Tilted Crowns

By Naomi Nunez

Tilted Crowns is written with fiction telling stories of three different characters in different settings and times. Each story is a highly intense tale of drama, conflict, healing, and spiritual awakenings. Everything is not always as it appears to the naked eye. The story of Serai, a fine, fit, and well-rounded sex symbol is the prime example

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saffis Co
• Release date: Mar 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781735254616

Book preview

1

First Crown

A Fly Girl’s Flight

Life begins at different ages of our lives. Not life beginning as in being born. Life beginning to shape based on our own personal choices. Do you know what I’m saying? The wild twist and turns that make us awaken. Things that make you rethink actions and motives. Mine started around the summer of 9th grade, and I remember everything like it all happened yesterday. I’m from San Francisco, and we stayed even after that incident. It affected my family and me a lot. I was a 14-year-old young fly girl with that nice hood look everybody wanted. You have to do anything to please the hood and fit in around these parts. I was mostly doing my thing as a teen would generally do, but here’s the thing with a chick like me. I was young, but I really wanted to look good, needed to keep my hair done, and was required to keep the freshest gear. All I’m saying is I was going to high school, and I’m in 9th grade. What 9th Grader wants to go to school looking like some weak bum with no gear? No one. High school is rough, and you damn sure better work hard to make it easy. Most of making it easy is looking nice. It’s insane, though, because it’s hard to keep up with all these trends when my parents were legit workers. We didn’t have a lot of cash for me to fit in. So, I made things happen sometimes. Being raised in a family of four, there was not always enough money to get what I want. Daddy was the breadwinner, and Mommy stayed at home. So, what was I supposed to do? I mean, I could have just been a good girl and just follow the damn rules and stop minding what people thinks or says. I could have simply been happy with hard-working pops and getting good grades. There is a great saying I hear often. People say good things come to those who wait, so I know now.  That would have been the right thing to do, but again. It was high school. That shit is why I ain’t on good terms in this neighborhood to this day.

For some reason, I always hung out with older people, and it was kind of a good thing inside a bad thing.  I got a lot of wisdom from these old heads. Book smarts and street smarts. I needed that wisdom to make the best sense of everything I was wondering way back then. What I’m saying is they knew how to make it and survive it out here in this world. But there’s one thing. I sometimes got caught up on the terrible side of what they were doing. 

But, hey! Sometimes, being a little bad can get you something rather good out here. It always seemed that bad turned out to be useful in the hood. I never came across a reasonable person in the hood who made it to the top.  All I saw was a struggle. At that time, there were not a lot of well-to-do blacks unless they played sports. The other phenomenon was if you made it to Hollywood and the music business. Those were the only real ways out. Now and then, we might hear a story on the news of some well-spoken brother or sister who made it in the corporate world. It happened; it did not get spoken of often. Positive and legal careers were not the normal discussion in the grapevine I was involved in.  

What we heard about around these parts was shit like the dress I got from high-end stores and these hot shorts and jackets. Man, they’re burning hot. Hotter than the sun here in California! I was hitting up those stores with my booster buddies, pretending like we were trying on all of the new clothes that arrived fresh for the season. When I left the store, I’d have something that all the bitches wanted, and they have no clue about the fact I five-finger discounted it. Especially these skinny Levi jeans I got that summer. It fit my curves from my hips to my ankles. Those jeans will forever be ok to wear. I never see them getting old. It makes no sense to work so hard at taking something just for it not to fit. So, I check myself in the mirror at all angles. After being satisfied with how I look with the pants, I quickly got them off and hid them in the aluminum foil-lined handbag with the rest of my stolen clothes. I had on two-tone jeans I got last week, pairing them with a black shirt underneath a brown leather suede jacket. I put on my salt and pepper diamond studs that I earned with the money I got from saving up doing chores for my parents. They were JCPenney diamonds. Only 1/10 of a carat 14kt gold over sterling silver. There were, indeed, mine. I bought and paid for it. I wore them proudly. I was sure to put my curly hair up in a bun so the earrings could be seen. I shifted my body left and right. Would them boys like it if I tie my shirt up? Just to reveal a little tummy? Nope. I’m going to be different today. I’m still a fly girl, no matter what.

So, I let it stay and brushed myself with some cheap cologne. Next time, I must remind myself to get myself some perfume. I didn’t like to steal, and I was always eager to work. I just wasn’t old enough yet. But until then, the next time, it would be a good perfume for sure that I would swipe!  After my tiny heist, I arrived home. I put all my goods away and prepared to head downstairs. Anytime I left my room, I was sure to lock my door to keep my older brother, Andrei, out. That guy was a sneak. He liked to get in my room when he saw the opportunity to slide through and take anything in my room that would suit a guy. I ain’t givin’ him a chance to see what treasures I buried there. I worked too hard to take this stuff.

Mommy, I’m going out with Rachel. Can I go? I ask my mom sweetly.

She has known my best friend for the longest time. Between her and me, she’s the goody-two-shoes. She has a way cleaner rep than mine in the neighborhood since I’m a bit more well-versed on hood topics than her. I wouldn’t even say I was a bad girl. I was doing what I figure a lot of the other girls were doing. Honestly, most of the hood girls were stealing too. It was the thing to do for kids who had parents with low incomes or were not employed. I learned watching my older friends boosting. It was the only reason I even thought to do it.

All this time, I thought these chic’s had parents that were balling. The families were full of boosters and scammers in a lot of cases! They made that shit look so appealing. But, hey. If you weren’t dressed well enough, you couldn’t be a fly girl in this town. That is what I was shown in these streets, and that is what I believed. I should have believed what I saw at home. It was more realistic than those shady-ass streets. 

Mommy stares at me a little suspiciously and pushes, Are you sure you’re going with Rachel? Last time you said that I found out you were hangin’ with some drunk gambler. I will whack your ass if I hear that you gambled with that man, Kimberly. 

I was trying to get some quick money to shop, so I didn’t have to boost. I was about to put my defenses on the line until we heard a knock from our door. Mommy sighs frustratedly and opens the door to see Rachel smiling at her as she gives Mommy a shy wave.

Hi, Mrs. Nekaiti. Is Kim ready? We’re about to go to the concert with Mimi. Just us three.

Mommy blinks surprisingly and softly mutters to herself. I roll my eyes. Probably, it’s about me telling the truth. She turns to me and nods towards Rachel.

You better behave and stay with Rachel, Kimberly. Otherwise, I’d find out. I. Always. Find out. She emphasized the last four words.

I softly groan at that. If she hears me doing that, mommy might make her sermons longer, and we won’t be able to leave. Once I close the door, I turn to Rachel, giving her a look that completely says something about Mommy, making her snort at me as we walk towards the elevator. We live in an apartment since we can’t afford a house. The rent’s ok since Daddy’s made sure for us not to pay up late. And since it’s not too expensive, Mommy’s able to squeeze out the cash to feed us twice a day every month. Because of that, I’m still thankful that we’re lucky to be fed.

What you got yourself into to get your Ma cracked up like that? Rachel asked amusingly, making me shake my head.

Girl let me tell you, Mikey got caught shooting dice with some other dudes. So, I almost got caught up in that mess, I shrug. Best friend, it is a good thing these dudes around here are cool as hell. They did not bring my name into it at all. My mom would have killed me if she got a call from the police station!

The idea of me going to jail cracks Rachel up into a laughing spree. Oh, girl. You better act better if you want to get onto your family’s good side. You have to get your ma to see that you’re a good girl, or else we won’t be havin’ the best summer of our lives.  I looked puzzled at this because half the family was a hot dam drunken mess. How in the hell could they possibly judge me for a few bad choices?   

Oh, I will eventually. Today just is not that day, best friend. For now, I’ll be a fly bitch. I had plans to enjoy myself at that concert. I’m grinding on some hot boys. Ooh, damn. This girl’s so ready to party. Let’s go! I said.

My second time attending a concert should be a blast! I just imagined the vibe of the crowd and the flow of the music. After a few minutes of walking, we’re now there. I know the concert is inside because the beats and drums are pounding through the walls as it resonates through my nerves and chest. It makes me feel nervous and excited. I like this feeling in my bones, music crawling through my skin, and multi-colored lights dancing around mid-air. I can’t wait.

Let’s go in, I just spoke that out loud and tried to push through the crowd. If it weren’t for Rachel, pulling my collar back to where the entrance proudly stands, the bouncer wouldn’t have suspected me getting in. Now, he got his eyes locked on me. His build is huge and heavy, very opposite to my slim and curvy body. I got no chance against that. I pull out a glare towards Rachel’s nonchalant glance.

What the hell, Rachel?! I could’ve gotten inside if you didn’t pull me."

Rachel snorts at me for my outburst.