“My name is Travis but people call me Ruthless and to answer your questions ma, when a nigga girl pissed he do what he can to calm her.” He answers me as I motion for him to sit on the extra chair beside the three women.
“Stop calling me ma, I have a name and its Genn, it’s nice to meet you Travis but I do not understand the logic you speak of. You four arrived right? I was just standing at the door. She disrespected me by calling me a bitch and she said it five times and called me a hoe on top of that. She also disrespected me by kicking the gate off which is damaging property and physically hurt my ears by yelling at the top of her lungs when she could have just spoken in the tone I am using with you, is that not correct? Not to mention this Daddy person that willingly hurt me because she demanded it.”
Travis sits there and looks at me while moving in his seat uncomfortably. I know I am currently the reason why he is uncomfortable because I have this thing about me that makes others uncomfortable when I speak in a lecture form.
Travis nods his head slowly but doesn’t comment – I know I’m right and I don’t need no nigga telling me I’m in the wrong when I did shit!
I sigh heavily because I know I just caused a mess but I’ll deal with that later. I turn to face the three women who look nervous and I don’t say anything. My eyes travel down each of their bodies and they are dressed okay. I’ll forgive the one light-skinned woman because they were not expecting to return to work.
I place my hands on top of the desk and smile at them, “I’m so sorry to keep you ladies waiting. As you just heard from the commotion, Laniesha is no longer working here. I’m going to lay my cards out to you three straight. I am not someone who belittles others or looks down on them. I don’t come from a background with violence surrounding me so I’m not here to point fingers or anything. I know life is shit but the lord has put us all here for a reason. I will absolutely not tolerate behaviour such as the one Laniesha displayed. I will show you respect, if you show me respect, that’s how I was raised. I don’t want NO talking behind backs, NO fighting and NO cursing around the children or me understand?” I ask and they nod their heads.
“If you have a problem, please don’t hesitate to speak to me, I am the friendliest person when I want to be and I can be a bitch when I want to, lord knows it as I am his child so please don’t piss me off and I will try my best as your boss to not get on your nerves okay ladies?” I ask and they nervously nod.
“Alright, I have my rules and the daycare needs new rules, we’ll discuss that soon. So let me introduce myself properly to you four. My name is Gennivee Taylum Swartz, I come from Canada. This is not my first time here in Atlanta working in this centre, I was here two years ago and the only one I recognize is Aunty Michelle since we worked together,” I say and they nod including Travis.
The light-skinned lady is named Domonique and she has a daughter attending here at the centre. The other lady is named Mariah and she’s been working here for the past year and Domonique arrived not long after her. I don’t ask about Laniesha because I honestly don’t care.
I take out the black book with the parent’s numbers and my tablet and hand it over to Travis who looks at me with a frown after I ask him to finish up the numbers for me and keep himself busy.
“Okay so ladies, this centre needs to be fixed, it’s not safe for the kids. All the outside play equipment is damaged and can literally kill anyone’s child. I don’t know how but we need to get everything fixed with money we don’t have. I checked the bank accounts and the school fee records book and the money is not adding up. I know for a fact that Aunty Janet kept a detailed book of payments and I can’t find it nor can I find the silver box she used to put the money in it that the parents paid in cash for. For now, I’ll assume that it’s stolen so we’ll have to start over. I also know that there is important equipment missing, maybe a laptop and or a printer that was used for the daycare since there are prints of the plugs still in place by the sockets.”
I thin my lips and look at Travis who is tapping away. I clear my throat, “Travis?” I call to gain his attention. He looks up at me with his hand paused in mid-air and a raised brow.
“Can you be certain that if I leave a laptop, telephone and printer that it won’t get stolen?” I ask and he smirks.
“Only if you pay for protection,” he says and I nod, “And if I don’t? Is there no other way?” I ask and he shakes his head.
“So, if you had a child and he was under my care, as an educarer, my jobs is to love your child, protect him or her and teach them, but if I come to work, find my printer, laptop and whatever appliances and also money, is gone missing, you know, stolen, I can’t provide your child with a proper education, to show them the different types of birds, transportation or plants that are around them which could possibly lead to their deaths, won’t you blame me for not teaching your child in your steed?” I ask him and he nods his head and frowns.
“If I tell you, I’m not the one to blame and it’s the person who broke into the centre and stole my things so I no longer have the equipment available to teach your child and no money to replace the stolen equipment. In this situation, won’t you think I am incompetent and think I bought my degree instead of working for it?” I ask him with a smile.
He leans back in the chair and looks at me with a ‘What the fuck’ look on his face. I bitterly smile at him and ask, “And what about the parents who can’t pay but still send their child to school, I can’t make up whatever about of protection fee I need to pay and you just heard me say that we can’t even afford to get this centre and all the equipment repaired and we need funds, not to mention the amount of money the pastor wants me to pay every month?”
I see his jaw tick and I don’t know why, “You know Genn, I don’t know anything, stop talking to me!” he says and gets back to leaning against my desk and tapping away with knitted brows. I hold back my laugh and I see the stunned expressions of the ladies.
“Well ladies, we need to clean this school up, Travis, I know you said I should stop talking to you but your ass ain't sitting around while us ladies clean. Type finish and you go clean the yard and I don’t want to hear no back chatting or I’m kicking your ass out, you hear me?” I say and quickly walk away so that he doesn’t get a chance to answer me.
I assign areas to the ladies while I go clean out the baby room. This place is really pathetic and I was just told that another woman who didn’t show up and Laniesha worked this area. I hope the babies didn’t get sick.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
“Genn?” I hear my name being called and stop mopping the floor. I turn around to see Travis topless and I force myself to not look at his sexy body. His body is glistening with sweat and he has his shirt in his hand wiping away the sweat.
“Yes?” I answer and he pushes the child door open and steps in. “I know your black ass ain't about to make my clean floors dirty,” I say glaring at him and he halts his steps. He looks down at the floor and mumbles a sorry then steps out again.
I walk over and mop grudgingly at the floor where he stepped and hear him laugh. “You’re looking for me,” I say and he hums.
“Yeah, it’s almost three, you didn’t eat,” he says and I look at him with widened eyes. I hate this nonsense! Every time I get busy I forget to eat. I mumble a sorry out of habit to him and he just looks at me. I step out of the room and switch off the lights and head out to the front with the bucket of dirty water and mop.
I look around and nod my head. I’m impressed, the ladies worked hard in these five hours. I walk out to the front to throw out the dirty water in the gutter and frown when I see five men sitting on the ground eating pizza. They’re topless like Travis and sweat pouring down. The other guy from earlier on is also here and has a big slice of pizza in his hand.
“I hope you don’t mind. I phoned my friends to come help clear up since it was too much work for four women and one man,” he says and I slowly nod my head and thank the five of them while they cautiously stare at me and accept my thank you.
I chuck the water out and head to the tap that’s surprisingly working and rinse out the bucket and mop. I walk back inside and wash my hands with the liquid soap that was in the toilet. Travis peaks his head in through the door while he’s using the door frame as balance and says, “Come join us, I bought enough pizza for all of us.”
I was about to refuse his kind gesture but heard my stomach growl. I switch off the tap and wipe my hands on my white pants then shove my hands under my breast so that my top can soak up the sweat I worked up.
I plop myself down on the ground next to Travis and some guy and he hands me a slice of pizza on plate and coke in a blue plastic cup. I sigh heavily as I feel the aches in my body and the sleep catching me.
“What’s wrong?” Travis asks with pizza hanging from his mouth.
I shake my head, “Nothing really, I just forgot that my body aches after I work so long,” I say and shove slice after slice after slice in my mouth.
We eat in comfortable silence, or well it’s comfortable for me. Drinking the last of the coke, I say, “Y’all can go home for today but be back here tomorrow at eight, including you Travis,” his head snaps to me. I don’t bother looking at him because I know he’s glaring at me.
“What the fuck? Why me?” he asks.
I shrug my shoulders, “I enjoy watching others suffer, you became my next victim when you couldn’t answer my earlier questions,” I say and his friends start laughing.
“Y'all nigga’s coming too!” He glares at them and they all start cursing.
I grab my things and lock up the centre. I greet everyone good night and look over at Mama and Papa’s house, but no one is outside. I’ll see them tomorrow.
As I reach my gate, I turn around and look at Travis, “What do you want?” I ask and he shrugs. “I still need to be with your fat ass until King comes.”
“Why, are you some kind of pervert?” I ask and his eyes widen. “No!” he whisper yells and forces the gate open and pushes me inside. I take it upon myself to mess with him and lose control of my body making it heavier.
“Why’d you suddenly get heavy,” he asks panicky. I smirk and walk up the two steps and unlock my door. Slipping in I try and shut the door but he pushes the door open. He shuts the door behind him and says, “Ma, you ain't slick!”
“What the fuck? This is break in and entering, you better not think of raping me,” I say and his eyes filled with hurt. He looks away from me and says, “I’d never forcefully take anyone.”
