always acting a damn fool for attention. Sometimes the stuff she said could be funny, but it got old quick.
"This don't make no damn sense," said Keisha, eyeing her annoyed aunt reproachfully.
I'm so glad she ain't never had no kids. They would have never had a chance.
But Willy was paying his irritable wife no mind. "Hey Keisha girl, can I have a few dollars? I owe ol' Mr. Kane on up the road for a bet I lost."
An avid gambler, Willy was forever begging someone. It did not matter who.
"Sure," Keisha mumbled, digging in her purse.
Linda looked like she was about to have a stroke. "Girl, I know you ain't bout to be giving this burnt ass wildebeest no God damn money."
Keisha ignored her aunt, taking out several five-dollar bills, but was paused when her aunt grabbed onto her wrist firmly. Keisha was surprised at how strong her frail-looking aunt's grip was. She seemed to have the strength of a crack-head.
Maybe because she is a crack-head , Keisha thought.
"Auntie stop it!" Keisha snapped, jerking her wrist out of her grasp.
Jumping up from the couch she went over and handed the fat-bellied man his money. "Here Uncle Willy."
"Bless yo heart, child," Willy said nodding at her and eyeing the money greedily.
"How dare you ask my niece for some money, in my motha fuckin house!" Linda shouted at her husband with fury. "Nigga, that's my god damn niece! Go ask one of yo nappy-headed ass nieces for some money! Oh that's right! Ain't none of them ugly bitches got shit!"
"Aw shut up," Willy said walking off to the back, probably to get a shirt on to escape to the nearest liquor store.
"Who the fuck you think you telling to shut up you pregnant-looking ass nigga?" Linda yelled, jumping to her feet, hollering at the walls. "I'll have yo big smelly ass out on the sidewalk fuckin with me!"
Keisha was starting to get a headache.
Willy emerged from the back a moment later with a raggedy shirt on, walking over to the front door, doing his best to ignore his shrieking wife.
"And don't come yo Humpty Dumpty, hippopotamus ass back up in here!" Linda yelled after he had slammed the door. Turning to Keisha, she growled, "It's a sin and a shame to be that damn ugly."
Keisha shook her head, chuckling. "Lord Auntie, you are just too much."
Linda looked around as if looking for something, then stopped, seeming to realize that whatever it was, wasn't there. Sitting back down on the couch, she asked calmly, "So what's happening?"
Keisha almost burst out laughing. Linda was acting like she hadn't just acted like a damn fool
"Well," Keisha said after a moment. "Like I said, momma said you hadn't been answering your phone and wanted me to come check on you. I'm just relieved you are alright."
Linda made a face. "Well you would have known if you actually visited me from time to time. How come you ain't come see your auntie lately, stranger? It's been a while."
Because you too damn ignorant...and you live in a warzone.
Glancing down at Linda's old coffee table, Keisha said, "I've been busy and have gone through a lot of mess."
Linda quickly sat up with a scowl on her face that said she was ready to fight. "What kind of mess?"
Keisha quickly outlined what happened at Hawthorne, the vicious gossip by the teachers, the disrespect by the children and the stunt Demarion pulled.
”No that nigga did not try that on my niece!" Linda half-yelled.
Keisha nodded. "Yes he did."
Linda shook her head. "I know that pinhead nigga's momma. Ol Maybeline went wrong on raising that fucka." She snorted, fixing a direct, anger-filled gaze on her niece. "He got some damn nerve. Have you filed papers on his ass yet?"
Keisha shook her head. "It's complicated."
"Girl, you betta get yo ass down there and do something," Linda snapped. "Or I will. Ain't no nigga bout to be fuckin with my niece, I don't give a damn who his ass is."
"Please don't go causing no trouble," Keisha begged. "Things are going good for me right now."
Linda paused. "They
Inna Segal
Seth Skorkowsky
Carey Corp
Travis Thrasher
K. M. Shea
Erich Maria Remarque
Eric Walters
Cassia Brightmore
Rachel Vail
J. R. Ward