She was glad that she and Becky had finally talked about her parents. But she didn’t think Aunt Becky would ever be okay with Kanika wanting to leave Guysborough.
Panama was stretched out on her bed when Kanika walked in. Kanika kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the bed beside her friend.
“Aunt Becky problems again?”
“Yeah,” Kanika sighed.
“At least she wants to be on your back about it. My parents are the opposite. My mother is scared to death to ask me anything about Ontario. Yesterday in the car, Dad started to ask me something about Dragon. My mom punched him in the arm.”
“That’s crazy.” Kanika chuckled. “Aunt Becky said my mother wanted to be a sex worker for my dad.”
“Like Ru.”
“Yeah, like Ru.”
“Kanika?”
“Yes?”
“Are we normal?”
Kanika thought about the girls they were before this all happened. Kanika rebelling against her Aunt Becky’s rules. Panama trusting everyone to tell the truth and do the right thing. There had been no place in their lives for pimps and sex work and terror. They had been fifteen years old and innocent. She knew the answer to her friend’s question.
“Normal, Panama? Not anymore.”
Acknowledgements
I wish to thank all of those first voices, who have lived through similar situations and found the courage to share those experiences with me. To those who gave their authentic input and constructive feedback, the good and not-so-good, I am grateful to you. And to those working the front lines on the battlefield, fighting injustice every day, I thank you for reminding me that this subject matters. And lastly a huge thank you goes out to my family — my ride or die supporters no matter what.
About the Author
WANDA LAUREN TAYLOR is an author, filmmaker and educator. With a background in social work and advocacy, Wanda lectures on social justice and human rights issues. She is a former CBC TV producer and the author of two books, including Birchtown and the Black Loyalist, listed as one of the top Black history books for young readers by Today’s Parent Magazine and by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Copyright © 2017 by Wanda Lauren Taylor
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
James Lorimer and Company Ltd., Publishers acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), an agency of the Government of Ontario, which in 2015-16 funded 1,676 individual artists and 1,125 organizations in 209 communities across Ontario for a total of $50.5 million. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada and with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
We acknowledge the [financial] support of the Government of Canada.
Cover design: Shabnam Safari
Cover image: iStock
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Taylor, Wanda Lauren, author Ride or die / Wanda Lauren Taylor.
(SideStreets)Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-4594-1249-1 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-4594-1250-7 (EPUB)
I.Title. II.Series:SideStreets
PS8639.A97R53 2017 jC813’.6 C2017-903308-5
C2017-903309-3
This digital edition first published in 2017 as 978-1-4594-1250-7
Originally published in 2017 as 978-1-4594-1249-1
James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers
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