Web of Deception Chapter 6

(FLASHBACK)

The stench of urine filled the dimly lit hallway, as the sixteen-year-old girl made her way to the crammed two-bedroom apartment.

The echo of the loud argument between her mother and loser boyfriend vibrated off the walls, as she reached the door.

This one was called Luther or was it Lester; her mother had so many it was hard to keep count. She entered the apartment, as he brushed passed her, knocking the groceries out of her arms.

"Asshole," she yelled.

"Don't use that kind of language in my house," her mother yelled. "Besides, that's my job to call the no good sonofabitch names."

Sex, was the first thing that came to mind, as she noticed her mother's disheveled appearance.

"I gave that man everything and this is how he repays me. Wham, bam thank you mame!"

"What do you expect from these men mama, when you give it up so easy!" The impact of the backhand slap knocked her to the floor. The impulse to strike back briefly crossed her mind, but she knew better.

"Who the hell are you talking to?" she screamed. "I'm still your mother. If you ever get up in my face again talking like that, you'll be picking your jaw up from the floor. Are we clear?"

"Yes, mama," she replied.

"Pick that stuff up and let me have some peace."

The burning tears streamed down her face, as she picked up the groceries sprawled on the floor and headed towards her room.

"I'm going to get out of this hell," she cried. " I know life has something better in store for me. I refuse to suffer the same fate as my mother and the other women in this family."

If she didn't know better, the teenager would have thought there was a curse on the women in her family. Of course that was ridiculous. But it did seem that her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and aunts all had the worse luck when it came to men and finding happiness. One of the few things they were blessed with was physical beauty.

Yet each woman experienced some type of tragedy or misfortune, when it came to love. Their husbands or boyfriends either died young were abusive or used and abandoned them leaving them in poverty. She lost her father five years ago in a car accident.

After his death, her mother drifted from one man to another. She was a beautiful woman, who didn't know how to use her looks to get what she wanted from men.

But the teenage girl was different. From the time she was five, she knew how to manipulate little boys into giving her what she wanted. If one of the boys wanted to kiss her, they had to give her a dollar. The trick was to get what she wanted, by giving up as little as possible. By the time she turned sixteen, she had become a pro at manipulating people.

With her part-time job and side scams, she had saved $3000. This was enough to get her a train ticket and new life in California. Half of the money she kept stashed in a shoe box in her closet, for emergencies and the other half was in a locker at the train station along with a fake ID.

The incident with her mother was the last straw. She was tired of living in this dump with no hope of a future. Tonight she would leave and close the door on this part of her life.

She only packed the necessities and pulled the shoebox from the closet. The empty contents of the box sent her into a panic. "I know, this is where I put the money." Frantically searching the other boxes, she tried to remember the last time she counted the money.

Searching every inch of the room, she retraced her steps since yesterday, when the cold hard reality hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mother had suddenly come into her room to say goodnight, before going to meet Luther. She had been counting the money and thought she hid the box from her view.

Pure rage coursed through her body as she burst into her mother's room. "What happened to my money?" she demanded.

"I had to borrow it," her mother replied without batting an eye. "I had some unexpected bills. I didn't think you would mind, since you do live her rent free."

"Bullshit, you gave it to that loser Luther. That's why he stormed out of here. He got what he wanted and left."

"Okay, I loaned the money to him. But he promised to pay me back."

"You had no right to take my money!"

Her mother looked at her in disbelief. "I had every right, you ungrateful child. You don't pay a single bill around here. I struggle to make ends meet and you've got $1500 stashed away. You're ass should be grateful, I didn't throw you out."

"You're a pathetic, worthless bitch!" The hard slap burned her left cheek. But this time she slapped her mother back. "Don't worry about throwing me out mama. I'm leaving this hell hole."

"You won't survive one day without me," her mother yelled following her through the apartment.

"That's where you're wrong, mama. See, I'm not weak like you," she said staring her into silence. I'm going to have the wealth and lifestyle that I deserve."

"You'll be back."

"Good-bye mama."

That day Vera Jackson left her life in the dreary projects of Detroit. Three days later, she arrived in California and began her new life as Lorraine Hawkins.