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“ The devil doesn't come dressed in a cape and pointy horns.
He comes as everything you've ever wished for.”
YEARS
1 thru 3
Roderick
“ Nigga about time you fell through! Shit was getting dry as fuck around here” Damien said grinning at Roderick who was walking through the door holding the large bag of weed.
I shook my head and laughed.
“ If I had stayed my black ass home like I planned to,you niggas would have really been stuck out. Lucky for you my ass got hungry and I know Ma Dukes cheffin' it up over here. Where is she? Let me go speak before she put me on blast in front of everyone. I know she don't play about coming in her house and not speaking.” I said laughing.
“ Yo' ass already know she's back there running the show.” Damien said barely raising his eyes from the fat joint he was in the process of rolling. Roderick shook his head. Damien was hovering over the weed like a fiend.
I slowly made my way through the small yet comfortable house. It was filled to capacity with everyone from the neighborhood. Damien's mother Priscilla was known as hood royalty. So was his father before he'd been gunned down eight years ago. Damien's father Marcus had been a former drug dealer who had eventually turned his life around for the sake of his wife and kids. Unfortunately the majority of gang-bangers saw the only way of really leaving a gang was with you laid out on your back,ten toes pointed to the sky. A rival gang chose to settle an old score one afternoon as Marcus was outside cutting his grass.
Even after her husbands death Ms. Priscilla remained a hood queen. When she put the word out for a party,people congregated on her lawn like an 11:00 o'clock church service.
“ Hey Ms. Priss.”
Ms. Priscilla turned around to see who was addressing her. Rum and coke in her left hand,long silver tongs for turning BBQ in her right hand.
“ Hey baby! Get on over here and give me a hug. Yo' young ass get finer every time I see you. Baby let me tell you...I was so proud to see you walking across that stage last month with that diploma! I felt like you were my own son.” she said beaming with pride. I leaned down and wrapped her in my arms in a tight hug that lifted her off the ground. Ms. Priss let out a squeal of laughter.
“ Well you might as well be Ms. Priss. You basically raised me. Fed me,clothed me. If I didn't have you in my life none of my accomplishments would have been possible. I ain't never going to forget it either.”
Ms. Priss sat her drink down and pulled a napkin out of her apron to dab her eyes.
“ It was my pleasure baby. You know if we're eating so are you. It was just as easy for me to buy two shirts on sale as it was for me to buy one. Now those high priced ass sneakers y'all tried to get by me are another thing!” she said doubling over with laughter and picking up her drink before she spoke again,her tone suddenly serious.
“ Roderick, I wish you would talk some sense into Damien. Ain't a damn thing out here in these streets I tell you!”
I couldn't help but smile inside at her praise and acknowledgment of my college achievements. I'd gone from corner dealer to college diploma. I hadn't completely left the street shit along but I was on my way. Slowly but surely I was going legit. Ms. Priss was the mother I'd wished I had. It ain't like my own half-dead ass mama had said much beyond imagining all the money I was going to support her with. Mama or not, she had better step her ass off that crack cloud she was floating on if she thought that's what was going to happen. Mother's like Ms. Priss got set up for life...not crackhead mamas who barely put a roof over their childs head like mine.
“ Hey Roderick.”
I turned around to see Sabrina, one of my former jump offs. Sabrina was showing every single tooth in her head she was smiling so hard. Hands on her wide hips as if to remind me of her pussy game. I remembered. It was all right. Nothing I couldn't walk away from. Which was exactly what I did when she started getting too clingy for my taste.
“ What's up Sabrina? How you doing?”
“ I'm good. Better now that I've seen you. I've missed you.”
Damn. Ol' girl already trying to talk up on some dick tonight.
“ Well like I told you, these past few months leading up to graduation have been hectic.” I said taking a step in an attempt to end the conversation and keep it moving.
“ I know baby! I'm so proud of you. It felt so good seeing you walking across that stage.” she said practically jumping up and down.
“ You were there? How come you didn't come speak?” I asked.
“ Well we'd just had that argument about me coming by your place unannounced. I still wanted to support you though.” she said looking into my eyes shyly.
I looked Sabrina over. She was cool. Maybe I was being a little too hard on her. Sabrina was a good girl. She made her own money doing hair at a popular shop around the way. All she wanted from me was everything which was a huge problem for me. I'm the type of nigga that ain't never had a problem getting or keeping any woman I wanted. But not too many females have the ability to hold my attention beyond a few months. Add to the fact I didn't trust females as far as I could see them. I mean my own mother would do anything for a piece of crack. She made me and If I couldn't trust her,other women didn't stand a chance. Not to mention how many women I've fucked that called themselves having a man. These bitches ain't loyal. I mean don't get me wrong. I wasn't that fucked up.
I knew there were good women out there. Ms. Priss was one of them,they were just few and far between as far as I was concerned. I ain't worried about it though. When the right female comes along, I'll know the minute I lay eyes on her.
“ Are you hungry? I can fix you a plate.” Sabrina asked eagerly.
“ Nah. I'm good for now. Thanks for offering. It was nice seeing you Sabrina.” I said quickly walking past her towards the card table. Sabrina could miss me with that shit. Fix my plate? That wasn't shit but code for – This is my man and I dare another bitch up in here to stand in his face.
I knew better than to fall for that old trick.
Soul Cry: The Ten Year Girlfriend Page 5
