” Mummy! You are back.” Said Erica as she hurried to the door to welcome her mother who had just returned from work.
” My goodness. Baby why aren’t you asleep it’s just five AM.” Said Marilyn and lifted the little girl off the ground before bringing her to rest on her bosom.
” Mummy I am watching cartoon on Dakota’s TV.” Said Erica and pointed to the old box television.
” Aunt Dakota. Manners baby, Manners. You should be sleeping by now. It’s to early to have awaken. Come let’s lie on the couch and get some sleep first.” She said and headed for the long couche which served as her bed. ” Noo nummy I want to watch cartoon.” She called out in a protest and waited to see her mothers reaction.
” Baby who even taught you how to put on the TV?”
” Aunt Dakota did. She showed me the buttons to press.” Said the little girl who still held on tight to the remote. ” How long have you been watching the catoon?” She asked and gazed at her daughter eyes away from the cobalt lights of the room.
” All night. I have Missed them so much.” Erica said in a sobbing tone.
” Oh I see. All night huh. Give me this damn remote and have some sleep. Baby you know you are just getting better from a sickness and you body needs rest. Why do you treat me like this? Should I quit my night job to babysit a young woman like you?” She said in a tone of humor in a bid to stop the child from getting emotional. The young woman, in her mother’s words always seemed to crank her up, causing her to chuckle loudly.
” I’m i a young woman?” She asked her mom not knowing when the remote was taken off her hands and when the TV was put off.
” Yes baby. You are a cheeky young woman just like me.” Said Marilyn in a deep humorous voice.
” Mommy I don’t have these.” She said in frenzy of chuckles while placing her hands on her mother’s breast.
” You do baby. They are right here under those shirts” said Marilyn and tickled the little girl who laughed out really hard.
” Let’s quickly sleep. And then we will have breakfast when we awake.” Said Marilyn and raised her legs from the floor, conveying them to the couch and laying on it to have some sleep while she held on to her baby.
” Peace be unto this house. Is everyone still sleeping.” Said a deep voice of ownership that cranked up both mother and child, causing to awaken.
” Dakota!” Shouted a Sleeping Erica who quickly got her little legs off the couch and rushed towards her new friend.
” Erica good morning. How are you?” Dakota said after bending down to receive the little girls Hug.”
” She’s your aunty. Don’t call her name you silly child.” Marilyn said feeling embarrassed by her daughters repeated mistake.
” We don’t do titles in my house. Erica knows you still don’t know Siberia. Come Erica lets have a seat. Tell me about the Cartoon. How was it.” She asked as she held the girl by the hand and walked to the single sitter.
” It was great yeyy!” She said in glee.
” Good morning Dakota. Welcome back.” Said Marilyn who found it difficult to keep her calm whenever Dakota was around her.
” Hey.” She simply replied and waved at her. Clearly, it appeared to Marilyn that Erica and Dakota were moving on faster than she was. It gladdened her that Dakota was being nice to her daughter even though she was mostly stringent towards her.
” It’s ten PM already, you guys really love to sleep don’t you.” Dakota said as flung her handbag in the side and curled her leg on the sofa while Erica climbed up to sit on her laps. She enjoyed the masculine tenor in Dakota’s tone and it gave her brain the notion of a father’s love.
” My goodness so quick? It was just six AM when i was dropped here. Time really flies.” She said while sitting straight on the chair.
” It’s not a good idea that you allow people give you such lift’s. Texas is filled with all such oddities. It’s better you wait till the morning hours when you can get a cab” She said and rested her head on the couch to have some rest.
” Okay. Thanks for the advice.” ” I was thinking about Erica that’s why I took the lift.” Marilyn stuttered.
” If some dude kills you on the street. Who would take care of the daughter you love so much? You need to weigh your options more often than you do.” She said and closed her eyes to have some rest. She quickly opened her eyes to find Erica gazing fully at her face.
” Anything that you like here?” Dakota asked with a touch of humor. The little girl looked across the room to see her mother’s face, and didn’t care to see what coded message of caution it hard in it. ” You look different.” She said, gazing at the lips of Dakota and not knowing when she placed her hands on it to clean it up.
” Baby!” Erica cautioned.
” Let the child be. I don’t eat kids.” Said Dakota from the side of her mouth. ” What are you cleaning Erica.” Dakota asked her with her head still laid at ease.
” A black stain on your lips that drips a little to the left.” She said, swaying her finger over the lip of Dakota and bringing it to rest a little below the left part of her lips.
” Any luck with cleaning it so far?” She asked with her head still rested In ease. She was contented for the little child to have her fun.
” No. It’s not going. It’s not lipstick. It’s always on your lips. What is it.” Erica asked and took her hands off it.
” It’s me Erica. That’s how my lips are.”
” Black?” She enquired in awe while her mother bowed her head in embarrassment.
” Yes black. It’s my best color. Your lips is red to. We all got different colors.” She said and gazed at the girls reaction.
” Oh yeah.” “. Dakota.” She said in an enchanted tenor.
” Yes Erica.” She beckoned.
” Your eyes are different. This one is blue and this one is.. ” she said and struggled to ascribe a perfect color.
” Horse blood. Just like the color of my hair and eyes lashes.” She said in an unapologetic manner. She loved every inch of her difference and embraced it.
” Wow horse blood.” The little girl said with her eyes widened open in awe.
” Isn’t it time for breakfast?” Dakota said in a soft caution as she saw the little child gazing at the one part she loved to guard from the public eye.
” You have hidden long Canines.” Said the little girl as her face beamed in awe. She was the only one in the room, who wasn’t taken aghast by her own words. A silence was propelled to face the reckoning of truth.