The Uncommitted Black Woman

Execution I

"Ma'am, please calm down. Can you please explain to me how your son swallowed an entire lego?" I calmly asked while assessing the situation carefully.

"I explained this twice already. He was having a play date and I went to go take a business call, then next thing I know, he was choking on it." The lady replied in an irritated tone.

"Ok, well, it's a mandatory protocol to ensure that all children are safe at home," I replied.

"Really because of a lego? Do you think that I would harm my son with a lego? This is ridiculous; we're leaving." The mother shouted at me while gathering her son's belongings.

I was trying to contain my laughter because this was a ridiculous assessment. I wasn't going to argue, so I calmly nodded my head in agreement, then handed her the discharge papers. Once I left the room, I signaled for the nurse to check on them before they left. I didn't want any negative complaints about me, so I wanted her to leave on a positive note.

I recently went back to school to complete my doctorates degree, so I finally felt accomplished in life. I'd always wanted to be a family physician, so it was surreal that I was living my dream. Saving lives is something that made me proud; even though I couldn't stand some of the patient's rude behavior, I still enjoyed doing my job.

Since that was the last patient of the night, I felt relieved to finally go home and unwind. On Friday night's I typically went to a bar downtown Chicago to let loose and mingle with new men. I didn't believe in monogamous relationships, so I kept it casual and found different partners for each occasion. One thing I made certain was to keep my professional life and my nightlife separate from one another. All of my friends disliked my lifestyle, but I could honestly care less. They all had children or were married, so I was still enjoying my youth without anything tying me down.

Once my last patient left, I quickly signed out of my computer and headed toward the exit. I worked at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, so I was fairly close to everything in the city. My apartment was also relatively close, so I was ok with commuting to work. Once I located my car in the parking garage, I turned on my playlist, then headed in the direction of my condo. I loved living in the city, everything was close, and Chicago always had something going on.

Tonight I was in the mood for a hip-hop scene, so I would definitely find a partner to bring back home. I arrived home fairly quickly, so I parked out front then headed into the lobby to check my mail. I resided at the East Walton Place downtown. My rent was pricy since I had no roommates, so I paid for it by using inherited money from my mother's will. Without that money, I couldn't afford to live in this part of the city; everything here was so expensive.

My home was like my sanctuary; I decorated it a blue and white theme, so everything complimented each other. As soon as I unlocked the door to my apartment, the rich scent of pine cones and vanilla invaded my nostrils. I sighed in contentment and headed towards my bedroom. Luckily for me, living alone meant that I had no extra responsibilities holding me back, so I could be carefree all the time.

I went over to my patio and opened it so I could feel the warm July breeze caressing my skin. I lived on the eighteenth floor, so I had a direct view of Chicago's skyline. Summers in the city were the best, everyone was out, and I was always occupied. My close friends and family also resided in the city, but my friends Courtney and Yvette moved to the suburbs. I was still fortunate enough to have my other friends, Isabel and Darnell, nearby me. My sister and her family also moved to the suburbs, but she worked downtown, so I saw her occasionally.

I decided to get ready, so I closed my patio and went to check my mail. I was anticipating the arrival of an important letter from my grandparents. We fell off after my mother passed away when I was sixteen, but I recently reached out to reconnect. I was angry and hurt about some things that occurred during my childhood, but now I wanted to move past it.