by Ni-Ni Simone
“No. She died. He slapped her and she hit her head on the bathtub. She died before the ambulance took her out of the house. And I saw the whole thing.”
“Oh…Asha, I’m so sorry….” I gave her a hug. I didn’t know what else to do.
“Don’t be sorry.” Asha wiped her eyes again. “Just don’t let that be your life. I’m telling you, Ameen is trash, dump him and keep it movin’.”
I swear I got Asha’s point, but it did not apply to my life. “Asha, Ameen doesn’t beat me. Besides, I hit him in the club first. And anyway, I’m done with him. He was cheating on me with that busted broad.”
“Whatever, Zsa.” She shook her head. “Whatever.”
“Anyway,” I said, “I’ma wear these glasses all day. You think I can get away with it?” I slid them on.
“More than just your eye is bruised,” she said as her eyes roamed my face.
“Duh.” I rolled my eyes. “I know, but I have concealor for my face, but I can’t do anything about my eye swelling.”
“Maybe you need to stay home?”
“Not. Then everybody will think that I let Ameen and the chick he was with win.”
“Win what?” Asha looked confused.
I ignored her and an hour later I was dressed and my face was made up. I looked at the clock. 7:00 AM. Just as I went to tell Asha I was ready my door started thumping. I swear I hated that sound.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
“Zebra, open up!” Cousin Shake screamed.
“Zebra?” Asha covered her mouth and fell out laughing.
Why was he pounding on my door? This man has lost his mind.
“Minnie,” I heard Cousin Shake say through my door, “you get li’l Hawaii out the bed? She got to be to school first.”
“I don’t appreciate y’all bustin’ up in my room like this,” I could hear my sister saying.
“Minnie, put the blessing oil in the supersoaker,” Cousin Shake said. “Let li’l Houston know we ain’t the ones.” After a second of silence Cousin Shake started pounding on my door again. “Zoro!” he said. “Don’t make Cousin Shake come in there after you. ’Cause I’ll do it. I will drag you out that bed and you’ll be going to school lookin’ like Amy Winehouse. Don’t play with me. You too busy being grown, but I got somethin’ for you. Now try me.” He pounded on my door. “Please try me.”
“Get away from my door, now!” I said.
“Oh, hell, no!” Cousin Shake pushed my door open holding the blessing oil in his hand. “Don’t show off ’cause your li’l friend is here. ’Cause she can get it too. What-what”—he looked at Asha—“you want some, you tryna do somethin’?”
“No, sir,” Asha said.
“I ain’t think so. Now come on, and please don’t make me lose my relish on you.”
“Relish?” I frowned. “You mean religion?”
“That’s what he said.” Ms. Minnie butted into our conversation. That’s when I realized that these two had on matching outfits: metallic silver MC Hammer pants and matching muscle shirts trimmed in feathers. They looked like one-hit wonders from 1980.
“Okay.” I slid my shades on. “I have to go.”
“Why you lookin’ like somebody slapped you?” Hadiah frowned. “Why do you have those shades on?”
“Could you mind your business?” I snapped.
“Okay, li’l Rihanna.” Hadiah rolled her eyes. “Be crazy if you want to.”
“Li’l who?” Cousin Shake said as he ushered us into the dining room. “Lawd, y’all got the ugliest names I ever heard. Jazmyn messed y’all up. Anyway, you have to eat breakfast before you go to school.”
“That’s right,” Ms. Minnie said while sitting a bowl of grits in front of Hadiah.
“Now, sit down,” Cousin Shake said. “This how Cousin Shake shows you he loves ya. Patrolling you and making sure you eat your breakfast in the morning.” He looked at Asha. “That includes you, too. You just a li’l thick so you don’t need as much. Next time you come I’ll make your grits taste like salad.”
I looked at Asha and she had already sat at the dining room table, so, heck, I gave in and sat down too. I picked up my spoon and started eating.
“My Jesus, y’all believe in saying grace?” Ms. Minnie frowned.
“For real,” Cousin Shake added. “You eating like a buncha untrained animals. Anybody wanna thank God? ’Cause you could be out in the street eating pissy slop.” He popped Hadiah on the back of her neck. “Halo, say grace.”
“I’m shy,” Hadiah said. “I don’t know what to say.” She gave a devilish grin.
I looked at her and practically laughed in her face. My little sister was a lot of things, but shy she was not.
“Okay, well I’m gon’ say grace,” Cousin Shake said. We all stood up and held hands. “Lawd-Father-Brothah,” Cousin Shake hummed, “we come this morning thanking You. Thanking You for Mary, Martin, Luke, and De’Cosey.”
“Who is De’Cosey?” Asha whispered.
“He wrote the Ten Commandments,” Cousin Shake said, opening one eye. “And we don’t talk during prayer time.”
“Wasn’t that Moses?” Asha whispered.
“That’s what I said,” Cousin Shake said, tight-lipped. “Now talk again and see don’t you get the blessing oil beat down.”
“Be quiet, Asha,” I said. “Trust me.”
Cousin Shake continued on. “So Lawd, we come thanking You for these grits, the butter, the salt, the grains it took to make the grits, and we thank You for the li’l man on the box. He looks like a good family man.”
“Oh, my God!” Hadiah said, aggravated. “God has left the building.”
Cousin Shake opened his eyes. “You need some oil?”
Hadiah quickly closed her eyes and held her head down. “Thank You, Lord, for this food,” she said.
“I thought so,” Cousin Shake said. “Now say amen.”
“Amen,” we all said.
I tried to think of the last time we had breakfast like this…and the only thing I could come up with was never. A few minutes passed and we were done and on our way to school. Hadiah walked to school because her school was only around the corner, while mine was downtown Newark and we lived in the Vailsburg section.
Asha and I hopped in my car and I picked up Courtney on our way to school. He walked out his house throwing his pink boa to the back of his shoulders. He slid into the backseat and he handed Asha a CD. “Shut up,” he said. “It’s Gladys Knight, so just deal with it.”
As Gladys Knight sang about a midnight train going to Georgia, I flashed back to what happened last night. I was pissed and hurt all over again. I felt like fire was in my chest as I made a right instead of making a left toward school.
“What are you doing?” Asha asked.
“School isn’t this way,” Courtney said.
“Relax,” I said, “I need to see something.”
I drove down a few blocks until I arrived in front of Ameen’s building and spotted a hot-pink Toyota Corolla. I don’t know what came over me or what took over my body, but if I’d had a gun I would’ve taken Ameen’s whole building out. I thought about running upstairs until Asha said, “I’m not letting you go upstairs.”
“You see that car.” I pointed. “That’s the trick’s car from the club last night.”
“Touch the hood,” Courtney said, “and see if it’s cold.”
“Why are you encouraging her?” Asha snapped at Courtney.
I double-parked, got out of my car, and touched the hood. “It’s cold,” I said while looking at Courtney. “Damn near ice cold.”
Courtney batted his eyelashes and said, “Dang, homie, two snaps up and a fruit loop, I hate to break it to you but mami spent the night.”
“Oh, yeah?” I said to myself more than to him. “Oh…okay…” I went to my trunk, took out my club, and wrote, “Love Zsa-Zsa” on the handle in permanent marker.
“What are you doing?” Asha said, getting out the car. “Forget Ameen. We’re going to ge
t in trouble out here!”
“No, we’re not,” I said. “We’re in the hood and nobody snitches. Plus this gon’ be quick.” I reared the club back like a bat and rammed it into the windshield. The first hit put a spider’s web in the glass, but the next one was a home run and jagged edges of glass rained into the front seat. Then I proceeded with the side windows.
“Would you stop!” Asha screamed. “You could go to jail!”
“You sure could go to jail, Zsa,” Courtney said as he got out of the car and stood next to me, “but I’m gon’ let the air out the tires for you first before we worry about the cops.”
I shot Courtney a high five. “This mofo think he can just play me!” I screamed. “Like I’m nothin’. Like he doesn’t even care. Like I’m something to play with…and all for this trick! Oh…okay.” I slammed my club into the back windows. “Let’s see how they get around now! Since I’ma joke and she’s up in his crib, well, take this as a house-warming gift.” I tossed the club through the busted windshield and said, “Courtesy of Zsa-Zsa.”
Courtney shot me another high five.
We piled back in my car and I took off like a bat out of hell. Once we pulled into the school’s parking lot Asha was fuming. “What, Asha?!” I snapped. “What?”
“What you just did was so dumb! We could’ve all gotten locked up and then what? Don’t do that anymore! ’Cause bottom line, the girl is still there with Ameen and where are you? Looking like a fool. You my girl, I love you, but you trippin’.” She got out the car and walked over to Samaad, who had just pulled up.
“Don’t worry, Zsa,” Courtney said, “I won’t testify against you.”
Malachi parked his blue 2000 Xterra. I guess since it was the beginning of October it was too chilly for his motorcycle, but the truck didn’t take away from his sex appeal—it actually added to it. He threw his Northface backpack over one shoulder and clicked the alarm to his truck. I knew I owed Malachi an apology but I didn’t exactly know what to say or how to approach the situation.
So, I hatched the plan of blocking the school’s entrance because then I figured it would force him to say excuse me and then I could rush to apologize. As Malachi approached the door he walked up to me, placed his hands on my waist, moved me out of the way, and continued into the building. I was floored.
Forget it, I’ma say something to him. At first I didn’t see him when I entered the building, and then I noticed he was at Staci’s locker talking to her. I hesitated at first and then I figured, what the hell ever. I boldly walked over and said, “Excuse me.”
Staci looked at me like I was crazy. “I’m getting so tired of you. Why are you always around?” she spat.
For real, for real, I started to give it to this chick. I wanted to say we have a connection that you could only dream of having, but since I wasn’t in the mood for another day of unrelenting drama I simply said, “Listen, I just need to speak to Malachi for a moment. You can have him back after that.” Before she could respond I continued on, “Malachi.” I turned to him. “Can I speak to you for a moment, please?”
He looked at me, and I could tell that he was beyond pissed. “Staci,” he said, turning back to her, “I’ll catch you at lunch. One.” He walked away and left us standing there.
“I need to know this,” Staci said. “Are you in love with him or something? Are you two messing around?”
I looked at Staci as if I could’ve slapped her. “No dis, but not today. Trust me.” I walked away and passed by Samaad, who was giving Asha a peck on the lips as I headed to class.
For the next two periods I tried to focus on my school-work. I hated that daydreams of Malachi kept invading my mind and confusing me when I should’ve been thinking of Ameen.
It bugged me how Malachi played me in the hallway. Not that I could blame him. I looked up from my desk and caught a glance of myself in the window. I hated what I saw and I couldn’t believe that it was actually me sitting here in sunglasses.
The bell rang. I went to my locker to exchange my books and Malachi walked past me. He didn’t even look my way. He just continued on.
I couldn’t take it. So I was determined that the next time the bell rang he was going to acknowledge me. Somehow and some way we were going to talk.
I headed to my next class, attempted to focus, and when class ended and the bell rang again, I went looking for Malachi, only to come up with nothing.
As the day went on I didn’t see Malachi at his locker for the next couple of periods so I prayed that when lunch came he would be in the cafeteria.
When I walked into the cafeteria I spotted Samaad, Courtney, and Asha sitting at the same table, but I didn’t see Malachi anywhere.
“Diva!” Courtney yelled. “Over here!” He motioned for me to come over to the table where they were.
I grabbed a bottle of water and walked over to them. “Hey y’all.”
“Wassup, Zsa,” Samaad responded.
“Nothin’, wassup with you and my girl?” I smiled at Asha, who, although she was mad with me earlier, couldn’t help but smile at my question.
“I don’t know,” Samaad said, “you have to ask her where I stand.”
I laughed. “So where does he stand, Asha?”
“Wherever.” She blushed. “It’s up to him.”
“Two snaps up and a fruit loop,” Courtney said, aggravated. “Write a damn note or something.” He looked at Asha. “Y’all are getting on my nerves. You can’t stay away from one another. Every period between classes, you’re stealing kisses, and now you’re sitting here talking about, ‘I don’t know. It’s up to him and up to her.’ You know how many of us want to be in love and you two are acting silly?”
“You feeling some kind of way, Courtney?” I asked.
“Know what,” he said, “I’ll perform the ceremony. Asha”—he looked at her—“do you take this man as your one and only boo? To love and to cherish and to do boo things with?”
She smiled. “You’re so silly, Courtney.”
“That’s a yes,” Courtney said. “Now, handsome, I mean, Samaad, do you take Asha for your wifey, to love and to cherish and to do wifey things with?”
“Word. That’s wassup,” Samaad said.
“So y’all kiss and make this official. Otherwise I’ma scream.”
Samaad looked at Asha. “Wifey?”
She pressed her lips against his. “Yes.” She kissed him. “I’m wifey.”
I took a shredded napkin and tossed it at them like rice. After a few minutes of well wishes and telling the new couple how cute they were together, I excused myself from the table. I was determined to find Malachi. I walked into the hallway and he was standing at his locker. I walked over and stood in front of him. “Can I speak to you for a moment?” I grabbed his hand. “Please.”
He sighed. “What, Zsa?”
I shifted from one foot to the next. “I’m, you know, sorry about what happened at the club—”
“Save it.”
“I can’t believe you’re acting so stank.”
“And I can’t believe you.”
“Believe what? That I won’t drop my boyfriend and be with you!”
“You know what?” He took my glasses off and pressed his forehead against mine. “Seeing as though you turned out to be just like your mother, I don’t want you.”
Immediately tears fell from my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Malachi said quickly. “I love you, you know that.”
I snatched my glasses back from him and slid them on.
“Zsa,” Malachi said as he reached for my hand and his eyes filled with a thousand apologies, “I’m sorry. My fault, I shouldn’t have said that.”
I snatched my hand back. More tears filled my eyes but I’d had enough of crying. I was not a babbling fool. I was Zsa-Zsa La-Shae Fields, the queen of flyness, and I had been knocked off my hustle for a moment too long. I had cussed Malachi out a thousand times in my mind but for some reason I couldn’t get any words to come out o
f my mouth. So, I gathered the tail end of my heart, rolled my eyes, and as Malachi reached for my hand again I looked at him and said, “Don’t.”
By the time I got home from school I felt as if I’d been in a war. I parked my car and walked to Ms. Lucinda’s to pick up Hadiah, who said she’d rather watch game shows with our neighbor than spend one minute with Cousin Shake and Ms. Minnie alone. I couldn’t blame her.
“Thanks, Ms. Lucinda,” I said once Hadiah came to the door.
Hadiah waved as we walked away. “I don’t think they’re home,” Hadiah said. “All the lights have been off for about an hour.”
“How do you know?” I asked as we stepped onto our porch.
“’Cause I was watching them. I even threw a couple of rocks at the window hoping they would think it was bullets, say Newark was too wild for them and leave.”
“Hadiah.” I opened the front door and walked into our pitch-black hallway. “Something tells me they are not going anywhere.”
Once we walked into the living room I realized that Hadiah was right. All the lights were out and the house was midnight black.
This was eerie, especially since we always kept at least one light on. As I walked over to the light switch Cousin Shake and Ms. Minnie jumped from behind the couch and said, “Freeze!”
“Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!” Hadiah and I screamed and held our chest. “What the hell are you doing!” I yelled.
“Homework police. So put your book bags down and your pencils up. If you do what we tell you”—Cousin Shake held up the supersoaker filled with blessing oil—“won’t nobody get hurt.”
The homework police? Are they crazy? “Are you kidding me coming in here like this!” I said. “Attacking us.”
“I don’t think this is funny,” Hadiah whined. “I almost peed on myself.”
“Do I look like I’m laughing?” Cousin Shake said. “I want the homework done. Seems to me, being as though your mama go to work and don’t come home until she thinks it’s a good idea, that you two been running around here a li’l too grown and running your own household. Well, I don’t like it. You two need structure, discipline, and somebody here when you come home from school. Children start to feel alone when no adult is around. So ya Cousin Shake and Ms. Minnie is here ’cause we love you.
