BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

"You know that's dead action."

  "You got any money on you?"

  "I will when I get back from where I'm going. All I have on me now is enough money to get going."

  No sooner had she spoken those words when a knock sounded at her door.

  "See, I told you didn't I!?" Vivian flagged her prediction.

  With wide eyes, Sylvia threw her index finger to her lips, tapping them rapidly with widened eyes, panicking and started whispering desperately, "I'm not here if its Shawn! Do you understand!?"

  "Sylvia!"

  "Don't say my name fu-ool!"

  Vivian started grinning, "That man don't waste no time!"

  "Girl... listen to me, you have not seen me - understand?!" Sylvia whispered urgently.

  "It's gonna show on my face that I'm lying!"

  "Don't even try that Vivian - you done lied before! Come on do this for me... and borrow some money from him - a hundred dollars!"

  "WHAT!?"

  "Shhhh!"

  "Is you crazy?! I ain't borrowing no money from that man!"

  "Please! Tell him you'll pay him back next week! Moving broke you - he'll give it to you."

  "Sylvia-..."

  "Stop saying my name!"

  "I don't borrow money! That's not me!"

  "I loaned you money!"

  "Sylvia!"

  "Fu-ool! Lord... come on Vivian, I'll never ask you to do this again, I need money. Just this one time!?"

  "Sylvia he gone know! He gone wanna come in, then what?!"

  "Take yo' clothes off!"

  "WHAT?!"

  "Shhh - take your clothes off!" Sylvia starting shoving her towards the bathroom, Vivian was swept away with her whispering desperately, "Pretend like you were in the shower, hurry up take your clothes off!"

  The knocks came again.

  "I can't believe you got me doing this girl!"

  "Hurry up girl, don't be so slow! Put your shower cap on your head too!" Sylvia turned on the water in the sink, and started splashing it on Vivian. "Sylvia you wettin' my clothes!"

  "Well get'em off, come on quick for he leave, make sure you ask for a hundred!"

  "What if he ain't go a hundred?!"

  "Take whatever he got, now get moving... you can do this... I know you can!" Sylvia whispered, grabbing her stuff from the living room and dashing quickly to the stairs, waiting and listening.

  By the time Shawn pulled up in front of Sheila's and Dennis' home, he'd brought himself back under control, he was scoping the house numbers when he saw the tall, stocky Dennis standing on the small porch looking towards his car. He'd been waiting and looking out for him. A smile burst upon Shawn's face as he hit the electric window and stuck his hand out waving to him. Dennis pointed to a parking spot in front of his wife's van. Nothing but white teeth showing in a smile Shawn needed to see. He parked the mustang and got out to the sound of Dennis' laughter clear from the porch.

  "Man! You okay dude? She puttin' you through it!" He said while laughing. Shawn walked towards the house grinning as he stepped up to the porch. He'd only gotten a glimpse of Dennis last night at the club when he came to the back with Derrick and Jake, this would be the first time that they'd get to officially meet. Shawn headed up the steps to take Dennis' hand extended for a shake.

  "Dennis... she got me so I can't get no work done. Don't know if I'm coming or going." He stated, addressing him by name, because they knew that of each other, just had never come face to face.

  "Come on in the house man. Goddamn women! I'm telling you man, we don't tighten the belt on they ass now, it ain't gone be a man's world no more! Hell! I stayed at home today and its a good thing! We finally get to meet."

  "I for one, am glad you did."

  "Thank goodness somebody glad. Sheila in the kitchen wit' her mouth poked out! I'on give a damn - goddamnit! This shit keep up, man they'll be in charge over everything, our ass be trottin' around saying, "Yes madam, anything else?" - "Yeah! Sit yo'ass down 'till I make up my mind what!" Dennis mimicked a black woman's voice. Shawn wasn't in the door one minute and he was already in stitches.

  "Dennis don't nobody wanna hear that first thing in the morning!" Sheila fussed from kitchen.

  "You tellin' me shet up again?!" He grumbled in warning.

  "Did I say to you - shet up?! Did you hear that come out my mouth? Hey Shawn! Did you hear me say in the minute you been in my house -..."

  "YO' HOUSE! Oh so now its yo' house!? So I must be just a goddamn tenant here! First you telling me to sit down and shut up, now its sit down and shet up in yo' house! Ain't this some shit!?" He turned to Shawn and asked.

  "I didn't say, sit down and shut up! I said shet up and drive!" She corrected him.

  "See what I mean man!? Do you see what I'm dealing with? Shet up and drive! Last night!"

  Shawn stood with his mouth partially opened, not sure what to say. He could tell by Dennis' manner he wasn't really angry. He was just winding his wife up and for whatever reason, in the mood to get on her nerves.

  "Dennis you better gone somewhere and leave me alone! I ain't gone be bothered with you this morning! You done already thrown my day!"

  "I know! Can't go take yo'end off running into other folks business! That breakfast done?"

  "Dennis you know its done!"

  "Better be." He continued, turning to Shawn and winking. "See man you gots to do this every now and then, otherwise they forget!"

  Shawn knew that they would be a major contribution in his life right then. Dennis was his kind of man, very reminiscent of Jesse. Realizing he jumped out the car to greet Dennis, he wasn't sure if he clicked the alarm on it or not, he turned back towards the door, "Hang on man, let me make sure I clicked the alarm on this car. Last thing I need is for it to get stolen."

  "Yeah you better go check it. Sorry ass, scandalous, no working, stealing son'va'bitches can smell a unlock car with no alarm on it from a mile away!"

  Shawn laughed as he opened the door to see a taxi driving by. It seemed to pause a moment and then move on. For a moment, his heart stopped thinking it might have been Sylvia. He stepped outside onto the porch, pointed the remote and click it to lock the doors and turn on the alarm, listening for the chirping sound that it was activated. He stood a moment and watched the taxi stop at the corner and then turn away down the street. His mind was working as he stepped back into their home and closed the door. Heading for the kitchen, Shawn showed up in the door to catch Dennis up beside Sheila pestering her, copping a little feel.

  "Echm echm..." He cleared his throat chuckling.

  "You better gone leave me alone Dennis, you ain't gettin' nothing!"

  Dennis turned to Shawn cheesing, being mannish and a nuisance. "Hmph, you wait till later, I got somethin' for you." He promised her stepping towards the kitchen table. "Have a seat man. Pile me a plate and him one too." Dennis invited Shawn and ordered his wife.

  "Can I ask you something? Where does Vivian live?" Shawn questioned.

  Sheila turned around with wide eyes, looking at him and then at Dennis.

  "Why? What's up?" Dennis asked.

  Shawn shook his head, "This might sound silly, but I have a feeling my wife may have just shown up here but saw her car and kept going."

  "How you end up with her car?" Sheila asked with hands on her hips.

  "I took her keys from her last night while she slept so she wouldn't run off." Shawn confessed to his chagrin.

  Sheila burst out laughing. "Oh I see!"

  "So what make you think she just showed up here?" Dennis asked, slapping Sheila's butt. "Quit laughing at the man and fix that plate!" Sheila laughed on anyway.

  "Just now at the door, a taxi pulled up, paused and then took off again. If he were dropping someone off, they'd know where they lived and would get out. If he was looking for an address, wouldn't he cruise slow all the way to the end of the block eyeing the house numbers?"

  "Maybe..." Dennis considered it.

  "I think my wife was in that taxi. She saw the mustan
g, and went some place else. I don't think she will go to her mother's, because she knows I might be there, so that leaves you all... Vivian or her other friend, what's her name?"

  "Baby put that on hold. Come on man, I'll take you myself to Vivian's. She live-..."

  "How you gone be?!" Sheila accused him.

  "Hey, my man looking for his wife, I'm on his side goddamnit! I thought you liked Mr. McPherson?" He asked Sheila.

  "I do! Shawn... nothing against you sweetheart, I know what you going through. But - you ever consider letting Sylvia do what she set out to do, and then come home?"

  "No... nothing to consider. As long as I'm her husband, she needs to learn to talk to me and I'll try to help her do what-..."

  "But she don't want you to help her with-..."

  "Hush!" Dennis shushed her and then turned to Shawn. "Let's go man, I'll take you there."

  "See - it's shit like this - the reason she off on her own right now! Ya'll need to understand that!"

  "Sheila - ain't no goddamn man that give'ah shit about his woman, gone just sit back and let her run all over the goddamn place and not let him know what she doing, where she going and when she gone be home! I wouldn't stand for it! Any man that would, I ain't got no respect for! My man doing right! Let's go."

  Chapter 127

  "She moved when?!" Shawn asked in disbelief as he and Dennis walked fast down his block towards the corner.

  "The other day! Goddamn women got together - yo' sister-in-law Meribel and Sylvia - helped her get loaded and moved into this house on the next block! Meribel called some cousins and shit - her ass is moved!"

  "Jake thinks she's still in the other place, he's coming down here tomorrow with his sons to move her."

  "Ain't that some shit! See how they is?! Now that shit ain't right! We gone have to call my man and tell'em!"

  "No we not! Let him drive down here and find out for himself! He needs to be put through it!" Shawn gloated happy to hear for once he wouldn't be the only one on wild goose chases. Dennis was laughing, "Man you gone let yo' lil'brother go through that?!"

  "Hell yeah I am! Let him see how it feels."

  "Ma-a-a-an, I'm telling you now, I think she got the hook in'im!"

  "I know she got the hook in'im! But he's stubborn! Too used to women running after him. He's never really had to do a serious chase for one before. Now it's his time!"

  "I thank you right. 'Cause last night at the club, I don't know what happened, but something did. We left there and she didn't wanna have nothing to do with'im. I drove him and your mom-in-law back to her place, and we was all talkin' and suddenly she got to crying."

  "Who?"

  "Vivian! Ah man, Jake wanted me to stop the van, pull in the store lot so he could find out why! I'm tellin' you now, my man could not sit still with her crying. Its over! I ended up going all the way to Ms Lydia's and they was out on the sidewalk, arguing in the van. Jake trying to get her out. Finally they went in the basement and talked. When we left and took Vivian home, she wasn't saying nothing."

  "Hmmm? Jake didn't mention any of this this morning when I talked to him. He went back home to keep Crystal's boys for the night, then he'll be back tomorrow to move her. Ha! Yeah... I think I'm gonna have to stick around long enough to see how this turns out when he shows up and she's not there. I wanna see how he reacts!" Shawn shared his thoughts as they made their way around the second corner onto Vivian's block now.

  "Man this shit is good! That's why my old lady going nuts! She wanna know what happened in that club last night. By this afternoon, she gone gimme anything I want long as I let her find out the goods on them." He grinned. Shawn laughed, "Dennis, you and I should have met long ago."

  "That's okay, its a done deal now. We stick together, we get they asses right! 'Cause I'm tellin' you - they all out of goddamn control! I love my wife man, Lord knows I do, but if I don't pull her ass into check sometimes... she'll try and run all over my ass. Fuck that! I ain't havin' it, have me running around here like yo'ass is now! No offence!"

  "None taken! Thing is, if you ask me - it's beyond saving now. They got us right where they want us!"

  "Hell with that! We got to fight it man! We can't go down like that! We the man - shit! All the business hanging between our legs dammit!"

  "Yeah - but the sweetest part of the business, between there's ... like I said, they got us right, where they want us."

  Dennis made a face, "Ain't that some shit!? You know it was the pussy that made Adam act a fool and eat that goddamn apple!"

  Shawn stopped, swayed back and then folded forward, doubled over in laughter, he couldn't take another step as Dennis stood over him continuing, "Man! You can laugh all you want to! You know it's the truth. Adam lonely ass woke up, found that fine young tender next to him, figured out where his dick go; shit ain't been the same since! Adam say, Lord - please - she brought me the fruit! I'm sorry Lord! I would'dah told you Lord, but - not the pussy... take away paradise, shorten my days, make me work my ass off, hell I'll plow fields ... but Lord please, leave me the pussy!"

  Shawn was wiping his eyes, "Dennis don't say no more, I'm trying to find my wife!" Shawn begged.

  "That's why! You know why! Hell - what the hell we gone do, when they running the world and keeping the pussy! We might as well slit our shit and hang it up now!" He laughed finally slapping Shawn's hands with a low and high five both in agreement.

  "Okay, that's her place right there. Now how we gone do this? If Sylvia is there, she gone hide and Vivian gone say some shit like she ain't there."

  "Or she might try and sneak out the back?" Shawn thought out loud.

  "Might do! I'll go in the back, you hit the front door just in case. If she come out that back, I'll holla' for you."

  "What if she's not here? Then what?" Shawn asked.

  "We go eat our breakfast, 'cause that shit gettin' cold. Can't think clear on no empty stomach."

  Shawn went to the front porch steps and waited a moment for Dennis to go to the back, then trotted up to the door. He knocked and waited, looking around the clean surroundings of the neighborhood. There was very little activity going on at this time of day. Anyone coming or going were usually out of the door by 7am to 9am, all kids that might have been about were in school. Shawn caught a few curtains open and then drop back into place, otherwise, he seemed to be the only one on the block. He turned back to the door and put his ear to it listening. He could hear nothing, thinking that maybe she was gone. He corrected himself and knocked again for the second time and stood waiting and listening, then noticed a doorbell and rang it instead. Again he waited, he couldn't reach her living room window from where he stood to look in. He was about to turn away when the door opened.

  He turned back to see Vivian leaning from hiding behind the door.

  "OH! Its you, hey Shawn."

  "Vivian! Hi... um... wow... um - you were-..." Shawn nervously indicated her appearance.

  "In the shower." She filled in his nervous pause. "I'd invite you in, but... as you can see, I'm not dressed. What's going on?" She asked, nervous as could be, thanking God that her dark coloring hid the burning of her face.

  "I ummm, you haven't heard from Sylvia have you?"

  "I thought - she was with you?" She played the pause perfect, staring at him with wide eyes.

  "No um, she kind of took off on me again... I thought, well never mind - sorry to bother you."

  "No problem, if I were dressed, I'd invite you in. Hey... ummm, I hate to ask you this but - I just moved and I'm in a bit of a bind. Used up everything I had until pay day next week, could you please loan me some money - if that is, you can. I mean if you can't, I understand - I just thought what the heck, I'd ask. I'll pay you back - honest I will, I just-..."

  "Hey, no problem, I understand." He reached in his back pocket for his wallet.

  "If you could do me one other favor as well, don't tell Jake where I'm living, please?"

  Shawn grinned at her, "No problem - mums the word.
How much would take you to payday?"

  "Oh I don't know, I hate even asking! I don't usually do this... but I only have a few dollars in my pocket and-..."

  "No explanation needed... how much you need?"

  "I'll pay you back next week - would ooooh - I'm so sorry for asking this - but - could you spare a hundred?"

  "Here you go. No apologies necessary."

  "I promise I promise I promise you will get this back! Thank you so much! And - I hope you find Sylvia! I just want you to know, I happen to think you're the best thing that has ever happened to her. When I see her, I'm gonna tell her, she need to get her ass home!"

  Shawn smiled stepping off her porch. "Thank you for that, talk to you later."

  Vivian drew back and closed the door. Shawn took a few steps and looked down her gangway to see Dennis standing there raising his hands up in question. Shawn shook his head and gestured for him to come along. Quietly, Dennis opened the gate and closed it back shuffling from in between the two homes to join Shawn as they both walked back the way they came.

  "Well what she say?"

  "She was in the shower, I interrupted it."

  "In the shower?! Emmm, I'on know about that."

  "She was. She's so sweet - I hope my brother gets his head on straight! Obviously that moving cost her a bit too, she's broke and needed some money, so I loaned her a hundred."

  "WHAT!? You did what?!" Dennis stopped to ask.

  "I loaned her some money. She may be my sister-in-law one day, I couldn't say no to her."

  "Man! Dawg - you been played! You been played! No you did not! Man - I'm telling you now! Your wife in that house and she done put Vivian up to borrowing some money from you! I know Vivian goddamnit! Been knowing her for years ... Vivian don't borrow shit - from no - one! And ain't no way in the goddamn hell, she would ask it from you if she did need some money... she would ask me or Sheila first! But not you dawg! She asked you, 'cause yo' goddamn wife back there coachin' her ass, putting her up to the shit! 'Cause she broke ain't she?" Dennis asked as they stopped at the corner.

  Shawn stood and stared at him. "She had a little money on her, but not enough to last her anytime."