Page 4 of F*ckin' With Me
The huff under my breath was accompanied with an eye roll.“Mother, an hour ago, I was at work, and you did not call me. You started calling me after I got home in the shower. I was only in the shower for thirty minutes.”
She sucked her teeth.“How would you know how long you were in the shower, young lady?”She tittered.“You act like you set an alarm.”
“Actually, I did. My showerhead has a timed shutoff option that I set when I get in. It’s important to preserve water where you can, Mother.”I told her, didn’t I!
Simone insisted my sister Lanette and I called her mother instead of mom, mama, or mommy. Those sounded less sophisticated. It was an absurd notion. She tried to make us call my daddy, father. He told us not to, so I never did. My sister, the golden child, on the other hand, went headfirst with the father crap. I long ago recognized that she wanted to be Simone Brand.
“Only you would have a timer on your shower. That is not why I called you. Did you get the package from the carrier today?”she asked.
I wanted to scream, but instead, I answered her.“Yes, I received the package that you sent to my job. Please don’t do that again. You could have sent it to my home.”
“I wanted to make sure you got the package. You’re always at that little job, so I figured that was where I would send it,”she said unashamedly.“Now, that is what you are to wear this weekend to your sister’s bridal shower. Simonette, wear everything in the package, including shoes and accessories. If you come in here with Mary Jane anything, I will make you leave.”
Did she just give me a way out of this!Right before lunch, the receptionist of the building called up to the lab to tell methat I had a package. I spent my lunch in my car, my house, or a deli that wasn’t too far from the building. That day, I went home to see what was in the package from mommy dearest. A dress, shoes, accessories, a fragrance, and we can’t forget about the pantyhose. Life without pantyhose was a fashion sin, according to my mother.“Mother, I think I can dress myself at thirty years old.”
It sounded like she laughed with her whole chest.“Well, if that were true, then your sister and I would never have had to go shopping for you to ensure you looked presentable. Neither of us want to be embarrassed.”
How could a person ever have a slither of confidence with a mother like Simone and a sister like Lanette?“Well, from the top of my heart, I thank you both. I have to go, Mother. I was in the middle of doing something.”
Ididn’t give her a chance to say anything before I hung up. There was nothing left to say anyway, so I went on with my night. There was a new method of blood analyzation I wanted to research. After I was comfortable in my bed with my books and tablet to take notes with, my phone dinged. I rolled my eyes before I picked it up.
Mommy Dearest:
You know I often ask God how He could create one perfect daughter then you. It can be so disheartening at times.
There was the reminder that she gave me every quarter. I wasn’t the perfect daughter she doted on. I was the daughter that would be hidden in a cave if she could have her way.
I glared at my books for a second. I didn’t feel like doing research that night. I just wanted to go to sleep.
Bridal Shower Shenanigans . . .
The perfect bridesmaid always does what she’s told.That was the vibe at my sister’s bridal shower. Every ten seconds, it wasSimonette, do this. Simonette, do that.I couldn’t wait until it was over.
My sister was marrying Justin Everland, who she’d been with off and on since she was a junior in high school. My mother didn’t know they were off and on. Lanette made sure her and Justin’s off-seasons were secret. He even showed up to events during their off-season to keep up appearances.
The theme of the bridal shower was your typical tea party. All the elites were there. Justin came from a very well-to-do family. He was perfect for the image that my mother and Lanette wanted to have.
We all sat around the cute setup that probably cost my father a fortune. “So, Simonette, you look nice today,” Mrs. Doris, my mother’s best friend, complimented. She looked down at my feet. “Oh, I see you left those God-awful Mary Jane shoes at home.”
“Oh, that wasn’t by choice,” my sister blurted with a snooty giggle. “Mother and I brought her entire look today. Those Mary Janes are probably why she doesn’t have a man.”
The entire room burst into laughter. That was how it went at every event my mother forced me to attend. I’d rather be at home, individually plucking the hair from my legs.
My mother clapped her hands. “Right, Lanette. The few dates that I did set her up on, the reviews from the men were horrid.”She tittered before her eyes locked onto me. “One day, she’ll get it right. Even if it is in heaven.”
Once again, everyone had a laugh at my expense.I hate it here.I stood from my seat. “I need to use the bathroom. Excuse me, ladies.”
I rushed out of the room at lightning speed. Instead of going to the bathroom, I went to my childhood bedroom. I needed a minute to regroup, but what I wanted to do was jump out of the damn window. My room door opened, and I jumped to my feet. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just . . .”
I stopped speaking when I realized it was my father. “Hey, baby girl. How are you doing?”
“I’m ready to go home and do the things that make me happy. You know your wife and daughter are a lot.” I sat back down on the bed.
He came and sat next to me with a sigh. “My love, if you want to leave, then leave. I know they are a lot, but you don’t have to deal with them. I tell you time and time again that you don’t have to be around anyone that mistreats you.”
He was right. That had always been his thing. It was hard though because they were still my family. “I know, Daddy. I just don’t understand why it has to be like this. I like my life and what I do. I have all of my own, while Lanette still lives here with y’all and does absolutely nothing. How does that make her better than me?”
“It doesn’t, baby, but you know your mother can be superficial when it comes to things like marriage and image. I’m sorry that they do what they do,” he apologized on their behalf. My mother and sister would never apologize. “Baby girl, you know that I will defend you until my lungs can no longer do it, but you have to defend yourself. Me defending you means nothing if you don’t defend yourself, sweetheart.”
