The Women of Williams Hall

If there is one thing I enjoy, it is conversations with grown folks. And I don't mean 30, 40 years old grown, I mean 55 and on up. When they talk they spit fire. No they aren't rude, they are real.

Being real, is spitting fire to me. I sat amongst them today and listened, and even chimed in at random times.

The Women of Williams Hall are no all old, they are literally four generations of women. None of them related, but all from different times.

From grownest to youngest Miss Carolyn, Miss Bessie, Miss T, and Samantha a.k.a. boobie are all very different but one thing binds them...

The burg. Petersburg, Virginia is where these four women were born and raised. And it it here where they chose to stay.

Boobie, is in her late 20s early 30s, no older than 32. She is the loose cannon. Straight hood. She has a saying, that she says to anyone whether she cares or not. "B*tch I don't give a f****ck!" Then she goes, I don't mean b*tch in a rude way, but b*tch...

She is a mother that, was doing wrong by her kids. Not caring in the beginning, but stepping up and getting a job and being a mother. She said, "Miss Carolyn taught me that, to love my kids because they mine. Because at the end of the day all they got is me, and I wanna be there for them."

Miss T is, the freak. I'm laughing... but she is, she rocks this extra long tongue ring and literally gets off on the dryer. Nasty I know, but she ain't ashamed. "It's how I get ready to go home sh*t. Girl, ain't nothing wrong with gettin' it in every night. WITH YOUR HUSBAND!"

She is full of sexual knowledge, things I never even heard of she tells me. She doesn't drink like she use to, but I believe that every time I see her I think she is drunk or hungover. She kinda rocks and drifts when she walks.

She always tells me, "Babygirl, when you find you a man, I know you ain't got one you too tense, give everything he wants. Because if you don't someone else will. So learn how to give head." She said, "I don't have no kids so I'ma tell you what I would tell them."

Miss Bessie is the crazy one. She has a let it all hang out type of vibe. It's not wise to ask her where she is going because all she'll say is "I'm going to hell b*tch you wanna go?" She doesn't care who is around she is going to say what she wants to.

She likes things done and placed where they belong. If something is on the floor then she takes that as a way of saying, trash it. She, is very proud of her daughter. She speaks highly of her and her grandchildren.

Miss Carolyn is, the realest. When I met her she seemed very quiet, like the little old lady that everyone loves. But she is very much a talkative woman. She asks a lot of questions. I asked her now many kids she had and she responded, "two living."

She had twin boys and an older son, but lost one of her twins to a drive-by when he was six. I wanted to change the subject but she said not to feel sorry for her. She kept saying, "While my baby was on this Earth he was smart and well-behaved. Losing him made me tough, want to love my others more."

She is funny to in her own way, she picks with people and their inability to be honest with themselves. She is so quick to call someone out.

These women, all different, all struggling with hurts unknown and known, are the people we should listen to and learn from. Their lives are guides on what to and what not to do. They are quick to admit faults at times, but...

It does hold them back a bit. All tied together by the burg, their laughter is soothing and their stories are, unreal. I'm going to record them one day... it will be something to laugh at, and maybe even think about if the day is like today.