“Get in here”, your mom fumes as she drags you into the house.
“Sit down.” She paces the kitchen floor then faces you.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Her intensity leaves you scared and at full attention. (Imagine that your mom is Rochelle Rock from Everybody Hates Chris)
“Sex, my dear, is nothing to play with. Don’t you know that as African Americans we are at a disadvantage? Best know that in 2006, 13.35 out of 1000 of our live babies died before the age of 1; that’s twice as high as the national average! We actually have poor birth outcomes regardless of our income or social status. How do you explain that? Some base it on the whole life course theory. That means that what you do to your body today will affect your generations to come. Talk about the sins of our fathers! And with your hot self,” flicking your hair “you are at higher risk of having a low birth weight or premature child. Can you handle that?
If you think that you’re going to bring some little boy to my house talking about he’s your baby’s daddy, then you’ve got something else coming. Baby, sex is not the greatest feeling in the world: love and respect is! So the next time you feel the urge to chase boys all over the place, tell me!”
Unable to hold back the emotion any longer, she says “I love you baby. You’re all I’ve got and I want the best for you. Okay?”
Still wide eyed and terrified you nod as she heads out of the room. Before she leaves she picks up a bottle and tosses it through the air. You catch it. “And don’t forget your folic acid. It’s important for fetal neural development”.
She leaves the room.
You stand there stunned beyond imagination. I mean you were just playing girls chase boys with your 4th grade buddies from around the way. But you leave the kitchen with thoughts to ponder upon; thoughts that you carry on throughout your adolescence and young adulthood.
