Patience is a Virtue (Promo Sample)

Dr. Amari

The fan hummed beside her unmade thrashed bed. Every few seconds as it oscillated towards her it blew back her loose strands of hair that had once stuck against her sweaty neck, now they curled and puffed in the wind that was her only feeling of relief during the summer ending and the heater kicking on in the first time in months. She didn't mind either, even with the sun rising in the sky and shining through her poorly made sheet curtains she was able to stay fast asleep. She was used to the weather in Chicago, one day she was sleeping with a fan and the next a storm would be surprising everyone. Her snores were enough to make footsteps appear outside of her room and stop as their fists took their turn to rape against the thin wooden door.

"You better get up. I'm not going to spend all morning doing this again." There was a pause as Patience turned to her other side, her brain clearly not clicking until the knocks happened again only louder. "Patience you are going to miss your appointment!"

Sitting up suddenly the girl let her tired eyes look around the room as she tried to give herself time to come alive, her yawn big enough to drown out the sound of her guardian Yolanda. Rolling out of the bed with a groan, Patience opened the door before the woman with bright pink leopard pants could continue. "You're still home?"

"I came to make sure you were up, which I'm glad I did." Smacking her gum louder than her heels that hit the floor she began to pick up some old laundry. "Look at all these clothes, how do you live in this filth honey? I don't understand."

Sitting on the edge of her own bed, Patience used the back of her hand to rub her eyes and nose as she yawned once again. Not caring to listen to the woman go on about how she was irresponsible of messy.

"You can't be late to this one." Smelling a shirt and immeditialtly holding it back out the woman smacked her gum and shook her head. "She's a very big deal, came all the way from New York to talk with you." Opening the Chester draw that resisted, Yolanda threw a pair of pants her way. "You were lucky enough to keep Dr. - for as long as you did, we can't keep cycling through therapist like underwear sweetie I don't think it's good for the environment."

Knowing the woman rarely made sense Patience didn't waste anymore time as she stuck her feet into her loosened sneakers and picked up an open container of half eaten cookies for breakfast. "You're wearing your expensive perfume. What's the occasion?"

Twirling, Yolanda smiled. "You noticed?"

"It reaks."

Not phased by the monotone voice of the girl the fiery haired woman let out a long winded sigh, "Tony will be at the office today and he always has more to say to me when I'm wearing my Chanel. Men are drawn to scents sweetheart, remember that."

Putting three cookies into her mouth so her hands could be free to hold more the young girl followed the dancing woman down their tiny hallway way before she grabbed her keys by the front door, they lived in a modest mobile home. It wasn't where the rich lived by Yolanda worked hard to keep it clean.

"And after your appointment I'll pick you up and we will meet Elton for lunch." Yolanda turned up her music which consisted of a type of salsa she couldn't place, she was such an eccentric woman. A thick Brooklyn accent, and rich Cuban blood, she dyed her hair a bright red and puffed it higher than her cheekbones but she was always so happy. She danced constantly and found time to sing even through her fruity gum. When her husband left, she still sang. When she lost her job and they had to move to Chicago, she still sang, when Patience was obviously different from other kids she still sang.

And Patience liked that. At times it became annoying because well she never felt like singing. She never felt like doing anything, but Yolanda still made an effort. "Now be nice, our insurance can barely afford this."