The traffic from I680 to I580 was the worst today. Goodness. It was like bumper to bumper traffic. I got home at 6.48pm. I walked into my living room and kicked off my shoes. I threw my bag on the sofa and checked my messages on the answering machine, since I gave Phillip my number I have been checking my answering machine everyday and no call from him, but wait a minute now I am not so sure if I gave him my house number or my cell phone number. I checked the caller id on the phone, no strange or new number showed up; my sister Jasmine left me a message.
“Hey Rosie,its Jasmine, Holla, Momma misses you so much, I have been busy with work and all, call me , I miss you”
The only reason why Jasmine my younger sister would call me is because she wants money and for no other good reason.
I went to my bedroom to change into something more comfortable, there was some left over Chinese food in the fridge from Rachel’s birthday, Rachel is a coworker in the office who had just had a birthday at a posh Chinese Gourmet Restaurant. I went to put the bowl in the microwave after taking it out of the fridge just then I heard my phone vibrating. I went to pick it up from my purse, I looked at the number, I don’t recognize it but I pick the call anyway.
“Hello” I began and then there was a masculine voice on the other end.
“Hey, finally called you” the voice responded, it was Phillip. Praise the Lord.
“How are you doing?” I asked him.
“Great thanks, where are you?” he asked.
“I just got home right now from work, the traffic was really bad this evening on the 680” I told him.
“There was an accident that’s why, I passed it up, I was driving against traffic that’s how I knew.” He informed me.
“Oh that’s good to know” I replied not knowing what else to say.
“So what are you doing right now?” he asked me.
“Just chilling, what’s up?” I asked him why was he so nosy, well not in a bad way but I think he is rather inquisitive. I have never met any inquisitive guy. Stanley was just observant but maybe that’s why he is a fool.
“Nothing really, I was just going to go the Karaoke Place and I was wondering if you wanted to come” he told me. Like seriously this dude must really think I have nothing else to do. I actually want to go but on a week night, I have work tomorrow, I don’t want to go work and start snoring on my desk. In this tight recession I would do more than anything to keep my job.
“The karaoke place on a weeknight?” I asked my thought out loud.
“I always do something on a weeknight, its fun” he replied.
“What about work in the morning?” I asked him
“So if I asked you to go with me to dinner you would think about work in the morning and not your stomach for the evening” he asked. I blushed. Was he trying to hint at something like for real ask me out to dinner?
“Dinner is different” I replied defensively.
“It could still be considered hanging out on a weeknight” he told me and I laughed.
‘Okay, I agree with you”
“So what’s the deal?”
“The deal about what?”
“What I asked you about dinner or the Karaoke place which one do you want to go to?” he asked me.
“What is this about if I may ask?” I asked trying to play dumb. I always like to play dumb with men. Danielle thinks it’s a bad idea because according to her she thinks it backfires and the man would think you are not interested in him or that you are as dumb as you sound.
“I am asking you to spend an evening with me, we should hang out, I think you are fun to hang out with.” he told me. Am I really fun to hang out with?
“I will think about it and call you back.” I told him.
“ Okay what about Friday night, so you don’t have to think about work on Saturday morning, I hope you don’t work weekends?”
“No I don’t, Friday night is fine” I replied. I can’t pass up on this offer. I haven’t had a date in over a year. Goodness.
“Okay, Friday it is, let’s meet at TGI Friday” he told me.
“Oh nice place for a Friday” I replied.
After agreeing on Friday we had a long conversation, I checked the timer on my phone, we talked for an hour forty eight minutes and thirty three seconds. Whew. Step one is complete now its time for step two.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
925.................................................
I don’t want to say that this is fate but must I keep running into Phillip everywhere I go, and even if I had to run into him somewhere why does it have to be at my job. I was walking into one of the offices when I saw a familiar figure coming to my direction, I hadn’t seen him since the last time I saw him at the ATM machine and that was probably why he showed up at my job.
“Hey” he said as he walked confidently towards me.
“Hi” I replied nervously butterflies were fluttering around my stomach. Well now I can’t be too sure of that or maybe its hunger pangs. I look at the giant clock in the hallway, its almost 2.30pm.
“What are you up to?” he asked, I was about to ask if he was blind, if he couldn’t see that work was actually what I was up to.
“Nothing really, just work, it’s a busy day today, and what are you doing here.” I asked him.
“I er………………….” He began and hesitated for a second, I could tell he was about to tell a lie and then I looked into his eyes and he started laughing.
“What’s funny?” I asked him.
“Well I came to see you. “he responded.
“Not a great time if must say” I replied. I was about to scream Hallelujah on the inside, Phillip Bordeaux came to see me. I have just won love lotto. Are you kidding me.
“I understand, I actually just dropped someone off here and I decided to step in to see you, I remember you told me you work here.” He told me. I looked at him. I remember telling him I work at Kirkland Guild but not this branch, he must have tracked me down somehow but at least he found me.
“Oh okay” I reply trying to keep my composure, he looked into my eyes.
“Can I get your number so I could give you a call like maybe later, so we could talk.
Of course darling the only reason you would call me is to talk. Definitely I would give you my number before one of the chief admins passes by.
“Alright, its 925……………………………………”
“Hey” he said as he walked confidently towards me.
“Hi” I replied nervously butterflies were fluttering around my stomach. Well now I can’t be too sure of that or maybe its hunger pangs. I look at the giant clock in the hallway, its almost 2.30pm.
“What are you up to?” he asked, I was about to ask if he was blind, if he couldn’t see that work was actually what I was up to.
“Nothing really, just work, it’s a busy day today, and what are you doing here.” I asked him.
“I er………………….” He began and hesitated for a second, I could tell he was about to tell a lie and then I looked into his eyes and he started laughing.
“What’s funny?” I asked him.
“Well I came to see you. “he responded.
“Not a great time if must say” I replied. I was about to scream Hallelujah on the inside, Phillip Bordeaux came to see me. I have just won love lotto. Are you kidding me.
“I understand, I actually just dropped someone off here and I decided to step in to see you, I remember you told me you work here.” He told me. I looked at him. I remember telling him I work at Kirkland Guild but not this branch, he must have tracked me down somehow but at least he found me.
“Oh okay” I reply trying to keep my composure, he looked into my eyes.
“Can I get your number so I could give you a call like maybe later, so we could talk.
Of course darling the only reason you would call me is to talk. Definitely I would give you my number before one of the chief admins passes by.
“Alright, its 925……………………………………”
Sunday, October 4, 2009
THE GREAT ESCAPE
I went into my room and pulled out my little brown knapsack I had gotten from the dollar store. I looked around the room to see if there was anything I would need to take from this house. I don’t have so many clothes and I don’t need old clothes, I picked up my small Bible, and other essentials like my toothbrush, I took a bar of soap from Channel’s closet, I would be far gone by the time she would realize the soap is missing. I took a grey sweater, two shirts and two pairs of jeans and stuffed them in my knapsack. I grabbed the trash can near the door and put the knapsack there and covered it with grocery bags. It would make me look like I was taking trash outside. Lastly I opened the mattress and removed the Ziploc bag of money which included coins and the likes. I stuffed it in the trash can. It was time to leave. I took a long look at the room for the last time and recounted the memories, nights I spent crying in my little bed doing homework. The times I sat in the chair by the window watching Chanelle, Ashley and Lauren get picked up to go out on lunch dates and dinner dates while I sit in the house either sleeping, watching TV or doing house chores. I would not even miss my school with all those silly teenagers. I looked at the time. It was time to go. I walked down the stairs with the trash can in my hand. Miss Mattie gave me a surprise look from across the couch.
“What are you still doing here, I thought you would be in the store by now?” she asked me.
“I had to put the clothes away, I am on my way” I replied. She nodded her head and I walked by with the trash can. I walked into the garage and opened the door leading to the side door outside, I put the trash on the recycle box and grabbed my knapsack and the money in the Ziploc. Escape is finally here, I briskly walked away from the house and from my old life.
“What are you still doing here, I thought you would be in the store by now?” she asked me.
“I had to put the clothes away, I am on my way” I replied. She nodded her head and I walked by with the trash can. I walked into the garage and opened the door leading to the side door outside, I put the trash on the recycle box and grabbed my knapsack and the money in the Ziploc. Escape is finally here, I briskly walked away from the house and from my old life.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
BREAKING THE CAMEL'S BACK
Three hours later, I was driving towards his house; I see his friend’s car parked outside. Joe was his best friend, they grew up together, and they are literally brothers. I parked right behind Joe’s Nissan maxima and I went up the stairs. He must have more company than Joe because I heard a lot of laughing in the background; I paused to listen to whose voices I could pick out, his room mate Patrick was not there because his car was not even parked outside. I heard a female voice, I think it might be Joe’s girlfriend Keisha, Yes it was Keisha and then some other female was in the room. He must have company, I listened closely to the voice, it was Betty, what was she doing here? I put my head close to the door to listen, I made sure there was no one looking especially his nosy neighbors and then I leaned closer.
“She called the office today and she just made a fool of herself.” Betty said.
“ I don’t know why she keeps calling the office, why can’t you just answer the phone for once and tell her what’s going on with you” Betty continued. She probably knows so much about our relationship.
“You need to tell her” Joe said. Joe was in this too.
“Joe, I know you like Rose a lot but, I am confused, she is just all over the place right now” Stanley him.
“The only reason she is all over the place is because you are not telling her anything, why are you avoiding her anyway, she is a really nice lady and she loves you very much?” Joe asked him. I was trying to imagine the look on Stanley’s face. Who was he dating or what was he not telling me at all?
“She is beginning to get on my nerves with commitment” Stanley replied. So that’s why he has been acting like that, the other night at dinner some lady walked by with her child and I told him that someday we would have a cute child like that together and he kind of squirmed at that statement, I don’t know why but I thought it was mean, I also hinted at the fact that I wanted to know where the relationship was going after that day everything fell apart. What did Stanley think I wanted him for, why did he think I stood by him, it was because I loved him and I wanted to be with him.
Nicholas at my job had dropped flowers on my table and invited me for numerous dinners and I gave him a negative response and here I was hanging in through thick and thin with this man.
“You guys have been together for a while now and you have given her every reason to feel that way.” Joe replied.
“ I have given her no such reason she needs to quit daydreaming” Stanley replied. My heart broke into two, tears started to drop down my cheeks.
“That’s so cruel” Keisha replied
“There is nothing cruel about it, he doesn’t want her anymore let her go” Betty replied.
“What is wrong with you, I thought you liked her” Joe asked Betty.
“I don’t really like her right now, she keeps calling and leaving messages” Betty said.
“Their relationship is none of your business” Keisha told her.
“Well watch your mouth and put your mouth where your man is” Betty said.
“Excuse me” Keisha began. Joe cut them off.
“Stop this nonsense, Rose is not here and you are getting on at each other because of Rose. I wish she was here to hear you listen to this nonsense.” Joe said. I couldn’t take it anymore, I opened the door.
“I have heard your nonsense” I said amid my tears, everyone in the room looked at me.
“She called the office today and she just made a fool of herself.” Betty said.
“ I don’t know why she keeps calling the office, why can’t you just answer the phone for once and tell her what’s going on with you” Betty continued. She probably knows so much about our relationship.
“You need to tell her” Joe said. Joe was in this too.
“Joe, I know you like Rose a lot but, I am confused, she is just all over the place right now” Stanley him.
“The only reason she is all over the place is because you are not telling her anything, why are you avoiding her anyway, she is a really nice lady and she loves you very much?” Joe asked him. I was trying to imagine the look on Stanley’s face. Who was he dating or what was he not telling me at all?
“She is beginning to get on my nerves with commitment” Stanley replied. So that’s why he has been acting like that, the other night at dinner some lady walked by with her child and I told him that someday we would have a cute child like that together and he kind of squirmed at that statement, I don’t know why but I thought it was mean, I also hinted at the fact that I wanted to know where the relationship was going after that day everything fell apart. What did Stanley think I wanted him for, why did he think I stood by him, it was because I loved him and I wanted to be with him.
Nicholas at my job had dropped flowers on my table and invited me for numerous dinners and I gave him a negative response and here I was hanging in through thick and thin with this man.
“You guys have been together for a while now and you have given her every reason to feel that way.” Joe replied.
“ I have given her no such reason she needs to quit daydreaming” Stanley replied. My heart broke into two, tears started to drop down my cheeks.
“That’s so cruel” Keisha replied
“There is nothing cruel about it, he doesn’t want her anymore let her go” Betty replied.
“What is wrong with you, I thought you liked her” Joe asked Betty.
“I don’t really like her right now, she keeps calling and leaving messages” Betty said.
“Their relationship is none of your business” Keisha told her.
“Well watch your mouth and put your mouth where your man is” Betty said.
“Excuse me” Keisha began. Joe cut them off.
“Stop this nonsense, Rose is not here and you are getting on at each other because of Rose. I wish she was here to hear you listen to this nonsense.” Joe said. I couldn’t take it anymore, I opened the door.
“I have heard your nonsense” I said amid my tears, everyone in the room looked at me.
SWEET ESCAPE
I did not hear the last of it when I got home. I served detention, that was a forbidden word in Miss Mattie’s house. She did not even want to hear it.
“You fought at school, like those ghetto people are you crazy, we are church people and I believe the Lord you just gave the devil the chance in your life” she told me.
I looked at her, she is one of those churchgoers who just go to church and be a statistic in the church offering, if I was God I don’t think I would want to listen to her prayer, she is full of crap. Church people indeed.
“She attacked me first, Miss Mattie” I tried to explain defensively.
“When you get hit, you turn the other cheek” Miss Mattie responded hitting me with her whip. Turn the other cheek, it is not that easy.
Chanelle, her oldest daughter told her about the incident, and I skipped dinner that night and also got twelve strokes of her skinny little whip. My butt hurt so bad I was too scared to sit down. Luckily for me I had to do the dishes so I didn’t have to sit immediately, I dreaded washing those greasy pots and pans but I had no choice. Chanelle had cooked dinner and burnt most of it. She could not cook anything right, the last time she made fried rice they were as good as soggy. Her culinary skills just suck, period. Ashley her younger sister is so much better, we are the same age but she is one freak I know. She has a secret boyfriend who whistles to her from outside and she goes up the stairs like she forgot something only to come back through the front door. She usually leaves the house through her bedroom window, there is a ladder placed by her window since her window is on the side of the house within the fence. Her mom has never suspected anything on any occasion but I hope she really does get caught one day, I would be so glad because she has been terrorizing me of recent and I definitely do not like that.
When I was fifteen, I ran away. I plotted my way of escape very carefully. I had started packing up my stuff little by little, when I mean stuff its most of the scrap I had in their house. One day Miss Mattie called me.
“Gina” she hollered.
“Yes, Miss Mattie” I answered running before she called me the second time.
“I need you to go to the store for me”
“Yes Miss Mattie” I responded. She handed me a grocery list, I read it, she needed some Milk, eggs and butter. She gave me a fifty dollar bill. Sweet. Part of my transport money to get on the Greyhound bus. This woman has just made my escape a little bit sweeter and so much better.
“You fought at school, like those ghetto people are you crazy, we are church people and I believe the Lord you just gave the devil the chance in your life” she told me.
I looked at her, she is one of those churchgoers who just go to church and be a statistic in the church offering, if I was God I don’t think I would want to listen to her prayer, she is full of crap. Church people indeed.
“She attacked me first, Miss Mattie” I tried to explain defensively.
“When you get hit, you turn the other cheek” Miss Mattie responded hitting me with her whip. Turn the other cheek, it is not that easy.
Chanelle, her oldest daughter told her about the incident, and I skipped dinner that night and also got twelve strokes of her skinny little whip. My butt hurt so bad I was too scared to sit down. Luckily for me I had to do the dishes so I didn’t have to sit immediately, I dreaded washing those greasy pots and pans but I had no choice. Chanelle had cooked dinner and burnt most of it. She could not cook anything right, the last time she made fried rice they were as good as soggy. Her culinary skills just suck, period. Ashley her younger sister is so much better, we are the same age but she is one freak I know. She has a secret boyfriend who whistles to her from outside and she goes up the stairs like she forgot something only to come back through the front door. She usually leaves the house through her bedroom window, there is a ladder placed by her window since her window is on the side of the house within the fence. Her mom has never suspected anything on any occasion but I hope she really does get caught one day, I would be so glad because she has been terrorizing me of recent and I definitely do not like that.
When I was fifteen, I ran away. I plotted my way of escape very carefully. I had started packing up my stuff little by little, when I mean stuff its most of the scrap I had in their house. One day Miss Mattie called me.
“Gina” she hollered.
“Yes, Miss Mattie” I answered running before she called me the second time.
“I need you to go to the store for me”
“Yes Miss Mattie” I responded. She handed me a grocery list, I read it, she needed some Milk, eggs and butter. She gave me a fifty dollar bill. Sweet. Part of my transport money to get on the Greyhound bus. This woman has just made my escape a little bit sweeter and so much better.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
CASE OF THE EX
It is Saturday and I have to be at a party with my cousin Danielle. There is this lady at her job that is throwing her thirtieth birthday party in grand style. I went to Macy’s yesterday to buy a nice outfit, it is a black Anne Klein dress and I am wearing these nice Jessica Simpson high heeled shoes. Danielle is in the other room trying to struggle into her outfit. Her boyfriend is going to pick us up.
“I hope this dress is not too tight” she asks me.
“You look like a hooker” I respond. She is wearing this funny looking black and white striped backless dress.
“That’s mean” Danielle responded giving me the look.
“Really” I replied laughing, “But you asked, that outfit is ridiculous”
“Okay, I have to change into something else then.
Half an hour later we were on the road. Danielle’s boyfriend Douglas came to pick us up in his Nissan Maxima. We got there about an hour later and the party was in full swing. There were tons of young ladies and young men. Everyone was chatting, eating, drinking or dancing. Douglas was Danielle on the dance floor, I had to engage myself in something, I refused to dance with the young man who had asked me to dance telling him I had a slight headache. He was not persistent, that was one of the things I liked about him. I decided to get something to eat, I didn’t know half the people in this place and when Danielle was talking about the party she made it seem that some of our friends would be there. I walked past the dance floor and went to the buffet table, I was just going to get some grilled fish when someone tapped me on my shoulder, I turned around and I got the greatest shock of my life, it was my ex boyfriend Stanley. I hadn’t seen Stanley since we broke up. He looked really good in his white tuxedo, he had a clean shave.
“Hey stranger” he greeted.
“Hello” I responded.
“What are you doing here?” he asked me.
“What are you doing here” I asked him too. What kind of dumb question was that? We are both at a party what else do people do at parties.
“I am here for my friend’s party” he told me.
“I came here with Danielle” I told him and just then Danielle appeared. She had a smirk on her face as soon as she saw him. He smiled at her. Danielle never hid her feelings. She didn’t like him especially after the way he treated me. Danielle stood up for me.
Stanley and I dated for two years, all of a sudden, he started acting weird, when I called him, it would go straight to voice mail, I can’t remember how many messages I left for him but he never called me back, I called him at the office, no response, even his co workers Betty MacMillan started becoming really rude the last time I called the office she answered.
“Hi Betty,” I began
“Hi” she replied, usually she sounded very unfriendly but today it was either she was having a bad day or I was irritating her.
“Can I speak with Stanley please?” I asked her.
“He is not here at the moment, he went for a meeting and he would be busy for the rest of the day.” She informed me rather spitefully.
“Did he ask you to inform me of this when I call?” I asked her because I didn’t ask her for those details, he was probably talking crap about me at the office.
“I just thought I should let you know” she responded
“Thanks” I replied and then I hung up the phone.
“I hope this dress is not too tight” she asks me.
“You look like a hooker” I respond. She is wearing this funny looking black and white striped backless dress.
“That’s mean” Danielle responded giving me the look.
“Really” I replied laughing, “But you asked, that outfit is ridiculous”
“Okay, I have to change into something else then.
Half an hour later we were on the road. Danielle’s boyfriend Douglas came to pick us up in his Nissan Maxima. We got there about an hour later and the party was in full swing. There were tons of young ladies and young men. Everyone was chatting, eating, drinking or dancing. Douglas was Danielle on the dance floor, I had to engage myself in something, I refused to dance with the young man who had asked me to dance telling him I had a slight headache. He was not persistent, that was one of the things I liked about him. I decided to get something to eat, I didn’t know half the people in this place and when Danielle was talking about the party she made it seem that some of our friends would be there. I walked past the dance floor and went to the buffet table, I was just going to get some grilled fish when someone tapped me on my shoulder, I turned around and I got the greatest shock of my life, it was my ex boyfriend Stanley. I hadn’t seen Stanley since we broke up. He looked really good in his white tuxedo, he had a clean shave.
“Hey stranger” he greeted.
“Hello” I responded.
“What are you doing here?” he asked me.
“What are you doing here” I asked him too. What kind of dumb question was that? We are both at a party what else do people do at parties.
“I am here for my friend’s party” he told me.
“I came here with Danielle” I told him and just then Danielle appeared. She had a smirk on her face as soon as she saw him. He smiled at her. Danielle never hid her feelings. She didn’t like him especially after the way he treated me. Danielle stood up for me.
Stanley and I dated for two years, all of a sudden, he started acting weird, when I called him, it would go straight to voice mail, I can’t remember how many messages I left for him but he never called me back, I called him at the office, no response, even his co workers Betty MacMillan started becoming really rude the last time I called the office she answered.
“Hi Betty,” I began
“Hi” she replied, usually she sounded very unfriendly but today it was either she was having a bad day or I was irritating her.
“Can I speak with Stanley please?” I asked her.
“He is not here at the moment, he went for a meeting and he would be busy for the rest of the day.” She informed me rather spitefully.
“Did he ask you to inform me of this when I call?” I asked her because I didn’t ask her for those details, he was probably talking crap about me at the office.
“I just thought I should let you know” she responded
“Thanks” I replied and then I hung up the phone.
Monday, September 21, 2009
GINA'S YOUTH
I met Mr. Benson one night while I was hawking my goods on the street for anyone who cared to pay, then I was still going home with men who paid me crap compared to Mr. Benson, he pulled over to the curb and offered me a ride, ever since that day a year ago my life changed a whole lot. I could afford to wear decent clothes in the day time. I am not ashamed of what I do. I do it to survive, my mom died when I was eight, she had a heart condition and it was unlikely that she would live past my eight birthday, my father walked away from the house and I never saw him again. I don’t think I would know what he looks like right now if I walked down the street. I have two siblings. An older sister and a younger brother, we were all taken into foster care because none of our relatives wanted to care for us. I hated that and so I swore that when I got out of the foster care system I would be on my own and make it in life. I don’t know what happened to my sister and I never saw her again. I lived with Miss Mattie, a widow in her mid forties and my story became worse than Cinderella’s. She had three lazy children all girls, I did most of the housework. I was actually treated like an outcast more than a foster child. She shopped for me at the Thrift Store and bought me some old clothes. I dressed good on the days the Social worker came around, she made me wear one of her daughter’s clothes. I was in a pitiful state. She was being paid money to take care of me instead she spent the money on herself and her evil daughters. I once tried to tell on her when the Social worker came, Miss Jeryln was a very nice, petite young woman. Even though I looked well, she could tell something was wrong. One day Miss Mattie paid one of the neighbors to take me to see the Social worker in her office, I had those kind of visits once in a month. Miss Jeryln bought me some Chinese food, I hadn’t eaten that in a while. She watched me eat with so much relish.
“So how are things at the house?“ she asked me.
“Good” I replied with food in my mouth.
“Does she treat you very well?” she asked me.
“Yes”
“Are you sure?”
I looked at her, how did she know I was not well treated, I don’t even know what to tell her right now. She looked me in the eye and asked me the same question again. I looked away from her. She stood up and walked around the table. She finally pulled the chair beside me and sat down.
“Gina, I like you a lot and this is my job, if you are not happy, tell me I will make a report and have you moved to a different home” she told me.
“No ma’am, I don’t want to move to a different home” I told her with tears running down my cheeks.
“Do you like it over there where you live?” she asked me.
“Yes” I replied quietly.
Sometimes I look back and I wish I had spilled the beans and told on Miss Mattie. I should have told on how she made me wash dishes till midnight, how I had to do homework when everyone else was asleep and was barely awake in the morning. On weekends, I cleaned the house all by myself with little or no help from the girls who were always getting ready to go for one pool party or another, they chatted endlessly to my dismay. When I was fourteen I had decided that school was not for me. Most of the girls in my class made fun of my clothes and there was this one girl who was always looking for ways to humiliate me. One day she found it. It was during lunch at school where she walked over to me and pulled my $3.99 ponytail from the discount rack at the Beauty supply off my head. She held it out.
“Ewwwwwwwwwww, what is this?” she asked and her friends laughed.
I was too embarrassed to speak.
“Even if you don’t have any hair on your head, this is not to proper thing to wear, it looks like my cat’s tail and when was the last time you got a perm, your hair sure does look nappy?” she said. I took a look at Natalie. She was Miss Thing at school, a tall girl with braces which I would gladly knock off her mouth. She had two cute brothers, Ken and Henry. I took a long look at the ponytail she was holding up like it disgusted her.
“If that looks like your cat’s tail, you surely must have an ugly cat” I responded and I was surprised that I had actually said something in my self defense for once.
Everyone laughed. No one expected me to talk back to Natalie, not the Gina they knew. Natalie was angry, her facial expression changed on the double. She slapped me to everyone’s horror. Okay we are about to take this outside. I grabbed her hair and pulled her braids, I grabbed a handful out. She screamed pathetically. We threw punches at each other, one of her friends Tina tried to come and separate her, I don’t know if it was Natalie or I who punched her in the eye because she screamed in agony and fell down. It took two boys to separate us and then I saw the Principal walk into the dining hall, the uproar must have attracted him from his office. Half an hour later we were serving detention in Detention room.
“So how are things at the house?“ she asked me.
“Good” I replied with food in my mouth.
“Does she treat you very well?” she asked me.
“Yes”
“Are you sure?”
I looked at her, how did she know I was not well treated, I don’t even know what to tell her right now. She looked me in the eye and asked me the same question again. I looked away from her. She stood up and walked around the table. She finally pulled the chair beside me and sat down.
“Gina, I like you a lot and this is my job, if you are not happy, tell me I will make a report and have you moved to a different home” she told me.
“No ma’am, I don’t want to move to a different home” I told her with tears running down my cheeks.
“Do you like it over there where you live?” she asked me.
“Yes” I replied quietly.
Sometimes I look back and I wish I had spilled the beans and told on Miss Mattie. I should have told on how she made me wash dishes till midnight, how I had to do homework when everyone else was asleep and was barely awake in the morning. On weekends, I cleaned the house all by myself with little or no help from the girls who were always getting ready to go for one pool party or another, they chatted endlessly to my dismay. When I was fourteen I had decided that school was not for me. Most of the girls in my class made fun of my clothes and there was this one girl who was always looking for ways to humiliate me. One day she found it. It was during lunch at school where she walked over to me and pulled my $3.99 ponytail from the discount rack at the Beauty supply off my head. She held it out.
“Ewwwwwwwwwww, what is this?” she asked and her friends laughed.
I was too embarrassed to speak.
“Even if you don’t have any hair on your head, this is not to proper thing to wear, it looks like my cat’s tail and when was the last time you got a perm, your hair sure does look nappy?” she said. I took a look at Natalie. She was Miss Thing at school, a tall girl with braces which I would gladly knock off her mouth. She had two cute brothers, Ken and Henry. I took a long look at the ponytail she was holding up like it disgusted her.
“If that looks like your cat’s tail, you surely must have an ugly cat” I responded and I was surprised that I had actually said something in my self defense for once.
Everyone laughed. No one expected me to talk back to Natalie, not the Gina they knew. Natalie was angry, her facial expression changed on the double. She slapped me to everyone’s horror. Okay we are about to take this outside. I grabbed her hair and pulled her braids, I grabbed a handful out. She screamed pathetically. We threw punches at each other, one of her friends Tina tried to come and separate her, I don’t know if it was Natalie or I who punched her in the eye because she screamed in agony and fell down. It took two boys to separate us and then I saw the Principal walk into the dining hall, the uproar must have attracted him from his office. Half an hour later we were serving detention in Detention room.
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