Black Cartel

Chapter 4 Grievances

Chapter 4

Mina

"Who plugged all this stuff into the extension cord like this?" I asked placing my hand on my hip.

"Girl it was probably Tangie's ole scatterbrained ass." Leslie replied as she continued braiding her clients hair.

"I gotta a client in 10 minutes & this shit is all tangled." I rolled my light brown eyes and walked back to my station. I then looked in the mirror and finger combed my curly medium bobbed, black hair.

Ding Ding!

"Hey hoes" Isis strutted Into the salon sliding her flip flops across the wood floors.

"Now how is it that the main one that's always around fucking and sucking on sum calling us hoes" Leslie covered her clients ears playfully

"Very funny butch...I mean bitch" Isis clap-backed referring to Leslie's Fade.

"Bitch I'm the hood Amber, you better act like you know" Leslie snapped aggressively

"Hmm, I guess I never knew" Isis walked over to me and gave me a hug.

"Will you two stop, this is every time" I laughed and pulled out a neck sheet for Isis.

"She starts every time she come up in here" Leslie popped her gum

"You in here rather early" I said buttoning the sheet.

"I had to come and get it over with, I needed the baddest in the game to slay my shit ASAP." She respond while taking her wig out the box

"Ooh shit, you going green" I said looking at the long tresses of hair

"Bitch call me Limón, it's slime season" Isis clapped her hands in excitement.

"This go hard" I replied as I got my products ready to start on her hair.

Ding Ding!

"Hey Miss Reese" everybody responded in unison.

Miss Reese was the owner of the salon. She was a wise woman in her late fifties and resembled Angela Bassett in a way. When I was 18 years old Miss Reese took me under her wing and prepped me for world. When I was in my domestic violence situation with my ex I knew she was the one I could always depend on to have my back and best interest at heart.

"Hey There, hope yall asses ain't destroy my shop while I was gone" Miss Reese replying reading through her mail.

"Tuh!" Leslie smirked

"Who in the hell got all these cords tangled like this!" Miss Reese heightened her voice

"Better getcha girl" I responded holding the wig glue.

"That damn Tangie" she replied smacking her lips.

"You know it" Leslie chimed in

As I was doing Isis hair my mind began to realize how things were finally starting to look up for me. My come up was hell and has been a long road...still with ways to go. From an abusive & toxic relationship from my ex, Shon. He was my first love and my last heartbreak. He abused and beat me so bad there were times where I thought my life was near the end of the line. The last time I seen him was almost 2 years ago and he's been in prison since. Growing up I guess you can say I was always that girl who stayed defending herself against malicious people who would try to break Lil ole me. I was also adopted since birth and had been in and out of 3 homes until I was old enough to fend for myself of course. Here I was 24 and doing my thing. I was originally from Detroit Michigan but decided to move to Miami with little to nothing at the age of 20. Now a licensed cosmetologist and massage therapist there was nothing I couldn't see myself trying to do...and that was simply to survive and make it out.