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.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
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.
Friday, September 18, 2009
PHILLIP
I haven’t stopped thinking of Phillip Bordeaux since I first met him. I also need to find out more about him. Danielle and I had a great lunch that day and I told her about him.
“Well do what you need to do; I am so looking forward to your wedding.” She told me and I looked at her in amazement.
“Why must you always think about marriage, he doesn’t even know anything about me other than my name?”
“Well, I think if someone is going on a journey, one needs to know where they are going?” If he is not going to have a relationship with you, why do you want to waste your time and your emotions on something that is not likely to move forward.”
I think she has a point but she is not going about it the right way. You can’t just tell a man that if there are no marriage plans he can’t be with you and sometimes I have witnessed situations where a woman thinks she has found the right man and realizes that the man does not feel the same way about her so in this situation what do you want her to do.
“Danielle, every man cannot be like your boyfriend.”
“Well then I must have the best boyfriend in the whole wide world”
Not necessarily, I think I am just lucky to have someone like him”
“Yeah yeah” I replied rolling my eyes.
Phillip Bordeaux has been in my thoughts even in my dreams. Goodness. I am falling in love with a stranger. Today is my lucky day. Guess who I ran into at the ATM machine. I had just pulled up in front of the bank. The bank had closed. It was past seven o’clock in the evening. I had to deposit a check into my account; I sat in my car and signed the back of the check. I came out of the car and walked towards the ATM terminal. I had just put the envelope into the machine when I heard a car pull up. I turned to see who it was, I saw it was a man but I didn’t see him clearly. I quickly braced myself, took the receipt and my card out of the machine. I was walking towards my parked car when I heard my name in a familiar voice.
“Rose of Sharon” the man called out and I looked. My heart skipped a beat. It was Phillip.
“Hi, Mr. Bordeaux” I responded standing still. He looked good this evening, he looked like he was either going to the tennis court or coming from it. I couldn’t help but stare at his long legs. He was looking really good.
“Phillip” he corrected me as he walked towards me.
“Oh, my bad, how are you doing this evening?” I asked
‘Definitely doing fine. I just got back from playing tennis with my colleague at work,” he told me staring at me. I almost shivered. I was wearing a white long sleeved blouse which had a collar and a short skirt, the first two buttons of my blouse were open so he must have been getting a proper glimpse of my two naughty girls popping out of my half cup bra.
“Oh, I just got off from work” I told him.
“Where do you work?” he asked me.
“Kirkland Guild’ I replied
“Medical?”
“Clerical” and I laughed, I am sure he expected me to be a nurse of some sort sorry to disappoint him, I am not even wearing scrubs.
“Interesting”
“Where do you work?”
“Benson Equipment”
“Nice.”
“I used to work for Gerald & Thompson Labs and then I got laid off so now I work for Benson Equipment.”
“Pretty good” I replied not knowing what else to say. “Anyway it was nice seeing you after last week.” I told him.
“Nice seeing you too, did you ever get to find Daniel?” he asked.
“No, he didn’t show up.” I told him.I can't believe that he still remembers Daniel my ficititious character. He must have seen me with Danielle and I am not ready to talk too much today.
“Anyway have a good evening”
“You too”
“Well do what you need to do; I am so looking forward to your wedding.” She told me and I looked at her in amazement.
“Why must you always think about marriage, he doesn’t even know anything about me other than my name?”
“Well, I think if someone is going on a journey, one needs to know where they are going?” If he is not going to have a relationship with you, why do you want to waste your time and your emotions on something that is not likely to move forward.”
I think she has a point but she is not going about it the right way. You can’t just tell a man that if there are no marriage plans he can’t be with you and sometimes I have witnessed situations where a woman thinks she has found the right man and realizes that the man does not feel the same way about her so in this situation what do you want her to do.
“Danielle, every man cannot be like your boyfriend.”
“Well then I must have the best boyfriend in the whole wide world”
Not necessarily, I think I am just lucky to have someone like him”
“Yeah yeah” I replied rolling my eyes.
Phillip Bordeaux has been in my thoughts even in my dreams. Goodness. I am falling in love with a stranger. Today is my lucky day. Guess who I ran into at the ATM machine. I had just pulled up in front of the bank. The bank had closed. It was past seven o’clock in the evening. I had to deposit a check into my account; I sat in my car and signed the back of the check. I came out of the car and walked towards the ATM terminal. I had just put the envelope into the machine when I heard a car pull up. I turned to see who it was, I saw it was a man but I didn’t see him clearly. I quickly braced myself, took the receipt and my card out of the machine. I was walking towards my parked car when I heard my name in a familiar voice.
“Rose of Sharon” the man called out and I looked. My heart skipped a beat. It was Phillip.
“Hi, Mr. Bordeaux” I responded standing still. He looked good this evening, he looked like he was either going to the tennis court or coming from it. I couldn’t help but stare at his long legs. He was looking really good.
“Phillip” he corrected me as he walked towards me.
“Oh, my bad, how are you doing this evening?” I asked
‘Definitely doing fine. I just got back from playing tennis with my colleague at work,” he told me staring at me. I almost shivered. I was wearing a white long sleeved blouse which had a collar and a short skirt, the first two buttons of my blouse were open so he must have been getting a proper glimpse of my two naughty girls popping out of my half cup bra.
“Oh, I just got off from work” I told him.
“Where do you work?” he asked me.
“Kirkland Guild’ I replied
“Medical?”
“Clerical” and I laughed, I am sure he expected me to be a nurse of some sort sorry to disappoint him, I am not even wearing scrubs.
“Interesting”
“Where do you work?”
“Benson Equipment”
“Nice.”
“I used to work for Gerald & Thompson Labs and then I got laid off so now I work for Benson Equipment.”
“Pretty good” I replied not knowing what else to say. “Anyway it was nice seeing you after last week.” I told him.
“Nice seeing you too, did you ever get to find Daniel?” he asked.
“No, he didn’t show up.” I told him.I can't believe that he still remembers Daniel my ficititious character. He must have seen me with Danielle and I am not ready to talk too much today.
“Anyway have a good evening”
“You too”
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
BEDROOM SECRETS
I have never seen a woman call her son so many times in a day. She can never replace me as his wife. I am completely loved by my husband Dimabo Pepple. I raised him from scratch and not even then sixty five year old woman would tear us apart. Dimabo and I have come a long way. I met him in college. He was my heart rob and I meant totally everything to him and I still do, we have two beautiful twin daughters together, Priscilla and Vanessa who are both eleven years old. We got married at twenty three and had our girls at twenty five. We have not had any children after them. It was a decision we chose to make. Mrs. Pepple Snr had a problem with that after the twins turned six.
“ So what’s up with you having more kids?” she asked as we prepared thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen. I hate revealing information about the private conversations I have with Dimabo in the bedroom. If she wanted that kind of information, she could get it from her son and not me. I did not respond. I knew that it would make her mad but I really didn’t care.
“ I believe that I just asked you a question” she repeated with some anger in her tone as I predicted.
“ Oh am sorry I was not really paying attention, what did you say?” I asked her. I could tell that she knew I was lying but I did not care. Mrs Pepple Snr really does get on my nerves sometimes. She thinks that she can just boss anyone around.
“When am I having my next grandchild?” she repeated slowly and firmly.
“I don’t know” I replied.
“What do you mean by you don’t know, are you impotent or something?” she asked me. I angrily dropped the spoon I was using to mix the food into the sink beside me,
‘I refuse to answer that question” I told her.
“Well for the last couple of years, I have only had Priscilla and Vanessa as my grand daughter but I need other grandkids” she said realizing that she had made me really angry.
“Well they are your grandkids and please let us leave it at that” I told her.
‘Are you on contraception?” she asked me. I could tell she was grinning on the inside.
“Mrs. Pepple, please, let’s leave that out”
“I am a woman just like you, I am just asking”
“That’s the private aspect of my life” I retorted
“Nothing about you is private; you are my son’s wife.”
“I am married to your son, he is my husband and I am his wife and our life together is our business.” I retorted again, the tone in my voice was beginning to get unfriendly. How can this old woman start asking me about my sexual life, it’s none of her business?
“ You will be surprised the things I know about your so called private life” Mrs. Pepple Snr replied. I looked at her for a split second, what did she mean by that? Was Dimabo telling our bedroom secrets to his mom?
“Excuse me, what do you mean by the things you know?”
“ I know a lot of stuff my dear, if I told you ,you would be very surprised.” She responded confidently. I was fuming inside.
“So what did he tell you, that our sex is good , that I ……” and I got cut short by Mrs. Pepple
“Don’t try to tell me stuff that I already know, its not a very good idea.” She told me grinning wickedly. I couldn’t take it anymore. I walked out of the kitchen and as I walked away I heard her burst into laughter.
Thomas was sitting in the family room reading the newspaper. I I walked up to him.
“Hey” he said as he took his head up from the paper.
“We need to talk” I told him.
“What’s going on?” he said and put the newspaper down, he did not like the sound of my voice.
‘What did you tell your mother about our sex life?” I asked him. He knew I was upset.
“What do you mean by that kind of statement?” he asked me sternly.
“I mean, what did you tell her about the sex we have upstairs and everywhere else in this building?”
“Nadine, are you out of your mind, what kind of outrageous statement is that?”
“ I am not out of my mind, your mom just told me that you told her about our sex life and I don’t think that is very necessary and that’s our private life.”
“Nadine, what kind of ridiculous talk is this, why would I tell my mom about our sex life and why are you talking to me like that?” Dimabo was getting very upset, I never talk to him like that, we argue like civilized people but at the rate at which I am going I believe that this shouting match is not going to stop anytime soon.
“Thomas, I should be asking you that question?”
“I told her nothing”
“How would you feel if I called your best friend and told him about our sex life?”
“I told you I never told her anything”
“So you are telling me right now that she is lying?”
“Most definitely, where is she?” he asked me standing up.
“In the kitchen” I responded and just then his mother came out smiling.
“Mom, what is the meaning of what you said?” Thomas asked his mom, he had become very angry and the look on his face made his mom burst into laughter. Thomas stared at her wondering what in the world was so funny about his question that warranted her laughter.
“Your wife is too gullible for my liking” she remarked still laughing and I glared at her. What did she mean by that statement? All of a sudden I looked stupid, she was probably joking and I took it too seriously.
“What is this about mom?” he asked.
“I told her that I know your bedroom secrets” his mom told him winking mischievously at him and smiling.
“She said you told her our bedroom secrets” I told him.
Thomas looked at both of us in disgust and went upstairs.
For a week, Thomas did not speak to me. All because of his mom. That was the worst thanksgiving week ever.
“ So what’s up with you having more kids?” she asked as we prepared thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen. I hate revealing information about the private conversations I have with Dimabo in the bedroom. If she wanted that kind of information, she could get it from her son and not me. I did not respond. I knew that it would make her mad but I really didn’t care.
“ I believe that I just asked you a question” she repeated with some anger in her tone as I predicted.
“ Oh am sorry I was not really paying attention, what did you say?” I asked her. I could tell that she knew I was lying but I did not care. Mrs Pepple Snr really does get on my nerves sometimes. She thinks that she can just boss anyone around.
“When am I having my next grandchild?” she repeated slowly and firmly.
“I don’t know” I replied.
“What do you mean by you don’t know, are you impotent or something?” she asked me. I angrily dropped the spoon I was using to mix the food into the sink beside me,
‘I refuse to answer that question” I told her.
“Well for the last couple of years, I have only had Priscilla and Vanessa as my grand daughter but I need other grandkids” she said realizing that she had made me really angry.
“Well they are your grandkids and please let us leave it at that” I told her.
‘Are you on contraception?” she asked me. I could tell she was grinning on the inside.
“Mrs. Pepple, please, let’s leave that out”
“I am a woman just like you, I am just asking”
“That’s the private aspect of my life” I retorted
“Nothing about you is private; you are my son’s wife.”
“I am married to your son, he is my husband and I am his wife and our life together is our business.” I retorted again, the tone in my voice was beginning to get unfriendly. How can this old woman start asking me about my sexual life, it’s none of her business?
“ You will be surprised the things I know about your so called private life” Mrs. Pepple Snr replied. I looked at her for a split second, what did she mean by that? Was Dimabo telling our bedroom secrets to his mom?
“Excuse me, what do you mean by the things you know?”
“ I know a lot of stuff my dear, if I told you ,you would be very surprised.” She responded confidently. I was fuming inside.
“So what did he tell you, that our sex is good , that I ……” and I got cut short by Mrs. Pepple
“Don’t try to tell me stuff that I already know, its not a very good idea.” She told me grinning wickedly. I couldn’t take it anymore. I walked out of the kitchen and as I walked away I heard her burst into laughter.
Thomas was sitting in the family room reading the newspaper. I I walked up to him.
“Hey” he said as he took his head up from the paper.
“We need to talk” I told him.
“What’s going on?” he said and put the newspaper down, he did not like the sound of my voice.
‘What did you tell your mother about our sex life?” I asked him. He knew I was upset.
“What do you mean by that kind of statement?” he asked me sternly.
“I mean, what did you tell her about the sex we have upstairs and everywhere else in this building?”
“Nadine, are you out of your mind, what kind of outrageous statement is that?”
“ I am not out of my mind, your mom just told me that you told her about our sex life and I don’t think that is very necessary and that’s our private life.”
“Nadine, what kind of ridiculous talk is this, why would I tell my mom about our sex life and why are you talking to me like that?” Dimabo was getting very upset, I never talk to him like that, we argue like civilized people but at the rate at which I am going I believe that this shouting match is not going to stop anytime soon.
“Thomas, I should be asking you that question?”
“I told her nothing”
“How would you feel if I called your best friend and told him about our sex life?”
“I told you I never told her anything”
“So you are telling me right now that she is lying?”
“Most definitely, where is she?” he asked me standing up.
“In the kitchen” I responded and just then his mother came out smiling.
“Mom, what is the meaning of what you said?” Thomas asked his mom, he had become very angry and the look on his face made his mom burst into laughter. Thomas stared at her wondering what in the world was so funny about his question that warranted her laughter.
“Your wife is too gullible for my liking” she remarked still laughing and I glared at her. What did she mean by that statement? All of a sudden I looked stupid, she was probably joking and I took it too seriously.
“What is this about mom?” he asked.
“I told her that I know your bedroom secrets” his mom told him winking mischievously at him and smiling.
“She said you told her our bedroom secrets” I told him.
Thomas looked at both of us in disgust and went upstairs.
For a week, Thomas did not speak to me. All because of his mom. That was the worst thanksgiving week ever.
Monday, September 14, 2009
ROSEOFSHARON & PHILLIP
Finally a thought comes into my head and I stand up to go and over to his table.
“Hi” I begin and he looks at me. I don’t know what is running through his mind but his facial expression does not really change much.
“Hi, my name is Rose of Sharon, I am supposed to meet someone here called Daniel” I tell him.
“Are you Daniel?” I ask him.
The man looks at me, he has a clean cut face. I am loving this. I take a closer look at his Blackberry. It is a Blackberry Curve, the Javelin the newest one. This is amazing.
“My name is not Daniel, I am afraid I am not the one you are looking for.” He replied politely.
“Oh I am really sorry to bother you, my company sent me here to meet with this person and I don’t know who the person is unfortunately, I have been waiting for an hour and if Daniel is not here within the next ten minutes, I would take my leave.” I tell him.
“It’s alright, and what did you say your name was again?” he asked me, I almost blushed, everyone who hears my name of the first time always asks me to repeat it again. Since elementary school, I have been teased to have the longest name which has three words, like saying Lily of the Valley or President of America or United States of America.
“Rose of Sharon” I replied.
“That’s your name like for real” he asked me. I smile, he grins, my heart has just skipped three beats and I wonder why I am not on the floor yet, he has a great smile. He is a very handsome man, I must say.
“Yes, Rose of Sharon Jones” I reply.
“Very unique name, very nice” he tells me.
“And what is your name?” I ask him. After carrying a friendly conversation for a minute I think I have a right to know his name since he knows mine already.
“Daniel Williams” he replied.
“Your name is Daniel?” I asked. I was about to pass out, are you kidding me, so I just freaking made up a crappy story and now his name is Daniel. All of a sudden I am hoping and praying that my cousin Danielle doesn’t walk into the restaurant because she is going to come over here and holla and ruin my little plot with her big mouth.
“No, I was just messing with you.” He laughed realizing the look on my face. “ My name is Phillip Bordeaux” he told me.
I shake my head, a French last name, I like his first name, Phillip.
“Nice to meet you Phillip,” I tell him.
“You are welcome” he replies. I move away from his table and I change my spot to the far end of the restaurant. My phone begins to vibrate again and I sure with no doubt that Danielle is the one sending me this message.
“Cousin, I am so sorry, I should be there in 5 mins, I had to pick up something from the store real quick”
Good. Knowing his name will help my plan fall into place. Phillip Bordeaux, Rose of Sharon Jones has got her eye on you and this won’t be the last time you will see me. I turned to look at him and I see a lady in a black skirt suit walk up to his table, he stands up and pulls the chair out for her to sit in. I can’t believe my eyes. Is that his girlfriend, co worker, lover or wife? He had no ring on. Anyway, I have a battle to fight and that sister over there is not going to win this one.
“Hi” I begin and he looks at me. I don’t know what is running through his mind but his facial expression does not really change much.
“Hi, my name is Rose of Sharon, I am supposed to meet someone here called Daniel” I tell him.
“Are you Daniel?” I ask him.
The man looks at me, he has a clean cut face. I am loving this. I take a closer look at his Blackberry. It is a Blackberry Curve, the Javelin the newest one. This is amazing.
“My name is not Daniel, I am afraid I am not the one you are looking for.” He replied politely.
“Oh I am really sorry to bother you, my company sent me here to meet with this person and I don’t know who the person is unfortunately, I have been waiting for an hour and if Daniel is not here within the next ten minutes, I would take my leave.” I tell him.
“It’s alright, and what did you say your name was again?” he asked me, I almost blushed, everyone who hears my name of the first time always asks me to repeat it again. Since elementary school, I have been teased to have the longest name which has three words, like saying Lily of the Valley or President of America or United States of America.
“Rose of Sharon” I replied.
“That’s your name like for real” he asked me. I smile, he grins, my heart has just skipped three beats and I wonder why I am not on the floor yet, he has a great smile. He is a very handsome man, I must say.
“Yes, Rose of Sharon Jones” I reply.
“Very unique name, very nice” he tells me.
“And what is your name?” I ask him. After carrying a friendly conversation for a minute I think I have a right to know his name since he knows mine already.
“Daniel Williams” he replied.
“Your name is Daniel?” I asked. I was about to pass out, are you kidding me, so I just freaking made up a crappy story and now his name is Daniel. All of a sudden I am hoping and praying that my cousin Danielle doesn’t walk into the restaurant because she is going to come over here and holla and ruin my little plot with her big mouth.
“No, I was just messing with you.” He laughed realizing the look on my face. “ My name is Phillip Bordeaux” he told me.
I shake my head, a French last name, I like his first name, Phillip.
“Nice to meet you Phillip,” I tell him.
“You are welcome” he replies. I move away from his table and I change my spot to the far end of the restaurant. My phone begins to vibrate again and I sure with no doubt that Danielle is the one sending me this message.
“Cousin, I am so sorry, I should be there in 5 mins, I had to pick up something from the store real quick”
Good. Knowing his name will help my plan fall into place. Phillip Bordeaux, Rose of Sharon Jones has got her eye on you and this won’t be the last time you will see me. I turned to look at him and I see a lady in a black skirt suit walk up to his table, he stands up and pulls the chair out for her to sit in. I can’t believe my eyes. Is that his girlfriend, co worker, lover or wife? He had no ring on. Anyway, I have a battle to fight and that sister over there is not going to win this one.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
INTRODUCING: DONEISHA SIMS ANDERSON
I was sitting in my parents 7 bedroom house. I have lived here all my life running though each and every room, swimming in the Olympic size swimming pool in the backyard and having all my teenage pool parties out there. Laying out on the lawn and reading thousands of books that now fill up those carton boxes in the garage while eating an apple and sipping from my glass of champagne are my memories of this house. This used to be my paradise until i went to college in Massachussetts. I got into Harvard University.I was the only one in my graduating class to get accepted into Harvard. Princeton rejected me and so did Stanford, who cares, i had gotten into the best of the best even though my dad would have preferred i went to Princeton, his Alma Mater. I also got admitted into Columbia University and UCLA but my parents sent me straight to Harvard. I cried but it yielded nothing. I was going to miss the luxury of my home and everything I ever had I was also going to miss my two best friends, but thanks to cell phones. I have always been closed minded about meeting new people and that is the kind of mentality that I have always had. My parents are social elites. They scrutinized my friends. I met my husband in Law school. Richard Anderson, a tall handsome man. He had just graduated with his MBA in Economics. He worked in New York. We had a long distance relationship for a year and then he moved to Virgina where he found another job with a different company. His old job was rather hectic and he was also thinking of settling down. We flew to my home in California for Thanksgiving. My parents freaked out. He was not their kind of son inlaw. He was not from the perfect home, he didn't go to the perfect schools. Richard's parents were divorced, their marriage ended when he was fifteen leaving him and his sister Patrice to deal with their constant feud afterwards. Richard attended Ohio State University which was not my parents ideal school as well.
" I can't believe that after all the money and education your father and I have given you, you went below your class to pick up some reject from somewhere" my mom said scolding me in her bedroom which was on the west wing of the house.
"Mom, i am in love with this guy, at least out of everthing he has been through, he has made something out of his life" i told her almost in tears.
"You are beginning to sound like a mediocre" my mom replied. Mediocrity and mundanity are my mom's wort enemies.
"Mom why are you doing this to me, he is the only one who is genuinely interested in me" i tld my mom.
"Really, how are you so sure about that?" she asked me with a smirk on her face which i don't like at all.
"Mom, seriously, i don't wish to have this conversation anymore." I told her.
"No, Neisha we are going to have this conversation, you are the only child in this family and your future matters to us, we are going to leave our estate to you and you cannot just bring some kid with unidentifiable parents to my house and talk about having a future with him and by the way what happened to Phillip?" my mom asked.
"I am not interesed in Phillip" i replied flatly.
Throughout our stay in the house, my mother had a strange and rather cold and distant behavior not only towards me but especially to my boyfriend.
"Your mom does not like me" he told me as we rode to the mall in my father's car.
"She is like that with people she does not know" I told him.
"I have stayed in their house for more than three days but she doesn't seem to want to brak the ice" he said.
"don't worry, she'll come out of her little shell" i told him, he looked at me and i smiled trying to cheer him up. He smiled back but it was not genuine, he had this rather uneasy look. My mom is a tough nut to crack, he had breakfast on the second day with my dad and I have no idea what they talked about, I don't even know if he told my mother anything.
" I can't believe that after all the money and education your father and I have given you, you went below your class to pick up some reject from somewhere" my mom said scolding me in her bedroom which was on the west wing of the house.
"Mom, i am in love with this guy, at least out of everthing he has been through, he has made something out of his life" i told her almost in tears.
"You are beginning to sound like a mediocre" my mom replied. Mediocrity and mundanity are my mom's wort enemies.
"Mom why are you doing this to me, he is the only one who is genuinely interested in me" i tld my mom.
"Really, how are you so sure about that?" she asked me with a smirk on her face which i don't like at all.
"Mom, seriously, i don't wish to have this conversation anymore." I told her.
"No, Neisha we are going to have this conversation, you are the only child in this family and your future matters to us, we are going to leave our estate to you and you cannot just bring some kid with unidentifiable parents to my house and talk about having a future with him and by the way what happened to Phillip?" my mom asked.
"I am not interesed in Phillip" i replied flatly.
Throughout our stay in the house, my mother had a strange and rather cold and distant behavior not only towards me but especially to my boyfriend.
"Your mom does not like me" he told me as we rode to the mall in my father's car.
"She is like that with people she does not know" I told him.
"I have stayed in their house for more than three days but she doesn't seem to want to brak the ice" he said.
"don't worry, she'll come out of her little shell" i told him, he looked at me and i smiled trying to cheer him up. He smiled back but it was not genuine, he had this rather uneasy look. My mom is a tough nut to crack, he had breakfast on the second day with my dad and I have no idea what they talked about, I don't even know if he told my mother anything.
Friday, September 11, 2009
INTRODUCING:NADINE YOUNG-PEPPLE
If you think your mother-in-law is crazy or evil, wait till you meet mine. I don't think i have the typical mother in law who is bound to give you a headache everyday, complaining about the things you do and don't do, I have the kind of mother in law that absolutely hates my guts, she can't even stand the ground that i walk on.She hates me with a serious passion and I don't know how I have been able to stay married to her son for these many years without losing my sanity. Mrs Pepple Snr is hust one of those women who needs a life. Her husband passed away when Dimabo my husband was in college, apart from his mother who dotes on him worse than a little baby, Dimabo also has a younger sister called Ibiso also known as Janice. Ibiso and I have had our ups and downs,especially since she is tied to her mother's apron strings; she tends to behave like her mother once in a while. Ibiso got married a year after her brother and I got married. She married a Colonel and got a divorce from him about five years later after two kids, Alexis and Andrew. She became an embittered woman and moved to a different state.
Mrs Pepple Snr does not like me especially because I am not from their tribe. My father is British and my mother is Black which makes me a half breed. Mrs Pepple wanted her son to marry her best friend's daughter Henrietta who back then was about to go to Medical school. I had just graduated with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular biology and i went straight to Pharmacy school. Dimabo and I decided to have a small wedding. We decided to have a memorable wedding with about two hundred and fifty guests and have a small wedding cruise but his mother had other plans.
"No way, a wedding cruise, is this Titanic about to happen again?" she asked out loud as Dimabo told her of our proposed wedding plans. She started to speak to him in their language which i had absolutely no idea of. Dimabo gave his mom the ugliest look I have ever seen.
"Why don't you every agree with anything we plan Mama, i am getting tired of this madness, everything always has to go your way or no way." he shouted, he was frustrated with his mother's behavior.
" What madness? You must be mad. You are a very stupid boy.Well over my dead body would I let you marry this Mami water" she responded. Mami Water, is that what she called me, Dimabo once told me that it means Mermaid, did she just call me that.i am laughing out loud, in my mind.
" I am not interested in marrying Henrietta mom if that is what you are trying to persuade me to do. Mama i can't understand you, why do you always have to impose your own ideas on me, i mean Nadine is a lovely lady, why are you making things so difficult?"
"Nadine is white trailer trash as far as i am concerned" she said flatly looking at me straight in the eyes.If the human mind was transparent she would see me holding a dagger about to pierce her sharp mouth, that woman spits venom when she talks, i can't remember the last time i had a civil conversation with her becuase she ends up yelling. If i didn't love Dimabo so much, i would have walked out of the house this instant.
"Mama!!!!!!!!!!!!" Dimabo shouted.
"My son, i want what is best for you, i want you to have a lovely wedding with this your lady here so i will give you my own take, i want you to have the wedding on a golf course, i know so many people that will attend the wedding........................" Dimabo was pissed off.
"You don't seem to understand what we are talking about here, that's too many people and we are spending so much money on just a ceremony and after party on a golf course, i know you want to invite those friends of yours and they will bring more people, i want to keep it strictly two hundred and fifty people." Dimabo explained.
"It's you wedding, are you not proud to have found someone to marry" his mother asked sneeringly at him. he stole a quick glance at me. I said nothing. Dimabo had reassured me of his love and support.We finally had our way having a wedding cruise. We had four hundred guests instead.
Mrs Pepple Snr does not like me especially because I am not from their tribe. My father is British and my mother is Black which makes me a half breed. Mrs Pepple wanted her son to marry her best friend's daughter Henrietta who back then was about to go to Medical school. I had just graduated with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular biology and i went straight to Pharmacy school. Dimabo and I decided to have a small wedding. We decided to have a memorable wedding with about two hundred and fifty guests and have a small wedding cruise but his mother had other plans.
"No way, a wedding cruise, is this Titanic about to happen again?" she asked out loud as Dimabo told her of our proposed wedding plans. She started to speak to him in their language which i had absolutely no idea of. Dimabo gave his mom the ugliest look I have ever seen.
"Why don't you every agree with anything we plan Mama, i am getting tired of this madness, everything always has to go your way or no way." he shouted, he was frustrated with his mother's behavior.
" What madness? You must be mad. You are a very stupid boy.Well over my dead body would I let you marry this Mami water" she responded. Mami Water, is that what she called me, Dimabo once told me that it means Mermaid, did she just call me that.i am laughing out loud, in my mind.
" I am not interested in marrying Henrietta mom if that is what you are trying to persuade me to do. Mama i can't understand you, why do you always have to impose your own ideas on me, i mean Nadine is a lovely lady, why are you making things so difficult?"
"Nadine is white trailer trash as far as i am concerned" she said flatly looking at me straight in the eyes.If the human mind was transparent she would see me holding a dagger about to pierce her sharp mouth, that woman spits venom when she talks, i can't remember the last time i had a civil conversation with her becuase she ends up yelling. If i didn't love Dimabo so much, i would have walked out of the house this instant.
"Mama!!!!!!!!!!!!" Dimabo shouted.
"My son, i want what is best for you, i want you to have a lovely wedding with this your lady here so i will give you my own take, i want you to have the wedding on a golf course, i know so many people that will attend the wedding........................" Dimabo was pissed off.
"You don't seem to understand what we are talking about here, that's too many people and we are spending so much money on just a ceremony and after party on a golf course, i know you want to invite those friends of yours and they will bring more people, i want to keep it strictly two hundred and fifty people." Dimabo explained.
"It's you wedding, are you not proud to have found someone to marry" his mother asked sneeringly at him. he stole a quick glance at me. I said nothing. Dimabo had reassured me of his love and support.We finally had our way having a wedding cruise. We had four hundred guests instead.
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