“I saw the pictures on the Net. You and your girls look good out there. What was it, a frat party?” he asks. I nod. “And I heard she wants you to dance on her next video,” he adds. I still don’t say anything. “Just say no—trust me, you don’t need that kinda drama. You gotta be careful of Taj. She’s in this for herself. She’ll screw you if she can.”
“She already said no,” Jade answers for me.
“Good.”
“Hello, anybody home?”
The three of us stop and look at one another. I walk over to the kitchen door. I see my grandmother coming in the house. “Grandmom,” I say, going to her, “what are you doing here?”
“Well, good gracious, I think I still live here, don’t I?” she jokes. Then she opens her arms and I go to her. We hug a long time. I know she’s only been gone a week, but for some reason it feels like forever. All of the sudden I know she is my normal, just like Jade is for Tyrece. She’s the one person who keeps me focused. So right now I just want to hold on to her and not let go. “I missed you,” I say.
“I missed you, too, sweetie.” She holds me away and looks into my eyes, then pats my cheek softly. “I missed you, too.”
Afterward I step aside as she hugs Jade and then Tyrece. We all start laughing for no real reason. “So what happened?” Jade says. “You’re early. You were supposed to come home later this evening. We were planning on picking you up at the station. How’d you get home?”
“I was able to catch that new super-fast train. Good Lord, that thing moves fast. We got here in half the time. Then I grabbed a cab at Union Station. No sense dragging you out into the crazy D.C. traffic. I guess I missed my girls too much.”
“We missed you, too,” we say, hugging her again.
“I’ll take your bags upstairs to your room,” Tyrece says, picking up the two pieces of luggage and an extra bag she had with her.
“Oh, no, not that one, Tyrece. That one goes in the kitchen. I brought it back from Georgia just for the girls.”
“What is it?” I ask, thinking she brought presents.
Jade, Grandmom and I go into the kitchen. Jade gets her a glass of water and I finish putting the groceries away. Then I grab the small bag. As soon as I open it I smell the sweet aroma of peaches. I pull one out and sniff it. “Mmm, oh, man, this smells so good.”
Jade comes over and pulls a peach out of the bag, too. “Oh, it does.”
“Now you have to wash them first,” Grandmom says. “But, oh, my goodness, they’re so juicy and sweet you won’t believe it. Your second cousin Jasmine picked them right off the tree early this morning for me.”
“Our cousin… I don’t think I ever met her,” I say.
“If you met Jasmine, you’d remember,” Jade says.
“I promised Jasmine she could come up and visit with us this summer. She’s excited. She’s your age, Kenisha. I told her all about you. She can’t wait to meet you.”
“Cool, sounds like fun,” I say.
Jade chuckles. “I remember Jasmine. That girl stays in trouble—reminds me of someone else.” She looks at me, smiling.
“Don’t even try it. It’s not my fault that stupid things keep happening around me.”
Jade laughs. “That’s the same thing Jasmine always says. Can you imagine the two of them in the same house?”
“Oh, it’s gonna be wonderful,” my grandma says happily.
Jade and my grandmother keep talking, but I start wondering about my family in Georgia. My mom never talked about them, so I don’t really know much about them. But I do remember her visiting them a few times last year. I didn’t want to go, so she went by herself. Now I’m wondering if she actually went or was she in the hospital or something like that.
Jade grabs the bag of peaches and takes them over to the sink to wash. Then she sits them on a few paper towels. My grandmother’s still talking about her trip to Georgia and how she spent her week with her sister and her family. She went on and on about her sister’s garden and the fruit trees in the backyard.
Tyrece walks into the kitchen. “Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t I take everybody out to dinner to celebrate?”
“Actually, I’m bone weary from all that traveling today. You all go. I think I’m gonna take me a short nap.”
“No, we’ll cook here. You can take your nap and when you get up dinner will be ready. What would you like to eat?” Jade says.
“You know, I’ve been having a taste for smothered pork chops and apple sauce with green beans and macaroni and cheese.”
“Mmm, that sounds good,” Tyrece says.
“Okay, let’s do it. Grandmom, you go take your nap. We have everything covered here,” Jade says. Grandmom nods and heads upstairs.
We quickly make a new plan for the dinner menu including some kind of peach dessert. Tyrece goes out to get a few more things from the grocery store. Jade and I get started cooking. An hour and a half later we sit down to a fantastic dinner in the dining room. Afterward we sit around the table laughing, talking and enjoying roasted peaches with amaretti crumble and coffee.
After dinner Jade and Tyrece go out. I clean up the kitchen, then head upstairs, finding my grandmother in her bedroom crocheting. I knock on her open door. She looks up, smiling. “You didn’t want to go out with your sister?” she asks.
“Nah, not really in the mood. What are you making?”
“Doilies,” she says.
“Could you teach me how to do that one of these days?”
“Sure.”
I watch her for a few more minutes, then decide to go to my room. “Do you want anything from the kitchen?”
“No, sweetie, I’m gonna get to bed early.”
“Okay, good night, Grandmom,” I say.
“Do you want to tell me what’s been on your mind all evening?” she says, smiling just like she did when she first saw me and touched my cheek.
“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to look as innocent as possible. Her expression doesn’t change. I should have known there’s no way to fool her. But I just need a few more days, then everything will be okay. “Nothing’s wrong exactly.”
“Are you sure?”
“I have a question. What if you have to do something that you know isn’t quite right, but you have to do it to help somebody else?”
“Is it something you’re gonna be embarrassed about?”
“Maybe.”
“Then don’t do it,” she says simply.
“But what if you don’t have a choice?”
“Kenisha, there’s always a choice.”
“No, not always,” I say.
“You still don’t do it.”
“But what if you have to.”
“Kenisha, enough dancing around all this. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Can I wait and tell you later?”
“I don’t know. Can it wait until later?” she asks me.
“I think so. I hope so.”
“Kenisha, know this. In all things respect yourself. At all times respect yourself. You’re far too old for me to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong. You already know,” she says. I nod. “Okay, good night, Kenisha.”
“Good night, Grandmom,” I say, then go upstairs to my bedroom. I sit at the window on the top floor like I usually do. I look down on the backyard and think about what I’m doing. See, this is when I need my girls, but I can’t tell them, either. So maybe I’ll just kind of ask their advice without really asking their advice.
The video shoot is coming fast, and right now I’m about to bust with the news. I need to tell somebody. It’s for two days, all day long. There’s no way I can just disappear like that without somebody asking something. I need help and I guess it�
��s time to step up and tell my girls. I hit up my Twitter account to see what’s up.
Sixteen
No New Road—Same Ole, Same Ole
kenishi_wa K Lewis
You’d think I’d get tired of this or at least learn to deal better. Guess not.
4 May * Like * Comment * Share
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels hey, y’all, what’s up? long time, no see/hear/text… 9 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@diamond_jewels who’s that? 9 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@jalisa_jas i have no idea. 9 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels a’ight, y’all can stop playin’ now, you know who it is. 9 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa where the hell have you been, girl? haven’t talked to you all week. 9 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa i know, right. where have you been hiding? don’t tell us you got some crazy drama going on. 9 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels sorry, i’ve been really busy. no crazy drama—much. how’s everybody doing? 9 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa whatever… 8 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa like you care… 8 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@jalisa_jas first she disappears all week and now she’s all up in our business. 8 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels come on, y’all. i’ve just been crazy busy dancing. 8 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa smh—i’m fine. 8 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa yeah, me, too, fine. 8 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels y’all going to the dance studio this weekend? 8 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa nah, i don’t think i’m going. i have a million things to do. 7 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa me, neither—i have to work all weekend. so what up? how’s working at freeman going? 7 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels haven’t started yet. hopefully soon. but speaking of dancing I got some news. 7 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa hope it’s another frat party—;) 7 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa ohhh, yeah—i’m there! 7 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels nah, it’s something better. 7 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa what’s better than last saturday night? for real, that was so much fun. we gotta do that again. 7 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa i know, right—serious good times. i’m in! 7 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels trust me—this is seriously better. 6 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa what is it? 6 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa ? 6 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels actually, it’s too public here. we gotta talk in person. 6 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa can’t. I’m carless today. 6 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa i’m getting dressed. on my way to work right now. what’s it about? 6 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels it’s about the dance job I took. 6 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa what about it? 6 minutes ago
kenish_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels it’s not what you think. 6 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa you’re making $$$, right? works for me. 6 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa $$$—me, too. 6 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels can y’all skype tonight? 6 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa yeah. 5 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa yeah. 5 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels ’k. skype @ 11. so how was school this week? everybody have fun???! 5 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa i think I have senior-itis already. lol. 5 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa lol—totally agree. but hazelhurst isn’t like it was. you got out just in time before all the craziness started. 5 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa for real, exams are kicking my butt plus stupid drama stuff everywhere plus studying for the sats. i’m so tired of it all. 5 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa ditto. 5 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels i know what you mean. 5 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa all I think about is being gone from hazelhurst. 4 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels if you think hazelhurst is bad, try the penn. assholes everywhere. can’t even go to my locker without assholes in my face. lots of bullshit at penn. i just want it over and done with NOW! i’m ready to get out of there. all of the sudden the place is just trifling and the students are trifling-err. 4 minutes ago
Shit, just as I finish typing, my mention notification beeps again. I check out to see who’s trying to talk to me.
Cassie4u Cassie
@kenishi_wa you talkin’ ’bout me again? 4 minutes ago
Shit. I hurry up and tell Jalisa and Diamond to go look on Cassie’s Twitter page. Bitch done lost her mind again.
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa what? who is that? 4 minutes ago
Cassie4u Cassie
@diamond_jewels mind your business. 4 minutes ago
Oh, my God! That bitch is creeping on my page and my girls’ pages, too. WTF!
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa ??? wtf. 4 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels party line! just ignore it—i do. it’ll go away in a minute. 3 minutes ago
Cassie4u Cassie
@kenishi_wa it???!!! 3 minutes ago
jalisa_jas Jalisa Saunders
@kenishi_wa wtf?! 3 minutes ago
diamond_jewels Diamond Riggs
@kenishi_wa who is that? 3 minutes ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
@jalisa_jas @diamond_jewels don’t pay attention to the stupidity. i hear it all the time. 2 minutes ago
Mya_nomoreBS Mya
@kenishi_wa omg! you are such a bitch. stupidity!?! 2 minutes ago
WTF, I got another twatcher on my ass. I know it’s Cassie’s girl, Mya. What an asshole. I click on Cassie’s conversations and see the visual of them tweeting about me. Bitches.
Cassie4u Cassie
/> @Mya_nomoreBS wtf. i know that heffer ain’t just call me stupid. 2 minutes ago
Mya_nomoreBS Mya
@Cassie4u yes, she did. 2 minutes ago
Cassie4u Cassie
@kenishi_wa you act all bad and shit. but you just a punkette trying to be something you not. you ain’t shit. 1 minute ago
Mya_nomoreBS Mya
@Cassie4u roflmao. lol. see, now she ain’t got nothing to say to us. you right. she only act all bad when she’s got her girls around. smh. lol. 1 minute ago
kenishi_wa K Lewis
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