My Story My Song (To Happy Endings): To Happy Endings

By Minirah Nailah

Phoenix Ashby is an acronym for puberty and adolescence. It is an acknowledgement of the issues which young girls face on their journey to self-fulfillment.
The story is written through the eyes of a teenage girl who after reaching puberty finds herself on a roller coaster of sexual liaisons culminating in an abortion.
Phoenixs experiences growing up in the church-centered contradiction of a small Caribbean island, provides a fitting backdrop upon which her life story can be finally told. It is a mosaic of life, love, joy, pain and almost happy endings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483609720

Minirah Nailah

Munirah Nailah loosely translated means one who succeeds; enlightener. The author believes that everyone has success imprinted into their life only to be explored by choosing the right path. Her overarching philosophy ‘We Are Our brother’s Keeper.’ Munirah Nailah is a wife, mother, educator, artist, author, music composer, business entrepreneur and proud Caribbean woman. She has a keen interest in historical, social and political developments within the Caribbean as well as internationally. She has won academic and artistic awards at the national level and has recently received two awards in the UK song contest 2011 and 2012 respectively for two original music compositions ‘A Soul to Love’ and ‘Phoenix Rises.’ Munirah is a proud graduate of the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Erdiston Teachers’ Training College, Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity, St. Michael (Girls’) School and Hindsbury Primary School. She blends her academic pursuits and achievements with a rich seasoning of theatre-in-education . She has performed on stage as an actress, dancer/choreographer from approximately five years of age. The story of ‘Phoenix’ captures what the author hopes will be a message of hope that serves to inspire the success in all of us.

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by Munirah Nailah.

First edition 2007

Cover design concept by The Author

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 04/05/2013

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Contents

Chapter 1: In The Morning

Chapter 2: An Eye For An Eye

Chapter 3: This Illusion

Chapter 4: The Undoing

Chapter 5: Life

Chapter 6: Death

Chapter 7: And The End Is Happiness

Chapter 8: No… Fairytales

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my husband who taught me how to see again . . . what’s wrong with the world and what’s right with the world

—Munirah Nailah

Chapter 1

In The Morning

With the birth of her first child Phoenix finally believed that God had forgiven her. The pregnancy was uneventful. Eric was at her side during the birth of Sol. She had screamed. It was the excruciating scream of a mother when she felt her vagina open to expel new life into the madness of the world. It was madness from which she wanted to shelter her unborn child. But it was madness, which her child as every other child, would come to know.

Phee, Mummy had said just before Phoenix had gone to the hospital to have her baby, I don’t wanna frighten you, but it is going to hurt when that baby coming out yuh hear. It does really hurt. It feels like if yuh insides tearing out, it does burn like…

Doan mind ya mudda, she trying tuh frighten you, Dear Aunt opined. The best way to put it is before yuh born de chile, ya does got a vagina, but by de time it come out..it does be a p… ,

Violet please, must you always be so vulgar? Mummy interrupted.

Kah, kahhh! Dear Aunt’s hysterical cackle made Mummy furious.

Sometimes Mummy reminded Phoenix of those British ladies who served tea in the garden in the afternoon. Mummy was ‘well-bred’ as she liked to say. Both she and Phoenix’s grandmother felt that the families on both sides were ‘of good stock’. But Aunt Vie from all appearances, seemed to be adopted. How else could you explain her poor taste in clothing, men and the social graces?

Down dey does burn like a nigga peppa Phee, Mummy continued, but there is such joy when you hold that babe in your arms. Nothing could be better than that. Phoenix was often amused at her mother’s ability to switch between the vernacular and the ‘Queen’s English’ so readily.

Nothin’ better than that… said Dear Aunt in a mocking semi-British accent. Excepting a good piece o’ se… offered Dear Aunt Vie. Mummy interrupted, VIE!! VIE!! she exclaimed in