FA+
Shop
No Subject
10 years ago
I wrote this story in dedicated, loving memory of Granny, Trula Coxe.
November 6. This is the day Trula Nicole was born. Her mother, twenty year old Darlene, was terrified. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to raise her daughter right -especially since she was alone- but she went about it with all she had.
Seven years after Trula was born, she was bullied at school by three older girls. They made fun of her name, telling her it was a very stupid name. Her teacher saw this happen day after day, but she was always too busy talking to another child's parents. By the time she could ever help Trula, she and the girls would be gone. One day, when Trula and her mother got home from school, Trula ran to her room and slammed the door. Darlene walked to Trula's room and knocked softly. "Trula?" She called "Trula, are you-" Trula cut her off. "Don't call me that!" she yelled. Trula's mom walked to her bed and sat down beside her. "But that is your name, is it not?"
"My name is Nicole!"
"Your name is Trula Nicole."
"Well, I hate my name!"
Trula's mother was taken aback. She looked down, hurting and fighting back tears. "Trula." she said in a low and hurt but caring voice "Do you know who you are named after?" Darlene looked down at Trula, who was now crying. Trula looked at her mother and sniffled. "No, ma'am." A tear rolled down Darlene's face, as she continued. "Well, you are named after the wisest most beautiful lady I have ever known. Your great grandmother." Trula hugged Darlene. "I'm sorry, Momma!" Her mother hugged her back, tightly. "Its alright," she said, with sorrow filling her voice, "you didn't know." Trula was curious. "Momma?" she called, "What was she like?" Darlene smiled, and wiped away Trula's tears. "Well," she started "As I said, she was the wisest, most beautiful lady I have ever known."
The next day at school, those same girls started to make fun of Trula's name again. Her teacher was finally free to help, so she started to walk toward them, but Trula had decided to put those girls in their places. "My name is beautiful, and awesome!" she said with a big, prideful smile on her face. Her teacher stopped where she was and watched as Trula continued. "I'm named after an angel! She was wise and beautiful!" Feeling satisfied, Trula walked through the girls and to her seat, and she started to do the bellringer. Her teacher walked over to her seat and knelt down. "Hello, Nicole. That-" Trula cut her off, proudly saying "My name is Trula." Her teacher smiled. "So it is. That was very brave, standing up to those girls like that."
"Thank you Mrs. Lindsey."
"You're quite welcome."
Curious as to who this angel was, Mrs. Lindsey asked Trula, "Who is this angel you're named after?" Overjoyed, Trula told Mrs. Lindsey all about her great grandmother.
Later that evening, as the kids were being picked up from school, Mrs. Lindsey stood beside Trula to make sure no one bullied her again. Trula's mother arrived and saw Mrs. Lindsey standing beside Trula. As any mother would, she feared that something had happened. She quickly walked across the lot to where Trula and her teacher were standing. "Is something wrong?" She asked. "What happened?" Mrs. Lindsey smiled and let out a chuckle. "Nothing happened, except that Trula, here, stood up to her bullies." Darlene was proud, but also a little worried. "What did she do?" she asked. Mrs. Lindsey laughed. "Nothing bad. She told them about the angel she was named after." Darlene smiled and hugged her daughter. Mrs. Lindsey continued. "She told me all about this angel. She sounds amazing." Darlene stood up, her smile faded. "She was." Trula's Teacher noticed Darlene's pain. "I'm sorry for your loss, Miss. Darlene." She watched as Trula's mother's eyes welled up with tears. Trula, holding her mother's hand, looked up at Darlene. "Are you okay, Mommy?" Darlene forced a smile. "Yes, sweetie, I'm fine." Darlene's voice was broken. She looked down at her daughter "Now," she said, "let's go get some supper." They started toward the car. "And maybe we can get some ice cream afterwards. How does that sound?" Trula shouted with joy and ran to the car. Mrs. Lindsey stood, watching the broken lady walk away, and she wished that she had said something to help.
Ten years later, Trula got in a fight with her mother. She had packed some clothes and some money, and was about to head out the door. "I hate my name!" she yelled "I hate it! Why did you give it to me?" she was now screaming. Darlene looked down, crying. "Trula-" Her daughter cut her off. "I said don't call me that!" Darlene looked up at Trula, who was now heading out the door. She asked with an almost gone voice "Do you know who you are named after?" Trula stopped dead in her tracks. Afraid that she had lost her daughter forever, Darlene began to sob. Trula slowly and silently said. "The wisest, most beautiful lady you have ever known." She looked at her sobbing mother. "My great grandmother." She dropped her bag and ran back inside and threw her arms around her mother. "I'm sorry, Mom! I'm so sorry!" She began to beg her mother for forgiveness. Her mother hugged her back and told her that it was alright. Trula squeezed her mother tighter, and Darlene winced in pain. "Mom?" Trula called, as she stepped back. "Are you alright?" Trula was worried that she had hurt her mother. Darlene sat down and replied, in a pained voice. "Yes, I'm fine. You just squeezed me too hard is all." She forced a smile and a small laugh. Trula looked at her mom, not sure whether her mom was lying or not. "You're hiding something aren't you?" Darlene looked down, and her smile fell into a pained frown. "Is this about those bills you won't let me read? Mom! What's going on?" With no reply, Trula yelled. "Mom!" "I have cancer." Darlene said.
"What?"
"Advanced stage leukemia. I have five months."
"When were you going to tell me this? Mom, you've been getting those bills for a year, now. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Mom!"
"Because its terminal. It can't be treated."
Trula began to sob. "Mom." Darlene hugged her. "Mom, tell me you're lying." Trula begged. "Please." Darlene looked forward, over her daughter's shoulder and said. "I wish I could, Trula. I really wish I could."
Six months later, on November 7, Trula stood before a small crowd. "My mother," she started. "Was the closest person in my life. I had one friend, and that was her." She paused and took a deep, shaky breath and let it out slowly. She continued. "Though we fought a lot, we still loved each other, and I still love her. I always will." She looked at a small picture of her and her mother at the beach. "Out of all the things she had ever said, only one thing stuck in my head." She took another deep breath and let it out. "'Do you know who you are named after?'"
End
Darlene is based off of me (no I'm not twenty nor do I have a child), Trula is named after my granny, whom I lost to Leukemia in 2010. Mrs. Lindsey is based off of my second grade teacher.
November 6. This is the day Trula Nicole was born. Her mother, twenty year old Darlene, was terrified. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to raise her daughter right -especially since she was alone- but she went about it with all she had.
Seven years after Trula was born, she was bullied at school by three older girls. They made fun of her name, telling her it was a very stupid name. Her teacher saw this happen day after day, but she was always too busy talking to another child's parents. By the time she could ever help Trula, she and the girls would be gone. One day, when Trula and her mother got home from school, Trula ran to her room and slammed the door. Darlene walked to Trula's room and knocked softly. "Trula?" She called "Trula, are you-" Trula cut her off. "Don't call me that!" she yelled. Trula's mom walked to her bed and sat down beside her. "But that is your name, is it not?"
"My name is Nicole!"
"Your name is Trula Nicole."
"Well, I hate my name!"
Trula's mother was taken aback. She looked down, hurting and fighting back tears. "Trula." she said in a low and hurt but caring voice "Do you know who you are named after?" Darlene looked down at Trula, who was now crying. Trula looked at her mother and sniffled. "No, ma'am." A tear rolled down Darlene's face, as she continued. "Well, you are named after the wisest most beautiful lady I have ever known. Your great grandmother." Trula hugged Darlene. "I'm sorry, Momma!" Her mother hugged her back, tightly. "Its alright," she said, with sorrow filling her voice, "you didn't know." Trula was curious. "Momma?" she called, "What was she like?" Darlene smiled, and wiped away Trula's tears. "Well," she started "As I said, she was the wisest, most beautiful lady I have ever known."
The next day at school, those same girls started to make fun of Trula's name again. Her teacher was finally free to help, so she started to walk toward them, but Trula had decided to put those girls in their places. "My name is beautiful, and awesome!" she said with a big, prideful smile on her face. Her teacher stopped where she was and watched as Trula continued. "I'm named after an angel! She was wise and beautiful!" Feeling satisfied, Trula walked through the girls and to her seat, and she started to do the bellringer. Her teacher walked over to her seat and knelt down. "Hello, Nicole. That-" Trula cut her off, proudly saying "My name is Trula." Her teacher smiled. "So it is. That was very brave, standing up to those girls like that."
"Thank you Mrs. Lindsey."
"You're quite welcome."
Curious as to who this angel was, Mrs. Lindsey asked Trula, "Who is this angel you're named after?" Overjoyed, Trula told Mrs. Lindsey all about her great grandmother.
Later that evening, as the kids were being picked up from school, Mrs. Lindsey stood beside Trula to make sure no one bullied her again. Trula's mother arrived and saw Mrs. Lindsey standing beside Trula. As any mother would, she feared that something had happened. She quickly walked across the lot to where Trula and her teacher were standing. "Is something wrong?" She asked. "What happened?" Mrs. Lindsey smiled and let out a chuckle. "Nothing happened, except that Trula, here, stood up to her bullies." Darlene was proud, but also a little worried. "What did she do?" she asked. Mrs. Lindsey laughed. "Nothing bad. She told them about the angel she was named after." Darlene smiled and hugged her daughter. Mrs. Lindsey continued. "She told me all about this angel. She sounds amazing." Darlene stood up, her smile faded. "She was." Trula's Teacher noticed Darlene's pain. "I'm sorry for your loss, Miss. Darlene." She watched as Trula's mother's eyes welled up with tears. Trula, holding her mother's hand, looked up at Darlene. "Are you okay, Mommy?" Darlene forced a smile. "Yes, sweetie, I'm fine." Darlene's voice was broken. She looked down at her daughter "Now," she said, "let's go get some supper." They started toward the car. "And maybe we can get some ice cream afterwards. How does that sound?" Trula shouted with joy and ran to the car. Mrs. Lindsey stood, watching the broken lady walk away, and she wished that she had said something to help.
Ten years later, Trula got in a fight with her mother. She had packed some clothes and some money, and was about to head out the door. "I hate my name!" she yelled "I hate it! Why did you give it to me?" she was now screaming. Darlene looked down, crying. "Trula-" Her daughter cut her off. "I said don't call me that!" Darlene looked up at Trula, who was now heading out the door. She asked with an almost gone voice "Do you know who you are named after?" Trula stopped dead in her tracks. Afraid that she had lost her daughter forever, Darlene began to sob. Trula slowly and silently said. "The wisest, most beautiful lady you have ever known." She looked at her sobbing mother. "My great grandmother." She dropped her bag and ran back inside and threw her arms around her mother. "I'm sorry, Mom! I'm so sorry!" She began to beg her mother for forgiveness. Her mother hugged her back and told her that it was alright. Trula squeezed her mother tighter, and Darlene winced in pain. "Mom?" Trula called, as she stepped back. "Are you alright?" Trula was worried that she had hurt her mother. Darlene sat down and replied, in a pained voice. "Yes, I'm fine. You just squeezed me too hard is all." She forced a smile and a small laugh. Trula looked at her mom, not sure whether her mom was lying or not. "You're hiding something aren't you?" Darlene looked down, and her smile fell into a pained frown. "Is this about those bills you won't let me read? Mom! What's going on?" With no reply, Trula yelled. "Mom!" "I have cancer." Darlene said.
"What?"
"Advanced stage leukemia. I have five months."
"When were you going to tell me this? Mom, you've been getting those bills for a year, now. Why didn't you tell me earlier? Mom!"
"Because its terminal. It can't be treated."
Trula began to sob. "Mom." Darlene hugged her. "Mom, tell me you're lying." Trula begged. "Please." Darlene looked forward, over her daughter's shoulder and said. "I wish I could, Trula. I really wish I could."
Six months later, on November 7, Trula stood before a small crowd. "My mother," she started. "Was the closest person in my life. I had one friend, and that was her." She paused and took a deep, shaky breath and let it out slowly. She continued. "Though we fought a lot, we still loved each other, and I still love her. I always will." She looked at a small picture of her and her mother at the beach. "Out of all the things she had ever said, only one thing stuck in my head." She took another deep breath and let it out. "'Do you know who you are named after?'"
End
Darlene is based off of me (no I'm not twenty nor do I have a child), Trula is named after my granny, whom I lost to Leukemia in 2010. Mrs. Lindsey is based off of my second grade teacher.
