Born a Crime

ask my mom if it was hard for her
to raise me alone without a
husband. She’d reply, “Just because
I live without a man doesn’t mean
I’ve never had a husband. God is my
husband.” For my mom, my aunt,
my grandmother, and all the other
women on our street, life centered
on faith. Prayer meetings would
rotate houses up and down the
block based on the day. These
groups were women and children
only. My mom would always ask my
uncle Velile to join, and he’d say, “I
would join if there were more men,
but I can’t be the only one here.”
Then the singing and praying would