Storytelling
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A Woman's Choice
Sheela Makebabies walked a few blocks down the street from the job to meet with her best friends and co-workers Chanti Regrets and Bobbi Killbabes at the mom and pops café for lunch. She could see them already seated at a table waiting for her when she arrived. Sheela exhaled feeling relieved because she didn’t feel like waiting since she wasn’t feeling well. The quaint little cafe had four salt and peppered speckled tables and four dilapidated red chairs at each table. The line at the counter was always out the door because there was barely any room to turn around. Sheela squeezed and excused herself through the crowd at the door. She walked over, greeted Bobbi and Chanti, and sat down.
“What’s the matter with you?” asked Bobbi crossing her well shaped chocolate legs.
“I’m just tired, sick on the stomach,” Sheela answered reading the menu, pushing her glasses up on her nose, avoiding Bobbi’s gaze. Sheela felt irritable, and nothing in her being was in the mood for the flapping of Bobbi’s lips.
The smell of greasy hamburgers, Italian subs, and salad made Sheela’s stomach queasy. The salivation in her mouth increased causing her to feel as if she would up chuck her breakfast.
“Hmm,” Mumbles Bobbi giving Chanti a sly glance so she would take the lead to start questioning Sheela. Chanti already knew what the answers would be because Bobbi had already told her everything on the way over to the café’.
“Have you been getting any sleep lately?” Asked Chanti.
“How the hell can she get some sleep with all those damn kids?” Interrupted Bobbi trying to get it started.
“Bobbi, I am asking Sheela,” Said Chanti frowning. “Sheela what’s going on? You haven’t been yourself in the last few weeks,” Said Chanti touching Sheela’s clammy hand lightly.
Sheela wanted to snatch her hand away because it was making her emotional and the last thing she wanted to do was break down and cry in a public place. She inhaled and pushed her glasses up on her nose and ignored the question.
“She’s pregnant,” blurts out Bobbi, “If you were at work regularly you would know this,” tells Bobbi to Chanti.
Sheela slams the menu down on the table, “Gee, thanks Bobbi, you think I could have told her myself.”
“Hell naw you are too damn slow, and we only have an hour.”
“Oh Sheela,” said Chanti patting her hand with concern, “Are you going to keep it?”
“Are you crazy?” asked Bobbi.
“Things happen Bobbi,” retorts Sheela removing her hand from underneath Chanti’s.
“Well this thing has all ready happened six damn times. You’d think you would have learned by now,” said Bobbi.
“Bobbi!” Shouts Chanti.
“No someone needs to tell her having all those babies don’t make any sense. She’s only twenty six years old. She has had a kid every year. She never let’s her body heal before she’s popping out another rug rat.”
Sheela watched them as they go back and forth about her pregnancy. She pushed her ponytail off her shoulder. She stared at the dusty ceiling fan in the middle of the café wishing she could wrinkle her nose and disappear.
“Bobbi, you have no right to say that,” said Chanti kicking Bobbi under the table.
“Ouch heffa that hurts,” Bobbi kicked her back.
Chanti rubbed her leg.
Sheela sat there looking into the glass of water as she listened to Bobbi tell Chanti her business as if Bobbi was telling her own. She realized there are no secrets with Bobbi or maybe she would at least let the person tell what they want someone to know on their own.
“Chanti even John told her if she has this one he’s leaving, and that’s a part of him in there too.’
“He said that Sheela?” asked Chanti her tiny mouth stuck in an o shape.
Sheela nodded her head yes and a pinch of sadness appeared on her face.
“Chanti the economy’s messed up. Everyone is struggling. John’s all ready working two jobs. He’s telling her they can’t afford another mouth to feed,” said Bobbi.
“How do you know all this?” asked Chanti.
“She told me. Bring your ass to work sometimes and you won’t have to hear it second hand.”
Chanti looked around the crowed café to see if anyone is listening, “You talk to loud,” she said pointing her bony finger at Bobbi.Chanti looked at Sheela.
Sheela sipped her water.
“And you know what she said Chanti?”
“What did she say Bobbi?”
“I’m going to ask the doctor to give me the pill. I don’t like rubbers. I like it raw,” said Bobbi mimicking Sheela.
Sheela exhaled and rolled her eyes.
“Has she been to the doctor to get the pill? No she hasn’t,” Bobbi continued. “And if John leaves her what is she going to do? Move in with one of us? Who can put her and her rug rats up? We both have one bedroom apartments.”
Chanti shook her head, “Bobbi can you kick her any harder now when you know she’s feeling bad?”
“Who said I’m feeling bad?” asked Sheela.
“What is the matter with you two?”
“Bobbi lower your voice you have everyone staring at us,” whispered Chanti.
Sheela glanced around as she dotted her tears with a napkin before they could fall down her pecan colored cheeks.
“This is the real world,” said Bobbi lowering her voice to a whisper, “It’s not some damn fairy tale where you live happily ever after. This is life sometimes you go through some rough times and do stuff you never believe you would do.”
“So what are you saying Bobbi?” asked Chanti.
Sheela raised her head waiting for the answer.
“She needs to get an abortion before having this baby makes matters worse.”
“You can be a bitch sometimes Bobbi,” said Chanti.
“Stop it! Stop it!” yelled Sheela.
The buzz of whole café’ stopped and everyone stared at the pecan heavy set woman with the ponytail and glasses, the sharp dressed chocolate woman and the mousy caramel woman sitting at the table.
The silence was loud.
“Chanti stop fighting my fights. You do it all the time. I can speak for myself.” Sheela knew she hurt Chanti’s feelings from the downcast look on her face. “What Bobbi is saying true, even though I hate to hear it coming out of her mouth, she makes several good points. But that doesn’t mean I have to do what she or John think I should do. This is my body and regardless if I’m married or not I decide on what comes in or out of it.”
“Mind your damn business, and eat your damn food. Nosy ass people,” Bobbi tells the people staring at them. The silence broke and the café once again fills up with noise.
“But let me tell you both something. It’s my problem and I’ll be the one that decides on what it is I will do. Now that Bobbi has filled you and everyone else in here in on my life,” she looks over at Bobbi and rolls her eyes. “I don’t need you two arguing over me or being angry with each other. It’s my problem and I’m a grown ass woman.”
Bobbi smiled, “Not bad Sheela, not bad, taking control. I like that.”
Chanti couldn’t do anything but laugh because Bobbi was just a hot ass mess.
“You know what Bobbi, you need Jesus,” said Sheela.
“She sure does; because something is wrong with you,” added Chanti.
“No, I’m just real and I don’t and never will sugar coat anything for either of you.”
“Whatever Bobbi,” said Sheela, “Could you put some food in your mouth so you can shut up.”
“Oh no, you didn’t. Don’t get carried away with the controlling because I will withdraw my support of it. Trying to help a sista and give her some love for taking control and she wanna get sideways and cocky.”
“Bobbi shut up!” They both say at the same time.
They sit quietly eating lunch for a while. Sheela ate her turkey sandwich slowly. Bobbi grubbed on her cheeseburger and fries.
Chanti played with her salad with her fork, pushing the tomatoes back and forth. “I had one a longtime ago.” She said staring down at her plate.
“You had one what?” asked Sheela.
“An abortion,” she said putting her fork down on the table.
No one said anything.
“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make so far. I was the first in the family to have done something like this. I can tell you they were not happy with me and let me know by calling me a murderer. But I did what I thought was best for me then. I was young and not ready.”
“Were you afraid?” asked Sheela.
“I already know this story so I’m going to continue eating,” said Bobbi.
“Yes, I didn’t know what to expect, “answered Chanti ignoring Bobbi’s comment. “I tried not to give it too much thought or I would have talked myself out of it. But the strangest thing happened.”
“The doctor had a family emergency, and Chanti had to go home and come back the next day,” Bobbi blurted out.
“I thought you were going to let me tell my story.”
“Go head, go head.” said Bobbi.
“The doctor had a family emergency and had to leave?” asked Sheela.
“Yes and I freaked. I was thinking maybe it was a sign that I wasn’t supposed to do it.”
“But you did it,” said Bobbi, “You got your butt up the next day and handled your business.”
“Bobbi if you don’t shut up I’m going to stab you with this fork.” threatened Chanti.
“Why do you have to convert to violence Chanti? Huh?” she asked putting a fork full of food in her mouth.
“You are going to hell Bobbi,” said Sheela.
“Anyway I went back and did it. But I had a hard night trying to settle my spirit. Because it was more time for me to think about what I was doing so I had to keep fighting it in my head.”
“Wow,” said Sheela wiping her mouth.
“Chanti are you trying to talk her out of it?” asked Bobbi.
“No, I am telling her because I know how hard of a decision that is to make.”
“I don’t believe in abortions.” said Sheela.
“Well you need to start,” said Bobbi.
“You are going to hell for your mouth because of the evil things that come out of it,” said Sheela pinching Bobbi’s flesh.
“You both got one more time to abuse me and you will see all hell break out in this café,” said Bobbi rubbing her arm.
“Go head Chanti, finish what you were saying,” said Sheela.
“I keep having these dreams that I’m pregnant but my stomach won’t grow, and there’s no movement inside. Every woman who is pregnant has their baby but mine is never given birth to,” adds Chanti, “It trips me out. I guess my subconscious mind’s confused. It knew what suppose to happen but it never did. You know what I mean?”
Bobbi looks at her cross-eyed.
“You know what I mean stupid,” said Chanti slapping Bobbi’s arm.
“Hmm,” mutters Sheela, “That’s deep.”
“Well I had nine of them,” revealed Bobbi.
“Nine?” asked Sheela.
“Nine?” asked Chanti.
“Did I stutter?”
“You had nine abortions Bobbi? That’s not healthy.”
“And having six babies one after the other is?” asked Bobbi.
“That’s normal,” said Sheela, “A woman’s body’s made to give birth.”
“That’s ridiculous Bobbi,” said Chanti staring at her.
“Why?” asked Bobbi.
“Because Bobbi,” said Chanti, “It’s almost like you used abortion as a contraceptive.”
“Look I was like a rabbit. I used the pill, the shot, IUD, condoms, and got pregnant with all of them. I wasn’t ready for children. So when I became of age I had my tubes tied.”
“What!” Sheela and Chanti yelled. The other customers stopped but quickly looked away so Bobbi didn’t tell them to mind their business again.
“Did you think of trying abstinence?” asked Chanti.
“What about if you meet a great man and you want children?” asked Sheela.
“If he doesn’t already have some then he’s butt out of luck.”
“You ever considered adoption?” asked Sheela.
“Hell to the naw. You two are my rug rats; I have enough on my hands with you two chicken heads.”
“No she didn’t just call us chicken heads,” said Sheela, “You know what… you are crazy.”
“But I’m real and I’m me all the time.”
“Yeah you sure are special,” Added Chanti.
“Are you two judging me?” asked Bobbi; pointing two manicured fingers at the each of them.
“No because all of us come with our own baggage,” Answered Chanti.
“Are you judging us?” asked Sheela.
“Yes!”
They both laughed.
“No, no let me tell you why. See I stand behind what I do and it’s always what’s best for me. I’m happy and I move on. You know what’s best for you but you put everyone ahead of you. You give up your dreams, your life to be right in someone else’s eyes, and then you walk around miserable as all get up. Sheela, I also think you have the baby doll syndrome. I do believe that.”
“What the hell is that?” Sheela asked.
“You just like having baby after baby. Like may be you didn’t have dolls to play with when you were younger.”
“You are a sick chick,” said Sheela as Chanti laughed.
“And Chanti, you just regret everything you do. And that’s one reason you keep having dreams. Forgive yourself and move on. You don’t ever want to hurt or step on anyone but you allow them to stomp you into the concrete. That’s why you can never come to work because you are always stressing out and your body acts up. I see you both as weak women in some areas, and that’s why God put me here with you two to balance you out. You know to even the playing field.”
“You came from the devil,” said Chanti.
“I agree,” added Sheela.
“And you both are the soft side that I don’t have so that’s why we are such good friends.”
“It’s time to go,” said Sheela gathering her trash. In need of having a break from Bobbi’s mouth and views.
“You both know I am telling the truth that’s why you both don’t have anything to say,” said Bobbi.
“Do you ever shut up?” asked Chanti grabbing her Louie clutch.
“Hell no she talks to herself. Every time I walk by her cubicle her lips are moving,” Answered Sheela.
Bobbi gives them the bird, “So what you think you are going do Sheela?”
“I’m going to keep my baby. If John wants to leave, he leaves. Anyways what is one more going to hurt when I all ready have six.”
Chanti smiled at Sheela.
“You punk, you are so lucky I have your back, but I am not baby-sitting. I don’t do diapers. And let me tell you something; if he does leave you, you better get child support, and then get that alimony. If I have to go into my 401k I’m going to have to cut somebody or hold you and your rug rats’ hostage until John or somebody pays the ransom.”
“SHUT UP BOBBI!” they yelled as they walked back up the street to their job.
Copyrights © 2009 Letitia P. Blount
