written by Sarah J Preston (artist/author)
Crazy Good!
Sophia woke up at 9 am. She had been up all night working on her 5 art pieces. They weren’t Picasso’s, but they were good enough. Enough to be at the event space downtown to showcase and sell her art pieces. She made 5 pieces in 2 days...
Her phone beeped, it was her mom already asking to get coffee at the coffee shop. It was Sophia’s easiest task for her mom each day, besides Sophia was the only morning person in her family. Her brothers and sisters did their thing in the am and Sophia was a little more resilient.
Sophia hopped out the bed and drove to get coffee. Along her path she saw signs and messages she would write down as she was driving every morning and afternoon. She knew it was signs from Gloria on the other side, urging her of what was happening the day before, or even hours ahead. Today Sophia’s messages were:
222, 1133, 2929 , “HIM and Popup”…
Sophia wondered what it could all mean, all she knew is that when she wrote it down, somehow it would magically happen or make sense within hours, or the next day.
Sophia arrived at her mom’s with her coffee and donuts.
“Hi sweetie!” Her mom Julie said with sporadic enthusiasm.
“Well Helloooo, and here ya go!” Sophia smiled sweetly.
Her mom drank a sip of her coffee, and immediately started gossiping about what was going on while taking more sips...
“ You know alexander is still rapping with that boy Carleone,” She rolled her eyes chuckling. Julie, Sophia’s mom, despised that she raised her son all the years to become a rapper.
She thought he would be a lawyer or basketball player. Though, Sophia relished in her brother being a well known rapper in the Cincinnati area.
“What? So what…and? He Loves what he does...” Sophia shrugged in his defense.
“Calm down, you know he has better things to do like, IDK, help me or go to work with his dad, but whatever!…” She went on and on…
“Would you stop? Flo is really making money, he’s not selling drugs he’s just a really good rapper, plus he and his friend Carleone work hard everyday on their songs…”
“Work hard at what? Talking cr
ap? “ Her mom snapped back.
“Yes! Crazy good crap!” Sophia said. And walked away laughing…Julie laughed too and continued packing their arts and crafts for the HIFI Art event. Sophia liked how her mom challenged her in arguments, She would practice winning arguments and her mom is the best trainer at that.
Later in the afternoon, Sophia her dad and sisters were at the market with the art pieces Sophia had made.
“Dang, “ Sophia said aloud standing at her table outside at fountain square counting her money from the art pieces sold.
“All I made was…I don’t even know what I made” Sophia said aloud and spoke to her dad, Ray, who was standing in awe and proud at first, was now wondering what happened.
“It’ll be ok Sophi, “ her father spoke up “But, ya gotta raise the prices a bit, they’re like diamonds” He said smiled and started pack it up and she and her sisters headed home for the day.
All in all, Sophia made $300.00 on her art, enough for her and her children to eat a few days, but not enough to pay her family for helping out. Sophia hoped that one day , it would all pay off doing what she loved. Sophia did what was right, she paid her sisters $50 a piece, and bought her dad a box of chicken from Lucky Chic’s Chicken coup, like she’d promised.
Some hours passed, while Sophia reflected quietly to herself at home. It was now later in the evening, and the rain came pouring down on the windows. Sophia was spruced up and happy her art sold in the first place. Then , She started to dose off in her HIFI chair when the doorbell rang…
Sophia jumped up and got anxious. No one ever dared just popped up at her house like that, besides, she lived in the hood and well , no one was really ever trustworthy. It wasn’t the Octurian’s or the HIFIAN’S, they made their presence undeniably known, seen or unseen.
She knew it was an OPP, one of “them” the snakes from the 3rd dimension. Celeste warned her of them, that they were fake and lived off lies. In case they were around, MIC or Carleone’s rap verses would ward them off immediately, they couldn’t stand goodness, realness or truth, Celeste told her.
“Who is it!?” She yelled at the door as if she was barking, to intimidate whoever it was…
“It’s me Montell…” he was one of them, Sophia’s belated Kid’s father.
“Wtf?” Is that what Celeste meant by “HIM” earlier? Sophia asked herself, and Celeste answered in the most funny way, through the tv commercial…
“Yes I did” was all Sophia heard from the commercial playing in the background. Things started to get really juicy Sophia thought…
“What do you want?” Sophia yelled out the window, echoing against the brick walls.
“I want to see my kids!! ” He yelled outside her window, threw a chair at the door and kicked her dog chips.
Montell hadn’t seen the kids in 9 months since he left her for the pregnant girl and the car chase at the BP gas station. Looong story, anyways, Sophia never wanted to see or talk to him again. He wanted her to be miserable, for no reason, but deep down Sophia knew it was because he was really a snake from the other end. Even though they strived for her to fail, Sophia always prevailed, and succeeded beyond even her own expectations. MIC and Celeste would always watch over Sophia and stood by her side.
Sophia locked her doors and turned on her rap Guide, MIC, on the TV. She turned up the music loud. It was mysterious how MIC was able to rap in a timeless manner of the events happening in real time, as if he was in the same room :
“ It ain’t my fault you good at being mad, I moved on with my life, and perfected my crafts…I got it out the mud, & dude mad as f, then I moved out the hood, cuz my flo is crazy good…”
“MIC” summed up the truth of the situation well and quick, MIC the GOD of rap had flawless skills.
Montell
overheard the music and was more and more angry, he walked away once again, & this time he never came back, and as a reminder of his love, he left a kiss by spitting on Sophia’s porch and windows, and the art pieces outside.
Sophia’s art became her love life, the paintbrush was her cigar and her right hand was her lighter. She would paint everyday non stop, and express her best, every chance she could. Every time she painted , she would become activated, and reunited with the HIFIAN’S and it felt soo good, like the best feeling. She found purpose in everything she went through in the past and made it good and positive with her art.
Anyways, Sophia took her nap and worked on her plans, as usual, and She knew the HIFIANS would help her somehow as always…
“Sophia?, Good luck!…”
She heard the tv In the background for a car commercial, speak mysteriously through the television, crazy right?!
Comments