"Latch"

Opportunity

I lazily got up out of my sleep as I kept hearing my doorbell ring.

I wasn't sure who it was because I wasn't expecting anyone.

I got out of bed, threw my robe on, and went to go see who was at the door.

"Hey heaux!", my sister Myla said, after I opened the door after she had rung the bell what seemed to be 50 times.

"What are you doin' here?", I asked her, as I walked away, into my living room.

"Now you gonna act like you don't love my company? Girl, bye! ", Myla said, waving me off.

"Not when you show up unannounced and disturb my sleep.", I replied.

"It's. . ." Myla paused to pull her phone out to check the time. "It's 1:47pm! Who sleeps the day away?!"

I gave her a dry look &pointed to myself. "This gal here. Ain't like I got a job right now so I can sleep as late as I want."

"Such a house bum.", Myla laughed. "I may have a job for you. . .you know, somethin' light. A lil hookup."

I closed my eyes and shook my head as rejection. "No Myla. No, no and no again. Last time you said that I ended up in some nasty ass meat market."

"A job is a job!", Myla said, cracking up.

"Which is true! But you're sayin' that to someone who has worked retail and done modeling gigs. F*ck I look like choppin' up chicken and cow feet?!", I snapped.

"I get it. But I promise you this one is far from that bad."

"Well what is it?", I curiously asked.

"Okay. . .you know August Alsina?"

"August what?", I asked with a confused face.

"August Alsina. He's a singer, underground artist right now workin' on his music career."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I think I seen him on Instagram before, I'm not sure, but go 'head."

"Well I know one of his peoples and he said that August needs a lil help around the house due to an injury. . ."

"So I'll basically be a temporary maid for a singer who ain't legit yet." I asked, cutting her off.

Myla threw her hands up in the air and got up from the couch to walk over to the kitchen area. "Okay. Forget it then. Don't say I ain't try to help ya ass!"

I sat quietly on the couch thinking of the opportunity I passed up and how I needed to find something quick in order to maintain my bills.

My boyfriend, Shawn, was a great guy, to me at least. He lived with his mother, but spent majority of his time at my apartment. I know he didn't mind to help me out when I needed, I just never really bothered to ask.

I wasn't the type to ask for handouts, whether Shawn was my man or not. And it had nothing to do with pride. I was just a humble being who was taught that a woman should always be able to survive on her own if she had to.