One
TRULY
“Truly!!!Get ya ass down here and make it quick!”
I sat at the edge of my bed looking down at my hot pink floor wishing I could lay back down. In a black household with multiple people residing in it, there was always someone to place the blame on for something. My momma called my name, and I already could sense that my grown ass was in trouble for something that I wasn’t ready to face for the day.
My mind was on several other things; the number one thing was how was I going to convince my dad to invest into my new endeavor. Then there was me preparing to get my daughter tomorrow for the weekend, which always pained me when it was time for her to leave again. I desperately wanted my baby girl here with me all of the time instead of partially.
“Truly Monae Jackson! If I call yo mutha fuckin’ name again, I swear?—”
“I’m coming momma, damn!” I sighed just as my older sister appeared at my door with a smug look plastered on her face.
Yeah, the house is against me today, daddy must be gone on business this afternoon.
“The fuck you looking at Calissi?” I asked her.
“I don’t know, I be trying to figure that shit out every day. Maybe I’m looking at a dead-beat ass mother, or an opportunist…” She placed her finger on her bottom lip like she was in deep thought before continuing her verbal assault.
I’m looking at a bitch with an aborted ass womb! Bitch done had more abortions than the state of California. Punk ass hoe!The difference between Calissi and I was that I never let my intrusive thoughts get the best of me. I never hit below the belt with her, but she used her words to strike me down every time.
“There’re so many things attached to what I could be looking at, ya know? A hoe, and a bitch that can’t seem to get her life together for the life of her,” she giggled. “I don’t know why momma won’t just kick you the fuck out. You sit in this room all day acting like you on some shit while me and Kenzuri work hard enough to not have to rely on mommy and daddy for shit.” She spat out with venom attached to every word she said.
I do everybody in this house except daddy’s hair and nails for free! I’m not just sitting here doing nothing!I bit the inside of my bottom lip hard enough to draw blood.
I stood to my feet, the first thought was to whoop Calissi’s ass. But I was tired of doing that shit. Calissi was the type of female you could beat on several occasions, and she’d still turn around and talk big boss shit like she whooped your ass. Besides her ugly bitchy personality, my big sister was beautiful. She was tall and slim with a diamond shaped face. Her dark skin complexion was flawless, Calissi could have been a model. Instead, she was toocaught up in trying to find a baller to trick off on her selfish evil ass.
Calissi loved to put on a good act to our parents to get them off her back. She swore up and down she was always working a nice good corporate job that we still didn’t know the name of. I knew better, I just never cared to expose her like she constantly tried to do with me. I loved my big sister down but hated her ways. She always thought low of me, that in itself hurt my feelings to the max.
“I can be whatever you want me to be, sis. If you don’t get the fuck out of my room… I’m gone be the bitch that pull out every fucked-up track of weave attached to yo dumb ass head.” I hissed the words out lowly. The last thing I needed was for our mom to overhear us arguing.
“Yeah, whatever bald-head hoe.” She walked away from my room door and stomped down the hallway.
“It takes one to know one, bitch.” I mumbled underneath my breath. I was just relieved her evil ass got on.
Seconds later I heard her room door slam, I released the breath that I was holding just as my stomach growled.Damn! I can’t even wake up and eat first without hearing bullshit!
I looked over at the mirror that was attached to my dresser and wanted to scream. It felt like I could never seem to catch a break and maybe my momma and my annoying big sister were right after all. I was twenty-five years old with no college education. My parents weren’t rich, but they were both well off.
Momma was a surgeon, and my dad was ahigh demand celebrity lawyer. My high school sweetheart ended up being my baby daddy from hell. I had hopes and dreams, but it seemed likethose switched up on me once I succeeded at whatever I put my mind to. I eyed my short hot pink Pixie cut and smiled. The top of my hair had grown out enough to add short curls. I didn’t have nobody besides my baby daddy and dad telling me I was beautiful. My baby daddy only said the shit when he wanted some pussy. My dad said it because he loved me deeply and always tried to uplift me.
So, I made sure to tell myself that I was beautiful, no matter how down I felt. I always looked myself in the mirror and told myself that I was pretty. I accepted my curves, and all of my flaws. I always reminded myself that one day, I would end up in a better position in life. I believed in manifesting good things for myself it didn’t matter to me what my current situation was. I prayed for better days and was positive that my better day was coming soon.
I got lost in myself a couple of seconds longer.I am drop dead gorgeous!I smiled at myself. I stood at five foot six, I got my shape from Ms. Denise Jackson herself. While my two sisters were on the slim and tall side thanks to our father. I was on the heavy side but rocked my weight flawlessly. I weighed a solid two hundred and fifty-five pounds. Most of my weight went right down to my hips and ass, my breasts weren’t all that huge, but they were a nice D cup handful.
No matter how much goodness that I spoke over myself, I could still feel myself sulking today. My moods were so up and down, and I knew apart of the problem with that was because of my indecisiveness and current situation concerning my daughter. Most days, I had too much on my mind, and then the lack of support from my household really weighed down hard on me.
I tugged at the waistband of my leggings as I decided to pad barefoot down the stairs. The moment I hit the bottom step;the sight of brown boxes stacked against the front door stopped me cold in my tracks. My heart did a little flip; my name was stamped in big bold letters on the boxes. I got a loan two days ago; my best friend Naveah hooked me up with a vendor from China.
Normally I would have things shipped over to Naveah’s house so that my mom wouldn’t scream and ask me where I was getting the money to fund this new so-called passion of mine. Momma watched everybody pockets around here, down to our dad’s money. Her favorite question was‘How much was that?’or‘How much did you get paid?’I was a damn good hair stylist that could make over two thousand in a week. The problem with that was I didn’t like the standing for long hours while doing hair.
My dad turned the second garage into a mini hair salon where I gave facials and even did nails in. I was grateful for that, so I didn’t have to pay booth rent in a shop. I only reverted back to my old clientele when I needed the money for something else so that I didn’t have to ask my parents for anything.
I got excited staring at the boxes and wanted to celebrate until my mom came into view. She stood in the foyer in her white scrubs, which was strange to me. Momma was adamant about changing her hospital clothes out before she got in her car to head home for sanitary purposes. I could smell traces of antiseptic and see the exhaustion written on her face. Her nutmeg complexion looked pasty, and I didn’t miss the fire in her tight eyes.
“So, this is it? This month you’re a goddamn herbalist?” She spat the word out like it was disgusting to say.
“Last month it was nails, before that, art. Shit! Before the art it was hair! My damn husband dug into our savings to turn thatfuckin’ garage into a mini salon!!! You don’t stick to nothing, Truly. I’m getting sick of this shit.”
