Joan L Sample Novels

 Chapter One

BROOKLYN: GATES AVENUE

  The sounds of loud music are drowned out by my sister Kim's voice as she’s singing, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Shameless” by the Lost Boyz. Mama comes into the living room. “Girl, you are going to wake the dead.”

  Kim dances around Mama, pretending to sing into a mic. “Come on, Mama, this is the jam!” Kim moves around Mama in smooth circular motions. Kim is a great dancer. Mama gives Kim an angry look, yet you could tell she was not mad.

  Mom could never really be mad at Kim. None of us could. Kim had that effect on people; she is just naturally likable. For Mama, Kim could do no wrong; she was her golden girl. Micah and I felt the same way.

  Let me introduce myself. My name is Jade Washington. I am now nineteen years old. Kim is twenty-two, and Micah is thirteen. We live with our mom, Mary, who teaches the third grade at PS 124. My dad is dead; he died nine years ago. He was a cop and was shot while trying to stop a robbery in a twenty-four-hour store.

  My mom had a hard time coping with Dad's death   and started drinking every day and all night, or so it seemed. She dated a few times, but all the men she dated were either drunks or married--all were liars. Now, Mom rarely goes out anymore unless it's to go to work, the liquor store or out with my Aunt Sonja, who is my dad's sister and cool. 

 I feel for my mama at times. I know everyone deals with death in their own way and I know she's living with a broken heart. She's an excellent teacher and would never let the alcohol get in the way, but it's got to be affecting her somehow.

 My brother Micah was old enough when Daddy died to understand that he wasn't coming back; he just didn't know what death really meant. What did I even know? Good people go to heaven; bad people like the man who shot my daddy go to hell. They wait until judgment. But what's judgment? All I know is he was here, now he isn't. I guess death is like your first heartbreak. It hurts like hell, you don't even think you can go on, then time passes, and you eventually get over it, but you don't forget. Kim experienced that with the boy Roger that lives a couple of doors away. Kim and I were so close; it felt as if I went through her heartbreaks too.

  That's how I feel. I'm over my daddy's death; I just won't forget about him. Although it was Mama who kept the peace in this house, it was Daddy who brought the love. I remember Daddy used to bring me home a bag of those little candy fishes (he knew how much I loved them), the ones I hid from Kim so she wouldn't eat them all. 

 When Daddy would come in, I would run to him and give him a big hug, and he would say, “How's Daddy's princess? How was your day? Full of sunshine like you deserve, I hope?”

  Enough talk about my daddy, it only makes me sad anyway. This story is about the bravest person I know, my sister, Kim, and her ordeal. It tells of her strength and sheer will to come back into the light of life instead of the dark place that exists for those unlucky enough to unlock its door.

   I used to think Kim was a bitch at times, but I loved her; she's my sister after all. Don't all sisters fight at times? I'm a pain sometimes, but on purpose, because Kim and Micah let me get to them so easily. But hey, I am cute, you got to love me. I don't believe in the middle child syndrome. You know, where the middle child has it the hardest and doesn’t get as much love as the baby and not as much freedom as the oldest; that's a crock.

  Kim had it much harder than me. She hadn't been the same since Daddy's death. Although Daddy babied me more, I think Kim was his favorite. Kim smiles on the outside, although she seems happy, I know differently. Some of Kim's fire had gone out when he died. Some of her spunk has died. But Kim's a fighter; she has the best of both our parents: Mom's strength and Dad's courage.

  Mom started tutoring kids after work to bring in extra income. As a result, Kim had to make sure my brother and I were taken care of. She made sure we did our chores and homework. Kim did most of the food shopping since Mom often tutored after work and on Saturday mornings. Kim also cooked for us after school. Mom would cook on Saturdays and Sundays. Sometimes we would eat takeout on Saturdays. Mama would bring home some of our favorites. Kim loved Chinese food, Micah and I liked pizza with bacon and extra cheese.

  I felt sorry for Kim because it was a lot of responsibility for a sixteen-year-old, but she never complained. During the middle of the year, my Grandmother Davis, who was suffering from old-age dementia, came to stay with us. Mama was happy. 

 You see, she lost her dad at an early age, and Grandma Davis raised her along with my uncle, Mark, and my aunties, Sharon and Glenda. I remember spending holidays with my grandmother. The family would get together and have dinner at my grandma's house.

  Everyone would bring a dish, eat, talk, and enjoy. I remember having fun with my cousins. Those days were long gone after Grandma Davis got sick; the family dinners stopped. My mother, aunts, and uncle had disagreements, even fights, about my grandma and as a result, the family grew apart. I think my mother missed having contact with her family.

  Kim, Micah and I were at little apprehensive about Grandma coming to live with us. Mom told us not to worry. She assured us that we would be okay. 

“It will be good to have your grandma here with us.” 

 Grandma Davis came to live with us on a Friday afternoon. When we came from school, she was already all moved in. I hadn't seen my grandmother in about nine months, and I was not prepared for how she had changed.

  The grandmother that I remembered was strong and full of life. The woman with us was a shadow of her old self. My mom beamed as she said, “Come here, Jade, and welcome your grandmother to our household.”

 “Hi, Grandma, Welcome to our home.” 

 “Hello, my dear, thank you,” replied Grandma. 

 “Kimberly and Micah will be home shortly” Mama told Grandma. 

 “Jade, keep your grandma company while I take some of her things to her room.” I felt at a loss as what to say. Grandma broke the awful silence by asking “how my day was at school”.

 “Fine, Grandma. You know school's school; you do your time and keep your mouth shut.” I meant it as a joke, and to my surprise, Grandma got it.

 As usual, Kimberly and Micah came in arguing. Kim and I took turns picking up Micah from school.

 “Hello, Kids,” Grandma said

 Both Micah and Kim turned around to face Grandma with a startled look just as Mama came into the room. “Kids, Give your grandma a healthy welcome.” Micah hurriedly gave Grandma Davis a hug. Kim embraced her more slowly. Grandma smiled softly and asked what happened at school that upset them. Kim and Micah replied the usual: teachers getting on your nerves or the pain-in-the-neck classmates.

*****

  One evening, Mama came home and told us that she had placed an ad in the daily paper to rent our upstairs apartment. She said that the money from tutoring was not enough and even with Grandma's social security check, money was still in short supply. So, she decided to rent the upstairs apartment. 

  She told us that means that people will be coming by, and she always wanted the house to be clean because after they viewed the upstairs apartment, she would invite them down here for tea or coffee for an informal interview.

  We had a very nice brownstone. It was built in the 1800s, although it’s now a historical landmark, Daddy had it completely renovated a year before he died. Downstairs contained three bedrooms, a large kitchen, a nice-sized living room and a long hallway next to our bathroom that led into the backyard. 

 Mama, Micah, and Grandma's bedrooms were downstairs. Kim and my bedroom are upstairs, and the third level was the apartment for rent. Mama, and Daddy said that they would never rent out the upstairs apartment, which had two bedrooms a small bathroom, medium-sized living room, and a small kitchen. The reason that they did not want to rent it was because Daddy said he did not want the headache of tenants who never valued someone else's property.

  Daddy said that if any of us kids ever needed a place after we were grown, it would be there for us. I know that renting the apartment was a hard decision for Mama to make; however, I’m sure it was necessary. I’m sure she felt that she had no choice. Jade wished she could do something to help her mother with money. However, she would not let her get an after-school job. Mama always said our studies come first.