21 Questions

I ▼

Omniscient

Thema lay in her bed, reading her favorite book, Perception¸ on Wattpad. She had just made it home from school and the first thing she did was change into comfy clothes and plop down on her bed and check her notifications. She admired August and Mai's relationship, and often dreamed of having one herself, but quickly dismissed the thought. Happy relationships were merely works of fiction and didn't exist in the real world. At least, for Thema they didn't.

After finishing the chapter, she exited the application and decided to get some work done. She was trying to break her bad habit of procrastination and wanted to get some work done since she knew if she waited, it wouldn't be done until the day it was due. It had taken her until the middle of her senior year to even attempt to break the habit, but better late than never. She got out her planner and backpack, reading off the few assignments she had to do. Since she couldn't do any work without listening to music, she turned on Bryson Tiller's album Trap Soul. Right when she was about to start her thematic analysis essay, her phone rung, signaling she had a message.

Madre: I'll be home at 7, Jeremy decided to surprise me with a date after work. You have money, right? Love you, and don't forget to lock the doors. – 4:56 pm

Me: Yes, and okay, have fun and love you too. – 4:58 pm

Thema smiled to herself, happy for her mother, who seemed absolutely smitten with her boyfriend of 6 months, Jeremy. Thema thought that her mother, Nala, deserved happiness and love after all she had been through with Thema's dad, Kingston. They had been together off and on since before Thema was born, all the way up to when Thema was 15 years old, totaling up to 17 years. Though you could clearly see the couple loved each other throughout their time together, you couldn't see the unhappiness Nala had felt most nights when she slept alone, waiting on her man to come home. Nobody could see her heart breaking every time she found a secret phone and saw all of the messages exchanged between her man and countless women, speaking of their sexual encounters and how they "couldn't wait until next time".

Seventeen years, no ring, no official commitment except for ring finger tattoos, a child, and empty promises. Sure, everyone knew the two were together and longevity of their relationship, but no one really knew. Finally having enough of the infidelity, disrespect, and agitated nights wondering where and who her "husband" was spending his nights with, she left. Nala packed her daughter up and her possessions, and left. Kingston didn't really care because he thought this was like all of the other times Nala 'left', and that she would be back, but when months rolled by, he realized that she was for real this time and begged for her to return home.

"This is my home, Kingston. I'm tired of waiting for you to grow up and be a man for your family. If running the streets is more important to you than your family, then so be it, but I won't sit there and wait for forever."

"So 17 years doesn't mean anything to you anymore, Lala?" He called her by his nickname he had given her when they had first gotten together. He looked pitiful standing on her porch, but she was officially done.

"No, King, you don't get to turn this on me. It meant everything to me, and you know that, because if it didn't I would have been left. But I stayed, because every time, you promised that you would change and be the man I deserved. And every single time, I was let down. Not this time, Kingston. I'm 38 years old, I deserve to be happy, and so do you. I know you love me, but I'm not enough for you if you have to stray. I'm sorry I couldn't be everything you needed me to be," her voice broke at the end. By now, Nala was bawling, unable to speak anymore. King's heart shattered, watching the love of his life break right in front of him. The sight alone was enough to bring tears to his eyes. He encased Nala in his arms, kissing the top of her head repeatedly.