Friday, August 04, 2006
Chapter Five
After Destiny changed her clothes, she headed down to the kitchen to restart dinner. For as long as she could remember, she had been in the kitchen helping her mother. Destiny actually enjoyed cooking. She knew many girls her age who didn’t even know how to boil water, let alone prepare a whole meal.
Her mother had repeatedly told her, “Cooking a good meal for your family and friends was an expression of Love.” Destiny could feel just how much her mother loved her and her father.
Even when they went out to dinner, they would always come home to share a homemade dessert. Her father Tony was an excellent cook too. He and her mother took turns during the week preparing dinner. They even let Destiny have one night a week to cook her favorite dishes for the family’s dinner. Some of their best times as a family had been spent in the kitchen, preparing dinner and talking about life.
Angie had made it a point to tell Destiny all about her real mother and grandmothers. She had even told her Destiny the story about Angie’s parents being civil rights workers and how they had been killed. Destiny often wished she had had a chance to meet all of the family that had gone on before she was born.
Angie took great pleasure in telling her about her and Tony’s first date. How they had gone shopping at the neighborhood farmer’s market and come home to prepare one of the best meals that either of them had ever eaten. Their family still enjoyed spending Saturday mornings visiting that same market.
Angie spent as much time telling Destiny how her own grandmother had taught her how to cook as she did teaching her the elaborate dishes the prepared together. One of their favorite dishes they enjoyed making together was cornbread dressing. They always used all fresh ingredients.
However, Sunday’s dinner belonged to her mother alone. Although recently, she had noticed that her mother really appreciated Destiny’s help after church. Even though their family consisted of just the three of them, they cooked for an army. People tended to just drop by around dinner time.
It wasn’t unusual to see several of Tony’s kids sitting around the dinner table. Tony had been working as a counselor for incarcerated youths for a long time. The really special ones had an open invitation to Sunday dinner. Everyone loved her mother’s cooking. Especially her homemade breads.
They never used a bread machine and they kneaded all the bread by hand. Sometimes Destiny would be awaked by the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. Growing up, her mother had even allowed her to have her own cup of coffee on those special mornings.
Those mornings were always special memories for Destiny. Her mother and father and she would gather around the old stove in the kitchen, on those cold winter mornings. Each with a copy of the latest book they were reading. They didn’t talk much during those times, but it always felt so magical. When she was much younger, her father would gather her in his lap and read her a story.
Destiny loved her father very much. He would always be her knight in shining armor. He had always been there for her. Not that her mother hadn’t, she and Destiny didn’t always see eye to eye on things.
Her mother was there to teach her about being a woman but her father took great pains to try to teach her about life. Destiny could talk to him about anything; anything that is except Sandra. He didn’t like Sandra either. Destiny wished that both of her parents would just give her new friend a chance. She was sure that once they got to know her, they would like her.
Destiny secretly prayed that her parents would try to get to know Sandra better. Maybe if they did, they would stop being so strict with her. After all, she was almost sixteen and would be a junior in high school next year.
Destiny would always treasure those memories. But now, she just wished her parents would stop treating her like a little girl. She was growing up and just wanted her parents to let her grow. She realized that there was so much about life she needed to learn.
She had always felt like a social outcast. She wasn’t even allowed to wear make-up yet. Her mother had told her, not until her sixteenth birthday. What her mother didn’t know was that she kept a make-up bag in her locker at school. She always made sure that she arrived at school early.
Sandra had taught her how to apply her make-up. She even made sure that Destiny knew the right color combinations. She always made sure that she remembered to take her make-up off before she got home each day. Destiny was sure that if her parents caught her with make-up on, they would find a way to blame her new friend.
Destiny had even managed to sneak and buy some A-1 outfits! She loved Baby-Phat. Her favorite outfit was a pink denim skirt and matching jacket. The very first time that she wore that particular outfit to school, even the seniors looked her way. Her make-up was tight that day and she was rocking a fresh pair of air ones. She was definitely a bad babe that day.
Yep, pink was definitely her color. She had even scoped out a cute pair of NWT applebottom Capri jeans stitched in pink with a cute little matching pink midriff top to wear to Sandra’s sweet sixteen party. Sandra had even told her about a place where she could get a temporary tattoo on her lower back. A pink butterfly to be exact. Destiny got excited just thinking about it. She wanted to make sure that Lonnie noticed her that night.
“I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.”
Her mother had repeatedly told her, “Cooking a good meal for your family and friends was an expression of Love.” Destiny could feel just how much her mother loved her and her father.
Even when they went out to dinner, they would always come home to share a homemade dessert. Her father Tony was an excellent cook too. He and her mother took turns during the week preparing dinner. They even let Destiny have one night a week to cook her favorite dishes for the family’s dinner. Some of their best times as a family had been spent in the kitchen, preparing dinner and talking about life.
Angie had made it a point to tell Destiny all about her real mother and grandmothers. She had even told her Destiny the story about Angie’s parents being civil rights workers and how they had been killed. Destiny often wished she had had a chance to meet all of the family that had gone on before she was born.
Angie took great pleasure in telling her about her and Tony’s first date. How they had gone shopping at the neighborhood farmer’s market and come home to prepare one of the best meals that either of them had ever eaten. Their family still enjoyed spending Saturday mornings visiting that same market.
Angie spent as much time telling Destiny how her own grandmother had taught her how to cook as she did teaching her the elaborate dishes the prepared together. One of their favorite dishes they enjoyed making together was cornbread dressing. They always used all fresh ingredients.
However, Sunday’s dinner belonged to her mother alone. Although recently, she had noticed that her mother really appreciated Destiny’s help after church. Even though their family consisted of just the three of them, they cooked for an army. People tended to just drop by around dinner time.
It wasn’t unusual to see several of Tony’s kids sitting around the dinner table. Tony had been working as a counselor for incarcerated youths for a long time. The really special ones had an open invitation to Sunday dinner. Everyone loved her mother’s cooking. Especially her homemade breads.
They never used a bread machine and they kneaded all the bread by hand. Sometimes Destiny would be awaked by the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. Growing up, her mother had even allowed her to have her own cup of coffee on those special mornings.
Those mornings were always special memories for Destiny. Her mother and father and she would gather around the old stove in the kitchen, on those cold winter mornings. Each with a copy of the latest book they were reading. They didn’t talk much during those times, but it always felt so magical. When she was much younger, her father would gather her in his lap and read her a story.
Destiny loved her father very much. He would always be her knight in shining armor. He had always been there for her. Not that her mother hadn’t, she and Destiny didn’t always see eye to eye on things.
Her mother was there to teach her about being a woman but her father took great pains to try to teach her about life. Destiny could talk to him about anything; anything that is except Sandra. He didn’t like Sandra either. Destiny wished that both of her parents would just give her new friend a chance. She was sure that once they got to know her, they would like her.
Destiny secretly prayed that her parents would try to get to know Sandra better. Maybe if they did, they would stop being so strict with her. After all, she was almost sixteen and would be a junior in high school next year.
Destiny would always treasure those memories. But now, she just wished her parents would stop treating her like a little girl. She was growing up and just wanted her parents to let her grow. She realized that there was so much about life she needed to learn.
She had always felt like a social outcast. She wasn’t even allowed to wear make-up yet. Her mother had told her, not until her sixteenth birthday. What her mother didn’t know was that she kept a make-up bag in her locker at school. She always made sure that she arrived at school early.
Sandra had taught her how to apply her make-up. She even made sure that Destiny knew the right color combinations. She always made sure that she remembered to take her make-up off before she got home each day. Destiny was sure that if her parents caught her with make-up on, they would find a way to blame her new friend.
Destiny had even managed to sneak and buy some A-1 outfits! She loved Baby-Phat. Her favorite outfit was a pink denim skirt and matching jacket. The very first time that she wore that particular outfit to school, even the seniors looked her way. Her make-up was tight that day and she was rocking a fresh pair of air ones. She was definitely a bad babe that day.
Yep, pink was definitely her color. She had even scoped out a cute pair of NWT applebottom Capri jeans stitched in pink with a cute little matching pink midriff top to wear to Sandra’s sweet sixteen party. Sandra had even told her about a place where she could get a temporary tattoo on her lower back. A pink butterfly to be exact. Destiny got excited just thinking about it. She wanted to make sure that Lonnie noticed her that night.
“I sing because I'm happy, I sing because I'm free, For His eye is on the sparrow, And I know He watches me.”
