Califuckinfornia

XXIX.

Califuckinfornia

Vanity

Imani and I had been sitting on the couch and I was letting her vent to me about the struggles she was going through and it made me realize why CJ has such a hatred towards her maturity- rather lack of. I've always been one to defend her and stand in her corner but hearing her logic just really agitated me. I still don't agree with the way CJ treats her but I have a better understanding as to why, still not justifiable and I don't find myself hating Imani like him, but I'm extremely disappointed.

"Imani, for all the time I've known you I've been on your side for most things. It gets to a point where enough is enough. From giving oral sex to strangers for money, I know you had good intentions but you never even gave him the money you were earning to pay him back. To then taking advantage of your counselor while you were in juvy and to this? Honestly. CJ was letting you live with him and all you had to do was get passing grades, pull your weight around the house and start looking for a job. Instead you choose to use some boy for his money by getting pregnant so you don't have to work? Imani, we all have to work." I explained to her as I was holding her baby in my arms, cradling him as he just ate and had a fat belly but a content look on his face as he was falling asleep engulfed in the comfort of the blanket that was fresh out of the dryer.

"You weren't working when you had Chaniyah. You got to stay home and be with her all day while CJ was working." She said back instantly and I raised my eyebrows at her in shock at her statement.

"And what am I doing now? I didn't intentionally get pregnant to have CJ taking care of me. Is he taking care of me now? No. I'm on my own, working, getting money to take care of Chaniyah and I just as he works to take care of himself and Chaniyah. Look how your plan backfired but you weren't prepared for any of this. It's not funny and these are not games, you have a baby now so you can't afford to be messing up as it affects him. You need to figure out life and you know what, I'm not going to talk to CJ for you. I'm done trying to pull strings with him for you and if this is what it takes to make you grow up and stop being selfish then it's what you need." I said and her face fell down to her lap in disbelief. "You talk to CJ and try to convince him, I'm not. No one told you to get pregnant when you knew you couldn't afford a baby and the only reason you got pregnant want to trap a boy who had money."

"Vanity... I thought we were close. You've always been there to help me, I need help. I'm basically living out of a beat up car with a baby, I don't know how to take care of him or to do with him- yes I messed up big time but I really need help." She said as if nearly about to cry but those are fake tears and I'm not falling for it.

"CJ and I had no idea how to take care of a baby either. To be honest, we still don't know anything but we do what we can and now that's going to be you. You have a beautiful baby, you better start working hard to provide the best life you can for him just as CJ and I do for Chaniyah because she's our top priority."

"Easy for you to say, you come from a rich background. I know if you're low on money you can go right to your Dad for some-"

"No. No I can't. I don't want his money, he gave me my college fund and I've never touched a single dollar from it for personal use, just for school. You just don't want to work, you wanna stay at home and do what you want when you want. I know for a fact if you did move in here, you'd leave your son with me and take off. That's not happening and if you so desperately don't want all this responsibility, surrender him to adoption where he can at least get a better chance to go to a family who will provide for him. I'm done talking to you about this, you better start making better and selfless decisions from here on out, Imani. I have to get leaving in a little while and that means you have to go too." I stood up from my spot on the couch and reached down to set her baby back down on her lap where he continued to sleep peacefully.