Hood Lemonade Jamika's Vendetta Read Online Free PDF Page A

Uncle Hubert, the nights spent sleeping on the floor, taking baths two at a time to preserve water and the many days of eating scraps. She was going back to Big Momma’s, where she lived like a princess.
    In fact, Big Momma was the only one that seemed as happy as Jamika was that day. She kept smiling and blinking her eye at Jamika through the rear view mirror. Jamika just kept on smiling back at her. She loved Big Momma so much; not only had she come back for her, she had brought her mother along too.

Chapter Five
     
    It was Christmas Eve; Jamika lay in her bed fighting her sleep against the anticipation of gifts waiting to be opened the next day. She thought about all that had transpired the day both of her parents showed up. She thought that they hated one another. But, shortly after, they moved from Big Momma’s into their own apartment with Sly. Marjorie had also moved back to South Florida and took over their room at Big Momma’s while she looked for a place.
    Jamika was back at Dillard Elementary School and was healing in a lot of ways. Her hair was growing back after having to be cut to heal the sand sores on her scalp. She was a lot quieter than Felise remembered her to be.
    Recently, Jamika’s teacher had called Felise in for a conference. Jamika had been drawing penises on all the pictures that she drew in class. The teacher had asked Felise if Jamika had any brothers or male cousins that she may have seen; that could explain her fascination with drawing penises. Felise asked Jamika repeatedly where she’d seen one, but her questions went unanswered. This bothered Felise immensely as the drawings were too close in resemblance of a real penis for her to have never seen one. Felise dropped the issue, not to stress Jamika or make her uncomfortable. She didn’t need the stress either, as she was now expecting.
    Jamika kept searching for the right moment to finally tell someone about her Uncle Hubert. Her mother and father were happy together, and she hadn’t wanted to upset them, so she never told them of the things he had done to her. Her thoughts were slowly overcome by a relaxing sleep, in her own bed, with all of her own things.
    Meanwhile, Felise finished preparing her Christmas dish and mentally prepared herself for the questions her mother was sure to ask. “So, Felise…” Marjorie began. “When did you and Sly become an item?” Felise told Marjorie about the day she arrived and the condition she found Jamika in. She told her the explanations and apologies Sly had given, and how they both have decent jobs and are a family. She told her everything; she’d planned to anyway, but wanted to do it in person. Her mother was very understanding. She knew her mother wasn’t thrilled with the idea of her being pregnant by Sly, again. But, she knew that her mother would always be there for her. She was happy that her mother decided to move back.
    Christmas morning was beautiful. It was eighty-five degrees, sunny, yet breezy. Felise and Marjorie talked about how they’d forgotten how good the weather was in South Florida. Here it was the end of December and there were pool parties and barbecues being planned all over town.
    Jamika was in an ecstatic mood. She felt happier than she had in a long time. She was with the people that loved her most. Her daddy was outside, putting her new bicycle together. Felise sat on the couch, smiling, watching her open gifts. Marjorie was busy snapping pictures and laughing.
    They spent the remainder of the day at Big Momma’s, where the rest of the family had gathered. There was ham, chicken, ribs, chitterlings, black-eyed peas, rice, okra, stuffing, candied yams, potato salad, seven cakes and ten sweet potato pies. Everyone ate, talked and laughed. The children all played with their toys and each other. This is what it was all about, family togetherness; Jamika was thinking to herself that things would finally be all right.
     
    It was a rainy Saturday afternoon. Jamika