𝐒𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆
APRIL OF 1990
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The sun shined brightly in Sasha's room. The only that could be heard was the bird's chirps and the next door neighbor mowing their lawn. Sasha snored softly as her alarm clock went off. Amour opened Sasha's door and groaned while rubbing her head. She glared at Sasha's blaring alarm clock before turning it off. She quickly tapped Sasha while rubbing her eyes.
"Aye, get up." Sasha looked up and blinked at Amour before falling back asleep. Amour sighed and tapped Sasha again. "Get up Sasha, now." Sasha groaned and rolled over on her back, staring at the ceiling.
Amour folded her arms. "You know we have church every Sunday so I don't know why you act like you can't get up." Sasha looked over at her sister and side-eyed her. She slowly got up from her bed, stretching and yawning. Amour exited Sasha's room to wake up Ruben. When she opened Ruben's door, she found her in the corner of her room, holding her knees. Amour quickly closed the door and walked over to Ruben.
Ruben quickly looked up at a concerned Ruben before look back down. "I'm fine, before you ask." Amour shook her head. "You're not, you don't look fine at all."
Amour sat next to Ruben and rubbed her back. "Did you have another nightmare?" Ruben nodded. "Same one, like always."
Ruben looked at her sister with drowsy eyes. "I'll be fine. No need to worry about me." Ruben grabbed Amour's cheek and kissed her cheek making her smile softly. Amour got off the floor and helped Ruben up.
"Why you not ready, Amour? You're always ready on Sundays."Amour sighed. "Overslept, unfortunately. But, give me an hour, I'll be ready."
Ruben nodded. She sat on top of her bed and folded her arms, looking at Amour. "So, Job got into another fight?" Amour sighed. "You know he don't know how to keep his hands to himself." Amour laid next to Ruben on the bed.
"Daddy is gonna have a fit." Ruben rolled her eyes. "Let's prepare for that, I guess." Amour got off the bed. "I'm gonna go talk to momma about it."
Ruben scoffed. "So mama can tell daddy? Yeah, you have fun with that." Amour opened Ruben's door. Before she left, she picked up the small teddy bear on Ruben's dresser. "Whatever you picked up, put it back!" Amour jumped and threw the bear on the bed before hurrying out of Ruben's room.
Amour walked into the kitchen to find her mother cooking breakfast. "Bonjour Mama."
Vanessa turned around and smiled. "Bonjour, my love." Vanessa gave Amour a kiss on the cheek. "Are your sisters up yet?" Amour nodded.
"And your brother?" Amour looked away from her mother and smiled at the food. "Oh Mama! This food looks delicious," Amour took a small pause to sniff the air, "and it smells delightful!"
"Aght, you are no longer 12 anymore. That doesn't work on me." Vanessa gently patted Amour's cheek and Amour's smile turned into a pout. "Now, where is your brother?"
Amour sat down at the table. "Promise not to tell Papa?"
Vanessa turned sighed and turned off the stove. "It depends on how bad it is." Amour looked down at the floor. "He went to Jasper's house party and he's pretty hungover."
Vanessa turned around. "Well that isn't too bad–"
"That's not all." Vanessa put her hand on her hip. "Well, spit it out child. We don't have all day." Amour looked up at her mother. "He got into another fight." Vanessa let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "Where is he?" Amour pointed upstairs. "He's still in bed."
Vanessa grabbed a plate and put food on while grabbing an ice pack. "You can fix yourself a plate and when you're done, I want you ready for church, you hear me?" Amour nodded. Vanessa placed a quick kiss on Amour's forehead before heading upstairs.
She took a quick left up the steps walked into the bathroom grabbing a cloth. She walked to the first door after the bathroom before knocking on it. "Job? Breakfast." Vanessa opened the door and saw Job laying in bed, facing away from the door. "Five more minutes Mama, and I'll be up." Vanessa closed the door and put Job's breakfast on his nightstand. "Boy look at me, your sister already told me what happened." Job kissed his teeth before slowly turning around. His left eye was black and his eye was almost bloodshot red. He had small scratches around his hands and knuckles.
Vanessa sat on Job's bed with her arms folded and Job sat up. "Sit still." Vanessa placed the ice pack in the towel and put it near Job's eye. He hissed and Vanessa kissed her teeth. "Hurt, don't it?"
Job looked away and kept quiet. Vanessa turned his head towards her. "Now, have you lost your mind? What possessed you to fight last night?" Job sighed. "Mama, you know me and Jasper's cousin don't get along–"
"Well if y'all don't get along then why were you at Jasper's party?"
"Jasper is cool mama! You know that." Vanessa scoffed. "Cool enough to let you get your butt kicked by his cousin?" Job looked away again and stayed quiet a bit. Vanessa got off his bed and shook her head. "What we're y'all even fighting about?" Job looked at his mother. "Jasper and his cousin got into it about some money that was missing from Jasper's wallet. Jasper wanted me to help him escort his cousin out of the party because he was drunk and didn't even realize that his cousin had his the money in the couch. While we were showing him his way out, his cousin got mad at me because I told Jasper that the money was in the couch. Before we could even get him out the front door, he punched me. So, I stepped up to him and did what I had to do. I was just tryna help but–"
"That wasn't your place! This the second time that Jasper has gotten you into trouble, when are you gonna stop being his doormat?"
"Mama, you know Jasper don't get along with his cousin, I was just trying to help." Vanessa scoffed and looked away from Job. "It seems like you be helping that boy an awful lot."
Job sighed. "Ma, I know you upset, but I promise Jasper ain't like that. You know Jasper wouldn't dare put me in danger." Vanessa looked back at Job. "I just don't want you in no trouble, that's all." Job got out of bed and walked over to his mother, hugging her. "You don't have to worry Mama, I promise." Vanessa hugged him back and smiled. "Good." She pulled away and gave him a firm kiss on the cheek making him whine out of embarrassment. "Mama come on now, I'm too old for all that!"
"Oh please, you're never too old for love from me. Now, I want you downstairs and ready for church, alright?" Job sat on the bed and picked up his plate. "Yes, ma'am." Vanessa walked out his room before going back downstairs in the kitchen.
Ruben stepped out her bathroom and put on her heels. She opened her jewelry box and looked through it. "That's odd..." Ruben looked in her dresser and nightstand drawers. She scratched her head in confusion and frustration. She looked through her jewelry box again before hitting slamming it down on her dresser and stomping into Sasha's room. "Where are they?"
Sasha looked at her sister through her vanity mirror while she was doing her makeup. "Where is what?" Ruben scoffed. "Don't play fucking stupid, where are my earrings?"
Sasha turned around to look at her. "What earrings?" Ruben ignored Sasha and walked over towards her drawers, opening them and pulling her clothes out and throwing them on the floor. "Ruben, what the fuck?" Sasha got up and pushed Ruben away from the dresser but Ruben pushed Sasha back. "I'm sick of you stealing my shit! Where the fuck are my earrings?"
"I don't have your damn earrings. Even if I did have them, I'd probably cut you with them the minute you found them." Ruben's eye twitched and she quickly took off her heels. "You little bastard!"
Ruben grabbed Sasha and before she could do anything, Amour came in the room, separating them. "What the hell is going on?" Ruben stepped back. "Grandma's earrings, I know she has them, but she won't give them to me!" Amour looked at Sasha. "Sasha, give Ruben the earrings." Sasha glared at Ruben before stomping and getting the earrings out of her purse. She handed the earrings to Amour before Amour gave the earrings to Ruben.
Amour crossed her arms and looked at Sasha. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, apologize." Sasha looked at Amour. "I ain't apologizing unless she apologizes for putting her hands on me!"
"You stole my earrings! I should've–" Amour cleared her throat and glared at both Sasha and Ruben. "Apologize, now!"
Sasha folded her arms and looked at Ruben. "I'm sorry for taking your earrings." Ruben looked away from Sasha and looked at the ceiling. Amour nudged her arm and she flinched. "Okay, alright. I'm sorry for trying to hit you."
Amour smiled. "See? Now, let's go. We gotta get to this church early before daddy says something about us being late."
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"I don't know why you thought you was gonna get away with wearing sunglasses and a trench coat in church." Ruben muttered making Job kiss his teeth. Amour, Sasha, Ruben, and Job were all standing outside while their mother and father were talking to a couple in of the church parking lot.
Job was wearing an all black trench coat with black sunglasses, black pants, and black boots. Job didn't want anyone to ask about his black eye so he used his outfit as a distraction. Unfortunately, James wasn't too fond of his son's choice of dress.
Sasha looked up at her brother and shook her head. She turned to Ruben and and elbowed her softly. "You know he's a mama's boy, Rue. Mama was gonna let him go in there with that shit on anyway." Ruben and Sasha started laughing which made Job turn and look at them.
"Wasn't y'all about to kill each other over some damn earrings this morning?"
Sasha looked at Job with a stank face. "Boy, shut up. That's why you gon' get interrogated by daddy when you get in the house."
Job scoffed. "Like hell I am. I'm a mama's boy, remember? That means daddy won't say anything to me." Sasha mocked him and rolled her eyes. "Being a mama's bit don't mean you free of daddy's wrath, dumbass."
Job looked back over at his parents who were walking towards him. His father looked him up and down. He looked away from his father, too scared to make eye contact with him in that moment. "Now what possessed you to walk in the house of God like you're the security for the president of the Black Panther? You should be ashamed of yourself."
Job looked at his father, careful in his next words knowing that his father could cut into him at any minute. "I'm sorry sir, I just had a bad headache."
James pursed his lips. "Bad headache must equal a black eye too, huh? See, I know I'm imperfect, but I'm not stupid. I'm actually far from it, son." Job looked down at the ground in defeat. "I'm sorry sir, I just didn't want to scare anybody."
James scoffed. "Well you didn't succeed in that. Don't ever come into my church, or any church for that matter, dressed like that. You understand me?" Job nodded and James adjusted his suit. "Other than your foolishness," James looked over at his three daughters, "how are my precious girls doing today?"
"Good," they all said in unison. James smiled at the harmony of his daughters. "That's what I like to hear. Alright, home we go."
Sasha quickly snatched Ruben back. "Um, actually papa, I have some really important business to take care of and Ruben is going to drive me. I'll be back home before 10:00!" Before James could say anything, Sasha and Ruben were heading to Ruben's car.
Ruben looked back to see if her mother or father was looking to pop Sasha's neck. Sasha jumped and rubbed the back of her neck. "Ouch! That hurt!"
Ruben rolled her eyes, unlocking her car. "You are so lucky I love you. Get your ass in this car so I can drop you off!" Sasha got in the passenger seat, closing the door and putting on her seatbelt.
Ruben looked over at Sasha. "Where we going?" Sasha smiled. "You know exactly where."
Ruben started her car. "I don't know why I deal with you and your shenanigans."
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"I'll be back to get you at 9:00 so be outside and ready, okay?"
Sasha nodded. "You know I'll be ready, I can't have daddy asking questions!" Ruben rolled her eyes and giggled. "Be safe little girl." Sasha closed the car door and walked over to a house. Ruben watched Sasha walk to the door before pulling off. Sasha knocked on the front door and waited for answer. The door opened and a woman stood at the front door.
Sasha smiled at the woman. "Afternoon, Mrs. Leblanc." A 5'5 woman stood at the door with a smile. She had dark brown hair and warm brown toned skin. "Well look at you, you are looking too cute in your church clothes."
Sasha looked down at her clothes and giggled. "The worst clothes to come here in." The woman laughed. "Come on in sweetie." Sasha stepped in the house and the woman closed the front door.
Sasha took off her heels and put them in the closet by the front door. "Is Imani home?" The woman nodded. "Let me go get her."
The woman walked over to the steps and stood at the bottom of them. "Joni! You and Imani come downstairs!"
Suddenly, two women came downstairs. One of the women was holding a puppy while her hand was on her hip. "Stefani? Why must you yell up the stairs?"
Stefani walked closer to Joni with her arms crossed. "Because, you come to me faster, Joni." Joni shook her head and smirked. "God, you're insufferable." Stefani giggled, kissing Joni's cheek.
Stefani looked over at Imani and pointed at the couch. "Special somebody here to see you." Imani looked over at the couch to see Sasha. She walked over and smirked. "Well, if it isn't miss church girl."
Sasha looked up at Imani and playfully rolled her eyes. "Please, I've already had enough of that today." Imani sat next to Sasha and kissed her lips.
Sasha poked at Imani's cheek before laying on her shoulder. "Your sister at work?" Imani nodded. "Yeah, she get off at 2:00 so you'll be able to see her."
Stefani moved over to the couch, holding the dog in her arm. "What's this talk I hear about your brother getting into another fight?" Sasha rolled her eyes. "Same old Job, he's always in some shit."
Joni sat on the couch next to Imani. "And how'd your father react?"
"Like usual, pulling out his Bible for everything." Stefani laughed. "That's all he knows how to do." Joni shook her head. "Your father seems extremely strict though, how do you deal with it?"
Sasha shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. But I know I wouldn't let him talk to me the way he talks to Job. Job is almost 20 years old and let's our father talk to down to him like he's still 16." Stefani parted her lips to speak but instead, she kept quiet and looked at Joni.
Imani looked at Sasha and scratched her head. "I don't know, your dad seems a bit scary to me." Sasha scoffed. "Scary? Yeah right, he ain't gonna do anything but run his mouth."
Stefani put the dog down and went into the kitchen to wash her hands. "There's a lot you don't know about your father." Sasha looked back towards the kitchen. "What do you mean by that?"
Stefani shook her head. "Nothing, sweetie. Are you staying for dinner?" Sasha raised her eyebrow before nodding her head. "Yeah, I'm staying for dinner."
Sasha looked over at Imani. "What your momma mean by that?" Imani shrugged. "Nothing important."