next to her. He always went to the bathroom and took a shower. Did she know he called me his favorite?
I took my time loading the washing machines cuz I ain’t want to be in the room alone with her attitude all day. Dizzle hardly came to the motel until it had started getting late, so I was gonna have to be with her at some point. There wasn’t no rush, though. A lady in a purple leotard, a see-through white skirt, and some leggings washed a load of clothes, too. She had on flat black shoes that looked like footies. I couldn’t stop watching the way she walked from the machine to the sink while she sprayed some stuff on a few stains. I ain’t never seen nobody walk like that in real life. It was like one of those birds I seen at the zoo. The pink kind with long, skinny legs that walked real slow and stopped real sharp before turning and walking the other way. She was so pretty. Her hair in a ponytail bounced just like a horse’s tail. Maybe she was a real dancer. She floated across the room with her skirt moving like a cloud around her. I bet if I could walk like her, I wouldn’t have to be living in a motel in a place I ain’t know nothing about.
The lady saw me looking at her and smiled. I smiled back, then looked away. There was some kids playing with the laundry carts while their mothers folded clothes. Judge Judy was on the TV hanging over the soda and snack machines. I bought an orange soda and sat down to watch TV until my clothes finished washing, and then I put them in the dryer. I dug in my pocket for the two quarters I had left and put them in the machine. I went back to watch TV until my clothes dried. The lady in the leotard floated over with her basket to grab the clothes out of the dryer. I watched her glide back. I waited for her to fold her clothes on the table before I checked to see if mine was dry. Dag, half of them was still wet. I checked my pockets to see if I had at least one more quarter but wasn’t nothing in there. Only if I ain’t buy that soda, I’d have enough. I guess I could hang them up in the bathroom to dry.
“You need some more change, sweetie?”
I turned around to see who was talking to me. It was the lady with the bird walk. I felt so embarrassed and looked down.
“Here. I still have some quarters left,” she said, floating over and handing me three quarters.
“Thank you,” I said. The pretty lady smiled. I put the quarters in the slot and walked back to my seat. Since she was being nice to me, I had to ask her. “Are you a dancer or something?”
Another smile lit up her face. “I sure am. Do you dance, too?”
I shook my head.
“Would you like to learn how?”
I nodded.
“Well, my name is Brianna, and I give lessons at a rec center in Landover. Here,” she said, digging inside her bag. “Here’s my card. Give this to your mother. Maybe she can bring you.”
“Okay,” I said, but I knew I’d never be able to go. I smiled and put the card with the ballerina picture in my pocket. Brianna finished folding her clothes, packed them up, waved good-bye, and glided out of the Laundromat. I watched her get in her green convertible Volkswagen and pull out of the parking lot. One day that was gonna be me.
Nausynika was sleeping when I got back to the motel room. I was putting my clothes in the dresser when Dizzle came through the door practically singing.
“Hey, I got news for y’all,” he said, throwing his keys on the table near the window and sitting down. He rubbed his hand over his plaits. “Hey, Nausy! Wake up, girl.”
She rolled over and wiped her eyes. I sat down on the edge of my bed.
“So I got us our own house!” he said, smiling that huge Cat in the Hat smile he always had. “So pack your stuff up. We leaving.”
“House?” Nausynika said. “Where?”
“It’s not too far from here. Y’all excited?”
Nausynika rolled her eyes. I guess she ain’t care, but I was happy. We could finally be somewhere for good. I grabbed my bags and
I took my time loading the washing machines cuz I ain’t want to be in the room alone with her attitude all day. Dizzle hardly came to the motel until it had started getting late, so I was gonna have to be with her at some point. There wasn’t no rush, though. A lady in a purple leotard, a see-through white skirt, and some leggings washed a load of clothes, too. She had on flat black shoes that looked like footies. I couldn’t stop watching the way she walked from the machine to the sink while she sprayed some stuff on a few stains. I ain’t never seen nobody walk like that in real life. It was like one of those birds I seen at the zoo. The pink kind with long, skinny legs that walked real slow and stopped real sharp before turning and walking the other way. She was so pretty. Her hair in a ponytail bounced just like a horse’s tail. Maybe she was a real dancer. She floated across the room with her skirt moving like a cloud around her. I bet if I could walk like her, I wouldn’t have to be living in a motel in a place I ain’t know nothing about.
The lady saw me looking at her and smiled. I smiled back, then looked away. There was some kids playing with the laundry carts while their mothers folded clothes. Judge Judy was on the TV hanging over the soda and snack machines. I bought an orange soda and sat down to watch TV until my clothes finished washing, and then I put them in the dryer. I dug in my pocket for the two quarters I had left and put them in the machine. I went back to watch TV until my clothes dried. The lady in the leotard floated over with her basket to grab the clothes out of the dryer. I watched her glide back. I waited for her to fold her clothes on the table before I checked to see if mine was dry. Dag, half of them was still wet. I checked my pockets to see if I had at least one more quarter but wasn’t nothing in there. Only if I ain’t buy that soda, I’d have enough. I guess I could hang them up in the bathroom to dry.
“You need some more change, sweetie?”
I turned around to see who was talking to me. It was the lady with the bird walk. I felt so embarrassed and looked down.
“Here. I still have some quarters left,” she said, floating over and handing me three quarters.
“Thank you,” I said. The pretty lady smiled. I put the quarters in the slot and walked back to my seat. Since she was being nice to me, I had to ask her. “Are you a dancer or something?”
Another smile lit up her face. “I sure am. Do you dance, too?”
I shook my head.
“Would you like to learn how?”
I nodded.
“Well, my name is Brianna, and I give lessons at a rec center in Landover. Here,” she said, digging inside her bag. “Here’s my card. Give this to your mother. Maybe she can bring you.”
“Okay,” I said, but I knew I’d never be able to go. I smiled and put the card with the ballerina picture in my pocket. Brianna finished folding her clothes, packed them up, waved good-bye, and glided out of the Laundromat. I watched her get in her green convertible Volkswagen and pull out of the parking lot. One day that was gonna be me.
Nausynika was sleeping when I got back to the motel room. I was putting my clothes in the dresser when Dizzle came through the door practically singing.
“Hey, I got news for y’all,” he said, throwing his keys on the table near the window and sitting down. He rubbed his hand over his plaits. “Hey, Nausy! Wake up, girl.”
She rolled over and wiped her eyes. I sat down on the edge of my bed.
“So I got us our own house!” he said, smiling that huge Cat in the Hat smile he always had. “So pack your stuff up. We leaving.”
“House?” Nausynika said. “Where?”
“It’s not too far from here. Y’all excited?”
Nausynika rolled her eyes. I guess she ain’t care, but I was happy. We could finally be somewhere for good. I grabbed my bags and
Similar Books
