My Guardian Angel

Chapter 3

"We're so quick to cut away pieces of ourselves to suit a particular relationship, a job, a circle of friends, incessantly editing who we are until we fit in."

― Charles de Lint, Happily Ever After

       "Now Mariah, what did you read today?" Asked Aunt Marie "John 3:16," sighed Mariah.  Mariah looked out the window.  She'd rather be playing outside with the neighborhood kids than be stuck inside with her Aunt Marie and Uncle Donovan and her cousins Noah, Jonathan, and Naomi reading and studying the bible.  "What does it say?" Asked Uncle Donovan "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only........begotten Son, that........whosoever belive in him should not perish, but have.......everlasting life." "Good good.  Still messing up but your getting better." Said Uncle Donovan "May I please go outside and play?" Asked Mariah.  "Absolutely not," said Aunt Marie "you'll dirty up your dress.  Now what you can do is help me clean and get ready for dinner." "Yes ma'am," sighed Mariah. 

       Uncle Donovan walked up to Aunt Marie and whispered in her ear.  She looked at him and finally turned to Mariah.  "I suppose you could go and play with the kids outside," said Aunt Marie annoyed.  Mariah smiled and ran upstairs to change clothes.  She put on some basketball shorts and a tank top.  When she walked out the room, her older cousin Jonathan was outside her room.  "You scared me." Said Mariah "why are dressed like a boy?" Asked Jonathan "what you mean it's just clothes so I wouldn't get my dress dirty.  Now why are you standing outside my room?" Asked Mariah "no reason," said Jonathan and he walked off.  Mariah slipped on her sneakers and walked down stairs.  "I'll come back inside when dinner is ready," said Mariah.  Uncle Donovan looked up from the newspaper and his expression changed.  "Marie come see what she got on." He called for Aunt Marie, she came walking in the living room.  "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU WEARING?!" 

       "They're just clothes so I don't get my dress dirty," said Mariah.  "As long as your living in my house, you will go upstairs and change into something appropriate.  Naomi should have some clothes she doesn't fit anymore, go see if she'll let you borrow something."  Mariah groaned and walked back upstairs.  She knocked on Naomi's door.  "What is it?" Naomi asked irritated "your mama sent me up here to ask for some clothes to borrow," Mariah explained "do you have anything that's appropriate?" Naomi motioned for Mariah to come in.  Mariah looked around the little room.  The room looked plain.  Everything was either beige or white, no colors to really make the room look like it was Naomi's room. Mariah sat on the bed and watched as Naomi searched through the closet.  "In this house, mom doesn't let me wear pants or stuff like that.  She wants me to look like a girl so all I have is skirts and dresses.  I do have some leggings and long shirts and stuff you wanna borrow that?" "Yeah," Mariah replied.

      Mariah changed into a long black t-shirt and short gray leggings and put on her sneakers.  She felt awkward when she looked in the mirror.  "Gotta get used to the change.  I might just gotta change my ways so they'll like me." Mariah thought, she walked down the stairs and began to walk out the door.  "Much better," she heard her Uncle Donovan say.  

       Mariah looked around and didn't see anybody her age.  Just old people.  She walked pass some houses and a few old people staring at her.  She reached the end of the street and saw some boys playing basketball.  She ran towards them.  "No girls allowed!" Said one of the boys and they pushed her.  Mariah sat on the ground and saw she scraped her leg, she looked up and saw a group of boys staring and laughing.  This made her mad and she got up and walked towards the boy that pushed her.  "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to fight girls?" She took her fist and WHAM!! The boy was stumbling and finally fell over.  All the boys gathered around the the boy.  "Why'd you punch him!!??" Shouted a heavyset boy.  The heavyset boy walked up to her and slapped her.  Mariah jumped on the boy and began throwing punches.  She didn't stop,  the boy kept screaming but she still kept punching.  All the boys crowded around her shouting and calling for help until a few old people came and Uncle Donovan came.

       She felt her Uncle Donovan pick her too quick.  "Put me down! Put me down! I'm not finished!" Mariah screamed.  He put her down and grabbed her by her wrist.  "What happened!" Yelled Uncle Donovan "His friend pushed me to the ground and he slapped me.  I was taught that if somebody put they hands on me ima fight them." "You wasn't even supposed to be over here in the first place."  He let go of Mariah's wrist and walked over to the heavyset boy.  The boy was bleeding pretty bad and had bruises on his eyes, he could barely see.  Uncle Donovan helped him up.  "Are you okay?" He asked "no," said the boy and he coughed up some blood and one of his teeth.

       Aunt Marie and Uncle Donovan yelled at Mariah later that day.  "You have embarrassed us today!" Yelled Aunt Marie "I can't believe you! You wasn't allowed to be over at the end of the street.  To make matters worse, you even started a fight.  You should've never went over there." "But-" "shut up she's still talking!" Said Uncle Donovan "but if you just listen-" "I said shut up didn't I? Keep talking and see what happens." Mariah just sat there and tuned them out.  Tears began to flow.  She looked up at her aunt and uncle who were still staring at her and her Aunt Marie was still yelling at her.  "Do you hear us?" Asked Uncle Donovan "yes sir," Mariah lied.  "Go up to your room.  Your not getting any dinner.  Get ready for church tomorrow." Mariah walked upstairs and slammed the door.  She fell on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

        Later that evening there was a soft knock at the door.  This made Mariah wake up and she walked to the door.  She opened the door, it was her cousin Noah who was the same age as her.  "What is it?" She asked uninterested "I heard you couldn't have dinner.  I brought you something." He took out a ball of paper and handed it to her.  She opened it carefully.  It was a roll and it was still hot.  "Thanks Noah," she smiled and hugged him.  "I'll see if I can bring you more stuff.  But I heard someone is coming to see you in a few minutes.  You should fix yourself." "Okay," she said.

       Mariah washed her face and changed into a pink tank top and a jean skirt that Noami gave her.  She walked downstairs.  "Right on time," said Uncle Donovan "Nadira this is my niece Mariah." The darkskin woman looked at Mariah.  "Hello," Mariah said nervously "so this is the girl that punched my son?" "Yes ma'am," replied Mariah "I'm sorry." The woman began to laugh.  This wasn't what Mariah expected "Baby you got nun to be sorry about.  It was my son's fault. He deserved it.  He always tries to get himself involved in things that isn't his business.  I just brought him by so he can apologize.  Get over here boy." The heavyset boy walked slowly to Mariah.  "What do you say Trevon?" "I'm sorry I smacked you." He mumbled "it's okay," Mariah said.  "Me and my friends are playing basketball tomorrow afternoon.  You think you can make it?" She looked at her Aunt Marie.  "I guess that's fine," she said impatiently.