We all go through hard times. I remember a lady that lived across the street from us that always needed a ride to the store. Mama would ask the lady for gas money every time.
"Mama, she ain't got no money." I pleaded in the lady's defense. Mama just rolled her eyes.
"Then how she going to the store? Sit back and shut-up!" Mama had a mean streak in her so bad, that the devil himself ran when he saw her coming! During the ride, the humble and meek woman gave Mama five dollars for gas.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" The woman dropped her head in desperation.
"That's all I have." She dug in her worn out purse scraping for change. I reached in to my pocket and pulled out five dollars I had stolen from Mama earlier that day.
"Here, is this enough?" Mama snatched the money from both of us.
"This is your last ride." Sitting on the porch later that day, my heart dropped to the sand when a squealing ambulance had pulled to a screeching halt to the lady's house across the street. Nosy neighbors gathered around to find out what was happening.
A few days passed when I walked to the corner store. On my way back, I saw my neighbor sitting in an old wooden rocking chair. Slowly, she rocked back and forth. I walked up on the porch and peeked in to the kitchen window where she sat.
"Hey, Ms. Weston. Are you okay?" When she didn't speak, I leaned in closer.
"Ms. Weston?" Just as I was about to leave I heard a cracking weary voice.
"Tell your mama to come see me. I have her gas money." Suddenly, the kitchen window slammed shut in my face! Mama was sitting on the multi-colored sofa chain smoking cigarettes when I returned home.
"What took you so long to go to the store? Did you get any cash from those food stamps?" It had been two hours since Mama's last fix. Sweat ran down her body like she had just taken a shower. As soon as I had told her what Ms. Weston said, Mama bolted through the hole in our screen door. Running across the street, Mama banged on the metal door. I noticed the kitchen window was open again. Mama went in head first. A few minutes later, police cars swarmed Ms. Weston's two storied home.
A short full figured woman, that resembled Ms. Weston, yelled and screamed at Mama as she was being placed in a police car. I asked the guy that mowed the grass, when it grew, what had happened.
"Yo Mama gots to get off them drugs! She tried to rob that lady's house!" He shook his head and started to walk away when I stopped him.
"But she told me to tell Mama to come and get the gas money she owed her." That man cursed me something terrible.
"Y'all both must be shooting up. That poor lady died two days ago!"
The only thing I could think after hearing that, was Karma is a bitch!!!!
1 comment:
Loved it!
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