Riches To Rags

Chapter 9: The Truth v. Understanding

Chapter 9: The Truth v. Understanding

"The truth will always be the truth, regardless of the lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance."

~ W Celment Stone

"You can't have the fire on high Rae," Carla explained to her. "You can burn the vegetables and make them stick to the pot."

Taking the handle off the pan and the wooden spoon away from Rae, she stirred the green, yellow, and red pepper while turning down the fire. She was starting to think that it was a mistake letting Rae cook in her kitchen instead of finding her some cooking classes elsewhere. The last thing she wanted to happen was for her to burn her apartment down or the entire building. Cooking didn't seem to be her strong point and this Carla was starting to realize.

With a loud sigh, Rae stood back from the stove and used the back of her had to wipe the perspiration that was forming on her forehead. With frustrations, she pointed to the pot, "This is dumb Carla. I'm never going to get this."

"You'll get it," Carla told her, not sounding very persuasive.

"I've been in this place two months," she begun. "Two months Carla and I can't do anything by myself! I can't wash my clothes without bleaching my colors and I can't even make myself dinner."

She thought of herself as useless. She still had no proper skills to live on her own and would always run across the hall to Carla for help. It was hard to do things by herself. From the start, she wasn't to thrilled about moving to a new place. South Central was definitely not the top of her list, but she learned to get accustom to the area. The greater problem was within herself. Growing up, finding her voice, and living for herself while not running to her father with her hand out.

Not that it would benefit her now. There was still no word about her parent's financial dilemma and Rae found it easier on herself by not waiting around for her father to pick up the phone to call her and say that everything was back to normal. He had yet to talk to her, but she knew he was talking to Carla.

Something was off.

If Carla thought that she was unaware of the secrecy that was going on between the two of them, she thought wrong. She found it odd that she wouldn't offer her the opportunity to speak to her father whenever she was talking to him. Her observations where causing her to conclude countless reasons. None of them would be fulfilled, and this she knew.

"Have you talked to my dad this week?" Rae asked.

Carla turned to stove off and pushed the pan to the back burner. She walked over to Rae and sat down next to her. "I haven't," she said simply.

Rae tried to find any signs of Carla not telling her the truth. It was difficult. She found Carla to be a brick wall. Nothing going through it and nothing coming out. "The last time you talk to him, was there any word about everything getting back to the way it was?" She questioned.

Carla glanced casually around her apartment. "No we didn't discuss things of that nature," she said. "Why?"

"For starters, my father hasn't directly talked to me but on several occasions he has called you and asked you if I was ok," Rae explained. "Why doesn't he want to talk to me?"

Carla sat back and looked at Rae with sadden eyes. "It's not that he didn't want to talk to-"

"Then what is it?" Rae raised her voice. She didn't mean to startle Carla, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling some type of way.

Did her father truly care about her? For heavens sake, here she was in the hood trying to make a new life for herself. Surrounded by people she didn't trust completely with no help. Everyday she use to talk to her father. To just stop conversing with him all together was driving her crazy. Whether it was asking for money for just asking how was his day- she missed talking to him.