The Dark Sides of a Woman: A Collection of Short Stories

By Queen Goddess

In this collection of inspirational short stories, author Queen Goddess explains valuable moral lessons in a realistic and modern setting.

"White Ain't Always Right!"-Instead of Arlene asking for a good honest man whether he be a Black man, Latin man, Indian man or Asian man, Arlene asked for a white man. She got him. Boy did she get him.

"Chocolate Tropical Delights"-Ming's parents took their daughter's sexual preference very hard. Nevertheless, they had no other choice but to accept their daughter's gay lifestyle.

"Mama's Boy Toy"- when children are subjected to physical and sexual abuse many of them will become very reckless and violent. Unfortunately, many may end up in prison or experience mental instability. However, there is hope as in the case of Sammy Jr. When someone has experienced or suffered childhood abuse and finally finds the courage to face their darkness and seek counseling, healing is then possible.

"Stick Up Kidz"- life is short, so live each day like it's your last day, and do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. Tomorrow is promised to no one. It took a robbery for Donna to realize that.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 28, 2006
• ISBN: 9780595854103

Queen Goddess

Queen Goddess has written for The Sketchbook 80, Urban America, Ebonix Communication, and Felon Magazine. She graduated from Hostos College with a degree in liberal arts. Visit her Web site at www.thedarksidesofawoman.com.

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The Dark Sides of a Woman A Collection of Short Stories

Copyright © 2006 by Queen Goddess

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-41049-1 (pbk)

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-67866-2 (cloth)

ISBN-13: 978-0-595-85410-3 (ebk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-41049-9 (pbk)

ISBN-10: 0-595-67866-1 (cloth)

ISBN-10: 0-595-85410-9 (ebk)

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

White Ain’t Always Right!

Chapter 2

Chocolate Tropical Delights

Chapter 3

Roots & Culture

Chapter 4

Walk On water Christian

Chapter 5

Strip Tea

Chapter 6

Mama’s Boy Toy

Chapter 7

Faking da funk!

Chapter 8

Stick Up Kidz

Chapter 9

Down Low Bro flow

Chapter 10

Strike up the band

Chapter 11

Speed Dialing

Chapter 12

Bike Race

Chapter 13

Seduction

Epilogue

Livicated & Dedicated

Thanks And Acknowledgments

Prologue

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Introduction   

Women of the world have been exposed to many diverse experiences in their relationships; including myself. All women have a dark side that reveals itself when they go through situations with their families, friends, lovers, employer, coworkers, students, enemies, and the list goes on and on.

I have traveled the world: Indonesia, Hawaii, Jamaica, Belize, Amsterdam, Ecuador, Guatemala, Senegal, Ghana, Gambia, Mali, and North America. As a natural hair care stylist specializing in dreadlocs servicing women of all cultures, I’ve listened to infinite stories about women in relationships.

Inspired by the stories I heard and my own personal experiences, I began writing short stories. Each chapter represents a different story about a woman in her relationship(s) and the dark side she encountered.

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of my imagination and are used fictitiously Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and intended to give the fiction a sense of reality or authenticity.

Perhaps you have a friend or family member that you will feel a story was taken from or written about, literally. As a student of creative writing, throughout my high school and college years, I developed the desire to write short stories. You will find these short stories are often written in a creative style.

I hope you enjoy these stories and learn from each woman’s experience. There are stories that will have the moral of the story written at the end. Others you will have to figure out for yourself.

Some readers may read this book and say, Oh man, what a story. That is my purpose for writing this book. Others may read this book and say, Yeah, right! That is also my purpose for writing this book.

So, keep an open mind while reading this book, and be attached to nothing. It’s the kind of book you can read on your way to work, to school, at the beach, at the park, at the library, at the doctor’s office, in the bathroom, or during your break. Anywhere! Everybody loves a good short story. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

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Chapter 1

White Ain’t Always Right!   

Arlene was born and raised in Trench Town Jamaica, West Indies. Her mother was Jamaican and her father was from Trinidad. Arlene was obsessed with white men. Her parents always told her, If you want the good life, you better go white because white is right!

Wrong! Arlene’s life was a sad song; Arlene came to New York City when she was 13 years old. She did well in school. So well that she landed a scholarship at NYU and decided she would major in business or law. Arlene’s parents were so proud of their baby girl.

Out of their three children, only Arlene had finished high school and was going to college.

Arlene’s siblings took to the street life. Both her brother and sister decided street pharmaceutics was more their style and speed. Arlene’s parents were broken-hearted, and she was their only meal ticket to success. She wanted to study business and law. She wanted her own law firm, to help immigrants with their immigration problems. Many of her family members had been deported due to immigration laws.

Her first year at NYU was fabulous. She became very popular with the affluent yuppies. She did not associate with Jamaicans or black people in general. She was out to get her great white hope.

At the end of her first year, before the Summer Break, Arlene met a wonderful white man at the library. She was doing a research paper for her pre-law class. Pat was very charming and a perfect gentleman. They made eye contact from the table where she was sitting. She became very shy when the blonde haired, blue-eyed guy approached her. Pat had the serious Mack and she was butter. Arlene melted right into his game plan.

Pat’s family was from Ireland. Irish and Jamaicans had similar accents in common. Pat loved reggae music and Jamaican food. Arlene always wanted to visit Europe, so her prayers had been answered, she thought. Arlene and Pat talked for hours. The librarian had to tell them it was closing time. Pat asked Arlene for her phone number and asked her out on a date. Pat courted her for a year before he popped the big question, Will you marry me?

To Arlene’s parents, Pat was the best son-in-law candidate. They adored him. He would often treat Arlene’s parents to dinner and a movie. Pat and Arlene’s father loved sports, especially hockey. Pat surprised Arlene’s father with season hockey tickets. Pat would go to church on Sunday with the family while dating Arlene. He never came to their house empty handed; he always came bearing gifts. Pat loved helping Arlene’s mom with her garden and taught her landscaping. Pat was an asset to her family. In their eyes, he could do no wrong.

Arlene almost lost her mind with excitement. She was marrying one of New York’s finest, a firefighter with good benefits. Pat had just become a firefighter. He was considering taking some law classes at NYU as well. Little did Arlene know, but her future husband was an undercover alcoholic. Pat never drank when he dated Arlene, but once they tied the knot, he drank non-stop.

Pat became very violent after drinking. He would beat Arlene so bad that she couldn’t go to school. Arlene’s grades began to drop and so did her GPA, but she was too ashamed to tell her yuppie friends or family. This couldn’t be happening, she thought. Arlene’s world was supposed to be perfect. Pat was supposed to be perfect. Pat had promised to treat Arlene like his queen; instead, he treated Arlene like his servant. She was forced to cook and clean to his specifications. If she didn’t, Pat would snap and physically attack her.

One autumn day, while Arlene was grocery shopping, she ran into her brother and sister whom she looked down on. Arlene thought she was better than they were because she was in college studying pre-law. She had been married for a year now and she had never invited her siblings to their home, not to mention their wedding.

Arlene’s siblings, Devon and Pam, heard their baby sister had roped in a Yankee, as her big brother Devon referred to Arlene’s husband. Pam noticed bruises on her sister’s face and neck and asked her was everything cool. Arlene played if off and told her siblings everything is cool, mon. In fact, Arlene didn’t look good at all. She was a very pretty girl with a great shape but Arlene had gained weight and looked very distraught. Her face was puffy and swollen, and her eyes were red. Arlene then began to fumble with her groceries and told her siblings that she had to hurry home because she had a night class that she had to get ready for.

Devon and Pam decided to follow their baby sister home because they smelled a stinking fish. When Arlene arrived, she was late, and her husband had started drinking so he was not in a good mood. Pat began to curse like a sailor and fling around the groceries she brought home. Pat had no idea Pam and Devon were straight up thugs from the streets. If you looked at them wrong, you might not see another day. They were always strapped with a piece or a switchblade knife ready for anything that came their way!

Pam and Devon pried open a window and slipped in the house. They could hear Pat’s drunken rage and then they heard their baby sister hit the floor! Pam and Devon busted into the room. Pat was shocked and so was Arlene. Devon had a gun, and Pam had a ratchet switchblade knife that she was famous for slicing and dicing peeps on the street with. Both Pam and Devon bum rushed Pat. He nearly pissed on himself and sobered up immediately! Devon had the pistol in Pat’s mouth, and Pam had the knife to his throat.

Meanwhile, Arlene was semi-conscious; Pat had hit her so hard that she thought she was dreaming, until she heard her big sister say, I should kill ya bomber clot ras for beating pun my baby sistah. That’s when Arlene came to her senses and picked herself off the floor and started to plead for Pat’s life. Devon looked at Arlene with blood fire in his eyes and replied, What iya Arlene, chaw, him no do nothing but beat de I like you iz him slave! No mon woman beater fa dead two gun shots inna him head seen!

Arlene tried to reason with her siblings, but they were just not hearing it until Pat made them a financial offer to save his life. Pat offered Arlene’s siblings $2000 cash, plus he promised that he would go get help for his alcohol problem and that he would never put his hands on Arlene or disrespect her again. As Devon and Pam were ready to make their decision, the doorbell rang. It was their parents, who decided to surprise Arlene with a visit because they hadn’t seen Pat or their baby girl in months. Well it’s on now, said Devon, and he told Arlene to answer the door so her parents could see what a low-life, no-good, woman beater she had married!

Arlene opened the door very slowly. Her mom was carrying a cake she had baked, and her dad had a present for Pat. When Arlene’s parents saw her face, her mother screamed and dropped the cake. Arlene’s father became enraged asking Arlene, Who did this to you? As Arlene’s father entered the living room, he saw his older children with the culprit. Arlene’s parents were shocked, they could not believe that their Mr. Perfect Pat had been abusing their baby girl.

Although Arlene’s parents were unhappy with their other two children, they were very pleased that they had rescued their baby sister. Arlene’s father was so angry and disappointed in Pat that he snatched the gun from his son and threatened to kill Pat for hurting his baby girl. He told Pat, I trusted you with my daughter and you disrespect me, my family, and my daughter!

Pat began to plead with Arlene’s father. He told him how sorry he was and that he needed help because he was a functioning alcoholic. Right then a light went on in her dad’s head. What do you propose to do, Pat? It all makes sense now, he said, This is why my baby girl’s GPA dropped and why she is always saying she was to busy to come over and visit. It’s because my baby girl was ashamed.

Arlene just sobbed in her mother’s arms while her siblings were trying to convince their father to put the gun down and talk to Pat. Pam had put her blade away. They almost felt sorry for Pat. Pat had never been this scared in his life. Arlene’s father still had the gun to Pat’s head and the family was begging him to put down the gun.

Suddenly, the police burst into their house and shot Arlene’s father and brother, killing them instantly. Pat and Arlene lived in a predominately white neighborhood. One of the neighbors saw Pam and Devon enter Arlene’s house through the window and heard all the loud fussing, so they called the police. Arlene, Pam, and their mother were hysterical. They could not believe that they had lost their husband, father, and brother that fast! The cops’ only concern was Pat’s safety. He was New York’s finest, a firefighter.

Pat lay down in a pool of blood balling like a newborn baby. It was his entire fault, but the authorities would never believe that.

The moral of the story is, be careful what you ask for because you just might get it. Instead of Arlene asking for a good honest man whether he be a Black man, Latin man, Indian man or Asian man, Arlene asked for a white man. She got him. Boy did she get him. Arlene and her mom had to learn that white ain’t always right!

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Chapter 2

Chocolate Tropical Delights   

Ming was a very beautiful woman. Her father was Korean and her mother was Mexican. She was born in Ohio in a very upper-middle-class neighborhood. Her parents owned their own supermarket in the hood. The only time Ming saw black folks was when her parents brought her to the supermarket, which was not often.

When Ming was 14 years old, she remembered her father being upset with her because she was playing video games with a Black Puerto Rican girl and boy. Ming’s father told her that she was not allowed to play with niggers and spicks. That they were only in their community to get their money and that was all! Ming was so hurt by what her father said that she began to hate all men that day.

Her mom didn’t talk very much but that day she had something to say. She told Ming, A woman must always stay in her place, because the man is the head of the house and makes all the rules and decisions. Well, this just exasperated Ming. She made up her mind