The House of Eve

by Sadeqa Johnson

Each story has a monster in it who made them tough instead of brave, so they open their legs rather than their hearts where the folded child is tucked. —Toni Morrison

My cousin had more excuses than a hoe going to jail, and I didn’t have time to entertain her colorful tales this morning.

Honestly, she hadn’t even known that Negroes separated themselves by color until she stepped foot onto the all-Negro university’s campus a year ago.

“Potential without focus and full commitment bears no fruit.”

“Art is the friend that you can always return to. It will always be there to heighten your feeling of aliveness. Keep going.”

I was forced to learn his history, but he knew nothing of mine.