Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Gentlemen, it’s time to water the garden within you, that hurt little boy. You are ill. Do you want to get well? It’s possible. You can’t help but be sick because we are all born into toxicity. The world is ailing, so we have no choice but to enter it in a state of trauma from day one. Dysfunctional lovers trapped in toxic relationships happen long before the two people meet. They start in our childhood. We dream of the past, but the nightmare we keep creating for ourselves must end today, or there will be no future…
She closed the book and looked off into the distance. She wanted to read the next chapter, but a mental and emotional break was warranted. Rather than taking a shower or napping, though, she found herself up on her feet, staring at a picture of her father that she had saved on her phone. He was handsome. He was laughing in the photo, a twinkle in his eye. She could see a bit of herself in him. Actually, a lot of herself.
Daddy, I’m trying to forgive you. I just wish I knew where to start. I’m sorry that I was such a disappointment to you. I hated you for what you did to me and Mama, and for the fact you were a terrible father all of my life. Then, after you got out of prison, you created a new family as though I didn’t even exist. You became religious, found God, and I wanted to punish you for abandoning me.
When you did come around, it was only to judge me. When I called to tell you that I had been assaulted, you answered the phone, told me you were busy and would call me right back before I even got a single sentence out. But you never did call back… I lay in the hospital bed, in terrible pain, and cried myself to sleep. I didn’t try to tell you what happened after that. That night, I needed my daddy! But you weren’t around. You didn’t water me. You didn’t even bother to spit in my direction…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Wisdom of an Older Woman
“I’ve got a date tomorrow,” Nadia blurted as her grandmother returned from the house, the screen door slamming behind her. She leaned back on the white veranda swing with the chipped paint, happy as she could be on Nana’s porch.
“Thank you.” Nana handed her a big glass of iced tea. Two thick wedges of lemon floated at the top, and the fresh lemon juice made it a bit cloudy. She took a sip and hummed, just like she used to as a little girl. “This is soooo good! You make the best sweet tea in all of Houston.” She kicked up her feet and swayed back and forth real slow, the swing squeaking and squawking from years of use, rust, wear and tear as she basked in the warm sun rays. There was a nice breeze, too.
“I didn’t catch that, baby. What you say ’fore the ‘thank you’ and ‘best sweet tea?’ I was comin’ out the door and feelin’ a little sidetracked.” Nana sat close to her on an old green folding chair with a plump floral cushion. The deck furniture had a retro bloomy design, but was fairly new. All of the furniture on the porch was in muted tones of orange, lemon and lime with bits of white throughout.
Nadia took another sip of her sweet beverage—this taste was even better than the first. The balance of lemon, ice, sugar and tea was just right. She gleamed up at the clear blue sky.
“I said I’ve got a date tomorrow.”
Nana’s narrow mahogany lips curved in a smile. Knobby, rich brown hands circled her slender knees draped beneath a black and white striped dress that was two sizes too big. She’s lost a lot of weight since she got sick.
“Isn’t that somethin’? I thought you was turnin’ into ya mama for a minute there,” Nana hooted, slapping her thigh. “Swearin’ off menfolk. The way you went on about that ex-boyfriend of yours made me think that was it for you.” The beautiful old woman with plaited salt and pepper sighed, set her glass down on the small table beside her, then shook her head.
“He somehow got me to change my mind. I think he has superpowers, Nana, because I meant what I said about being done with men. After LeRon, I didn’t want to be bothered. At least not for a long, long while.”
“Mmmm hmmm. I understand. I told you that man was trouble. The way he was all up under you. Wouldn’t let you outta his sight. Some men will make you wanna get on yo’ knees and pray God to snuff ’em out in their sleep.” She cackled, though a part of her believed Nana wasn’t kidding. “You ain’t mentioned no man in a long time. Say he got superpowers. That’s cute.” Nana took a slow sip of her tea. “Found someone you like, huh? That’s nice. What’s his name, and where’d you two meet?”