𝑷𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒄𝒍𝒆

Introduction

Tamiyah sat at her desk, pondering what the professor had reviewed in class today. She felt as though the class she was taking was pointless.
"This assignment is a waste of time. I have better things to do," she muttered under her breath.

When assigned to public speaking, Tamiyah didn't think she struggled with it; she simply mimicked the personalities around her.

She softly sang along as the speaker played Water by Jack Garrett at a medium volume.
"Water leaves through the valleys you wore down; wear me down."

Suddenly, her singing was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Sighing, she stood up and grabbed it off her bed. Her mom was calling. Taking a deep breath, she answered.

"Yes, mommy?" Tamiyah said as she heard breathing and laughing in the background.

"Hey baby, mi nah hear from yuh inna while. Mi just checkin' pon yuh." Blasted through the tiny speakers.

Tamiyah chuckled at her mom's claim.
"Now, mommy, you heard from me this morning. Just say you wanted to be blessed by my voice."

She could practically hear the smile in her mom's voice as she responded, "It too long now. Yuh know mi nuh like when yuh deh so far. It break mi heart. When yuh ago come visit?"

"I know; I love you dearly. I'm coming straight home when break comes," Tamiyah breathed out, trying to keep her composure.

"Alright baby, mi love yuh too. But no forget 'bout likkle ole me. Mi fi love hear from yuh an' know yuh alright. Mi a pray fi yuh safety every day." Was all Tamiyah heard before she silently broke down, trying not to let her mom listen to her on the other end.

Tamiyah held back tears, trying not to let her mom hear the emotion in her voice.
"Alright, Mommy, I'll talk to you later. It's nearing my next class," She lied, wiping her damp face.

"Aight baby, soon come mi love yuh forever an' always." Her mom said tenderly.
"Forever and always." Tamiyah replied before the call ended, the music resuming where it left off.

Her heart ached as she thought about how long it had been since she'd physically seen her mom. Being raised by her alone had created an unbreakable bond between them.

Looking around her beautifully decorated room, Tamiyah smiled, remembering the day her mom had driven down to help her decorate her studio.
"I gotta figure out a way to frame and hang that up without damaging the walls," she murmured, glancing at a hand-painted oil painting of her grandparents with her mom and herself.

She missed being around everyone dearly, feeling the love circulate the house as everyone embraced and uplifted one another. But she pushed those thoughts aside.

"I gotta get something to eat," she said, getting up from her desk and lying on her bed.

She scrolled through her app library until she landed on VibeStream to find some good places to eat. After browsing through several videos, one caught her attention:
"Let's eat. I was looking for some Black-owned spots in Verdant, and I found Soulful Bayou Kitchen & Lounge."

That was all she needed to hear. She hopped up, grabbed her keys, and slid on her Crocs.
"I just know this food 'bout to be good," she said to herself, smiling ear to ear. Locking up her apartment door, she jogged to her car, eager to eat.

After adjusting her seat and checking everything was in place, she pulled up TerraGuide and followed the directions to the restaurant. Twenty minutes later, she arrived. The moment she stepped inside, the rich aroma hit her, making her stomach growl with hunger.

"Welcome to Soulful Bayou Kitchen & Lounge; how can I help you?" Greeted a caramel-skinned woman with deep wave curls falling past her shoulders.

——

Thank you for reading!
If you enjoyed this glimpse into Tamiyah's journey, please like and comment. Remember, all events and characters in this book are fictional, crafted to ignite your imagination.
Have a wonderful day, and stay tuned for more!