Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
NYROBI
After working all day, I still had another job; be there for my mama. My feet were hurting like hell from being on them all day, my back was sore in places I didn’t even know could get sore, and all I really wanted to do was go home, take a shower, smoke a blunt, and get in my bed.
Instead, I was right back at the hospital. I had stopped home long enough to change out my work clothes, grab something to eat, and make sure that raggedy ass Buick had enough water in it to get me where I needed to go.
By the time I made it to my mama’s room, she was sitting up watching TV like she’d been on vacation instead of admitted to the hospital.
“Well, look who decided to come see me.’
I stopped in the doorway.
“Juanita, don’t start.”
She laughed
“How was your first day?”
“Long.”
“You like it?”
“I actually do.”
“See. I told you everything was gone work out.”
“It’s been one day. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“One day more than you had yesterday.”
I couldn’t even argue with that.
“True.”
I dropped my purse in the chair and sat down beside her bed.
“How you feeling?”
“Better.”
“You eat?”
“Some of it.”
“Some?”
She pointed toward the tray sitting on the table.
“Child that chicken aint got a lick of damn seasoning on it.”
I laughed.
“Mamam, you in here because you need to watch what you eat.”
“I can watch what I eat Robi and still want my food to taste like something.”
“Ma you better eat that chicken sandwich and be grateful.”
“How bout you eat it.”
“Well, I aint the patient.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head.
“This lady.”
A knock came against the door before the doctor walked in.
Good evening.”
“Hey,” I said.
He looked down at the chart in his hand before smiling.
“Well, I have some good news.”
I sat up.
“What?”
“Everything is looking good. Her numbers have improved, she’s responding well to the medication, and as long as nothing changes overnight, I don’t see any reason why we cant get her discharged first thing in the morning.
“Thank God.”
My mama threw both hands up.
“Hallelujah.”
I looked at her.
“Girl, put your hands down.”
“I’m ready to go home.”
The doctor laughed.
“Before you leave, we’ll go over her medications, diet, follow-up appointments, and a few things we want her to keep an eye on.
“Okay.”
“Someone will need to be here in the morning to take her home.”
“I’ll…”
I stopped.
Shit, I gotta work.
I hsf to be back Stylez Grand Stay at six-fifty.
My mama looked at me.
“What?”
“I can’t call out.”
“Who told you to?”
“Mama, I just started this job. Tomorrow is literally my second day.”
“So go to work.”
“And leave you here?”
“I am thirty years older than you. I think I can sit in a hospital room until somebody come get me. Or I can catch the bus.”
“You not catching the bus. And that’s not the point.”
“Nyrobi…Ima figure it out.”
The doctor finished explain a few things before telling us he’d see her in the morning. The second he walked out my mama looked at me.
“You better not call that woman talking about you can’t come to work.”
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
“But I gotta find somebody to come get you.”
“I can call somebody.”
“No.”
“Why not?” Because I already know who I’m calling.”
I pulled my phone out and hit Kendra’s name.
She answered on the third ring.
“What you want?”
I frowned.
“Damn hello to you too.”
“Girl, I’m in the bed watching my shows. What happened?”
“My mama getting discharged tomorrow.”
“Oh shit! That’s good.”
“It is, but I gotta be at work at six fifty.”
“So go to work.”
“Can I finish?”
“No, because I already know what you finna ask me.”
I smiled.
“Will you please come get her?”
“Nyrobi.”
“What?”
“That’s my damn auntie. Why the hell wouldn’t I?”
“I don’t know what you got planned.’
“At eight thirty in the morning?”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Hell, you had plans pretty early yesterday.”
“See, now you doing too much.”
I laughed.
“Am I lying?”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“Because his bitch work night shift.”
I covered my mouth.
“Kendra!”
My mama looked over.
“What she say?”
“Nothin.”
Kendra started laughing.
“Tell Auntie I said hey.”
“She said hey, mama.”
“Hey, baby!” my mama yelled from the bed.
“She said hey back,” I told Kendra.
“I heard her.”
“So you got her?”
“Yes, fool. I’ll pick her up, take her home, make sure she gets upstairs, get her prescriptions, whatever she need.”
The relief I felt was immediate.
“Thank you.”
“Stop thanking me.”
“I mean it.”
“I know. Now go to work tomorrow and stop worrying about Auntie. I got her.”
One would have thought my mama was really Kendra auntie the way she cared for her but in reality we had just been friends for so long we had become like family.
I smiled.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I jung up and looked at my mama.
“See? Handled.’
She smiled.
“And you was about to call out for nothing.”
“I wasn’t about to call out for nothing.”
“You thought about it.”
“For like two seconds.”
“Yeah, two seconds too long mufucka.”
“Whatever.”
The rest of the night went by quicker than I expected. One minute me and my mama were talking shit about something on TV, and the next she wasn’t even answering me anymore. I looked over and laughed when I realized she had fallen asleep right in the middle of our conversation.
“Now if I wouldv’e did that to you, you would’ve had a whole attitude.”
She aint hear a word I said. I checked the time on my phone and immediately sat up.
“Damn.”
It was later than I thought. I had to be right back at work in the morning, and after the way my body felt from today, staying up half the night wasn’t even an option. I gathered my things, made sure everything around her was straight, then headed out.
The ride home was quiet, and for once I wasn’t letting myself think about bills, my mama, or what could go wrong next. I was too damn tired of all that. All I wanted was my damn bed. Tomorrow was day two, and I needed enough energy to make it through that bitch.
By my second day at Styles Grand Stay, I wasn’t nearly as nervous.
My feet still hurt like hell from yesterday, but at least this time I knew where I was going. I knew where to clock in, which elevator we used, where the supply closets were, and I didn’t have to follow Ariel around like somebody lost child. I was still learning though.
“Too much.”
I looked down at the bottle in my hand.
“What?”
“You spraying too much.”
Ariel reached over and took it from me.
“Girl, we cleaning the mirror, not drowning the bitch,” she added.
I laughed.
“Yesterday you said I wasn’t using enough.”
“And today you’re using too much.”
“See, this why people quit.”
She laughed.
“You aint quitting.’
“How you know?”
“Because you came back.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
I finished wiping the mirror before stepping back to look at it.
“Better?”
Ariel walked over and inspected it.
“Much.”
“See, I’m learning.”
“Don’t get too excited. You still got a long day ahead of you.”
“I know.”
I grabbed the rest of my supplies and followed her back into the bedroom.
The morning went by a whole lot smoother than yesterday.
I was still nowhere near as fast as Ariel, but I wasn’t standing around waiting for her to tell me everything little thing either.
Once we finished one room, I already knew what needed to be restocked before we moved on to the next.
By the time we made it through a few more rooms, I was starting to catch on.
My phone vibrated in my pocket while I was replacing the waters on one of the nightstands.
I pulled it out and saw Kendra’s name.
Kendra: Your patient has officially been secured Lmao.
A picture came through right behind it. My mama was sitting in Kendra’s passenger seat with her hospital bag in her lap and the biggest smile on her face.
I smiled at my phone.
Me: Yessss thank you!! Make sure she get in the house good please.
Her response came almost immediately.
Kendra: Naw Robi I’m finna push her out at the red light.
I busted out laughing.
Me: Bitch I’m serious.
Kendra: DUH! I got her. Go do your job before you get fired on day 2.
I shook my head.
Me: Love yall.
Kendra: We love you too. Now bye.
I slid my phone back into my pocket feeling better knowing my mama was finally out of that hospital and I didn’t have to choose between being there for her and keeping my job.
“You ready?” Ariel asked.
“Yep.”
We pushed our cart out into the hallway and headed toward the service elevator. We hadn’t made it halfway there before Ariel’s radio went off.
“Housekeeping, hold your current floors. Owner walkthrough beginning on twelve.”
Ariel stopped walking so fast I almost ran the cart straight into her.
“Damn.”
She looked back at me.
“Pay attention.”
“You the one stopped in the middle of the damn hallway.”
She ignored me and reached for her radio.
“Copy.”
I frowned.
“What that mean?”
“Exactly what she said.”
“Which means what to the new bitch?”
Ariel laughed.
“Mr.Stylez is doing a walkthrough.”
“Oh.”
I started pushing the cart again and she grabbed it.
“Where you going?”
“To the elevator.”
“Didn’t you just hear her say hold the floor?”
“I heard her. I don’t know the hell it means.”
“Stay put,” she replied.
“See you could’ve just said that.”
Ariel shook her head.
“Lord, give me strength.”
“You volunteer to train me.”
“And I’m starting to regret it.”
I laughed as we moved the cart against the wall. A few minutes later, the elevator at the other end of the hallway opened. I peeped Ariel stood a little straighter.
“Here they come,” she said.
I looked toward the elevator and Tia stepped out first as two men followed behind her. By the way everybody suddenly started acting like the damn principal had walked into the classroom, I had a pretty good idea, which one was Mr. Stylez.
I watched the three of them make their way down the hallway. Tia was talking while one of the men listened, but my attention went straight to the other one.
He was tall, dark skin and had perfectly lined beard. He wore a button-down with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks that fit him just right. I stared a little harder.
Hold the fuck up. I know him.