The Bag Lady
Let it Go and Let God!!By Yolanda E. BonnerAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Yolanda E. Bonner
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4490-9512-3Contents
Chapter 1 Mom Ruth and Angela.....................1Chapter 2 Secrets Revealed........................9Chapter 3 Angela..................................19Chapter 4 Carmen..................................29Chapter 5 Brenda..................................37Chapter 6 Tasha...................................45Chapter 7 Mom Ruth................................55Chapter 8 The Bag Lady............................63
Chapter One
Mom Ruth and Angela
Unlocking the door to enter her home, still singing praises to God after attending Sunday morning service, Mom Ruth stops dead in her tracks, praise songs replaced by the shouting of her youngest daughter's name.
"Angela", getting louder Mom Ruth shouts again, "Angela".
Angela, who has come in from a night of partying sometime after Mom Ruth had left for church, wakes up groggy and hung over snaps at her mother.
"What"?!
Mom Ruth is fuming mad, "Girl, have you lost your mind", she asks?
Angela again snaps, "What?!"
Mom Ruth is about to blow a gasket, "You know not to bring this mess into my house".
Empty beer cans and liquor bottles are on the floor, cigarettes and a small bag of marijuana are on the coffee table, and a long blond wig is slung over the back of the couch.
"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord", says Mom Ruth.
Angela jumping up off the couch with an attitude, "Whatever" says Angela, "Since I live here too, you and your half serve the Lord, me and mine will do whatever we want to do".
Mom Ruth thinks to herself, "This girl is going to die today". Before speaking she says a quick prayer, picking up her bible, she takes a deep breath, "Angela I am your mother, this is my house, God's word",
Angela interrupts her mother.
"Stop, I don't want to hear about your God today, I'm grown, I don't have to listen to your sermons anymore, I'll live how I want to live", Angela picks up her wig and shoes then starts toward the hall to go upstairs.
Mom Ruth walking towards Angela trying to keep from grabbing her around the neck says in a very loving motherly voice, "Angela, my beautiful educated daughter, you might not continue to live; I brought you into this world and sweetheart I'll take you out, ashes to ashes, dust to dust".
"Whatever Ruth", Angela replies and continues up the stairs.
By this time Mom Ruth is livid, she is at her wits end with her youngest daughter.
Known as a pillar in the community, Mom Ruth is a mother figure to all in those in the neighborhood. Saved and sanctified, she doesn't understand the actions of her youngest biological daughter. Angela graduated from one of the most prestigious black colleges in Atlanta, Georgia. Since graduating from college and moving back home, Angela has done nothing but party and hang out with undesirable people. She has become increasingly disrespectful and angry at the world. The life she has been living for the past few months is destructive and out of character and has caused Mom Ruth much heartache.
Mom Ruth sighs and falls into her favorite over sized, double stuffed recliner. Relaxed in the recliner Mom Ruth looks up and begins to speak to God, "God are you sure Angela is my child?" she asks. "Could she have been switched at birth, you know hospitals are known to make mistakes." Mom Ruth smiles to herself as she thinks, "I should go on the Maury Show to hear him say, "You are not the baby's momma". Mom Ruth picks up a picture of her girls, as she continues to talk to God, "God where did I fail Angela"? "Where is all this anger and bitterness coming from"? "Did something happen at college"? "What is it?", she wonders as she looks at the pictures of her girls, Brenda, Mom Ruth's oldest is married to a wonderful God fearing man, two children, financially stable and Carmen, the middle child, good head on her shoulders, owns her own advertising company, very confident, knows who she is, and loves the Lord, then there's Tasha, Mom Ruth's foster daughter that she has raised since she was 13 years old, she's been from one foster home to another after being left alone on the streets. Now at age 21, Tasha is engaged to a successful businessman, she's never given Mom Ruth any problems.
Mom Ruth continues to talk to God, "Lord with your help I tried to give my girls the best life I could, after Joe left", after Joe left Mom Ruth thinks, "Lord I'm grateful he left; I admit it wasn't easy, but Lord you made a way, Lord I need your help", as she starts to hum the words to the song; Father I stretch my hands to thee. Mom Ruth drifts off to sleep for an afternoon nap.
Awaken by the sound of the door opening. Mom Ruth hears two familiar voices, "Happy Mother's Day". Returning home to Angela's mess she had forgotten it was Mother's Day.
"Happy Mother's Day Mom", Carmen repeats handing her a gift.
"Thank you baby", Mom Ruth replies.
The second voice chimes in, "Happy Mother's Day Mom Ruth," it was Tasha with an enormous card; she gives Mom Ruth a big hug.
Before any thing else could be said Carmen looking around the living room, which was normally spotless, "what a mess" she thought before speaking.
"Angela's here I see".
"She's upstairs", Mom Ruth says as she sighs deeply.
"What's wrong Momma"? Carmen asks, she can see the pain and anguish in her mothers face.
Her mother tells her what had happen when she had come home from church. Carmen started for the stairs, "Angela, you little", but before Carmen could make it to the stairs, she heard her mother call her name.
"Carmen your sister needs our prayers, I don't know what else to do but pray", her mother says.
"I know what to do", replies Carmen. "Momma don't stress yourself out over Angela", Carmen continues, "Angela is grown, let her live her life, as destructive as it is, we all hate it, but Angela knows better, she was raised better than this".
Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Carmen yells for Angela to stay up stairs if she knows what's good for her.
"Until she gets over whatever is going on, you're right Mom Ruth, all we can do is pray for her, she'll be alright, she just might get saved and have a powerful testimony one day," says Tasha trying to lighten the mood.
"You must be talking about Angela", a voice says coming in through the back door.
It's Brenda, Mom Ruth's oldest pint sized, ball of fire. Brenda is the smallest of the sisters, but doesn't take any mess from anybody, that includes her mouthy little sister. Brenda has been known to throw a mean right punch.
"What has our little sister done now, Carmen?" Brenda asks.
"Disrespectful as usual" Carmen replies.
Carmen fills Brenda in on what happened when their mother had come home from church.
"You little piece of trash" Brenda yells up the stairs. "Angela, get your butt down here; get down here now, if I come up these stairs I'll pull that weave out"!
"Brenda calm down, calm down big sis" says Tasha, trying to be the voice of reason. "Let the Lord handle it, you'll just make matters worse."
Brenda turns to Tasha, "What did you say little girl?" "You need to stay in your place this here is family business, not foster care business."
"Brenda Michelle Perry" Mom Ruth yells. "Tasha is family, blood or not, she's just as much your sister as Carmen and Angela."
"All of you listen to me, your sister is going through something right now and we need to continue to love and pray for her" Mom Ruth states with such force.
"But momma, Angela can't keep disrespecting you and your house, put her out!" Brenda yells up the stairs.
Chapter Two
Secrets Revealed
Angela coming down the stairs fighting mad at her sister's words "Put her out," Angela yells, "You better hope Malik doesn't put you out Big Sis".
Brenda turns to look at Angela. "Whatever you little brat", Angela walks towards Brenda. "Don't get in my face Angela". Brenda yells!
"Tell Kyle to stay out your face", Angela says. "Oh, didn't know I knew about you and Kyle; did you Big Sis"?
"What Carmen says, "Kyle Thomas, your baby's daddy Kyle Thomas, the one that left you to raise the twins on your own, while he went off to only God knows where."
"There's nothing going on between me and Kyle, he's back in town and he wants to see the twins", Brenda says.
"Where were the twins when you were at the Roberts Hotel?" Angela snaps, twisting her head and neck, as only a black woman can.
"Look Angie stay out of this, this does not concern you, but you disrespecting momma does concern me, Lil Sis."
Brenda gives Angela a look to shut up or I'll shut you up. Angela ignores Brenda's look and continues talking.
"Well if there's nothing going on, that means Malik is cool with it, huh Big Sis"? "Maybe I should give my favorite brother in-law a call". With a smirk on her face, she gives Brenda the same look Brenda had given her a moment earlier, as she takes her cell phone from her purse.
Brenda is furious with her sister.
Before Brenda realizes, she has swung one of her famous right punches at Angela, fortunately Tasha saw it coming and jumped in between her sisters, grabbing Brenda's arm.
"Brenda, Angela stop!" "Come on, we are sisters, we don't solve our problems like this, Angela you are wrong for bringing this worldly mess in Mom Ruth's house and you should ask Bren about her and Kyle, instead of accusing her of something." Tasha says remaining the voice of reason.
Brenda looks at Tasha, if looks could kill. "Don't ever grab me again, little girl and my name is Brenda not Bren!" she snaps.
Brenda starts to leave, but turns around when Angela begins yelling at Tasha.
"Tasha, why are sitting here like you are the innocent daughter?" "Tell momma about your fiancé,' Byron the business man." Not waiting for a response from Tasha. Angela blurts out "I'll tell her, he's a drug dealer, Tasha don't try to look shocked!" "Like you didn't know". "You know what he does." Angela walks over to Tasha, "Since I'm keeping it real, Ms. Tasha you have been on some runs with and for him." "Hun, oh I thought that would shut you up, miss goodie two shoes".
"And Carmen,"
Carmen is looking at Angela like she has lost her mind.
"Yes Angela, you have something to say?" Asks Carmen in her nice but, watch it Lil Sis voice.
"Yes, and you can kill that Miss Nice act, nobody's perfect not even you, Big Sis", Angela says with a you know I'm right attitude.
"Angela what are you talking about, you need to go back up stairs and sleep off whatever you are on." Carmen replies.
"You would like that wouldn't you, Big Sis." "You know I know William cheated on you and with whom he cheated with, oh if everyone found out Big Willie was with Kevy Kev". Angela laughs as she blurts out "he's on the down low". "The perfect Carmen can't keep her man in her bed, what does that do to your perfect little world".
"Think whatever you want to think Angie; you don't know what happened between me and William". Carmen says calmly.
"Ok Carmen dear." Angela says in her sweetest mocking voice.
"Big Willie and Kevy Kev sitting in a tree" Angela begins to sing.
Mom Ruth, who has let her youngest daughter carry on long enough, walks over to her daughter.
"Angela that's enough" Mom Ruth says.
Before Mom Ruth could say another word, Angela blows up.
"All of you sitting down here judging me, all of you holier than thou women of God, Momma don't tell me about your God, your God didn't make Daddy stay, you were always at the church in some kind of ministry. I know what kind of ministry you were in, take off your clothes, and let's get busy Pastor".
At that point all the sisters were yelling and screaming at each other.
Mom Ruth yelled for all her daughters to shut up and sit down. All complied with the order that was yelled by their mother except for Angela, who had to get the last word, as always.
"I'm not listening to this, I'm grown." Angela yells.
"Grown people pay their own bills." Carmen mumbles.
"Stop it now", Mom Ruth says, fed up with her daughters. "Tasha sweetheart all money ain't good money, ill gotten money will cause you nothing but pain." And "Carmen" says Mom Ruth as she continues, "Whatever happened between you and William has happened. You have to forgive him and move on, he has. Hanging on to bitterness is not good. Let it go Carmen".
"What William has done is cheated his self out of a good thing" Carmen replies, as she looks her self up and down.
"Brenda, have you given any thought to what you are doing?" Her mother asks. "What's done in the dark may come to the light and remember", her mother says, "What goes around comes around". "Think about that!" Mom Ruth says with an attitude.
Mom Ruth has chastised each of her other daughters, now that it was Angela's turn she is at a loss for words. She walks to her favorite chair where Angela has chosen to sit, out of spite, no doubt. She sighs deeply while saying a silent prayer, Angela's words still ringing in her ears.
"Angela, Angela my baby girl", Mom Ruth says; then pauses, before smacking her youngest daughter.
Carmen, Brenda and Tasha look on in disbelief. They have never seen their mother raise her hand to any of them. She has always been in control. They can't believe Mom Ruth smacked Angela.
Except for Angela's crying; the living room was quite, until Brenda started to laugh, saying "Guess that's where I get my right hook." Her mother looked at her, Brenda knew that look, and knew not to say another word.
Mom Ruth looks up, "God I asked you for your help" she says as she puts her arms around her daughter. "Angela I love you, your sisters love you, and God loves you, but all our love doesn't mean anything if you don't love yourself."
Angela, who is also in shock, looks at her mother. She knew at this point not to say anything.
"Angela you need to get you life together and get it together now," her mother says firmly. "Whatever is going on with you, that has caused you to lose your mind..........
"And almost your life," Brenda chimes in.
"Brenda", Mom Ruth says, but before she could say another word Brenda's cell phone rings, Brenda answers and is all smiles.
"If that is not Malik, it better be Jesus you all smiles about." Her mother says.
Brenda looking at her mother ends her call. "I'm getting out here; Angela, stay out of my business, Tasha and Carmen I'll see you later, momma I love you and happy mothers day again, but I got my life under control." Brenda says as she leaves the same way she came in, out the back door.
Mom Ruth turns her attention back to her youngest daughter. Angela has stopped crying and is sitting quietly in Mom Ruth's favorite oversized chair. Mom Ruth herself can't believe that she has smacked her daughter. She had vowed never to lay a hand on any of them, she spent years protecting them. As tears begin to well up in her eyes, she bends down to look at Angela's face; she gently rubs the red bruise that is now on the right side of Angela's cheek.
"Please forgive me", she says in the manner that her daughters are accustomed to. "Angela, don't carry whatever it is that's going on inside, give it to God, Let It Go and Let God". You need to come back into his arms, no matter what you've done; he's waiting with open arms". "I found that there is no safer place than in his arms". Mom Ruth begins to cry, thinking about her own past.
Angela looks at the pain in mother's eyes and she begins to cry, but never saying a word.
Tasha goes to Mom Ruth and hugs her as tight as she possibly can.
Mom Ruth looks at Tasha, "You need to get rid of Byron, if what you sister says is true."
"Mom Ruth he's a good man" replies Tasha. "Isn't there an afternoon service? I'll go with you." Tasha says changing the subject. "Carmen, are you going?"
"No, Tosh, I'm going to stay here, talk with my baby sister awhile, is that ok Angela?" Carmen asks.
Angela didn't answer Carmen, but she wanted to yell "GO AWAY!" It wouldn't come out.
Mom Ruth decided it would do her good to attend the afternoon service and it would also be good for Carmen to try and talk with her younger sister.
"Yes, Tasha there is an afternoon service, I think I will go and I would love for you to come along." Says Mom Ruth as she puts on her church hat and heads for the front door with Tasha following behind her.
When the door is shut, Carmen looks at her baby sister not saying a word. She is searching for the right words. Angela can't stand it.
"What do you have to say, Carmen; you always have something to say about everything that's not what you consider perfect" Angela snaps.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Bag Ladyby Yolanda E. Bonner Copyright © 2011 by Yolanda E. Bonner. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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