The Countdown to Thirty Read Online Free Page A

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back of my neck. I sat there in the bleachers in deep thought, mentally going
over the things I’d done wrong in past that brought me to my current situation.
It was easy for me to blame the economy or Alliance America for keeping me
down, but the good Bishop TD Jakes said that in order for a person to learn
from their mistakes they first needed to accept responsibility for their own
actions.
    After graduating from high school top of my class, I was
accepted at the University of Nevada Reno. I was so excited for my freshman
year; that was all I talked about that summer. My mom and sister were happy for
me to even though my sister was a UNLV Alumni. I had their full support and
they even flew to Reno with me for freshman orientation and dorm check-in.
Unfortunately, I got pregnant right after receiving my first AA degree and my
then boyfriend Lamont, the love of my life, didn’t want much more to do with me
after that. He was six years my senior and had been training to get in the NFL.
    We’d met at a club one night when I went to celebrate my
girlfriends 21 st birthday. I was barely 19 at the time but my
friend’s brother worked it out with the bouncer to get me in. Lamont spotted me
at the bar and offered to buy me a drink. He was sexy and buff and had this
masculine appeal and confidence that couldn’t be described as anything other
than swag . He told me how sexy and petite I was and I have to admit, I
was. I wore my hair long in those days and had added tracks to give me that
really long sleek Pocahontas look, then topped of my mini dress with matching
blue stilettos. He was only one of the mesmerized mouthwatering men who
approached me that night, but the only one who caught my attention.
    The rest is history I guess. We had what I thought was a
loving relationship even though I ignored all vital warning signs of his
abusive behavior. I never told my mother or sister the details of that cryptic
relationship. After we broke up I dropped out of school, moved back to Vegas
and struggled for a long time to pick up the pieces of my life.
    But now at twenty-six, stronger and much more healed, I’ve
moved on. My motto: No men allowed . And now that I was unemployed again
I’ve decided to look on the brighter side of things; I’ll use this precious
time to find a better paying and more respectable job. I can’t be caught dead
working another dead end job like the one I had at Alliance America.
    Before going home I stopped at a nearby 7-11 to fill up on
gas before I left back out. It was Sunday which meant dinner at my mom’s house
with the family. Being that I was the only customer in the store, I walked
right up to the cash register and plopped down a bulky Sunday paper on the
counter.
    “Hi, can I please have thirty on pump five.”
    “Good mornin’ beautiful, where you headed to this early in
the morning?” The tow-up looking cashier asked. He looked like he was somewhere
in his late thirties, he had dry cracked lips and nappy corn rolls. I stood
there for a moment mesmerized and wondered how did one get naps on their
corn rolls?
    I smiled and at the same time while trying to avoid too much
eye contact simply responded, “On my way home. Nowhere special.”
    “What you mean nowhere special? If I had a lady like you…boy
I tell you.” He said shaking his head wishing he had a chance.
    I smiled again but this time as an ‘Okay, move it along’
type of thing. He took three times the amount of time it takes to ring up one
item and bag it because he was busy trying to mack.
    “Okay Ms. Sexy queen that’ll come to thirty-two fifty and
your phone number on the dotted line.” He said as he slid a piece of paper and
pen my way after letting out a laugh that sounded like sandpaper.
    I bugged my eyes and dropped my mouth wide open in pure
shock. Did he really think he was about to get my phone number? The only thing
I wanted to give him right about now was a jar of Carmex.
    “Oh okay, you stuck up huh?” He