The Fight (7 page)

I'd never felt as hurt or betrayed by anyone as I did by Misty that night. I've learned the hard way you just can't trust everybody. It seems to me the people I trust the most always end up the ones causing me the most pain.

After my argument with Misty, I sat outside smelling the crisp night air, listening to the neighbors watching reruns of
Good Times
. Mama's dog Lexi pushed open the back gate and sat next to me on the porch. I swear sometimes I feel like she's the only one I can truly trust—besides Mama, that is.

 

I'm so glad I get through the rest of the day without seeing anyone, especially KJ. I want to avoid him for as long as possible. I'm so ready to go home, I drop off my schedule to Mr. Adelezi and head straight to the bus stop without saying good-bye to Nellie and Mickey; they'd just try to convince me to hang out after school.

On the way to the bus stop, I see Jeremy, this White boy who makes me feel all funny inside, getting into his '66 Mustang with a mutual friend of ours, Chance. Damn he's fine.

As he walks around to the driver's side of his car, I notice how even-toned his olive complexion is. The afternoon sun hits his hazel eyes at an angle that makes them shimmer like cat eyes. He's hairy, but it only complements his trim, muscular body. He wears his usual outfit: a T-shirt, basketball shorts, and Birkenstocks on his feet.

“Hey, Jayd,” Chance says, crossing the street to greet me.

“Hey, Chance. How was your summer?” I ask while reaching out to give him a bear hug.

“It was great. I missed you at the beach. What did you get into?” he asks. I instantly think of Simply Wholesome, KJ, my mom's house, and the drive-by. I decide to go with the obvious answer.

“I was working,” I say, sneaking a peek at Jeremy, still standing at his car.

“Have you met my boy Jeremy?” Chance asks, seeing my obvious jocking through my fake Louis Vuitton shades.

“Yeah, we've met. I actually have a class with him this semester and . . .” Before I could finish my thought, Chance yells to Jeremy to come and join us. He can be such a jerk sometimes. But, I love him like the White brother I never thought I'd have. As Jeremy walks over, I can feel the heat rise from my body to my face. I hope this boy doesn't notice my blushing.

“Jeremy, you met my girl Jayd, right?” Chance asks, pulling me close to him, just like a big brother would.

“Yeah, in Government class,” he says, letting his smile get as big as mine must be right about now. “How's it going, Jayd?” he asks.

“It's going,” I say, instantly feeling embarrassed. Why'd I have to say that?

“Isn't she the cutest little thing you've ever seen?” Chance says, rubbing my head.

“Fool, would you cut it out? You gone mess up my braids,” I say, jerking away from his embrace.

“How was your summer?” Jeremy asks, actually looking interested in my response.

“Too short,” I say, still surprised that this boy is talking to me. “And yours?” I ask, returning the interest.

“It was cool. Surfing and all that. You know, the usual,” Jeremy says, looking from me to Chance, like he's trying to figure out our relationship. “So, how do you know this loser?” he says, punching Chance in the arm.

“Watch it, man. I just finished working out. You're liable to break your hand on these rocks, baby,” Chance says, flexing his limp biceps in the air.

“We're in the Drama Club. And, he just kind of attached himself to me over the past year,” I say, smacking his arm out of the air. He's such a damn fool.

“You know you love it, baby,” Chance says, embracing me in another bear hug and picking me up.

“Put me down!” I scream. Jeremy's just watching and laughing at us.

“Dude, put her down and stop playing around. We got business to handle,” Jeremy says, looking down at his ringing cell phone. I like this old-school ring tone. It reminds me of the antique rotary phone we still use in Mama's room.

“Chance, sometimes you play too much,” I say, straightening out my clothes and catching my breath.

“All right let's go. Jayd, we'll see your fine self tomorrow,” Chance says, walking back over to Jeremy's car.

“Yeah, we'll talk in class tomorrow, Jayd,” Jeremy says as he heads back to his car, leaving me anxious to wake up the next morning. For the first time today, I'm actually looking forward to the rest of the school year.

“See y'all tomorrow,” I say, walking toward the bus stop. As they speed off toward the beach, I wonder what kind of trouble they're about to get into. I hope my bus ride is uneventful. I need the rest of the day to be peaceful, especially if I'm going to get all this homework done. I hope the vibe at home is laid-back too.

8

Women's Work

—
ERYKAH BADU

 

 

 

W
hen I come home from school I like to immediately change out of my clothes, eat some hot Chee-tos or some Poli Seeds, and chill out listening to my portable CD player. I walk in the back door and notice Jay sitting on the couch. Instead of doing his homework, he's watching TV.

“Jay, why you ain't doing your homework?” I ask, walking past him and into Mama's room.

“I ain't got no homework. It's the first week of school,” Jay yells from the living room.

“How you gone be a senior and I got more homework than you?” I say, already knowing his response.

“That's because you go to that White-ass school. You see, if they put you over there with me at Compton, you wouldn't have no homework this week and you could chill and watch videos.”

I come out of the room just to look at his stupid self.

“Jay, that's not true. Plenty of students at Compton got homework today, I'm sure. Your lazy butt just ain't doin' it.”

I go into Daddy's room to get my clothes out of the closet and see Bryan knocked out on his bed. I dig down to the bottom of my clothes bag and pull out a Bebe shirt, some jean shorts, and my CD player. I take my stuff back into Mama's room and get comfortable. Unlike Jay, I have a grip of homework tonight.

“If the phone rings, answer it, please. I'm expecting Nellie to call,” I shout at Jay from the room.

“What I look like, your secretary?” he yells back.

“Just answer the phone, fool,” I say while opening my math book, but my concentration is quickly broken by the ringing phone.

“Jayd, pick up the phone,” Jay yells.

I put my books down and walk over to Mama's side of the room. She keeps her phone well hidden under her bed.

“Hello?”

“What's up, Jayd?” Mickey asks. I can hear all of her brothers and sisters in the background. She has six siblings, so her house is always noisy. Nellie's on the phone too.

“Hey, girl. We're just checking on you,” Nellie says. “You left school without saying a word.”

“I know. I'm sorry. I just had to get home. Did I miss anything?”

“Girl, when you left that broad was talking about jumping you,” Nellie blurts out. “She said she gone get you the first chance she gets.”

“Are you serious, Nellie?” I ask, dumbfounded. This is happening on the first day of school. What did I do to deserve this?

“Girl, hell yes,” Nellie says.

“Trecee is on one, Jayd,” Mickey chimes in. “What did KJ put on her? You shoulda got some of that while you had the chance,” Mickey continues, only half-joking.

“Mickey, what's wrong with you?” Nellie says, pretending to be offended. “That man is obviously damaged goods because the broads he's with are crazy after being with him.”

“Yeah,” Mickey admits, “but you got to give it to him on this: He must have some kind of loving to get girls this sprung on him.”

“Mickey, damn!” I yell. “You can be so crass at times. Are you really that curious about KJ?” I ask. Now I'm getting pissed. “Everybody just loves KJ. He ain't that great or fine or whatever. And, believe me, the brotha's got a thing or two to learn about giving as well as receiving,” I say, temporarily shutting Mickey up. “I got to go.”

“Ah, hell nah, Jayd. What did you mean by that? He's got a thing to learn about giving what?” Mickey asks.

“I'll see you tomorrow. I'm too tired to finish this conversation.”

“Jayd, what you and KJ do? You always acting so damn innocent. See, I knew you were a freak,” Mickey says.

“All I'm saying is that KJ has no patience and no respect. If we were to do anything, it would be all for his benefit and that's not the way it should be.”

“That's right, Jayd,” Nellie says.

“Whatever. I still think you shoulda got with that when you had the chance,” Mickey says, not relenting.

“Whatever, Mickey.” I'm trying not to sound too irritated with her, but she can work my nerves sometimes.

“Mickey and I are going to the mall after school tomorrow. You down?” Nellie asks, cleverly changing the subject. She can tell when I've had enough of Mickey for one day.

“Yeah, I'm down,” I answer. I could use some new sandals. It's too hot to be wearing boots or Nikes every day.

“And, Jayd, don't worry about that girl. Ain't nothing gone happen tomorrow. She'd be a fool to try something again,” Nellie says, trying to reassure me.

“I'm not worried about her trying something. I'm worried about her making me do something I don't want to do.”

“What's that?” Nellie asks.

“Defend myself.” I haven't really had a fight since I've been at South Bay High. Me and Misty have cat fights every now and then, but an all-out brawl? No, not yet. The last time I had one of those was in junior high, and I sent that girl to the hospital.

“Well, for her sake I hope she's just playing around,” Nellie says. She knows how wild I can get when pushed. She's only witnessed me going off on Misty a time or two, but that's enough to make her never want to see me fight someone.

“Yeah, well I just can't wait for this to all come to an end. See you tomorrow, chicas,” I say.

“Toodles,” Nellie says in her usual upbeat way.

“Later, Jayd.”

“Later, Mickey.”

 

 

After I hang up the phone, I hear Mama and Jay talking in the living room. Mama walks in the bedroom with her purse on her shoulder and shopping bags in tow.

“What was all that about defending yourself?” Mama asks. I swear she's got the hearing of a wolf.

Maybe Mama can help me solve some of the drama at school. “Mama, can you give me a potion to keep crazy people away from me or teach me how to put a curse on someone?” I ask.

“Now, Jayd, you know that's not how we work,” she says, putting her shopping bags into her closet.

“What happened to the charm bag I gave you this morning?” Mama asks while changing clothes. She takes off her red slacks and panty hose, carefully hanging them both on a wire hanger and putting them in the closet. There's hardly any room in there for another hanger, but somehow she makes it fit.

I forgot all about my No More Drama charm bag. I put it in my backpack this morning and haven't seen it since. I put my homework down and grab my backpack from the foot of my bed.

“I think I put it in my pencil bag,” I say, opening the side pocket.

Mama stops undressing and shakes her head, taking a long, deep sigh. “Jayd, I told you to put that bag in your purse and now you don't know where it is,” Mama says, sounding disappointed.

“I didn't lose it,” I say, frantically searching for the charm bag. What did I do with it? It's got to be in here somewhere.

“Jayd, you've got to take your lessons more seriously,” she says, continuing to take off her cream blouse and shell. Mama takes her yellow housedress off a nail hanging in the closet and puts it on over her head without moving a single hair out of place.

“How are you going to ask for more help when you don't take the help I already gave you seriously?” Obviously irritated, Mama grabs some white towels and T-shirts from the top shelf of the closet. She puts them down on the bed, walks over to her nightstand, and picks up her journal.

“Every time a client asks for my help, I write down their question, the answer, the work prescribed to help them with their problem, and the final outcome. Over half of my clients come back to me repeatedly for the same thing.” Mama stops turning the fragile pages of her journal and reads silently to herself. I dare not say a word.

“When they come back, I ask if they've completed whatever work I gave them to do with their last consultation. More often than not, the answer is no. And so, I give them the same work to do over again until it is done.” She puts the journal down, rubs her forehead, and continues. “I don't give you work to do because I want to punish you, Jayd. I give it to you because I want to help you and teach you how to help yourself and eventually others. You must have faith in what you already have before you go off looking for answers in curses and potions.”

Now I feel like crap. Mama's right. She always is. I stop looking for the charm bag and watch Mama pick up the towels and T-shirts, along with some candles and her other spirit tools.

“We have to make the offering to Oshune now. She's your main deity and she'll handle all your problems, no matter the cause. Go into the bathroom. We're going to give you a cleansing first,” Mama says without any further explanation.

Mama taught me how to give cleansing baths when I started my period. I guess it was some sort of right of passage.

First, depending on the type of cleansing, I have to boil the ingredients together in a big stainless-steel pot. Then, I have to say some prayers and prepare the bath.

The bath usually consists of things that make you smell and feel good: perfume, flowers, oils, wine (if you're old enough), and candles everywhere. Mama makes all the preparations, so I don't know what this cleansing is for. But, judging by the white, blue, and yellow candles everywhere, I'm guessing it's for protection, peace, and attraction.

I walk into the bathroom and Mama closes the door behind me; there's no room to move.

“Take off your clothes and get in the tub,” Mama says, setting a big pot full of the cleansing brew down on the corner of the tub. She begins to pour the contents into the tub while running cold water.

“Hey. Who's in the bathroom?” Carl asks, banging on the door.

“Carl, go away. We're busy,” Mama shouts.

“We? Ah damn, are y'all doing another cleansing? People got to shit, you know?” Carl says, walking away from the bathroom door.

Mama hands me the pot and tells me to keep pouring. Mama opens the bathroom door and yells out to anybody who can hear, “The next person who bangs on this door or makes any unnecessary noise while we're in here is going to get a cast-iron skillet up their head.” Without another word, Mama closes the bathroom door and continues to mix the contents in the tub.

I finish pouring everything into the tub and indulge in fragrances that overwhelm me. The candle's light calms me and makes everything in the dingy little bathroom seem to glow.

“Mama, why do I have to do this right now? I'm tired and I've got a lot of homework to do,” I say as I start to get out of the tub.

“Jayd girl, hush. You know better than to talk in the middle of a cleansing. Here, take the cup. You know what to do,” Mama says, testing my basic knowledge.

I pour the brew over my head several times while reciting a prayer to my deity. The first time I did this I felt a little weird. But it works. A cleansing of any type is a really good way to calm down in this crazy world.

After the cleansing bath, Mama makes an offering to Oshune, the Yoruba deity of love, wealth, and healing. She prays for me to have the sweetness of Oshune to help me win over my enemies.

“Oshune is also a warrior, Jayd. So, don't let anyone scare you,” Mama says as I step out of the tub and she steers me to the mirror. She dries me off with the white towel as I stare at my reflection. “You are blessed by both her strength and her sweetness.”

Mama hands me a white gown and tells me to put it on. “You have a lot of negative energy around you at school,” Mama says while draining the tub. “You have a lot of work to do to keep this mess off you. There's much more going on here than you know.”

“What else is it, Mama?” I ask, turning toward her and feeling more frightened than I was by the prospect of a fight with Trecee.

“What did I say? No fear, Jayd,” Mama says, pushing my chin up and forcing my intense stare back into the mirror.

“Everything will be revealed in time, child. But the drama going on with KJ and Misty ain't got nothing to do with you. So, you just need to be aware of your energy and keep as far away from the girl as you can until this is all solved,” Mama says while picking up the flowers and herbs from the bottom of the empty tub.

Mama opens the bathroom door and hurries out, carrying her pot and the extinguished candles. She returns to lead me back to her room and hands me a list with assignments on it.

“This is your homework for the next two weeks. You'll be tested on it next Sunday evening,” Mama says. “Pay attention while doing your assignments; don't just do it to get it done, learn something,” she says, referring to the list.

I unfold the yellow parchment paper with Mama's careful and neat handwriting on it. I read the list to myself. It's more prayers, poems, and stories about the different deities.

“Mama, why I got to do all this work? I've got too much on my mind to be doing all this right now,” I complain. All I asked for was a little help. Not a list of more stuff to do.

“Your petty little drama at school ain't nothing compared to the drama out here in the real world. Tell that to them little heffas stirring up all this mess behind you and KJ. Now, go get Mama some water so I can take my herbs.”

As usual, Mama's right. I shouldn't be worrying about this drama when there are so many more important things to think about. But still, Trecee and KJ will be on my mind all night long.

When I walk back into Mama's room to hand her her herbs and get my backpack to take into the kitchen—I still have schoolwork to do—Mama's already asleep on her bed. In her hand lay a Bible and her rosary. I hope she prayed for Trecee to chill the hell out. I pray the cleansing works. I need as much protection and good vibes around me as possible. Mama doesn't play games when it comes to my safety or my heart. I wish everybody felt the same way.