With The Fire On High

With The Fire On High
YA/adult fiction
"I wanted to give Babygirl a nice name. The kind of name that doesn't
tell you too much before you meet her like mine does. Because nobody
ever met a white girl named Emoni, and as soon as they see my name on
a resume or college application they think they know exactly what kind
of girl they're getting..."
Emoni became a cautionary tale, the girl mothers warned their
daughters about, when she became pregnant her first year in high
school. The biggest changes weren't those to her body. Her charter
school tried to transfer her to an alternate school. Her grandmother
had to take on jobs to supplement her disability benefits.
As the story starts Babygirl (Emma) is about to start daycare
and Emoni is headed to her first day of senior year. She's been
juggling school, parenting, and work. The only time she relaxes is
when she's in the kitchen cooking. There she rocks skills and
intuition that go way beyond most people's. As a child she'd longed
to be a chef. Her guidance counselor wants her to take culinary arts
in college. She sees that as a waste of time and money. Her
financially precarious family would benefit more from her working.
"I don't tell Ms. Fuentes that I just don't think more school is
for me. That I'd rather save my money for my daughter's college
tuition instead of my own. That when I think of my hopes and dreams I
don't think I can follow them from a classroom. That my hopes and
dreams seem so far out of reach I have to squint to see them, so how
could I possibly pursue them?"
They may not be as far out of reach as she believes. Her school
has a new elective taught by a professional chef--Culinary Arts:
Spanish Immersion. Perhaps that's what it will take to rekindle her
passion.
On a purrrsonal note, I am craving a drink. This has nothing to do
with alcohol. It's visions of water, soda, juice, and sweet tea that
are dancing through my head. These guys are working on the trailer
park sewer lines. Yesterday one informed me there was to be no using
water from 7:30 a.m. til 5:00 or 6:00 at night today. I can do just
fine without showering or doing dishes or laundry. But not peeing.
My bladder hasn't bounced back from three full term pregnancies and C
sections. So yesterday at 11:00 a.m. I stopped drinking anything. I
didn't even brush my teeth. 23 hours down, 8 to go. Then I can
drink--providing they have finished their work and don't have to
extend the ban which is always a possibility. Normally I'd just hang
at Orono Public Library which has state of the art indoor plumbing.
But I have to stick around for when a friend with a big vehicle is
able to help me take my returnables to a redemption facility and the
stuff I no longer need to a thrift shop. I can't go further with my
spring cleaning and organizing until this happens.
A great big shout out goes out to sweet little Tobago cat who is
keeping me good company.
jules hathaway


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