excited?”
“Yes, Mommy, yes I am, but I need Aunt Rose's number.” Fabiola wanted her mother to take off her manager's hat for a moment.
“Then why don't you sound like it?”
“Because I got some heavy stuff on my mind and I really need the number.”
“What can be heavier than the great news I just laid on you?”
“Ma,” Fabiola continued, “can you please just give me the number; it's very important.”
“Not half as important as what I am saying. Do you understand this man has called three times asking about you?”
“Okay good. Mommy, we will get the pictures done. I promise. Now please give me Aunt Rose's number.”
“What do you want with her?”
“I promise I will fill you in on everything later.”
“All right then, but I need you to head over here so we can work out the details for the photo shoot.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Now, can you give me the number, please?”
“Here's the damn number, girl. Sometimes I just don't understand you.”
After writing it down, she said, “A'ight Mommy, thanks. Talk to ya later.” She hung up the phone, but before she could dial the number she had written down, her phone rang. It was her boyfriend, G.P.
“Hey, G.P.,” Fabiola answered. “Can I call you back in a minute? I need to make a call real quick.”
“I just need to holla at you for a second, that's it. I've been calling you all day and the phone been going straight to voice mail.”
“I didn't have my phone with me today.”
“Well, I need to see you.”
“Cool. Let me make this call real quick and then I am going to call you back.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise.” Fabiola hung up the phone with G.P. and finally made the call to her aunt Rose, who was as crazy as a bedbug and loved Fabiola more than anything.
“Good morning,” someone answered, “SPCA, can I help you?”
“Hello?” Fabiola said, confused.
“Have you had your dog spayed or cat neutered?”
“Huh?” Thinking she may have dialed the wrong number, she said, “Aunt Rose?”
“That's what's wrong with this world today; everybody's toobusy to look after the welfare of the little kittens and little doggies.”
“I'm sorry,” Fabiola apologized. “I must have the wrong number …”
“What number you trying to reach, Fabs? You don't want to talk to me because I'm an animal activist today?”
“Aunt Rose?” she questioned. “Why are you talking about four-legged animals?”
“Duh …” Aunt Rose mocked, “because the ‘four-legged animals,’ as you call them, can't speak for themselves.”
Fabiola laughed. “I need your help, Auntie.”
“Anything, sweety, as long as I don't have to lie, cheat, or steal to do it.”
“No, you won't have to do any of those things.”
She didn't say anything about smuggling
, Fabiola thought. “It's just a small favor, that's all.”
“You always dragging on a damn conversation,” Rose accused. “This isn't the last note of a song. It's a conversation, baby. You ain't get that from my li'l sister, that's fo sho. Yo mother never did beat around the bush, especially when it came to trying to get what she wanted.”
“I need to get into the hospital to see someone,” Fabiola finally blurted out.
“Oh chile, that's my domain.”
Fabiola could hear the sound of dogs barking coming through the phone. “The SPCA or the hospital?” Fabiola teased.
“Both. But I was referring to the hospital.”
“I need to get in to see someone, but I'm not on the family visiting list.”
“A piece of paper never stood between me and what I wanted to get done. And besides, I think it's good for you to visit yourfriends sometimes. All of that time you spend singing, and this lesson and that lesson, running here and there, doing this and that, you need to have some fun of your own, you still young, girl. You can't keep living your mother's dream.”
“It's my dream, too,” Fabiola cut in, “but I do agree that I need a break now and then. That's why
“Yes, Mommy, yes I am, but I need Aunt Rose's number.” Fabiola wanted her mother to take off her manager's hat for a moment.
“Then why don't you sound like it?”
“Because I got some heavy stuff on my mind and I really need the number.”
“What can be heavier than the great news I just laid on you?”
“Ma,” Fabiola continued, “can you please just give me the number; it's very important.”
“Not half as important as what I am saying. Do you understand this man has called three times asking about you?”
“Okay good. Mommy, we will get the pictures done. I promise. Now please give me Aunt Rose's number.”
“What do you want with her?”
“I promise I will fill you in on everything later.”
“All right then, but I need you to head over here so we can work out the details for the photo shoot.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “Now, can you give me the number, please?”
“Here's the damn number, girl. Sometimes I just don't understand you.”
After writing it down, she said, “A'ight Mommy, thanks. Talk to ya later.” She hung up the phone, but before she could dial the number she had written down, her phone rang. It was her boyfriend, G.P.
“Hey, G.P.,” Fabiola answered. “Can I call you back in a minute? I need to make a call real quick.”
“I just need to holla at you for a second, that's it. I've been calling you all day and the phone been going straight to voice mail.”
“I didn't have my phone with me today.”
“Well, I need to see you.”
“Cool. Let me make this call real quick and then I am going to call you back.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise.” Fabiola hung up the phone with G.P. and finally made the call to her aunt Rose, who was as crazy as a bedbug and loved Fabiola more than anything.
“Good morning,” someone answered, “SPCA, can I help you?”
“Hello?” Fabiola said, confused.
“Have you had your dog spayed or cat neutered?”
“Huh?” Thinking she may have dialed the wrong number, she said, “Aunt Rose?”
“That's what's wrong with this world today; everybody's toobusy to look after the welfare of the little kittens and little doggies.”
“I'm sorry,” Fabiola apologized. “I must have the wrong number …”
“What number you trying to reach, Fabs? You don't want to talk to me because I'm an animal activist today?”
“Aunt Rose?” she questioned. “Why are you talking about four-legged animals?”
“Duh …” Aunt Rose mocked, “because the ‘four-legged animals,’ as you call them, can't speak for themselves.”
Fabiola laughed. “I need your help, Auntie.”
“Anything, sweety, as long as I don't have to lie, cheat, or steal to do it.”
“No, you won't have to do any of those things.”
She didn't say anything about smuggling
, Fabiola thought. “It's just a small favor, that's all.”
“You always dragging on a damn conversation,” Rose accused. “This isn't the last note of a song. It's a conversation, baby. You ain't get that from my li'l sister, that's fo sho. Yo mother never did beat around the bush, especially when it came to trying to get what she wanted.”
“I need to get into the hospital to see someone,” Fabiola finally blurted out.
“Oh chile, that's my domain.”
Fabiola could hear the sound of dogs barking coming through the phone. “The SPCA or the hospital?” Fabiola teased.
“Both. But I was referring to the hospital.”
“I need to get in to see someone, but I'm not on the family visiting list.”
“A piece of paper never stood between me and what I wanted to get done. And besides, I think it's good for you to visit yourfriends sometimes. All of that time you spend singing, and this lesson and that lesson, running here and there, doing this and that, you need to have some fun of your own, you still young, girl. You can't keep living your mother's dream.”
“It's my dream, too,” Fabiola cut in, “but I do agree that I need a break now and then. That's why
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