by Robin Jessie Green

Created on: January 30, 2009

Joanie

It was Friday; I had overslept after staying up late to cram for an exam. Late comers were held in the lunchroom during first period so rather than missing my English test, I decided to cut school. This way I could forge a note and take the make up later. Normally, Joanie would have jumped on my case, but today she was pre-occupied. Now I know why. She must have known today was eviction day; that makes one of us.

Collecting my belongings, I ran around my room trying to find my other sneaker and hadn't even realized she was outside until I heard her shrieks through the open door.

"GEE-ZUZZ! GEEEE-ZUZZ! HALLELU-YAH! HALLELUUUU-YAH!"

Barefoot, I rushed outside passed the two men standing in front of our building to retrieve her from the neighbor's yard. Joanie was on the ground, her pink housedress spotted with green, stained from the blades of grass on which she was out stretched.

"Joanie, get up! Mom?! Mom! Come on, get off their lawn." She wouldn't budge.

The Sheriff was going to give us some time to get our stuff, but now that she was acting up, he was only allowing us a few minutes to gather some things. I left her crazy ass lying on the grass and went back inside to pack some clothes, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, and whatever else I could stuff in her old army duffel bag.

"Miss? You're going to have to wrap it up."

"I'm coming!" I shouted as I put on my sneakers; I had just found the match. "Can I have a little more time?" I asked, softening my tone.

"No. The neighbors are starting to complain. We'll have to 302 your mother. I've got to lock it up."

After a few brief moments of canvassing my bedroom, I stuffed the passbook to my savings account in my back pocket and headed to the front door of our apartment. Humiliated by my mother's mental illness, the presence of the Sheriff and the apartment manager, and all the nosey neighbors gawking outside at the crazy lady; I held my head high and walked.

"THE BLOOD OF GEE-ZUZZ!" I didn't watch as the officer pulled her up from the grass, handcuffing her while she weakly resisted. I didn't have to; I already knew the drill. A young couple that sometimes read the bible with Joanie tried to get my attention, " Madison I kept my pace, walking passed them and everyone else, duffel on shoulder and book-bag on my back. Just last week, the same couple was watching me catch a beat down in their dining room.

Joanie's lucky I'm a good daughter because I wanted to snatch that cane out of her hand and turn it on her. It's beyond

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>