Dubbed by Nobility

The Empress has died. It is that simple. People, particularly those in the Afro-Conscious community have chosen to say, "She chose to make her transition." No. To me, The Beautiful One, She who Saw Truth and Lived It has not made a transition. She has died. The news came to me, via text, the Monday morning after Thanksgiving. It read, "Did you hear about Empress? Call me when you can." I said, "She's dead." A phone call from my ex-husband confirmed it.

I did not drop to my knees and yell, tears did not immediately well up in my eyes, however, a wooden shelf in my soul cracked in half and dropped into my ethereal body. "How did we let this happen?" I knew her living situation was not good. I had offered her my home on more than one occasion, she declined the offers. I asked my ex-husband what the cause of death was, he said, "Aneurysm." I do not believe that. She walked around with that aneurysm for YEARS, declining to let them "go into my head" again after one brain surgery. Empress died from neglect and lack of love.

I first met her in 2004. I loved her on sight. She did not know, but I had seen this woman many years before, firstly, at the then called Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue where I accompanied a good friend of mine who had to get her daughter out. She was a Big Black Woman, with locks that went past her shins. She talked about her 13 husbands and how she whipped them with her locks when they got out of line. I thought to myself, "Wow! This woman is special, and not necessarily in a good way." She was impressive though, regal even. As the years passed, I would see her at events that were mainstays for the "Thinking Blacks", Tribute to the Ancestors, DanceAfrica ( BAM as we call it), African Street Festival. I found her a bit imposing to approach, but I always smiled and threw her in with the Beautiful Black People lot. Imagine my joy when she walked down the aisle at an event I was participating in and she was one of the elders blessing me on my journey!

My ex-husband and I were courting at the time. He brought me before her and simply said, "This is her." She looked at me and revealed information that I hadn't yet revealed to ANYONE. She saw, by looking at the bottom of my left foot that I was pregnant. That was October 2004. My daughter was born June 2005. She knew that TOO. She called me, the day after I walked for my Master's Degree, the day after I started clearing my office because I knew that I needed to begin my maternity leave.
"Princess Iyapiphany...what are you doing?"
I caught my breath and laughed. "Hello Empress Umi, I am in labor with this baby." She laughed.
"I knew it. I looked at the moon last night and said, 'Hmm, the baby is coming, she missed the last full moon.' Who is with you?"
"My mom is here and I have called the midwives. They said this may go on all week, and not to be concerned. My mom however, is freaking out. She told them to get their asses over here."
"No Princess. The baby is coming, she will come between 12 or 1 o'clock. You will not be in labor all week. Your mother is correct. Call the midwives back and tell them they need to come over. Where is Supa?"

I made the calls and the people necessary to welcome the much awaited Revealed Light (that is what her name means) enter this realm of existence. Empress always referred to me as Princess, she called many young women princess, but for me, it was as though she saw me. All that I was trying to do, all that I was trying to accomplish and uphold. She was big, bold, and unapologetic. If she saw little me, perhaps I needed to not worry that people were not "getting me." That is what she leaves with me most. We choose the life we live, we have the ability to live it as we desire and we better be happy with what we choose because in the end and at it, You are left to face Yourself.