Grand Opening

by Carl Weber

  “That, my friend, is your problem, and unfortunately, it is also the problem of your mother and your sisters. I suggest you spend less time making excuses and more time figuring out how you are going to get me the money for my drugs!”

  “Yes, sir,” I heard myself answer, but I had no idea how the words made their way out of my mouth when I felt too scared to speak.

  “Tick-tock!” he hissed into the phone before it went dead.

  “You all right?” LC asked when I wandered back into the shop a few minutes later and a lot less all right.

  “I will be when that part comes in.” I saw a broom in the corner, so I picked it up and started sweeping.

  Big Shirley

  31

  “You can barely see them anymore,” Little Momma exclaimed as she applied makeup to cover the scars on my face. Of course she was exaggerating, but I had to admit it looked better than before.

  It was just nice to finally leave the house for a night, and the fact that it was First Friday made it even better. On the first Friday of every other month, the Duncan Brothers put on a big to-do. The whole black side of town showed up, gathering ’round to watch cock fights, dog fights, and more importantly, people fights, along with music, dancing, and fireworks. It was the only time Sam shut the place down for a few hours, including Christmas and Thanksgiving. It was usually held in an abandoned lot over on G Street, but today they were holding it behind their new gas station as part of their grand opening.

  “Let’s go!” Big Sam hollered up the stairs, and the bunch of us girls padded down, each of us trying to outdo the others. Sam had one of the boosters come by with new outfits, and all us girls were allowed to pick one for tonight. See, this was our chance to meet and mingle with some of the men who wouldn’t be caught dead up in the house—that is, until they saw firsthand what we had to offer. Sam wanted us to look good for the potential customers. We had to look better than their wives.

  We showed up in a caravan of seven cars, and when we stepped out and followed Sam to our seats, heads turned.

  I hadn’t been by the new Duncan brothers’ gas station yet, but I was impressed with the way they had things set up when I got there. They’d put up a boxing ring in the back, with plenty of chairs and bleachers, and a dog–and cock-fighting pit a little further back. Larry’s girl NeeNee had a rolling barbecue trailer where she had a couple of guys working the grill while she sold plates at a real profit. And let me tell you, she could cook. Hell, there was a line all the way around the building. Then there was a stand set up where Lou’s cousin Harold and some white-looking guy were selling beer and sodas at twice the regular price, and those Negroes were still buying them. Oh, and let’s not forget Larry and Lou, who were working the crowd, taking bets. From the looks of things, they were all making money hand over fist.

  “The twins will cart any of you and your tricks back to the house, so remember, you’re not here just to look cute and to spend my money. You’re here to meet new customers and to make me money. Now get to work,” Sam barked at us as he took his seat. I’d learned to sit directly behind him, because you always got the good gossip first, not to mention you were out of his line of sight.

  “Damn, he’s fine!” Little Momma, who was sitting to my right, murmured under her breath. Following the direction of her gaze, I spotted LC about to step into the middle of the ring as master of ceremonies. I glanced at Little Momma, who seemed enthralled, until she saw me looking and then tried to play like she wasn’t interested.

  “Good afternoon, everybody. My name is LC Duncan. Welcome to Duncan Brothers Service Station and First Friday, Waycross. We’ve got some great entertainment for you tonight, folks.” LC reached in his pocket, pulled out a stack of money, and waved it around. “To start with, I’d like to offer an open challenge to any man who has the heart and thinks he’s tough enough to stay in the ring with Waycross heavyweight champion, Levi Duncan. Matter of fact, whoever can last three rounds will win five hundred dollars cash.” All of a sudden men start pouring out of the stands and heading to the ring.

  Levi, dressed in a pair of shorts and boots and a bright yellow robe with Duncan Brothers splashed on the back, stepped into the ring, looking like a professional.

  “Ain’t that your boy?” Little Momma asked.

  “Mm-hmm, sure is. My baby covers my whole quota every Wednesday and Saturday when I come to see him,” I bragged, waving at Levi.

  “Shit, I need to go see him,” Little Momma replied.

  I cut my eyes at her. “You go near him and I’ma give you something worse than this,” I growled, pointing at my scarred face.

  “Fuck, I didn’t know we was claiming Johns and shit,” Little Momma replied, rolling her eyes sarcastically.

  I wagged my finger at her. “Just stay away. Ain’t none of you give a shit about him before, so stay away now.”

  “How much you think they’re pulling in? Five, ten thousand?” I heard Sam whisper to Jefferson, his accountant, who nodded excitedly.

  “At least, and that’s just on the food. The real money is being made on the cock and dog fights.” Jefferson pointed to the animal fighting pits. “Look how crowded they are.”

  “Damn,” Sam said. “This place is a fucking gold mine. And we can thank the Duncans for building this all up and doing the heavy work.”

  “Yeah, if you can get it at the right price.”

  “Please. That nigga Lou might as well be calling me Daddy. I say suck my dick; he says how hard. This whole operation is my next target after I wrest control over Old Man Walker’s numbers racket. I’ve already got it planned.” The two of them laughed like they had the world in their hands.

  Back in the ring, men started lining up. We watched them fight what I swear must have been the shortest matches in history. Levi was knocking most of them out with one punch. The two guys who lasted more than one round ran from him, until they were caught and knocked out.

  The next thing I knew, LC had gotten back in the ring. Levi exited and was headed in my direction.

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen, Waycross-born Georgia State heavyweight champion Buck Livingston will take on Blackshear’s own Willis Brown,” LC announced, and the crowd went wild.

  Some of the girls were starting to attract customers, so I was happy when Levi came over and sat next to me. Little Momma was nice enough to give him her seat when Sam told her to tell Lou and Larry he wanted to meet.

  Larry

  32

  “LC, I think this might have been the best First Friday we’ve ever had.” Lou sat back in his chair, puffing on one of those big-ass Cuban cigars Sam had given him, with a two-inch thick fistful of money in each hand. While Lou relished in the moment, LC, NeeNee, and our cousin Harold happily counted what was left of the night’s take. Meanwhile, me and my sawed-off shotgun sat guard, while Levi and John, the gun-toting night watchman that LC had adopted, stood guard outside the title loan offices.

  “I don’t think; I know,” LC replied proudly.

  I had to give it to the kid. My little brother had really done his thing with the gas station, convenience store, and First Friday grand opening.

  There was a knock on the door that made everyone, including LC and NeeNee, reach for their firearms. I walked up to the door with my shotgun cocked and ready.

  “Who is it?”

  “L–L–Levi,” my brother stuttered. “B–B–Big S–Sam’s here to see L–L–Lou.”

  I checked my watch then glanced over at Lou. “What the fuck’s Sam doing here at this time of night?”

  “I don’t know, Larry. He probably wants to talk business. You know what kind of hours Sam keeps. Let him in.” Lou waved his hand for me to open the door. I reluctantly did what I was told. I didn’t like the idea of anyone other than family being in that room with that much cash lying around.

  The door opened, and there was Big Sam, grinning like his dick was being sucked. He had his wannabe gangster accountant, Jefferson, with him, and the ever-pres
ent twins in the background.

  “It’s a little crowded in here, Sam, so let’s leave the twins out here with Levi and my man John,” I said, leaving no question that it was a command and not a request.

  He nodded and gave the twins a look. They obviously knew their place, because he didn’t have to speak one word for them to understand that they were staying put while Sam came inside Lou’s office.

  I stepped out of the way, watching Sam enter and check out the place. He froze when his eyes landed on all the money being counted.

  “Damn, fellas, y’all doing it big, ain’t ya?” Sam and Jefferson took seats in front of Lou’s desk. LC and I got up, flanking Lou on either side.

  “Compared to you, we just squirrels try’na get a little nut.” Lou gave Sam this big, shit-eating grin. I was sure his dumb ass loved the idea of Sam seeing all that money lying around. Knowing him, it probably made his dick hard. “How can we help you brothers?”

  “Well, before I left town we talked about partnering, so I wanted to give you the latest.”

  “Sure, Sam, what’s going on?” Lou replied, and for a minute I wondered if Lou was really going to consider his offer.

  “I now control all of the whorehouses in South Georgia, which means I control the booze, drugs, and whores in each of those towns. Not to mention the fact that my Florida connect wants me to handle distribution in the Southeast.” He paused, looking proud of his announcement, like we were supposed to get up and applaud or something.

  “Always making moves, aren’t you, Sam?” Lou said happily, feeding right into Sam’s arrogant need for praise.

  “Brother, you have no idea. And get this: I’m about to go see to Mrs. Walker. She don’t know it, but she’s about to sell me Old Man Walker’s numbers business.”

  “We gonna make her an offer she can’t refuse,” Jefferson added, making his hands look like two guns. Lou and I shared a glance.

  “Yep, I’m about to become the black Godfather of the South,” Big Sam boasted. “And I want the Duncan boys to come along for the ride. With my brains and your muscle, we’re going to be unstoppable.”

  Lou looked like he was trying to swallow something bitter. “Sam, I’m real happy that things are going well for you. I really am. But me and my brothers have decided that the only partners we need are each other. We want this to be a family thing.”

  The color rose in Sam’s cheeks. His blood pressure must have shot up a few points, but he kept a smile frozen on his face. “Lou, you haven’t even heard my offer!” He laughed, but believe me when I say it wasn’t no real laugh.

  LC finally cut in. “It doesn’t matter what you offer, Sam. We’re not looking for partners. Like you, we’re expanding our business too.” I was sure he’d been waiting for this moment since Sam walked through the door. What was it about those two?

  Sam’s smiling face became stern as he intertwined his fingers and cracked his knuckles. He purposely ignored LC, glaring directly at our older brother. “So he speaks for the Duncans now, Lou?”

  “Look, Sam, nothing’s changed. We’re still going to do freelance jobs for you like we’ve done in the past, but like I just told you, we’re not looking for partners.”

  “Especially not ones that beat up women,” LC snapped.

  Sam cut his eyes in LC’s direction then glared at Lou again. He was probably surprised to find out that his old friend Lou was also an adversary in this discussion.

  He turned his attention to me. “You sure I can’t change your mind?”

  “Sorry, Sam,” I said, shaking my head.

  Sam straightened out his suit jacket then gestured to Jefferson to get up. “Well then, gentlemen, I can’t say I’m not disappointed, and I think you’re making a big mistake, but I wish you well. I do hope you understand, though, that next time we have this conversation, my offer will be considerably less.” Sam cut his eyes at LC as he passed him.

  “Hey, Sam,” LC called to him just as he was at the door. Damn, this was not going to be pretty; I could feel it in my bones.

  Sam turned to him. “Yeah, young buck?”

  “If you’re headed to see Mrs. Walker anytime soon, there’s no need to waste a trip.” Sam looked puzzled. “We made a deal with her this morning. She’s still going to be a silent partner, but we agreed to take over her husband’s numbers business.”

  Sam exploded, heading directly for Lou. “You motherfucker!” A .38 suddenly appeared in Sam’s hand, while Jefferson’s punk ass went for his piece. Before he could get it out, I had the shotgun pointed at his head.

  “Looks like we have a little Mexican standoff here, Sam,” I said.

  He pulled back the hammer on his .38. “I don’t think so, Larry, ’cause I’ve got a gun to your brother’s head, and to be honest, I don’t really give a shit if Jefferson lives or dies.”

  “Hey, Sam,” Lou said. “Relax. This is not personal. It’s business. You own damn near all of the hustles in town. What my brothers and I have is a tiny piece compared to you, so there ain’t no need for you to be getting upset. We all friends here, remember?”

  Sam gave him a look that might as well have been a deadly bullet coming from the gun he was holding. “Fuck you, Lou.” Sam flipped him the bird. “You ain’t my friend. You knew I wanted that numbers business!”

  “Sam, there are four mouths to feed here, and we can’t get fed on your crumbs. Do you know how much work and manpower it’s going to take to run that numbers business? You’re going to need half your staff to run that shit right. Now how you gonna pimp half the state, build a drug empire, and run numbers? Hell, you Superman, but you still only one man.”

  Believe it or not, Sam looked like he was giving Lou’s words some thought.

  “Now, it’s a compliment to you that I even learned to branch out in business. We’re small potatoes compared to you, and we’re not trying to be your competition, so c’mon, man. Don’t let me trying to get the tiniest piece for myself end our friendship.” Lou reached out his hand to shake Sam’s.

  “I see.” Sam’s head bobbed up and down as he stared at Lou. “Lou, if you were anyone else, you’d be dead right now. You know that, right?”

  “I’m sure there’d be a lot of dead people in this room, Sam.” Lou looked over Sam’s shoulder at LC, who had a gun trained on him.

  “You can have the numbers, but you have any more ideas of expansion without talking to me, and you and your brothers will be dead men,” Sam promised before motioning to Jefferson to leave.

  “So we still friends?” Lou, ever the optimist, checked with Sam.

  “We something, but it certainly ain’t friends.” Sam backed out of the building with his gun still pointed at Lou. “Oh, and for the record, your free pussy card has been revoked until further notice.”

  From the look on Lou’s face, I think that hurt him more than losing Sam’s friendship.

  Chippy

  33

  I’d been home about two weeks, and to my surprise, my mother had still been sweet and kind. I’d almost forgotten all the bad stuff that had happened to me there. It felt so good to be home in my own bed without being harassed, even if I still missed LC, his books, and the way he conducted himself. I started dreaming about him climbing on top of me and making me feel better than I ever had. In my dream, we weren’t just fucking like I did with the guys at Big Sam’s. No, we made love, and he was mine, and I belonged to him. I heard myself sigh at the pleasure I felt with his hand between my legs.

  “Miss me?” he said, but it wasn’t him, and I was no longer dreaming. I jerked myself awake to find Willie Anderson, my mother’s husband, naked and on top of me.

  “Get off of me!” I screamed, trying to shove him off of me. His clammy hand slapped down over my mouth, silencing me.

  “I certainly missed you, Charlotte.” His lecherous voice assaulted me. To make matters even worse, I could see my mother’s silhouette in the doorway.

  “Momma! Help me! Please help me, Momma! Please!” I screamed at
her.

  She moved closer to me, her voice pleading as she slurred, “Honey, when you left, so did Willie. He said that if he couldn’t have you, then he didn’t want me—and I can’t live without him. Please, baby, just do what he wants. We need you in order to be a family.”

  “This is crazy!” I yelled at her through my tears. “And you’re drunk!”

  “Please, baby girl,” she continued, unmoved by my emotional state. “As long as you’re here, Willie’s gonna be here. Now do what he wants so we can all go to bed.” She shut the door, leaving me with him.

  “You wanna live under my roof, then you gotta pay the toll.” He laughed as he shoved his fingers inside of me. I struggled to get away, but he pressed his weight against me. My fighting only turned him on.

  “You horny little cock tease. You know you like it,” he said, his sour breath in my face. “When you walked in this house it was because you wanted more of this. Your momma knew. That’s why she called me.” Willie slapped my hands away as he tried to rip off my underwear.

  Thrashing around, I tried to throw him off of me, but he was too strong. He balled up a fist and banged me upside the head. This wasn’t the first time Willie had hit me, but if I had any say, it would be the last. I may have come home hoping things would work out, but I also came prepared. I reached under my pillow and grabbed the straight razor that I’d taken to sleeping with at Big Sam’s. Everything in me swelled into a ball of rage, ready to strike. I gripped it in my hand, flipped it open, and let my arm swing wildly, slicing him everywhere I could reach. At first he didn’t know what I was doing, but as the blood oozed out of his wounds, he started to fight me. Even though he was bigger and stronger, my rage made me invincible.

  The blood gushing out of him covered me, and before I knew it, we’d fallen to the floor with a loud thud. Willie was still on top of me. Even in the dark I could see the whites of his eyes bugging out in horror. He didn’t move. I knew he was gone. My victim days were behind me, and I didn’t feel a moment of regret. What I felt was the opposite: calm.