Even when she and Beresford go on vacation, she still calls and sings to me. She’s been doing it for so long that I kind of took it for granted. If she’s mad enough to skip my song, she might bring the hammer down on me later.
I start thinking about Greg, and the smile from last night returns. But then reality sets in. What am I going to wear?! I mope my way into the bathroom and shower in the dark. One of those new dresses would do the trick, but there’s no use thinking about things that I can’t have. I press my forehead against the wall and pray that an outfit will just come oozing out of the showerhead. Beresford knocks on the door a fewtimes to remind me that he still has to pay the water bill. The last knock made the walls shake.
I come out of the shower and head straight for my closet. It feels more like a death march, like I’m walking to the electric chair. I open the closet door, silently hoping that the bag of clothes is still in there. My mother must’ve moved them when I was in the bathroom. Not like I would’ve worn them anyway.
I sigh, disappointed, and drop onto my bed. I knew that I was forbidden to wear the new clothes, but now I’m forced to make a decision. I take out my cornrows and put my hair in a ponytail. It looks nice because it has this kinky, wavy thing going on. Even so, how am I going to keep Greg interested if I’m wearing button-down shirts and Gap khakis?
Sulking on the edge of my bed, I notice a box sitting on my desk. There’s a note on top of it.
Martine,
Sometimes it’s what you don’t show that’s sexy.
Mummy
P.S. We still need to talk, young lady!
Inside the box are three velour sweat suits. Even though I know a punishment is coming, I can’t help but smile and wonder how my mother knew that these things were in style. Funny, if Cherise hadn’t pointed one out to me at the mall, I wouldn’t have known myself. They don’t have any tags on them, so I’m assuming they are some of her old clothes. Thank God my mother takes care of everything she buys. Thesethings look almost new. She says that fashion goes in cycles so she doesn’t throw much of her stuff away.
To say the velour suit fits perfectly would be an understatement. I’ll ask her if I can dig through some of her boxes in the attic. I’m bound to find some more nice stuff up there.
“I’m feeling that velour! Where’d you get it?” Cherise seems impressed when I see her in the subway.
“My mother gave it to me. I decided not to wear one of the things we bought from the mall.”
I practiced saying that line over and over on the walk to the train. Of course it didn’t come out right. Maybe I should’ve waited until she actually
asked
me about the clothes we bought yesterday before I said anything. Cherise’s face is full of doubt as she hears my excuse. She sees through me like I’m a pane of glass. I tell her what happened when I got home yesterday, and she almost flips.
“Damn, Teenie, I swear. You so stupid sometimes. Why you had to tell her I bought them for you?”
“What was I supposed to say? I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know. Why you ain’t tell her you saved up your money or something?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“What did she do with the clothes?”
I look away and don’t answer.
“Ugh.” She shakes her head and sucks her teeth. “You’re the worst!”
I keep quiet for a while, hoping she’ll get over it, and giveher a Claritin as a peace offering. She takes it and stares at me for a little longer, then changes the subject.
“He never showed up,” she sighs.
“Who?”
“You see how you stay? Get a little attention from a boy and totally forget about your friends.”
“Oh! Big Daddy. What happened?”
“Did I tell you I was meeting with Big Daddy?”
“No.”
“So stop making assumptions then.”
“So if it wasn’t him, then who were you supposed to meet?”
“Do you want to hear the story or not?”
“Fine. Go ahead.”
“I was supposed to
I start thinking about Greg, and the smile from last night returns. But then reality sets in. What am I going to wear?! I mope my way into the bathroom and shower in the dark. One of those new dresses would do the trick, but there’s no use thinking about things that I can’t have. I press my forehead against the wall and pray that an outfit will just come oozing out of the showerhead. Beresford knocks on the door a fewtimes to remind me that he still has to pay the water bill. The last knock made the walls shake.
I come out of the shower and head straight for my closet. It feels more like a death march, like I’m walking to the electric chair. I open the closet door, silently hoping that the bag of clothes is still in there. My mother must’ve moved them when I was in the bathroom. Not like I would’ve worn them anyway.
I sigh, disappointed, and drop onto my bed. I knew that I was forbidden to wear the new clothes, but now I’m forced to make a decision. I take out my cornrows and put my hair in a ponytail. It looks nice because it has this kinky, wavy thing going on. Even so, how am I going to keep Greg interested if I’m wearing button-down shirts and Gap khakis?
Sulking on the edge of my bed, I notice a box sitting on my desk. There’s a note on top of it.
Martine,
Sometimes it’s what you don’t show that’s sexy.
Mummy
P.S. We still need to talk, young lady!
Inside the box are three velour sweat suits. Even though I know a punishment is coming, I can’t help but smile and wonder how my mother knew that these things were in style. Funny, if Cherise hadn’t pointed one out to me at the mall, I wouldn’t have known myself. They don’t have any tags on them, so I’m assuming they are some of her old clothes. Thank God my mother takes care of everything she buys. Thesethings look almost new. She says that fashion goes in cycles so she doesn’t throw much of her stuff away.
To say the velour suit fits perfectly would be an understatement. I’ll ask her if I can dig through some of her boxes in the attic. I’m bound to find some more nice stuff up there.
“I’m feeling that velour! Where’d you get it?” Cherise seems impressed when I see her in the subway.
“My mother gave it to me. I decided not to wear one of the things we bought from the mall.”
I practiced saying that line over and over on the walk to the train. Of course it didn’t come out right. Maybe I should’ve waited until she actually
asked
me about the clothes we bought yesterday before I said anything. Cherise’s face is full of doubt as she hears my excuse. She sees through me like I’m a pane of glass. I tell her what happened when I got home yesterday, and she almost flips.
“Damn, Teenie, I swear. You so stupid sometimes. Why you had to tell her I bought them for you?”
“What was I supposed to say? I’m sorry.”
“I don’t know. Why you ain’t tell her you saved up your money or something?”
I shrug my shoulders.
“What did she do with the clothes?”
I look away and don’t answer.
“Ugh.” She shakes her head and sucks her teeth. “You’re the worst!”
I keep quiet for a while, hoping she’ll get over it, and giveher a Claritin as a peace offering. She takes it and stares at me for a little longer, then changes the subject.
“He never showed up,” she sighs.
“Who?”
“You see how you stay? Get a little attention from a boy and totally forget about your friends.”
“Oh! Big Daddy. What happened?”
“Did I tell you I was meeting with Big Daddy?”
“No.”
“So stop making assumptions then.”
“So if it wasn’t him, then who were you supposed to meet?”
“Do you want to hear the story or not?”
“Fine. Go ahead.”
“I was supposed to
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