Imani All Mine Read Online Free

right back. Like she know there was some danger in the water, but she know I ain’t never going to let nothing happen to her. I was glad I had my back to Mama, because no matter how hard I tried to fix my face right, it was telling the truth on me, and if I turned around I’d get a good smack for being so goddamn disrespectful. Mrs. Poole say you want respect from your child, give respect to your child.
    That idea ain’t go over real hot with the girls in our class. A lot of girls sucked they teeth and rolled they eyes at Mrs. Poole. This girl Bett-Bett, who always be sitting in the far back seat, say that was some bullshit. Now Mrs. Poole ain’t like the rest of the teachers. She don’t be writing you up for cussing or nothing, but she remind you cussing is for ignorant people with little minds. If you say sorry like you mean it, Mrs. Poole let it slide and let you say what you have to say like a lady would. Bett-Bett say she sorry and then she say to Mrs. Poole that things is the other way around. Children got to respect they elders. Bett-Bett say if her two kids want respect from her, they better show respect to her first.
    Mrs. Poole ain’t do nothing but ask a question. Don’t I respect you? Bett-Bett ain’t say nothing. We was all looking at Bett-Bett too, and some girls was saying yes. Mrs. Poole respect us. Mrs. Poole wave her hands for us to hush. She say she was asking Bett-Bett. You could tell Bett-Bett ain’t want to admit it, because there was some kind of lecture coming, but she sunk down in her seat and say yes. Mrs. Poole walk right back to Bett-Bett and put both her hands on her shoulders.
I
respected
you
from the day you walked into my class, Mrs. Poole say. I set the example. Let me tell you, ladies, Mrs. Poole say. You must respect your children. It’s they right to be respected. They birthright. You have to set the example and teach them what respect is by being respectful yourself.
    I’m sure Bett-Bett was melting under Mrs. Poole stank breath, but she ain’t show it. It seem like she was really listening to her. I think we all was, because sometime Mrs. Poole be making good sense, the kind of sense you know be right.
    And what she say about respect was burning me up the day Mama told me about going on them pills. I kept washing Imani longer than I needed to, waiting for my face to get right. I mean, Eboni ain’t no ho, no matter what Mama say. Mama don’t even know her, not really. And I ain’t even get no idea of having a baby from Eboni. Like Imani some idea. A baby ain’t no idea somebody put in your head. Maybe Eboni be putting ideas in my head about a new style to braid my hair in or what new sneakers everybody wearing. But can’t nobody put a baby in your head.
    Imani was looking up at me like she knew I was thinking something. She start kicking the water out the sink. She ain’t never been in the water so long. It was getting cold, so I rinsed her off and took her on upstairs. I ain’t have to face Mama. She was watching TV.
    I oiled up Imani real good until she was shining and put lots of powder on her butt. I swear that look funny. The oil with the powder over it. It look like when you flour and grease a cake pan. After I diapered and dressed her, we lay down on my bed and listened to the radio. I put on WBLK. My baby like that. She like rap. She shake her head to it. On time.
    I ain’t even come out the room until I had to give Imani her late feeding. We stayed the rest of the night on the couch and I ain’t felt like getting up and going to no doctor the next morning.
    While Imani was still sleeping, I took me a long shower. I scrubbed my private parts real good, because the doctor would probably be looking at them and poking them, and I ain’t want to be stank. I can’t stand no doctor looking in them places no way. It make me all embarrassed.
    I dropped Imani off at her daycare before me and Mama went