Meet Me at the Back Gate

By Sandra E. Camp- Carter

Sandra E. Camp-Carter now resides in Dover Delaware, however a native of Richmond, Virginia. Shes a wife, mother and grandmother that thrive on the energy from her family and friends. Sandra started writing at the early age of seven, which became her way of communicating her inner thoughts. Shes written and won several awards for creative poetry which led to being a second time author. Aside from writing, Sandra loves cooking, entertaining family and has been known as a natural comedian. Her career has always been in the medical field, taking care of the ones who heal others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503595880

Book preview

Copyright © 2015 by Sandra E. Camp- Carter.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015913436

ISBN:            Hardcover                        978-1-5035-9590-3

                      Softcover                           978-1-5035-9589-7

                       eBook                               978-1-5035-9588-0

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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 09/02/2015

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Contents

Chapter 1 Starting The Day

Chapter 2 Little Kara

Chapter 3 Rowena And Dee

Chapter 4 Night Action

Chapter 5 A Good Day

Chapter 6 Doing Something Different

Chapter 7 Sam’s Drama

Chapter 8 Hanging Out For A Change

Chapter 9 Life Is Good

Chapter 10 Shirley And Dee! Omg!

Chapter 11 Let’s Chat

Chapter 12 Michelle And Johnny

Chapter 13 A Baby….Sam?

Chapter 14 Trudy’s Secret

Chapter 15 Finding A New Trudy

Chapter 16 Coming Into Place

Chapter 17 Letting It All Go…To Be Happy

About The Author: Sandra E. Camp-Carter

This book is dedicated to Michael, Ashley, Ke’Sandra, Shaniqua, Deonte, Daveon, Divere, Sanniya, Amir, Latoya, Gary,Angela, Adriane, Miajhya, San’Taja, Jaqueline, nephews, family and friends. I love the way you all love me unconditionally. Thanks for your support!

Meet Me at The Back Gate is a very funny book that is based on a neighborhood loaded with ordinary people on any ordinary day with different situations that may occur

Gertrude, Gertrude, Gertrude, this is one lady all over the place in everybody’s business contributing her thoughts on situations when no one really asked. She’s a widow with nothing to do but sit in her back yard where the neighbors tend to stop by using her as a counselor. Her advice and comments are open, hard and funny. She got bored with just existing and started adventuring out to different things, which led to a steamy romance. There are situations of the characters that relate to real life. They deal with it but of course with the help of Trudy, as they call her. She is something more than a neighbor; she’s a friend and they will miss her once she’s busy with her new love. Maybe??

Chapter 1

Starting the Day

G ertrude, also known as Trudy, had something on her mind; she just received the news of her sister’s health. Punkin (her sister) had not been feeling so well lately and Trudy was very worried. It seemed like whomever she loved; she lost them. That messed with her heart. As she waited for the news, it had her remembering her husband Gordon. He’d lost the battle with lung cancer and it was still a big sting that never seemed to heal. She still cried herself to sleep some nights. She kept him alive by soaking herself in memories and listening to music in their garden. She loved to admire the assorted flowers that they planted, especially the roses. Today was sunny, a nice breeze was blowing and it was just right outside, so she decided to play slow soothing jazz and have some of her home made potion that made her feel really good and calm, some called it hooch. Her potion was her remedy made of ginger soda, lime, and lemon peel and a teaspoon of gin. If she told the truth, it’s two shots of gin. As Trudy sat in her back yard, relaxed as the day grew long, she started thinking about how quiet it is in the hood today. Just as she thought it, she heard that damned Jonathan! Jonathan is her neighbor in the back of her house, Married to Michelle, a very sweet young lady who doesn’t deserve his ass! Johnathan was taking the trash out, making all kinds of noise, so she rose up with her chest poked out, twisting her neck around and pointing. Hey Johnny boy! How you doing today? She sounded a little agitated. He yelled I’m good Ms. Trudy. He mumbled and shook his head. Damn, that woman had to see me! She’s so nosy…and as soon as he said it, she yelled, you mighty sharp to be taking some trash out, what’s going in your world today? Nothing Ms. Trudy, I’m just going to hang with my cousin for a while, they got some things going on. Trudy nodded her head and said oh. What she truly thought was…He’s is lying, he’s going out to play in the streets. He lies like the pavement on the street….stretched out long and black! She thought he was a natural liar anyway. It ain’t anything more badly than a long, stretched and black lie! Trudy just didn’t like him but the thing is; he probably has never given her a reason personally not to like him. This slick so and so won’t ever be any good for that girl. Trudy had a soft spot for his wife Michelle. She was so sweet and truly wifey material. Michelle grew up in the neighborhood and her parents were good people who invested in their children and worked hard to succeed in life. When she started dating Jonathan, she lost the strong bond with her family. Michelle and Johnny have been married for years now, but things started falling apart between them. Mostly when she lost her first baby and it put her in a serious depression, ok, both of them, but Michelle worked and drowned her sorrows in hours of labor at work and Johnny just drowned himself in the labor of women and booze. That was Trudy’s analysis of the situation. Anyway, Trudy lay back again. See you later, she yelled at Johnny and continued to imagine herself on the beach with her husband while the music was playing. Those thoughts made her feel so good inside! It was like the love was stronger now that her Gordon was gone, more so than when her husband was alive. Maybe that’s what it’s supposed to be like. Once you lose something you love, you appreciate it much, much more. She knew that in the past she didn’t fully treat him right, but hell, he didn’t treat her like a queen all those years either. Gordon was 47 when he died of cancer. They had some good years together. Gertrude remembered when they met. She fell in love with him almost overnight. He was a fair skinned man with a medium build of muscles, dark features and plenty of sex appeal topped with a good heart. He was rough though, a hard man known to the outsiders. Gord and Trudy never had children, and she regrets that sometimes, they had plenty of good times, but when the bad times came hard and rough, it was just that. She’s over it though and has been way before he was gone. The past ten years together before his fate, was wonderful. Trudy was sitting there in her world when all of a sudden the neighborhood drunk…Dandridge was yelling her name! Trudy, hey Trudy! She tried not to answer but he wouldn’t go away, just standing at the back fence asking: What you drinking on girl? Trudy sat up again, twisting that neck and speaking loudly. She emphasized her works; Look Daaan! I’m resting so carry yourself on down the street and mind your business. Dan yelled, woman who in the world are you talking to? What you sipping on girl? She looked at him with a strange look on her face, rolled her eyes and spread her nose. Her nose was big enough that a Mack truck could slide right through it. Dan, I’m sipping on my potion that makes my world an easy place to live in on any given day. Dan asked if it was any left to share. Trudy walked over to the fence holding that one glass, as she swayed her hips side to side, slowly and sarcastically. She leaned on the fence and looked to the sky. Moving her head in a back and forth motion, she said calmly, now Dan, If, and that’s a big if, I gave you my last sip, then my day will go long and my nerves short. Do you want to do that to a sweet girl like me? Dan answered her as he spoke soft and looking up to the sky; hell, you’ll be alright, let me share your potion so my day can be easy too. I like long days, it give me more time to linger in some well-deserved potion that’s coming to me. They both laughed. They started a conversation: Dan put his arm across the fence to rest. Trudy, did you hear about that robbery last night at the corner store? She said she heard some things but wasn’t really paying attention to it, It’s a shame they killed the owner, he was a good man. Dan said Ella’s boy robbed the store. He’s been hanging out with that funky crowd. Ella must be feeling mighty bad about things, the way her boy is handling his business. Yeah, Trudy said, but the only thing we can do is pray with her and for her. Ella took good care of them boys and