lovaliss's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sheila Sheila's gold teeth glimmer under her smile. Her dark skin almost shines under the light of a bare bulb in the room. Her eyes sparkle as we talk. "I waited ALL morning for you Sista Skinna...ALL morning..." "Ah HA!" I shout, pumping my fist into the air. She always has different wigs on, and today she has on a short style that is supposed to sweep across her forhead elegantly. Instead, she forgot to sweep it and there's just this long chunk hanging off to the right. They always look displaced and dishelved, except for her black wig with tight jerry curls. That's my favorite one. She sits behind her table with a bowl of long cold, soapy water. Her water has been turned off as well as the heat. Her daughter moved out on her and she can't pay all the bills. She has two detectives working on two different cases concerning burglary and arson. A robber took her 24 inch colored TV, she often reminds me of this as she gestures towards the space around her small black and white tv disappearing inside the entertainment center. The picture is fuzzy and I can hardly hear what is happening on the 700 Club, except I can still make out all the people praying and singing and inviting you to touch the TV and be saved. Gary is the arsonist. He is a small white man that always has a crazy smile. Sheila found him living in a car and told him he could sleep in her garage. But like the rattlesnake that invites you to pick him up (incorporate Boyd K. Packer's voice hahaha) Gary slowly talked his way into the house on a cold night. A scuffle resulted and Sheila kicked him out. He didn't mind, because he moved around the corner from her and slinks by about once every hour. "He SCARES me Sista Skinna..." she whispers and shakes her head at me. "Don't ass (she never pronunciate 'k's')me where he got the money to pay rent...he don't have no money...don't ass me...he scary." She needs money for utilities, I keep asking the Bishop, but I know they don't trust her, it seems like the typical welfare case. She's getting baptized this Sunday. We've prayed every day that she'll be able to make it long enough off her oxygen tank to get baptized. Sheila says she knows the Lord will help her. I feel so happy everytime Sheila laughs and me and says, "Ohh Sista Skinna..." 12:01 p.m. - 2005-11-22 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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