Meet Melissa
Melissa put on an old pair of shorts that she discovered at the very back of her closet. She closed her eyes and pulled them up past her thighs, the first big hurdle. Then her butt. She took a step. Then two. Then she buttoned them. She opened one eye hoping she was still breathing. She was. She ventured to take another step, then another. Next she took the biggest risk yet and did a slight skip. Still breathing. She got so excited that she started running around her room. She put her Iphone on the docking station, turned it to shuffle, pumped the volume all the way up and danced her now little booty off. She did a drop and made her "bootie touch the ground" as Beyonce just told her to. Melissa checked her shorts and to her amazement the seam was still in tack.
This was a major accomplishment. What a way to start of 2014! This time last year she placed these same shorts and about half of her wardrobe in the very black abyss of the back of her closet. She had already given half of her wardrobe away to a local women's shelter. Not because she was so generous, but because she was so chunky. She had gotten up to the heaviest weight in her life. Even past her pregnancy weight. She hated it. She hated having to unbutton her jeans just to sit down in her car. She hated being tired from climbing a single flight of steps. Men who once called her fine, now referred to her as "thick" and she hated it.
But no more. 30 pounds lighter and 100% percent happier, she danced around her room. This was not just about appearance, weight or some other indicator of vanity. This was just one more drop in her big bucket of self improvements. This time last year, Melissa decided to stop envying the hair, the cars, the money, the men and the lives of the "Basketball Wives", "Real House Wives" and all those other ex-wives. She decided to live her own "Fabulous Life".
She decided to go back to school, recently got a promotion at work, put her self on a food and financial diet, and repair some relationships. 2013 was good to her. Being able to wear these shorts was just confirmation that this upcoming year was going to be even more fabulous.
Though it was January, it was considerably warm outside. This was one of the benefits of living in Dallas. Winter was only an indication of time, not weather or temperature. The high for today was going to be in the mid 70s, so she wanted to wear her shorts. She normally talked badly about those people who used the slightest peak of sun as an excuse to show flesh, but today, she was going to be one of those people. She wanted to celebrate by wearing her shorts and doing something outside and letting the sun hit her legs that had not seen daylight in years. She often laughed at the fact that her ankles, wrist and neck were two shades darker than the rest of her body. Those days were over. She couldn't wait until summer. She was going to the beach and lay out in a swim suit, maybe even a two piece. She had never "layed out" in her life because black people and fat people typically don't do that, but now that her fat self was gone, "This black girl is laying out in a few months." she said out loud in excitement.
She felt Kirk Franklin's "I like me" was a perfect song to end her dancing celebration. Not to mention the fact she was out of breath. She tossed herself on the couch and crossed her newly sculpted legs. While admiring herself, she contemplated all of the possible ways to celebrate today. Just then the phone rang. She had about 10 people who she wished it would be. Kristy, her long time friend that always made her laugh so hard she had to make sure she peed before getting on the phone with her. Alyssa, her younger but very bossy sister and best friend. Jessica, her neighbor and exercise partner. She would have been fine if it were Lisa, or Jason, or Michelle, but the one and only person she prayed it was not, was her mom.
Her mom was her buzz killer. No mater how high she was and what she was high on (life, the buzz from the single drink she always ordered at happy hour, a promotion, WHATEVA) her mom would find some way to knock her off the high. Melissa had spent at least 20 years of her life trying to figure if this was intentional or accidental. Whatever the intention, her mom had earned her rightful place as the Queen of Irritation.
There was no one in the world, other than her daughter, that could even hold a candle to the love she had for her mom. However, there was no one in the world that could so quickly take her to the peek of her rage.
She let the phone ring twice. The second ring just sounded like her mom's ring. She could not explain how the ring was different from others but it just was. The name on the caller I.D. was like reading the results of a pregnancy test when you got whatever answer you did not want. Williams, Candice. Her mom.
Now the question was should she answer or let it go to voicemail. Her mom knew she was home, so if she didn't answer she knew she would have to explain, no defend, herself later. But if she answered, she knew she would come crashing down off of her "I'm so happy with me" moment. She flipped a mental coin, heads or tails…
"Hey momma. What's up?"
"Why does something have to be "up" for me to give you a call? You act like I don't ever call unless I want something?"
The tips of Melissa's ears started to tingle. This happened anytime she got upset. She had been on the phone for less than 10 seconds and her ears were already heating up. It normally took her mom at least 3 minutes to make her ears tingle, but this was an all time record. She wondered was her mom getting better at pushing her to the edge or was it her that was more quickly walking to it. Which ever it was, all she knew was that 10 seconds into the conversation, her ears were hot.
"Mom, it's just an expression. It was not a loaded question. But I am on my way out the door, so what's up?"
"Well since I see that I am being rushed, let me get to the point. I needed you to come help me address the rest of these invitations. I have to get them in the mail today or they won't get out in time. The luncheon is next week, so they have to get in the mail today."
"Momma, I hadn't planned on coming to your side of town today. I just really wanted to take some time out for myself today since I don't often get the chance to …"
Nearly yelling, "I asked you to help me with this at least 2 weeks ago!"
Defending herself, "Yeah, but you have not brought it up since then, so how did I know that you wanted me to help you at 2:35 pm on January 15, 2014." Ears on fire.
"You know what Melissa, go do whatever is so important that you can't spare an hour of your time to help your mom. Have a good day. And by the way, I will still pick Summer up from school today like you asked me, last week."
"Hello. Hello? Hello! Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I can't stand when someone hangs up in my face. Total disrespect."
Fanning her ears, she slumped on the couch, physically falling from her high. As much as she knew she was not wrong for not wanting to plan her entire day around her mom's last minute request, she couldn't shake the guilty feeing. This made her even more upset.
"Oh my goodness. That is not what I was trying to do with my day. What am I going to do?"
| Option 1: Go help her mom. After all, she did ask her to help her over two weeks ago. Her mom helps her out a lot with Summer, so maybe this was the least she could do. Option 2: The Mall. What better way to celebrate her weight loss goal than to buy a new outfit. Also, when ever she goes to the mall, she all ways runs into someone she knows. Who would it be today? Option 3: Wash her car. She had not done this on her own in years, but it just felt like a good idea. And besides, every time she went to the car wash, at least one guy always flirted with her. Wonder if it would be a guy driving a Kia, Camry, or C-Class today? Option 4: Dinner with her girlfriends. Her and the girls always had great times together. Are you ready to meet Alyssa and the rest of the group of girlfriends. Cast your vote in the form of a comment. |
