long box braids is the only memory alicia burke had of her mother. long box box braids whipping over her shoulder, as she set down her youngest daughter on a strange porch. the porch belonged to her paternal grandmother in oakland, one sunny summer afternoon when ali was four years old. growing up in a neighborhood riddled with gun shots at all hours of the day. the stay with grandma quinette didn't last long until the police raided the home and ali was thrown into the system. the thing is, ali doesn't know her history, where she came from, or how she was brought onto this earth.
a mother who left her child in the care of a woman she hardly knew while she ran off with her son to do dope and do whatever it was to feed the addiction. unbeknownst to her, her mother died when she was fifteen of a drug overdose, and she's never sought out her past. for alicia, she was shuffled between foster homes and later group homes, as she was never good enough for anyone, or so she thought. sometime around the age of eight, ali was placed with lily burke, who would be the closest thing to a mother that she has ever known. she remembers the day sabrina moved in vividly, ali had been with lily for no more than three months at the time, and was coming down from the last foster home. she pushed and lily pushed back. she had a partner in crime within weeks, the girls came up with schemes, knowing that their time with lily was unknown, and they should spend their time and new found loyalty wisely.
six months turned into a year, then it turned into three, lily brought the girls back to reality and gave them some kind of semblance of what a family should look like. they were doing real good until they turned 12. it was just after ali's birthday when lily gain trust and dropped them off at the mall. she'll never forget the fear she had felt that day as she sat in the mall's security office, the cops coming, being shuffled to the police department. the last thing she had said to sabrina was she'd find her.
the death of lily caused alicia to go down a path that lily was trying to prevent. ali never placed in another foster home was placed in a group home, a group home turned into juvie, and then few different group homes until she turned 18. from there, she was lost and had no place to go. life on the streets was something she wasn't made out for, but as resilient as she was, she made it work until she sauntered into her old neighborhood, and into the home of a distant cousin who some how recognized her name.
with no real education, she passed her ged, and found herself enrolled at ICOC and in a hood debt by taking an eleven week course for manicuring. she paid off that debt quickly, but that repayment is something she is not proud of, as it consisted more than just money. however, it was step in the right direction so she didn't follow in her mother's footsteps, and eventually she completed the esthetician course. soon after, she was good enough to get a job in san francisco salon where sabrina showed up one day as a client. after some long overdue catch up, discussions were had, and a plan was put into place.
before they both knew it, they had moved down to southern california for a new life, sabrina had changed her name to burke, and shortly after to start it off right, alicia followed suit. they found a decent apartment, she found a good paying salon, and set up shop. over the past year and a half, she has a good client base, whether it be nails, waxing, or her side hustle, being a makeup artist on the side. the girl who was the product of the hood made it out, and wherever she is, ali hopes lily would be proud of her and her sister.
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