Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK Literary Cafe 2018 Mother's Day Issue | Page 12

Raised by Powerful Women
I was raised by women ... Powerful women in often recall that day of sitting in a downtown nightclub
with a gentleman and being dressed beautifully. My
their own right.
cousin walked in with me on her hip, wet and dirty-
faced, along with a dirty diaper. This experience pained
I was born in MY MOTHER’S thirtieth year. Mama my mom for years. I can’t recall that memory, but I could
was the perennial party girl. She was known for her vividly see it from the way she described it. Hearing that
looks, her stylish way of dressing and how men adored story always made me sad.
her. To me, she was just Mama or Mama Lee and I adored
Mama was mercurial and would do anything for
her. Rumor had it that whenever she left the house, I
anyone, but if she felt wronged—and she often did—
would stand by the door and cry; often until I fell asleep.
she was brutal in her verbal attacks. I can recall many
And mom went out often. She was a free spirit. From
times as she held my hand, and I was dressed in frills
age eighteen to thirty, she had only been responsible for
and patent leather shoes, and she was in the equivalent
herself. Becoming my mother slowed her life, but really
of designer clothes, all while cussing out whoever had
didn’t change it by much.
crossed her. Mama was also sometimes playful in her
My aunts, who lived with my grandmother, often had antics and made me laugh until I cried.
the responsibility of caring for me, which meant that
She had her own way of doing things. No one could
I was left with grandma by default if they had to run
sway her if her mind was made up. Even with all her
errands. There’s a horrible story of when I was about a
“changeability”, I adored her and lived for her “up”
year old, my aunts sent me with one of my cousins to
moments. She was also very invested in my doing well
embarrass my mom and make a point. My mom would
academically and being involved in every activity.
12 | NKLC Magazine