The Wallflower and the Stripper

Real life... but still I rise

She awoke from the next morning with a numb arm, a mouth of brown/blonde curls and a small pair of arms wrapped around her torso. She smiled at the little girl with dried drool across her angelic face and gently moved the little body that was wrapped around her like a baby koala to its mother.

Looking into that sleeping face of innocence reminded her each day, why she worked herself to the bone. She planned every minute of the 24 hours that she and everyone else is given. Meticulously scheduling school/study, her small but growing app business, the weekend job at the club, her bi- weekly Kempo classes, walking their beast and most of all taking care of her little curly haired princess.

Her parents taught her from a young age to use her time on this earth well. They embedded into her a disciplined work ethic modeled on feeding her curious hungry young mind and preparing it for academic heights and taking on the business world, increasing her strength, athletic ability and self preservation from the martial arts of Kempo and lastly a shared love of dance. They had always drummed into her, the need to bring value, to be grateful and kind and to take each moment as if it was your last. Never a truer word spoken by two people 20 minutes after leaving for the airport to attend a weekend conference, when they were taken out by truck driver texting his girlfriend on the way home. At the age of 16 she became adult, mother, father, breadwinner and protector of beautiful sweet six year old Annie. Shaking herself from the memories, she repeats the words to herself "but still I rise".

As per her daily routine, she got out of bed at 4am, making her way to the spare room and spent the next 30 minutes meditating away the pain and preparing her mind and body for the day ahead. She practiced the new kata she learned from her last Kempo class, finishing off with a short blast of yoga before having a quick shower. Thick lashed grey eyes gazed at her from the mirror, a pert nose and a dusting of brown freckles. After her usual beauty routine, she opened her eyelids and slid in the soft brown contacts. She put on her usual black sweats, black graphic t and plain black hoodie. She used a brush to tame her brown curls and tied back her mane with a hair tie. She pulled on her favorite virgin Brazilian wig before preparing her sister's outfit for the day.

Making her way to the small, clean kitchen, she prepared breakfast and lunches for herself and quickly laid out Annie's outfit for elementary school. It was 7am and it was time to wake little sleeping beauty. Time was ticking.