Money-Makin' Mamas 2

by Silk Smooth

  “Who was that?” Chyna asked.

  “Honey. I called him to see if he knew where Karrine was, and he said that she was in good hands.”

  Chyna shrugged her shoulders. “Aw, okay. I finally talked to her earlier, and she said she was in a hotel room, chillin’. There’s been a lot goin’ on, and she mentioned somethin’ else very interestin’ to me. I made a promise to keep my mouth shut about it, though.”

  “Oooo, I want to know. Tell me what it is and I promise I won’t say nothin’.”

  Chyna was trying to keep what she had known a secret, but when I kept asking her over and over again, she finally broke the news to me about Karrine being pregnant.

  “What?” I shouted. “I’m so excited! Does Mama know?”

  Chyna nodded and placed her finger in front of her lips. “Shhh, no she doesn’t,” Chyna whispered. “I’m sure Honey will tell her, or if not, Karrine. It ain’t my place and it ain’t yours either.”

  I frowned and reneged on my thoughts about being happy. “Honey? She pregnant by Honey?”

  Chyna nodded and I couldn’t believe what she was saying. Now where in the fuck do they do that at? This was all messed up, and I was downright confused.

  “Yeah, they will have to be the ones to tell Mama about that, because I ain’t touchin’ it. I got enough on my plate already, and I’ve been trippin’ so much that my clientele is slippin’. Last night was not a good night for me. I just couldn’t get with it.”

  “It was a damn good night for me, only because I don’t let all of this stuff get to me. You have to remember that business is business, and it doesn’t need to be mixed with the personal shit you got goin’ on. All you got to do is just keep on smilin’ and pretendin’ that everything is all good. None of those niggas will ever know that it ain’t, and they don’t pay to see you down in the dumps. They pay for you to be able to lift their spirits, so remember that.”

  I nodded, knowing that what Chyna said made sense. But she just didn’t know what was going on with my stalker. Five minutes into our little chat, Mama came downstairs and interrupted us.

  “Honey is on his way over here to talk to me about something. I don’t want neither of y’all to say shit to him, and I’m not up for a bunch of arguing and carrying on today. I got a headache, and my goddamn blood pressure is up from y’all stressing me.”

  “No,” Chyna teased. “Your blood pressure is up because you’re not eatin’ right, Mother. You had Chinese food, pizza, and barbecue last week, didn’t you? And I’m not even goin’ to count the sodas, because you’ve been getting’ those in too.”

  Chyna and Mama kept going back and forth with each other, talking about high blood pressure and food. Since Honey was coming over, I suspected that he would tell Mama what was up with my stalker, so I had better open my mouth and say something before he did.

  “Mama,” I said, interrupting her conversation with Chyna. “I think I got a little problem that I need you to help me with.”

  She threw her hand back. “If it’s your problem then it doesn’t make it mine. Deal with it. I’m going to the casino after Honey leaves here, and I need to go upstairs to get dressed.”

  She turned and walked out of the kitchen. Well, at least she couldn’t be mad at me for not telling her when I’d tried to. Chyna was interested in what my problem was, but by the time I could tell her, Honey was already at the door. Our last encounter didn’t go over too well, so it wasn’t like I appreciated being in his presence. To know that him and Karrine had been fucking around had me tripping and I had so many questions for her, as well as him. But those questions wouldn’t get answered today because I was sure I’d have to deal with the backlash of keeping my stalker a secret.

  Mama opened the front door, and Honey walked inside tall, dark, and fine as fuck. I couldn’t blame Karrine for jumping on him, and if the motherfucker wasn’t my for-real brother, I probably would be trying to get some too. I still didn’t like his ass, and neither did Chyna. Mama did, though. She was all smiles when he came in. Her whole attitude had changed.

  “Come on in the living room and have a seat,” she said to Honey. “Do you want me to get you anything?”

  “Nah, I’m good.” He tossed his head back at me and Chyna. “What’s up?” he said. “And y’all need to come on in here so I can holla at y’all too.”

  My stomach started to tighten. I knew what this would be about. Chyna had not a clue, so she went into the living room and sat on the couch. From the way Honey was looking, maybe this was something about Karrine. Was she okay? Now, I was starting to feel nervous and this little family gathering made me sweat.

  I sat next to Chyna on the couch and Mama sat in a chair across from us. Honey leaned forward in the chair and rubbed his hands together.

  “Normally, I stay out of other people’s business,” he said. “But here’s the deal. A nigga named Blake has been stalking Simone, and he’s real serious about taking action. I’ve had one of my boys on him for a few days, and he said the nigga is acting real crazy. He knows that Blake has been casing the house several times during the day, and he’s been driving by at night, too. I refuse to call the police to handle this, and I don’t want to get nobody in this house in trouble either, because I’m sure this would be the first place the police come if we go to that nigga’s crib and start tripping. Apparently he has plenty of photos of Simone, and a bunch of other shit too. So we need to get at him on our turf. Kind of catch him in the action then move like we do. After that, I suggest y’all shut that video porn shit down for a while and chill.”

  I looked at Mama and Chyna. They appeared shocked by what Honey had said. When Mama turned to me, I played clueless. “Two questions,” she said. “Why is this muthafucka after you, and did you have any idea this shit was going on?”

  I scratched my head and fidgeted. “I . . . uh, I was goin’ to tell you earlier, but you said that my problems were mine and they weren’t yours. And I don’t know why he’s after me. He just started sending me messages, buggin’ me.”

  Honey quickly spoke up. “He’s after Simone because she did the same shit they did to me, to him. She stole his money, racked up on his credit card bills then threatened him not to go to the police.”

  I looked at Honey and rolled my eyes. “Why you gotta be such a muthafuckin’ hater and snitch? Damn, nigga, don’t you know when to keep yo’ mouth shut?”

  Honey kept at it. “She’s known about her stalker for a while now, and she has also known that he knows all of us by first and last names.”

  I could feel all hell about to break loose. When Mama rushed out of the chair and charged at me, all I could do was crouch down and cover my face.

  “You! Stupid! Fucking! Bitch!” she said, pounding the back of my head with her tightened fists. “Why in the fuck didn’t you say nothing? Why, Simone? You could have gotten all of us killed!”

  Her fists were now pounding into my back. I had kneeled on the floor just so I wouldn’t eventually land there.

  “Get yo’ ass up!” Mama yelled. I surely didn’t want to, but I feared that she would start kicking the shit out of me. I slowly stood up, seeing that Honey and Chyna had moved out of the way. Mama’s chest was heaving in and out and she could barely catch her breath. She pointed her finger in my face and dotted my face with spit sprinkles as she shouted at me.

  “I can’t believe that all this time, you allowed me, Chyna, and Karrine to walk out of this house, knowing that a crazy son of a bitch could have been waiting out there to kill us! No wonder yo’ ass ain’t been nowhere, you scary bitch! Spare your fucking life, but to hell with us!”

  I kept blinking as her hands were waving in my face. When she paused from talking, she slapped the shit out of me and grabbed the back of my hair, yanking the shit out of my head. I tried to hold back my tears, but when several of them fell down my face, I hurried to smack them away with my hand.

  “I was scared, Mama,” I yelled. “That’s why I didn’t say nothin’! His mess
ages made me scared and I didn’t know what to do!”

  Mama pulled my head back like she was a pitcher in the major baseball league getting ready to throw a ball. With all of her power, she flung my head forward and let go. I staggered and crashed to the floor, almost banging my head on the edge of the glass table. Like a madwoman, Mama stood over me and spoke through gritted teeth.

  “I tell you what yo’ ass gon’ do. You gon’ stand yo’ ass outside until that nigga shows up again. If he fires some bullets into yo’ ass, so damn what! That’s what you get for fucking with him. Face your fears and confront a nigga when you done fucked him over. You had no business doin’ what you did, and I should beat yo’ trifling ass for bringing this shit to my doorstep!”

  I was shaking all over. When I looked up and saw the smirk on Honey’s face, that shit pissed me off. An angry look washed over Chyna’s face, but I don’t know who she was mad at—me or Mama.

  I couldn’t express my anger to Mama because I knew I’d get fucked up. What I did, though, was turn this shit back on Honey. He had fucked himself by coming here and snitching on me. And I was going to make him wish that he hadn’t done that.

  As Mama continued to rant, I stared at Honey with fire in my eyes. “You bastard,” I hissed. “I hate yo’ fuckin’ guts!”

  Mama would surely take up for him, and that was what she had done. “You leave him out of this, bitch, and watch yo’ damn mouth. He the only half decent child I got, and you hoes be straight-up trippin’!”

  “Decent?” I fired back at Mama. “How you gon’ consider an asshole who fucked yo’ damn daughter and got her pregnant decent? Ain’t he like her damn brother? I don’t give a shit if he step or not, you still both of they Mamas!”

  Now the nigga jumped bad and decided to speak up. “Shut the fuck up, Simone. You wasn’t saying all that shit when you was riding my dick in that hotel room. Don’t be trying to switch the subject around here. After all, this is really about you, not about me and Karrine.”

  Chyna wasn’t saying nothing. Like me, she knew the shit was gone hit the fan, especially when Mama’s eyes had focus on Honey with daggers in them.

  “What is she talking about, Honey? Is there something else that I need to know?”

  He hesitated to speak then released one word. “No.”

  Mama’s face twisted and her forehead was stacked with thick, sweaty wrinkles. “No what, nigga? Is Karrine pregnant?”

  I got my ass off the floor so I could see this shit go down. And when Honey didn’t answer, I answered for him. “Yes, she is pregnant. Tell her, Honey. Go ahead and tell her the truth!”

  Mama caught me tripping when she swung her hand around and slapped the fuck out of me again. I’d just about had it with this shit and I tightened my fists. I took a few steps forward and was ready to fuck Mama up.

  “Come on, bitch,” Mama said with tightened fists, too. “I dare you, just so I can have a reason to knock yo’ ass out cold!”

  This time, Chyna ran over and stood between us. “Stop this, please!” she yelled. “Why are y’all doin’ this? Damn!”

  “Chyna, move yo’ ass out of the way.”

  Mama shoved Chyna to the side and she crashed into the wall. She also looked like she wanted some action.

  Honey got Mama’s attention when he opened his mouth. “Yes, she is pregnant,” he said. “But we’re not sure if we gon’ keep the baby.”

  Mama stared at him without a single blink. “Did you not listen to what I told you, Honey? I told you that Karrine was off limits, didn’t I?”

  “Of course you did, but I’m a grown man, she’s a grown woman, and we make our own decisions.”

  That was not the correct thing to say to Mama, and that grown shit didn’t fly. “Grown,” she laughed. “Nigga, I’ma show you grown. Stay right there and I’ma go get it for you.”

  Honey was ready to make a move, and so were me and Chyna. We knew that Mama had run off to get her gun, but I heard her in my bedroom, slamming things around. It sounded as if she had crashed my computer, and through her ranting words, I knew that was what she had done.

  “Tell her to holla at me when she calms down,” Honey said, looking at Chyna. He got the fuck out of there, and by the time Mama had rushed down the stairs, Honey was already in his truck, getting ready to back out of the driveway. He hurried to start his truck, but Mama fired several shots from her Glock that blew bullets into the side of his truck.

  The pinging sound of the bullets hitting his truck was sounding off like firecrackers. His tires screeched, causing smoke to arise as he burned rubber. I couldn’t believe that Mama kept on firing, and we kept screaming her name, but she wouldn’t listen.

  Then, all of a sudden, something strange happened. A car traveling extremely fast started coming down the street. We all paused to look at the speeding car, but none of us had seen it before. Mama lowered her gun, but seconds later, several bullets sprayed from the car, causing every last one of us to run for cover. All I could hear were the echoes of what sounded like a machine gun, spraying the front of our house with bullets. For what seemed like five long minutes, but was only several seconds, everything went blank. The car quickly sped away, but Chyna and me stood in shock as we looked at Mama on the ground with bullet holes in her chest. She squirmed around on the ground with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

  “Maaaaama!” Chyna yelled, then ran up to her.

  Honey rushed back and got out of his truck too, but he was limping as he came to her aid.

  I just stood there in shock with tears streaming down my face. My whole body was shaking as if it were zero degrees outside. This couldn’t be happening right now. It had to be a dream. Mama wasn’t going to die because of me, was she? I knew the man in the car was Blake because I had seen his face. I wanted to kill him, and doing so would bring me much pleasure.

  “Move back,” Honey yelled, trying to pull Chyna away from Mama.

  She, however, rocked Mama in her arms and pressed on the bullet wounds, trying to stop the rushing blood. “No, Mama, please don’t die!” she cried out. “We need you, please!”

  Honey had to drag Chyna away from Mama, just so he could pick up her limp body. “Stay the fuck out of the way!” he shouted. “I need to get her to the hospital!”

  He glared at me as he carried Mama in his arms and put her into his truck. Chyna kept rushing up to him, pounding on him and telling him to put Mama down.

  “Where are you goin’ with her? Leave her the fuck alone! Let her go!”

  Honey pushed Chyna back with much force. She fell to the ground, and that was when he jumped in the truck and sped off. Chyna turned to me and yelled for me to go get the keys to my car. My body was still trembling all over, but I rushed inside to find my keys. When I got to my room, it was a mess. Mama had definitely crashed my computer, and my whole desk had been tilted over. I searched for my keys, but couldn’t find them. Five minutes later, Chyna ran into the house, yelling at me.

  “What in the fuck is takin’ you so long? Damn! We need to get to the hospital!”

  “I can’t find my keys in all of this mess! Go get your keys so we can go!”

  Chyna got her keys and we rushed out of the house together, closing the door but not locking it. Both of us were sobbing in the car, and I looked over at Chyna who, before, I had rarely seen shed one tear.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I know this is all my fault, but I had no idea nothin’ like this would happen.”

  Chyna said not one word on the way to the hospital. All she did was gaze straight ahead. I kept my mouth shut too, but when we arrived at the hospital, there was no sign of Honey’s truck. Still, we got out of the car and ran through the emergency room entrance. With bloodstains covering her clothes, Chyna rushed up and down the hallway, asking the check-in nurses at the desk if Mama had been recently brought in.

  “No,” the nurse behind the desk said. “But calm down. Let me see if I can help you ladies.”

  We stood in a
panic as the nurse made several calls, but she didn’t have any luck.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “We haven’t had anyone check in by that name.”

  “Then where in the fuck are they?” Chyna yelled.

  She reached in her pocket to get her cell phone. She punched in Honey’s number, but the call went straight to voice mail.

  “See, this nigga playin’ with me,” she said, rushing out of the hospital.

  We both looked around, but no Mama. No Honey. Chyna started to cry harder. She fell to her knees and pounded on the ground.

  “Where are they?” she cried out. “I knew I shouldn’t have let that muthafucka take her! I knew it!”

  I was so speechless. If there was ever a time in my life that I had wanted to kill myself, this was surely it.

  “Let’s go to his house,” I said. “I know where he lives, don’t you? If not, Karrine does. We can call her and maybe she knows where he is.”

  Chyna slowly got off the ground and all I wanted to do was hug her, but I couldn’t. I knew she had to be mad at me, and this wasn’t a good feeling.

  We got into the car, and when we drove to Honey’s house the inside was pitch black. We still knocked on the door, but got no answer. Called his phone again . . . no answer. Not having any luck, Chyna drove to a hotel. She said that Karrine had been living there, so we both went inside and Chyna went straight to her room.

  A few minutes later, Karrine opened the door and stared at both of us with devastating looks on our faces. Her eyes widened as she looked at the blood on Chyna’s clothes and at the tears that just kept on flowing. Without even knowing what was up, tears rushed to the rim of Karrine’s eyes.

  “Wha . . . what’s going on? Ple . . . please don’t tell me somethin’ bad has happened.”

  We said nothing, until Karrine widened the door and we walked in. Chyna reached out to grab Karrine around the neck and held her tight with staggering breaths.

  “Mama was shot. We . . . we don’t know if she’s dead or alive because Honey took her.”

  Karrine backed away from Chyna and her face turned as white as snow. She shook her head from side to side and scratched at her chest. “Is . . . is she dead?” Karrine questioned.