Mama's Gun

Mama could not believe she had been so foolish. When she sat down and reflected on how naïve she had been, even she had to laugh at herself. Mama pondered on her choices and in her heart, she had known better.

Mama never thought someone she allowed in her home would steal from her. It had dawned on her, that she was not a good judge in character. She should have known better! She had been "catfished" in more ways than one.

It was Christmas Day, 2020.

You see, Mama had raised her children. They were all grown up now. They had left the nest; started their own families. Suddenly, she went from a full-time mother to a single black woman in the blink of an eye.

A few months prior, she had met a man by the name of Carter Barnes online. He was not her usual type, but she was trying to get back into the "dating scene." She was tired of the "same old same old" of having casual sex with men who did not wish to court her.

Yet and still, she still had a habit of sleeping with men way too fast in general; not allowing herself to even be known. It wasn't that Mama was desperate. She was overwhelmingly lonely. Mama didn't know what to do with herself because she had always wanted a solid companion.

Somewhere in her she knew this wasn't the way, but she did it anyway.

It was something about Carter that she was drawn to.

She began liking his post online. At the same time, she had decided to end things with a guy she saw from time-to-time named Remy Lampkins. He was not serious about her at all. So, Mama swiftly decided to cut him off.

About a few months before, Mama had fell out with 3 friends, she had known for most of her life. The situation was very fragile to Mama because she thought these women cared about her, and they didn't. They only kept her around for their benefit.

Nina had tried to "one up" her in front of Remy and he let it ride. Mama took this as a form of disrespect and had confided in Remy that she tried to speak to these women about the night that changed her outlook on life, forever.

These "friends" of hers hung out a sketchy speakeasy in the "hood". They were "going out" friends. Not, "tell your darkest secrets to" friends. They secretly made her the butt of all the jokes.

You see, Mama was invited to hotel party by these "friends". They had gotten together and all gotten a room individually, but did not include Mama at all.

When she arrived, her intuition told her something was wrong from the moment she got there. Everyone seemed to be upset. They all had the "stank face"; except for one of them.

Nia, Nina's sister seemed bored. Laticia was too drunk to be malicious. Nina, on the other hand wasn't. She had been trying to trigger Mama the entire night playing sad songs and watching intently to see Mama's reaction.

Mama however came in peace and in a good mood.

Remy had brought one of his "partners", a lame by the name of Tony. When they arrived, "Nina," brought up another man in front of Remy to embarrass her.

This infuriated Mama because she specifically told Nina who she was inviting; her ratchet ass "friends" had different men they were dating coming in and out the hotel room, the entire night. Mama, didn't say a word. She knew the code.

Mama never would have done that to them, especially if it was someone they actually liked and had some feelings for. They were all single, black, women in their late 30's.

Mama thought her homegirls knew the code; respected the "code". She quickly found out, there wasn't one between her and them.

These ladies were not her friends.

These were "frenemies."

It was as if they had only invited Mama to humiliate her; trying to insinuate that she was some type of "whore." Well, if that was the case, they are were whores. It was a whore house!

Mama also took note of the fact that Nina told her to bring her own alcohol to the party even though there were plenty of bottles in the room.

Mama had her own drinks, but when they ran out, she started drinking out of a bottle of Bacardi Rum Laticia had been "sippin" on prior to Mama.

Well, what ever Mama was on did not mix with what she had already drank. She started having a very strange feeling; she became extremely paranoid; prompting her to go home.

Mama caught the vibe and in a high and drunken state, left abruptly.

It was raining.

No one tried to stop her.

Not none of them.

After that, everything is a blur.

Mama didn't quite remember what happened the next day, and wanted to know what happened after she left.

She confronted her friends who did not even care if she made home safe and treated her like she was being paranoid. She needed them to recall what she had done.

Remy would not even speak to her. That night, he did not attempt to even follow her or contact her.

To this day, Mama doesn't know if Remy and Tony had sex with one of them or there was some kind of orgy that occurred; She strongly believes Remy and Nina had exchanged numbers that evening. They had formed some sick bond between them. Unfortunately, it was a mystery she would never know.

She felt strongly that they were all hiding something by how they were acting. It was as if she were seeing them for who they really were for the very first time.

These were some "grimy bitches".

Mama believed they all did coke and didn't want her to know it. She just knew something was very off with them; probably some "set up bitches", "prostitutes", or "swingers". It was something. Mama just couldn't put her finger on it.

Mama "popped up" at a local bar a few days after to speak to Nia and Nina; Nia spotted Mama at the bar and asked her to sit down with them.

As Mama began trying to talk to them, Nina who sat to her left and Nia straight ahead began to taunt her. Nina was playing in her face with a drink; giggling.

"I don't know why you are laughing, because ain't shit funny." Mama said to Nina. Nina then excused herself from the table, still laughing. Mama knew for sure she had said what she said on purpose. It was no mistake.

Nina knew how fragile Mama was, and wanted to break her.

Mama felt verbally attacked; Nia, with a smug smirk began telling her she should not be dealing with a man like Remy; saying he wasn't on Mama's "level".

Truth be told,

He wasn't.

He never was.

She went there, looking for answers. Unfortunately and selfishly, none were given. They appeared to be very nonchalant about her situation, and showed no empathy whatsoever. They were literally showing themselves! How didn't she see if before this night!?

The hate had always been there.

Mama found out later from Remy, that her so called friends had talked about her like a dog at this party. Mama is sure Remy joined in as well. He didn't even care enough to go after her. He didn't even care enough to call her, just to see if she had made it home safe.

Unbeknownst to them, Mama had a Tauras G2, 9mm in her purse. "If they only knew, they wouldn't play these games with me." Mama thought as she left after receiving no answers about that night.

Those "so called friends" didn't know that Mama felt so disrespected she felt like killing them that night. She didn't like secrets being kept from her. Nina had lied to her face before and got caught then and Mama still forgave her.

They had been saying and doing little spiteful things the whole entire friendship! I'm talking YEARS.

A few days later Mama went to Laticia and asked her flat out if she slept with Remy.

"Did you fuck him?" Mama yelled through the door with a machete in her hand.

After almost 10 years of friendship, Laticia would not even let her in the door.

She was smart not to.

"Yo man was all on me, look how you are acting!" Laticia yelled through the door. At about the same time, Nina was calling Mama on her cellphone. Mama, ignored the call.

Mama decided never to contact them again.

After months of not speaking to Remy, they finally met up. She had confided in Remy that she could have killed them that night.

Now flash forward to Mr. Barnes. Mr. Halitosis.

She had given this stranger her address after maybe only talking to him a month.

This was her first mistake.

She had no idea of his exact address and was so delusional she did not push the issue. This man could have been a killer, a rapist, or just plain psycho.

She confessed her attraction to this man and thought the feelings were mutual. For some reason he had wanted to see her on Christmas Eve but Mama was out celebrating with family. Looking back, she recalled how even her family members were acting weird the day before, on Christmas Eve.

So, when Carter called to see her on Christmas day, she never questioned why the hell he would want to spend time with her on Christmas.

Why wouldn't he tell her exactly where he lived?

Mama was so "green" she never took the time to really know this creep.

Upon meeting Carter, for the first time, she noticed he looked much taller in his pictures online. He was shorter than she had remembered. She also noticed that this man had horrible breath. Dragon breath.

She had lowered her standards just to be with someone.

This was her second mistake.

He was not her type at all. She used this man to get over another man, Remy. It never occurred to her that she had invited him to her home way too fast. It never occurred to her that someone she was involved with, sent this man, to set her up.

Mama was being neurotic and quite possibly stuck in a different era or time period. It wasn't the 90's. The men SHE had met of today were not romantic, seemed to only want to screw, and some were even violent.

She never had a problem with a thief though, until now.

Mama thought this man was cool, though he resembled a snake in the grass. Still, he appeared attractive enough; though it seemed he never had a single visit to a dentist office.

He had a very flashy car; a Yellow Camaro with black racing stripes. He appeared to have a stable job and seemed be a decent dude.

Mama, was being dumb!!!

Still, she saw him again. The second time she had saw him, she had mistakenly left her bookbag right there in front of him. Never thinking he would steal from her or anything else.

When twenty dollars had been taken out of her purse, seemingly after the visit, she should have ended it then.

Still, she saw him again. As Mama connected the dots, she figured it was upon that meeting that he had went into her purse and saw her gun, whom she called, "Betty White".

"Betty White" was fully loaded with bullets and was attached to a fairly new black hoister.

Mama sure knew how to pick them, but she did not know how to pick them!

Third Mistake.

She had invited him over for a what she had called, "Naked Breakfast."

Definition: Making breakfast butt naked.

When he had arrived, she had already started watching an old movie, "Harlem Nights."

While making bacon in the oven, she told Mr. Barnes she was going to hop in the shower. He had told her he needed a lighter to "fire up."

After about 5 minutes, Mama noticed how quiet the house got.

At first, she thought he had made a store run.

When she finally emerged from the shower, Mr. Barnes was gone.

And so was Mama's gun.

She felt betrayed. She felt hurt. This man had taken her registered firearm out of her purse. She began calling him, but he had already blocked her number.

However, what was odd, is that he didn't take anything else. Not even the few dollars she had in her wallet.

Immediately, she knew it was a set up.

She remembered the conversation she had with Remy.

She also remembered driving past Leticia's house on the way to work one day. She could have sworn she saw Tony and Remy helping her move, months before the theft of her gun.

She also remembered seeing Carter at a local gas station months before she had actually met him. She saw him see her, but didn't pay it any mind until after he had taken her gun. Everything started coming back in flashes.

She also had a vision on Remy and Nina sitting in his black truck.

The first thing that came to her is that she told Remy she could have shot her friends.

Then it hit her.

She didn't have proof, but she knew Carter didn't steal her gun on impulse. It was an inner knowing....Someone paid him to do it. That someone was her lover, his friend, and her friends.

Mama had been robbed in her own home by a coward, on Christmas day.

Slowly, she tried to compose herself after tearing up her purse in a butt naked frenzy. With no breakfast.

The bacon was burnt.

Mama dried her body slowly, staring at herself with disgust in the mirror.

How had she been so stupid?

Finally, after feeling humiliated and embarrassed, she called the police and filed a police report. She never told another soul what happened, not even Remy because she knew he was involved. She just knew. She didn't know how or why...but she did.

The police had access to Carter's Facebook page; watching Carter online. He bragged about throwing a New Year's Eve party and was even recording videos like he had not just taken her pistol.

She watched him and saw what was hidden before.

She had literally let a rotten motherf*cker in her house.

Mama ducked off with a very good friend for about a week. She had planned to purchase a new gun on New Year's Day to replace "Betty White".

She was not taken any calls, unaware that police were trying to contact her so she could get Carter prosecuted, but she would have to go to trial.

The judge threw the case out after no word from Mama. But before they did, the detective assigned to her case told her they had towed Mr. Barnes's vehicle; Since he was being accused of being a thief, that gave "one time" probable cause to search his vehicle.

She felt naked without "Betty White."

So, Mama attended a local gun show in a nearby area. She had walked out the convention center with 3 different guns that shall remain nameless. She had vowed to never take her life for granted again.

Not for a handsome face.

Not for a nice car.

And surely not for stank breath.

Months later, she saw Carter again.

He watched her with his arms crossed as she drove off in a brand new car.

Mama pretended not to see him because she knew he had been sent to pretend to like her.

A few months later, someone started following Mama as if to warn her to keep her mouth shut.

Then she started getting prank phone calls. She didn't know from who because she had blocked her "funky" ass friends and Remy.

At the same time, Remy and her reconnected, but Mama realized she had to let him go. He seemed to be an asshole towards her anytime he felt and his situation made him unavailable.

He was playing with her like she didn't know he was in on it.

And, Mama played right along.

She started a going to a self -defense class. She began taking shooting lessons. She went through a major depression knowing they had tricked her. She never spoke to those women again.

Months later, she took a long needed vacation.

It was on this vacation, that she realized she had bigger issues to tackle with herself.

The thief had stolen her property. Nonetheless, she was grateful he had not taken her life. He could have killed her that day. Looking back, Mama believed he was sent to kill her, but decided to steal the gun instead.

Maybe, Mr. Barnes had a change of heart.

Mama became spiritually in tune and started praying a lot because she had hit her lowest point.

Mama started burning sage, and worshipping her body and mind.

Mama started smiling again, and even though she still gets vibes like someone is watching her, she is not afraid of her enemies. She is waiting to be confronted. She is ready.

Mama had replaced "Betty White" with another gun she named "Glady's Knight."

She prays she never has to send anyone to that "Midnight train to Georgia."

Her gun was never recovered, and those friendships will never be either.

It was better this way.

All they did was spark a fuel in Mama. All THEY did, was make Mama appreciate her life more. All THEY did was make Mama go harder to accomplish her goals.

The act of evil inflicted upon Mama, caused her to call out to her ancestors who saw everything. Some even started to believe, that Mama had been a witch.

Her enemies went on with their lives like nothing happened.

But, Mama's ancestors are another story.

They aren't going to let it go.

You see, Mama is an alchemist.

The situation she experienced, was a living, breathing, test of faith.

At first, Mama thought the test was for her.

However, the test was them.

Unfortunately,

They failed.

It's only a matter of time.

That's what her ancestors said.

Mama knew and still knows.....

They are all gonna get what's coming to them.

One by One.