Sleeping in Heaven, Waking in Hell

by Forever Redd

  “I appreciate your generosity with the information and all, but Jody and I are just friends. And if he has flopped around with practically every female in the club, what does that say about y’all? I mean it’s not like I saw any tables with only one female seated. So for you to divulge such information to a complete stranger lets me know you are still a little sour about your last encounter with him. Now again, thanks for the info and enjoy your night out.” I was finished applying my lip gloss, so I kissed at my reflection and walked out on the bitter bitch. My Jody was waiting.

  I scanned the crowd to find Jody, but he was nowhere in sight. I walked over to the exit, and there he was leaning against an all-white carriage being drawn by two black horses. “Jody!” I screamed. I trotted down the steps and ran into his arms. He gave me a big hug and told me my chariot had arrived.

  “Look, I wanna show you something,” he said. I took Jody’s hand and he led me to the back of the carriage. There in fancy lettering were the words “Just Dating.”

  “You know what?” I laughed, “You are doing way too much, stop it!”

  “Maybe I am, but maybe I’m not. When I was trying to figure out what we would do tonight, I wanted to do something you would never forget. I don’t know what the future holds, but I wanted to at least be a memory as you walk into the future.”

  My mind was blown. Jody seemed like a wonderful man, and I could see myself dating him, but that lady in the bathroom was still on my mind. I didn’t want to bring it up, but I felt I had to bring to. “Jody, you are wonderful too and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, hell, this entire night has been amazing.”

  “Hold that thought,” he interrupted. “Let’s hop inside so we aren’t late.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, getting inside the carriage.

  “Now, what were you saying?”

  I continued my story and told him about the lady in the restroom.

  “I’m sorry anyone would even approach you like that. I don’t know who half the ladies are that she spoke of, but I assure you, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I have never been to that place, so all of the faces were foreign to me. Again, I apologize, and you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Apology accepted. Now, where is the next stop?”

  “Dinner. I hope you are hungry.”

  “Yep, I could eat.”

  Jody and I continued to talk as the carriage whisked us away. The lady was no longer on my mind because my mind was focused on Jody. We made it to Cowboys, a Brazilian steakhouse downtown. We were led to our seats by a hostess dressed in what looked to be a pirate shirt, knickers, and boots. Our server approached and gave specific instructions on how the restaurant operated.

  “Good evening. I am Kisia, and I will be your server for the evening. We have sixteen meat selections, a side bar along with a salad bar.” She paused to hand us cards, “As you see, one side is green and the other side is red. When you are ready for a meat, turn your card to green. As long as the card is green, our carvers will come to you with the different selections. Place the card on red when you are no longer interested in a meat selection. This is all you can eat, so I hope you brought your appetites. Now, what would y’all like to drink?”

  We ordered our drinks and sent Kisia on her way. Jody and I had an outstanding dinner, then we continued on to the dessert portion of the date. After dessert, we took a cab to his car and rode out to Finley Park. The park was acres and acres of green grass, paths and trails, and play areas for the kids. It was the perfect ending to a perfect date. We found a bench and took a seat to enjoy the serenity of the night.

  “I know this is the first date and all,” Jody began, “but I really want to kiss you. I didn’t want to be too forward and just go for it, but I didn’t want to be negligent and end the night without one either. Is it alright? I mean, do you mind if I kiss you?”

  “I don’t mind,” I said barely audible. I was nervous. The butterflies in my tummy were building up as leaned in. I leaned a little more his way, closed my eyes and slightly puckered my lips. To my surprise, Jody went right past my lips and placed a soft kiss on my cheek. I exhaled. His lips were soft.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered in my ear before separating himself from me. “Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Victoria?”

  “Yes. I really, really did,” I stressed. “Thank you so much for everything.”

  “The pleasure was all mine. Sooo, does that mean you will see me again?”

  “Let me think about it,” I paused, “Yes, I will.”

  “Good. You busy next weekend?”

  “Not to my knowledge, why? What did you have in mind?”

  “The annual kick off summer block party is being held in Branchville, and I would love for you to come out. It’s nothing fancy, just the neighborhood coming together for food and drinks. There is a deejay that comes down from out of Orangeburg and he is sick on the ones and twos. What ya say? Will you come out and be my arm candy?”

  “Arm candy, huh? If I agree to come out, that doesn’t mean you get to eat me,” I flirted.

  “Aww, man. Well, what you coming for?”

  “I’m coming for you.”

  “Promise me that it will be me and only me that you come for.”

  Those eyes, that hair, that glistening grill and the scent of him had me dazed. “We will just have to see, won’t we?”

  “I guess we will.”

  We ended the night with Jody taking me to my car where we shared a long hug and friendly, but exaggerated cheek kisses. We talked on the phone the entire ride home and said our goodbyes once he reached his destination.

  I was glad I used his number and that I took the chance to meet him off the phone. I couldn’t wait to tell Karley how well things had gone.

  I tapped on Karley’s door to make sure it was safe to enter, and when she gave me the green light, I went in like a wrecking ball. “Oh, my God, Karley. Oh—my—God! He is so sexy. Dark skin, long locks, and he got a grill.”

  “Eww, don’t nobody want all that gold in they mouth. When it gets old, it looks like copper.”

  “No girl, it ain’t gold. They open face and they stoned out. Girl, this dude is sexy, I’m tryna tell ya. And his accent Karley, its fiyah!”

  “What all did y’all do?”

  I excitedly told Karley everything we did from start to finish. I even told her about the chick in the bathroom.

  “What? Some hoe ran up on you with some bullshit? Am I hearing you correctly?”

  “Yeah, but it wasn’t like that. She ain’t run up. She simply said what was on her mind. I told her what was on mine and that was it.”

  “Did you say anything to the magic man?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “And lemme guess, he denied any knowledge of such hoes and events?” Karley asked while lighting a blunt from out the ashtray. “Don’t fall for the okie doke, Vic. All that glitters usually ain’t gold.”

  “Here you go. Can I just have a moment? Can I just enjoy the company of a man without you killing my vibe? It’s almost like you be hating from the sidelines.”

  “And here you go. I have seen that look, Vic. I have seen you head over heels. I know what it does to you when things dissolve. I pick up the pieces, Vic, not because I have to, but because I want to. I am not trying to steal your joy. I just don’t like seeing you hurt. I just wanna see you happy.”

  “He might make me happy, Karley. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know that ever since that phone call, I can’t wait to wake up and find out. I can’t explain it, but finding someone I mesh perfectly with has been nothing short of difficult. But this one here, he just feels different. I am not saying I am going to be all head over heels, all I am saying is I want to see where this is going to go.”

  “Alright, if you say so, but please be careful.”

  “Done.”

  *****

  Since Karley was home, I figured she might want to go to the block party with me. I was
a little nervous to travel that distance alone, so I asked. “Aye, you got plans for the day?”

  “Nope, what up?”

  “Jody invited me to a block party down his way, and I was wondering if you wanna tag?”

  “Sure, why not? I ain’t doin’ shit else.”

  Karley and I got dressed and prepared for our road trip. I sent Jody a text letting him know we were headed his way. Riding down I26, we were bumping Rich Homie Quan’s You Can’t Judge Her, our theme song.

  “These bitches come a dime a dozen/ But it’s hard to find a girl like that who got her own/ And don’t need a nigga for nothing/ But some hard dick and a shoulder to lean on/ The bitch got a PHD/ And she living in her dream home…” I had sung at the top of my squeaky voice.

  It must have worked her nerves because Karley lowered the volume, “Enough of that. Ain’t nobody want you singing.” Like her singing was any better, but she wanna talk ‘bout me.

  “What the fuck ever, hoe. I’m on Quan ol’ sexy ass and if he can’t dig my melodious voice, I’m sure he could help strengthen my vocal chords—with his dick!”

  We shared a laugh and since we had a good little ride ahead of us, we decided we might as well spark an L while we rode. Karley knew passenger duties included music control, blazing up, and holding the illegals. For some reason, the cops round these parts never checked the passenger.

  The ride to Branchville was a little over an hour long and it was a boring ride. There wasn’t much to look at but the trees. We did get a little excitement when we passed SCSU, and Clafflin College. It was the summer, and everybody was out. Lots of people had gone home for the holidays, but because there were so many people that were local, it was still party time on campus. We decided to stop at a little gas station next to a car lot and grab some snacks and use the bathroom. That and we were seeing just what the Little Cricket station had to offer. Down there, we rode big. Donks, box and bubble Chevy’s, and even those old cop cars they sell at the car auctions. If if the shoes on your car weren’t at least deuce deuce, park in the regular parking, ‘cause this wasn’t for you.

  Candy paint was everywhere. Even the motorcycles were tricked out, dropped, and stretched, so we knew we needed to stop. All eyes were on us as we exited my baby. My car was an old school 1966 Pontiac Bonneville. My daddy had given it to me for my eighteenth birthday. The car was huge, like an airplane almost, but it ran like a Bentley. It had four doors, money green exterior, and black leather interior. I sat up high, on twenty-fours with my chrome shining.

  Our father daughter bond was amazing. We rebuilt my car together and he taught me how to fix her too. My daddy. Every time I tried to find someone to actually chill with I looked for daddy-like qualities. I was his princess and he spoiled me rotten.

  I decided to give my Jody a call and find out where to go exactly. I got the information and took my turn on the herbal aphrodisiac.

  Good thing I called while I was still in Orangeburg because ten minutes later neither Karley nor I had a working phone signal. We rode in silence, both lost in our own thoughts. I wondered what Karley was thinking as she twirled a lone curl around her index finger.

  Karley interrupted the silence with one of her sneezing fits. I swear that chick has the worst nose ever. If she smelled something different or any change in the atmosphere, she started that shit. I just looked at her and shook my head. Just up ahead, I noticed the Sunoco gas station and a housing development on the right I was supposed to pass.

  The closer we got to our destination we could hear the male voices chopping it up, sounding as if they were having a good time. Females could be heard cackling and laughing as well.

  Traffic was a bitch, so finding a place to park my road-riding airplane was damn near impossible. I finally settled on a spot where I had to parallel park. It was going to be a tight fit, but if somebody scratched my paint, there was gon’ be hell to pay. And that’s if I caught ‘em because in the projects, nobody ever saw shit.

  After backing up and pulling forward at least eight times, I had that big bitch parked. Both Karley and I touched up our MAC lip gloss, added a few pumps of smell good spray, and we exited the car like the stallions were.

  Upon entry into the blocked off area, I took note of all the people, young and old, male and female. Music blared from a deejay that was set up in a large corner. There were vinyl tarps all over the place. Some covered food and drinks, and others were made to be gambling tents. Spades, dominoes and other games were being played at surrounding picnic tables.

  We passed a table full of young guys dressed in humungous pants that were down to their knees. They each had on huge white t-shirts and black hats with the words Dope Boy written across the front. And no sooner than we passed them, the hooting and hollering began.

  “Damn, shawty got a fat ass,” one said.

  “I want the tall one, she can wrap them legs round my neck any day.”

  I had to stop Karley from going the hell off because if there was one thing she couldn’t stand, it was that cat calling shit. I never understood that. She knew she was bad, anyone with eyes could see it, so why trip? With my hand on her shoulder, I silenced her with my eyes. We didn’t go all the way down there to show our asses. Karley gave me the I’m good look, and we continued our journey in search of Jody.

  I check to see that my phone had a signal and I tried calling to let him know we were there, but with all the noise going there was no way he could have heard the phone ring. I sent him a text instead.

  Me: Made it safe, trying to find you.

  Suddenly, a familiar aroma graced my nostrils. It was that Columbia Kush. I looked to my left and Karley had blazed up.

  “Everybody else smoking, so when in Rome…”

  I completed her sentence, “…make like the Romans.”

  We stood posted up beside one of the tents. There was smoke over there, so we knew it was cool. Karley and I talked to several people as they came by to get drinks. When the fellas saw that we weren’t some old sadiddy bitches, they started pouring over to us to make conversation. That was cool for the first ten minutes or so, but damn, I was there to see Jody, not the entire town.

  I frowned and turned to Karley and told her I didn’t see him, her eyes got glossy and she started to smile. I whipped around to see what had captured her attention and there he was, standing directly behind me with two fingers in the air making bunny ears over my head.

  “Karley, this is Jody. Jody, this is my sister, Karley,” I said with a vibrant smile. I knew just by the way she was looking, she too thought he was something sexy. We exchanged pleasantries and went to join his crowd. Once we caught up to several of his fellow homeboys, Karley got her pick of the litter. She chose a dude named Leon.

  Leon was sexy, just not dark. Off top, I could see he had a silly side and he seemed to just be enjoying life. The newly introduced couple walked alongside us getting to know each other while Jody and I talked on different subjects.

  Jody was raised by both his parents, with mom being an elementary school teacher and dad doing everything from fixing cars to doing brick masonry work. There was nothing he couldn’t do. Other than that, he didn’t quite say much about his father, so I assumed he was a mama’s boy. The worst kind, I thought. That might take away a few points.

  I told him all about Karley and me and there being no blood relation, and he went on to tell me he had the same bond with his brother, Raheem. The more we walked and talked, the more people came up to speak with the intriguing Mr. Jody. Some he dapped, others he hugged, and I noticed some did a funny handshake. I really didn’t think too much about it because leave it up to our people to add some extra shit onto something.

  Major stepped away for a few minutes to speak with one of the youngsters from earlier, the one that made the fat ass comment, and I heard his lil’ horny ass say, “Damn, Big Jody, dat you?”

  Major looked over to me and exposed that icy grill, and winked his eye. He then turned to the young boy and said, “
Yeah, bruh, that’s my lil’ mama. She gon’ be wifey.” That accent was coming out real thick and I was loving every minute of it. I had known since our date he could get it, now it just looks like it might be sooner than later.

  5

  Victoria

  The night’s end was drawing near, so the four of us decided to grab a seat at the Spades’ table, girls against the guys. The two sexy men were in for the ass cutting of their lives, and they ain’t even know it. It was rare that we lost, but if we did, we were always good sports about it.

  Let the games begin, I thought as I sat in my folding chair and pulled up to the card table.

  Jody leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Don’t take this spankin’ personal, ma. I promise to lick your wounds later.” His diamond encrusted teeth sparkled under the streetlights and those half-shut eyes were making me weak. At that moment, I noticed the small dimple that sat in the middle of Jody’s chin. It was small in diameter, but deep enough to stick the tip of my tongue in.

  I leaned over, put my hand on his upper thigh and said, “Oh, I don’t lose sweetheart. But be prepared to lick something, however, I can assure you it won’t be wounds. At least not mine.”

  Jody looked at his partner and burst out laughing. “You hear this shit, Leon? My lil’ mama forgot whea she at. She think we some bustas from the Met. We gon’ spank they pretty asses one good time, bruh, but be careful not to leave no mark. We want ‘em to come back, ya dig?”

  Leon looked at Karley like he was a starving man and she was a two-piece special with a biscuit. “True. I ain’t gon’ hurt her too bad, at least not on the card table.”

  Karley just blushed. Very unusual for her, she must have been feeling the dude because she normally would have given him the business. That’s it! She’s coming down. Let me gon’ get her turnt back up so she can act a fool right along with me, I thought. I suggested somebody roll up. Karley passed me the weed and a cigar out of her purse, Leon pulled out his, then Jody followed suit and pulled out too. The three of us went on to roll up so we could get the game on and popping. Jody grabbed a bottle of Hennessey and cracked the top open. We ‘bout to be fucked up, was all I thought.