Cookie

By Latrice Lanay

Gloria was born and raised in Baltimore. Athough she was the seventh of nine sisters; she was always the one that was more outspoken and into life and took on whatever life brought her way. This is her story!  Now although this is fiction, some of the things that were introduced to the reader in each chapter were put there for a purpose. I have no idea, but what I do know there are a lot of Gloria’s out there. There also are a lot of Cookie’s too. If you are the reader share the same name and this book did not pertain to your life style then, please excuse the actions that take place. On the other hand, you can relate then please know that there is always a way out of situations. Prayer changes things! Believe me, I know.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 8, 2009
• ISBN: 9781449007409

Latrice Lanay

Growing up Latrice Lanay was able to experience different walks of life. At an early age she knew that she had a certain gift for writing. In each of her stories she embodies family, education, and inspiration. Her only true hope is that someone reads her book and learns any one of the lessons taught.

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AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2009 Latrice Lanay. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 9/3/2009

ISBN: 978-1-4490-0740-9 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-0974-8 (sc)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Epilogue

This book is

dedicated to every Cookie I have come across in my lifetime. Please know that my heart is full of laughter and joy within the moments that we have shared and pain and sorrow in moments that we have also shared. Thank you for letting me in on your life and being able to tell others the truth about it. God bless.

Acknowledgments

First I want to thank God for blessing me with a special talent like writing. I know that there were times when I didn’t realize how talented I was, and He made it so that I could see. Second, I want to thank my father for getting my mother pregnant and a special thanks to my mother for not aborting me. I know that we have been through some crazy times in life, but it was all worth it. I love you both. I want to thank my brothers and sisters for believing in me. I want to thank my family. I want to thank my friends. I want to thank my teachers, whether living or deceased. That is why I write. They pulled out so much in me. They inspired me to challenge my brain. I want to acknowledge my fellow writers. They encouraged me to continue to dream. Thank you! I needed that. Also, last but not least, anyone who has ever read anything I have written and enjoyed it. Thank you. This is for you. Here is a message: God listens, and then He speaks!

P.S. I was about to give up on my dream and this book would have never been, but I learned that I was pregnant, and my whole world turned around. Although I had been writing this book for seven years off and on, I knew that I could never give up on my dream. My lesson was that I should’ve never blocked my blessing. I really want to thank God for interfering in my life!

In the Beginning There Was Cookie …

Chapter 1

What is life without love? Nothing. My name is Gloria Ann Parker, and my life is another story. Eight of my sisters and I were raised in a single-parent home, but with two parents. Our mother, big Gloria, or Mama, as we called her, was the type of woman who felt that she was strong enough to raise her children without a man. My father never lived with us, but he was there to help with whatever was needed. My sisters and I went to my dad’s house quite often. Although my mother had a good heart, it was always broken. I believe that it came from her bad choices of men. Inside my mother suffered from constant loneliness. She treated each one of her daughters like the father they had. What was it about her that would make a man treat her wrong? , Mama never really knew how to love. When she would start to love again, most of those people would die. I think that is what caused my mother to drink a lot as I was growing up. Resulting from her continuous heartbreak, she became an alcoholic.

My father, Gary Parker, was the opposite. He was ten years younger than my mother, and he was in love with her. Honestly I believe that they both loved each other. By the time Daddy was about twenty-one he was a high school graduate with three little daughters. We were the youngest of Mama’s children. Our father was a good man. He did anything and everything for his daughters. Daddy also would help my mother out when he could with the rest of my sisters. We all loved him. That often made Mama jealous. I think it was because he had more love for us than any of her other children’s fathers ever had. The other fathers wanted nothing to do with Mama.

Mama’s life before Daddy brought her best friend Carmen. She and my mother were both from the South. Carmen was beautiful,! As she grew into a teenager, her father would sneak in her bedroom at night to have sex with her while everyone was sleep. Carmen often cried about it. My mother didn’t like it, and she was known as the town whore because she was fifteen with two babies. During those times, a teen mother was unheard of. Carmen decided to move. She could no longer stomach the sexual abuse from her father. She figured that she and my mother had to leave their small town for a big city. They ended up in Baltimore. Carmen was another person who really knew how to deal with my mother. I don’t understand how Carmen put up with my mother because she was more soft spoken, and my mother was loud and outrageous!

My paternal grandmother, Annie Mae Parker, adored my mother. My grandmother, also known as Granny, helped my mother take care of us. Granny was an extremely sweet woman. Anyone who knew Granny couldn’t help but to love her. She would give you a place to stay and a good meal to eat if you were hungry. Granny was like a mother to her community. Granny made sure that my sisters and I grew up with morals. When she died, my mother went crazy. I hate feeling sorry for mother, but that was one of the times I couldn’t help it.

What was it like having all of those sisters? Well, let’s see. My eldest sister, Deloris, or Sister, was jealous because Mama never let her do anything. When Sister turned eighteen, she left our house. She ended up being a nurse. Sister married a man named Tony. On the outside they were a nice couple. Tony definitely needs a backbone to deal with her. My sister is the man, and he is the woman. Together they have three children, T.J., who’s four, John, who’s three, and then there is Vanessa, who just turned two. I hope they don’t have any more children. God knows that she doesn’t need any more children!

The next sister in line is Evelyn, or Eve, as we called her. She is one of the nicer sisters I have. She has a lot of class. She was genuinely a kind person. Then there was Karen. Karen wanted to leave Baltimore for good. She attended and graduated from Temple University. While attending Temple she met and married a man named Kevin. He is nice. He reminds me of the male version of her. Karen stayed in Philadelphia. She promised me that she would never return to Baltimore unless she was forced to. She became a teacher. She and her husband live in a suburb outside of Philly.

After Karen, another sister I have is Cheryl. She’s known as the craziest sister. Cheryl has two children by two different men. Her oldest son, Brandon, is two, and he lives with his father. Her youngest son, Tyler, lives with our other sister. She is Cheryl’s rescuer. She always has been. Cheryl’s profession right now is nothing but living with Mama. She’s a fighter. She always fights, especially Tyler’s father, Quick. My sister Elizabeth practices Islamic rules. She and my baby sister Barbara keep arguments going about religion. Liz, as we call her, is also married. Her husband, Jamil, is a part of the Nation of Islam, and they are raising Tyler and her new baby, Aminta, who is one month old, up to be in his religion. Barbara hates that! Jamil controls Liz’s every action. Jamil hates me. Ask me if I give a damn. Hell no! I believe that he likes my sister, Cynthia. I wish I would catch him look at Cynthia. Bastard!

I left out a sister because we aren’t speaking, and that’s Faith, otherwise known as Tiny. I can’t stand her. She acts so holy. Faith goes to church, but you see her in the disco on Saturday dancing to Earth, Wind, and Fire, talking about that’s my song. What is she doing there? Grooving—but she is the first one in church on Sunday morning.

Cynthia, who is next in line, is my girly sister. She loves fashion. She could always hook up an outfit out of nothing but make it look like something. She’s in college. She is very smart. She gets the best grades from studying so hard. She was top of her high school graduating class. She also believes that we all need to take things one day at a time. My sisters like to pick with her sometimes because of her tone. I always had to take up for her because she is more soft spoken than I am. She is one of my favorites and the closest sister I have.

Then lastly there’s Barbara. Barbara is my angel! She is heavily into church, which is great. She’s another smart sister. Church and school keep her focused on life. Our family is one thing, but church and school are one in the same. As a whole we make up some crazy sisters. The only time we have unity is on Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving is going to change for good, I know.

I can recall springtime of 1973. This was when everyone was living. I was living back and forth with my parents. I couldn’t help it. My grandmother didn’t like that, and every chance she had she would let me know that I was wrong. Well, I’m the most outgoing daughter that Mama has. I have always been that way. I mean … I love my sisters, but my sisters were never like that.

I can remember when my second oldest sister, Evelyn, or Eve, as we called her, had been out of the house about two years. She was living in south Baltimore. There is neighborhood called Westport, right by Cherry Hill. She had a little boyfriend out there. No one liked him! He was crazy. My father did not trust him. One thing about my father was that he loved children. Eve was not bad looking herself. She always looked fine, so we would’ve never imagined the worst thing to ever happen. One thing our mama taught us was that we would never let a man hit one of our sisters. We might not be physically strong as one, but as a unit we were unstoppable.

Speaking of Eve, Daddy’s Fish Fridays were always the best growing up. That was a time when we decided that we would go over to his house instead of having my mother’s soul food. It was not like her food was bad, but we needed to eat with him too. Although her feelings were hurt sometimes, she went over there too. My grandmother lived with Daddy. I think that it was that my mother was still in love with him. I believed that so much. You see, two of my sisters and I wanted them to be together. I think that even though they won’t admit it, my other sisters did too! I remember one Friday in particular when my second-oldest sister, Eve, was alive. I believe she was pregnant. Of course, my mother was not too thrilled about that. She felt that Eve would make the mistake that she had in having a child young and tried to prevent it. By now she started to make allegations because of Eve’s boyfriend. At that time I knew that my sister was in love. The love that my sister had for him was unimaginable. I thought that he loved her too.

Anyway, we were at my father’s house and I was in my room. I was lying across the bed reading a book when my sister Cynthia came in there and started talking. Usually I’ll listen, but the book was getting good. That is when she snapped her fingers trying to get my attention.

Cookie, did you hear anything that I said? she asked, rolling her eyes.

No. Cynthia, I was trying to read, I answered.

Well, I just heard Eve arguing, Cynthia lashed out to me.

What? I answered in total shock.

I have no idea, but I heard her yelling at someone, Cynthia added.

That is funny because you know that she never gets into anything, I replied.

I know, Cynthia said.

That is when we both heard her yelling. Along with our other sisters, we all went to see what was wrong. It seemed as if she was yelling at her boyfriend. It was became a serious moment that we were not ready for. Eve was my peaceful sister. She didn’t like drama. There was a second in their argument that we all thought he was going to hit Eve. Of course, it did not sit well with me at all, so I went over there. Cheryl’s crazy ass went too. He was scared of all of us as a whole, but when Eve was alone he had the power.

Look, I know I am young, but if you touch my sister I will show you another side of little, I boldly said, knowing that despite my other sisters’ jealousy we don’t play with hitting on women. I knew that we as a whole could take his ass down! Regardless, I still had certain sisters who were peacemakers, though. I just wanted him to hit her!

He ain’t stupid! Cheryl added. Go ahead, hit Eve and see what happens!

Oh really, little mama … will that make you happy? he asked in a sly ass voice.

It sure would, I sarcastically answered, just waiting on him to hit Eve.

I remember as I said that, he hit Eve and all I saw was red. Our mama taught us that a man should never hit on a woman, and if he did, we needed to knock his ass out! I remember waking up with my clothes draped in blood. My sister Eve meant the world to me, and to have her going through physical abuse was not right. Out of all of my older sisters, Cynthia and Eve were definitely closest to me.

The next morning Eve came into my room. Of all of our conversations, this was one that I knew that I would never forget. I saw by the look in her eyes that there was something that she needed to say to me. I hope that she was not disappointed in what happened yesterday. I remember sitting on my bed.

Cookie, I am not mad at you for yesterday, but I was shocked. Are you okay? she asked as I opened my eyes.

I am fine. I know that I am younger than y’all, but Mama always said cut the man that cuts you. That is what I did. I know that he didn’t have any business putting his hands on you.

I am fine. The baby is fine. Don’t worry about me, Cookie. I can take care of me. Ya’ll are always worried about me. Aunt Carmen said that you and Cheryl were on the ground. Granny came out there and broke it up. Mama pushed me out of the way.

I know that you are grown, but I know that you need some help sometimes.

Yes. I am fine. Cynthia already said that she would baby-sit.

What about Karen?

You know that she said that. She is the godmother. Look, I am going to go through something big soon. I have to be ready, so what I need from you is for you to stop giving Mama a hard time. Please?

I don’t give her a hard time. She just doesn’t understand me.

I do. You are just like her. She is just scared, that is all. She doesn’t want you to end up like her.

Oh, I won’t. Mama struggles.

She does not want you to be a fast-ass little girl. I don’t either.

Why do you always come to me to give me advice?

I love you. Besides, that is what big sisters are for. Think about it. Other than Cynthia, who is going to keep you moving? Barbara is too young. What example are you setting for her?

What about the other sisters?

What do you mean … setting examples? Oh, they are going to try it. Barbara is more like Granny. She is not going to pay them any attention. She is also going to fall in love one day, and you and Cynthia need to be there for her. Don’t worry about the other sisters. They love you too. They just have funny ways of showing it. Look, one day you are going to be in love and get married and have babies. Our sisters are going to be so jealous. I will be right there. I’ll help you and your husband. Trust me, you will need it.

Well, I love all of you too. They just get on my nerves. The only time that Cheryl and I get along is to fight.

I know one thing. Cynthia and Barbara are close to you too.

Of course, we have the same father.

I know that he ain’t my father, but I know he acts like it. I don’t mind. Cookie, please listen to me, because I don’t have one. Hold on to the love that you have for your father. Let me go. The baby moved, she finished as she gave me a hug and left.

About three months after that conversation she had a son. She named him Marlon. Marlon was the biggest baby any of my sisters had. As a matter of fact, she was the sister that had a ten-pound, seven-ounce baby. Up until that point, I hadn’t seen my Eve that happy. Mama enjoyed being a grandmother. My father was there too. He liked all kids. Marlon’s birth brought here upon unity.

In my family, life has a funny way of explaining situations. Everyone has his or her own stories. Each chapter was meant to