It Is What It Is Pt. 3 by Karen Minors

     When we first decided to meet face-to-face, I was very excited. We met at Jasper’s on a Friday evening, around five o’clock, just before the after work rush. We shared appetizers of buffalo wings and potato skins and more good conversation, and he told me how he thought we could be good friends. I was fine with that, and discovered that soon we would become more than just friends. The attraction was there, and I was happy to say that I finally had a man. We stayed online every night into the wee hours of the morning, getting to know each other better. We eventually spent more time together, taking turns spending the night over one another’s place. The first time he came to my place, we stayed up all night long just talking and listening to music. When we realized how late it was, we were both fast asleep on my living room couch. I never felt like he tried to take advantage of me, and we soon decided to see each other exclusively. But I knew he was tryna get some. Hey, I was tryna give him some, too. OKAY! That’s how men are anyway. I wanted to see if he could live up to the Latino side of him and show me the Latin lover. He was okay, but hey, what’s a girl to do. I was young and inexperienced, so, to me, it was a good start.

     There was a lot about Joaquin that I really enjoyed, and more that I eventually learned to despise, or wish that he would make adjustments to. I have since learned that you cannot change a person, especially if they don’t think there is anything wrong with them. He was not a family person, and I am all about my family. See, I grew up without my momma. She died giving birth to me, and my daddy never remarried. My auntie raised me as her own, and even moved into my daddy’s house to help him raise me. I am close to my entire family, and although I have no siblings, my best friend is like my sister. She grew up right next door to me. Her name is Milan, and I’ll tell you about her later.

TO BE CONTINUED...