Without a rich heart, wealth is an ugly beggar. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
The storm raged. Giant pellets of raindrops crashed against the windows of Kacie’s house. Lightning catapulted across the sky, and sounds of thunder roared like the devil walking around seeking whom he might devour.
“Kassandra, I’m scared.”
“Kali, shut up before you wake up Kendra and Keshena, then Momma’s gonna come in here and tear all our tails up. Anyway, God don’t like us talking when He’s working. Don’t you remember what Mrs.Caples told us in Sunday School last Sunday? She said to be still when it storms because God is doing His work.” She looked at the ceiling from the top bunk bed.
Kali muttered in a state of utter fear. “But I can’t help it. It’s thundering and lightning, and the wind sounds like a big bad wolf.”
“What if I get in the bed with you? Then will you go to sleep?”
“Uh-huh,” Kali said.
Kassandra climbed down the bunk bed ladder and huddled next to her frightened sister. “When we wake up, the storm will be over.”
“But I’m hungry.”
“Make up your mind, Kali. Are you hungry or are you scared?” Kassandra was losing her patience with her little sister.
“I’m hungry…and I’m scared.”
Kassandra threw off her covers, looked over at the toddler bed where Kendra lay, then looked at Keshena in her crib. Satisfied that they were both sound asleep, she got out of Kali’s bed and went into the dark kitchen. Kali followed closely behind, holding on tightly to the edge of her big sister’s night shirt. Shadows of trees outside lined the walls of the house, and bolts of lightning striking their target made both of them jump.
Kassandra quickly turned around and raised a finger to her lips. “Shhh,” she warned. “You don’t want Momma to hear us, do you?”
Kali shook her head from side to side. Trembling, she stayed on the heels of her sister. Kassandra heard her mother’s voice. She was in her bedroom, on the phone, like nothing was going on outside. Entering the kitchen, Kassandra didn’t bother turning on the light. She quietly opened the cabinet and felt around for a package of saltines and a jar of peanut butter, and then moved toward the refrigerator. Opening it, she grabbed an already made bottle of milk for Keshena just in case the storm woke her up during the night, then Kassandra wouldn’t have to get back up to go get her a bottle. Finding everything, Kassandra returned to the bedroom she shared with her three sisters. The two girls sat on the floor and used the saltines to dig hunks of peanut butter out of the jar until their bellies were satisfied. Kassandra made sure to clean up everything. She hid the jar of peanut butter and crackers underneath the bottom bunk bed. She’d make sure first thing tomorrow morning to put it back in its rightful place before their mother found out they had been eating in their rooms. After that, sleep came quickly for the two sisters while the storm raged fiercely outside.
It was obvious that Kacie didn’t hear Kassandra and Kali shuffling around in the kitchen because she continued talking on the phone. “Of course, I enjoyed church today,” Kacie told the man over the phone. “The best part was seeing you there,” she flirted, twisting the phone between her fingers.
Rain pelted heavily against her rooftop and windowpane, but Kacie wasn’t bothered in the least bit. There was a storm brewing within her as she used her womanly wiles to capture the man named Deacon she’d met at church a couple of Sundays ago.
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“What are you talking about? Do what?” Kacie lay back on her full-size bed and awkwardly crossed her legs.
“Six children and you’re still as fine as Halle Berry. You’re an amazing woman.”
“Oh, yeah? I thought I was much finer, but thanks for the compliment.”
Kacie smiled when she heard Deacon chuckling on the other end of the phone. “When are you going to let me become a part of your life? All of this talking at church and on the phone is good, but I want to spend some real time with you.”
“We’ll see. But I will promise you this.”
“What?” Excitement could be heard in Deacon’s voice.
“It’ll be well worth the wait. That you can bank on, Mr. Deacon Riggs.”
While Kacie turned on the charm with Deacon, Layla sat in her oversized chair in her apartment like she was oblivious to the storm raging outside her window too. Her focus was strictly on watching the classic movie Sparkle on TV One while munching away on her last piece of fried chicken. “If I could just lose some weight, maybe I could be on television singing. That would be a miracle,” she berated herself followed by sucking the last piece of meat off the chicken bone.
Layla sat the plate of bones on the end table, then quickly grabbed of peach cobbler she had sitting on the table too. Her telephone rang, and she struggled to lean over to get it, huffing and puffing with each movement.
“Hello.”
“What’s going on, baby?”
“Nothing; just watching TV.”
“But it’s storming outside. That makes things romantic, don’t you think?” the light voice asked on the other end.
“Romantic? I don’t know if I agree with that, Mike.”
“Let me come over there and show you what I mean.”
The tone of Layla’s voice changed to one of agitation. “You must be crazy. How many times have I told you that I am not somebody to just lay up with?” She played with her black neck length dreads. I’ve tried that and it’s gotten me nowhere, Mike, especially with you.”
Layla had been messing around with Mike on and off for the past two years. He lived with his mother in one of the units behind her apartment. She used to pray that she and Mike could have a serious relationship but things hadn’t turned out exactly like she’d hoped. Mike was the kind of man who wanted to lay up with whoever was convenient for him at the time. She sometimes felt like a tramp after sleeping with him, especially when he asked for money minutes after they finished messing around. Most of the time she gave it to him, somehow feeling as though it was the least she could do for someone who found her attractive enough to sleep with. But enough was enough. The girlfriend Mike had now was practically living with him and his momma.
One night, Mike’s girlfriend caught him at Layla’s house one night after following him. When she laid eyes on Layla, she laughed so hard that she started to cry and called Layla every name but a child of God. That was the last straw for Layla. She told herself that never again would she allow anyone to humiliate and use her again.
“Mike, why don’t you lay up with your girlfriend? You think I’m going to set myself up again for her to come knocking at my door and cussing me out? I don’t think so,” rebutted Layla.
“Be like that then. Look, let me hold a few dollars. I need to get me a pack of cigs.”
“I do not have a few dollars. Not today and no other day,” she retorted. “Now I said, leave me alone and I tell you what. Don’t call here anymore.”
“Forget your fat butt then. Shoot, you ought to be glad I even want to be with you in the first place. It ain’t like guys are beating down your door to get in. Maybe to get out,” he laughed after each of his insults. “Anyway, who needs your fat, stanky tail,” he said, then hung up the phone in her face.
Layla held the phone in utter shock and disbelief for a few seconds before exclaiming into the receiver, “Forget you, Mike and all you other good for nothing men out there. I don’t need you,” she hollered. “I got who I need, and that’s God.”
Layla didn’t know who she was trying to fool. Mike’s words stung her like a swarm of killer bees. “Whoever said sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me, was nothing but a liar.” Layla pulled herself up from the chair and carried her tears to the bathroom. Maybe a long, hot shower would help to wash away her tears and her fears of being lonely and all alone for the rest of her life.