Mama's Coming

• Courtney Ross, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2011

“We should go.”
“What do you mean, go? Go where?”
“Anywhere. They won’t miss us.”
“Mama might. It took her years to find us again.”
“Mama would notice less than the rest of them would. When was the last time she made it home anyway?”
“Thursday, maybe? We can’t go anyway. We can’t afford to.”
“We’ll make it. We always did before this. We can do it again.”
“When was the last time we made it? I mean really made it, not just living payday to payday. We got lucky that last time. If Mama hadn’t found us we probably would have been kicked out of the little apartment. Do you want to be reduced to begging on the street?”
“It’ll be different this time.”
“I won’t do it again. I can’t.”
“We’ll waitress or something. Please, it’ll be better this time. It’ll just be you and me. We’ll look after each other, just like we used to.”
“You can barely take care of yourself. It was always me that took care of you.”
“It’ll be different, I promise.”
“You can go. I won’t stop you.”
“You have to come. We’ve always been together.”
“We’re finally in a good place, after all those years! Why are you trying to do this to us after what happened?”
“I’m sick of this place. They don’t make us feel welcome. Mama’s got a new family, that we should have never been a part of.”
“She’s welcomed us here. It might be hard work, but it’s sure as hell worth it.”
“Her family hasn’t welcomed us. They’ve got us working fifteen hours a day!”
“Just like them. You just don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what? We were her kids first. We should have privileges.”
“You think that their lives have been any easier than ours?”
“They’ve always had a roof over their heads. I wanna go back to the city. ”
“As we would’ve, if you’d kept your mouth shut about Papa’s money, like you were meant to.”
“How was I meant to know? I thought he liked me. He said he wanted to marry me, he just didn’t have the money.”
“Well, now he’s got the money, but where’s the ring? Why aren’t you married, just like you wanted?”
“He killed Papa! As if I was gonna marry him!”
“I told you what he was like. I warned you. It’s not all about you, you know. Wake up to the knowledge.”
“I’m just trying to make our lives easier. I don’t wanna live somewhere that we’re not wanted.”
“We are wanted. We’ve got beds, a good living and a nice family. It’s a blessing after all we’ve been through.”
“Well, I don’t believe that. I’m leaving. Stay if you want.”
“I’m going back to Mama. I haven’t got anything more to say to you.”
"Hey, what was that sound? Who - "
"I did what's best for us. Like how I always do."
"What did you do?"
"Shh! Mama's coming."