Killmonger's One-Shot Collection

Crowning Glory

A/N: A little girl struggles with self esteem and Erik makes it his mission to make sure it’s instilled.
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“Come in, come in,” Shamidi whispered waving Erik into the house. The door close was so silent anyone nearby would miss it. Up the stairs to her bedroom, they skipped hurriedly. The room door locked quickly behind them and immediately their bodies were intertwined, falling between the sheets. Erik had Shamidi with one leg over his shoulder and his hand over her mouth to keep her silent.

The turn of the doorknob jingling roughly caused Erik to stall and drop.

“Mommy..,” a soft small voice called. Erik lifted and covered himself with Shamidi rolling her eyes. She threw on her housedress. She was a great mom, but being such a great mom could be tiring at times. With a frustrated yet relenting sigh, she dragged herself from the bed with Erik double-checking himself to look as innocent as possible.

“Yes, baby,” Shamidi asked unlocking the door and gently stepping out, closing the door behind her.

“I’m, um, I don’t want to.. school tomorrow,” the small child fumbled with sadness in her voice.

“Imani, you have to go to school,” Shamidi sighed. “I can talk to your teacher like we said but baby, those kids, you can’t let their words hurt you. Your hair is beautiful and it’s healthy. Look at mommy. Mommy has the same hair.”

The conversation went on for another minute and Erik was intrigued. When Shamidi returned to the room, he inquired.

“Who said something about her hair? They in the first grade. How they bullies in the first grade?”

Shamidi sighed. “Kids can be cruel and most of them are little Barbara’s and Jenny’s in training. Blonde hair, blue eyes.” She climbed into the bed settling in again.

“Why you put her in a white school? She need to be around her own to cement her African identity. She needs to be around other black kids who are proud of who they are. That’s why she going through this now.”

“Well that white school is the best private school in the state. As a black girl she’s already going to face adversity all her life. She has to learn to fight through it and snatch what’s owed to her.”

“She’s too young. Let her fight in college.”

“Erik! Of all people I’d expect you to feel me on this.”

“I don’t. I learned the truth from my father, surrounded by kids who shared my experiences. My identity as a black male was already cemented before the fuckshit and I drew on the strength of my past and the knowledge of what I’d been taught to propel me.. What does Imani have that’s deeply ingrained in her to draw from? Her first experiences are teaching her to hate what makes her special, I can’t get behind that.”

“You don’t think that her getting ahead in life is crucial right now? These years dictate the route that the rest of your life will take.”

“And you finna raise the next Azalea Banks if you don’t take this emotional part seriously. You can create a lil Michelle Obama without traumatizing the girl..,” Erik’s judgmental brow raise led Shamidi to kiss her teeth.

“The world ain’t soft and it won’t be gentle,” she stated sitting up. Suddenly she wasn’t in the mood for sex anymore.