Chapt 5 "The Girls"

As I stood in front of the pink house, I really didn't know what to expect. There were trees everywhere and the ground was orange in some spots. Hmmm??, I never seen orange dirt before, I thought as I began walking towards the front door. As I looked around the yard it was evident Mrs. Millie was a good gardener. Her grass was greener than most of the houses around. She had all types of flowers planted near the house. It's like I'm in a whole different world, I thought to myself. Up until then, my mom and dad lived in apartments, they always said they didn't have time to deal with the responsibilities that come with a house yet. There was a yard at the Liquor House, but they was no way, my dad was gonna let me play, near his illegal business. So most of the time we just went to the park.

Just as I placed the key near the keyhole in the door, the door flew open. "Girl, What the..you scared the shit outta me!", said the tall man as he jumped back fist clinched tightly together. "What the hell you doing just standing out here", he shouted. "No! We don't want no damn cookies, take you ass on somewhere.", he laughed. "I ain't sellin no damn cookies, I was getting ready to open the door, so I could she where I'm gonna be staying at now but, ummmmm you in my way", I replied rolling my eyes. "Oh snap I forgot momma said you was coming today", he said. "Mrs. Millie yo momma??, I asked. "No! u nosy ass child, everybody call her that", he yelled. "Well I'm not gonna call nobody my momma that ain't my momma", I said. "OK", he laughed. "if you say so", he said as he moved out of the way, to let me through the door.

"Oh yea I'm King", "And you must be London?", he said. "Why they call you King?"I replied. "Cause I run these streets and that's all you need to know", he snapped. "Vanessa!" "Vanessa! Girl you hear me calling you!", he yelled. "What man!, I'm tryna do my homework, whatchu want?", Vanessa hollered back. "A!" "you betta watch ya mouth", he said as he walked down the hallway. As I sat there I just glanced around and there were hundreds of pictures, all over the walls. I don't know who these people are, but they look so happy, I thought Shit! The only picture I have of my family was a fuzzy picture my uncle took one day of me, mom and dad. He was drunk that day, and didn't know how to focus the camera. So I can't even see my parent's faces, but I know its them, that's what's most important. When I think about it, all I have is fuzzy memories of my past. Oh well, I guess that's life.

"Regina you betta find my earrings!, I told you to stay out my stuff!", screamed a female voice trotting down the stairs. "Is that girl here yet, King?", she said. "She in the Living Room, D," King yelled. Just then a young girl who looked about my age came into the living room. "Hey girl I'm LaDonna, but you can call me D", she said extending her hand toward me. "You London, right", she said. "Yep that's me, nice to meet you", I replied. "Damn girl you need to eat, you skinny as shit!!", she laughed. "Actually I'm petite", I snapped. "You ain't missin no meals I see", I said as I looked her up and down. LaDonna wasn't the lest bit overweight, but she was about five cheeseburgers away from it though. "You got jokes I see", Ladonna snapped. "A lot of em", I replied.

"Anyway come on girl, let me introduce you to the rest of the get-along gang.", Ladonna said. As she led me down the hallway towards the kitchen, I could smell food cooking, but it wasn't a smell I was used to. All I keep thinking was..DAMN!! THAT SMELLS GOOD!!!! "What's that smell", I asked licking my lips. "Soul Food", LaDonna replied. "That's what your bony ass need to be eating", she laughed. "Vanessa get your damn bag out the middle of the floor!", LaDonna screamed. "You aint got no maids round here girl!", she snapped. "Why can't yall leave me the hell alone", Vanessa shouted. "I gotta test tomorrow and I need to concentrate.", she said.
Ladonna turned around walked right up on her and said "Take yo bookworm ass up to your room then." "It's hot up there!", Vanessa said. "Open up ya damn window then fool", LaDonna yelled. "I can't I told King to open it for me last nite", she yelled. "You ain't told me shit Vanessa, You betta stop lying.", King said as he came into the backdoor. "No! You need to stop smoking that crack you selling.", she screamed. "I don't smoke shit!" "And you need to stop telling all my business", he shouted.

I sat down at the table and couldn't believe all the food that was in front of me. "Dang girl close your mouth, you hungry?", Vanessa laughed. I couldn't help it. I never seen an in-house buffet before, I thought to myself. "I'm sorry but this food smells so good", I replied wiping the little pool of drool that formed on the side of my mouth. "By the way I'm London if you hadn't already figured that out", "Im not tryna be rude, but could I please have something to eat.", I said. Everyone in the room began to laugh. "I'm serious, Mrs. Millie caught me stealing some old man chips out his pocket at the bus station. "Girl you betta not get caught stealin shit round here", laDonna continue. "Momma gonna have yo skinny behind up in Bible Study everyday", she laughed. "Fix sticky fingers a plate D", King requested. "Alright", she laughed.

"King can you take me to the mall?", a female voice yelled from upstairs. "No!, Ride the bus!", he replied. "Please! King I need to get a dress for school tomorrow!! Please!", she begged. "Regina bring yo ass down here and stop begging", he demanded. "King I'm serious now, I need a ride", she continued. "Shut up girl, Regina that's London, London that's Regina", he said. "Hey Regina", I said through a mouth full of food. It probably sounded more like "May Mer-nina". "London what kind of name is that, I thought you was gonna be a white girl", she laughed. "Regina why you so damn rude," Ladonna asked. "No it's OK", I said as I swallow my last bit of food. "My Mom was born in London, so that's what they named me, that's it. "so yo momma white?", Regina said dumbfounded. "Do she looked mixed stupid, she just as black as you", LaDonna laughed. "I'm not black, I'm brown", I said. "Stay in Georgia long enough you'll be black before you know it.", King said. "It's cold now but wait till the Sun come out, you gon turn 4 shades of brown, right to black. Everyone started laughing.

"What's this green leafy stuff in this pot?, Is that grass?" I asked. "Grass??", everybody said at the same time. The room burst into laughter once again at my expense. "Girl I thought you was from the south", Regina replied. "Them collard greens, London", King laughed. "Well wuteva they were, they were good!!", I said. "Slow down girl, you keep eatin like that, you won't be petite anymore", LaDonna grinned. "Yea she gonna be shaped like a Real Georgia Peach before you know it", Regina said while slapping her hand against a perfectly round country fed behind. "Girl bring yo fast tail on here", King yelled. "I got some business to handle downtown, I'll drop you off, but you gettin ya own ride home, and you betta not be meeting up with some knucklehead ass fool either", he shouted. "I'm not, stop trippin", she replied.

Regina grabbed her purse and walk out the backdoor with King following behind. "I'll be back later London, I'll take you around town a little later.", he said closing the door behind him. "What you want me to do with this plate?", I asked LaDonna. "Sit it over there on the counter", she answered. "Nessa when you done, please wash the dishes and mop the floor". "OK, OK Can I study please?!", she said." "Ok, Ok my behind Nessa do what I asked you to please.", LaDonna said. Ladonna took me upstairs straight to my new room. I was so excited! "This your room right here", laDonna said as she opened up the bedroom door. "I'm across the hallway, Mrs. Millie, Regina and Vanessa are down there, and King stays in the attic, but he ain't never here.", she said. "Well I'll see you later", then she closed the door behind her.

I couldn't believe my eyes. My very own room! My very own window! My very own closet! My very own dresser. My very own bed!. I just ran and jumped right on it. "I gotta bed!, I gotta bed!", I began to sing. I'm not sure what came over me but I started to cry. See in the last 2 years I have lived in 10 different homes, mostly family. Sometimes I slept on couches, other times I sleep on cots and sometimes the floor. The last person I stayed with was my Godmomma but she was mean as shit. She tried to make me sleep in the doghouse one night, because I got a second helping of dinner. Shit! I was hungry. She said since I didn't pay no bills, I eat what I'm given and nothing more. She got so mad about it she said I wasn't even worthy enough to sleep in her house. So she threw me a flashlight a blanket and pillow and told me to GET THE FUCK OUT AND GO SLEEP IN THE DOGHOUSE!! I slept in her car after I busted out her back window. BITCH! That's ok now, I done moved up in the world, I thought to myself. "I got my own shit now!", I said in excitement. I got up off my bed, locked my door and proceeded to do the Best "I got my own shit!!" dance I could possibly do. Can't nothing stop me now!....