Mother Se’May Sayer: The ARC of Time
Season 3:
Episode 5: At the End of Your Day. What?
Prologue:
(Mother Sayer believes today is a right day. By ‘right day’ she means that she will have a talk with Janea about some things Janea should hear from an elder. Look, Mother Sayer knows all about the lure of having companionship. Mother Sayer believes it has been broken down to be like car shopping. Now this is the unexplained part of looking to be in a relationship. Location. Most people go looking for a car(a relationship) on car lots(showrooms). Most people never consider the finances(what it will cost your life and your energies) in the sense of affordability. What if a person picks a car that turns out to be a lemon(a relationship that keeps them in constant repair mode of a companion that will never result in a suitable dependable ride) that will never properly function as you expected when you bought it?
A relationship is much like a car in the sense that it is a compilation of many moving parts that must function as the design intended. This is the difference between a car and a chosen companion. The car you can exchange for a new one with little or no association going forward. A companion has a lasting impact whether a child results or assets are obtained as a consequence of that relationship.
Janea is an intellectually driven and strong Black woman to the core of her being. Those qualities can be unintentionally lost or allowed to wane and wither on the vine which is what can happen when purposes are not being fully realized. Mother Sayer says to herself that she is serious about not missing an opportunity to help someone who listens to advice. Janea seems to have the right attitude when it comes to her desire to be successful. Mother Sayer got something for that.).
————————————At the End of the Day———————————–
Mother Sayer: (What was it all for when it is over I wonder? Mother Sayer always contemplates her pursuit of knowledge and understanding. A highly educated and learned Black woman is no more than a door with a knob if it is never entered. Mother Sayer will never be just an object with no use unless it is used. I am alive and I will be useful she forcefully says to herself!). I need a table for a late lunch or early supper for two with Janea.
Uoherbhai. Set up a late lunch with Janea? The usual table in the cafeteria?
Mother Sayer: The usual table in the cafeteria.
Uoherbhai: Just the setting you like. Should I have them make it formal with a nice table cloth and candles?
Mother Sayer: Why am I so blessed to have my sisters know me so well? Also some Courvoisier and white wine that smooths out the setting. I want jazz playing over the system at a volume that doesn’t allow us to scream to hear each other.
Uoherbhai: Got it. I will be one table over to your right recording audio and video for review at a later date.
Mother Sayer: Good. Janea needs to be brought fully into the fold. Or not.
Uoherbhai: I have noticed that it has been a month now since Janea has been working with Sarah W. Certainty. She is doing well on her Chief Lead’s ‘Sew-Wear’ startup. Perhaps there are many uncertainties swirling around in her mind. I know I would worry about my being able to provide for myself and my children if I had them. Do you think she is still weighting those things in her mind? I mean whether she can depend on her livelihood here?
Mother Sayer: I know I would if I were in her shoes U-her. You never know if somebody has your back until something happens right? I had to give her time for a ‘hard’ look at what we’re doing here. Whether she wants to stick around or not. That can’t be told to somebody. I mean you can’t tell somebody this is a good place to work and we treat each other like family. You have to feel that for yourself.
Uoherbhai: I know. An introvert knows when people are genuine. Introverts spend more time listening and looking when people don’t think we’re doing both.
Mother Sayer: My father taught me the same things. I didn’t discard them when I got older. ‘Listening is more important sometimes than talking’, he said. He meant that you should use whatever ‘tool’ fits whatever the need in the moment.
Uoherbhai: Don’t be a one trick pony.
Mother Sayer: That’s right U-her. And let me tell you this about ‘purpose’ and why so many people never fulfill their purpose in life. The scripture of doing things with ‘decency and order’ means it keeps you corralled. That’s why being scrutinized is so misunderstood by so many people and why their potential is squandered.
Uoherbhai: Wait. I’m getting this down on audio, but I’m trying to keep up with my notes as well.
Mother Sayer: I will tan your behind if you don’t.
Uoherbhai: Lord knows I don’t need my ass to be any blacker.
Mother Sayer: You’re funny. Keep that. I like all my ladies to maintain their sense of humor.
Uoherbhai: Ms. Sarah clued me in on that.
Mother Sayer: Alright then. Why a person should welcome scrutiny or review is that it keeps you on track. It keeps a person ‘within’ the lines. That’s what order is simply. Order and decency feeds discipline as well. People think you need to focus your mind on all the aspects that produces an outward appearance of progress. No. Progress comes from adhering to a few simple traits that make all the difference in fulfilling your desires.
Uoherbhai: I will go and make the call to Janea. I will tell her to not fill up at lunch. She will be having an early supper with you in the cafeteria.
Mother Sayer: Very good.
———————Remembering to Talk about your Day———————
(Mother Sayer and Janea meet in the cafeteria on the ground floor. The atmosphere is soothing and energetic. The kitchen has already prepared their orders and the food will be on the table shortly. Mother Sayer ordered a halibut filet with a side of cornbread, greens and a baked potato. Janea ordered the cafeteria favorite of fried chicken, okra, corn and cornbread as well. Uoherbhai ordered Chinese fried rice with beef and broccoli.
Both Mother Sayer, Janea and Uoherbhai say grace and sit down at their prospective tables.).
Mother Sayer: How’s your meal Janea?
Janea: Oh, it’s perfect as usual. How is the halibut today?
Mother Sayer: I would enjoy it even if it was overcooked. So, I got you a ride home if you want to have a drink with me.
Janea: I’ll take the ride and I don’t mind having a drink.
Mother Sayer: That’s the right answer. I so tire of people trying to play it safe and not just be themselves. Now. Tell me the truth. Are we meeting any of your expectations if you had any coming to Kentucky?
Janea: (Janea takes a bite of her chicken breast and savors the flavors and aromas afterwards.). Just like this chicken I haven’t been at a job I’ve enjoyed this much in my life. Honestly I didn’t think working could be this much fun.
Mother Sayer: Refreshing. This halibut is the bomb. Can I just taste a piece of your chicken?
Janea: (At least she’s consistent. She’s trying to see if I’m lying about how good the chicken is.). You sure can.
Mother Sayer: This chicken is good.
Janea: Did I pass?
Mother Sayer: So far. Now comes the shape shifting face frowning part. How do you like working with Sarah?
Janea: She is on point. She is Italian right? I’ve noticed that she is either comfortable working with all kinds of people, or she can mask her energy signature very well.
Mother Sayer: A Science major are you?
Janea: No. Just a fan of Science fiction on television.
Mother Sayer: Your verdict I still haven’t heard yet.
Janea: I want more. I mean I want to know more. I mean I want to work here for as long as you will have me.
Mother Sayer: I need you to be here with us. By here with us I want you to be a valued member of our team. I don’t operate under this ‘boss’ and ‘employee’ bullshit. I respect all my people. Listening to you I believe you want to fulfill something in your life. What exactly is it and I’ll see if we can’t make it happen together?
Janea: I just want to be able to go home at the end of the day and not feel like I’ve just cut out a lung and gave it to my job, and I’m struggling to breath on the one I have left.
Mother Sayer: That is the most philosophically correct analysis of work in America I have ever heard in my life. Janea. I’ve had the fortune of being raised by my Father Abelman Sayer. That man taught me everything I needed to know about life before it slapped me in face. I have built my company, The ARC Incorporated, to be antithetical to everything about corporate America. I hate the way this country has bleed people dry.
Janea: That’s why you funded her business venture right? Sarah’s?
Mother Sayer: I funded Sarah’s business venture because she brought me a plan and she intends to achieve it. Do you intend to achieve your intentions under the umbrella of the ARC?
Janea: Can I?
Mother Sayer: What does that mean can I? I asked you a simple question. Do you have what it takes to succeed at the ARC? Yes or no?
Janea: Yes I do.
Mother Sayer: Don’t ever give me a wishy-washy answer again. Every time you’re asked a question that needs a definitive answer you answer the question without waver if you can. If you cannot, then say so. I need to deprogram some bad programs, habits, add-ons, tendencies or mis-educations you’ve picked up over your young life. May I begin?
Janea: Yes please.
Mother Sayer: Let’s start with dicks and pussies. You know. Get that out of the way first. You know what dicks and pussies get?
Janea: No ma’am.
Mother Sayer: You may refer to me as Mother Sayer. If that is uncomfortable for you, then you may address me as Mum. Like the British say.
Janea: Okay I’ll call you Mum.
Mother Sayer: No answer my question. Do you know what dicks and pussies get?
Janea: Fucked?
Mother Sayer: You are further along your life than you may believe. That’s right. A lot of our people, Black people, believe their power is in their sexual organs. It is not. Anybody can master a woman’s body. Anybody can master a man’s body. Hell, dogs can fuck and they’re not that smart.
Janea: You’re funny.
Mother Sayer: Again. You’re further along than you think. How’s the father of your two children? Do you have contact with him?
Janea: When it involves the children. Yes? Don’t worry. He doesn’t care for the day to day upbringing or anything like that.
Mother Sayer: Anything like that? Did you mean he’s an absent father then say it?
Janea: He’s an absent father.
Mother Sayer: Now. It makes our discussion much easier if you wish to continue over this lovely meal right?
Janea: Yes I want you to continue. For some reason I’ve been waiting on this conversation my entire life.
Mother Sayer: (Mother Sayer looks at Janea and sees the breaking apart of ‘chains’ that have restrained Janea probably since she realized she could have an orgasm.). Good. Next time don’t go looking for a new car in a junk yard.
Janea: More. Please.
Mother Sayer: (Mother Sayer sees Janea take a gulp of her beverage and lean in closer believing if she doesn’t she’s going to miss something that is said.). That man never held any obligation to you. If he did he would have ‘turned’ that old clunker model of a man crap, and chose to build one from scratch. Black women have more to lose when you keep ‘riding’ in a car with the doors gone on bald tires. Metaphorically.
Janea: I know what you mean. It’s not like I didn’t start to feel like I was riding around in circles with their father. Every day I wake up it was hitting me more and more. Weighing on me like a wet blanket wrapped around my shoulders in the ocean.
Mother Sayer: Janea. Thank you for finding me. Thank you for coming to the ARC. Everybody can’t be told when they’ve been fucking up. Some people will even fight you when you scrutinize their life. You. You’ve known you’ve been messing up. You just needed to be given a way out.
Janea: Yes. Yes Mother Sayer. That’s exactly it. That’s it! (Janea is in a mode of releasing all her stupidity now. Mother Sayer just watches her as she lets go of her foolishness.).
Mother Sayer: (Mother Sayer speaks after she takes a drink of her Courvoisier.). It makes a difference doesn’t it? When the right words are spoken to you. The right words at the right time are bullshit let me make that clear. The right words are the right words no matter the time they are spoken.
Janea: I must be looking like I don’t know shit to you.
Mother Sayer: Resist that feeling. Do you understand me? That’s a trap. That’s like having a gas tank on a car on empty and you keep passing gas stations. When a problem presents itself address that problem directly.
Janea: I understand. Get what you need when you need it. It doesn’t matter what confusion you may be currently under. Cut through the noise to silence it. And you silence the noise by addressing the issue.
Mother Sayer: That’s also correct. I was talking to U-her earlier about being under order and scrutiny. Listen to me now because I want you to remember this valuable lesson. Just living life and working a job is not going to get you what you want from life. It has to have some order to it. Some purpose. Some endings that you are building upon something or somewhere you want to be.
Janea: I’ve also noticed that. That’s why I just said fuck it. I got my children in the car and I said fuck it. I’m going to go down there to Kentucky and I’m going to work with Sarah.
Mother Sayer: Putting it all on the line. That’s good. That’s a good start. Now you’re putting things together. That’s fulfilling purpose. When you know that what you’re doing is not cutting it. You’ve got to stop doing it. Do something else. Make a change. That’s why you need to work your life under some order and scrutiny. Hold yourself accountable. Don’t play ‘hooky’ like you’re skipping school. This is your life we’re talking about here.
Janea: I know I know. I will tell you this. I don’t feel like I’ve signed away a lung anymore that’s for sure. I actually feel like I’m needed for the first time at a job in my life.
Mother Sayer: Doesn’t it make you want to return the respect Sew-Wear feels that your presence makes the company better?
Janea: I do. I actually feel good about going to work now.
Mother Sayer: For the first time in your life right? I know.
Janea: You got it sister. I mean Mother Sayer.
Mother Sayer: Sister is fine. I get the feeling you know where boundaries are. You don’t need to be taught how to carry yourself in different moments do you?
Janea: No I don’t. At least I picked up on that while I was out there fucking around. Literally.
Mother Sayer: You’re funny. Anyhow. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s an end of day discussion we all hope happens often in our life.
Epilogue:
(Mother Sayer knows this about people. Everybody has an agenda. Everybody may not be able to clearly define it one way or the other, but all of us have agendas we try to make happen. It matters to be somewhere where all the elements are in place to craft that ‘thing’ we want to fulfill our promise.
It is a wonder to behold when a person finally gets it. Getting it is different to everybody, but getting it is still vital. It has got to be under order. Without order and scrutiny many purposes go unfulfilled. Life should not be lived by the ‘seat of your pants’. Going from mindset to mindset. Up and down up and down all the time. Never some consistency and continuity in life. Putting it all together like education to match your career choice. Being somewhere whether it is your own business or somewhere where the trade or barter for your labor brings a reciprocally compatible income.
That brings a smile to your face at the end of the day. Janea knows that now.).