JASMINE AND HER BAD ATTITUDE

“I got two tickets to go and watch the John Legend concert” Phillip told me.
“Cool, so you going with your co worker? “I asked him.

“No” he told me “I am going with you” he continued.

“Are you asking me to go with you or are you telling me to go with you?” I responded laughing.

“There are some things I don’t have to ask you to do and this is one of them.” He told me.

“You must be full of it”

“Whatever”

We had been on the phone for about two hours, I had just gotten off work and I was driving in traffic, as usual the cars were moving at snail’s pace but instead of fretting over the traffic I decided to call Phillip to pass time.

“My sister is visiting”

“Really, I didn’t know you have relatives that could come visit you, I have never heard anything about your family.” He told me. That’s quite true I really don’t talk about my family, I don’t like it and I always avoid topics about my siblings or anything. My father left my mother for another woman when I was eight and Jasmine was three years old, he left my mother with the mortgage and two kids. I never got over it, he never called me on my birthday, never showed up for school events and not even my High school or college graduation so eventually he kind of erased himself from my memory and my entire life, till present I don’t even know where he is or have any contact address, my uncle, his younger brother once tried to reach out to us when I turned thirteen, he happened to be visiting from New York but my mom was so cold to him, he didn’t even bother to try. My mom became a very bitter person, so many men tried to date her because she was really pretty and exotic but my mom developed a cold attitude towards people and gradually started hating men. She never encouraged me or Jasmine to have any boyfriends but as a teenager I was a freak, my hormones would jump at the sight of any cute guy around but I dared not tell my mom, my first crush was Jeremy Wilkins who was in my calculus class in my sophomore year in high school but he was in love with pretty Roberta Grigsby. She was a straight A student, on honor roll for the whole four years of high school, a cheerleader and Jeremy’s heart rob and most important fact, I hated her. I managed to survive High school without a boyfriend, I didn’t even go to my high school prom, my mother would not even hear of it. Stanley was the next best thing in my life when we were dating, my mother totally hated him for reasons best known to her and when our relationship ended she was happy. Danielle was the only known relative to Phillip, she is my maternal aunt’s daughter, my mom is her mother’s elder sister, we have been close since we were children.

“Oh really” I said feigning ignorance.

“Yes” he replied.
“ Oh well Jasmine is my younger sister and my only sibling you will get to meet her when you come by my house.” I told him.

“Oh that’s okay, where is she visiting from?” he asked. His sudden curiosity is making me wish I hadn’t told him my sister is around.

‘She is visiting from Atlanta.’ I informed him. I need to get off the phone as quickly as possible but how do I that and a quick idea comes into my head.

“Phil, I have an incoming call I hope you don’t mind if I called you back.” I told him spontaneously.

“Sure” he replied and I hung up. Good riddance.



Jasmine was at home laying on the couch reading a magazine when I walked in through the door. She didn’t seem to move when she saw me coming and said nothing, I looked at her for a quick minute wondering what was wrong.

“Hey Jasmine” I greeted her.

‘Hey Rosie” she responded.

‘Are you okay?” I asked.

“Sure”.

I went into my bedroom and kicked off my shoes. Its been a long day and also a long ride home with all that traffic. I am so hungry I could eat a whole house. I walked out of my room to go and see what Jasmine might have made for lunch or dinner, I walked to the kitchen and to my dismay there was nothing on the stove. I turned around to look at Jasmine who was still engrossed with the Ebony magazine with Jada Pinkett Smith’s face splashed on the cover.

“Jasmine” I called out. She looked up from her magazine.

”What did you make for lunch?” I asked her.

“I ordered pizza from Domino’s I left some for you, it’s in the fridge.” She responded.

“Are you kidding me, in this hard economic time you order pizza?” I said grimacing at the thought of ordering pizza when there are more than enough ingredients to cook food in the house.

“Is there something wrong with that?” she asked me sitting up on the sofa.

“Yes, a lot my dear, I have spaghetti, rice, minced meat, chicken and all that stuff in the fridge for you to cook and you order something from outside why didn’t you just …………..” I said and she cut me off. She stood up and picked up her magazine and walked towards me.

“Well I didn’t feel like cooking so get over it.” She responded rudely and went into the other room. I stared after her in amazement. I was about to pick up the phone and call my mom to report Jasmine’s rude behavior but I decided against it. My mom might end up supporting Jasmine and then I would look stupid. I went to my room and went to change into something more comfortable, the light was flashing on my phone, I had a missed call, it was Phillip. It went to voicemail and he had just left me a voicemail. I picked up my phone and dialed my voicemail.

“Hey Rosie, its me Phillip, I am five minutes away from your house, I decided to surprise you, I am bringing dinner over, I went to Orient Express to get some food and I got a bowl for your sister, right now I am at Safeway trying to buy some wine, I haven’t decided which one yet, call me back please to let me know if you have a preference okay, see you soon.”

Oh my goodness, please don’t tell me that Phillip is on his way to my house and my sister has probably thrown herself into one of her foul moods. I call him back but it goes straight to voice mail, I don’t feel like leaving him a message, I need to get dressed before he gets here because I am sure that Jasmine would not answer the doorbell if it is rung. I open my closet and pull out my purple sleeveless maxi dress from the hanger and pulled off my cream colored Anne Klein suit. Dressing up is something I do rather quickly; taking a shower is the opposite. I can spend a million years in the shower trying to soak, lather, scrub and rinse. Stanley always complained about how long I spent in the shower especially when he was spending the night at my house or if he came over to my house before I took a shower, I only do stuff like that in the luxury of my own bathroom and no one else’s . Just as I pulled my long jet black, Remy Yaky weave into a ponytail, the doorbell rang. I went to the door, I peeped through the eyehole, it was Phillip, I opened the door by turning the key on the knob, Jasmine came out of her room probably out of curiosity to see who was at the door which was rather surprising.

“hello” Phillip greeted as he kissed my forehead as he walked through the door.

“Hey” I responded and gave him a hug. Jasmine stood in the doorway with a frozen expression on her face. I didn’t tell her

I was seeing anyone and she was probably surprised to see Phillip.

“Hi” said Phillip as he loosened my grip on him and looked at my sister.

“Jasmine, meet my friend Phillip Bordeuax and Philip meet my sister Jasmine Jones” I said introducing both of them. Phillip walked toward Jasmine and extended his hand for a handshake, Jasmine had a dead expression on her face as she looked at him, she extended her hand and gave him a handshake as well.

“Nice to meet you” she managed to say politely.

“very nice to meet you Jasmine” Phillip replied.

“He brought us some food to eat, so lets have dinner” I announced bringing the packs out of the plastic bag. Jasmine did not move an inch but instead stood around there, I could not understand why she was behaving like that.

“Why are you standing there, don’t you want some?” I asked her.

“In this hard economic time you order Orient Express?” Jasmine said mimicking the statement I had made not too long ago about her eating out.

“I didn’t order it, he did?” I said pointing at Phillip defensively.

“Who is he anyway?” Jasmine asked looking disapprovingly at Phillip. She did not look like she liked him one bit.

“I just told you that he is my friend” I responded.

“Oh” Jasmine replied rolling her eyes at me. I knew she was going to have an attitude and I didn’t want Phillip to have a bad impression of her because she is a really cool person but she can be awkward as well. Phillip looked at her. I just can’t tell what he is thinking in his mind but he is probably coming up with some sort of impression about her, all of a sudden I try to calm the little tension building up in the room by trying to divert attention.

“Let’s eat” I said all of a sudden and I opened a pack of food.
“I am not hungry thank you” said Jasmine as she walked towards her room.

“Can you at least be nice?” I responded. She was beginning to sulk like a little child and have a bad attitude.

Phillip looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. It was not a good way to meet some potential in-law.

“I am really sorry about that, I absolutely apologize for her behavior,” I told him embarrassed.

“Its no problem, you are not responsible for her behavior.” she is an adult and has every right to decided what she wants to do, as for me, I am not offended by her behavior, lets sit don and savor a very good meal.” he told me.

Phillip had a way of reassuring me of something. I have a lot of confidence in him just as much as he has a lot of confidence in me. We sit down to eat.