Sew-Wear
(Sow?-Where?: We must sow. Where there is ground.)
Season One
Episode 4: Janea says: ‘This One Has Got to Be Real: For There Is No More Plays For Me If It Is Not’
Part Four: Janea Trials: That 40% of a Good Time for a Hot Minute Won’t Be Backfilled with 60% Imagination Anymore. Now My Energy to Help a Business Will Produce Results I Can Take to the Bank to.
Prologue:
(Must everything be a struggle? I just want to know the answer to that question. Are the trials over? Janea answers her own questions which are: Yes, the answer is there, and No. I met Sarah at the college. Pratt Institute. At my little rinky-dink job I should say. A job that barely pays enough to buy dinner every night for me and my two kids. Oh, what my life would be if I reversed my steps to this point. What I mean is why didn’t I wait to have sex until after I ‘hooked’ up my ‘power line’ to an opportunity where I could draw energy and give it back? Okay. I’ll say it simply. Make a good ‘fucking’ life for myself before I had kids!
Enough of that. Rolling that ball around in the mind time for now. Sarah? It was just something about Ms. Sarah that was telling me who I needed to follow finally came close to me. I don’t care how it happened. Sarah was throwing too much energy out trying to hook Hedgy that I was caught in the line of fire. Oh well. Whatever. Spring time is here in New York and I know my time has come. Where’s that card at? It has the information she gave me? Louisville, Kentucky huh? The ARC Incorporated. Well. Let me see how I need to play this out? No! I’m playing this one out with everything I got left.
I need to get a rental car. I dam sure don’t have the money to fly with two children. They are in the 3rd and 4th grades which means they are still babies so to speak. Young enough to make new friends very easily. My son, Bryse is older. Jeeas is younger. They both were given unique names so they will be easy to remember by other children. Prepare them both for travel while I figure out what day to get there while The ARC is still open for business. Make it in the morning. That would be during the week. Preferably not on a Friday.
I’m leaving on Sunday. Janea says to herself. The drive will be all of 14 to 20 hours. I will not be in a hurry. A hotel stay will be marked in along the way cause I’m not going to fool with 2 children for that long a period of time. In the car and out of the car. Definitely a hotel has got to be along the way. I’ll close out my 6 month lease in my overpriced apartment later when I come back and get the rest of my stuff.
My shot has come. I’m on my way there Ms. Sarah.).
———————————-Tuesday Rises with Promise——————————–
Janea: (I can’t believe I’m walking in the doors of The ARC unannounced believing this woman is going to give me a chance.). Hello. I’m here to see Ms. Sarah. (Sarah W. Certainty has long been replaced as Mother Sayer’s right hand. She is greeted by Marsai. A beautiful African young woman that Uoherbhai knows from family back home in Africa. U-her told her family she would take her in and see that she pays attention to her studies and stays away from boys.).
Marsai: (It is Tuesday morning and both her friend and the matriarch of the company, Mother Sayer, is present with Ms. Sarah in her office.). Let me see what they wish for you? Have a seat while I must disturb them. (Marsai turns from Janea and goes to the door of Mother Sayer’s office. Marsai doesn’t knock, but waits until Mother Sayer sees her and she enters.). A Ms. Janea is here to see you Ms. Sarah.
Sarah W. Certainty: Janea? She’s here?
Marsai: Yes Ms. Sarah. I have her waiting at your desk.
Mother Sayer: (She looks at Sarah and nods. Implementation of our plan begins now. This woman Sarah has got to give me something. Mother Sayer said to Sarah when she told Mother what happened in New York. When Janea gets here; we will tag team her.). Are you ready for what we discussed to do with her?
Sarah W. Certainty: Of course. I need to learn everything you got for me stored in all those years of being knocked around and knocking life around back.
Mother Sayer: Okay Sister girl. Let’s do this.
———————————Initiation Blues with Benefits——————————-
(Mother Sayer walks out of her office with Sarah and U-her in tow. Mother stands in the midst of all five women, but she doesn’t introduce herself. Mother said that is for Sarah to do and she will guide the interaction from there.).
Sarah W. Certainty: Janea. My. I did make a strong impression on somebody. You are here for a reason. What are the possibilities and for that the explanations you got for me?
Janea: Yes Ms. Sarah. I know I wasn’t the target, but I have not been able to get you out of my mind. Look. I’ll just.
Sarah W. Certainty: Hold that thought for a moment. Let me introduce this lady first. Mother Sayer made it all happen here at The ARC. This is Mother Sayer. She is our matriarch. She makes sure the chicken is fried around here. And the collard greens. And the cornbread is cooked in the skillet.
Mother Sayer: Sarah. What did I tell you?
Sarah W. Certainty: Right. Sorry. No Ebonics or ethnic lingo until we all get to know each other. This is Uoherbhai who you met up with me in New York. This is Marsai. She is coming on board to fulfil her purpose and we are about that life for her and her family back home.
Mother Sayer: Hello Janea. I’ve heard good things about you. Oh what lovely children. What are their names?
Janea: This is Bryse. He is 10. This is Jeeas. She is 9. Say hello to the nice lady.
Bryse: Hello.
Jeeas: Hello.
Janea: I’m sorry Mother Sayer. It’s been a long couple of days. They’re tired. I believe they know a change is coming. Bless their little souls.
Mother Sayer: Oh no Janea. Although my children are grown; I remember what my determined efforts did to them as well. It taxed their ability to keep up. If you want, I have a daycare on the 1st floor that has a rest area. It is no problem. I can have Marsai take them down there for you and watch over them.
Janea: Could you? Take them. I need to get to the point.
Mother Sayer: (Mother Sayer sees that Janea is anxious and ready to know if this is it for her.). Okay. Marsai. Take the children to the daycare please.
Marsai: Yes Mother Sayer. Come on children. You can call me Ms. Marsai. Let’s go and let your Mother get off her chest what she seems eager to do.
Janea: Does everybody here know why I’m here? I am ready to make something happen.
Mother Sayer: Slow your roll Ms. Janea. I like the energy. Keep the energy level high, but let’s do this in a way that your message, my message, Sarah’s message, and even U-her does not miss anything out of this pow-wow we are having.
Janea: Okay. I’m sorry. My thoughts are racing. It probably comes, no it does, comes down to me not wanting to burn large amounts of energy with nothing to show for it again.
Sarah W. Certainty: (It was set up beforehand that Sarah would start the conversation.). Janea. I appreciated your help in New York. That club was loud wasn’t it?
Janea: Yes Ms. Sarah.
Sarah W. Certainty: Just Sarah. Now since we’re getting right to it. What did you come here for? I wanted Hedgy? What led you to believe that I possessed something that you wanted to be a part of?
Janea: I came because I wanted to be around what you all have going on here.
Sarah W. Certainty: No. By no I mean let me get a little deeper. You came because some part of you was weighted down by some part of me. That weight you carried all the way here? I deposited that weight on you. You came because you want to know if you should keep that weight or give it back to me.
Janea: I did. I experienced this burden, so to speak, before. I came because I had to. I believe in people so much I gave a man two children and he gave me deuces in return.(Janea throws up her first two fingers on her right hand). I must know if you have the ability to help me carry that weight until I plant it solidly somewhere positive.
Mother Sayer: That weighted part you hold now is a metaphysical connection I’ve told my Sarah about many times. You and I can go further along about it at a later time. For now I need to know something from you. Were you sent here? Did you come because your internal energies led you here? Or, do you know that this is where you belong?
Janea: I came here because I thought that Sarah possesses what I have sought after for many years. And no. I was not sent here by nobody. I know this is where ‘I’ belong!(Mother Sayer noticed the emphasis on ‘she knows’ and she likes it.).
Mother Sayer: Janea. I will ask you something else and think about it if you must before you answer. The ARC is many things. Do you know for sure if The ARC represents your destination?
Janea: I don’t need to think about what The ARC represents. I know this is my destination. I felt the pressure shift when I walked through the doors of this organization. Hell. I let strangers take my children, so I trust you. My heart is steady. My voice is steady. I need to be here if that answers your question.
Mother Sayer: Sarah. Have you paid close attention to what Janea has spoken about herself? Her work? Her life has been tried by the ‘fire’. And! She’s still here with ambition in her belly. Her spirit. It has abided. She has abided. I love defiance in a woman. It makes a woman finally realize she has power to succeed just like a man. Any who. She was tested and she kept herself and her children strong even when that ‘partner’ abandoned her. ‘She’ made them a home. My spirit must know her spirit. She is welcome in my house. And in yours.
Sarah W. Certainty: Welcome aboard Janea. Let’s get you settled in shall we.
Janea: I’m in?
Sarah W. Certainty: You heard Mother Sayer didn’t you?
Janea: Thank you. I will be your best employee.
Sarah W. Certainty: We don’t use that word ‘employee’ around here. We use team member or associate. Now. You will need a place to stay.
Janea: Yes. Do you know of any good hotels in your city?
Sarah W. Certainty: You do not need to worry about a hotel. We already got you covered. Team member Ms. Blinner will be here shortly to take you to our building. It is already furnished with some generic food in the fridge and freezer. She can take you to get some things to your liking if nothing is there at the apartment you and the children like. Courteous of The ARC of course.
Janea: Wait. You were expecting me?
Sarah W. Certainty: Yes. Let me tell you something about Mother Sayer. Keep this close to your heart. That woman is like a Mother to me. Understand?
Janea: Yes.
Sarah W. Certainty: Mother Sayer doesn’t believe in coincidences or luck. She believes that good energy doesn’t just find good energy. Good energy has to have available connectors ready to draw good and stable energy. We are ready to receive that ‘power’. We stay ready to draw the people that want to do good things in life. We give them a place to do it. Here of course.
Janea: So, there are good people in the world trying to let people with the right minds find each other. I just needed to keep going until I found one of those people. My part is that I needed to keep going.
Sarah W. Certainty: That’s right. Mother Sayer taught me that. My Mother Sparklett gave me to Mother Sayer because our Father’s knew each other and still do.
Janea: So, it does happen. Well then. People that have a good thing do reach out to other people that think like them?
Sarah W. Certainty: It’s good you said, ‘reach out to other people’. Keep that close to your heart. Everybody you treat good will not return the same energy.
Janea: Oh, trust me I know. I got two kids to show for it. I know. You can’t love a man into loving you. My Mother’s words still ‘pop’ me upside my head every day. I was just too headstrong to listen at the time to her words of wisdom. I still wouldn’t return my children for a castle full of gold. Just to be clear about it.
Sarah W. Certainty: You better not. Now let’s get you settled. Ms. Blinner should be here soon and it’s lunch time. Let’s get the children and we’ll meet her in the eatery for lunch.
Epilogue:
(Sarah W. Certainty still marvels at the knowledge that Mother Sayer holds. How did she know that Janea would drop all that she has and come down here to Louisville, Kentucky? Who does that? Why? I know my Father gave a lot of guys from Italy that arrived in America and didn’t have no place to go a life, but I didn’t know Americans did that. Although I should say White Americans don’t do that. Mother Sayer told me that was how a lot of Black people grew their communities, towns and cities after slavery. Some Black people were too restless and had to find a better life out of the South, so they went North, East and West to find that ‘life’.
I bet Mother Sayer is on cloud nine, as she would say, more happier for welcoming Janea into her home and business than opening a new market somewhere. What did Mother Sayer say to me? Many things of course, but there is one thing about money she said about standing on it. Oh, I remember.
Mother Sayer said to me, ‘Sarah, I don’t care if you make more money in your business than you ever believed possible, and all your team members become millionaires. Stack a pile of money a couple of feet off the floor and stand on it. Did you add an inch to your height?’ Answer that question honestly and you know money can help you enjoy life’s material treasures. Money, when it is used to build up just people, will bring rewards to you that no gifts will ever surpass.
Use the wealth of your heart and mind to help people stand taller on doing the just and right things. Some of what you have to do will be putting down evil. That’s a part of it. Don’t let anything ‘weight’ more on you than the good things about life.
Mother Sayers says: ‘I told Janea that this place, The ARC, and SEW-WEAR, is real. This place you have found your way to will replenish your strength and hope about life. Her burden, Janea’s burden that is, will now be a part of ‘our’ burden. Thus this is my will Mother Sayer says to Sarah. ‘Make ‘bearing’ your burden be all about just and good things Sarah’.
So that others may see and come to believe.
You are right Mother Sayer. Sew-Wear will be just like The ARC. A place where people smile when they walk through the doors. Where what is possible is achievable. Don’t get it twisted. Everyone will be tested here. We will know who has taken up ‘residence’. To keep the place functioning that is. Or, God forbid, try to tear it down. Don’t worry. We got people who will deal with them too. Good people and bad people do resemble each other in the beginning you know.
Pulling ‘weeds’ also ensures that the corn and wheat get to flourish and grow tall without being ensnarled by the presence of the ‘tares’.).

