A Blessing and A Curse
by Andrea Clinton
by Andrea Clinton
In "A Blessing and A Curse"
Malika has the life every woman wants, a hard working husband who makes
it happen financially; kids, both adopted as well as biological; her
career as an artist with partners who own an art gallery; nice house,
nice neighbors and the gift of foresight. Malika couldn't ask for much
more, until her gift of sight and infrequent ability to read minds
opened her up to her husband's disgust, followed by his uncaring desire
to leave her. She can't figure it out, what has gone wrong? But a well
needed vacation helps her find her worth but to what detrimental end?
Malika finds a different type of groove in her story, A Blessing and A Curse.
INTRODUCTION: A Blessing and A Curse
Ghetto Embarrassing
“Lottie, li’l girl, how you expect him to want you when you ghetto embarrassing? Who would want you? Even a jailhouse, ghetto Negro as ignant as they come wouldn’t want you,” Malika said, as she stood outside her garage, with one foot in the garage and one on the edge of the driveway pavement, just under the raised garage door, looking around the floor and garage shelves.
“Malika, what you think you and ya family betta’ than me?!” Lottie said, pacing around the driveway like a maniac.
“I don’t think nothing,” Malika answered, as she glanced around, looking for one of her husband's cigars he usually leaves lying around. She was already stressed, but Lottie was so caught up in her own moment she didn’t notice.
“Oh, you think you know y’all betta’ than me? Huh!?”
“Call it what you want. But you running ‘round here, yelling and telling people all over town that you pregnant by Ba’sim and that he betta’ own up to it. You don’t care how you look to people and what makes it worse, ya' loud!”
“Move out, li’l girl! ‘Cause you ain’t seen loud yet!”
“I’m a grown woman—'bout time you act like you know, Lottie!”
“To hell wit’ you, b—ch! Who you? I ain’t gotta do nuttin’!”
“I ain’t gon’ be too many of ya b—ches,” Malika warned Lottie, spotting a cigar her husband must have hidden in the garage.
“Screw you, Malika! I don’t care how old you are. You can get served like the best of them.”
“For a young girl with a belly, you sure pop off at the mouth a lot,” Malika said as she picked up the cigar, blowing the dust off.
“My mouth! So, what?”
“Ya need to mind ya manners and get out my yard,” Malika said as she put the cigar in her mouth while looking around for a light.
“I ain’t gotta mind my manners fa' you, b—ch! You ain’t gonna do nothin’!”
“I done told you now; you ain’t got too many more times—” Malika warned, lighting the cigar.
“Or what? You wasn’t talking all that when my cousin Day’sia was here.”
“Ya cousin Day’sia wasn’t popping off at the mouth. And you the one make somebody wanna choke you, not Day’sia,” Malika replied, taking a puff while lighting the cigar.
“Hell, you wasn’t popping off at me, either! Scary ass trying to act like you all tough. I’m over here almost e’ry day cussin’ yo’ so-called son out and you don’t do nothing but pull his dumb ass in the house! What? ‘Cause you got a semi reputation from 20 years ago for beating up one ho? B—ch, please! You ain’t do nothing all them days I was ‘round here tearing the roof off the mutha’ and you ain’t gon’ do nothing now!”
“Or maybe you just didn’t come ‘round on a good day—like today. Today a good day; just had my husband, Hooch tell me we ain’t workin’ out, just had my son tell me what I believed most of my life to be a gift is really a curse, kids want us to be a family—husband wanna go. Oh, yeah," agitated, "you popping off on a good day,” Malika said, puffing the cigar and then shaking the ashes like she’s crazy, eyes bugged.
“Look, look, look, I don’t wanna hear ya damn problems and I’m tired of smellin’ ya drunk-ass cigar! Tell ya fake ass son I said ta come out here! Now, b—ch!” Lottie demanded, as she slapped her flat sandal against the pavement in the garage driveway for emphasis of her anger.
Malika lunged at Lottie’s throat. Lottie was startled out of her skin when Malika snatched her by the neck with both hands, cigar in mouth and one eye closed, making her look like a crazed, one-eyed pirate.
“Didn’t I tell ya young ass I wasn’t gonna be too many more of ya b—ches!” Still choking Lottie, she yelled, “didn’t I tell ya trouble making, stupid, ignant-ass today was a good day!” She was shaking Lottie’s neck and Lottie, helpless and in pain, was looking in shock as her oxygen began to close off. Just then, Malika’s adopted son, Ba’sim, came running out with her husband trailing behind.
“Ma! Ma! Let her go,” Ba’sim smirking, as he tried not to laugh, had finally reached them.
“Malika, girl, you crazy! Let the girl go!” Malika’s husband, Hooch, yelled out to her.
“Ma,” Ba’sim was finally pulling her off. “What are you doing?” He asked, standing between Malika and Lottie.
“I’ma kill ’er! Young skank got a lotta mouth! I told her to scat! I told you today was a good day didn’t I, skank!” Malika yelled, angered, “Didn’t I!?”
Lottie, now rubbing her throat and coughing, squeaked “Yeah, but you didn’t do that when Day’sia was here!” She was starting to cry, but trying to keep it together.
( Continued... )
© 2011 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Andrea Clinton. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.
Purchase copies of A Blessing and A Curse
ISBN-10: 0981837646 | ISBN-13: 978-0981837642
http://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Curse-Knows-Bounds-ebook/dp/B007RU67IA
Malika finds a different type of groove in her story, A Blessing and A Curse.
INTRODUCTION: A Blessing and A Curse
Ghetto Embarrassing
“Lottie, li’l girl, how you expect him to want you when you ghetto embarrassing? Who would want you? Even a jailhouse, ghetto Negro as ignant as they come wouldn’t want you,” Malika said, as she stood outside her garage, with one foot in the garage and one on the edge of the driveway pavement, just under the raised garage door, looking around the floor and garage shelves.
“Malika, what you think you and ya family betta’ than me?!” Lottie said, pacing around the driveway like a maniac.
“I don’t think nothing,” Malika answered, as she glanced around, looking for one of her husband's cigars he usually leaves lying around. She was already stressed, but Lottie was so caught up in her own moment she didn’t notice.
“Oh, you think you know y’all betta’ than me? Huh!?”
“Call it what you want. But you running ‘round here, yelling and telling people all over town that you pregnant by Ba’sim and that he betta’ own up to it. You don’t care how you look to people and what makes it worse, ya' loud!”
“Move out, li’l girl! ‘Cause you ain’t seen loud yet!”
“I’m a grown woman—'bout time you act like you know, Lottie!”
“To hell wit’ you, b—ch! Who you? I ain’t gotta do nuttin’!”
“I ain’t gon’ be too many of ya b—ches,” Malika warned Lottie, spotting a cigar her husband must have hidden in the garage.
“Screw you, Malika! I don’t care how old you are. You can get served like the best of them.”
“For a young girl with a belly, you sure pop off at the mouth a lot,” Malika said as she picked up the cigar, blowing the dust off.
“My mouth! So, what?”
“Ya need to mind ya manners and get out my yard,” Malika said as she put the cigar in her mouth while looking around for a light.
“I ain’t gotta mind my manners fa' you, b—ch! You ain’t gonna do nothin’!”
“I done told you now; you ain’t got too many more times—” Malika warned, lighting the cigar.
“Or what? You wasn’t talking all that when my cousin Day’sia was here.”
“Ya cousin Day’sia wasn’t popping off at the mouth. And you the one make somebody wanna choke you, not Day’sia,” Malika replied, taking a puff while lighting the cigar.
“Hell, you wasn’t popping off at me, either! Scary ass trying to act like you all tough. I’m over here almost e’ry day cussin’ yo’ so-called son out and you don’t do nothing but pull his dumb ass in the house! What? ‘Cause you got a semi reputation from 20 years ago for beating up one ho? B—ch, please! You ain’t do nothing all them days I was ‘round here tearing the roof off the mutha’ and you ain’t gon’ do nothing now!”
“Or maybe you just didn’t come ‘round on a good day—like today. Today a good day; just had my husband, Hooch tell me we ain’t workin’ out, just had my son tell me what I believed most of my life to be a gift is really a curse, kids want us to be a family—husband wanna go. Oh, yeah," agitated, "you popping off on a good day,” Malika said, puffing the cigar and then shaking the ashes like she’s crazy, eyes bugged.
“Look, look, look, I don’t wanna hear ya damn problems and I’m tired of smellin’ ya drunk-ass cigar! Tell ya fake ass son I said ta come out here! Now, b—ch!” Lottie demanded, as she slapped her flat sandal against the pavement in the garage driveway for emphasis of her anger.
Malika lunged at Lottie’s throat. Lottie was startled out of her skin when Malika snatched her by the neck with both hands, cigar in mouth and one eye closed, making her look like a crazed, one-eyed pirate.
“Didn’t I tell ya young ass I wasn’t gonna be too many more of ya b—ches!” Still choking Lottie, she yelled, “didn’t I tell ya trouble making, stupid, ignant-ass today was a good day!” She was shaking Lottie’s neck and Lottie, helpless and in pain, was looking in shock as her oxygen began to close off. Just then, Malika’s adopted son, Ba’sim, came running out with her husband trailing behind.
“Ma! Ma! Let her go,” Ba’sim smirking, as he tried not to laugh, had finally reached them.
“Malika, girl, you crazy! Let the girl go!” Malika’s husband, Hooch, yelled out to her.
“Ma,” Ba’sim was finally pulling her off. “What are you doing?” He asked, standing between Malika and Lottie.
“I’ma kill ’er! Young skank got a lotta mouth! I told her to scat! I told you today was a good day didn’t I, skank!” Malika yelled, angered, “Didn’t I!?”
Lottie, now rubbing her throat and coughing, squeaked “Yeah, but you didn’t do that when Day’sia was here!” She was starting to cry, but trying to keep it together.
( Continued... )
© 2011 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Andrea Clinton. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.
Purchase copies of A Blessing and A Curse
ISBN-10: 0981837646 | ISBN-13: 978-0981837642
http://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Curse-Knows-Bounds-ebook/dp/B007RU67IA
