Get rich or die tryin

I grew up on a futon with a quilt
I was always a guest in my parent’s lives
not much changed after they had my brother and me
they wanted us both to me aquariuses (maybe for the independence)
and we both are

when we got home from school each day we went to the snack cabinet
the same one we packed our lunches out of
I’d eat chips or cookies, or have a dr. pepper
we were allowed to have anything, aside from my mom’s chocolate covered almonds
in her cabinet
we drank margarita mix, regularly

when my mom finally did get home from work she requested we did not speak to her
she coined the phrase “talked out”

electronics have occupied me as far back as I remember
I always had a computer in my room, was given my first cellphone in 3rd grade
on road trips to see our family in so cal we had a tiny tv that sat nestled between the two front seats in the van for my brother and I in the back
we didn’t own too many VHSs so usually played get rich or die tryin on repeat
my favorite part was after he got his mouth un-wired shut he was so grateful to be able to speak again, even in his soft mumble

I grew up to be not too different from my folks, I keep my cereal on the top of the fridge, just like my brother, I keep my batteries beneath the butter compartment

my lack of supervision worked out well for me, as I had nothing at all to rebel against, so I didn’t

my mom is still a therapist, a divorced marriage family counselor, who strongly encourages all others to do the same

some say I’m private to a fault, but I really think that’s much more of my dad’s thing
he always has roughly two girlfriends at any given time, which I’m happy for, given his loneliness
my mom tried the dating scene out again recently, which ended in her being catfished across the country for money
she now says she prefers to just watch the show

in a psychic reading she asked me if I would want her to tell me more about my family
to which I responded I would really rather she didn’t
she obliged, only stating, “everything will be okay”