Single Ladies by Tamika Jeffries Read Free Book Online Page A

and friend, Gaile Nelson.  She is the social worker on site there, and she can assist you with making sure that you and the children get to appointments, if you dont feel safe taking public transit.   She's really resourceful, too, so anything you would ask me, you can ask her and I'm sure she'll be on it.  Okay?"
    Deanna smiled and nodded.  Her long, ash blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, revealing a purplish bruise on her left cheekbone, and a stitched cut on the right side of her neck.   She turned her head to see her children playing in the kids room, next to Karla's office.   She appeared to be nervous or high, Karla couldn't tell.
    "Hey, Gaile!  It's Karla.  I was just talking about ya!", she laughed. " Hey, listen, I have Deanna Warren here with me.  I need a family room.  Two children-.  Oh okay."   She placed her hand over the receiver.  "Just a minute hon, she put me on hold."
    "I'm gonna get me and the kids some water from the lobby", her voice was shaking.
    "Uh-okay. I'm just waiting for her to come back to the phone."
    Deanna grabbed the voucher and bus pass and quickly exited the office and got her children from the kid's room.  She held both of their hands and walked swiftly to the vending area.  Karla couldn't see them, once they passed the kids' room.  They were walking so fast, it was almost animated.  Karla looked at her watch.  It was a quarter after four p.m. 
    At 4:56, Karla was sure that she wasn't returning.  She probably needed the gift card for her husband.  He would probably give it to a drug dealer in exchange for a couple hits of heroin, and their kids would go hungry.  She sighed and shook her head.
    Her co-worker, Marsha McAllister entered her office.
    "Hey, you know that client of yours.  The one you see regularly, Diana, Deanna, or whatever her name is, she walked past the reception area with the children and ran across the street to where some guy was waiting on her."
    Karla rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling and whispered a silent prayer for her and the children. "Tall, slim, dark haired guy?"
    Marsha nodded. 
    "I knew she wasn't coming back after about five minutes.  She claimed she was going to the lobby to get some water for her and the children.  I should've known.  She looked so spaced out."
    "Karla, you gotta stop taking these clients to the heart so much.  You get in too deep and you lose sleep at night.  I keep telling you that."
    "Yeah,"  Karla sighed, gathering her things to go home for the day.
    "See you in the a,m", Marsha gave her an empathetic smile, then walked out.
    "Yeah...I know, Marsha." she was still sighing and shaking her head, all the way to the parking lot.    "Lord please watch over her and those kids." she whispered, as her cell phone rang.
    "Hello?"
    "Hey girl!  It's your sister."
    "Hey, Syd.  What's going on?"
    "Not much. Just thought I'd call and say hello.  I been out in Jersey since last week.  Lisa's pregnant, you know.  I wanted to be the first to tell you!" her sister's voice was so loud.  She turned the volume down on her cell phone to the lowest audible, and could still hear her if she took her ear off the phone.
    "Really?! Finally, huh?  How far along? And what does Jerry say about it?"
    "Oh, he was thrilled.  Um- I think she said she was like two months."
    "Yeah. That's great.  Send them my blessings.  Has anyone been going to see Gary?"
    "Yeah. He's still the same.  Not saying anything. Staring into space.  He looks good, though.  Been eating.  But Tina is still doing nothing out here.  I heard she's stripping again."
    Karla had enough stress for the day.  The last thing she wanted to hear about was her younger sister's wild escapades and risky things she did for money.  She was a true lost cause. 
    "That's no surprise.  She's always been stubborn as a mule.  Grandma let her get away with too much before her and PawPaw left this Earth.  Nobody can tell that girl anything.