Latrice's Story

chapter 14

Nelson's mother is looking through Latrice's journal. Page by page trying to absorb as much about Latrice as possible. She is reading about Latrice and her sisters and brothers and how they were separated by the courts. She reads about Latrice's father and how he locked them in a room for days, only letting them out to eat and use the bathroom. Nelson's mother knowing she has limited time with Latrice's journal begins to flip through the pages faster to see if she can find some dirt that she can use against Latrice. She reads about how she met Jamie in in the group home. She flips forward in the Journal and lands on the page where Latrice is getting ready to meet the pastor in the motel for the first time. "What the hell are you doing" Latrice said; now standing beside the couch where Nelson's mother was sitting snooping through Latrice's journal. Snatching the journal out of her hands, Latrice says, "so you just gon go through my stuff! How the hell you gon just read through my journal?" Latrice asked. Still startled and shocked that Latrice was standing there, Nelson's mother said, "I thought you were in the bed" "So because you thought I was sleep that gave you the write to snoop in my stuff? Says Latrice. "Listen it was sitting here...I came up here, saw it and started reading ...no big deal" Nelson's mother said. "No big deal!!!...I can't deal with this...just stay the hell away from my stuff, do you hear me? Stay the hell away from my stuff." Latrice yelled. Latrice was feeling totally violated. She felt abused. Her entire life is sitting between those pages, and she now believed Nelson's mother has knowledge of all of her most private thoughts and events in her life. Latrice was hot and pissed. She went in the room, picked up her keys and left out of the house. Trying to clear her head Latrice went for a walk. She didn't want to go off on Nelson's mother again. She knew if she did, she would probably have to leave that house for good and she did not want to lose Nelson. While she was walking down the street thinking, a car pulled over and a man lowered the window, "what's up beautiful. Let me put a smile on that face" the man said. Latrice looked over to the car and kept walking. "So you going to make me beg to get a smile" the man said as he followed Latrice down the street in his car. "You're going to make me run out of gas if you don't stop walking beautiful." He said. Latrice then smiled. The man seeing that said. "Now that's what I like" he said. He was an older man. Latrice stops walking and waits for him to make the next move. The man gets out of the car and walks toward Latrice. Latrice is attracted to older men, and her insecurity need is satisfied by his compliments. This man was older and driving a very nice car. "So where are you headed by yourself" he said. "I'm just walking. getting ready to go back home." Latrice said. "Well can I give you ride?" he asked. "No I'm straight" Latrice answered. "So can I give you my number" the man asked as he reached in his pocket and pulls out a business card. Latrice took the card. "So are you going to call me" he asked. "Yea, I'll give you a call" Latrice said as she turns around begins to walk back home. "I love that walk," the man says as he gets back in his car and drives off Latrice walks back home knowing she again has to deal with Nelson's mother and wondering how much of the journal she read. "what does she know about me," Latrice is thinking. As she walks back home she looks at the business card. "MMmmm Attorney at law, he must be rich" .......to be continued.