by Bella Knight
Killas
Lily met Wraith at the bottom of the pebbled stairs at the Ghosties’ apartment house. “I hate these,” said Lily, gesturing toward the stairs. “Dangerous. One stumble, you hit stones with concrete. Break bones.”
Wraith smiled just a little. “These girls didn’t grow up covered with cotton batting.” She grimaced. “More like steel wool.” They made it up the stairs. Lily knocked.
Lily heard jumping. “It’s our white folks,” said Rudy. Lily and Wraith held back laughter. Rudy unlocked and opened the door. “Lily.” Lily bumped fists with the five-year-old with the huge smile. “Wraith!” He attacked her, all hands and fists.
Wraith blocked, and pressed him inside so she could shut the door. Lily stepped inside, and let her eyes adjust to the apartment’s florescent lights after the blinding light from outside. D’Shawn came running out, planted his feet, and launched a much more coordinated attack.
“They always do that?” asked the girl at a table. She had one of the learning tablet computers in her hand.
“Wraith’s a Valkyrie. To them, fighting is how they say hello.” Lily sat down at the clean table, pads for the boys and Rudy’s booster on the chair in front of his pad. Lily approved of the sealed cups of juice, the cut-up apples and bananas, and the napkins on the table. “I’m Lily,” Lily said, holding out her hand. “And you are?” She ignored the sounds of little bodies hitting the sofa and bouncing back up with little-boy roars.
“Tameka,” said the girl. “Henry’s got me doing accounting for addition and subtraction.” She grimaced. “I did my bus card as a starter, but I missed something somewhere.”
“Good move,” said Lily. “I’m actually an accountant, so I can help.”
Wraith finally wrestled the boys into submission as they laughed like loons. She had Rudy on her back and D’Shawn in a headlock. She dragged D’Shawn to the table, and got him into his chair. “Sit. Do your twenty-five like a man.”
“Yes’m,” said D’Shawn. He reset his timer, opened his online science book, and read a story about a skater and the laws of physics.
“You too, pumpkin-head,” said Wraith, reaching up to get Rudy down.
“Can I read from up here?” asked Rudy.
“Don’t see why not,” said Wraith. She handed Rudy’s pad up toward him. Rudy started playing a math game when he got it.
“I hate to be rude,” said Wraith. “But who the hell are you?”
Thorn came out of the bedroom, dressed in yoga pants and a top that left her flat belly open. She crossed to the kitchen, took out the filter pitcher of water, poured it into a plastic water bottle, put the pitcher back, closed the refrigerator door, and leaned against the counter.
“She be Thorn. She a sista. She be sleepin’ on da couch.”
“That’s not a good long-term solution,” said Lily, grabbing her phone. “Let’s see what I can do.”
Thorn looked scared. Wraith waved a hand. “She’s getting you off the couch is all,” said Wraith. “Probably ordering another pod.”
“Sweet,” said Thorn. “Where you gonna put it? Orange and I got one bedroom, an’ da boyz got da other one. We got more room wit da pods, but ya can’t swing a cat in dere wifout hitting one ‘a us.”
“Lily’ll fix it,” said Rudy, turning an evil number seven into a strong number ten by adding three. “She do that.”
Lily made a call, jumped up, and went out onto the tiny balcony, her hands waving. “What she doin’ now?” asked Tameka.
“Makin’ da world do what she want it to,” said Thorn. “That’s how I learned me that I kin do betta.” She grinned. “Passed dat remedial math course. Got me some algebra goin’ on.” Wraith held out her fist, and Thorn went over and bumped it.
“What da…” said Rudy. “Gotta kill me some more eights.”
Thorn grinned. “We get da math done in dis house.”
Lily came in. “Tito, can you get me a flat… yeah, one of those.” She looked up at Wraith. “We need Rota. Skuld’s teaching a… yes, thanks, Tito. No, we’ll go clean it first.” She rattled off the address. “Thanks. Bye!”
Thorn put down her water, opened up the cabinet under the sink, and took out a tray full of spray bottles and rags, then reached in next to the refrigerator and got out a sweeper and a wet mop.
“I see cleanin’ in our future.” Lily nodded. “What we cleanin’?”
“Your new apartment,” said Lily. “One part down, in the back.”
“Sweet!” said D’Shawn. He got up, ran around, and did a high-five with Rudy.
“I’ve got some signing things to do. The minute I’m done, you can move in,” said Lily. “Back in twenty.” She glared at the boys. “Finish your work. Then move. You hear?”
The boys nodded. Thorn said, “Got me some ‘a dose shoppin’ bags, big plastic ones, and da roller shoppin’ bag. Guess I gotta pack.”
“I’ll help,” said Tameka. “At least fill up what we can.”
“I’ll keep these monsters in line,” said Wraith. The boys laughed.
The flatbed trolley appeared. One of Tito’s strapping young men dropped it off. “That man be fine,” said Thorn.
“You keep ya pants on,” said Tameka. “Don’ need no more kids. Get ya brutha raised up first.”
“I’m on da shot,” said Thorn. “Can’t have no kids fa three months. Besides, I got eyes.” The young women laughed.
They used every box and bag in the house, and took the cleaning supplies and a small stick vacuum. Wraith went to her bike, and brought back her multitool. The boys were delighted to watch her disassemble their pods. Lily came back, and they locked up and pushed the laden cart to the back of the building, and the back stairs. Lily opened the door. There were three bedrooms, a bigger living room, and the kitchen had a breakfast bar. But, it hadn’t been cleaned well. There was no furniture. There was dust, scrapes on the wall, filmy white stuff in the bathroom. The bathroom sported a tub and two sinks.
Tameka sighed. “This take a while.”
“Not wif alla us cleaning,” said Thorn. “Boys, spray and wipe like I taught ya.” The blue gloves were child-sized. They put them on, took spray bottles, rags, and a blue sponge, and attacked the breakfast bar. “Tameka, ya got da kitchen. Wraith, sweep an’ mop floors. I gotta bathroom. Lily, ya got them big mirrored closet tings inna bedrooms.” She handed out the vacuum and supplies. “Ain’t got all day. Go!” They had the entire place done in an hour, with each woman helping the other. They unloaded the cart, and then went back for more.
Rota showed up. The boys attacked her, and she bounced them off the couch. “What do you need me to do?” she asked.
“Block and tackle,” said Lily. “Do you have your climbing equipment?”
“Always,” said Rota. “I see. The apartment house is divided; you only have access to two apartments. So, the pods and the couch…”
“Go over the balcony railing,” said Lily. “But, leave the couch. Boys’ pods only, unless you ladies like sleeping in them.”
Thorn shook her head. “A real bed would be good. We gettin’ new furniture, too?”
“And a new craft desk,” said Lily. “Even with you guys helping, Ghost can barely keep up with the orders for the miniature Harleys. Looks like Tameka’s got a job, too.”
“Woo hoo!” said Tameka. “Was gonna put me in some applications, but workin’ from home is good.”
Rota went out for her climbing gear in her Harley saddlebag, and Lily stood at the bottom and counted, “Three, two, one, ho!” They dropped the pod box half a meter. “Three, two, one, ho!” They dropped it another half a meter.
Soon, it was on the cart. They lowered down the other one, and then Lily walked the cart to the new apartment while the ladies lowered the stairs and dressers.
“Tameka, bring your pad. You’re on guard duty,” said Wraith as Rota picked up the lines. “We’ve got to pull what we led down back up again.”
“Reverse of what goes up, must come down,” sa
id Rota, stowing the lines over her shoulder. “Laws of physics.”
“What law?” asked Rudy.
Rota took a carabiner out of her pocket, and dropped it. It clattered on the floor. “Gravity,” she said, and reached down to retrieve it. She slipped the c-shaped clip back into her pocket. “Can’t drive eighty miles an hour into a light pole without smashing into little bits, either. That’s inertia. Once an object is in motion, it stays in motion, unless it hits something stationary.”
“Then squish,” said Rudy.
“Then squish,” agreed Rota.
“Enough with the physics lesson,” said Wraith. “Let’s finish this thing.”
Tameka followed them down, and guarded the stuff while the Valkyries did the heavy lifting. Tameka helped Lily fill the cart with the stairs and dressers, and push it around the corner. Lily showed Tameka how to tie on a line, clamp it, and step out of the way as the object was pulled up over the balcony railing.
Wraith leaned over the edge. “Tameka, want to learn how to put these things together?”
“Sure,” said Tameka, and she headed up the stairs.
Lily took the cart back, and they filled it up again. “Take only the boys’ food,” said Lily. “Or stuff only you like. We’ll fill up your pantry again, too.”
The boys, once again at their studies, bumped fists. Thorn stayed with the boys and hunted for anything else she wanted to take, and checked that they also had everything of Orange’s. She got everything to the front door, and was ready when Lily came back to fill up the cart one last time. Thorn ran back up, collected the boys, and locked up behind them. They all went to the new apartment.
“Boys, study your brains out. Rota or Wraith, you get to hang out here and watch the boys,” said Lily. They did rock-paper-scissors, and Rota did a happy dance, because she’d won time with the boys. Wraith, the loser, hung her head, making the boys laugh.
“Oh, shit,” said Thorn, on her way down the stairs. “Gotta leave a note for Orange. She be workin’ at da car wash today. Mini Stop tomorrow. She be thinkin’ people done stole her stuff.” She ran up and left the note, then joined Tameka, Wraith, and Lily at the parking lot. Lily took Tameka and Wraith took Thorn.
Thorn said to Tameka, “Lean with ‘em at da turns, and hold onna her waist. We ain’t be goin’ far.” Tameka nodded.
The consignment store had two barstools, a fat couch in black, two side tables, a longer black kitchen table with six padded black chairs, a tall brass lamp, a new long table in white for the crafts, two full-sized platform beds with nightstands, dressers, hidden storage under the mattress for bedding and the like, and reading lamps.
Lily got them to agree to a two-hour delivery, and then she took them shopping at the Wal-Mart for craft boxes for the miniature parts, a 3D printer for the miniature Harley parts, bedding, and food for the new place. They called an Uber, filled it up, and sent Tameka and Thorn home in style; Lily gave her a tip for helping unload at the other end. Lily and Wraith filled their saddlebags with Sonic, and brought home food for the Ghosties clan. They were just in time to see the furniture delivery people walk the last of the furniture under the stairs.
Orange followed the screeches of female laughter to the new apartment. “Ya done move my stuff witout me?” She stepped in, stared. Her jaw dropped. “Wow. Dis be nicer.”
Thorn got up, hugged her, and dragged her down the hall. “Dis be your room.”
Orange saw her bed, with its new sheets and pillows, all in a golden orange, and screamed as if she’d won the lottery. She jumped up and down, and Thorn, Rudy, and D’Shawn all jumped up and down with her in a happy circle. Tameka got up, and hugged them.
Lily stopped in the middle of eating a fry, tears in her eyes. “I love it when a plan comes together,” she said.
“Word,” said Rota. She raised her soda cup, and Rota, Wraith, and Lily toasted.
Little Bit came home from her job at the Mini Mart, and they fed her. “Ya kin move in wif Tameka,” said Orange.
“Good. Be crowded wif China,” said Little Bit. “She drivin’ me cray-cray. Not wanna do no work, not workin’ on da miniatures, or helpin’ Thorn wif da findin’ da Harleys. Was gon’ kick her out, but she gotta job doin’ dose phone sex lines. Tired ‘a hearin’ her groanin’ and screamin’ all damn night. Blue works da night shift atta liquor store, an’ she do da mini-Harley and huntin’ Harley work wif us. She don’ care, jus’ put in her headphones. Not me, dat stuff makin’ me wanna put a sock in her mouf.”
“Is Blue up?” asked Rota.
“I call her. She got da jiggle-phone, so she know when I call.” She called, and told her about the new apartment.
Blue came over, all bright eyes and newly-styled hair, braided on the sides. “I be gettin’ a manager job at da convenience store, stop workin’ at da the liquor store,” said Blue. “Be puttin’ in good hours, I not be tryin’ ta leave early, not causin’ no problems. Two shifts ‘a each now, both graves.” She grinned. “I like stayin’ up all night. Kin study when no one inna da store. Got me two classes done already.” Rota and Wraith both gave her a fist bump. She got serious. “Tameka, what ya brudda done, he won’t be doin’ it again.”
She checked, but the boys were on the couch, doing a sudden-death science game on the new furniture, earphones in their ears.
“He turn his own sista out. We got him in big trouble wif Little Mike. He not be showin’ his face fa a long time. Ya gotta stay away from da old ‘hood. Got da story out, ya got taken away by Social Services.”
“Gotta get Vonda and Queenie out, too,” said Tameka. All eyes went to Wraith and Rota.
“Who are they?” asked Wraith.
“My sistas,” said Tameka. “Six an’ nine. Bone gonna be turnin’ dem out too.”
“And your mother? Grandmother?” asked Rota.
“Gran done died. Leave Bone in charge. Mama come back sometimes, sometimes not. She gone in da head when she there.”
Wraith grabbed her phone and sent a text. “We have Gregory.”
“Skuld’s off in five,” said Rota, sending her own text.
“Where?” asked Wraith.
“Alphabet streets,” said Thorn. “I be takin’ ya, tell da girls youse Social Services, takin’ dem ta live wif dey sista.”
They all looked at Lily. She sighed. “I need a clipboard,” she said, sighing.
Gregory met them with the company car much farther north on Martin Luther King Boulevard. “I have the paperwork.” He handed a clipboard to Lily. “Bone is the legal guardian? How old is he?”
“Jus’ turned eighteen,” said Thorn.
“That can’t be legal,” said Lily.
“It isn’t,” said Gregory, grimly. “We got enough beds for them?”
“I texted Callie,” said Wraith. “She’s keeping them in her garage now.
Henry drove them over, and Callie and Tameka are gonna put them together. Blue’s moving in to help with them, says sharing a bedroom with Tameka is better than listening to China talk sex on the phone.” Gregory looked over the seat at her.
Wraith held up her hands. “Girl’s paying the bills without turning tricks,” said Wraith. “Be a while till we got her sharp edges filed off.”
Gregory sighed. “The mom?”
“Apparently crack, and from what Tameka told me, she may also have AIDS,” said Lily. “Very sad. She’s apparently not home when she is home, singing and talking to no one.”
“Damn shame,” said Wraith. “Are we getting the kids from this child molester or not?”
“Technically, he had someone else do the molesting, but he’s an accessory,” said Gregory. “May I remove his face?”
Thorn grinned. “He gonna die anyway. We spread some rumors, left some e-vee-dence dat he steal from Little Mike. Leticia gonna off him.”
Leticia used to do the drugs on Vegas’ west side with her brother, Little Mike, but had started expanding into the alphabet streets in the northern segment of Vegas. Leticia was her broth
er’s enforcer. She had the empathy of a shark.
Wraith handed Thorn a leather jacket. “Put this on, zip it up.” She did.
“Why I be wearin’ dis?” she asked. “It fly, but…”
“Bulletproof,” said Rota, zipping up her own jacket. “Let’s do this.”
Thorn took them up stairs smelling of urine. Babies cried. People shouted. Thorn got them to the right apartment, and Gregory went in, gun drawn. Leticia was there, one hand of her meaty fist clutching the back of Bone’s blue shirt, his scuffed trainers, once blue, now gray and dusty, just off the floor. She had her other fist cocked to deliver another punch. Her bitch, Rona, drew on Gregory.
“I’m with Ace,” said Gregory. “Just removing the… uh, witnesses.”
“Rona,” said Leticia. “Dem girls be goin’ wif dese people.”
Rona lowered her weapon; she was a tiny female wearing brand-new basketball clothes, expensive gel shoes, and a half-smile. Rona had absolutely nothing in her eyes.
Leticia nodded at Thorn. “Thorn,” she said. “It true he be stealin’ stuff?”
“What I heard,” said Thorn. “I ain’t there.”
Wraith, Rota, and Lily ignored the byplay. They walked across the grimy floor to the tiny hallway. In the back, two girls were cowering in the back bedroom that had only a single bed and a worn dresser. There were rat droppings on the floor, and holes in the wall. Wraith pulled a bag out from under her jacket. Rota pulled out one as well.
“Pack fast,” said Wraith. “Tameka sent us.”
Thorn stuck her head in the room. “You cray-cray, Vonda, Queenie? Move!” Queenie got up, dragged her sister out from behind the bed, and dragged her to a drawer. Wraith just emptied everything in the drawers into a bag.
Two glassine baggies fell out. Thorn’s eyes glinted. “I knew it.” She scooped them up, and hissed “Faster!” to the girls, as the sound of Leticia hitting Bone echoed through the apartment.
