Say You'll Ride for Me: Until Death Do Us Apart - Part One - Chapter One

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

Say You’ll Ride for Me: Until Death Do Us Apart opens with a personal, emotionally charged dedication and then moves into an excerpt where the narrator watches family interactions unfold on a porch, confronting a troubling change in Zaiden’s behavior. Raheem questions whether addiction and past violence are the reasons the family left an old home. The story then shifts into Part One, beginning Chapter One with Chelsea being pulled into daily obligations and family dynamics as a reunion approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages436

Reading Time11 h 11 min

AccessFree to download

Part OneHow We Began

Chapter One

LUCINDA JOHNRFORdeVME○US PARTONICAMALONE Say You'll Ride for Me:Until DeathDo Us Apart By:Veronica Malone Dedication This story is one that I feel a lot of people can relate to.I want tothank my publisher Lucinda John for letting me express myself freelywith this one.I also want to thank my readers for picking this title up.Iwant to give a special thanks to my cover model Jermoney Jones.I feelso humbled to come before you all again.I know this one will touch youin many ways. Excerpt I sat on the porch while the kids played outside and waited forRaheem to walk up the street.Once his siblings saw him,they ran tomeet their brother.I noticed a man approach the group of school kids anddecided to check it out.He was dressed weirdly,and I was skeptical ofhim.Upon further examination,I saw that it was Zaiden,and he lookedbad.Really,really bad.I stopped short and covered my mouth.I was stillin my interview outfit,minus the heels,but a cute pair of flats were onmy feet. "Hey baby,"Zaiden said to me. He wore a pair of dirty Nikes,gym shorts,and a tank top thatused to be white.His beard reminded me of the rapper Rick Ross,but hishair was long and pulled back into a messy ponytail.If I had to guess,Iwould say he weighed one hundred and fifty pounds,if that.The kidsjust looked at their father as he called them to him.Larena was the firstto run to her daddy,followed by Malika and Malik.Zadrian walked up tome and Raheem just looked at his dad.I saw the other kids pointing atlaughing,so Raheem walked off to the house. "Raheem,where you going?You're not going to give your dad ahug?”Zaiden asked as he knelt down and kissed each of his kidsexcluding Raheem. "Daddy,your hair looks funny,"Malika said. “What's wrong with my hair,”Zaiden laughed. "It just looks funny,"she said.“Where you been?Are youcoming back home?” "Uh,yeah,I’m coming back soon,real soon,"Zaiden said. I folded my arms and shook my head.Why would he lie to themlike that?A rough looking woman walked up out of nowhere like aghost. "Hey Z!"she called,shielding her eyes with her hand on her hip Zaiden looked back at her and waved her off.Then he looked atme. "My wife is still pretty as hell.Hey,tell Raheem that his dad saidhe needs to play basketball.That boy got tall.What are you feeding him?You need to play,too,Zadrian,"Zaiden rambled off. The woman called to him again,and he walked off to join her,leaving his kids and wife in the middle of the street.My kids werevisibly upset,and I hated Zaiden for that.They didn't understand whythey weren't enough for him.I found Raheem sitting in his room,looking at the wall. "Raheem,"I said,walking in. "He's a crackhead isn't he?"Raheem asked me. I was stunned that he even knew that word.I never spoke itbefore in front of the kids.I didn’t want to lie to him so I stayed silent. “Maurice told me that he comes to their house and buys it fromhis dad.Why is he a crackhead now?Is it because of us?”Raheem asked. “Raheem,your father has demons that have nothing to do withus.It's important for you not to judge him and remember that he is justsick right now,"I tried to explain. "Like,last time?Is that why we had to leave the old house?Andwhen Wallace beat him that time and left.….is it because Dad smokescrack?” I was at a loss for words.Raheem was no dumb kid,and Iwouldn't insult his intelligence. I simply nodded and left him to his thoughts.What was Isupposed to say to him?I didn't know what to do once my kids startedputting two and two together. # Part OneHow We Began 7 # Chapter One “Chelsea!Wake up and get dressed.I'm leaving for thesupermarket in one hour!” I pulled the covers from over my head and dragged myself out ofbed.I grabbed a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and walked to the bathroom. “Chelsea!”my seven baby brother Danny yelled as he ran up tome and hid behind my legs. "Your sister can't save you,"my older brother Joshua yelled,running up to grab him. "Hey!Stop all that yelling

FAQs

What prompts the narrator to be skeptical when Zaiden approaches the children?

The narrator notices Zaiden dressed in an unusual way and determines he looks “really, really bad,” then stops herself after realizing who he is.

How does Raheem connect Zaiden’s condition to the family’s past and relocation?

Raheem asks if Zaiden is a “crackhead” and whether it is because of them, referencing earlier times when they had to leave the old house.

What happens at the start of Chapter One?

Chelsea is woken up and told to get dressed because her family is leaving for the supermarket in one hour, while other family members argue and her mother insists on order.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret