The Roof is on Fire

by Brenda Hampton

  I stood and pointed at the food on the floor. “Since you like being on your hands and knees, I figured you wouldn’t mind. Eat up before I shove somethin’ else in your foul-ass mouth to keep you quiet.”

  Chase’s jaw dropped wide open. “I swear to God that I have never met a man as disrespectful and lowlife as you.”

  Jada chimed in, too. “I have and he’s standin’ right here.” She looked at Jaylin. “These tantrum-throwin’ niggas done lost their damn minds. All I gotta say is nobody better be sleepin’ peacefully up in here tonight. Better sleep with three eyes open, because it’s on and poppin’.”

  Jaylin looked at me and nudged his head toward the door. He appeared as frustrated as I was. These dizzy-ass broads had crossed the line. It was time to get them the fuck out of here.

  “I can’t do this much longer,” I said to Jaylin as we stood in the game room. “Somebody about to get hurt up in here. I don’t know who the fuck they think they are.”

  “I feel you on that, but calm down. You’ve been upset since your conversation with Desa Rae, but being like this ain’t gon’ help us one bit. I know the situation at your place of business got you on edge too, but if we play our cards right, this will all be over with soon. The last thing we want to do is put the ladies in a position to win. When we start losing control, that’s what will happen. So, take a deep breath and get your head on straight. I almost lost it my damn self. Jada know she be tripping, and it took everything I had not to punch her ass.”

  “Both of them be trippin’, and I ditto what you’re sayin’. I’m gon’ laugh my ass off when I see Chase packin’ up her shit, and all I’m gon’ say about Jada is I will surely miss the food.”

  We laughed and started to shoot pool. Jaylin bent over to take a shot.

  “FYI, don’t go to sleep tonight,” he said in a teasing manner. “Jada will have that knife by her side, and there is a chance that my dick may get cut off or yours.”

  He shot the ball into the hole, then waited for me to take my turn. “Jada gon’ mess around and find herself asleep in a casket. I’m not goin’ to sleep until she does, but she ain’t the only one who will have a knife in their possession. What’s good for her will definitely be good for me.”

  Jaylin agreed. We didn’t finish shooting pool until later that night.

  I didn’t care how fine he was, how big his dick was, how well defined his body was or how smooth his conversation was. Jaylin was a hot-ass mess, and he had no clue how to treat a real woman like me.

  I couldn’t believe that he pulled my hair like that. My scalp was screaming. He lucky I couldn’t get into that drawer to get a knife. I would have cut him up in a thousand and one pieces, but then again, talk was cheap. What threw me for a loop was the argument between Chase and Roc. They were going at it tough. When I asked Chase about it, all she said was angering him was in her plan. I didn’t see how his dissing her was in the plan, but for now I had a plan of my own. My plan was stalled because Jaylin and Roc hadn’t gone to sleep yet. We were all in the bedroom with the lights still on. Roc sat shirtless against the headboard while playing a video game on a handheld PlayStation. Chase lay sideways in bed. She was underneath most of the cover while paging through a fashion magazine. Jaylin sat shirtless against the headboard too. No cover was on him, and he was reading The 48 Laws of Power.

  With Sylvia being gone, I was on the edge of her bed polishing my toenails. It was almost two in the morning. I figured that Jaylin and Roc didn’t want to go to sleep because I’d threatened them earlier. Any other night, they’d be out by now.

  I yawned right after Roc did, then I glanced at the wall clock. It ticked away as we chilled in silence. After another ten minutes went by, Chase cleared her throat.

  “Jaylin, I don’t mean to bring this up, but I’m curious about something. If you don’t want to answer my question, you don’t have to.”

  “What?” he said without looking away from the book. “What are you curious about?”

  “About why Jada mentioning your mother upset you earlier. I didn’t peg you out to be a woman beater, but you were pretty hot.”

  I sat silent because I wanted to hear his response, if he was willing to give one. He kept reading and didn’t respond until he flipped the page. “Correction. A woman beater I am not, and I don’t get down like that. Calling my mother out of her name or speaking of people that you don’t know nothing about angers me. I lost my mother when I was young. Needless to say, I don’t like it when anyone disrespects her.”

  “I can understand that,” Chase said. “How did you lose your mother?”

  “She was murdered. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to reading this book.”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your mother and thanks for sharing. Maybe Jada will feel compelled to apologize, and maybe you will also apologize for grabbing her hair.”

  Apology my ass, I thought. I wasn’t sure where Chase was going with this, but Jaylin ignored her last comment.

  “Hey, Roc,” I said. He kept playing the video game, but nodded his head. “Why did you get all bent out of shape when Chase called yo woman a bitch? Are you gon’ take issue with everybody who calls her out of her name, or don’t you realize that words are just words and sometimes people say things out of anger?”

  Roc set the PlayStation on his lap. “We all say things out of anger, but I take some shit personal. When you start talkin’ about the people I love, I got a problem with that. Say what you want about me, but don’t cross the line with people who ain’t here to defend themselves. That’s all I’m sayin’.”

  “Exactly,” Jaylin said.

  The room went silent for a few more minutes.

  “Riddle me this,” Roc said, looking in Jaylin’s direction. “Why yo ass ain’t asleep? I know I’m tired as fuck, but I’m not about to wake up with half of a dick.”

  Shoot! He must have spotted the scissors I had tucked underneath the mattress.

  “I don’t think nobody is that stupid to cut off your manhood,” Jaylin said. “But if you lose half of your dick, whoever is that bold should lose a titty.”

  Ouch. That hurt just thinking about it. I wasn’t going to use the scissors to go out like that, but I was going to go into the closet and go to work on Jaylin’s expensive clothes. As pricey as they were, I was sure he’d be mad. But after hearing about his mama, maybe I was in the wrong for saying what I did.

  I turned sideways to look at him. “I’m sorry to hear about your mama, and I apologize for speaking ill about her. I know how it feels to have a parent murdered. My father was murdered right in front of me when I was seven years old. It’s somethin’ I’ll never forget.”

  Truthfully, I didn’t know my father, but I’d heard that’s what had happened when I was three, not seven. Chase touched her chest. “That’s horrible, Jada. I couldn’t even imagine seeing anything like that. Did you know the person who killed him?”

  “Yep. It was his best friend. He used to come to our house all the time. I really liked him. Then my father and him got into it one day, and the next thing I saw was him pullin’ out a gun and shootin’ my father. Shot him twice in the face, then in the chest. That’s why, to this day, I don’t have too many people I consider friends. To hell with friends.”

  Jaylin turned the page in his book and still hadn’t said anything. Roc was the next one to open his mouth. “That’s messed up, Jada. When I was younger, some similar stuff went down with me and my parents. My Uncle Ronnie had to raise me. I don’t think I would’ve preferred it any other way. I guess some things happen for a reason.”

  “I didn’t experience anything like that with my parents,” Chase said. “But as I mentioned to Jada before, my father was the worst person ever. I wish I had the guts to kill him when I was younger, but I could never go through with it. Eventually, he died from cancer. I never forgave him for what he did to me. It’s not as painful for me to talk about it anymore. Years of therapy helped me realize that none of it was my
fault. I used to blame myself, but now I know better. I’ve also had plenty of struggles with relationships, but that wasn’t all on me either. Some men are downright trifling dogs who don’t give a care about women.”

  “I agree with you on that,” I said. “I’ve had my share of those kinds of men as well.”

  I was still waiting for Jaylin to say something, but he hadn’t said one word.

  “Jaylin, did you hear what I said to you a few minutes ago?”

  He kept his eyes glued to the book, refusing to look away from it. “I heard you, but I’m not in the mood for a group therapy session. If I was, I’d go seek counseling in private.”

  I swear his funny-acting ways truly amazed the heck out of me. Where in the hell did he come from?

  “Well, everybody can’t afford to pay four and five hundred dollars an hour for a shrink, so we have to sit around with regular ole folks and get some shit off our chests. Thanks for listenin’ Roc and Chase. I’m takin’ my ass to sleep before I have to go off on somebody.”

  I fluffed my pillows and pulled the cover over me. Minutes later, Jaylin put the book down and stretched.

  “Truth is,” he said. “We all got stories to tell from the past. Some of us more messed up behind that shit than others, and as I see it, y’all are really some screwed-up people. But therapists or not, we got to keep on living our lives and try to make the best of it. There is no future in living in the past, and playing the victim of your circumstances will only delay your progress. I shouldn’t have pulled your hair, but I did. It won’t happen again.”

  “I agree with what you said, but that wasn’t an apology, was it? I’mma need you to try that again.”

  “And I’mma need somebody to turn out the lights so I can go to sleep,” Roc said, pulling the cover over his head. “We can pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

  Chase yawned and put the magazine on the floor. “I know, right? I’m tired, too.”

  She pulled the cover up to her neck and rested her head on the pillow. I got up to turn off the lights, but still wanting an apology from Jaylin, I jumped on his bed. I bounced up and down on him and purposely elbowed him in the chin for pulling my hair.

  “Daaamn, girl.” His voice was strained as he tried to push me off of him. “Get yo heavy butt off my stomach.”

  “Not until you apologize to me. Until then, I’m stayin’ here all night.”

  Jaylin stopped pushing me and dropped his arms to his sides. I straddled the top of him and could feel his monster madness between my legs. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good.

  “Jada, get up,” he said in a calm manner. “And don’t think that I can’t get you off of me.”

  “Go ahead and try.”

  I continued to bounce on his midsection. I swear it was growing! I swear!

  “If I try, you’re going to be on the floor.”

  I threw my hands in the air and kept bouncing. “Wee, look, Jaylin. No hands.”

  He couldn’t help but to blush, but kept threatening to push me on the floor.

  “One. Two,” he said.

  On three, I assumed we would hit the floor. If I was going down, he was going down with me. When “three” spilled from his mouth, I tightened my arms around his neck and held on tight as he tried to shove me away from him.

  “Help,” I shouted in the partially dark room. A sliver of light was coming from the closet and I remained on top of him. “I’m not lettin’ you go until you apologize.”

  Jaylin tried so hard to push me away from him, and it wasn’t long before we wound up on the floor, playfully tussling. I couldn’t believe that it was so hard for him to apologize.

  “Say it! I can’t hear you,” I teased.

  “Then clean your ears out, because I already said all that I’m going to say. Let my neck go and get in the bed. I’m exhausted from wrestling with you and I need some sleep.”

  I finally let go, but bumped into Chase when I got up.

  “I thought you needed my help,” she said.

  “I yelled that out quite some time ago. You’re too late.”

  She laughed and screamed when Jaylin snatched her up and tossed her on the bed. He put all of his weight on top of her, causing her to strain as she tried to catch her breath and speak.

  “Uhh, pleeease, get uuuup.…. I can’t breathe.”

  “What’s that?” Jaylin said. “I can’t hear you. If you came to help Jada, then you haven’t done much of a good job.”

  Chase laughed and pleaded for him to get up. He did, but to no surprise she managed to work her way on top of him. Bitch. I was kind of mad that she came over to so-call help me. Instead of tripping, though, I grabbed a pillow off my bed and made my way over to Roc. I lifted the pillow in the air, but before I came down with it to hit him, all I heard was, “Back up, li’l mama. Don’t you even think about it.”

  After that, he slammed his pillow into my stomach. I doubled over and he tore me up with pillow punches. We wrestled with each other, and it was quite fun rolling around on the floor with him. I touched every part of him that my hand could reach. All he did was laugh it off.

  “Stop,” he kept saying. “You trippin’, ma.”

  Maybe I was tripping, but so was he for touching my ass. That was in bed, of course, as I lay in his arms and sighed. I couldn’t help but to think about our little confession session tonight.

  “It’s apparent that we all got issues, but as they say, prayer changes things. We don’t be praying enough, and y’all ain’t prayed since Sylvia got booted out of here.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Jaylin said. “You may not see me doing it, but I do so everyday.”

  “I do it most of the time,” Chase said. “But there are days that I do skip.”

  I looked her way with shame in my eyes. “You shouldn’t do that Chase, ’cause out of all of us, you’re the one who needs more prayer than anybody. You need to be on your knees everyday, and I don’t mean on them to give blowjobs.”

  Roc and Jaylin busted out laughing.

  “Forget you, Jada. You need prayer way more than I do. I can’t believe you think otherwise. I’m going to pray for you, just for thinking that. Your mind couldn’t be right after that comment.”

  “My mind is very right, but I’m not gon’ get into it with you over yo lack of prayer. No matter what, we all need it, some way more than others.”

  Trying to lead by example, I got out of bed and got on my knees. Roc was quiet like a mouse. I could see him looking at me. I had to pull his non-praying self on the floor with me. His face was twisted; I couldn’t believe how irritated he looked. It was apparent that his mama and daddy hadn’t taught him a thing.

  “Boy, that is a real ugly face, so stop lookin’ like a scorned child. Don’t you know that God can see you? You’d better wipe that look off yo face, ’cause I don’t want to be nowhere near you on Judgment Day. Today could very well be it, who knows?”

  Roc put one finger on his lips. “Be quiet. You talk too much. I do pray, but maybe not as much as I should. I’m frownin’ because I’m tired.”

  “Jesus was tired too, but he didn’t let that stop him from saving you. Put on yo happy face right now. Let Him see how thankful you are for your blessings.”

  My eyes dropped to Roc’s goods. There was no doubt that he had a lot to be thankful for. I cleared my dirty mind, and as he kneeled next to me, Chase and Jaylin also kneeled next to their beds.

  “Are we doin’ this out loud or what?” Roc asked.

  “Silently,” Jaylin replied. I agreed.

  We all prayed silently for a few minutes. With my eyes closed, I prayed for my family and friends, for people around the world who I didn’t know and for everyone in this house. I also prayed for me to win this challenge, and I asked for God to give me strength to cut back on the fatty foods I’d been eating. I seriously needed to lose weight, and the last thing I needed was for my health to become an issue. I felt Roc move, and when I opened one eye, I saw him get in th
e bed. I finished with an “Amen” and followed suit.

  Jaylin was still on his knees, but shortly after me, he returned to his bed. Chase, however, remained on her knees.

  I whispered to Roc, “I told you she needed all the prayer she could get. That girl needs some work. Big ups for her.”

  Roc looked at me with a smirk on his face. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. Less than two minutes later, I could hear light snores. I looked at Chase who was still on her knees.

  “Psst, Jaylin,” I whispered. “Shake her shoulder and see if she done fell asleep. She must be sleep, because it don’t take that doggone long to pray.”

  Right then, Chase lifted her middle finger, but kept her eyes closed.

  “Ooo, you gon’ get it. Who gestures something like that when they’re in the middle of prayin’? You need some serious help. I’mma get back on my knees to pray for you again.”

  “Shut up. Please,” Chase shouted, then opened her eyes. “I can’t even pray in peace.”

  “It shouldn’t take that long for you to pray for sex with men out of wedlock. No matter how long you stay on yo knees, God ain’t goin’ for that mess. I doubt that yo prayers will be answered, so you just wasted a whole lot time. Now, goodnight, people. See you all in the a.m.”

  I punched my pillow and got comfy in my own bed. I looked over at Roc resting peacefully and was sure to keep my distance. When he had to answer for his sins, I didn’t want to be nowhere near him. No siree.

  Last night was fun. I was glad that we were able to put our differences aside from earlier. I slept in the bed with Jaylin, and as he held me in his strong arms, I sure did feel safe, sexy, and secure. But now wasn’t the time for any attachments. Time wasn’t on my side and the moment had come for me to make a move.

  Jeff had become a true pain in the ass. He was starting to bug me about seeing him again. While in the bathroom, I whipped out the cell phone, whispering through it.