Don't Need A Man

in which she helps ginger spice

Once Basil is inside the school building I drive off with Prim to my mother's house to tell everyone the news of my maybe pregnancy. I've never been so nervous on a Thursday morning before.  Prim plays with her 3DS in the back, her big Hello Kitty headphones plugged into the device while she plays some Mario Bros game.

Mother and Father's grand home comes into view and Prim watches the fountain gush water. I can see the outline of my sister through the curtains. I park my car in the back of the driveway, an easy get away.

The front door opens before I can completely unstrap Primrose from her seat. Ginger stomps out of the house in tears.

"Hey, what's--."

"I told Mother I don't want to marry Juan and she slapped me." My sister bursts into tears. "What am I going to do? She kicked me out and I have no job, no home, nothing!" She falls into a ball on the cement driveway.

Prim reaches out for her aunt. "No- No cry." I let my daughter into Ginger's lap. "Be happy!" Ginger laughs lightly at the huge smile Prim has.

"Will you--?".

"Yeah, go talk to whoever you came for. I'll watch her." I thank Ginger before jogging up to the front door.

Mother paces the living room. Before she can even say anything I interrupt her. "I'm going to the doctor to get inseminated tomorrow."

Both of my parents stop what they're doing. Frozen they are. I watch as my mother takes tentative steps to me before she lunges. Her sharp nails scrape my neck as she attempts to strangle the fuck out of me. "Why can't my kids be normal?" She screeches. "Why can't I have legitimate grandchild, with fathers?" She struggles against my grip, blinded by rage. "Why can't all my children be angels? I'm stuck with no good losers as my offspring!" 

"Ouch, I'm hurt, Mother," I chuckle before ripping her away from me. "I haven't been called a loser since high school."

"Get the hell-- God, please forgive me-- out of my house! If I ever see you walk up that driveway again, your no good, whore sister too, I will call the police!"

"Good, I hope they finally see what a crazy bitch you are and take you to a mental institution."

"Leave!" She roars at the top of her lungs.

C
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I slam the door behind me, to make my exit even more dramatic than needed. Ginger looks at me with glossy eyes as I restrap a half asleep Prim into her seat. I glance at my sister. "Get in the car."

"What a--?"

"Get in the damn car, Ginger, before I lose all kindness I have."

➖✖➖

Prim giggles as the flower shop comes into view. Ginger, however, looks completely lost. "What are we doing at Rose's Roses?" She asks softly, picking at her nails.

I just tell her to follow me. Once I have Prim on her feet we enter the shop. "This was my first shop, I made the upstairs into an apartment because I didn't have enough money to get an actual place. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a small living room, a bathroom: it was all I had besides the shop. As business grew I was given the funds by an anonymous investor to open another shop. I bought a real house and moved out of the apartment."

"Cool story, but why are we here?" Ginger asks. I glance over at Prim who's speaking animatedly to one of the workers while pointing to the white petunias.

"I fired some girl, she worked the cash register yesterday and was charging extra to pocket it for God knows what." My gaze flickers over to my sister. "I'm short staffed in this shop, and nobody is currently living upstairs." Ginger seems to be catching on. "It's not much of a place but it's cozy and like a second home to me."

Prim runs over to me with a flower in hand. She sniffs it and sighs happily. "Looky! Flower."

"It's beautiful, Primmy." She giggles and runs over to the back fridge to look at more plants. I take my sister's hand and call Prim back to me. The three of us travel through the 'employee only' door, passed the manager's office, and stop at black door. I look through my keys for the navy blue one, unlock the door, and reveal a flight of stairs. Prim bounces up the two flights, Ginge and I following.

She stops when we reach a white door. I unlock it with the same navy blue key. A living room comes into view first. Prim sits on the couch immediately. Ginger looks around the place.

A couch, TV, radio, and a coffee table are in the living room. The kitchen is stainless steel and has a dishwasher, so I didn't have to hand wash dishes, and a four seat dinner table. The bedrooms are a little small but big enough for the king sized bed and dresser in one, the other empty. All in all the apartment isn't huge, but just big enough to have people over and relax.

"This can be yours, rent free, only on one condition."

Ginger turns to me, teary eyes. "Anything, absolutely anything."

"You have to work in the shop. It'll only be four days a week and I pay a little above minimum wage. Once you have the baby you can take leave, but I expect you to continue working one year after having the baby."

"A whole year?" She gasps. "You're giving me a year off?"

"If you need the year, yes."

She shakes her head. "I want to pay rent. If I work I will pay you."

I sigh deeply. "You're my sister--."

"Please." She looks like she's ready to get on her knees. "Please, Rose. Please."

"Two hundred a month. I won't collect this month, but next month I will. Where are your things?"

Ginger picks at her nails again. She's been doing that ever since she was a little girl. She claims it's a nervous habit. "I don't have any. Mother burned all my things."

"We'll figure it all out. You stay here, keep the Mini Cooper, I'll walk home today." I hand Ginger the key for the two doors and the key and button pad (unlock, lock, alarm) for the Mini Cooper. "I know blue isn't your favorite color but you can get it painted, whatever."

Ginger cries again and pulls me into a bone crushing hug. I pat her back awkwardly. I don't think we've gotten along since she left for LA years ago.

She's so lucky I love her (and have a second car) or else she'd be on the street.

"Thank you, Rose. You don't understand how much I appreciate this. I'll start work on Monday."

I smile at her, my green eyes starting to shimmer with unshed tears. "No problem, Ginger Spice. Call me when you want to go shopping or just have lunch." I call Prim, but as I start to leave I turn to her. "I-Uh- I have an appointment to get inseminated tomorrow. . . You don't happen to want to come do you? Doctor Michael could check out your baby while we're there."

Something flashes in her eyes and her face splits in a smile. "I'd love to, Rose Garden."

I nod and carry my daughter out the shop.