by Deja King
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like. It may not be some expensive loft, but it will always be your home."
Tierra stood in the hallway holding her bag as she watched her mother disappear into the kitchen. She didn't know whether to be thankful by her mother's words, or scream out that this isn't the home or the life she envisioned for herself. And she never understood why her mother settled for this life either.
Growing up, Tierra always thought her mother was the embodiment of beauty. She had inherited her rich chocolate skin and the curves of a stallion. Tierra remembered men constantly coming at her mother hard, promising her everything, from fur coats to diamond rings, but she turned her nose on every last one of them. Her heart belonged to one man, and always would until the day she died.
Tierra never forgot the knock at the door that changed her life and that of her mothers' forever:
"Tierra, what dress do you think mommy should wear tonight? This silver one or this red one?" she asked, holding them both up for her daughter to see.
"Ummm, I think you should wear the red one. Daddy loves you in red."
"And how you know that?"
"Because I was with him when he picked out this dress for you. The only reason he bought you the silver one too was because he knows it's your favorite color, but he told me he hoped you would wear the red one, because that color made your pretty black skin shine even more."
"That's what your Daddy told you?" Tierra's mother smiled, thinking how lucky she was to have such a wonderful man in her life.
"Yes he did. He told me not to say nothing, but since you asked me, I had to tell you the truth," Tierra shrugged.
"That's right, and I'm glad you did. It's been decided. I'll be wearing this red number tonight. Your Daddy ain't gonna be able to keep his hands off of me. Maybe we'll make you a little brother or sister tonight."
"Yeah, I want a little sister, so I can boss her around and tell her what to do."
"I bet you do, with your grown self."
"I can't believe today is you and Daddy's one year anniversary."
"Neither can I. It seems like yesterday you were born, and now you're nine years old, we live in this beautiful new house, and I'm married to the man I've been in love with since I was in high school. Life is good, baby!"
"It sure is, Mommy," Tierra grinned, wrapping her arms around her mother's slender waist. "Mommy, was that the doorbell?" Tierra asked, as "The One I Gave My Heart" by Aaliyah dispensed from the radio.
"I don't know," she answered, turning the music down. Then she too her the doorbell ring. "Come on, let's go see who it is," she said, looking down at the watch her husband had given her as an early anniversary present. He told her it was only the first of many.
"You think Daddy forgot his key?"
"No. When he called a little while ago, he said he had one more stop to make, and he wouldn't be here for another hour." But I wonder)Ao it is, she thought as she looked out the peephole. "Oh, it's Calvin."
"Uncle Calvin, what are you doing here? Did you bring me a present?" Tierra cheesed up, giving her father's best friend a hug.
"How is the prettiest little girl in all of New York? I don't have a present, but I did bring you something," he said, pulling out a hundred dollar bill and placing it in the palm of Tierra's hand. To Tierra, this was normal. All she knew was the good life.
"Calvin, I'm sorry, but Terrance isn't here. He should be home in about an hour. But then, we're heading out. Since you were his best man, you know it's our anniversary. He has some over-the-top night planned for us, as only Terrance can pull off. But you're welcome to come inside and wait for him."
Calvin stepped inside the spacious house and looked around. Every piece of furniture, wall decor to a simple light fixture, had Terrance's flamboyant touch to it. There was nothing simple about the man. He hustled hard in the streets, and lived life and spent money as if tomorrow wasn't promised, because he knew it wasn't, being in the drug profession.
"Calvin, sit down and relax. Tierra will entertain you while I get dressed. You know Terrance can't stand waiting. He's always late, but heaven forbid if somebody else is late."
"Nicole, can you come sit down with me?"
"I can't, I have to get ready for my husband," she blushed, loving to call her man that.
"Yeah, Uncle Calvin, my Mommy is putting on this red dress that Daddy bought her. She has to go get ready, because they gonna make me a little sister tonight."
"Tierra, hush your mouth! Calvin, I don't know what we're going to do with her. She is too grown."
"No I'm not. Daddy says I'm just smart."
"You are smart... so smart that I want you to do me a favor."
"What's that?"
"This guy who owed me some money handed me this envelope, but I was in such a rush I didn't have time to count it."
"No problem, Uncle Calvin, I'll count it for you."
"Do that, and make sure you write down the exact amount."
"I will," Tierra said, with excitement in her voice as she grabbed the envelope and hurried upstairs to her bedroom.
"Calvin, what's going on?" Nicole asked, feeling uneasy.
"Come sit down."
"I don't want to sit down. I want to know what is going on." Calvin sat there, stoic. "Hold up! I know you ain't over here about to tell me some ole' soap opera bullshit, like my husband ain't coming home because he's leaving me for some other heffa," Nicole popped, with crossed arms.
"Never that. You know you were the love of his life."
'Were?" Nicole murmured, holding her hand against her chest while the other one gripped her waist as his words sank in. She then started shaking her head from side to side as tears filled her eyes. "Not today! Not this! Not Terrance! Not my husband! Oh God, no!" Nicole's voice was so low, but anguish and grief screamed loudly from her face.
"Nicole, I'm sorry."
"How... what happened?"
"He was leaving the jewelry store, picking up a necklace he had specially made for you. He planned on giving it to you tonight. But some punk ass, low level dealer who knew Terrance was making paper, tried to rob him. Of course, Terrance wasn't gonna let that shit happen. He pulled out his gun and shot the nigga. But the nigga's partner, who had been waiting in the car, ran up on Terrance and blasted him. I still can't believe he's gone." Calvin put his head down in astonishment.
"What happened to the son of a bitches responsible for this?"
"The one Terrance shot died at the scene, and the other one was caught when he was trying to drive off. Luckily, somebody in the jewelry store saw what was going on and had called the police."
"Why did Terrance have to be so damn stupid? He should'a just given the man the necklace! This shit don't mean nothing! It's only material bullshit!" Nicole exploded, ripping off the platinum and diamond watch she was wearing. Then picking up anything she could get her hands on, from a vase to a lamp to the crystal plates on the dining room table, she began throwing them across the room.
Calvin wanted to stop her, but Nicole was storming through each room like a category 5 hurricane. All he could do was take cover until her rampage came to a halt.
"Mommy, what are you doing? What's going on? You're destroying the house!" Tierra yelled, as she ran down the stairs.
But her mother ignored her. She was so caught up in her own rage that it was as if Tierra was invisible and inaudible.
"Tierra, your mother is upset right now. Go back upstairs until she calms down."
"Uncle Calvin, I don't want to go upstairs! What's wrong with my Mommy? Why is she acting like this?"
Calvin held Tierra tightly, but her willpower was too strong as she broke free from his clutches and ran towards her mother.
Nicole had just picked up a beautifully detailed crystal and 24k gold frame, with a picture of her and Terrance holding Tierra at her Christening. Right when she was about to smash it against the wall like so many other objects she got a hold of, Tierra ran up to her with fear and
anger in her eyes.
"What's wrong with you!" Tierra screeched so loudly that it could've cracked every mirror in the house.
It was at that moment that reality kicked in for Nicole. She realized that even though the love of her life was now dead, they shared a daughter who would now need her more than ever.
"Baby, I'm so sorry," Nicole finally said, as she stared at the picture she was about to destroy. The memory of how happy she and Terrance were that day brought a moment of calmness to her heart that she desperately needed.
"Mommy, what happened to Daddy? Only he can make you this upset." A single tear rolled down Tierra's cheek, and Calvin turned his head, not wanting to succumb to his own need to break down and cry.
"Baby, Daddy's gone. He's not coming back. The world couldn't handle a man like your father. He's gone to a much better place," Nicole sniffled, trying to hold it together.
"I want to go to that place too, Mommy," Tierra cried as she laid her head on her mother's stomach.
"So do I, baby... so do I."
Reflecting back to that day flooded Tierra with so many emotions, she almost lost her balance standing in the hallway. Not only did she lose her father that day, but part of her mother died with him. It was as if her mother lost all interest in love and life. They moved out of their beautiful home, and eventually ended up living in the projects in Queens. Although Calvin and some of the other dealers who ran with her father wanted to help Nicole out, she refused. She now looked at all profits made from pushing drugs as blood money, the same money that took her husband away. Nicole rationalized that if Terrance hadn't been a drug dealer making all that money, he wouldn't have been targeted, and would still be alive.
Tierra understood her mother's pain, because she too was in pain, but at the same time, she wanted her old life back... a life that was full of expensive cars, nice clothes and never having to worry about money. That was the life her father showed her, and that was the life she felt entitled to.
Because hermother had deprived herself of living a lavish life out of some sort of commemoration to her dead husband was beyond Tierra's comprehension. She felt her father would instead want them to live life to the fullest, like he always did. So as Tierra got older, she decided to do just that. She hustled men like her father hustled drugs, but yet it had come to this. . .back at her Mama's crib. It didn't matter though, because Tierra had the same determination as her father, and she would once again rise to the top.
15in,
Everything has a price. Whether it is the designer stiletto boots that you can't afford, but yet they keep calling your name, or the trendy Gucci purse you spent two month's worth of rent on, only for it to go out of fashion before being able to fully floss in front of the ghetto-fabulous `hood patrol. So, what's the price of ones' soul? No one knows until they put it up for sale.
It had been a week, and Nichelle still wasn't getting any love from Carmelo. She knew he could hold a grudge, but at this point, the shit was getting ridiculous. As she stood in the kitchen washing dishes, she thought about how nobody besides her teacher and mother had wished her a happy birthday. Nichelle didn't even mention how hurt she was to Carmelo, because she felt it would turn into an argument, and that was the last thing she wanted. But her frustration was reaching a boiling point, and she didn't know if she could stand another weekend of this madness.
As she contemplated what her next move should be, she heard Carmelo opening the front door. She decided it was time for war, and turned off the faucet, then dried her hands. Nichelle knew she had to confront her man now, before she lost her nerve and continued to remain silent.
"Carmelo, I need to talk to you about something," she said passively, greeting him at the front door.
"Can it wait until after I give you something?"
"Sure." Carmelo handed Nichelle a garment bag. "What's this?" she asked, unzipping it. "Oh my goodness! This is a Zac Posen gown!" Nichelle was in disbelief. She had only seen dresses like this in magazines, decorating famous celebrities, never up close, let alone holding one. She slowly pulled the dress out of the bag and let her hand glide across the lush fabric. It definitely didn't feel like the rayon and polyester blends she had grown to adore.
"You like it?"
"Fuck like! I love it! I can't believe you bought this for me. I don't even know a place to wear a dress like this."
"I do."
Nichelle looked at Carmelo with confusion written on her face.
"We're going to my man's birthday party tonight, and I want you to wear that dress."
For a quick second, Nichelle wanted to mention how he had forgotten her birthday, but decided not to be a mood killer. "Okay, but I need you to take me to the store because I don't have any shoes."
"Don't you see this other bag in my hand? I got you covered."
"Baby, thank you. I know you were upset with me because of the whole Tierra fiasco, but I hope that's now behind us."
"It is. You're my baby, and I'm going to give you a night you'll never forget."
"I went from shopping at Saks, to rummaging through the sales rack in Rainbow. Ain't this some bullshit?" Tierra complained, as she and Simone tried desperately to find a dress that was cheap, but didn't look like it.
"What you think about this one?" Simone asked, holding a bright orange strapless dress under her neck.
"Trick, you know damn well if you gon' wear a cheap dress, you can't get it in no Easter orange. You need to stick to basic colors, like black and gray."
"But those colors don't do nothing for my skin tone. I like bright colors so I can stand out."
"Whatever, Simone. If you wanna walk up in that party looking like a reject Easter bunny, then go the fuck head and wear that whack ass dress."
Simone grunted and then immediately put the dress back on the rack. "Well, I don't see nothing in here. Let's go to Forever 21. They might have something cute. But we need to hurry up, because the party starts in a couple of hours."
"Wait, this right here is cute," Tierra said, picking up a short black dress with a plunging neckline. "I could jazz this up with those black and silver Gucci stilettos I have, and those diamond earrings."
"You talking about them diamond earrings that nigga, Keondre gave to you?"
"Yep."
"I thought you took them to the pawn shop."
"I did, but them crooked ass motherfuckers was tryna' bullshit me on the price. I know what the fuck those earrings cost. I was there when he bought the shit. They tried to play me like my shit wasn't official. I told those slimy bastards to kiss my ass and I kept my shit."
"Hell, I don't blame you, and with your current predicament, ain't no telling when or if a nigga will ever drop some jewels on you like that again."
"Thanks for the pep talk, Simone. After those words of encouragement, you got me feeling real optimistic," Tierra cracked, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let me pay for this dress so we can break out. All these bargain basement prices is giving me a migraine."
Nichelle twirled around in front of the mirror in amazement. Her teal, silk beaded chiffon dress with a thigh-high side slit made her feel like a `hood goddess. No one would believe she was the same awkward, braces-wearing chick from the projects. She only wished that Tierra was there to see how nicely she cleaned up. This was just the sort of slap-you-in-your-face dress that Tierra would rock and shut the game down in.
"Damn, you look good!" Carmelo proclaimed, snapping Nichelle out of her daydreaming.
"I still can't believe this is me."
Carmelo walked over to her and cupped her ample ass, "Yeah, it's you," he grinned. Don't nobody got a booty like my baby."
"Shut up," Nichelle laughed, placing a playful kiss on his lips.
"You ready?"
"Almost. Why, are we running late?"
"Nope, I just want to show you something before we leave."
"Let me touch up my hair and makeup, then we can go."
"Cool, I'll be in the living room."
Nichelle stared at her reflection in the mirror and knew nothing needed to be touched. She only wanted another opportunity to admire how she looked, not knowing if she'd ever feel this beautiful again. She grabbed her metallic hard-frame clutch, excited about the rest of her evening.
With Carmelo in his tailored smoky-gray Armani suit with a teal tie-the exact same color as Nichelle's dress-the duo exuded the style of a power couple. As they made their exit, during the entire elevator ride down they held hands, gazing into each other's eyes like a newlywed couple.
"If I forget to tell you later on, thank you for making this the best night of my life," Nichelle said, as they walked through the underground garage towards Carmelo's car.
"Wow, if you're saying that now, wait till you see this."
"See what?" Nichelle turned her head in the direction that Carmelo was staring in. "Happy belated birthday, baby!"
Nichelle let go of Carmelo's hand and covered her mouth in amazement. There was a big red ribbon on top of an ice-blue CLS550 Mercedes Benz. "This can't be mine!"
"Yes, it can and it is. You deserve it, baby."
"And I thought you forgot."
"Of course not. The custom rims weren't ready on your birthday, so I decided to wait. I felt you would forgive me once you saw the present I had for you."
Nichelle was damn near speechless as she walked slowly, circling the car and taking in every detail. "This is really my car?"
"Now it is," Carmelo replied, tossing the car keys at Nichelle. She caught them, and her hands began shaking from her excitement. "So, are you taking me for a ride or what?"
"Carmelo, you really are too good for me. I don't know what I did to deserve you. Nobody has ever made me feel so special." Tears began rolling down Nichelle's face.
"Baby, don't cry." Carmelo gently wiped her cheek. "I'm not too good for you. We're perfect for each other. So stop with this Hallmark moment and drive us to this fuckin' party so you can show these `hood rats how it's really going down."
