by Kiki Swinson
“Fuck is it? You better say something,” she squinted and growled before she opened her locked screen door.
“Isha, open the door. It’s Karlie. I gotta get inside,” I said with urgency. “Karlie. Your BFF.”
“Karlie? Oh shit, girl,” Aisha gasped, her facial expression going from scowling and angry to surprised and sympathetic. She quickly moved aside, a silent welcome.
“Girl, I can’t believe it’s you. I heard you was dead. Then I heard only Miley was dead. Then I heard Miley and Sidney was dead. I ain’t know what to think,” Aisha rambled as I stepped inside. “I am damn glad to see you alive.”
“Lock up quick,” I said, still looking over my shoulder. It had become like a habit now.
“Yeah. Yeah. I always lock up this bitch,” Aisha said as she went about locking up her doors. “Make yourself at home, girl. Oh my goodness, I am so happy to see that you’re okay. I was like, who the hell is at my door ringing the damn bell like the police and shit.” Aisha was looking me up and down like she didn’t believe I was really standing there. I guess it was a weird moment for both of us.
“I know. Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night like this, but I couldn’t take a chance coming out here in broad daylight,” I said. “There is so much going on, Isha.” I shook my head pitifully. I felt my bottom lip trembling, but I refused to cry.
“It’s all good, chick,” Aisha said, reaching out and giving me a hug. “I’m just real glad to see that you’re good. When you hear stories, you just don’t know what the hell to believe.”
“Thanks, girl. I know that’s right. It has been some shit. I have been through some shit for sure. I never thought my life would end up on this path. I’m all alone out here now, Isha. My sister is gone.” I exhaled. This time the tears fell.
“Sit down,” Aisha said softly and pointed to her couch. She sat on the edge of the couch right next to me. Her eyes sagged at the edges with sympathy. “I heard so many different stories. I’m glad you’re here to tell me the truth of what happened.”
“It’s just so much.” I hesitated and shook my head. I secretly wished I could shake my head and it all be one big nightmare. I wrapped my arms around my waist and hugged myself tight. I actually hated talking about my ordeal, but I knew in order to get Aisha to help me, I would have to tell her what had happened.
“Well, I ain’t got nothing but time because I need to compare whatever you got to tell me to the shit I heard in the streets,” Aisha said, her tone serious.
Damn, I was hoping she wouldn’t ask me to relive the bullshit all over again. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on her couch.
“It all started . . .” I closed my eyes and began reliving it.
“Agh!” Amy Gaines, the youngest loan clerk at EZ Cash, let out an ear-shattering scream. I was standing right next to her, but my back was turned toward the store’s door. Amy had been the first one to notice them. Her screams startled me. I whirled around on the balls of my feet just in time to come face-to-face with the barrel of a shiny, silver, long-nose Desert Eagle.
“Don’t move, bitch!”
My heart sank and my stomach curled into a tight knot. I gasped and clutched my chest. Amy would not stop screaming.
“Shut the fuck up!” the masked man snarled at her. She quickly clamped both of her hands over her mouth to stifle her screams. I swallowed a hard lump that had formed in my throat.
“Y’all bitches better get down right now before I put one of these slugs in your fucking heads!” the masked, gun-waving assailant barked. He was so tall I had to crane my neck to look up at him. I didn’t have any trouble seeing his gun, though. It was leveled in my face.
I was the manager at the EZ Cash, so I felt like I was responsible for everyone’s safety.
“Just do what he says,” I instructed. Immediately, the two loan clerks I was in charge of got down on the floor like they had been told. Both started begging and pleading for their lives.
“Bitch, did you hear me! This ain’t the movies. I will lay all y’all asses down with no problem!”
My hands were shaking. I swallowed hard as my eyes darted around wildly. There were two gunmen in my immediate sight. All sorts of things ran through my head, but my thoughts were quickly interrupted when I noticed the third gunman barreling toward us, his gun waving out in front of him like he was nervous.
“Please don’t kill me,” Amy begged, tears streaming her face.
“Yes, please let us live. I have kids. You can have it all. My kids ain’t got nobody else. I can’t die.” Trina Long, the other clerk, rambled pitifully. I could hear the fear rattling through her words.
With sweat beads dancing down the sides of my face, I moved forward apprehensively. “Listen, leave them out of this. Please don’t hurt them. I . . . I am the supervisor here, and no one is going to call the police if you just take what you want and leave us be,” I said, raising my hands in surrender to let the masked gunmen know I wasn’t going to resist. “There is a safe. I’m the only one who can get you inside,” I offered, nodding toward the back of the store.
“I want every fuckin’ thing you got in here! Every dollar, bitch!” the second assailant growled through the black material of his mask. A strange feeling flitted through my chest. I swore I saw the devil dancing in his eyes. A shot of heat engulfed my body, and for the first time since they had burst through the doors, I felt a dizzying mixture of anger and fear grip me tight around the throat.
“Look, all we got right here is fifteen hundred dollars. It’s in my top right drawer. That’s all we keep in the immediate vicinity. The safe is in the back. So just take it all and leave,” I said, my tone a little testy. It was a bold move, and I instantly regretted it.
“Oh my God, Karlie, please don’t make them angry,” Amy whispered from the floor, her fingers laced behind her head like a hostage in some movie. “Take them to the safe. Give them everything,” she whimpered.
“Oh yeah?” The biggest of the robbers took three steps toward me and pointed his pistol toward my head. “Bitch, you don’t run shit in here right now! I do. Now, get the fuck over here before I kill you in this motherfucker!” he boomed. His words reverberated through my chest like the booming bass of a party speaker. I swayed on my feet a little. I hadn’t been expecting that.
“I’m only trying to—” I began, but before I knew it, the monstrous, gorilla-sized assailant lunged forward, snatched me from behind the counter, and shoved his gun into the small of my back.
“Shut the fuck up and show me where the safe is!” he barked, pushing me forward. I stumbled toward the back office with my hands over my head. My insides were churning so fast I just knew I’d throw up.
Once we were in the back office, I quickly went to the safe, which was wedged between two tall, old-school gray filing cabinets. I got to my knees. My hands were shaking so badly that I didn’t get the combination on the first try.
“Don’t fuck around! Open that safe or else,” the gunman ordered, swiping his gun across the back of my neck. I let out an exasperated breath as I fumbled with the ancient combination dial again. This was one of the times I resented how cheap my bosses were. What thriving business didn’t have an electronic keypad safe these days? What thriving business kept its old-school safe just sitting on the dusty, torn-up tile floor too? I went to work on the combination lock again with my hands trembling. Left. Right. Left.
Click.
Finally.
I breathed out a long, unsteady breath of relief. It had taken me six fuckups to finally get it right.
“Move,” the gunman demanded, pushing me aside so hard I scraped my knee on the raggedy, ripped-up linoleum tile.
“Jack-fucking-pot! Yo, bring that duffel bag,” he called out to the others.
The other two assailants herded Amy and Trina into the back office, where I was just easing myself up off the floor. Amy was shaking like a leaf in a wild storm. Trina moved clumsily, her nerves clearly muddling her movem
ents.
“Sit the fuck down,” the tallest and meanest of the gunman commanded. Both girls flopped to the floor without hesitation.
“Okay, I gave y’all everything we have in the store. Just please go,” I said sassily.
“What, bitch?” the mean one snarled. “You don’t tell us what to do, we tell you,” he growled, getting close to my face. He was so close I could smell his cologne.
“I’m just trying to—” I started. I never got a chance to finish. Before I could react, I felt metal connect with my skull. My teeth clicked, and my eyes snapped shut on their own.
Crack. Crunch.
The gunman had swung the butt of the pistol at me and cracked it over my head. Flashes of light sparked behind my eyes like someone had set off a round of fireworks in my brain. I smelled the blood before I tasted the metallic, tinny flavor on my tongue. The scent and the taste only lasted a few seconds. My ears went deaf. I remember emitting a mousy squeak right before the impact from his strength and the blow of the gun knocked me out like a light. After I hit the floor, everything in my world went black.
I shivered as I snapped out of reliving the whole EZ Cash robbery scene. Aisha’s mouth was slightly open, and I could tell she was definitely hanging on my every word. I recalled everything, except the fact that I had set the whole robbery up. It didn’t take long for her to bring that up, though.
“But wait, Karlie. I heard that you set up that whole robbery and that’s why the shit is hot on your name in the streets,” Aisha said bluntly. She wasn’t hiding behind no fake smiles and pretending. That’s why I respected her, and that’s why I was at her house at that moment.
“That’s what the word is, but it ain’t all true. It is true that I got blamed for setting it up and that a lot of people died behind the shit. But there was more to the story,” I lied.
Aisha twisted her lips and raised one eyebrow and looked at me. “C’mon, chick. I know you. I’ve known you since we were knee-high to a fly. We used to get money together back in the day, Karlie, so I know how smart you are and how calculating your mind is,” Aisha said flatly. “We can’t get far if we don’t keep it real with each other, boo. The one person you ain’t got to front for is me.”
I hung my head. “You’re right. But all I did was let the dudes know what was going on inside the businesses. It wasn’t my idea from the gate. I didn’t know exactly how they were going to do it. I ain’t do all the rest that went into it. And I damned sure didn’t know all of this death and destruction would follow behind a simple snatch-and-grab robbery,” I said.
“That’s better. Starting at the truth and admitting shit is the first step,” Aisha said, easing back on her couch. “Well, here is what I heard . . .”
I moved to the edge of my seat so I could hear everything she had to say loud and clear. Aisha was the hood’s Lisa Ling; she had all the undercover reporting on lock.
“Niggas is saying some dude that calls himself King was the owner of them stores. He’s like the plug for all these corner dudes. They said he knew right away it was you and Miley that was on the setup because King’s bitch worked in the stores. They said y’all got away with over five hundred thousand in cash that was drug money that this dude was hiding in them spots. Like, it’s no joke, Karlie. He’s some big-time Jamaican cartel dude or something. Anyway, they said he got arrested because of you, so he got his people out there searching. Niggas saying this dude is hell-bent on revenge, and he got all these bum bitches and bitch-ass niggas out here like fiends looking for you for that reward money. I’m talking about what he’s offering is a shitload of money if you a hungry nigga,” Aisha said, her eyes widening for emphasis.
The more she spoke, the harder my heart pumped. I sighed loudly.
“I knew you would know the scoop,” I said, shaking my head. “Isha . . . I need your help girl. I’m not going to be able to hide for the rest of my life. I just need to find a way to nip this shit in the bud and quick.” I finally just laid it out there. “Ain’t no way I’m going to survive being in the protection program, and in order for me to get out here and get to this nigga’s peoples first, I need a real good plan. I know if anybody can help me, it’s you.”
Aisha leaned back and rubbed her chin. I could tell she was contemplating what I was saying. I could also tell she was probably thinking what’s in it for her.
“Yeah, Karlie. I can probably help you. But then I would be putting me and my son at risk. Not that I don’t want to help you, girlie, but I don’t know if it will be worth it,” Aisha said, being honest. I knew that was coming next.
“What if we can figure out a way to collect on that money this dude is offering, but also get me out of this situation?” I said, my mind racing in a million directions.
Aisha sat up straight when I said that. “I’m listening,” she said.
I knew I had her on board as soon as I mentioned the street reward money. Even I knew that Aisha wouldn’t pass up the chance at collecting a hundred thousand stacks. I just had to make sure that the idea of all of that money didn’t turn my friend into the next devil in sheep’s clothing.
CHAPTER 11
GETTING RID OF THE DEAD WEIGHT
I was back in the House before Darwin awoke later that day. I knew my bum-ass uncle didn’t get up until after one o’clock in the afternoon most days. I used to wonder how someone who didn’t work got tired enough to sleep all damn day like he did. It was so bad I had become Granny Houston’s caretaker now, while he was the one collecting all of her money.
I crept back to my tiny attic space and changed back into my sleep clothes to make it seem like I’d been there all night. After I hid the gun Aisha had given me in a safe place under one of the attic floorboards, I rustled my hair up, rubbed my eyes to make them look a little red, and checked the mirror to make sure I looked like I’d just woken up. When I was satisfied, I came back down from the attic. I had made it downstairs just in the nick of time.
“Oh Lord! Help me! Help me! He’s trying to kill me!” I heard Granny Houston crying out. The words were familiar and sent a chill down my spine, but the urgency behind her pitiful cries still spurned me into action. I broke out running down the hallway toward her room.
“Shut up! Ain’t nobody going to hear you! Stupid old lady! I’m the only one that cares about your ass!” I heard Darwin yelling at her. Then, right before I reached the door, I heard the sound of skin connecting with skin, followed by a yelp from my grandmother. I knew immediately what that meant.
“That bastard slapped her? Oh hell no,” I growled under my breath. That was it. I had tolerated Darwin canceling her services and I had listened to him abuse her over and over since I’d gotten there. I had finally had enough. The past didn’t matter to me anymore. Right was right and wrong was wrong. He had crossed the line a long time ago. And I had made my peace with my grandmother.
I busted into Granny Houston’s room like the police with a warrant. I rushed into Darwin like a wrecking ball trying to knock down a brick building. That is how mad I was.
“Get your fucking hands off her, you piece of shit!” I screamed so hard I could feel the veins in my neck cording against my skin. “I’m sick of this shit! You’re a fucking punk for putting your hands on a helpless old lady!”
Darwin was too shocked to react and the impact of my sudden attack caused him to stumble sideways. He fell into the commode at the side of the bed, and the bucket that catches the waste slid out from the bottom and spilled all over him.
“You little bitch!” he spat, slipping around in the piss and shit, trying to get up so he could come after me. I was too angry to laugh, but it was funny. Darwin was a literal shit head at that moment.
“You’re a damn bully, Darwin. There is a special place in hell for people like you that fuck with kids and old people. Nothing good is ever going to happen for a piece of shit like you so long as you do dirt.” I squared up and barked at him, “You ain’t tough. Your ass wouldn’t do shit like this to a nigga
in the streets, but you here abusing your own sickly mother? How fucked up are you, Darwin? All this for a lousy little disability check? Just like you left me and Miley hungry and damn near naked for a little check. It ain’t nothing you won’t do for some money. Just disgusting.”
Granny Houston was sobbing pitifully. It was hard to watch her reduced to this. The stroke had taken all of the brute strength she used to have. She could barely sit up at the side of her bed without assistance from pillows.
“He . . . he’s been taking all of my money. I don’t have all my medicines or nothing,” she managed through her sobs. “I was always good to my kids. I don’t know what happened to them. I always tried my best. I wasn’t perfect, but I tried my best.”
“Shut up! You shut the hell up! You wasn’t no perfect mother for sure. We had to learn from somewhere!” Darwin screamed at her. The tension swirling in that room was enough to suffocate all of us.
I had tears in my eyes now. There was so much generational pain between my grandmother and her kids. My mother had hated Granny Houston, and I had to wonder if my mother was alive, would she be the one treating Granny Houston this way instead of Darwin. I moved a few steps closer to my uncle with my jaw set.
“Don’t say shit to her. You’re so low you could suck an earthworm’s dick, I swear. You’re so lucky she’s right here or else. But I’m going to get on that phone and call those elder abuse people, and they’re going to take care of your ass. They lock motherfuckers like you up and throw away the key, and you will owe all that money back. Niggas in jail don’t take to kindly to punks who abuse their own mothers,” I threatened. I could truly feel that my blood pressure was sky high. My face filled with blood and my temples throbbed.
Darwin squared up on me, the front of his shirt covered in piss and smears of brown from the feces. “You fucked with the wrong nigga, Karlie. I tried to be nice and let you lay low here and all of that, but now you crossed the line. You ain’t going to fuck up my life. Not before I fuck up yours. I got something for your ass,” Darwin hissed, his eyes hooded. I felt his threat at the core of my soul. I knew at that moment I had just made another enemy, except this time, I’d be sleeping in the same house with one. I had to hurry up and put my plan in motion, because with the way things were now, it was going to be me or Darwin. One of us had to go. And it certainly wasn’t going to be me.
