Generational Curse

Clickety clack, heavy rain drops tap and splat against window panes, trash cans, and wherever else they designate to land.

In apartment 862 the smell of fried Tilapia lingers. The freshly squeezed lemons do little to extinguish the strong scent. MOTHER SHADIYA is old fashioned, especially when it comes to cleaning and family gatherings. This afternoon, the Davis Family members are really in good spirits.

The SISTER SLEDGE timeless hit "We Are Family" plays loudly through the Harman Kardon bluetooth speakers. Songs with meaningful messages have the mystique ability to preserve the struggles, troubles, joys, and victories of the times. The women in the Davis family are enraptured by the musical masterpiece. While they step to the beat, they sing the song word for word, hook for hook, and verse for verse.

Ev'ryone can see we're togetherAs we walk on by(Hey) and we fly just like birds of a featherI won't tell no lie(ALL!) all of the people around us they sayCan they be that closeJust let me state for the recordWe're giving love in a family dose.

Families as large as the Davis’s are not common anymore. In this tribe there are seven children total. Mother Shadiya has four sons and three daughters. Imagine, being a mother in a world full of confusion, with seven children. The probability is high that some will drop out of school. Some will experience the penal system and others will fall victim to teenage pregnancy. All these stereotypical factors are present in the Davis household, nevertheless they are a strong family unit. Their motto is can't stop, won't stop. As they dance, the motivating message in the music helps to numb their pain.

The scuffed, scarred tile floor squeaks as the four women in the family move their feet to the sensational beat. Mother Shadiya, and her three daughters; Shamiya, Shakiya, and Shaliya are all gifted, blessed, and born with what it takes to be successful. They possess the powers to persevere, heal, build, cultivate, and procreate. They do however face a challenge; they've fallen victim to a GENERATIONAL CURSE. They’ve each given birth to children in the early stages of puberty. Basically, they were babies who had babies. In addition, each woman is currently living on governmental assistance, minus the assistance of a man. As a result the laws of cause and effect take place, and the grandparents inherit the responsibility of raising the children.

"Come on Shamiya let's do the Hustle." Shadiya calls out to her 19-year-old daughter. "Let's show them who are the Queens of the Hustle in this castle." She speaks of her crowded project apartment as if it were a luxury high rise building.

The HUSTLE is an old popular disco dance that came out in the 1970s. Shadiya's aunt taught her, and she has passed it down to her children. Dancing is the glue that keeps the Davis family bound together. They're as tight as that suspicious OJ Simpson glove. Their hearts have been chained together forever and ever. Never will they forsake nor snake each other.

HAHA. HAHA. There's a burst of laughter as Shamiya swings her hips sassing her way over to Mother Shadiya. The twins Shaliya and Shakiya, quickly pair up. Family competition always enhances the excitement. If it's not dancing, they're playing Monopoly, Spades or Backgammon. They always find ways to spice up their days.

Shadiya is 43 years of age and can still keep up with her daughters in more ways than one. Besides out dancing them. She can out tweet them. She can out snap them. She can out talk them. She can out dress them. She has a new toddler baby, so she out fertilizes them as well.

The women fingers' snap as they step, resembling a disco tech. There’s even an audience. The Davis toddler babies smile, clap and make joyous sounds while looking upon, from their front row seats inside their car seats. They seem to be enjoying the live milk's worth performance.

Shadiya grins as Shamiya spins. Shakiya giggles as Shaliya wiggles.

"Mommy mommy!" Shaka calls out to his mom just as the song concludes. He doesn't get a response so the eight year old continues to call until she replies.

"Yes Shakalaka." Shadiya answers.

"Come here, mom. I want to show you something."

"Something like what?"

"Just come here mommy, please!"

"Can't you just tell me?"

"No, it's hard for me to explain"

"Okay here I come."

"Shadiya!" Hosea, the live in baby daddy shouts out. He doesn't give her time enough to respond before calling her name again. He's worse than the children. Hosea expects to be catered to, just because; not as a reward for what he does, in all honesty, besides mulching and leaching, he doesn't do anything. He has failed himself. The problems in Hosea's life have become overwhelmingly unmanageable. Instead of weathering the storm, and standing strong like a real man. Hosea has fallen victim to what DR. WESLEY brilliantly described as an incapacitating substance. No one is exempt from this sickness, it has the capacity to effect all, ranging from Ms. Goodie Two Shoes to Mr. High IQ.

Hosea is sick, although he denies this, his sickness is obviously his biggest weakness. His addiction is a false idol that has him fooled. It has caused his glory boat to tip over and sink. All those powerful King Hosea Cortados days are now only bittersweet memories. His reality is gloomy and moody. Preventing him from acknowledging, admiring, and respecting the wonderful woman in his corner.

"Yes Hosea!" Shadiya says as she enters the bedroom to cater to his needs first and foremost. She is always at his beckon call.

"You got $10? I will give it back to you when my mom gets paid."

"Hosea all the money that I have goes to these kids. If I had it, you know you could get it."

Shadiya isn't lying, she truly does not have any extra money. All she has is her food stamp card, and that's most definitely out of the question. She refuses to take out of the mouths of her children and grandchildren by selling their food.

Shadiya and Hosea are nothing alike. If it were up to Hosea, he would sell the food off the card, and not think twice about it.

Hosea says with a raised voice. “Eres una mujer tacaña. Esos chicos te van a decepcionar un día. ¡ sólo espera y verás!” This can be interpreted in English as ‘you are one stingy woman. Those kids are going to disappoint you one day. You just wait and see!’

His intentions are hurting her feelings, and usually with hurt feelings Shadiya just gives him what he asks for.

HEH HEH HEH HEH. The toddler baby boys in the livingroom begin to cry. Their spirits are intuitive. They can sense when something isn't positive.

"Hosea I don't care what you say, I don’t have any money." This is the very first time that Shadiya has stood up for herself. She should've been dumped that loser. The only reason Shadiya holds on is:

1. She has a God given gift called A MOTHER'S LOVE. That love is defined as unconditional.
2. Hosea is the father of her two youngest sons.
3. She believes that his sickness is only temporary.
4. She wants to break a GENERATIONAL CURSE.

Shadiya's dad, grandad, and great grandad were ‘Rolling Stones’ as a result, she grew up in a broken home without the balance of a male figure present.

"Mom can you please come here? I want to show you something!" Shaka calls out at the top of his lungs.

Shaka has really become curious about life and manhood. Sadly, there's no healthy man is his life he can turn to for guidance, so he relies on his mother for advice. His dad is strung out. His eldest brother SHAKIL aka TOMMY GUNZ is in jail as usual, and his next to eldest brother Shamil is always busy running the streets.

"Coming Shaka!" Shadiya exclaims as she pardons herself from the bedroom and Hosea.

"Mom look at this on Facebook real quick. They're having a riot at the Essex County Jail. I hope Tommy doesn't get hurt because we're going to sue." Shamiya says with concern. Viewing this makes Shamiya nervous. She wants to spring out off the couch and run to her mom for comfort. However, she has two restraints. Her little brother, and son are sitting on her lap. Other than that, those thoughts would be actions.

Shadiya doesn't feel the same way. She is Mama Bear and Mama bear hasn’t raised any soft ass kids. POINT BLANK PERIOD. Ain't going to happen captain. Not in this lifetime. Not as long as Shadiya is breathing, and this she is indeed proud of.

"My baby knows how to hold it down. When the going gets rough. He gets tough. That's the only one of my children that I don't have to worry about. Tommy is always good. He can find a fortune in a desolate situation." Shadiya replies before stopping to glance at the phone. The caption reads ‘SOMETHING MUST BE DONE,’ and BROTHER BEN is currently playing a live stream of the incident to support his valuable lesson. He is teaching that dissatisfaction is bringing about a change.

Shadiya doesn't have time to hear all the facts, or watch the conflict at the moment. However, she will check it out when she has the time..

"Mommy!" Shaka shouts. Shaka is now aggravated. He feels ignored, left out. He feels like he has been kicked to the curb like a step-son, and that he’s not being treated like a real son. It's obvious that he is Hosea's seed. They act just alike.

"Okay Shaka you're being very annoying. Mommy is coming right now to see what her little warrior wants."

Shadiya quickly bends down and kisses her toddler son Shafee, who is seated on his older sister’s lap before moving on.

Meanwhile, all the sisters eyes are glued to their phones. They're not really paying much attention to the toddlers, although they are holding them. The internet has precedence over everything in this fast moving, technological world that we live in.

Shadiya finally makes her way over to Shaka, and smothers him with an abundance of TLC, yes, siree. Shaka pulls away. He has begun to smell himself; in order words, he considers himself too big for hugs and kisses from mommy. What Shaka doesn't know, is that as long as he exists, he will always be his mother's baby. That's just the way it is.

"Look ma." Shaka is staring out of the window where he always sits on Sundays awaiting CORRECTIONAL OFFICER WILLIAMS to arrive. C.O. Williams religiously drops by, bearing monetary gifts for the family. No-one ever asks any questions, and no explanations are given. They just gladly accept.

Shaka points out the window before asking his mother a complicated question. "Why does everyone look sad?"

Shadiya looks outside. She has a clear view onto the courts. At first glance everything appears to be normal, but it's not. Things are far from a place of happiness, and everlasting companionship.

Mother Shadiya looks closer, and notices a hard working single mother crying, begging and pleading. Unfortunately, her pleas fall upon deaf ears. The tow truck driver’s heart has been hardened over the years. All the pain and suffering that he has experienced no longer allows him to feel compassion. So, without remorse, he tows her only source of transportation away. The woman is on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. She really needs her ride. She can barely afford basic necessities, how will she pay the tow fee? All the money she earns goes towards the welfare of her family, she swears a good man is nowhere to be found when needed.

Also, in the courts, local fellas loiter; common faces that Shadiya sees almost everyday. These are men varying in age, shade, shape and size. They are the future, as well as the present fathers, providers, protectors and teachers. They are all needed in the community in order to bring about change. If the fathers are absent who will serve as a living example to guide the younger generations in the right direction? If the providers are absent, who will qualify to assume such an enormous pair of boots/responsibility? If the protectors are absent, who will defend the women and children from their enemies? If the teachers are absent, who will enlighten and develop the younger minds? Is this GENERATIONAL CURSE the infection that decimated THE ANCIENT GREAT MAYAN, MESOPOTAMIAN, OSIRIAN, PHOENICIAN, and NUBIAN CIVILIZATIONS? Is this what is being covered up, and not mentioned in history books?

SCREECH. A champagne colored Pontiac Grand Prix slides and fish tails as it turns into the Bradley Courts Housing Projects. The vehicle is in hot pursuit. The constant rainfall makes it almost impossible to stop at the drop of a dime.

This gives Shamil a little more time to put some distance between himself and the pursuing vehicle. Shamil is in trouble again. He's always in some sort of mess. Whether legal, illegal, intentional, or unintentional. It's still trouble, and Shamil seems to find it, or it always finds him. It's a potatoe potato situation, no matter which way you say it, it always equals trouble.

Shadiya looks away. She doesn't have the strength, nor does she deserve to witness anything terrible happen to her son. If it ain't one thing, it’s another. The weight of the world seems to continually fall on her shoulders. Problems never cease. She's overwhelmed with hardships, heartaches, and heartbreaks. She has called on JESUS. She has called on ELOHIM. She has called on YAHWEH. She has called on ALLAH. She has even called on REV. SLAUGHTER, the charismatic family pastor, but sadly things just don't seem to get any better.

Shadiya hugs Shaka tight with all of her might, and whispers in his ear. "Son you're going to be different. Your life is going to turn out different. You're going to be the first person in our family to break the GENERATIONAL CURSE."

Readers, The GENERATIONAL CURSE is not a spook, or mystery. It has been created, tested, and subjected on the impoverished people right here in this country.