Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Laying her purse onto the kitchen table, she stood there for a minute and took a few deep breaths. It had been several weeks since she’d been by, and the last visit she’d made was short and sweet as possible. She looked about to see if anything had changed since her last time here. Maybe a new end table, or vase?
Nope. Mama’s home was the same. Mostly all white furniture and wall colors. Looked like a blank canvas. Few signs of life. Cold like the air conditioning that blew through. The place had all updated stainless-steel appliances, and little in the lines of décor. To the average eye, it was a lovely place, but it didn’t breathe. It didn’t move. It had no vibe. No flavor. No soul.
One cat palm plant lovingly named Lady, due to a ladybug that had been on it when it was purchased, had been growing in a corner for three years now, where a window blew abundant sunny kisses. At the deep kitchen basin, she pumped some soap on her hands and rinsed them off with hot water, then dried them on a paper towel. She tossed the thing in the trash and opened the refrigerator door, finding a bottle of water, and sat on a white bar stool at the kitchen counter.
Instead of messing around on her phone while she waited for her mother to arrive, she reached for one of the magazines on the counter. Nadia looked at the half-torn label on the front of the periodical that displayed her mother’s name and address, then glossed over the shiny cover in colors of amber and orange. Mama’s subscription to 002 Houston.
She flipped through the pages, her mouth instantly watering at the sight of the fancy food from various local restaurants, plated in ornamental ways. Moments later, she heard her mother’s key in the door. She turned around in the chair to face her. Waiting. Mama walked right past the kitchen as if she hadn’t noticed her there, but she knew she had. Nothing got past that woman. With a loud sigh and heavy thud, Mama’s toolbox and bag hit the coffee table, as it always did for years. That toolbox, big, red and heavy, was Mama’s pride and joy. She’d been an electrician for over thirty years.
“Mama,” Nadia called out with a smile. “Have a good day at work?”
“This dumb man blew a fuse by fuckin’ around with too many things plugged into an outlet in his first-floor bathroom. He didn’t notice ’til this mornin’ that his refrigerator was out. Groceries spoiled. He checked the fuse box but didn’t see nothin’ wrong, so he figured it was electrical. Turned around and called us and booked an appointment. Now, a normal person would say, ‘Well hell, I ain’t have no problems until my wife plugged in her hairdryer. Didn’t put two and two together.” She shrugged, then slipped out of her jacket. “So I go to the fuse box, flip his switch, then five minutes later hand him a bill. I was nice, ain’t make fun or give him a hard time and even knocked a bit off ’cause of the coupon we had.”
“Don’t tell me, he got mad that he had to pay anything at all?”
“Baby girl, you already know. I ain’t the help!” Mama stormed across the room and turned down the air. “Little stocky pig-nosed White dude, about yea high.” She put her hand out, indicating his diminutive stature. “This mothafucka, Nadia, had an attitude soon as I cast a shadow on his front do’e. Seing a woman and immediately thought whatever… I’ve seen that look ten thousand times. He was all up on me the whole time. Watchin’.”
“Probably thought you were going to steal something.” Nadia snorted, turning back to the magazine.
“Of course he did. Once he saw I wasn’t no con artist, he eased up a bit, but then when I told him what the problem was, he laughed it off and just thought I was gon’ leave. Like that was the end of the story. I set him straight. Ol’ boy wanted to get in my face because I still charged for drivin’ over there, problem solving, and my time. I work for a company just like most people, and they want their due. He felt like it should’ve been free. Shiiiid. Took ere’thang in me not to cuss his ass out.” Mama snatched the remote control off the coffee table and turned on the television.
“Ain’t nothing in this life free, ’cept death and aggravation.”
Mama’s whole face spread into a smile. “That’s right, baby. I taught you well.”
The tall, brown-skinned woman with straight, shoulder-length salt and pepper hair pulled back into a ponytail, stomped into the kitchen, and turned the water on to wash her dirty hands. After they were good and wet, she pumped three dollops of sudsy soap into her palms, vigorously rubbed them together, then rinsed.