Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK Literary Cafe 2018 Mother's Day Issue | Page 22

Breaking the Cycle
Ka’Lu Carter Underwood
While I spent some time—the occasional weekends—
with my paternal grandmother, I can’t say that I
truly knew her. The experience of my maternal
grandmother that impacted my life is that she was
killed by her husband, my grandfather. I was two years
old at the time, so I have no memory of her.
Unfortunately, my mom felt some strange connection
and thought she was destined to repeat her mother’s
life. Because of that, in addition to other factors, she
was in a number of abusive relationships. She was
surprised to live past 46 years old—my grandma’s
age—and considered the years following a bonus.
Unfortunately, she died of natural causes at 52. I
believe her mind and body were just tired.
Bringing this full circle, because of their experiences,
I could put up with a lot, but swore I’d never allow
a man to put his hands on me. The one time a teen
boyfriend tried, I stabbed him in the leg with a pair
of scissors. We were both lucky it was his leg. Once I
got him out of the house, I never saw him again. Even
then, I knew I was willing to kill or be killed before I
allowed myself to be physically abused.
That cycle, the one that plagued my mother and
grandmother, ended with me. I now have an
abundance of love that surrounds me, and I haven’t
been in any experiences that put me to the test.
Yes, some curses might be generational, but they are
also meant to be broken.
22 | NKLC Magazine