by Natavia
“Don’t worry, Essa. If he swings, we’re killin’ him. Come on, Big Bucks, swing so we can make some coins out your fake gettin’ money ass. Nigga, I dare you!” Kitty said. There was a knock on the door and Kitty looked through the peephole.
“Uh oh,” she said.
“Is that my probation officer?” Big Bucks asked.
“It’s Ricardo and he’s carrying Ke’Ari. I didn’t know this was your night,” Kitty said. Without thinking, I immediately told her to open the door. She hid the knife behind her back before she let Ricardo in. He put Ke’Ari down and he ran to me. I picked my son up and placed kisses all over his cute face. Ricardo stood in the doorway looking at the scene before us.
“What in the fuck is this, Essa?” Ricardo asked.
“Mommy,” Ke’Ari said.
“Say homey, you got twenty dollas, so we can catch a cab home?” Big Bucks asked Ricardo.
“Oh wow, Essa. I thought you were trying to get better for our son, but you have a house full of losers—and is that shit I smell?” he asked.
“I think Barbie pooped inside her carrier,” Tinka said.
She opened the door to the carrier. Barbie stormed out, leaving a wet shit trail across the floor and Tinka ran after her. Ricardo took Ke’Ari out of my arms and stormed out the apartment. I ran after them and begged Ricardo to hold tight until I cleaned up and my company left. Ricardo was purposely trying to sabotage me. He showed up whenever he felt like it, so he could catch me doing something and I was beginning to think he didn’t want Ke’Ari to love me.
“Give me my son!” I screamed at him when I stormed out the building. He opened the door to his car and put Ke’Ari in his car seat. Tears were running down my face when Ke’Ari cried for me.
“Why are you doin’ this to me? You ruined my life long enough!”
“You had a fuckin’ raccoon in your apartment! Your ghetto and fat-ass cousins are the reason why your life is fucked up! I bet the raccoon belonged to Tinka because she’s not smart enough to know better, and Kitty is a whore. I don’t want my son around your bum-ass boyfriend neither. He had the nerve to ask me for twenty dollars. Are you serious? You’re a horrible mother! You don’t do shit, but smoke weed all day and you live back in the hood, the place you so desperately wanted to stay away from,” Ricardo yelled. People in front of the building were watching and learning more of my business.
“This is not the hood despite what you think! You should’ve called me, and I would’ve been in the house alone. Please just sit here and wait until they leave. I thought you was taking him to Disney World.” Ricardo leaned against his car and crossed his arms.
“Are you sleeping with one of them? Don’t lie to me, Essa. I gotta know who is around my son,” he said.
“No, I got off from work and my cousins were waiting for me to celebrate so they wanted to cook dinner for me. I promise I didn’t know those guys were coming and Tinka told me she had a cat. I didn’t know it was a raccoon. Please, Ricardo, just give me some time to straighten up and you can bring him up.”
“Where do you work? Taco Bell? Arby’s or Chick-Fil-A?” he asked.
“I’m a receptionist at a company that does painting, construction and landscaping. It’s called Brooks Brothers A1 Enterprises.”
“When did you start?”
“Today, Ricardo, damn. Why are you treatin’ me like a child?”
“Go upstairs and clean up. I’ll wait for you in the car,” he said.
“Thank you so much!”
I went back into the building and heard commotion going on upstairs. It was Kitty’s voice; she was yelling and fussing. When I got upstairs, Kitty was spraying Lysol on Big Bucks while Tinka sat on him, so he wouldn’t move. Cooley tried to pull Tinka off Big Bucks, but he was small himself.
“Get this big bitch off me!” Big Bucks yelled.
“Hold his dirty ass down, Tinka! He wanna talk shit to me, I got sumthin for that yuck mouth of his!” Kitty screamed. She sprayed Big Bucks in his eyes and he screamed like a woman. Cooley’s quiet cousin was signaling for me to do something. He tapped my shoulder and moved his hands in different directions.
“What?” I asked, and he yelled.
“He’s deaf!” Cooley said.
At that point, I just wanted everyone to leave out of my building. Tinka got off of Big Bucks and snatched her raccoon’s carrier from by the door. As I walked inside my apartment, I noticed the poop was up and I smelled Lysol which was the one Kitty was using. Kitty followed me into the apartment to grab her purse.
“I’m sorry about everything. Our cab is outside. Call me tomorrow,” Kitty said and kissed my cheek. Tinka was ready to walk back inside my apartment but I stopped her.
“No, stay out. I’m mad at you.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow before we come,” Tinka said and followed Cooley and Kitty down the stairs. Big Bucks was rolling around on the floor screaming for water because his eyes burned while Cooley’s cousin tried to help him up. I slammed my door and locked it, so I could finish straightening up. Ten minutes later, I ran back outside, and Ricardo was gone. I went back inside and cried my eyes out. Even though I was out of jail, I felt like I was still in prison and Ricardo was the warden. I wanted to be free from him. The only way he’d let up was if I took him back. He was obsessed with me but hated me at the same time.
Kitty
I t was around midnight when I walked into the house. Tinka and Cooley pissed me off so much, I left right back out of Tinka’s apartment when we got there. Soon after, I was comfortable on my pink fur couch and called Essa, but she didn’t answer. I wanted to apologize to her because we were always getting her in trouble. It was just that before Essa met Ricardo her life was carefree. Now, it was “I can’t do this because Ricardo won’t approve,” and that was before she had their son. I just missed my cousin and how she used to be. The front door to my apartment unlocked and he walked in. He had a scowl on his face and I rolled my eyes at him. Dealing with him for a year was the longest I dealt with anyone and let them disrespect me. He messed around, talked to me any kind of way and hated the way I dressed. I liked animal print, especially tiger stripes and leopard spots, which is how I got the name, Kitty.
“Yo, fix me a sumthin to eat,” he said.
He took off his shirt and shoes before sitting on the couch across from me. He also pulled out a blunt and a bag of weed to roll up. He smelled like a woman and the stench of him made me sick. He saw the notice on my coffee table and shook his head. I had an eviction notice but not because of my rent. It was because of him. He punched the landlord in the face because he thought he was looking at my ass. My apartment was inside of a big house with only two other tenants and I had the basement room which was small, but it was enough for me because I didn’t have any kids.
“So, where you movin’ to?” he asked.
“With you I hope. It’s your fault I have to move in the first place. Either that or he’s gonna press charges on you!”
He didn’t show any sympathy for me, but it was my fault because I should’ve left him. The very little money he did give me barely paid my bills.
“You ain’t movin’ in with me. The fuck is wrong witchu? And where is my food at?” he asked with an eyebrow raised.
“Can you ask your brother if he has anything available within my budget?”
Mayor flipped over the coffee table, but I didn’t flinch. I was prepared to fight that nigga if I had to even though he never put his hands on me.
“What, you tryna fuck my brother, too, with your hoe ass! It’s shelters all across the city, bruh. Go stay with Tinka’s ABCE skipping the D retarded ass. The fuck is wrong witchu? Mannn, go fix me a fuckin’ sandwich and afterwards I want some pussy. Where you been at all day anyway? I came here a while ago and you weren’t home. Let me smell your pussy,” he said.
Not only was he rude, he was very insecure. I couldn’t take it anymore. I lost my last job because he accused the manager of fingering me in the ba
ck room. Mayor was the worst man I ever dealt with. The sex was empty, he had a big dick but was too selfish with it. He had a lot of money and drove nice cars but wouldn’t dare give me a ride in one. I was sick of him. It was the final straw.
“I can’t do this anymore.”
“Do what? Wear animal prints? I keep tellin’ you that shit is embarrassin’! You ain’t a thunder cat. I’m tired of your ass, shorty. All you do is hold your hand out and what do I get in return? NOTHING!” he fussed.
“Get out of my apartment!” I screamed, and he grabbed my face.
“I own you. Do you hear me? I would rather see you dead than livin’ without me and that’s facts!” he gritted before letting me go.
“You don’t own me, muthafucka! You’ll never own me! I’m not one of those bitches you’re fuckin!”
“Those bitches I’m fuckin’ have cars and live in decent neighborhoods. They ain’t dumb and don’t hang around bum bitches all day. What do you and Tinka do all day besides shop at Rainbow and steal shit? And you wonder why I cheat? It’s because you make me cheat. You want me to give you money, so you can depend on me? I’m not takin’ care of no grown-ass woman,” he said. It was the first time he’s ever admitted to sleeping with other women. I’ve always had my assumptions because his phone was always going off but hearing him say those things broke me. I loved him and did anything he wanted me to, but I got nothing in return.
“You made me lose my job!”
“You’re twenty-four years old. What the hell you workin’ at CVS for? Fuck that job. You used to cry about how your checks were only two-hundred dollas. That can’t even pay your cellphone bill,” he replied.
“Why in the hell are you with me if I’m so whack? Wouldn’t that make you a whack-ass nigga, too?”
“I’m wit’ you because you’re not smart enough to leave me! I’m wit’ you because I can do what I want, and you’ll still fix me a plate of food. What nigga wouldn’t want a broad like that?” he asked. I walked to the front door and snatched it open, so he could leave.
“Get out!”
Mayor grabbed his things and left my house key on the kitchen table then stood in the doorway grilling me.
“I got a baby on the way anyway,” he said.
I mushed him hard enough for him to trip into the hallway and slammed the door in his face. He banged on my door, calling me everything but a child of God. After ten minutes, the banging stopped. Tears fell from my eyes, and seconds later, I sobbed loud enough for the people upstairs to hear me. My back was against the wall, but I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. Mayor would shit a brick if I told anyone about us and it had gotten to the point where I honestly didn’t want anyone to know what I had been dealing with because I wasn’t the type to put up with all of that.
“I need to find a job!” I said aloud while heading to the bathroom. Wine and a soothing bath with music was the medicine to temporarily heal me.
Seven hours later…
I woke up to the sounds of someone knocking on my front door.
“Open up! It’s the police!”
The wine I had hours before I went to sleep put me in a daze. I stumbled out of my bed and headed towards my front door. The only thing I had on was a bra and panty set but I wasn’t shy at all.
“What the fuck do you want?” I asked when I swung the door open. My landlord and a black cop were standing in front of me. The officer looked familiar, he was around mid to late twenties and had a low cut with waves. He was tall, probably around six-foot-two and had nice arms. The officer was very attractive. The landlord cleared his throat. He was a short Arabian dude who owned a lot of gas stations and corner stores in the area. Everyone loved him, and I felt bad for what Mayor did to him by blackening his eye.
“Sorry, Abreesha, but you gotta go. Please just leave now,” Ahmad said to me. I don’t know what made me cringe more, hearing my government name or getting put on the streets.
“You gave me thirty fuckin’ days! It’s only been a week! Where am I supposed to take my things last-minute?”
“Your boyfriend’s house. You can’t live with him?” Ahmad asked.
“Let me talk to her,” the officer said to Ahmad. He threw his hands up in frustration and walked up the stairs. The officer stepped into my apartment and I couldn’t remember where I knew him from.
“You went to Annapolis High, right? You and your cousins were always gettin’ into trouble. We had Biology together,” he said.
“I knew you looked familiar. What’s your name?”
“Ian Snowden,” he replied.
“Now I remember you! You were the asshole who got me expelled!”
Ian scratched his beard in embarrassment. He had knocked my cheeseburger out of my hand and I kicked him in the dick.
“Whooaaaa, it was an accident and I even wrote an apology letter to you but your cousin, Tinka ripped it up. That’s behind us now, right? I don’t want no beef,” he said. I sat on the couch and grabbed a Black & Mild from my purse. I was half-naked and homeless with a fine ass man sitting on the couch across from me. Hell, my life was in shambles.
“So, you’re here to make sure I leave peacefully?”
“Yeah, I’m just doin’ my job. Listen, I don’t know much about your situation, but my father owns a storage building on the other side of town and he has a moving company. I can get them to pack you up and move your things there,” he replied.
“I don’t have enough money to pay for that.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said.
“What do you want in return? Pussy? Want me to rat someone out? I know how you cops operate. Thank you but no thank you. I’ll take it to my father’s house.”
“There you go, gettin’ the wrong idea about me again. But fuck it. Do your thing, Miss. I’ll be standing in the hallway while you vacate. Have a nice day,” he said. Ian stood up and walked out the door. I didn’t mean to take it out on him, but Mayor left a bad taste in my mouth. All I could think about was getting far away from men as soon as possible.
Jesus, I’m gonna regret this.
I called my father’s phone and he answered on the second ring.
“Make it quick, suga puff. I’m takin’ a mean one! Ohhhh, it’s comin’. That’s it, ease on through. There you go, come to Poppa! OHHHHH LOORRDDDDD!” my father yelled through the phone. I heard farting and many other things in the background that almost made me deaf.
“DADDY! I need a place to stay until I get back on my feet.” He hung up the phone and I called right back.
“Did you hang up on me?”
“No, baby. Why would I do that?” he asked.
“Because you don’t want me livin’ with you.”
“I don’t want the police knockin’ on my door. You and Tinka is always into some shit! Fighting, fraud, stealing and hijacking!”
“That’s old. We’re women now,” I replied.
“Y’all need to be more like my angel Essa. Anyway, I have termites and boyyy them muthafuckas are the size of herpes. I’on know, baby, you might have to call the Men in Black to come and kill those things. Oh, and you won’t believe this shit here. I got an Underground railroad underneath my house, yup sure do. And you can hear those trains all night long. Oh, did I forget to tell you about the midget who dresses like our president and sneaks in here every night to run up my phone bill? Listen, baby. I’m movin’ myself,” he said.
“Please, Daddy? I have nowhere else to go,” I sobbed.
“Go to heaven. Jesus has an open house rent-free. Now, I gotta get ready for work. Talk to you lata, sweet pea,” he said and hung up. I called for the third time and he answered.
“Okay, you can come back home. But I’m warning you now, Kitty! Those fuckin’ hoodlums better not be standin’ in front my house smokin’ that trash-ass weed they call Reggie. But you have to work at my car wash if you’re stayin’ here. You know, help out with the business,” he said. We worked at his car wash when we were teens, but he was too cheap
to pay us and when he did it was only fifty bucks. Unfortunately, I had no choice since I was living with him for free.
“Okay, fine. Can you help me pack and move the things there? What I don’t need I’m keepin’ here since they’re puttin’ me out anyway.”
“I’ll be there in an hour,” my father replied and hung up.
After I got dressed, I grabbed a lot of trash bags and the things I was taking. My furniture was definitely coming with me and going in my old bedroom. Time passed and before I knew it someone was knocking on my door. My mouth dropped to my feet when I opened it. My father, Henry, was a man who expressed himself through his clothes and he thought he was a male model. He reminded me of Terry Crews with his physique and height, but he dressed as a different person almost every day. He was wearing a jumper with no shirt underneath along with a pair of Timbs and a du-rag. My father was only nineteen years old when I was born, and my mother was twenty-one. My mother was serving a thirty-year sentence for drinking and driving while having guns and drugs in the trunk. Tinka and Essa’s mothers was in the car with her, but they died. Apparently, our mothers were all friends who dated brothers.
