quiet fire. “Everything will be fine, sis. We’ll talk later.”

As Officer Nichols led her toward the front of the school, the weight of every pair of eyes followed her.

Judgment.

Pity.

Fear.

It all washed over her like acid rain, and then she saw him.

As she neared the front of the school, Superintendent Boyd showed no remorse for Nuri, only satisfaction as he and Tree stood in front of the school.

His eyes held no hint of concern. It was like he’d been waiting for this moment… Like he’d been planning it all along.

Nuri’s pulse roared in her ears, but she refused to let them see her breakdown.

In the parking lot, arms folded, eyes sharp, stood Silas and Ali.

Silas’ face was calm, but his eyes burned with a promise that made Nuri’s chest tighten.

Ali stood beside him, jaw locked, his stare fixed on Boyd like he was already planning the funeral.

Silas nodded at her, slow and deliberate, a silent message that wrapped around her like a shield.

I got you. Nuri’s spine straightened, her chin lifted, and even as Officer Nichols ushered her into the waiting patrol car, she refused to let her tears fall.

The patrol car door slammed shut, the sound echoing like a gunshot in her ears.

The air felt like ice, her wrists aching beneath the cuffs.

Silas’ eyes never left Boyd. “That muthafucka gotta die,” he muttered, his tone lethal.

Ali’s voice was low, steady. “It’s already a done fickin’ deal. I gave that pussy a pass years ago because of Nova. Now it’s about my daughter. She need me and I ain’t lettin’ her down again. I’m done playing games.”

Silas nodded, and his jaw ticked. “I got a lawyer already working the paperwork. You already know what time it is when dealin’ wit’ this dirty ass muthafucka.”

Ali’s laugh was dark, hollow. “Then we’ll show him how the dirt tastes.”

Silas smirked, but his eyes stayed locked on the patrol car. “We gon’ get her out. Then we bury him.”

“Say less,” Ali replied, knowing the game Boyd was playing had never been about Nova or Nuri… It had always been about trying to destroy him, and his legacy.