Growing Pains

Being "the baby" of the family, I was often forced to comply with my siblings no matter whose roof I was under. Despite my snitching, during these years I grew exremely fond of my older brother. I remember he and my other siblings would beat me up and lock me in the closet until I told them that I would not tell on them anymore only to get out and do the same thing again. Even so, he was like my protector from everything else. If someone outside of the family picked on me, he was there. At times he grew extremely upset for having to protect me so often, however, he still managed to do so. It got so bad, I would cry when he left me... but hey, who wants to have their little sister tagging along side them all of the time? Eventually, I grew out of this.

After several years of living with my grandmother, my brother and I finally moved to stay with my mother... and her boyfriend. By this time, my father had been sentenced to twenty years in prison. Despite all of this, emotionally I was in tact. I lived with my mother, I did not have to visit my father's house anymore, and I was doing exceptionally well in school. During this time, we would take "family trips" to theme parks, to visit other family members out of town, and to music concerts. I remember when I was about nine-years-old, I went to my first concert. It was a combination of R&B music acts including, MC Hammer, Jodeci, and Boys II Men. They were my favorite at the time:) I guess one would say that I had it made. As long as I was doing well in school, I had everything that I wanted; however, being spoiled would soon come to an end.

At this point, I am forced to recall an incident that taught me a life-long lesson. After my eleventh birthday, one Saturday evening I was preparing to go to the local skating rink, a tradition for me on the weekends. Anyhow, the weather was really bad and my mother decided that it would be best if I stayed at home that night. When she told me I could not go, I became upset and began pouting. Her boyfriend heard me and tried to bargain with her on my behalf. For the next couple of hours, she would not even budge. About thirty minutes before it would be time for me to leave, her boyfriend came in and told me that he was going to take me and my mother said it was okay. I was estatic!... I went to the skating rink, and after a night of fun with my friends, I prepared for the final competition, "Cops and Robbers." Everyone knew that I was an extremely good skater and a pretty quick one at that. I was the last one in the game, when a girl that I had previously beaten in speed racing decided she would tripped me. I flew forward falling on my face. Before I could get up all of the way, one of the guards was pulling me up with a frightened look on his face. Blood was everywhere! My tooth had broken in half and pushed up deep inside my gums. It wasn't until I looked in the mirror in the restroom that I began to cry. Not even ten minutes after this happened, my mother was coming through the doors screaming. Someone had called her, we lived like five minutes away. When I saw her, all I could do was apologize for wanting to come to the skating rink so bad. I told her that I should have listened....

Moreover, even though I probably hadn't realized at that time, I learned a lesson that most parents are still trying to teach their kids, parents know more... bottom line! Maybe I didn't get hurt because the weather was bad, but I was being such a spoiled brat, I personally feel that God had to show me something. Too bad it took me losing my teeth:)