“The name is Dreaux.”
“Oh, is that your real name?” Peace shot back. Lil’ mama was a feisty one, but I found it intriguing.
“That’s what it says on my birth certificate, but you never know,” I replied.
“Well, goodnight, Dreaux. Maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Wednesday. Ms. Peace. Don’t make me have to come find you.”
“You wish.”
I walked backwards a couple of steps before turning around to head to my car. Thoughts of Peace and her little girl filled mymind as I drove home. It may have sounded corny, but there was something about her I couldn’t seem to shake. Her aura seemed familiar even though this was our first time officially meeting. From what I could see, she came with a lot of baggage, which was all the more reason to stay away from her, but something was pulling me to her. Lil’ mama needed help, and I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t lend a helping hand.
peace graham
. . .
a couple of weeks later
“How areyou liking your new job?” Amanda asked me as I tried my best to smooth out the wrinkles in my dress shirt. I should have ironed it, but I overslept and needed to be out of there in the next ten minutes.
“It’s been going pretty well. There’s a lot of paperwork and phone work involved, but I like it.”
I still couldn’t believe it had been two weeks since I started working for Dreaux. When he first offered me the job, I wanted to turn him down. Then I remembered that I needed the money.
“I’m happy for you, boo. I know you’ve had a rough time, but I promise things are going to look up for you soon enough.” I appreciated the fact that Amanda always had a positive outlook on life, even when things weren’t going well. She was a glass-half-full type of woman, and I needed that more than I ever realized.
“Damn it. Hey, do you think you could take Promise to daycare for me? I’m running late, and I won’t make it in time.”There was a daycare center in the building, but it was in the opposite direction from where I needed to go.
“Of course. Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you to daycare so mommy can get to work.” Promise liked Amanda, so she held her arms open for her to pick her up. Her big self needed to be walking on her own, but that was a fight for another day.
“Thank you, boo. I appreciate you. I’m gonna grab some chicken on the way home for us,” I called out, kissing Promise before locking the room up. I prayed we would get a call soon for an apartment. Now that I had proof of income, I hoped that would help speed up the process. As grateful as I was for the help, I looked forward to having my own space.
The last few months of my life seemed like a blur to me. It felt as if I had been running on autopilot since the baby shower debacle. Raylee offered me a place to stay, but I refused to live with her. They all had betrayed me, and I couldn’t trust anyone. After she dropped Promise and me off at home, I packed our things, grabbed some money from Chop’s stash, and hit the road. There was no particular destination in mind until I passed a sign that said Welcome to Jonah Hills. A part of me thought maybe it was a sign from my momma to come back to the place where I was born. Either way, I needed a fresh start.
While living in a homeless shelter wasn’t ideal, I knew it wouldn’t be permanent. I had a car, a job, and a place to rest my head. Those were the things that mattered most.
I rushed down the highway like a racecar driver, praying I made it on time. The last thing I needed was to be late for a job I lucked up on. The moment I turned into the complex, I breathed a sigh of relief. Not only had I made it on time, but I didn’t see any signs of Dreaux’s Escalade.
Maliah, the property manager, told me that he only made an appearance once a week, and sometimes less, depending on his schedule. It made me feel a lot better because being aroundDreaux made me nervous. Even in the moments when he wasn’t speaking, it felt as if he was watching me like a hawk.
“Good morning, beautiful. I brought coffee and donuts, so help yourself. I have a few tours to do today, so I’ll be in and out all day.” Maliah informed me.
“Sounds good. Thanks for the donuts and coffee. I was scrambling to get ready this morning, so I needed this.” I helped myself to a cup of coffee before heading over to my desk. I felt a sense of pride seeing my name plaque on the desk. Life had been hitting me from every corner, but it seemed as though things were finally starting to fall into place.
I spent the day answering calls and filing applications. Maliah did most of the interviewing and apartment tours all day, so I was mostly by myself. I appreciated the peace because it gave me time to think. Payday was Friday, and I couldn’t contain my excitement. I didn’t have any plans for the money other than treating Promise to a few new outfits and a nice dinner. I planned to save as much money as I could so we could get out of the homeless shelter.
“Thank you for calling Davis Apartments. How can I help you today?”
“Aye, have you eaten yet?”
Butterflies filled my belly when I heard the sound of his voice come through the phone. I gathered myself so that I could remain professional.”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Davis. No, I haven’t eaten yet. My lunch isn’t for another hour.” Half of the day had already gone by, and time seemed to pass quickly.
“Alright, I’ve got a few stops to make, but I’m on the way. There’s something I need to holla at you about.”
“Okay.”
