What Jade Morgan wants: for her parents to get back together. Instead her dad proposes to his new girlfriend, who has the nerve to ask Jade to be a bridesmaid. Like that'll ever happen. Her new boyfriend, Terrence, thinks she should give her future stepmom a chance, try to get to know her. Yet Jade barely knows Terrence—who is cute and cool, but is seriously hiding something. He's busy all the time and he won't invite her to his house. Yeah, something is definitely up. But sometimes friends, family and boyfriends do things that make you really jaded about life.
Jaded (Kimani Tru)
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Jade
I sat on top of a cardboard box—a box filled with all of the colorful sweaters my mother had bought for me over the years. There was the red turtleneck, and the brown one with the fuzz balls all over it and the yellow one that tied around the waist—the yellow one looked like one my grandmother would wear to church. I had refused to wear any of them, and some of them even had the tags still on them. My mother wasn't the best at picking out clothes for me, and I just wished she'd stop trying. It would save us both a lot of time and trouble.
She insisted that she knew my style, but the reality was she really didn't. She knew her own style that she wanted to be mine. And our tastes couldn't have been more different. If she knew my style, she would've stocked my closet with blue jeans that were tight in the hips and narrow at the ankles—the kind I would wear with the wedge-heeled sandals that I'd picked up at Bakers shoe store over the summer. Or she'd pick out one of those cute little cropped tops that you could only find at Charlotte Russe or the Papaya stores at the mall. She might even take the liberty of popping her head inside Forever 21 and sorting through the clearance rack for that one-of-a-kind sweater that I would actually wear. But she didn't even know that those stores existed. She had tunnel vision when she visited the mall. The only stores she recognized were JCPenney and Macy's because she carried around their charge cards in her purse. I don't know why she carried them, because most of the time they were maxed out.
She didn't know me at all. Because if she did, she'd realize how unhappy I was with this new living arrangement that she'd come up with. A three-bedroom apartment in the same apartment complex that my father lived in. He lived in Building 300 near the playground, and we lived in the new section of the complex—in Building 700 near the pool. My bedroom window faced the back side of the complex, and the only view I had was of the highway where millions of cars traveled each day. I couldn't even see the front of the building where the kids my age hung out. At least at my father's apartment, I could see who was outside—and could decide if I wanted to go outside or not.
Sometimes Felicia Clark and Angie Miller would be outside talking trash to some girls from another neighborhood, or some boys from school would be in the parking lot leaned against their cars with their music blasting. At Daddy's I could see the pool and knew who was going for a swim. And at least in my old bedroom I could watch Chocolate Boy pull up on his little brother's bike when he snuck over for a visit. I could see him riding up the hill, breathing hard as he got closer. He would lift the bike onto his shoulder and carry it up the flight of stairs and to my front door. Mrs. Hernandez on the second floor would always frown as he took the stairs two at a time. She was so nosy—I couldn't stand her. I was sure that she'd stop my father on his way home from work one day and tell him that Chocolate Boy had spent the day at our house— even though he wasn't allowed to visit unless Daddy was home. What Daddy didn't know didn't hurt him, though. But if he ever found out, I would blame Mrs. Hernandez. It was easy having a life while living with Daddy, because he was never there. He was always working late at the office, or hanging out with his new girlfriend Veronica. Veronica was a home wrecker in my opinion—if I was allowed to have an opinion, but most of the time nobody asked for it. My parents were divorced, but on the verge of getting back together. At least I thought they were—until now. Now I wasn't sure what they were doing. This was not my idea of bringing my family back together—living in separate apartments. We were supposed to be living together. Instead it seemed that we were moving further apart, and no one seemed to see it but me. I still couldn't understand why we couldn't have just moved in with Daddy, he and Mommy work out their differences and we become one big, happy family again. I guess that was too much to ask God for, because after all the praying I had done, he still didn't see fit to grant me that one thing. Even after I told him how good I would behave, and not get into any trouble in the upcoming school year. I even promised to keep my room and the kitchen clean before being asked. I guess he didn't believe me. I guess my track record with him wasn't that great, after all. After all, I hadn't been to church on Sunday in I don't know how long, even though that was the last promise I'd made.
I had been tricked into thinking that my family was on the road to getting back together. When my parents got a divorce during the summer before my freshman year, I thought my world had come to an end. Mommy took Mattie and me and headed for New Jersey to live with my grandmother. I was miserable the moment I set foot in Grandmother's house—a house that smelled of mothballs and milk of magnesia—and she started setting rules that were almost impossible to follow. Mattie and I couldn't even walk across the shiny hardwood floors in the dining room without being accused of walking too loud. Or if I played my CDs at all, she'd yell at me to turn the music down.
"It's the devil's music," she'd say. And I'd roll my eyes and turn it down.
I would pray that we would get out of her house soon. She forced us to go to church several times a week, and would quiz us about what the preacher had talked about. I failed every one of those quizzes, because most of the time I'd fallen asleep right there on the back pew—my mouth open wide, sometimes with drool creeping down the side of my face. But I didn't care. There was nothing exciting about listening to someone say the same scripture over and over again, and beat it in the ground. Grandmother's church was nothing like our church in Atlanta, where we had a youth ministry that was actually interesting. We discussed things that pertained to kids my age, like boys, sex and school. We could discuss our thoughts about things and not be ashamed of what we said. I was starting to miss Atlanta more and more each day.
By the middle of my freshman year, I'd already decided that Grandmother's house was no place for me, and that I needed to be back in A-T-L. But not only that, I needed to reunite my family. My parents still loved each other— they had to. And it was my goal to find out just how much. When I got into trouble at school, it forced my mother to ship me back to Atlanta to live with my father for a little while. My plan seemed to be heading in the right direction at that point. That is until I ran into the infamous Mr. Collins, my American history teacher, who thought that it was okay to touch me in an inappropriate way. It was the most humiliating experience of my life. As soon as my mother found out, she hopped a flight back to Atlanta just to make sure he was not only fired from my high school, but that he was also arrested and thrown behind bars. Mommy was so brave and didn't even flinch when Mr. Collins walked past, his arms in handcuffs, giving us the evil eye as two police officers escorted him off campus. She gave him the evil eye right back. I felt so protected and secure, and felt that there was nothing my mother couldn't handle. As different as we were, Mommy and I, at that moment I wanted to be just like her—brave and strong.
I still remember the excitement I felt when Mommy and Mattie had shown up at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport and the four of us ended up at Red Lobster for dinner. I knew it was just a matter of time before our family would be back together. And when I caught my parents kissing each other—on the lips—in the middle of my daddy's kitchen, and holding each other like they used to, I knew that they belonged together.
"So when are you and Daddy getting remarried?" I asked Mommy one morning when she was flipping pancakes and wearing one of Daddy's Falcons' jerseys.
"We hadn't really talked about that, Jade-bug," she said, and squeezed my nose like she used to when I was a little girl. "I'm not even sure that's what we both want."
"What do you mean you're not sure? Don't you still love each other?"
"Of course we do, baby. I will always love your father, and he will always love me. After all, we gave each other two beautiful girls, you and Mattie. But that doesn't mean that we should be remarried."
"I don't get it," I said, holding on to the bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's maple syrup.
"What don't you get, Jade?" Mommy asked and stacked three pancakes onto Mattie's plate.
"I don't get why we're here…together…in Daddy's apartment. The two of you are running around here kissing each other like you're still in love. Look at you…you're wearing his jersey and sleeping in the same room with him!" I felt like tears might start falling if I said any more, so I shut up.
"Jade, your father and I have apologized to each other for hurting one another. We have made amends, and now we're just enjoying each other's company. We're better friends now, and we both agree that we enjoy our freedom."
"Are you and Mattie moving back to Atlanta?" I asked and set the bottle of syrup in front of Mattie, and then placed my hands on my hips, the legs of my pajama pants touching the floor. I waited for an answer.
"I'm thinking about moving back," she said. "I know it's hard living with Grandmother. And I know that you and Mattie want to be near your father. It feels like the right thing to do."
"So we're moving in with Daddy?" Mattie asked, her mouth filled with pancakes.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, little girl," Mommy told her and then handed her a paper towel to wipe her mouth with. "We're moving back to Atlanta, but I don't think we're going to be moving in with Daddy."
"You're kidding, right?" I asked, not believing my ears.
"No, I'm not kidding," Mommy said. "In fact, I looked at an apartment yesterday and put a deposit down on it."
"An apartment where?" I asked.
"Right here in this complex," she said in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "That way you ca...
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More About the Author
Monica McKayhan writes adult and young adult fiction. She currently has 8 titles in print. Three are adult novels, and five are a part of an on-going young adult series, Indigo Summer. The first book in the series, Indigo Summer was the launch title for Harlequin's young adult imprint, Kimani TRU which made its debut in January of 2007. That same year in May, Indigo Summer snagged the #7 position on the Essence bestsellers list, another first for Kimani Press. It also appeared on the bestsellers list in the May 2007 issue of Black Issues Book Review (BIBR). Indigo Summer appeared on the American Library Association (ALA)'s list of 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Monica most recently placed three additional titles in the series with Harlequin's young adult imprint, Kimani TRU.
She is a Certified Toastmaster (CTM) with Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is a worldwide organization which helps its members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. For more information, about Toastmasters, visit their site at www.toastmasters.org. Monica is also a member of the Black Women's Film Society. Currently she's working on her seventh untitled book in the Indigo Summer series. Her sixth book in the series is scheduled for release in June 2009. She lives in the Dallas area with her family.
She is a Certified Toastmaster (CTM) with Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is a worldwide organization which helps its members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. For more information, about Toastmasters, visit their site at www.toastmasters.org. Monica is also a member of the Black Women's Film Society. Currently she's working on her seventh untitled book in the Indigo Summer series. Her sixth book in the series is scheduled for release in June 2009. She lives in the Dallas area with her family.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
About Jade, But....3.5,
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This review is from: Jaded (Kimani Tru) (Paperback)
Jaded by Monica McKayhan is a novel about a young girl named Jade. She is sixteen, lovely and comes from a good family. However, she is becoming jaded about the situations in her life. Her parents are divorced, though they live in the same apartment building and seem to get along just fine. The only person unable to accept the change is Jade and it is affecting her attitude. To make matter worse, she discovers her dad is planning to marry, Veronica, his girlfriend of a year. Without really knowing the situation, Jade assumes it is a bad deal for everyone, but, the truth is it is just bad for her. It is all about Jade. The bright spots are her friends, Indigo and Tameka. The brightest spot, however, is her boyfriend, Terrence, who she calls Chocolate Boy. Terrence really likes her but his plate is full with his home life. Will he be able to maintain his responsibilities and keep Jade as well?
Even though Jade is the central person in this young adult novel, Terrence, is by far the most likable and well-rounded character. He is a young man who takes care of his brother and sister when his drug-addicted mother goes missing. He also works full-time and is a good student while literally maintaining a household. The one bright light in his life are his feelings for Jade. But he is convinced if she discovers the truth she will leave him as others have done. Can he be right? Or will Jade prove to be a keeper? Jaded is a good, young adult novel that can be appreciated by all ages. I recommend it to readers who love a fast moving book with a message. Angelia Menchan APOOO BookClub
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kimani Tru works!,
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This review is from: Jaded (Kimani Tru) (Kindle Edition)
This book and this publishing house is great for the young AA reader! My daughter now shops for them by Kimani! Take the risk!
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