Henny, halfway insulted, put his hands down.
“You can’t handle me, that’s all!”
“You need to lay off that junk food. You got too much sugar in your diet. What’s up, Priest?”
Priest was sitting in front of the television. He was writing down scores and circling the sports-page, watching Espn-News. He signaled OK, over his shoulder.
I went to the fridge, grabbed a brew, sat on the loveseat and waited for a commercial.
“So what’s happening?” Priest said, reaching to give me some grip.
“Ain’t nothing. What’s up with you? How are the odds of treating you?”
Priest smiled.
“Better than the women.
I caught up with about half the people I'm supposed to. Did you hear what happened at the bar?”
“Yeah, I was just over there. How did you find out?”
Priest looked surprised.
“Man, I live on the grapevine. This blocks got more reporters than
CNN”
Priest reached in the ashtray lit a joint that glued to his mouth as he spoke.
“It tickled me to death to hear how Walt cracked Steele in the dome.”
I put my beer down in mid-sip. “That was Steele?”
Priest was smiling nodding, not wanting to let go of any of the smoke he inhaled.
“That’s right,” Priest said, coughing.” When I heard that I put his ass back on my Christmas list.”
We shouldn’t have expected any less from Walt. When we were small Bird and Slim would tell us tales about Walt that could qualify for scary campfire stories, but to us, he was just the beer-bellied old dude who would let us punch him in the stomach as hard as we could.
I found Priest’s grapevine comment to be a good segue to what I had to say.
“So I’m sure you heard about the retirement party.”
“Yeah I heard about that shit,” Priest said with disdain.
“So are you coming?” I asked like I expected a yes.
“Hell no, I ain’t going,”
“It’s going to be a lot of people there that we haven’t seen in a long
time.”
Priest gave a silly look.
“And what’s that supposed to mean to me?”
His question had me stuck for a minute, and then I found an angle.
“It means there’s going to be a lot of people there who came up with Uncle Bird, people he did big favors for that you’ve benefited from, and you know for a fact that Uncle Bird would be pissed if you didn’t go show your respect.”
Priest was now perplexed, trying not to let his pride eclipse his professionalism. He paused and leaned back against the sofa and stared at me for a second.
“What time does it start?”
I fought off a victory smile. “Ten o’clock at Slim’s crib.” Priest was expressionless.
“At least it’s not at the bar. I’m leaving at ten-thirty you riding with me?”
“You know it.”
All of sudden Henny pops into the room.
“I told you, we need to go to that party, but no you didn’t listen to
me.”
With that said, Henny slapped Priest in the back of the neck, which sent Priest lunging over the sofa chasing Henny to the back room. I got Melody back to school, and I got Priest to commit to the party, which should get Slim back to normal. Being there for people wasn’t as hard as I thought.
I got to my apartment, which still felt like just a place to sleep. I stripped down to my boxers and was comforted by the thought that tomorrow was Saturday. Besides the Party, I had nothing to do except sleep. I dove onto the bed putting my head on the pillow and holding the other like it was Halle Berry. The Sandman had hypnotized me to deep sleep when I heard my door buzzer go off.
I ignored it optimistically thinking someone rang the wrong bell; it rang again, someone was holding the button down. I rushed over to the intercom trying to fix the words in my head. I pressed the button; all I could manage to say was “What?”
“Moses it’s me, Melody. Let me up.”
For an instant, I thought about not doing it but quickly gave in.
While waiting for her to come up, I wondered what she wanted. I even tried to figure out what I might’ve borrowed so I could have it at the door. I opened up to see Melody standing there with two carry-on bags the size of baby elephants.
“What do you want?”
Her bags were big she couldn’t get them through the door. “Here,” Melody desperately shouted, holding out a bag she wanted me to take.
I hesitated, realizing the implications. It was like saying, “hey, stay a while.”
I took the bag. She didn’t even give me a chance to ask her what was going on.
“You know what? William is an asshole! I’ve done everything I could to make him happy, sacrifice after sacrifice, and when I need a little help and understanding does he give a damn? No! Well, fuck him! I don’t have to put up with this shit.”
The more she complained, the bigger the bags seemed to be getting.
“What made you leave?” I asked, looking for a loophole that could deport her back home.
“Do you know what this fool had the nerve to tell me?”
I didn’t answer; I knew she’d tell me.
“This muthafucka says to me as long as I’m under his roof, I should agree to his terms. Do you believe that shit? As soon as he said that, I started packing, who the fuck does he think he is? I told him my daddy’s dead, and if he weren’t he’d kick your ass!”
Melody’s rhetoric was putting the situation way beyond reconciliation, at least for tonight. But Melody wouldn’t stop talking.
“Just because I want to do something to better my life, I’m wrong?
Damn that! He can keep his punk ass house; I don’t need him!” Melody walked into the kitchen and started moving things around.
“You don’t have any tea in here?” she shouted.
“No,” I was hoping that would prompt her to take her ass to bed.
“Look in the big bag; there should be some in there,” Melody said.
The big bag, who was she fooling’? Both bags were about to burst at the seams. I didn’t even open them.
“Ain’t nothing in here. You must’ve forgotten about it.” I thought that might dissuade her. Melody marched in from the kitchen.
“You don’t know how to look for nothing,” she went straight to the bag and pulled out a box of tea.
I went and pulled out the sofa bed, hinting against an all-night affair, the boiling water came to a whistle; soon after, Melody was coming out with two cups of tea.
“Melody, you can sleep in the bedroom. I’ll sleep out here.”
“Oh no, I’ll sleep out here. Lord knows the last time you changed those sheets.”
I listened to Melody lament over two cups of tea before I convinced her to sleep on her problems.
August 17, 1996
The morning came quickly. Instead of waking up to a shining sun and singing pigeons, I woke up to Melody voice going a mile a minute on the phone.
“You always knew I planned to go back to school, William. No, don’t give me that shit you knew. I’ll curse at anybody I fucking feel like, I’m not your child, boy. Hello! Hello! You better not hang up on me. Don’t worry about where I am! I’m not under your roof!”
I just laid there with my eyes stuck to the ceiling. There’s got to be a better way to start a day. Melody sounded like she almost broke the phone the way she slammed it on the hook. I got a few more moments of silence before Mt. Melody erupted again.
“Moses, Moses, you don’t have any food in here! What are we suppose to eat?”
My eyes shot back open, and I sat on the edge of the bed trying my best to ignore Melody when she ran into the bedroom.
“It’s eleven o’clock Moses. Why aren’t you up? Is this how you spend your time, sleeping all day? Don’t be trifling.”
I was speechless. I h
ad forgotten how annoying it could be to live with Melody.
“Moses, do you realize that you have no food in there? The stove and the refrigerator, they’re not furniture, they’re called appliances, they’re not there for decoration.”
“Stop complaining.” Melody rolled her eyes.
“Complaining? Boy Gandhi would be complaining about the lack of food in there.”
“Give me a minute; we’ll go down to the coffee shop. As soon as I get dressed.”
I put my hand over my face gathering myself while Melody just stood there staring at me.
“What!” I said. Melody rolled her eyes again.
“You’re not even moving Moses; I’m not trying to be a hungry waiting on you.”
I got up and got dressed, and we walked to the coffee shop.
When we entered the coffee shop, I could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
I saw my waitress, Sharice. She was holding a full tray but still managed to smile at me. By the time we took our seats; Sharice was coming over with menus.
“So where have you been, stranger?” Sharice said.
“Somewhere missing this place. Sharice this is my sister, Melody.
Melody, Sharice.”
“Hi, how you doing?” Sharice said.
“I’m fine. Nice to meet you.” Melody said smiling.
Sharice took our orders, and as soon as she walked away, Melody piped up.
“This is the same coffee shop where you met an ole girl!’ Melody said like she was letting me in on something.”
“I always imagined it a lot prettier,” Melody said.
“It’s a coffee shop, Melody.”
“I know, but you used to make it sound like it was a palace or something, they need to get a broom out around here.
“Are you going home today?”
Melody looked stunned.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I just thought you might’ve made up this morning.”
“Well, we haven’t!” Melody sounded spiteful.
“So tell me something, Moses,” Melody said like she was the one with something to tell.
“Do you sit here every morning waiting for Ole girl to walk through the door?”
“What are you talking about?”
Sharice brought over our orders and sat them on the table.
Melody picked up her fork and proceeded to punctuate every other word by pointing at me.
“You, met her here, right? You sit facing the door, right?”
I started eating while Melody continued.
“And the waitress knows you pretty well, so that tells me you probably come here every day, sitting in here waiting for Ole girl to walk back in your life.”
“You watch too much television, Melody.”
“Don’t get mad Moses; I think it’s romantic.”
“Melody, you just left your husband, you’re no authority on
romance.”
Melody picked up her fork again.
“I did not leave my husband!”
“I’ll tell you what. If you don’t take that fork out of my face, I’m going to show you where to put it.”
The family reunion was over.
“Oh, don’t get mad Moses cause I pulled your card. I don’t care if you sit here every day waiting for some girl, who ain’t even thinking about you.”
“I’m not waiting for anybody. You’re the one who wanted breakfast.”
Sharice walked by.
“Sharice, could we get the check?”
“We just got here,” Melody whined.
“Well, I got a lot of things to do today.”
“Like what, Moses?”
“It’s Slim’s retirement party tonight. I have to pick out a gift and something to wear.
Melody managed to look puzzled and appalled.
“You gotta pick up something to wear to go to an old man’s retirement party?”
I lightweight understood her bewilderment. She didn’t know Slim. This event was an old school player pride affair; birthdays, weddings, retirement even funerals; you have to come slick. It’s like you have to showcase to show respect. If I show up at Slim’s party in something expensive, it sends the sentiment that I spent big money on him. But I also knew better than trying to explain this to the pain in the ass across from me.
“Melody, mind your business.”
She ignored me.
“At least you’re going to the mall.”
I wasn’t looking for a sidekick.
I was just about to tell her she got kicked off the team when she started digging in her purse. Her hand emerged holding a Saks Fifth Avenue credit card like it was the key to the city.
“William got me this for my birthday. It’s on his account, and I’m about to charge this dry.”
I checked her eyes for sincerity then thought of Sak’s men’s department.
“Let’s go.”
When we arrived at the mall, it was jammed pack with people. I was hard-pressed to think of the right gift to get for Slim.
He doesn’t need a big screen TV or anything like that. Everybody else will probably get him jewelry and outfits or money, but I wanted something to thank him for parenting me when I was outside my mother’s grasp. Something that would say all that made the task of finding a gift impossible. Melody was whizzing around from store to store like the Tasmanian Devil when I decided I’d step into Saks and pick up some wears.
I browsed around for hours even Melody finished complaining about waiting for me.
I finally decided on a four-button vampire black Armani with a blood red tapered collar shirt, a pair of respectable black Bally’s.
Once I team that up with a shiny timepiece and couple karat, white gold ring Uncle Bird willed to me. I would at least be able to hold my head up amongst all the peacocks that would be at the party.
I finally kicked Melody off the team as soon as we drove by the nail shop.
“I wonder if watch-a name is in there today.” That’s when I drove her and her bags to her car.
I decided on Slim’s gift. I was running against the clock. I had to find an old photo of Slim and Bird then get it enlarged and get to the frame shop and have it done up.
I raced over to Priests. I knew he had all the old photo albums. As I pulled up, I saw Tasha’s pulling off, got me to thinking about Tyreek. I hadn’t seen him in a while. Maybe he finally accepted the fact that he couldn’t handle a woman like Tasha. I reminded myself to bump into him on purpose the first chance I got.
Henny buzzed me up, and when I got upstairs, I could hear a song by Bone Thugs and Tupac blaring out of the apartment. When I opened the door, the bud smoke was so thick I could barely see Henny.
“What’s up my dude?” Henny shouted over the music. “Ain’t nothing,” I yelled back. “Where’s Priest?” “Whatcha say?” Henny shouted back.
“Where’s Priest!” I yelled again.
“Hold on,” Henny shouted. “Let me turn the stereo down.”
“Where’s Priest? I asked for the third time.
“Oh,” Henny said sounding disappointed.
“He went to the car wash.”
“Do you know where he keeps the photo albums?”
“Yeah, there in the front cabinet.”
“Realizing everything I had to do, I rushed over to the albums and started zooming through them, while Henny pulled on his blunt and annoyed me.
“You think Tasha’s cute?” Henny said like he wasn’t sure.
“Yeah, but don’t mess with her, Priest will whup your ass.”
Henny smacked his teeth.
“Aw, he doesn’t care.”
He probably was right, but anything Henny did out of line around me I’d break out the old Priest-will whup-your-ass card.
I grabbed a couple of pictures and figured I’d pick one on the way.
Henny still kept on talking.
“Aw, my cat, you should see what I’m wearing tonight. All of tho
se old school cats going to be like, I know that’s Little Bird. I’m telling you
I’m going to fuck they head up. I’m telling you.”
He was still yapping when I was out the door and going down the stairs.
“Hey, pick me up some Black & Milds when you get back.”
I got to the print shop. Threw them one of the pictures and found a framer in the phone book to see if they could do it in time.
Twenty minutes later I left the print shop. I raced to the framer, waited an hour and got back to the crib with an hour and a half left to get dressed.
I got to my floor, opened the door I almost passed out when I saw
Melody in the kitchen frying fish.
“What the hell are you doing?” I shouted over the deafening the sound of popping grease.
“I’m cooking fish,” Melody said, hands hard on her hips.
My eyes got wide.
“Melody,” I said, “I have to go to a party tonight, and your cooking is gonna have me smelling like a goddamn pirate. Open some windows turn on the vent.
I hoped it wasn’t too late. But with that type of the thing, if you have to ask, it probably is.
I shaved, showered primped and posed in the mirror then fished out the timepiece and ring.
I adjusted my cuffs and collar, and I was out.
I pulled in front of Priest’s pad at about ten twenty-five. My mouth dropped when I saw how clean the Cadillac was. It looked showroom-new.
I carefully climbed the stairs, trying hard not to scuff up my shine. When I reached Priest’s floor, I could hear Curtis Mayfield’s “Hell
Below.”
I opened the door my nose noticed the bud aroma replaced with the fragrance of cologne. Henny was standing in the middle of the floor with his arms out and feet together like Christ on the cross. He was sporting perfectly creased wine-colored slacks, a soldier—cut silk short-sleeved shirt and matching wine colored alligator shoes.
“What did I tell you?” Henny shouted. “Am I fucking them up or what?”
Henny intoxicated with youthful bravado.
I envied his pure confidence and how unrealized dreams and adult responsibility had not yet tainted it.
Moses Scriptures Page 9
