bluntness. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Believe it. Sex is no joke, and it can get ugly fast.”
“I know. Chili’s pregnant by LaVon. He used to betrying to get me to have sex with him all the time. But I wasn’t ready, so I didn’t. Then when Mom died, I guess I just gave in. I was going to do it. I was over at his house in his bedroom when I found out that Chili was having his baby,” I said. I was waiting to hear her yell, but she didn’t. “I’m so glad I didn’t do anything. But at school now, just because I used to go out with LaVon, some of the guys think I did.”
“You can’t change what people think, Kenisha. As long as you know what’s true, then that’s all that matters. So what about you and Terrence?” she asked.
“Lawn mower guy? I like him a lot. He makes me laugh, and he makes me feel good even when I don’t feel like it. He tells me the truth, especially when I don’t want to hear it.”
“He’s a good kid. He has his head on straight, always has. He’s been in trouble before, but that’s in the past.”
“You don’t have to worry about me and Terrence, either, Grandmom. I’m still not ready, and he’s never even said anything to me about us being together like that. Truth is, I’m sure there are enough girls at Howard who would be happy to take care of him that way.”
“Men can make a woman weak. They can turn her head completely around—and not for the better. I’m not saying they do it on purpose. Some do and some don’t. I’m saying that all in all, they do what they have to do. I wouldn’t worry about Terrence and the girls at Howard right now. He has a good heart. He’ll be all right.”
“A good heart? Is that how Granddad was?”
“Your grandfather was a good man, yes, and in his wayhe was faithful. He was a preacher, a man of God, but he had a weakness for fast women.”
“You mean he was a player?” I asked, stunned.
“Is that what you call it now, a player?” she asked.
“Yes, it means that they like playing around a lot.”
“Then I guess that’s what he was. A player.”
“But he was a preacher. How could he do that? I mean isn’t that against the Bible and God and everything?”
“Man isn’t perfect, that’s for sure. I’m talking about men in general, all men, but that includes women as well. Your grandfather was a good preacher, but he was also a man with weaknesses. We all have weaknesses. The point is not to let them lead us down the wrong path.”
“Another recipe for life?” I asked.
She nodded and smiled. “Speaking of recipes, when are you going to start dinner? It’s getting late and I’m getting hungry.”
My mouth dropped open. When I started staying with my grandmother after my mom died, we made a deal that I would cook dinner on Friday nights. It all started because I was complaining about always cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. I challenged her to clean up once in a while, so she made me the deal and I gave my word. “But I thought since I was out at Freeman so late you’d cook tonight.”
“Where’d you get that idea?” she chuckled.
“Fine,” I said, then stood up picking up by dance bag. “Why don’t we have pizza tonight? I’ll order from the pizza place,” I suggested, hoping to not deal with all that kitchen stuff tonight.
“You already asked me to defrost pork chops. I did.They’re in the refrigerator. I think I’d like corn and some leftover green beans with that, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay,” I said dryly, knowing that I wasn’t going to get away with not cooking a full meal tonight. “I’m gonna go clean up first, then I’ll be right down.” She nodded and I went in the house.
My grandmother was a trip. She had rules for just about everything, but her number one rule was keeping your word. If I said I was going to do something, she expected that it would be done. I guess that was an okay way to be. I knew I could always depend on her word no matter
“Believe it. Sex is no joke, and it can get ugly fast.”
“I know. Chili’s pregnant by LaVon. He used to betrying to get me to have sex with him all the time. But I wasn’t ready, so I didn’t. Then when Mom died, I guess I just gave in. I was going to do it. I was over at his house in his bedroom when I found out that Chili was having his baby,” I said. I was waiting to hear her yell, but she didn’t. “I’m so glad I didn’t do anything. But at school now, just because I used to go out with LaVon, some of the guys think I did.”
“You can’t change what people think, Kenisha. As long as you know what’s true, then that’s all that matters. So what about you and Terrence?” she asked.
“Lawn mower guy? I like him a lot. He makes me laugh, and he makes me feel good even when I don’t feel like it. He tells me the truth, especially when I don’t want to hear it.”
“He’s a good kid. He has his head on straight, always has. He’s been in trouble before, but that’s in the past.”
“You don’t have to worry about me and Terrence, either, Grandmom. I’m still not ready, and he’s never even said anything to me about us being together like that. Truth is, I’m sure there are enough girls at Howard who would be happy to take care of him that way.”
“Men can make a woman weak. They can turn her head completely around—and not for the better. I’m not saying they do it on purpose. Some do and some don’t. I’m saying that all in all, they do what they have to do. I wouldn’t worry about Terrence and the girls at Howard right now. He has a good heart. He’ll be all right.”
“A good heart? Is that how Granddad was?”
“Your grandfather was a good man, yes, and in his wayhe was faithful. He was a preacher, a man of God, but he had a weakness for fast women.”
“You mean he was a player?” I asked, stunned.
“Is that what you call it now, a player?” she asked.
“Yes, it means that they like playing around a lot.”
“Then I guess that’s what he was. A player.”
“But he was a preacher. How could he do that? I mean isn’t that against the Bible and God and everything?”
“Man isn’t perfect, that’s for sure. I’m talking about men in general, all men, but that includes women as well. Your grandfather was a good preacher, but he was also a man with weaknesses. We all have weaknesses. The point is not to let them lead us down the wrong path.”
“Another recipe for life?” I asked.
She nodded and smiled. “Speaking of recipes, when are you going to start dinner? It’s getting late and I’m getting hungry.”
My mouth dropped open. When I started staying with my grandmother after my mom died, we made a deal that I would cook dinner on Friday nights. It all started because I was complaining about always cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. I challenged her to clean up once in a while, so she made me the deal and I gave my word. “But I thought since I was out at Freeman so late you’d cook tonight.”
“Where’d you get that idea?” she chuckled.
“Fine,” I said, then stood up picking up by dance bag. “Why don’t we have pizza tonight? I’ll order from the pizza place,” I suggested, hoping to not deal with all that kitchen stuff tonight.
“You already asked me to defrost pork chops. I did.They’re in the refrigerator. I think I’d like corn and some leftover green beans with that, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay,” I said dryly, knowing that I wasn’t going to get away with not cooking a full meal tonight. “I’m gonna go clean up first, then I’ll be right down.” She nodded and I went in the house.
My grandmother was a trip. She had rules for just about everything, but her number one rule was keeping your word. If I said I was going to do something, she expected that it would be done. I guess that was an okay way to be. I knew I could always depend on her word no matter
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