Mama was furious...

"What?” She huffed, snapping her fingers like she’d gone crazy. “I have on this fabulous dress and I called all my girlfriends, Chile. They are here and want to see me sport my Dolce and Gabana pumps. Please. You must have gotten drunk or something.”

Francine tucked her chin back.

“Girl, give me some of what you’re on so I can act out of whack with you," Mama continued, full of herself. "Ain’t nothing and nobody stopping me from modeling this amazing dress.”

“This is a wedding, not America’s Next Top Bitch. Tyra Banks isn’t the emcee and fuck that ugly ass dress!”

Mama tucked her chin back. She just about had it. Image was everything to her and Francine just
destroyed it.

Dangerously, she said, “You will not talk to me…”

The little girl inside Francine called out to her.

Don’t upset Mama! She will whip you. She will talk down to you. Please, Francine…she will lock you in the closet again when she doesn’t get her way! She will call all your friends and
tell them you’re a bitch and tell all your business.

Francine held her stomach, bile rising in her throat. Frightened, she stood her ground.

Francine, don’t do it. Don’t talk back to your mother.

Exploding inside, Francine walked into her Mama’s face, her hands on her hips.

“Don’t look at me like that, Ma. You don’t fucking scare me anymore.”

Francine! Please! PLEASE! She is going to lock you in the closet! And leave you there all night to fight the darkness!

Like she did when you were nine years old!

“Ever since I was a little girl I always tried to make you happy. I did whatever you said. You used to lock
me inside the closet for hours. If I didn’t clean your house right you locked me in the closet. If boys talked
to me you’d whip me until you drew blood. I remember when your cousin called you and said I had lost my virginity…”

“Your point…”

“SHUT UP! And you snatched me by my braids and shoved a hot sauce bottle up my pussy! What kind of mother does that to her child? I couldn’t piss straight for weeks. I lied to the doctor for you and told him I tried to masturbate with said bottle just to keep you out of jail. And it turned out that your cousin lied. I hadn’t lost my virginity yet…”

“Grow up. You’re still singing that sad OH GOD LIFE IS UNFAIR song and quite frankly you remind me of Patti Labelle trying to will another hit. Ain’t interested.”

Francine gritted her teeth. “I’m sick of you…

“Take some Advil.”

“I’m no longer scared of you.”

“Whoopee!”

“Go to hell, Mama! Burn for an eternity. I can’t deal with this anymore.”

“I should have had an abortion. I was sick of you years ago…”