Life Is (Mostly) Beautiful

4. Diamonds Are Forever, Relationships Are Not

"I told you never to come back here," she hissed. I could practically hear her gritting her teeth as she watched me with predator-like eyes.

"Mama, I-"

"Get out!"

"But Mama-"

"Henry call the police, this is tresspassing."

"Now Mae, be reasonable!" Henry said to her. Instead, she brushed past him, setting the bag on the table and reaching the for landline herself. "Mae," Henry said, grabbing the phone and slamming it down. Your daughter came all the way here to talk to you."

"She ain't my daughter no more, and she ain't come here for me! She came here because she in trouble and now she running back to me like I ain't warn her before."

"No Mama, I came to see you," I said tearfully. "You're my mama and I need you."

"See,  she need me now--ha! She ain't need me when her uppity self up and left!" she said, still refusing to even look at me.

"Why do you hate me?" I cried. "I left so I could get a better life for both us! Both of us!"

"Then why you here then! Where's yo so-called better life, huh!" she spat venously.

I slid down to the floor in sobs as she continued to hurl insults at me.

***

Three Years Ago

"Hi, is this the Financial Aid office," I asked tiredly. I'd been waiting for almost an hour to get someone from the office on hold, and it was urgent.

"Yes, what can I help you with?"

"I recently got my financial aid package for the upcoming school year, and I think there's been a mistake. I've had the Norton scholarship for the last two years that gave me a half-ride with the stipulation that I maintain a 3.4 GPA. Well my GPA is 3.7 and I don't see the scholarship anywhere in my package."

"Let me check, what's your student ID?"

"34353580," I said, enunciting so she would hear me clearly.

"Ah yes, I see. Well, I'm sorry to tell you Ms. Parker but the University has decided to discontinue that scholarship."

"What?" I gasped, my heart instantly sinking. Brik rushed over from his bed to see what was wrong. "H-how can that be, that's how I was paying for school!"

"Well Ms. Parker we do offer work-study and student loans-"

"I already have work-study and I'm already taking out loans!" I screamed, shaking in my seat as the panic started to set in.

"Well it says here, we don't have your parent's most recent financial information on file. If you submit that, I'm sure we'd be able to allocate more money to you."

"I-I can't," I stammered shakily. "My mother doesn't speak to me anymore and she would never give that information up."

"I'm sorry, miss but the best we can offer you is loans-"

I ended the call then and there, not being able to handle it anymore. Brik hugged me and held me tight while I trembled and dry-heaved.

"Shh, don't cry baby, we'll figure it out. We'll figure it out," he said soothingly into my hair.

"Where am I going to come up with $70,000 Brik? That's $140,000 over the next two years!" I cried, clutching his soft jersey tightly. Everything I'd worked for, and everything I'd given up...gone. Just like that.

I was studying business, I was going to be an entrepreneur. I even had a competitive internship lined up for the next summer, but it was contingent on me being a USC student.