Baby Mia/Fall of 1985

Mia was born on October 13, 1985. She was the real baby of the family. Momma had just divorced her father Arthur. In those days, momma was an alcoholic and there was no one to take care of Mia except for me and Mama Tana (my grandma). Daddy had grinded my momma into nothing during all of the years of their marriage, and momma felt completely used and worthless that’s why she really drank. It wasn’t her fault. Momma had been drinking for some time now, since I was in the Army and my little sisters had begged me to come home. My momma used to want me to come home too I guess I should have come home sooner than I did.

Mia was born into this. Boi was studying at Fresno State. Jimmy was certain he would marry Irene. Moe and I still played paper dolls every day, and Misi had her own friends. Mia was 8 lbs when she was born, my momma wanted me to be with her in the delivery room, but I was afraid. So my cousin Diana was with her. I knew I would be more to Mia than just a big sister.

When momma used to go out, I would stay up with Mia, watching Tales of the Dark Side, with the baby against my chest burping her, then she would fall asleep. That beautiful little girl, whatever I was going through, this precious little baby needed me.

I started listening to John MacArthur and Chuck Swindoll. Grace to You and Insight for Living. I don’t remember how I found them, but it was God.

Jimmy and Moe were still in high school, and used to catch the bus to school. Jimmy would always be late to class, concerned about his looks. He used to carry his hair spray in a brown paper bag. Moe would be at the bus stop already, Jimmy would traipse across the street late; realizing he had forgotten his brown paper bag with his hair spray in it. Jimmy couldn't be without his hair spray so he run back to the apartment to get it as the city bus pulled up.

“It’s okay, I have parking lot” he would yell to Moe as he crossed the street and she boarded the bus without him. Misi took the school bus to Fort Miller across town. They still bussed kids to other schools at that time.

Daddy didn’t come by much to see us. Jimmy already had met his girlfriend Irene, and would spend most of his time at her house on the weekends. Moe and Misi didn’t want to go to the movies with daddy I would stay waiting by the window until evening.

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I used to sing to Mia, as I sang to Jason when I used to take care of him. Mind you I don’t sing well, but who wouldn’t want to sing to a child?

“Sing a song for Mia, sing her a song she’s the baby.”

“Sing a song for Mia, sing her a song she’s the baby.”

“Lovely Mia the little baby, Lovely Mia the little baby”

I was very playful with her, too playful I tried to dress her with my teeth and ended up biting her arm by accident. The second time I bit her, I realized it wasn’t a good idea to dress her with my teeth.

When I was changing my cassette, Mia was learning to turn over, and flipped off of the bed. When I turned around she was on the ground crying. The anguish I felt, thinking she could be brain damaged. Momma assured me she would be alright, “Babies fall all of the time.”

But Mia was special, she didn’t have her father in her life. Momma divorced Mia’s daddy Arthur, her second husband before she was born. He never saw her until she was 17.

So momma spoiled Mia. So did Mama Tana, and so did all of her siblings. Except for Misi, Mia used to take her lipstick and smear it all over her tiny face. Misi was about 16, and would chase Mia around the apartment. Mia would run behind me for refuge. I used to tell Misi she was a baby.