The Countdown to Thirty

by Nefertiti Faraj

  We’d met at a club one night when I went to celebrate my girlfriends 21st birthday. I was barely 19 at the time but my friend’s brother worked it out with the bouncer to get me in. Lamont spotted me at the bar and offered to buy me a drink. He was sexy and buff and had this masculine appeal and confidence that couldn’t be described as anything other than swag. He told me how sexy and petite I was and I have to admit, I was. I wore my hair long in those days and had added tracks to give me that really long sleek Pocahontas look, then topped of my mini dress with matching blue stilettos. He was only one of the mesmerized mouthwatering men who approached me that night, but the only one who caught my attention.

  The rest is history I guess. We had what I thought was a loving relationship even though I ignored all vital warning signs of his abusive behavior. I never told my mother or sister the details of that cryptic relationship. After we broke up I dropped out of school, moved back to Vegas and struggled for a long time to pick up the pieces of my life.

  But now at twenty-six, stronger and much more healed, I’ve moved on. My motto: No men allowed. And now that I was unemployed again I’ve decided to look on the brighter side of things; I’ll use this precious time to find a better paying and more respectable job. I can’t be caught dead working another dead end job like the one I had at Alliance America.

  Before going home I stopped at a nearby 7-11 to fill up on gas before I left back out. It was Sunday which meant dinner at my mom’s house with the family. Being that I was the only customer in the store, I walked right up to the cash register and plopped down a bulky Sunday paper on the counter.

  “Hi, can I please have thirty on pump five.”

  “Good mornin’ beautiful, where you headed to this early in the morning?” The tow-up looking cashier asked. He looked like he was somewhere in his late thirties, he had dry cracked lips and nappy corn rolls. I stood there for a moment mesmerized and wondered how did one get naps on their corn rolls?

  I smiled and at the same time while trying to avoid too much eye contact simply responded, “On my way home. Nowhere special.”

  “What you mean nowhere special? If I had a lady like you…boy I tell you.” He said shaking his head wishing he had a chance.

  I smiled again but this time as an ‘Okay, move it along’ type of thing. He took three times the amount of time it takes to ring up one item and bag it because he was busy trying to mack.

  “Okay Ms. Sexy queen that’ll come to thirty-two fifty and your phone number on the dotted line.” He said as he slid a piece of paper and pen my way after letting out a laugh that sounded like sandpaper.

  I bugged my eyes and dropped my mouth wide open in pure shock. Did he really think he was about to get my phone number? The only thing I wanted to give him right about now was a jar of Carmex.

  “Oh okay, you stuck up huh?” He grumbled in anger.

  After regaining my senses and sliding my debit card I responded, “No not at all, you have a good day,” I paused to look at his name tag, “Jamar.”

  As I walked back to my car I made a note to self to never come to this convenience store again, at least not for a while anyway. I didn’t want any more run-ins with Jamar. It’s not that I was stuck up or thought I was better than anybody but I already had my share of crappy guys and I was over it. It seems to me like Jamar should be doing what I’m doing and that’s taking a long break from dating and focusing his attention on himself… preferably those lips and quick.

  I made it to my mom’s house about 11:30 and I parked my Mitsubishi in her driveway. Her house was a cute beige colored one story in the Cypress Springs new home subdivision. She bought this smaller house after she retired last year from the school district. Saundra’s black Audi was parked in the driveway to so I knew she was already here with the kids. I enjoyed hanging out with my family when we had the chance. I grabbed my Sunday paper that I hadn’t had a chance to crack open yet and stepped out of the car. I rang the doorbell and from inside of the house I could hear my niece and nephew running to the door and calling my name.

  “Auntie Sonya’s here, Auntie Sonya’s here!” They shouted.

  My mother Carol answered the door with her red apron tied around her waist and before she had a chance to say hello Imani and Xavier rushed past her and into my arms.

  “Auntie Sonya we’ve been waiting for you all day!” Imani cried as she wrapped her long brown arms around my waist.

  “Yea we’ve been waiting for you all day auntie! What took you so long?” Xavier asked as he clung tightly around my thighs.

  I threw my head back and laughed then ran my hands over their heads and gave them both kisses on the cheeks.

  “I’m sorry babies I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.” I replied softly.

  “It’s okay Auntie” Imani said forgivingly.

  “Yea, it’s okay auntie,” copied Xavier.

  Xavier was four and had a problem with copying his big sister Imani’s every word. She was seven and he looked up to her because she was a big kid. He was a very handsome caramel little boy and all I could think of when I looked at him was that I hoped he wouldn’t grow up to be a womanizer or a looser like a lot of these men. Imani on the other hand was a beautiful brown little girl with jet black wavy hair that she preferred to wear in pigtails. She was highly intelligent for her age and sweet as pie. They both were and they meant the world to me.

  “Get back you two. Let Auntie Sonya in the door.” My mother commanded.

  Once they released me I gave my mother a hug and kiss on the cheek. My mother wore her hair in a short cut also and actually decided to go that route about a year after I cut mine. She said the maintenance was so much easier and she liked the way it added youth to her appearance. Even the pretty silver tint in her hair enhanced her looks instead of taking away from them. Most people say I look just like her, just a darker skinned version which I inherited from my father. As for my sister, she was the exact opposite. She favors my father but got her complexion from my mom. Go figure.

  When I entered the house it felt much cooler and refreshing from the scorching sun outside. The house was filled with the accomplishments of Saundra and I’s, including my Homecoming Queen sash she had proudly displayed along with Saundra’s wedding photos. Then of course there were several family photos placed around the house that were taken with my dad before he died in a car accident when I was nine. I use to hate thinking about it. We use to beg her to take them down but after years of refusing and dealing with the pain, we got use to them again.

  The kids ran out to the backyard to finish playing whatever game they’d been playing before I got there while I walked into the kitchen to greet Saundra.

  “Hey Saundra girl!” I said in an upbeat tone happy to see her back from vacation.

  “Hey sis glad you made it over” She said with a smile.

  She was sitting at the table and playing a game of solitaire. I sat down next to her and then mom joined us. I briefly contemplated telling them I’d been laid off but then decided against it. I didn’t want to worry my mom and didn’t want to remind them of how much of a disappointment I was. I knew they didn’t feel that way, I guess it was just my own guilt, my own anger for falling in love.

  “So Saundra how’s the magazine going?”

  “Oh my God Sonya it’s so much work but I love it. Right now we’re working on getting advertisers and deciding on our cover story for the launch.

  “Well what do you have in mind?” my mother asked.

  “I don’t know mom, I have a phone conference with the girls tomorrow and we’ll decide what to narrow it down to.

  Saundra and a few of her soror’s came up with the noteworthy idea to start an online magazine geared for African American’s raising children. They were all mothers now and thought their few years of experience qualified them as experts. But in Saundra’s defense she is an excellent mom and is blessed enough to have a hard working husband who makes enough money to take care of their family. After years of bein
g stay-at-home moms, she and her fellow sorority housewives came up with the idea for the magazine.

  “And how’s work going Sonya, that boss of yours still giving you a hard time?” My mother asked.’

  The boss she was referring to was my ex supervisor Kerry. She was forty-five but looked more like fifty-five due to her pale chalky face, premature wrinkles and a curly mullet she couldn’t let go of. She had absolutely no style even if she tried and was most famously known for her harassing miserable bitch attitude and her recent drama filled break-up with her prison pen pal…yea you heard me right.

  God I’m so glad I don’t have to clock-in tomorrow.

  “No not anymore,” I said. “I got laid off.” I blurted without thinking. I hated when I did that shit.

  “What! What happened? Oh Sonya I’m sorry to hear that.” Mom sympathized with a worried look on her face.

  “Well look at it this way sis, you can finally move-on from that demeaning job and put your degree to use. What kind of a man can you meet if you only work in a call center making what? How much were you making?” She prudishly inquired while shuffling her cards.

  “Thirteen dollars and fifteen cents,” I answered in a tone of annoyance.

  “Just wait, hold on Saundra damn. Baby how do you feel? Do you need some money to get you through until you find another job? I know it’s rough out there baby.”

  “Thank you mom but I’m okay right now. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

  “Well David has a friend who’s successful and single Sonya,” Saundra sang at me, “You really should let me set you up.”

  “And to you Ms. Know-It-All,” I said interrupting her rant, “I’m perfectly aware that that job wasn’t my dream job. For your information I’m planning to do some serious job hunting and I’m not accepting anything that won’t get me ahead, at least not right away anyway. And as for men, I’m off limits to them indefinitely. Anyone remember Lamont? Do I need to revisit that nightmare again?” I asked looking Saundra square in the eye.

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry I know. I just want to be an auntie one day and see you do your thang. I’m sorry.” She said with a puppy dog frown.

  “Yeah, yeah.” I replied chucking a card at her and making her laugh in the process.

  “Well baby you know I saw on the news this morning that the MGM Grand is hosting a job fair next month, you should go.” My mother suggested.

  “I bought the Sunday paper this morning to look at the Classifieds. Maybe they posted something in there about it.” I replied while searching for C7, the classifieds section.

  I began flipping through the pages of the thick Sunday paper as my mom and Saundra got up and began to prepare dinner. I loved my family but Saundra could be a pain in the ass when she wanted to. I knew she was only looking out for my best interest and because she knew how to apologize, we always stayed close.

  The Review Journal had a huge one page advertisement for the upcoming job fair. It was going to be inside the Marquee Ballroom at the MGM Grand Conference Center, just like my mother said. The ad said the job fair was to have over 100 employers who were going to be interviewing on the spot and to bring plenty of resumes and come dressed for success. The ad also had a large but partial list of employers who were going to be participating in the fair. Some I recognized and some I didn’t but I had a good feeling about this. This might actually be my chance to get the job I needed right now. I pulled out my phone and completed the early registration online. The advertisement said that by completing the early registration it would speed up the job fair entry process so I didn’t have to wait in line. Also, for the first 100 early registrants a prize would be awarded.

  “Hey,” I thought, “what do I have to lose?”

  I continued looking through the employment section of the Classifieds and browsed over sales opportunities that guaranteed you $5000 a week, call center jobs that paid commission only and Roulette and Craps dealers for on call and extra board. I folded the classifieds back up feeling defeated in the job market but hopeful that I’d find something worthwhile at the fair.

  “And you know Sonya,” Saundra said from the kitchen “Once we get this magazine up-and-running and start generating a profit you’ll always have a job with me. I know you’ve got the brains to do the work.” she added.

  “Thank you, sissy.” I said sincerely.

  I walked into the kitchen to join my mother and Saundra in making dinner; smothered turkey wings, green beans, macaroni & cheese with a side of cornbread. And as for dessert, Saundra had already handled those minor details with a fluffy German chocolate cake fresh from the grocery store. While we baked and boiled, we talked about everything from infamous Hollywood stars to how poor the educational system was out here. I felt at home.

  v

  Before I drug myself into the house on a full stomach I managed to knock on Kaia’s door to get my mail. When I left for the park this morning I noticed a white piece of paper fall from the door and saw that it was a letter she’d left me sometime yesterday while I was held up in the house like a hostage. She didn’t answer. Come to think of it I didn’t see her car in the parking lot so I gave up and decided to catch her some other time.

  “I’m sure it’s only bills anyway,” I said as I walked into my living room and threw myself onto the couch.

  I lay there for only a minute before turning on the TV then turning it right back off. For fifty dollars a month and over five hundred channels to choose from you’d think at least one thing would be on that I wanted to watch. I reminded myself to cancel the renewal of my DirecTV subscription when my contract was up.

  I went into Tasha’s old room and stood there for a moment wondering what to do with this second bedroom that I was paying for now. Even without a job another roommate was out of the question.

  “I guess I can use it as storage for my clothes.” I said thinking out loud. Even though I didn’t have a lot of money, I knew how to make it stretch which is why I have more clothes then I can handle. You’re looking at the bargain queen. I don’t care what anybody says, if I can go into Goodwill and spend twenty dollars for five pairs of designer jeans, you’ve got my business for life, well at least until I’m more financially sound.

  Before I knew it, I was pulling out my suitcases from underneath my bed that I used as storage and began taking out blouses, shorts, skirts and pants and began to arrange them in my new closet space. One great idea led to another when I decided I wanted to add some extra shelving for my shoes and accessories. Thanks to my mother teaching me the tricks of the trade when it came to power tools I decided to turn my closet into a project in between looking for jobs. But power tools weren’t the only trick she taught, thanks to her I also knew how to sew, paint and refinish wood. My dad taught her and in turn when we were old enough she taught us. Saundra never took to it the way I did, but I loved to break out my sewing machine which I decided I should setup in my new spare room now that I had the space. This is precisely why every window in my house has a beautiful window treatment and my silvery gray L shaped sectional has a plethora of one-of-a-kind chic throw pillows. Because I know how to properly “ball on a budget”, and being blessed with good taste and resourcefulness and all, instead of a humble abode my apartment looks like something out of Luxury magazine.

  Approximately an hour later I abandoned the closet for a pencil and drawing paper. I began sketching a few mock designs for the shelving I was going to add. First stop tomorrow morning, Lowe’s baby.

  Four

  Kaia

  Women’s intuition kicked in bright and early this morning and told me the one week vacation request I’d put in at work was going to be denied, and I was right.

  My new manager Rosie had only been with the company for about a month and was brought in because she was supposed to be some type of graphic design and marketing whiz. Instead she turned out to be a micromanager who didn’t believe in the saying you have to give respect to get respect.

  Before our las
t manager Ian transferred to our LA office for a promotion, he brought Rosie on as his replacement. The office scoop was that he’d been playing golf with her husband for years and that he’d given her the job a personal favor. But if you let Ian tell the story all you’d ever hear about is how great she is and how she could teach us all so much. So far that hadn’t turned out to be true. She was great at sending demanding emails and changing policies every other day, but she wasn’t really the mentor type.

  Therefore, I had to put my plans of a vacation anytime soon out of my mind and return the items I purchased during an impulse shopping spree. I put the bags in the trunk of my Avalon and when the ignition turned on and the car roared, I headed for the 95 freeway with an attitude.

  “Nice girls always get the short end of the stick,” I said to myself as I thought about how much I deserved that vacation and that management position. I was angry but tried to contain my displeasure for this situation that was out of my control.

  When I made it to the Fashion Show Mall I decided against parking in the underground parking lot and instead opted to park right outside of Dillard’s. When I got there it was six o’clock on the dot and the sun was still burning hot. I placed my sun visor over my windshield to avoid my car from turning into an oven. When I stepped out of the car the wind was blowing rapidly brushing hot air against my face and sending my black hair flying in every direction. I grabbed the bags and fought against the aggressive wind storm which was pushing me in the opposite direction but managed to work my way to the store entrance anyway.

  Once I got inside Dillard’s I stood at the entrance and tried to brush my hair back into place with my hands and recover from the baby tornado I just experienced.

  “I guess I should have parked underground.” I said to myself feeling a little embarrassed that the harsh elements outside had just kicked my butt.

  I took a moment to gather myself then walked to the first cashier I saw.