โ Momma said stay humble, momma said stay true.ย
Momma said girl, keep that drama far away from you.
Momma ainโt always right, but she never led me wrong. โ
โMomma!โ KELIS yelled the minute she stepped foot into the house, looking around to find her uncle on the couch watching tv. She reached over to tap his shoulder as she passed him to go further into the house.
โHey, babygirl. Where you been at?โ Her uncle questioned as he picked up the tv remote, sitting up against the couch. He turned down the television and gave his niece his full attention while she entered the kitchen. The woman shrugged her shoulders, not being able to answer his question verbally.
Her family knew that ever since her father got locked up and sentenced to life in prison, she avoided coming by the house if she could. She hated having to come into a house riddled with memories of a father she could no longer see whenever she wanted to. โBeen busy with work.โ KELIS answered shortly. Her eyes didnโt leave the counter full of snacks. She raised an eyebrow at the amount of children snacks her mother had in the house, turning her head to look around to see toys on the ground in the kitchen as well. โWhy momma got so many toys here?โ She inquired while grabbing a bag of chips off the counter.ย
โElijah and the kids been staying with her until he can get back on his feet.โ The response she got from her uncle made her pause with irritation. This was the second time that her cousin had to stay at anotherโs family members house because he couldnโt get his situation under control with his baby momma or keep a steady job. Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply then exhaled, tossing a few of the chip bags to the side so she can get her favorite gummy worms. Her attitude had a tendency to get the best of her when it came to people using the women in her family.
โAnd, why couldnโt he stay with you?โ The woman interrogated before waving him off, realizing that he was another one that basically lived with her mother. โYโall gonโ stop leechinโ off my momma.โ A grumble left her lips while she stepped out of the kitchen to her motherโs room, stuffing a few of the candy in her mouth. She brought her free hand up to the door and tapped on it a few times with the knuckle of her index finger, waiting for her to respond.
โCome in!โ Her mother voiced to the person outside of the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob, twisting it to open it and reveal her mother who was sitting on the bed. In her hand was the newspaper, the sight alone caused a wide smile to appear on her daughterโs face. The love that she had for her mother was known throughout her family and neighborhood. Mrs. Forde was almost everybody in Crenshawsโ mama or auntie.ย
โLookinโ for coupons, huh?โ She inquired while she made her way over to her momโs bed, kicking her nike shoes off before rolling on top of the mattress. Every time she came home to visit, the little girl within her rose to the surface. It gave her a break from the usual loud mouth routine she had. The hard interior of GOLDIE dissolved, revealing a soft and bratty KELIS.
โYou know ittt. Hey, my famous baby.โ Her mother sung sweetly before kissing her forehead.ย โMomma, if I was famous youโd be livinโ better than this.โ She confessed while resting her head against her arm watching her mother flip through the newspaper. Yellow highlighted marks appeared all along the sheets of paper as she noted things that she was eventually going to come back to and cut out. Her mother lifted her free arm and placed her around her child, giving her a tight squeeze. She was proud of all of the accomplishments that her daughter achieved. She finished school, stayed with a job until she was able to get her dream job, and stayed out of trouble. Her family always told her that she got lucky when she had KELIS. She didnโt give her any trouble besides wanting to be the center of attention all of the time.
โYouโre still a star in my eyes. Why you think your nickname is Goldie?โ Her deep brown eyes glued to the thin pieces of paper as they continue to turn. A faint feeling emerged in her stomach once she flipped over the obituary section as if she didnโt even see it. Death in South Central was habitual that almost everyone she knew became desensitized to it. Everyone but her. It was common for her to act as if the violence and gang activity didnโt bother her, but in actuality; it did.ย
The gang-life in her hometown took her father away from her during the time she needed him the most. Although he wasnโt involved in a gang, he abided by the same street code as his friends did in order not to get caught in any drama. All of his childhood friends were involved in gangs and expected him to become involved as well. For a moment he thought the same thing, but once KELIS came into the picture; everything changed. He stopped playing in the streets with his homies and got a job to provide for his family. It wasnโt until he decided to celebrate his birthday that his life took a turn for the worst.
Her father didnโt tell a soul what happened the night of his birthday, not even his mother, but he did reassure her that he didnโt do anything he was charged with. And she had no reason not to believe him, she knew the person she married. She couldnโt believe that he was refusing to work with the police and come back home to his family. His decision to take a first degree murder charge and spend the rest of his life in prison not only put a strain on his marriage, but his relationship with his daughter.
โI talked to your daddy yesterday.โ It had been a year since the last time the two had talked and KELIS didnโt know when the next time she was going to talk him was. The burning feeling of his motherโs eyes on the side of her face gave her the indication that she felt like it was time that the two of them talked again. It wasnโt that she didnโt miss him. It was the fact that every time she tried to talk to him, she couldnโt get over the fact that he was choosing to be in jail to spare his close friend having to do the time. She didnโt want to hear about the possibility of him coming home on good behavior, she wanted him home now.ย
Pressing her full lips together, she lifted her head off of her motherโs shoulder and rested it on the pillow underneath her.ย โCooool... Howโs he doing?โ She forced out lowly as she adjusted the ring on her index finger. The sound of her newspaper being folded together and against the covers filled the stiff air. Her eyes quickly darted over to her motherโs face while she removed her glasses from her face.ย ย
โYou could always answer his calls and ask him yourself.โ Her mother folded her arms over her chest, looking at her with a look of disappointment on her face. Despite the uncertainty of her marriage, she decided to stick by him. Her husband not being there physically didnโt stop him from helping however he could from his cell. It was the effort that mattered to her, something that she wished her daughter appreciated as much as she did.
โI really donโt wanna ruin a good day by talkinโ about this. Like I really donโt.โ The woman sat up on the bed, pressing her fingertips to the bridge of her nose. It was as if her motherโs suggestion gave her an instant headache. She inhaled deeply and tried to keep her attitude under control. She knew where this conversation was headed and the last thing she wanted to do was get into yet another argument about this situation.ย
โGirl, I donโt care about what you donโt wanna talk about.ย The hell is wrong with you?โ The response she was given was riddle with annoyance. A scoff left the womanโs lips as she turned her head to look at her motherโs face. The stale facial expression on her motherโs face let her know that she wasnโt joking with her in the slightest. The older woman was peering at her over her glasses, her brown orbs begging her to try and dismiss the conversation that they were about to have.ย
โAight. So, I already know where this is goinโ.โ A strain left her lips as she lifted her body up off of the comfortable bed. Kicking her feet off the mattress, she swung her body around to grab her shoes off the ground and slip them onto her feet.ย โIโll talk to you later, ma.โ She murmured under her breath as she stormed her way out of her motherโs room. Snapping at her mother would leave her with nothing but guilt and regret. She wasnโt the one that she needed to take her frustration out on, but she always caught the end of KELISโ fits of aggression.ย
โNo, youโll talk to me now! You really lost yoโ mind if you think you gonโ dismiss me in my own house.โ The tone of the maternal voice caused her to halt in her steps while she ran her tongue across her pearly white teeth. The sound of slippers dragging against the wooden floor beneath them filled the awkward silence between them. โNow, I know you grown and all that good shit, but this is my house. And that man is still your father so youโre going to respect both of us.โ Her mother demanded as she stepped into her daughters line of vision, locking eyes with her. The anger that was running through her body was apparent in her irises. KELIS nodded her head in agreement as her left hand patted the side of her leg. Her mother and uncle could see that she was trying to bite back any slick comment that was pleading to come out of her lips. There was so much that she wanted to say but she decided to let it go.ย
โCan I leave now?โ She requested in a monotone voice, causing her mother to shake her head and move out of her way. Her uncleโs eyes darted between the two of them as he awaited her motherโs response. In silence, she allowed her eyes to search the scene around her before she headed towards the front door. Pressing her hand against the wired screen door, she exited it the house without even bothering to say good-bye.ย
แด สแด was impressed at howย ษขแดสแด ษชแด navigated so easily through the crowd for a lighter. the fact that she even did it even surprised him. he was just bummed she chose not to partake.ย โthank you, mamas. you did yaโ thing too but you never fail to impress.โย
GOLDIEโs eyes floated down to the backwood that was in his hand. Even though she found herself wanting to try it again at times, she knew that previous bad high she had was bound to happen again. โYouโre welcome, boo.โ She replied with a smile before she ran her index finger and thumb across the brim of her hat. โI had to do a lilโ sum. But stop, youโre gonna make me blush.โ
โwell, can you at least help a nigga out and find one? instead of laughinโ โn shit,โ ( he shook his headย )ย โi donโt like the way you just laughed at me like that either,โ he smirked before chuckling himself.ย
Oh, yeah! I got you. [She replied before she turn her head to look around the vicinity, finally spotting some people not to far from them. The woman made her way over to the group of people, asking if anybody in their cycle has a lighter. After retrieving one, she came back to DRO. A smile spreads across her face before she responded.] The wig just caught me off guard. You stepped tonight. [GOLDIE placed the lighter in his hand.]
(ย แด สแด was happily drunk because what else was there to do when youโre unemployed and partially disabled? he had spent majority of the day isolating himself from the outside world but heard around the way that theย แดสแดสแดโs สแดสส was tonight. not wanting to miss out on the fun, he whipped a quick costume together and topped it off with one ofย สแดแดโs wigs to give it a more authentic look. )ย โyou dig it?โ ( แด สแด flipped his wig as he showed off his costume that he was very much proud of to put together last minute. )ย โif you got a lighter, we can spark up this thang right now.โ ( he flashed the freshly rolled backwood )
[GOLDIEโs eyebrow raised as she saw DRO enter the party. The outfit that he had on caught her attention much later along with the wig that he had on. The clear drunkenness caused the woman to laugh while she tilted her head to the side to examine the wig, pressing her lips together so she wouldnโt laugh anymore.] I actually do. [Letting out a soft breath to conclude the laughs, the woman shook her head.] Nah, I donโt smoke and nor do I have a lighter.
from what iโm seeinโ, that may not be a bad thing. if you run out of air, i know where to find some. let me know. ( the male joked, showcasing his pearly whites to the woman after giving her attire an approving once over. )
[A smile appeared on the womanโs face once she heard the man compliment her. Clasping her hands together in front of her, she shrugged her shoulders with a soft giggle.] Thank you, you donโt look too bad yourself. [GOLDIE confessed as she allowed her eyes to take in his appearance before her brown irises made their way back up to his face.] Iโll be sure to take you up on that.
[Fiya sashayedย into the building adjusting her Neverfull on her shoulder and examined the room admiring the scene. Her eyes met the bar and she sauntered in that direction, heels clicking with each stride. Taking a seat at the bar, Fiya flags down a bartenderย โJack and Coke please.โ The bartender makes her drink and serves it to her then Fiya drops a ten dollar bill in the tip glass. She swivels around in the chair sitting with her back against the bar slowly sipping her drink.]ย
[Noticing a familiar body enter the room, GOLDIE got up from her seat to walk over to the bar. She ran her hand against her kimono before she sat in the nearest chair next to FIYA. Her face scrunching up once she heard her cousin order a jack and coke.] Now, you know itโs supposed to be Crown and Coke. [She corrected with a chuckle before nudging her with her elbow.] Long time no see!
[As she waited in line to get in, GOLDIE scrolled through the messages on her phone, choosing which ones to reply to or to leave on read. Glancing up from her phone, she watched the line get shorter and stepped inside of the dimly lit club.] Oo, this is nice!
[Tilting her head to the side, she stared up at the male as he rubbed the back of his neck. A smirk appearing at her lips then a soft laugh escaped from her duo as she glanced down at her heels.] Mm.. Trouble thatโs worth gettinโ into? Yeah, I guess.. [GOLDIEโs voice trailed off softly as she looked over the males features before she stepped closer to him to let other people pass behind her. She looked behind her shoulder at some of the individuals as they passed, raising her hand to wave at them before she turned back to the male.] Well, you look good in anything. [Her eyes slightly widened then squinted in his direction before she placed her hand on her hip, sucking her teeth at his statement.] I know you ainโt just compare me to Johnsonโs family vacation. So nah, I hope that isnโt what you wanna say.
[As she waited in line to get in, GOLDIE scrolled through the messages on her phone, choosing which ones to reply to or to leave on read. Glancing up from her phone, she watched the line get shorter and stepped inside of the dimly lit club.] Oo, this is nice!
[Once GOLDIE heard the response of her friend, her head turned to find the open grill.] Yaโ wanna go over to the grill with me? Whatever they cookinโ smell good and I want some of it!
Silent โexcuse meโsโ lingered from the maleโs lips as he slithered past the groups of people holding a conversation amongst each other, maneuvering himself well enough that he wouldnโt have to touch skin with anybody he slid past. KEYZ was higher than giraffe pussy right about now but he could only deal with a large crowd like this if he was inebriated with some sort of substance. Once heโd found an unoccupied seat, he dropping down letting his body immediately relax into the cushion, his low orbs meeting the person beside him as he nodded his head in a greeting manner. โโฆ Waโsup?โ
โNah, forreal.โ GOLDIE replied as she leaned back against the chair.ย โI wanna see what performances are happening tonight. I love a good open mic night.โ She finished before she watched her acquaintance take out his Polaroid camera to take a picture. Seeing people in their creative element always caught her full and undivided attention.ย โI gotta see some of yaโ work. I know itโs fire.โ The woman crossed her leg over the other one. Her eyebrow raised at his question before she answered it truthfully.ย โIโve been good, just tired as hell from all the runninโ around I do.โ
[As she waited in line to get in, GOLDIE scrolled through the messages on her phone, choosing which ones to reply to or to leave on read. Glancing up from her phone, she watched the line get shorter and stepped inside of the dimly lit club.] Oo, this is nice!
[The woman hummed to the beat of the music as her hips swayed from side to side, her eyes looking around at all the people that showed up for the night. As she took in the decor around her, her attention was taken by a poke in her back, causing her to turn around to see who was behind her. A smile appeared on GOLDIEโs face once her eyes landed on ZANE.] The trouble is you, sir. Not me. [She pointed out before pressing her lips together. She took a step back to look him over, nodding her head as her teeth sunk into her bottom lip.] You look good, Z.
Silent โexcuse meโsโ lingered from the maleโs lips as he slithered past the groups of people holding a conversation amongst each other, maneuvering himself well enough that he wouldnโt have to touch skin with anybody he slid past. KEYZ was higher than giraffe pussy right about now but he could only deal with a large crowd like this if he was inebriated with some sort of substance. Once heโd found an unoccupied seat, he dropping down letting his body immediately relax into the cushion, his low orbs meeting the person beside him as he nodded his head in a greeting manner. โโฆ Waโsup?โ
As she adjusted the strap of her purse that laid against her neck, GOLDIE walked further inside of the club while her eyes searched the place for people that she knew. Huffing to herself, she made her way over to a secluded area. The woman plopped down in an empty seat before she reached in her purse for her compact mirror, bringing it up to her face to examine her makeup. Her attention was taken by a familiar voice and she turned her head slightly before nodding back.ย โHey, KEYZ. How you doinโ?โ
[As she waited in line to get in, GOLDIE scrolled through the messages on her phone, choosing which ones to reply to or to leave on read. Glancing up from her phone, she watched the line get shorter and stepped inside of the dimly lit club.] Oo, this is nice!
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