Kiss the Year Goodbye by Brenda L. Thomas Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker Crystal Lacey Winslow & Daaimah S. Poole

Author:Brenda L. Thomas, Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker, Crystal Lacey Winslow & Daaimah S. Poole
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2005-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Jovie

November 2005

How can I explain that it was the pleasure that frightened me? I celebrated my twenty-fourth birthday as a virgin. I never planned for my life to unfold in such a dull manner. I always wanted to think outside the box, but my shyness put limitations on my actions. I kept having this recurring dream of lost love. In my dreams my lover was a strong, articulate, sensual man. But at the rate I was going, I’d never meet him. When I was approached by the opposite sex, I pushed them away. Sadly, I didn’t think there was one man on this earth that could ever meet my high expectations. So rather than deal with disappointment, I played it safe by guarding my heart.

Today started off just like any other day. After I showered, I washed my hands with Dove antibacterial soap, using a scrub brush to scour my hands, arms and elbows until I was almost bleeding. I put on my uniform, ironed crisply with starch, and walked to my part-time job at Sally’s Diner. Sally’s is a small, legendary black-owned diner up in Harlem.

“Three hundred eight, three hundred nine…” I counted each step to work. Every day the count was the same. There were six hundred fifty-three steps from my apartment to my job.

When I arrived, I got right to work. The owner didn’t tolerate laziness. He’d fine you one dollar if he saw you slacking off. On this particular day, I was pulling a double shift because I needed extra money. The new year was approaching and I decided that for my resolution I wanted my own apartment. My identical twin sister, Jada, with whom I shared an apartment, got pregnant eight years ago. She’d had a difficult pregnancy and couldn’t work for a while so I had to foot the bills. I basically went through my savings. Her pregnancy was traumatic for both of us. We both had morning sickness and I felt every labor pain. Some scientists say it is common in some identical twins to feel the exact same emotion at the same time. Whether it was fear, lust, happiness, sadness—Jada and I both experienced it. Jada delivered a healthy six-pound baby girl named Joy.

The diner smelled of pork grease and pickles. The aroma sometimes made me nauseous. I couldn’t understand how this diner had become so famous. It had the filthiest hygiene standards I’ve ever encountered, and I wouldn’t dare drink a glass of water from there.

“Hi, Jovie,” my coworker Allison said as I put on my hairnet.

“What country did the biscuit originate from?” I said in response.

“Goodbye, Jovie,” she said, and walked off.

“France,” I said underneath my breath, and began working.

My first shift was uneventful and slow. But as the night shift began, I started to get harassed by male patrons who wanted more than what was on the menu. Men are such predators.

“May I take your order?” I asked two male customers.

“I’d like the fried steak, eggs and your telephone number,” one boldly stated.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.