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“No,youdon’t start Litha. Had this been anybody else suggesting it, you wouldn’t bat an eye. But cause it Tali, you wanna oppose. You need to get off that high horse and try to mend things with your daughter. Mama ain’t gon’ be here much longer. You gon’ need that girl one day.”
“Long as I got Joe Lee, I’on need nobody.”
Swiping away the lone tear that rolled down my cheek, I shook my head. Nothing out of my mama's mouth surprised me nowadays. It’s the same shit I’d heard since the day Gema and Papa Joe packed my shit up and moved me out of her house. My mama abhorred me and sadly, the feeling was mutual. I could’ve argued with her but this meeting was for a bigger purpose. Deciding to put my ill feelings to the side, I turned to the siblings.
“Listen, we can argue all day ‘bout Gema health and everything else, but the fact remains the same. I’m her primary caregiver, whether I’m in Atlanta or not. And to be frank, I didn’t have toaskeither of you for permission.
I did it out of respect, but since we can’t agree on anything, let me make something clear. When I find a house to purchase, I am going to pack me and Gema’s things up and move. I’m not stopping either of you from spending time with her. I also don’t mind bringing her down here for a few days, but she will be coming with me, and I will hire a nurse. If I have to find an in-house one, that’s what I will do. Not now nor in the future will I ever agree to signing over her house.
I don’t ask any of you to pay for anything where the house in concerned now, so per usual, don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything,” I stated with finality.
“You can’t just up and move my Mam?—”
“Yeah, Litha she can,” Uncle Willie Earl cut her off.
My mama was seething and instead of continuing to argue, she hopped up and stormed out of the house, making everybody shake their head. They acted like her antics were something new, but I was used to it.
“That girl act like the world owes her something.”
“Mama and Daddy should’ve put something on her ass when she was lil’.”
“All of y’all contributed to her attitude. My Mama is the oldest and acts like she is the youngest one.”
“Listen Tali. I’on see nothing wrong with you taking Mama. If you can find somebody to be there with her then that’s all that matters to me,” Betty Jo said. After Uncle Willie Earl second her statement, the rest of them reluctantly agreed as well.
That meeting didn’t go as well as I planned for it to go, but the outcome was really the only thing that mattered. Now all I needed to do was lock down a realtor so I could find a house suitable enough for me and Gema.
When I decided to become a social worker, I knew I wanted to work with troubled youth. I, myself, came from a troubled past. It wasn’t until my grandparents stepped in that life got better for me. I was excellent at my job, and I knew it. However, I would be a fool to remain stagnant therefore, I was always on the hunt for something that offered more opportunity as well as more money.
A couple of days ago, I ran across a job posting for the L.H. Youth Center a few miles from my current job and decided to apply. The position was for a director, and I had all the qualifications except for one that they were asking for. Clearly, that didn’t matter because I was called for an interview earlier this week.
With the starting salary they were offering, I knew for a fact me and Gema would be alright.
Pulling up to the center, I took a quick glance around the neighborhood. While the area looked desolate, the building was extremely nice and looked to be kept up. Whoever the owner was had done a good job keeping it in pristine condition given its surroundings. After checking my reflection in the rearview mirror, I shut off my car, grabbed my briefcase and purse off the passenger seat, and headed for the front door.
“Talitha Howard, here to see Marsha Rapier,” I mentioned to the receptionist.
After checking the screen for my name, she issued me a name tag and directed me down the hall to a large conference room. On my trek through the building, I took in my surroundings and was thoroughly impressed. I could definitely see myself working here.
Coming upon the conference room, I peeked through the opened door and realized it was empty. I halfway expected someone to be sitting there waiting for me. Since there wasn’t, I took a seat and removed my resume from the folder inside my briefcase. My nerves were starting to take over. Hell, I hadn’t interviewed for a job ofthiscaliber in over nine years. I had a lot to be scared about. However, I was secure in my work history and my willingness to learn and adapt to any environment. This job was mine, and I didn’t have a problem claiming it.
My interview with Marsha went exceptionally well. Honestly, it felt like two old friends catching up. The icing on the cake was when we both discovered that we had pledged the same sorority. Marsha was calm and inviting. She had taken me around the building and introduced me to the staff. Out of everyone I had met, Rossi was the one I was most smitten with. I learned if I was offered the position, he would be my right-hand man.
The minute he opened his mouth, I could tell he was gay, and I loved me a good Judy. I was sure if I got the job, he and I would make a great team. After touring the athletic portion of the building, Marsha and I were walking back toward the conference room.
“You have any questions for me, Talitha?”
“Just one. If for any reason you didn’t move forward with me, what would be the reason?” That question was one that I asked everyone I interviewed with. It gave the interviewer the chance to expound on your strengths and weaknesses.
For example, if she were to say I lacked knowledge in grant writing, that would make me take a course to learn that skill. At Youth Villages,I served as a liaison between residential staff and counselors, so I didn’t have to write any grants. I took every bit of constructive criticism well and used it to further develop my skills.
After a brief pause, Marsha turned to me and grabbed ahold of my elbow. Glancing hastily over her shoulder, she whispered, “If the decision were up to me, I would offer you the job on the spot. However, the final choice has to be run through the owner.”
My head leaned to the side so I could get a glance at whom she was referencing. When his eyes rolled up to meet mine, I swear it felt like a lump had suddenly formed in my throat. Not only was he handsome, but he looked intimidating as hell. The way his brows furrowed together as he stared at me had my palms feeling clammy.
“That’s Lawton Harvey, the owner.”
“Wow. He looks uh… scary,” I chuckled lowly.