This story is one of the most different stories I've everrrrr written. and with this I hope to grow as a writer. I hope y'all join in this journey with me, because it'll be so worth it in the end. Vote, comment, and tell me your thoughts so far. ALSO, I just have to warn you guys on how perfect the girl I used as Nia is. She's in the multimedia. Okay, I'm done now.
- Keiana
1. Moving Day
Nia Riley
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They say when you graduate from high school, you won't know half of the people that you believed were your friends. When you go to college, that's when you meet the people who're gonna be in your life for the duration of it. When I went to college I met my best friend Claire, an up and coming makeup artist. She was my dorm mate, and in time she became my sister, mother, best friend, and confidant. I had changed my major, gone on so many failed dates, had countless anxiety attacks, and Claire James was there for every single one.
Claire was my best friend, and it showed when she went through my mother's death with me. My mother Seyvn, had alzheimer's, but it was an uncommon case because she was only forty when she got it. By the time my mother was forty five she couldn't even remember that I was her daughter, and my father Bernard, was her husband. I was only fourteen when my mother, father, and my mom's doctor had sat me down and told me about my mom's condition. At first I didn't understand until my mom didn't remember where her apron was. It was right on her the whole time. She cussed, threw a fit, and ended up falling asleep crying in my lap. I wanted to cry so badly, but I knew that I couldn't do that in front of my mom.
After that first incident things continued to go downhill. First it was the apron, then it was the days of the week, and soon it progressed to her forgetting where she was. When I went off to college it was a major relief for me. I didn't have to worry about seeing my mother forget everything about her life. I still talked to her daily, and it broke my heart everytime when I called her and she didn't know who I was.
As I went through getting my associates in business, my mother was going through losing her mind. Every weekend I would go back home and help take care of my mom. Sometimes she would even remember my name, and that made everything worth it.
One day we were painting at the kitchen table, I was eighteen if I remember correctly, and Beyonce was playing. My mom loved Beyonce, and sometimes she even remembered the words. I was cleaning up our materials when my mom had told me, "I like your painting Nia." I had dropped all the bowls and brushes on the floor because I was in so much shock. My mother hadn't remembered my name in two years, and she said it like it was nothing!
"Mom, you just said my name!" I exclaimed and ran over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug.
"Who're you?" My mom asked and I let go of my mom and went back to cleaning like nothing had happened. As soon as I finished cleaning I went back to my dorm room and cried with Claire for the rest of the night. After that I realized that my mother was going to remember and forget all the time, and there was really no point in crying about it.
It was still a surprise to me when my mother passed away at the young age of forty eight. I say passed away because it's more accurate than committed suicide. My mother had been put on a medication that helped her remember, but also made her extremely depressed. My father had come home from work one morning to find my mother hanging on the ceiling by a thin piece of rope. God knows how long she had been there like that. I didn't like to think about it.
That whole month after my mother passed away I was an emotional wreck. I didn't eat, go to my classes, and I changed my major over three times. After finally being pushed by Claire to, and I quote, "Get my fucking ass up and live my life, and stop acting like a fucking zombie," I cut my hair, grew it back out, got a bunch of meaningful tattoos, had a bunch of meaningless, sloppy, drunk sex, and changed my major to child development in honor of my mother. She was a teacher, and always had a sore spot for children.
"I'm so proud of you honey!" Claire exclaimed after we had been given our diplomas. She had gotten her associates in business, and I had gotten my associates in child care development.
"I'm proud of you too boo! You're a makeup artist and a business woman at the same damn time!" We laughed and continued to hug. I knew my mom was proud of me, and that's all that mattered.
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"Okay Jacob, let me see your picture." I smiled at the bouncing little two year old boy who was coloring on a piece of paper.
"Here, I wanna show my momwwy." I played with his hair before moving onto the other kid. I had been working at Sunny Smiles daycare since I was twenty, and I loved it here. Only being twenty one, it was kind of hard to get a job in childcare, but Sunny Smiles took me in with open arms.
As soon as Claire and I had graduated we had packed all of our stuff and moved to the city of Angels, Los Angeles. We were both born in Florida and had lived there until we graduated. It was definitely a culture shock, but we got over it.
Claire was an extremely popular makeup artist and artists called her from all around the world to do their makeup for events, award shows, and all that other stuff. We lived together, and anytime she went somewhere she would take me with her if I didn't have to work. That all changed today, Claire's boyfriend of two years was moving in, and I was moving into my own condo.
"Okay guys, put away your crayons, and markers and go sit on the mat with Mrs.Lisa." Mrs.Lisa was my boss who ran Sunny Smiles. I was Ms.Nia, and there was another girl who worked with us named Ms.Pat. We were a little family. I helped put away the remaining materials and started getting the kids lunches ready. After the kids ate, they had a diaper change, took a nap, woke up, had story time, and waited to be picked up.
I loved these kids, they were amazing. I felt like each and every one of them were my own.
"Ms.Nia, I needa go potty." One of my favorite little girls in the whole world Sade, tapped on my leg and pointed to the restroom. Sade and her younger sister Spirit Witherspoon were definitely the sweetest little girls ever. They had a whole bunch of attitude and sass, but once you created a bond with them, you were hooked. were pil
"Okay, let's go potty then." I took her small hand in mine and took her to the restroom to let her do her business.
After I cleaned up at the end of the day, I hopped in my 2012 Ford Mustang and headed to Claire's condo. All my stuff was packed, I just had to pick up boxes and drop them off at the condo. I was moving into an expensive ass condo, and I had my photography and Sunny Smiles to thank for that.
When I wasn't taking care of kids, or traveling the world with Claire, I was taking pictures. It was my heart, and up until a year ago I wasn't selling my pictures. I simply took the pictures, developed them, and put them in scrapbooks. Claire pushed me to selling them on Etsy, and now if I didn't want the picture, I'd just sell it online. It was great money, and I enjoyed people enjoying my craft.
Pulling into your driveway now, can you bring the boxes outside? If I don't get to the condo in an hour I won't get my keys. - Nia
Yeah, coming right now. Are you sure you have to leave? - Claire
I didn't text back because I'd already pulled into the driveway of the two bedroom house. I would miss it, but I really needed a change, and my baby girl was settling down. Just like I asked my boxes were piled up by the small garage and Claire was waiting for me. What a doll.
"Hey boo." I smiled and hopped out of my car.
"I know I should be excited that my boyfriend's moving in, but I'm not. Like what am I gonna do without my lion?" Ever since I had met Claire she'd called me 'her lion' because of my curly hair. I really did look like a lion, haha.
"You'll see me everyday Claire Bear. Don't worry. Enjoy being in love!" I exclaimed and pulled her into a hug.
"You're right. I'm gonna get some dick tonighttttt." Claire sang and we laughed together. She was my other half, and a freaking idiot.
"I love you, now I have to go." We hugged one more time before I packed the rest of the boxes into my backseat and trunk and drove off. As I drove to downtown Los Angeles I plugged in my iPhone and turned on my Curren$y playlist. If I wasn't listening to Curren$y I was listening to xxyyxx, the xx and other people like that. Music was my meditation.
Almost thirty minutes later, because of traffic, I pulled into the parking lot of Villa condos. Everything was glass and expensive. Damn, if my mom could've seen me now. I hopped out of my car and made sure to lock it before heading into the office and getting my apartment keys.
"Hi, I'm Nia, I'm moving into condo 103." I smiled at the lady behind the desk.
"Suite 103. Good luck honey, welcome to Villa condos." Good luck? I just smiled and nodded. I didn't hire any movers because I didn't have a lot of things, and I wasn't a little girl. I could handle myself.
I headed back to my car and started carrying boxes into the empty one bedroom condo. I was done in an hour, and was now laying down on my new hardwood floors. I had my own place, it was all mine. I could walk around naked whenever I wanted, twerk when and wherever I wanted, and simply be Nia. Freedom had never seemed so nice.