MAMA WANT A CO-SIGN, BUT WON’T GIVE A RIDE

Friday.

Thank God.

I woke up feeling… neutral.
Not happy. Not mad.
Just not ready to slap the wall yet — and that’s growth.

I walked into the kitchen and instantly knew something was off.

My mama was up.

Dressed.
Shoes on.
Keys in hand.

That alone pissed me off.

“Morning,” I said cautiously.

“Morning,” she said, too cheerful. Suspicious.

I grabbed a cup.

She stared at me.

I stared back.

Then she sighed real dramatic.

“I been thinking…”

Here we go.

“I need a new car.”

I blinked.

“…You got a car.”

“That raggedy thing don’t count. It sound like it’s coughing.”

“That car been coughing since before I was born.”

“I’m serious. I need something reliable.”

“Okay…?”

“And I need you to co-sign.”

I laughed. Loud.

“Ma… you won’t even give me a ride to work.”

She sucked her teeth.

“I got gas for ME. I don’t got gas for YOU.”

“But you got gas to go everywhere else.”

“That’s different.”

“HOW.”

She waved her hand.

“Karen, you be asking at the wrong time.”

Every time is the wrong time.

“And why you won’t give me the old car?” I asked.
“You know I’m trying to save.”

She looked offended.

“For what? So you can tear it up?”

“I CATCH THE BUS.”

“And that ain’t killed you yet.”

But somehow… she always need money.

“Since you got credit,” she continued, “you should help me.”

“So let me get this straight,” I said, counting on my fingers.
“You won’t give me rides.
Won’t let me have the old car.
But want me responsible for a NEW one.”

“Yes.”

I just stared.

“This why I don’t wake up early.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Forget it. I’ll figure it out myself. Like I always do.”

There it go.

She walked off mad — knowing damn well she still wanted that co-sign.

I grabbed my bag.

I was not letting her ruin my Friday.

PETALS WITHOUT MISS ROSE = PEACE

I got to Petals and immediately felt the difference.

Quiet.

No yelling.
No throat clearing.
No “I BEEN HERE 20 YEARS” announcements.

Brittany leaned over.

“Miss Rose on vacation.”

Ohhhhh.

That explains the peace treaty in the air.

Miss Rose been at Petals her whole life — not literally, but spiritually.
People swear she a good worker.

In MY eyes?

She lazy.

She mastered the art of doing nothing while LOOKING busy.

Clipboard?
Check.

Walking fast but not going nowhere?
Check.

Finding the nearest CNA to dump her work on?
CHECK.

When Miss Rose gone, everybody suddenly know their job.

Funny how that work.

MISS LULLABEE AND THE LIE OF THE CENTURY

The peace lasted about 30 minutes.

Then Keisha came storming down the hall.

“Girl guess what.”

“What.”

“Miss Lullabee lying on me.”

Of course she was.

Miss Lullabee said Keisha stole her pouch.

A POUCH.

Management already on they way to send Keisha home.

I said, “What pouch?”

“She don’t even know,” Keisha just said. “Miss Lullabee said ‘something was missing.’”

I went straight to Miss Lullabee room.

“Miss Lullabee… what Keisha take?”

She folded her arms.

“My little bag.”

“What bag.”

“The one I keep my stuff in.”

“What stuff.”

She paused.

“…Stuff.”

I started opening drawers.

Closet.
Laundry bag.
Nightstand.

Then I lifted the pillow.

THE POUCH.

Right there.

I held it up.

“This?”

She squinted.

“Oh… that’s where it went.”

I stared at her.

“You almost got somebody suspended for THIS?”

She shrugged.

“Well she always in my room.”

I walked straight to the desk.

Keisha unsuspended.
Miss Lullabee mad.
Justice served.

I told Keisha, “You owe me lunch.”

She said, “Girl I owe you my life.”

COCO DOING WHAT COCO DO

Later, Coco popped up.

“Y’all good on the floor?” she asked.

Knowing damn well she wasn’t finna help.

“We short,” I said.

She nodded.

“Damn. That’s crazy.”

And walked off.

That’s it.

That’s Coco.

She not telling nobody about new jobs.
She need bodies on the floor so SHE don’t have to work.

Respectfully.

THE MAYBE COME-UP

Later, I overheard talk about openings at another facility.

More pay.
Better benefits.

But I wasn’t convinced.

Sometimes the grass not greener…
Sometimes it just ain’t what it seems.

If it worked, cool.
If it didn’t — Petals wasn’t going nowhere.

I liked knowing I had options.

That felt new.

MAMA ALWAYS GOT ONE MORE THING

That night my phone buzzed.

Mama: You still gone help me look at cars tomorrow?

Me: Ma I never said yes.

Mama: We’ll talk about it.

That was the conversation.

No apology.
No pride.
Just expectations.

I put my phone down and laughed.

Same mama.
Different day.

I laid back thinking:

Maybe something good really was coming.

Or maybe life just warming me up for something else.

Either way…

I survived another week.

And right now?

That was enough.

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