It Should Be Easy

Chapter 1

Media: (Top Left) little Caira, (Top Right) little Carter, (Bottom Left) Annamae Taylor, (Bottom Right) Quinton Taylor

CIARA 6 YEARS OLD

I follow Mama through the rooms. She moves methodically.

"We gotta go Cee-Bee." Silently I look up at her. "Chile' what did I say about that? Take that thumb outta your mouth!" Slowly I take the thumb out. It makes a popping sound. I rock back and forth on my new Mary Janes. She glances at the clock. "Ooh-wee we gotta go," Mama says under her breath. She speeds up her routine, and I have to run to keep up.

Up and down the grand hallways we go. In each room she glides in, closing the large French windows. The billowing white curtains, growing frantic in the breeze, quiet down as they close. She picks up the glasses left behind from yesterday's company and sweeps up the broken China from last night's argument. The dolls I leave as I skip through the house have to be put away too.

"I want you pickin up for yourself na Caira I can't be doin this for you." I nod.

"Yes Mama."

"Go put this is in the kitchen."

"Yes Mama" I skip to the kitchen, tip toeing to set two cups on the white marble countertop.

Mama is fluffing the pillows when I come back inside. Slowly, as if to be confused about if it was real, she pulls a thin piece of black lace out from behind a pillow. She falls to her knees. Her big pretty pink skirt spreads out around her like a tutu. Her hands are shaking and her breath quickens.

"Mama?"

"Oh sweetie..." She quickly wipes her eyes and smiles, collecting herself. I can hear my father's shoes getting louder as he emerges from the bedroom.

"Are my girls ready?" He bellows.

"Daddy!" I exclaim. As he twirls me around my mother hides the black lace behind her back.

"Good morning Quinton," Mama says with a smile. Her smile doesn't look very happy. Daddy sets me down, and crosses the room. Mama takes a step back. He grabs her arm and pulls her closer.

"A kiss would be nice this morning Anna Mae." She looks away from Daddy. We lock eyes as he pulls her jaw up to meet his. She winces. I notice that he is holding her wrist very tightly. She is still looking at me. He moves in to kiss her and she squeezes her eyes shut. Forcefully he deepens the kiss. I can't look away. When he finishes he slaps her butt and whispers something in her ear. "Attagirl." He looks at me, cowering on the other side of the room. He kneels down and opens his arms. "Na come on and give Daddy a big hug."

Slowly I creep toward him, afraid, watching my mother. When he swoops me up and tickles me and throws me through the air I almost forget what just happened. All I can do is giggle and scream. He walks over to my mother so she can knot his tie.

"Your hair is looking good girls."

"Thank you," we both say.

"This is your big day Cee-Bee and I want you to do a darn good job sugar. "

"Yes Daddy."

Mama finishes his tie. "Don't forget to do something with that face Anna Mae." He says as he walks out the room. "And y'all ain't finish cleaning up this place yet? C'mon na we gotta go." He shakes his head. "Always late" he mutters, shaking his head.

Mama sticks the black lace in her purse and quickly walks out the room. "You heard the man Caira, let's get going." I follow Mama into her closet with the vanity mirrors. I climb up onto a stool as she looks at herself. She exales loudly. "Shit." I don't comment on her swear word.