Friday, August 09, 2013

The Grove, Los Angeles

Sister and I went on another fun trip together. Daddy was on sick leave, he had the flu. I don't think he did, but that's what he said, so hey! He took me with him to the 99cents store to buy some "groceries", you know "something for everybody"! First of all if you're going to do your groceries at the 99cents store, you should really buy something for everybody because it basically costs you nothing! I mean, really now! We got a few things, tons of chicken soup for daddy, Diet Pepsi, you know, the usual! He had a list from Sister, which he never looked at once. He was buying off the top of his head. I reminded him that he needed bath soap, he seemed pissed off that I dead, he breathed really funny and seemed really ticked off of the fact. I mean, listen.... I had my own toiletries, always have. I have lived with all kinds of people but never expected anybody to do anything for me, or buy me anything! Least of all buy me a three pack of soap for a buck. I'm from Africa, but even I can afford that much! This was for him, there's this glycerine something something, orange, translucent, soap he uses. It looks kinda like Breeze, but is round in shape. Never mind, I forgot that round is not a shape haha, just kidding. Anyway,he grabbed the soap, threw it in the cart (trolley). Later on, I told him that we needed air freshener. We needed more than air freshener, we needed anti-viral stuff, anti-bacteria, all round cleaner, anti-fungal, anti-everything, AND THEN air freshener, but I thought I'd keep it light and just tell him to get air fresher. He got livid! He stomped his feet, closed his eyes, clenched his feet and breathed funny again. I was like, Elvis, you really don't have to buy this! I have money, I will buy it myself, I'm obviously the only one who is bothered by the stench in that apartment, don't worry about it! I will buy it myself, Gosh!

He was like, why are you talking that way? You know I will do anything for you, tell me what you need and I will be happy to get it for you. Uhm, no thanks s-hole, I will come back here and get everything I need as I always do anyway. The 99 cents store is a five minute walk from the apartment. I've walked longer. Remember the way to the Bank of America?

He wanted to buy candles, I told him not to worry about it. I probably would have thrown them in the trash can soon as we got home, just to make a point. Good thing he ended up saving his 99cents. I remember while he was still "sick with the flu", well, even when he was, he is always about himself. It doesn't matter if you are taking a minute and are having "a bite to eat" as he always calls it. More like a thousand bites, let's not go there! he got up, went to the kitchen, got himself some diet Pepsi and drank out of the bottle. He kept it in the bedroom, he then asked me to go BACK to the kitchen and fix daddy some chicken soup. The soup he bought was in cans, all you had to do was open the can, it already came with the thing, you didn't need a can opener or anything; pour it into a bowl and heat it up. That was obviously too much work for daddy, plus he was the bread winner as he always made sure to remind us, therefore he could have someone do those kinds of things for him. I went and made him the soup, then he asked me to do this and that and the other. Fine! I went and fixed myself some breakfast, cheerios, milk, and bananas. All Stuff I bought with my own money. I had the first bite, he asked me to do something for him, I got so pissed off, it was hard for me to even swallow. "calm down, Brook", I thought to myself. Don't let him get to you. You know, the things that Elvis Does, you sometimes wonder if he does them just to see how you're going to react, or he really is just an a hole!

I sat down, had another bite, he had something else that he wanted me to do for him again! I lost it! "You know what? I have a better Idea! Why don't I not sit down and eat for a second, and just cater to you all the days of my life? Every minute of it?" He looked at me with one of his blank stares, I threw away my breakfast into the toilet bowl and flushed it down. He said nothing, then I went and did everything he wanted me to do. I asked him if there were anything else he needed me to do. He was like, that's it, thanks. Don't piss me off because, I first turn a blind eye, and again and again, then when I can't take it anymore, you can't stop me from talking, I will go on and on and on AND ON! It's like crying, I try not to go there, but once I get there! There's no turning back, cos by then I will be crying all the uncried tears, so to speak.

I was ready to have him go back to work, being stuck in that house with him, was driving me up the friggin wall! That evening, Sister was gonna take the cats for a drive, yeah, I know! She asked if I wanted to tag along. I was like, heck yeah! In fact, yes please! Elvis was like, please tell Sister to come here. Cos he's the boss, everybody will be summoned to his room every now and again. She went over there, I waited for her by the door. She came out tearing up. What now? "Elvis know that I was raped!" (yeah more than forty years ago, what's your point). dont' get me wrong, I mean no respect to anybody who was raped, I'm from South Africa, we are one of the top five countries when it comes to rape, I have nothing but love for anybody who went through that! But you have to have met this person to get where I'm coming from. She went on to explain that he could be nicer to her, instead he is mean to her, every chance he gets. I asked what happened in the bedroom. I mean, she literally was in there for a minute and came out crying. By the way, they've known each other all their lives, and it took him less than a minute to reduce her to tears and I had only known her for what? Five minutes? He is the most difficult person to deal with. I use the term person lightly, sometimes I wonder!

She told me that he told her to take care of me. That's all he said! But she got upset that he is concerned about a person he met a few minutes ago, instead of his own sister, blah blah blah. I was just like, are you ready? Let's go! I thought it was cute that Elvis said that. He really meant no harm, she was being petty. What does being raped have to do with all that? What if I was raped too? Come on now!

We got in the van, she pumped up some music, she had to go to the mechanic to pay for some bill that Elvis was supposed to pay for. He lied and said that he did, turned out, he didn't. Anyway, we drove over there, really hectic part of LA, fortunately, we were in and out. Then she asked if I had ever been to the Grove. This is where Mario Lopez' TV Show, Extra is filmed. I was psyched to get a chance to go. You never know who you will see. Of course it was at night, the show films in day time, but I was still excited to know that's where we were going.

It was cold that night in LA. It was winter but there's no such a season in LA, so yeah :) We found parking, bought frozen yoghurt, don't ask! I wasn't gonna be that girl who says no to frozen yogurt in winter. We walked around, window shopping. They have some nice stores out there. It's really beautiful and romantic, there were lots of couples, walking hand in hand.  We were there for a while, talking. They had gas heaters outside on the side walk, we would stop at them and then keep going. Eventually we went back home, not before she took me for a drive around LA. She said, you know, I enjoy taking you on these drives, we have fun together. Don't tell El, he doesn't like it when people are happy. If he finds that out, he will make sure we never go anywhere together again. I was like, how would he ensure that? Unless he was going to do a Mariah Carey on me, I didn't see that happening, what with him being at work all day and Sister and I home together.

By the way, in case you're wondering, I was looking for a job, during this time. It was just hard, no interviews, nothing. Sister and I were looking for the same kinds of jobs. Anyway, we got home, El asked how it was, I told him, it was great! That his sister and I always had fun together. I wasn't gonna lie about that and discredit her sister, she was nice to me. I didn't expect it, she didn't have to, but she was!











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