Legacy First

Disappointments

Clark walked into the house, where the maid took his coat and hat. He kissed his wife, who was waiting to be acknowledged by him. Mattie, get the girls to come down now. He heard Mattie call the girls down, but no one responded. Mattie, I am whooping everybody if they don't get down here within seconds.

Mattie nervously said, calming down, Clark, they're coming; just a little tired from school, is all. Go ahead to the dinner table. Alice cooked her famous beef stew".

Mattie tried to calm her husband down as she kissed him. "I'll get them."

Mattie went upstairs to find her daughters in the same room talking; Mattie put her head to the door to listen

Denise speaking sternly " Jackie will be the first to be sold".

"Why do you think that? , You think because I'm not his," Jackie growled.

Twinkie rolled her eyes. "No, you're the oldest. He will probably wait until Dorinda and Karen turn 20. Denise and I are next after you."

In tears, Dorinda said, "What the hell are we cattle? Why are we being sold? Daddy's horrible enough beating us like his slaves, he raised"

The youngest of the group, Karen, "Can we run away? Daddy told me I had to obey my future husband last week.

After he slapped me for questioning him, I don't want to be a part of this family if my whole life is to be beaten for asking a simple question. I would rather be homeless with my sisters. We could work regular jobs for money, hell, we could be strippers for all I care," laughing and joking, the rest of her sisters joined.

Denise shook her head at her younger sister  "What about Mom?"

Twinkie rolled her eyes again at her sisters. " Does she care how we feel? Daddy will hit her and then us. Mom will pretend she cares about us and then cater to Daddy as we bleed and suffer.

Then nobody will stop him—no police, judge, or demon in hell. So, no, we can't run. His evil ass will find us and unalive us where we stand. Jackie, it doesn't matter if you're his or not. You came from his precious Mattie. He'll kill you and the rest of us, too, if we don't obey."

Jackie, shaking her head, "you think Mom would allow Daddy to kill us?" She noticed Mattie coming into the room. " Hey, Mom"

Mattie couldn't bear to hear anymore, so she did what she knew how. She yelled and screamed and got violent with her children.

Her hands weren't as heavy as Clark's, and her words weren't as degrading. She knew this because he would always use his hands and harsh words on her. However, that drove a wedge between her daughters, who never thought she loved for them.

Mattie "You ungrateful whores, beast, all of you and unlovable dummies. You're talking about being homeless and strippers.

You would die before sundown. Are you all stupid? Do you know who your father is? Get downstairs before I beat everybody's asses."

They all ran downstairs, fearful of Mattie and her vengeance. She wasn't as bad as Clark, but her fist hurt. She grabbed Karen and pulled her close. "Your father will talk to you after dinner."

Karen scared with tears in her eyes because she knew what that meant. "Mom, I'm sorry; please don't tell him."

Mattie "you haven't been obedient lately. Maybe it's the education; I will tell your father you must drop out and place in your married home as soon as possible.

Karen, ready to beg for forgiveness, got on her knees. "No, I'm sixteen; everybody but me graduated and went to prom. Please, I'm sorry, Mommy. I'll do whatever you want."

Still disappointed in her daughter, Mattie looked down at Karen; angry, she raised her hand back and smacked her youngest in the face. She was making Karen fall to the floor.

"You will be married soon, and tell the little preacher boy he'll die messing with this family. He is putting all those stupid ideas in your head. You will never be bigger or better than this family business. You stay with this family.

You owe this family. She pulled Karen off the ground, holding her face in tears. Who are you?"

Karen, in tears and looking down, said, "A Clark and I must obey," the family mantra that Clark would make his household repeat after every reprimand.

Mattie looked disgusted at her child and said, "Clean your face and come downstairs. Disappointments all of you.