When My Parents are Getting Divorced

When my dad's mistress swung by, clearly pregnant, my mother was scrubbing clothes for our family of five.

I teared up, pleading with her not to rough up my mom. In response, Grandma knocked me down hard, and I spat out blood.

She pointed at us, snarling, "You two are nothing but trouble. Lay a finger on my grandson, and I'll have my son kick you to the curb."

I saw my mom mutter "divorce" under her breath...

I dipped my head to mask a sly grin—mission accomplished.

I was secretly rooting for my parents to call it quits.

School starting up again was a drag, not because I hated studying, but because it meant hitting up Grandma for textbook cash.

"Need cash again? What's the point of schooling a girl? They just end up hitched," Grandma scoffed at us.

Mom spoke up, her voice steady but soft, "The books run just about a hundred forty, maybe fifty bucks."

"A hundred forty-five bucks ain't no chump change," Grandma barked back. "You sit around all day thinking money rains from the sky."

Mom's been off her game since I was born; heavy lifting was out of the question.

Born a girl, I got the cold shoulder from Grandma while Mom was laid up, while she played favorite, helping Aunt Linda with my cousin Susan.

Mom had to wash my diapers outside in the dead of winter, and I got stuck with stale bread crusts from breakfast. That messed up her health early on.

The yard was stocked with fresh poultry, and the kitchen table sported exotic red fruits I'd never sampled.

Aunt Linda would come back today with Susan, so Grandma had stepped out to town.

Mom was about to speak when the door got slammed open.

It was Aunt Linda and my cousin Susan.

"Oh, sweetie, missed Grandma, huh?" Grandma beamed, pulling her inside.

I can't recall her ever flashing me that kind of smile.

She handed over the fruit to my cousin, "Check these out! They're your top pick, cherries, snagged 'em fresh this morning!"

"Mom, they cost eighty dollars a pound these days. You always know how to spoil us," Aunt Linda chowed down with gusto. After a bit, my cousin was stuffed and scooted off to catch some TV.

Catching us by the door, Linda blurted out, "Hey, Lily, why are you camping out here with Elizabeth? Outsiders might think we're giving you the cold shoulder."

Linda's knack for being sarcastic was as solid as ever.

Grandma snapped, "The hen that can't lay eggs is hitting me up for cash again. Just leave it out to dry."

I shot back, unable to bite my tongue, "Biology class says it's the dad's genes that call the shots on being a boy or a girl, not the mom's. Why the blame game?"

Grandma, livid, grabbed the nearest broom and swung at me, yelling, "Talking back and burning cash, you've got some nerve!"

I scrambled to dodge, but wasn't quick enough.

The broom swept my legs out from under me, and I crashed to the ground, each blow sending jolts of pain through my face.

Blood mingled with tears, and I clapped my hands over my face.

Seeing this, Mom rushed over and wrapped me up, "Cut it out, she's just a kid, she's clueless."

Grandma was relentless, her blows matched by biting words.

Squinting through the pain, I saw Mom's face ghostly pale, drenched in sweat.

"Stop, if you don't, Mom can't handle much more."

I smeared the blood on my face, catching Aunt Linda and my cousin Susan's eyes. Susan recoiled and whimpered, "Mom, Elizabeth freaked me out!"