Quiet Storm

05 | "Persistent"

     1993'

"Mina, you look so pretty." Miyoko complimented her niece as she looked at her picture day photos. She gushed over the medium length box braids in her hair that she had did for her. The pink and blue clips in her hair complimented the dress she wore in the picture. "You're giving me fierce, honey." Miyoko snapped her fingers as they both giggled.

"If it wasn't for you getting me that dress I don't know what I would of done."

"Your momma actually got that dress for you." Miyoko told her, truthfully.

"Wow." Mina shrugged her shoulders, taking a seat In the chair in front of her aunt. "That's shocking."

Miyoko sighed as she pulled Mina's chair closer to her. "You know just because your mom may not spend as much as time with you because of work, I don't want you to think that she doesn't think about you or remember important things because she does."

"She does not and I'm totally fine with that. She spends more time arguing with my dad than she does helping me with homework." Mina was only nine but she was smart. Most children would be upset with their mom especially if they did the things Keena did but Mina didn't complain as much. She knew her mom was young and she thought that was how people with children acted since they still had their own lives to live. She wasn't complaining much because she had Miyoko.

"I'm just saying cut her some slack." Miyoko twisted her lips to the side, trying to find a way to change the subject. "You need help with anything?" She referred to the math homework Mina was doing.

"Are you sure you would know anything I learn? Mommy never knows and always complains." Mina commented holding up the paper for Miyoko to get a good look at.

"I know a little something, It's fifth grade can't be that hard." It was amazing to Miyoko how she was only nine and was able to skip two grades ahead. She would be graduating at sixteen instead of eighteen.

"Okay fine, here." She slid a paper over to her. Miyoko looked at it furrowing her eyebrows together.

"Okay, so what is this you learning?"

"It's math. We're doing mixed numbers and turning them into Improper fractions."

"Alright... and mixed numbers are the fractions with a whole number?"

"Yep."

Miyoko and Mina spent fifteen minutes on Mina's worksheet of math and were currently doing her Ela homework. She didn't remember getting that much homework back in grade school, maybe because she didn't always do it. She didn't see the point of homework, it just added more stress onto the kids nowadays.

"So." Mina said erasing the incorrect work on her paper. "When are you gonna get a boyfriend? I never hear you arguing with anyone like mommy and daddy."

"Boyfriend?" Miyoko scrunched her face up. "What do you know about Boyfriends? I thought you were in the stage of the cooties."

"The cooties..." Mina tilted her head to the side while she giggled. "That is for third graders not fifth graders. I will be moving onto junior high school soon."

"That you will be in a couple of months. Are you excited?" Miyoko clasped her hands onto the table.

"Not as much as I am about graduating."

Keys to the front door could be heard jingling as both their heads turned towards the sound. The front door opened and in came Keena. "Mina go pack your bags, yo daddy coming to get you." Keena said barely taking her shoes off as she locked the front door.