Of course you know my father gave my mom 300 dollars so me and my mom could stay with my grandmother. When me and my mom entered my grandmothers apartment on the 7 th floor you could smell crack and beer soon as you step through the door. My mom said dag momma you have cleaned up the apartment. It looks like a landfill and it was crackveils scattered all over the floor. momma sorry for cussing but it smell like nasty ass and underarms. My grandmother said to my mom well your grown ass was in the hospital the house would be clean so put that bastard ass baby down and get to cleaning. my mom said but momma I don't have any were to lay deja at and why didn't the other clean up I'm always the only one cleaning and cooking in not the only teenager in here. Then my great aunt Celeste said what you meant by that my kids clean but it's your week to clean so shut the fuck and clean I did want my kids coming home to pigsty. And my mom mumbled under her breath you and my momma should be cleaning y'all was the ones having a get high party. See my grandmother and my great aunt Celeste was know for having 7 days a week as long as they had a sponsor but my mom had to clean up after all the parties no matter what time the party ended. So my mom grabbed her sheet she sleeped on and strapped me to her boby while she cleaned it took her 3 hours to clean the 2 bedroom apartment so it livable. And soon as I'm mom set down to catch her breath my grandmother yelled her name crystal your baby daddy here with the bed for the crumb snatcher. My mom hurried you to fix her hair but she still looked like a hot mess. My said to my father hi tyriq I see you brought the bassinet for deja what in the other 10 bags you got? My father said well I know deja doesn't have anything so I picked her a few things. Then my mom said with a smile on her face wow tyriq I looks like your brought the store out. Then my father said with a proud on his face this my only daughter and the sales lady showed my alot of nice things for a little girl so I had to get it. Then my grandmother said in drunken tone them clothed can't feed that crying as baby and I wish you shut her the hell up if that baby blow my high somebody going catch these hands out come up with 100 dollars.my mom said tyriq thank you for bringing this stuff to deje but I think it's time for you to leave. My father said damn can't I hold her for a second. My mom said next time I promise my momma and my aunty are straight bugging. Then my father said that gonna happen every time I come see my daughter?? My mom said I promise I would happen again just please leave. My grandmother screamed at the top of her voice you don't have to promise that mother fuckin pedophile nothing he luck I let him come here to see this fuckin crumb snatcher. My mom said momma please he's leaving. My father said call me if deja needs anything else. My grandmother said yeah your crumb snatcher said daddy please don't for to pay my grandmother the owe her every week or his life gonna be hell!!! My said Mrs. Mathis you'll have your money every I just want time to spend time with deja that's all I'm asking for. My grandmother said get the fuck out not nigga. My father kissed me on my cheek and handed me to my mom. My grandmother said to mom crystal me and guest want some of that good chicken you fried the night you snuck out to have that bastard baby. My mom said to my grandmother momma why do you keep calling deja out of her name she's your granddaughter and you haven't held her yet. Look crystal I know that babies name I just choose to call her them names because that what she is and if you don't hurry up and get in the kitchen imma put something on your ass. Your aunt Celeste brought 20 lbs of chicken leg quarters for you to clean season and fry oh she also got 4 boxes of Mac and cheese to make that baked Mac and cheese and I better catch none of you eating the party food it's 2 packs of chicken hot dogs in the freezer and better not use all the bread. My mom said yes momma and started cleaning and seasoning the chicken and started frying the chicken my mom's stomach was growling louder then music my grandmother was playing so my mom put the two packs of hot dogs on so she could first dibs on a hot dogs. The young kids shared a hot dog by splitting them in half and the 5 older kids ate two hot dogs a piece but mom's younger sister named Latoya said crystal can I hold the baby my mom said you sure can it's your niece my niece said Latoya I'm only 5 yr old she's so pretty and and look at her curly hair is she gonna have long hair like mine my mom said her I hope that she has long pretty hair like yours. Latoya said can I baby while you go to school because it's boring in the day time and momma and aunt Celeste won't us making noise while they take there nap. Well Latoya your to young to watch her. Latoya said well I watch Monique Marlon Jake nova in the daytime and I always do good job momma always give me a piece of syrup toast for watch them but oh mean butt aunt Celeste never give me nothing for watch her 3 bad kids she said I'm supposed to watch them. My mom said well Latoya that's how things are here in this apartment and I can't wait to get a job and get out of here I'm tired of being a maid out of the clear blue another voice chimed in an said well at least your not ,outside everyday panhandling money all-day from 7 in the morning til 7 in night crystal I wish I had your job. My mom said to her cousin janiya your 16 yrs old why don't you got school like everyone else. Janiya said my mom said I was to dumb for school she took me out of school and told me if I don't bring at least 100 day home she's gonna skin me alive so I do what tell me and she lets me do anything I want to do. Well janiya my mom said to her were do you go every night when leave her looking like Toni Braxton twin well I'm tell you and please don't tell my mom because she's take the money I've been making. My mom said coming on janiya you know I won't tell a soul I promise on my youngin. Oh I've been dancing at Fox valley. What my mom said in a loud tone you been doing what??? Janiya said yeah I been work there for 2 months and I got 4 thousand saved up so I can get me and my brothers and sisters out of here before CPS. Steps in. If they see the things that go on here they take everyone in here under 18. My mom said well can you get a job there to??? Janiya said to my mom I'd see what I can do just finished cooking.
Chapter 3 is coming up soon.
YOU ARE READING
How It Feels To Be Me
Non-Fictioncoming of age story of black woman who life started in barrios of New York city raised in poverty and the struggles she faced on her way of being one of riches madam in los Angeles.
