Rent Money

by Natavia

“I want a rotisserie chicken,” the bright one said.

  “Hoe, this ain’t Boston Market! They don’t sell that here,” the small-headed one said. The one with the bright clothes resembled Essa—a lot.

  I know who that bitch is now. That’s her cousin, Stinka.

  “Oh, I forgot. I’m high as hell,” she laughed.

  “What can I get y’all?” I asked with an attitude.

  “Girl, you better pipe down before I reach across that counter and bust you in your shit. We’re the costumers and we’re always right,” Essa’s cousin said.

  “Whatever, just hurry up. It doesn’t take this long to order,” I replied.

  “Wait a minute now, bitch. We only been standin’ here for less than a minute. See, these hoes get a job behind a cash register and start gettin’ brand new. Just for that, I’m gonna hold this line up until I’m ready to order,” the small-headed one said.

  “Timothy, can you wait on them? I need to go to the bathroom!”

  Timothy came over to the register to take their order while I went to the bathroom. There was a weird smell coming from my pussy and my discharge was yellow. I was too embarrassed to use the bathroom around anyone else because of the smell.

  Either Governor burned me, or I burned him. Ohhhh no! Dade gave me sumthin! His dirty ass gave me sumthin before. No, but wait. It didn’t smell like this until after I slept with Governor.

  I used the bathroom and washed my hands, but that smell was still lingering. When I heard people coming, I rushed out the bathroom, so they wouldn’t know it was me. Essa’s cousin and her friend were still inside ordering. I couldn’t believe how much food they ordered. Timothy, being the nasty motherfucker he was known to be, was flirting with the small-headed girl while handing them their food.

  “I saw you before. What’s your name?” Essa’s cousin asked me.

  “It’s Sinna! And I live in Essa’s buildin',” I spat.

  “Wait, Tinka. I think that’s the hoe that was talkin’ shit about Essa. I don’t forget names. That bitch and Rochelle. One of them is tellin’ Ricardo shit about Essa and Governor but Sinna was spreadin’ rumors. Remember Essa said Sinna’s baby daddy told her she was callin’ her a deadbeat?” small-headed girl said.

  That’s her name, Tinka. I was close enough. But I can’t wait to see Dade’s deadbeat ass! After all I did for him and he had the nerve to rat me out.

  “You gotta problem wit’ Essa?” Tinka asked me.

  “She has a problem wit’ me because she’s talkin’ to my man, Governor. Y’all got the food so now you can leave!”

  Tinka pulled me across the counter and punched me in the face. I scratched at her face, but she was like a wild bull. She slung me around and knocked a few chairs over.

  “You fuckin’ wit’ the wrong family, bitch!” Tinka said while her heavy hand pounded my head.

  “Whip that hoe’s ass, Tinka!” the small-headed girl cheered her on.

  People from the kitchen ran out to break up the fight. Tinka was stomping me between a bench and a table. I was damn near stuck. Timothy wrestled her off me and the small-headed girl clocked him upside the head.

  “Get this bitch away from me!” I screamed, kicking and swinging. Tinka backed away when I kicked her in the face, making her nose bleed. It was my cue to escape. I ran in the back and locked myself in the office. My hands shook while I called the police. Timothy banged on the door and told me to get the hell out of his office. After I made the complaint, I let him inside.

  “What in the fuck was that about, eh? You started that mess out there!” Timothy said, holding his eye.

  “They started wit’ me!”

  “Shut up! It’s a problem with everyone that gets in your line. You call out a lot, and when you do show up, you have a nasty attitude! I’m sick of it!” he said.

  “You saw what happened! They hit you, too!”

  “Because of you. You’re fired! Get out of my restaurant!” Timothy yelled.

  “So, you’re not gonna press charges on them? I’m gonna sue the hell out of you!”

  “Who cares? I’m gonna report all of you to the cops!” he said.

  I stormed out of his office and went into the kitchen to dump the chicken on the floor. He cursed me out and yelled at me, but I wasn’t done just yet. I swiped the food off the table for the people in drive-thru.

  “I’m gonna make sure you go down for sexual harassment, too!” I said to Timothy.

  I grabbed my things and ran out of KFC. Thankfully, Chelsie let me use her raggedy-ass car to get to work. I rushed home, driving like a bat out of hell. Essa had her friends come to my job and attack me. I believed the whole thing was a set-up from the start. It took me nine minutes to get home. Chelsie’s car was smoking when I pulled up to the parking lot behind the building. I couldn’t wait to see that bitch, Essa. Our building was peaceful and my life wasn’t complicated until that hoe showed up. A few people spoke to me as I made my way inside, but I ignored them. I was out for revenge. If she wanted to fight me, she could’ve done it herself. She didn’t have a car, so I didn’t know if she was home or not. The only way to find out was to knock on her door and I did just that.

  “Open the door, bitch! I’m gonna beat your nasty ass!” I yelled.

  Other tenants came out into the hallway to see what was going on. An older lady by the name of Nattie fussed at me.

  “Leave that chile alone. She don’t bother anybody!” Nattie said.

  “Shut your old shriveled ass up. I hope you die in your sleep, bitch!”

  I kept banging on Essa’s door, but she didn’t open it.

  “She’s not home!” someone shouted down the hallway.

  “Dirty bitch,” Nattie said as she pushed her walker through the door, going back into her apartment. I unlocked the door to my apartment and my home was a mess. Toys were everywhere, food was on the floor and my apartment smelled like shit. Chelsie wasn’t clean at all and as time went on, she was nastier than Dade. I walked further into my home and dropped my purse on the floor. Chelsie was on the floor sucking a man’s dick while he smoked weed. The man she was giving head to was dark-skinned with a nice physique but he had a face only a mother could love. He had on nice jewelry and expensive clothes; the fool even had diamond golds in his mouth, but his face gave me bubble guts.

  “Chelsie!” I yelled. She tried to move but he pressed her head down further into his lap.

  “I’m not finished, bitch,” he said.

  “You need to get out of my house. You’re doin’ this while kids are here?”

  “They are asleep,” he said.

  “GET THE FUCK OUT!”

  He reached underneath his hoodie and pulled out a gun, aiming it at my head. Just minutes ago, I got my ass whipped and fired from my job, and now I had a nigga pointing his gun at me while my best friend sucked his dick like I wasn’t in the room. He grabbed Chelsie’s head and forced her to swallow him. She gagged and choked, almost throwing up but he threatened he would kill us all if she threw-up on him.

  If this bitch don’t hurry up and make him nut so he can leave!

  I closed my eyes when he made the ugliest face while he experienced an orgasm. He pushed Chelsie off him after he was done. He stood up and fixed himself then tucked his gun into his pants.

  “You need to get that bitch in check and let her know who I am, so she can show some respect the next time I come over here,” he said. He walked past me then out of my apartment. Something about him seemed familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  “Let me explain! I didn’t expect you to come home early,” Chelsie said with semen dripping down her chin.

  “You had a nigga around my daughter and he brought a gun to my home? Bitch, this isn’t the junkyard you came from! Look at my fuckin’ apartment. I go to work and gotta come home to this? Have you lost your mind? How many niggas come here when I’m not here?”

  “Just him, but please let me explain,” she said.

  “Go ahead!” />
  “He’s my pimp,” she said.

  “What, bitch?”

  “He’s my pimp and he’s also Dijon’s father. I didn’t know how to tell you. Would you have offered me a place to stay if you knew what I was doing?” she asked.

  “Wait a minute, Chelsie. Let’s go back. Start over again because I know my mind isn’t playin’ tricks on me!”

  “Wayne is my pimp and that’s why I’m always messin’ around with different guys. I get paid for it. I lied about him payin’ child support so I could move in but the money I bring into this household comes from prostitution,” she said.

  “That’s the one you’re in love with?”

  “Yes, I know you think I’m stupid but once we reach half a million, we’re gonna move away and he’s gonna settle down wit’ me,” she said.

  “You let a pimp sell you a dream? Honey, you not even his bottom bitch! You can’t be. That man had on thousands of dollars worth of clothes and jewelry and you look like you starred in the movie Joe Dirt. He’s usin’ you to sell pussy!” I yelled at her.

  “You’re jealous because I have someone that loves me. At least I’m not chasin’ after a ni— I mean nickel that doesn’t give two fucks about me. Governor slept wit’ you and you haven’t heard from him since. He drops Essa off at home and keeps going!” she yelled back. I slapped her in the face and she fell onto the couch.

  “Clean my apartment up or else you and your son will be homeless. I lost my job today from fightin’ and I come home to this?” I asked. Chelsie held her face in disbelief. I didn’t want to say anything else to her, so I went into my bedroom. Ranira was sleeping peacefully in her crib but I checked her and made sure that creep didn’t touch my child. Chelsie stood in the doorway with tears falling from her eyes.

  “I’m so sorry, Sinna. I promise it won’t happen again,” she said.

  “Close my door!”

  Chelsie closed the door and I sat on the bed, staring at the wall. Usually when people do bad things to others, the karma humbles them but that wasn’t the case for me. I was one of those bitches that didn’t believe in her because I am her. Something had to give for what I was going through. With my back against the wall, I went into my purse on the bed for my cellphone. The phone rang about six times and I was ready to hang up until I heard a voice come through.

  “Make it quick. I’m in the middle of family dinner,” he whispered.

  “I need a favor from you?”

  “I think you got the wrong idea. I’m done with you,” he replied.

  “No, you’re not. Now, listen to me good. I have text messages between us of me tellin’ you everything about Essa, pretty much spyin’ on her for you. What will happen if I show her those messages so she can use them against you? Don’t fuck wit’ me!”

  “I knew I couldn’t trust you! God I’m afraid to ask what you want from me. If it’s sex, I’d rather you tell Essa everything!” he said.

  I know this punk bitch didn’t!

  “Trust me, I’m not into women. Anyways, I got fired today and I want to sue the KFC. It’s a franchise KFC so you don’t have to worry about building a big case against the chain itself, just that particular location. Can you make that happen? Do that and I’ll forget we ever discussed Essa.”

  There was silence. I could hear people laughing and talking in the background. Ricardo was either in the bathroom or another room.

  “Fine, I need more information,” he said with an attitude.

  “Sexual harassment. The manager fired me because I didn’t want to give him sexual favors.”

  Ricardo chuckled, “Oh wow. Someone desires you that much? He must be a loser. Anyway, continue,” he yawned into the phone.

  Should I mention Tinka and the other girl? Naw, cause then he’ll know about the fight and wouldn’t want to represent me. I have to leave them out of it, so it won’t look too obvious.

  “That’s all that happened.”

  “I’ll get right on it when I go to work tomorrow but, in the meantime, do not call my phone! I’ll call you,” he said then hung up.

  I went into the bathroom to take a shower and surprisingly it was still clean, despite the rest of the apartment.

  Essa and her cousin will pay for what they did to me.

  My face was bruised, and my hair was missing on the side. So much was going on I didn’t realize how much damage Tinka had done but hair grows back, and bruises heal. I was thankful my teeth were still intact. When I undressed for my shower, the stench of my pussy filled the bathroom.

  Now I have to go to the clinic.

  The next morning….

  I woke up at eight o’clock to get dressed for my doctor’s appointment. Chelsie was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. My apartment was clean and smelled of Pine-Sol and bleach. She had a bruise on her cheek from where I slapped her, but I didn’t feel bad one bit.

  “Are you still mad at me?” she asked while turning over the bacon.

  “Yes, that man could’ve done sumthin to my daughter! You damn right I’m mad!”

  “Wayne is a lot of things, but a child molester isn’t one. I would never let him harm your baby. I was wrong but Ranira was safe,” she said, and I rolled my eyes.

  “I need to use your car. Can you do that for me?”

  “Sure,” she said and weakly smiled.

  Okay, maybe I felt sorry for Chelsie a little. She was in love with a crazy man who only saw her as a way to make money. Hell, I didn’t even know pimps still existed. I grabbed Ranira, her carrier and diaper bag. Chelsie told me I could leave Ranira with her, but I didn’t want to.

  “I’m goin’ to take her to see Dade’s mother,” I lied.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  Chelsie fixed my breakfast sandwich and I took it to go. The neighborhood was quiet when I walked outside. Ranira was babbling and cooing while I strapped her down in the back seat. Chelsie’s car rattled when I started it and it smelled like eggs. The car was on its last leg, but it was better than riding the bus. The clinic was only five minutes away.

  “Whew, nobody is here yet,” I said aloud while parking. There weren’t many cars in the parking lot. I wanted to be in and out, so nobody would see me. After I grabbed Ranira from the back seat, I headed towards the building. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs when I saw that bitch Rochelle sitting in the corner with a clipboard. She looked at me and smiled.

  Does she know? Maybe Governor burned the both of us? Naw, maybe she’s just here for a check-up.

  I rolled my eyes at Rochelle and went to the front desk to give my information. The middle-aged white woman passed me a clipboard. I filled out as much as I could and took it back up. The lady asked for my insurance card and a photo ID. After all that was squared away, she told me to have a seat and someone would be with me shortly. Rochelle was called back first, and I breathed a sigh of relief. There were a few others in the clinic, but I didn’t know them. There were two Hispanic women and one black older lady. While I waited, I gave Ranira a small bottle of juice. I waited for thirty minutes before I was called back.

  Fifteen minutes later…

  “Sit the cup down in the small door on the wall after you finish urinating,” the nurse said after she drew my blood. I did everything I was told then went back to the exam room. My nerves were shot as I waited for the doctor to come in. Moments later, there was a knock on the door. Everything was normal, but it takes a few days for any test to come back for an STD. The doctor gave me a pamphlet to read while I awaited my test results. I exited the room in shambles. Waiting for a day or more for my results was going to kill me. Rochelle was getting into her truck when I walked out the building. She put the window down and placed her Chanel sunglasses on her face.

  “What you ridin’ in?” she asked.

  “Governor’s face!”

  “I’ve known Governor for a while now and he does not fuck dirty girls. Those are FACTS! You can try that lie with Essa but you damn sure can’t fool me. You’re obsessed wit’ h
im. Anyways, I’ll see you around, neighbor!” she said then pulled off.

  Your days are numbered, too, bitch!

  Thirty minutes later…

  I sat outside my parents’ house wondering if I should go in. Both of their vehicles were outside. I wasn’t as close with them as I used to be because of my ways but I wanted to live the way I wanted to. My oldest siblings were in the military and they wanted me to go, too, but I dropped out of school and had been on the go ever since. Their strict rules were hard to bear.

  Let me go in here and get this over with.