jackson imagines | book 1

Waiting to exhale

~1974~

Imana pov

I got up 1 hour earlier than my father so i could go to work. I quietly walked to the bathroom brushing my teeth , washing my face, and fixing my afro puffs.

I walk out and bump right into somebody's chest. I look up and it's my father , standing there with a cigarette in his mouth. I could smell the alcohol fanning from his breath as he breathed hard on my face. He must have been out drinking again last night because i didn't see him last night.

"goodmorning daddy" i say looking up. He stares at me attentively in a disgusting way. "where are you going"? he lifts my face up to his. I cough at the smell of beer and cigarette smoke in my nostrils. "t-to work dad". He takes a long pause puffing the cigarette and blowing out in my face. I try to turn away but he grabs my face to look at him. "why you always trying to leave me , huh"? "so i can help out , remember"? "BULLSHIT , you tryna go and let those fast ass boys get you, are you not my little ana anymore"?! he tightened his grip on my face. "daddy your hurting me" tears start to flow from eyes as his hand moves from my face to my neck , pinning me against the wall. I kick him in his area and run away to my room locking it. I quickly put my clothes on , grab my book bag and leave from the window in my room.

I run as fast as i can to get the little backers store i work at. My friend helped me get a job or something to do that'll let me save up enough money to buy my own apartment and leave dad for good. He got like that once mother died. So 2 years ago. He always blames her dying on me. It was really him though. He cheated and lied to her so she killed herself. I could already tell she was depressed. I tried helping but she always told me she was fine. My mother wasn't the selfish kind. She always mad sure the people around her was happy instead of herself.

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I arrive to the store meeting my friend sidney. She told me today i have to do fruits. Which is me just putting fruit onto the stands in front of the window. I actually like this job she gives me. I get this job one day out out of the week. I can stand and watch the busy day, watching how people interact , and i don't really have to talk to people. I'm really shy when it comes to new people.

I just look outside and get carried away in my thoughts until a group of boys start to walk by the long glass window outside the store. They all looked really good. Judging by the group of people taking pictures of them and then waving they must have been visitors or celebrities? I guess i stared to long because they stopped and waved at me from the other side of the window. I waved back and smiled they did the same too. I watched as they whispered something to each other. They started to walk to the door all the way at the end of the window and opened it coming into the store.

"hi i'm mike".

Hope you enjoyed 🤍🌺