PART 1Â |Â PART 2Â |Â PART 3Â |Â PART 4Â |Â PART 5Â |Â PART 6Â |Â PART 7Â |Â PART 8Â |Â PART 9 | PART 10
“Hey Rita. Â Let me guess. Â The fellas are in the room glued to that Zombie game?”
“Girl you know it. Â Let’s sit in my room where it’s quiet.”
“Sure. Â What’s on your mind?”
I look up after melting into her plushy easy chair to see an expression of concern on her face.
“What’s wrong Rita? Â Your job? Â A Man!”
A stern serious expression covers her face.
“Yes it is about a man, but not mine.”
“Ohhhh. Â You have me curious now. Â Who and what?”
I smile. It quickly fades. Â What is wrong?
“Lisa, your husband is.  He is  um.  I just don’t know if I should tell you.”
I notice her eyes welling with tears.
“He is a hoe? Girl I know that already. Â I thought that you were having problems with someone and needed a “ride or die” running partner.”
“Lisa. Â How can you be so nonchalant about this? Â He is cheating on you and you don’t even seem to care? Â Wait a minute! Â Are you creeping too?”
A devious grin slides onto Rita’s face.
“No way girl. Â Although I have been approached. Â I won’t do to him what he is doing to me. Â I appreciate the concern but I am just biding my time until Devon graduates from high school then I am gone!!!”
“Lisa. Â That’s two years away? Â How will you? Â Hold on. What about . . . you know?”
“Child, I lost interest in that with him a long time ago when he cheated the second time. Â I will not leave this earth by anything that he might give me. Â I just pray and take a lot of cold showers.”
Our laughter draws a knock at the bedroom door.
“Mom. Â Are you and Aunt Lisa okay? Â You’re both really loud.”
Rita opens the door.
“Boy, I know that you are not complaining about my level of noise up in this piece!”
“Just kidding Mom. Â Can Devon and I go to the park?”
“Be back in an hour. Dinner will be ready.”
The boys zip out the door.
Rita closing the door turns and smiles.
“That boy is my joy. Â He is the only good thing that my sorry ex gave me.”
I sit on the barstool at the kitchen counter.
“Mine too Rita. Â Mine too.”
Silence and sighs. Â Rita smashes the silence.
“Smirnoff or Sangria?”
To be continued…





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