𝙇 𝙄 𝘽 𝙀 𝙍 𝘼𝙏 𝙀 𝘿

2 L I B E R A T E D 2

2 V 2

"I'm finna run out and grab some tampons before Mr. Cherry closes up his store," my mother said as she grabbed her handmade purse and headed for the doors. Mr. Cherry usually closed early on Tuesday's because he liked to go around the corner and do God know's what behind the liquor store. "Okay," I nodded at her. So, that was basically code for me to watch the store while she was gone.

Great.

See, as the kid of a shop owner, a small business owner at that, I always had the quite rational fear of us being robbed. My mom pulled in the most money between both of my parents, I mean, my father was a nanny for God's sake. And, what if we were robbed while I was supposed to be watching the store. Not only would I feel guilty for life, but I had also watched my mother build this place from the ground up.

Well, not quite literally, but I use a lot of metaphors and similes and shit like that when I'm really nervous.

I'm really nervous now.

I glanced around my mother's boutique. I eyed the perfectly put together accessories she possessed, the nice plush chairs that recently shipped in that were really comfortable to sit in. The two male customers in the back looking lost as hell. The older lady who was-

"Ma'am. Excuse me," I called out from the front of the store. Clarence, our security guard, (who was really just my older cousin who had muscles), glanced up quickly at the volume of my voice.

"Ma'am, you can't place boutique items on your person without paying for them," I recited my mother's rules.

"Oh, I was just...uh, I was just-

"Empty your bag please," Clarence ordered, his hands on his hips in a Superman stance. If that was his way of looking imposing, I don't think my mother had hired the right person. I mean, his tanned, bulging muscles and tall stature already did the trick, but when he stood like that...it almost made him look comical.

"I'm just an old-

"Ma'am," Clarence repeated firmly.

I glanced around at the rest of the customers in the store. For all I know, the old lady could be a distraction while someone else steals something more important. But, the only two other customers in here seemed to be so fixated on a pair of boob earrings that they hadn't noticed, or hadn't cared, what was going on over here.

"...just wanted to get something nice for my grandbabies," I tuned back into the conversation between the older woman and my cousin.

"I'll pay for your things. All of them. But please, just empty your purse, or let me see it. I don't want to have to notify the authorities, ma'am," my ever-so-kind cousin offered.

"Y'all would do this? To a poor old lady?" the woman sighed heavily, like it was taking her utmost strength to lift her faded brown purse off of her shoulder. Outfitted in a long dress with boring floral patterns, her hair curled to the crisp with a few gray flyaways, and relatively healthy skin for someone in her age bracket, I never would have guessed someone like her would try to steal, but honestly, you can never be sure.

The lady allowed Clarence to look through her things. He dumped out her purse on the counter up front, exposing two pill bottles, some panty liners, loose change, and three accessories my mother produced.