La Tonya Jordan’s Reviews > Make Your Way Home: Stories > Status Update

"The Happy Land" Gideon is married to Darnell. Is father is trying to accept and understand. It is difficult. His father was a womanizer and took in Gideon after his mother died. Wyatt was Gideon's first love and now he is back. Is father is trying to understand. He tells him he wandered away from his mother and no good came from it. The best his father can do.

Claire's Aunt Glenna is a healer. Claire tried to help her mother by making her elixirs (black cohosh tea can soothe cramps and that primrose oil can ease heavy bleeding). By the time Aunt Glenna had returned from collecting more herbs from an away trip. The cancer had spread. Aunt Glenna does not know how to tell Claire it is not her fault. Now, Claire wants a hysterectomy instead of alternatives.

"How Does Your Garden Grow" in this short story you have Claire who has urine Fibroid tumors. It is taking her back to her junior year of high school when her mother died. Because her mother was Black the doctor assumed her bleeding was from fibroids and not cancer. The doctor was wrong. Her mother did not have an MRI because how much would be covered by insurance. Claire is blaming herself for not knowing.

Quote:

ONE THING WOMEN LOVED to talk about was sex.

"Make fun of me if you want to. But my grandma doesn't play about stuff like that. Let a bird make a nest of your hair and you'll have a headache for life. No peace of mind."

We were alone, quiet, but everything we weren't saying sounded loud, so loud among that sunlight and glass.

"Naturale"- Cherie is married to Oriah. He is an archaeology. She is a hair dresser. She was not raised to be book smart. Oriah has had an affair with Simone, a colleague. He has confessed to Cherie, asked for forgiveness, and wants to save his marriage. Can sex save their marriage or the daughter they conceived in his forgiveness? Cheir has forgiven. But, can't seem to forget.

Morning by Morning - Kevin and Helene are engaged, but have not had sex. Kevin wants to have sex before they marry. Helene does not want to fall out of favor with God. Sariah is a deaconess at church. She is sacrificing herself from sex to make pence of sin for an abortion she had in her early twenties. Jay wants to be baptized in the church. But, does not know if he is ready. How much is a sacrifice for sin?

"Gather Here Again" Damonia is eighty-four years old. She tells her grandbabies the story of the ghost. When Klanmen came and burned down her home when she was a child.

Quote:

"You think the ghost's gonna follow us?" Damonia had asked, shouting, the wind beating her face senseless. Momma breathed in quick. " I don't want to hear that foolishness," she'd said. "That was Mr. Abel, and you know it."

"In the Swirl" When you meet your eighteen self again at thirty-six. Swimming, Art, Your Sister, are the constants.

Quote:

You could spook anyone with how close you were willing to get, with how you opened yourself up to the world and opened others too. Now, the hardest thing is getting back. She is waiting, the girl of you, shouting from a distance for your return."