“KIIIIISSSSSYYYYY!”
I turned around pushing my head further into the covers.
“Kissy get yo black ass in here NOW!”
I groaned and rolled over until I had to catch myself from falling out of my twin size flowered cot. I wiped the fogginess from my eyes pulling a t-shirt over my naked chest and walked down the hall. Leaning against the door of the kitchen, I rolled my eyes at the sight of Grandnanny trying in vain to cook some scrambled eggs. Now I was only thirteen but I knew eggs have no part of them that’s supposed to be black.
“Kissy I don’t know what the hell your mama did to this stove but I’m going to whip her ass when she gets back here!”
I sighed and grabbed four more eggs from the basket and flipped the old crusty crap she was fixing into the trash. Four minutes later, eggs were on each plate piping hot and yellow.
“Thanks Kissy love.” She laid a quick kiss on my cheek and I nodded. True to her word when Momma got home from her twelve to six shift ten minutes later I heard Nanny’s nasal high voice shrieking and whining. I was used to this Monday morning charade so I went back to dressing myself for school, fixing my long brown plaits myself and fixing rubber bands to the ends. When I walked into the kitchen, Momma had already picked herself up and was rubbing her jaw gently not crying or talking just looking at the floor. That witch was checking her lipstick in the mirror over the stove.
I sat my satchel down on the floor and winked at Momma who kissed the air in front of me. It was custom to have us all sit down at seven o’clock. As the big mahogany grandfather clock would chime its first chime of the seven, my granddaddy would waltz into the kitchen. He’d scoop Grandnanny up into his arms and dance with her to inaudible music ; music silent to those who weren’t supposed to be in that happy bubble. Momma and I always sat in amazement watching them. Both of us longing to hear the music-- just one note.
“Kissy how’s school. Getting them grades?”
“Yes sir.” I clutched my fork and willed myself to eat when for all the years of my life I was never hungry at this time of morning.
“Tell Mrs. Driver she can pick up that fifth of shine at noon.”
I said nothing as Daddy went back to his plate. I didn’t plan on seeing Mrs. Driver today or any other day. I skipped her class everyday there wasn’t a test and still made perfect scores. Shoot, she didn’t care…less students for her to deal with.
A rock tapped the window slightly and I gobbled down my eggs hurriedly. I kissed my mother and simply looked at my grandparents. A second rock made its presence known in the glass as I gripped my satchel and raced out the door.
“Damn girl you git slower eday.” My best friend, T.J. Miles smiled up at me, his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his cap down over his eyes.
“Nah, you get more impatient everyday, Negro.” I rolled my eyes and caught stride beside him. He leaned down and I took the cigarette out his mouth greatfully.
“You going to school today?” He asked with an eyebrow raised. That brotherly eyebrow.
“I guess so. Ain’t shit else to do.”
‘Amen to that.”
“You can’t say that.”
“Say what.”
“Amen to that.” I say mocking his deep voice.
“Why not ?”
“Cuz,,I used the word shit. You can’t say Amen to something with shit in it”
“Kissi?”
“Yeah”
“Shut the hell up.”
I took one more puff and put it back in his mouth laughing. When I got to school, I quickly changed my mind. I let T.J. take me to my class to make sure he didn’t think I was ditching, then after morning roll, I asked to go to the bathroom and shimmied my 5’6 frame out of that little bathroom window thanking God that this morning I didn’t have one of those doughnuts Granddaddy buys and places on top the fridge. I hated the confinement of school, the feeling of one dilapidated building being my universe for eight hours appealed to me about as much as a route canal with no Novocain.
I walked a long time. I walked until I came to an open field on the outskirts of town. I sat down in the long weeds and pulled a cigarette from my training bra. Pulling a fifty cent lighter I stole from the 711 from my back pack. I lit and sat back letting my mind drift into a place where thoughts were not necessary and definitely not recommended.
The next thing I felt is a gentle grabbing of my belt loop and a not so gentle yank to my feet. Disoriented I fell backwards into the grass. Pushing my bangs from my eyes I looked up.
“Damnit Kissi, I swear I should hurt you. What you doing out here? I woulda come wit you.”
T.J. looked so pissed, I wanted to cry. I didn’t even know a guy that dark could redden that much. I scooted over and looked up at him not saying a word. He watched me as I nervously played with the blades of grass and the black laces of my sneakers. I could feel his eyes scorching the back of my white tank top.
“WHAT!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Aint nothing wrong.”
Sighing He sat down beside me and picked up a rock and began to examine it…twirling it around in his fingers. I had always liked his fingers slim and shapely…no wonder he can play ball and draw like he could. His dark eyes still focused on the white rock he said bluntly.
“When I first met you, you used ta skip every now and then. Now, you skip everyday. Shit aint cool. I know you make good grades anyway but attendance counts lil girl.”
“I just cant stand it and I don’t see how you can either. Teachers suck, sitting in a boring class listenin to them tell you stuff you can figure out yoself.”
“Yea well not everyone is smart as you Kiss.”
“Didn’t say they were.”
He looks up at me for a brief second then shakes his head.
“Arrogant ass.”
I smile to myself wondering why this sixteen year old with such a bright future would wanna hang with someone in my position.
“Were you that worried bout me?”
He smirks and leans over kissing my cheek.
“Come on lets go, we’ll chill today if you promise to do right tomorrow.”
I get up dusting off my jean shorts and following him promising that if someone cared enough to check up on me that I would go to school, everyday and all the time. Hell, even my momma didn’t check up on my school work.
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