BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  Hurt

  Her stomach hurt.

  Her chest tightened.

  Crystal looked away unsure of what to do, she turned her back to him. She knew what she'd like to do, but then what would that prove to accomplish? Fact was, he was out enjoying the company of another woman. She lifted her drink to her mouth and took a long draw of it, Long Island Ice Tea.

  "I know you're not going to just stand here and let him get away with that shit are you?"

  "He's a grown man, he can do whatever he wants to do." Crystal answered.

  "No no no no sister... he is a married man. In fact - your man - go over there and-..."

  "No. I'm not. I came out tonight to have a good time. That's what I'm going to do."

  "What's going on?" Rochelle asked returning from the ladies room.

  "Don't say nothing." Crystal instructed Omyiah, who looked at her like she was crazy and went on to tell Rochelle, "Do spot will you, blonde hair, blue eyes Prince good for shit, at 10:00 o'clock." She'd grown into the habit of using clock face to give proximity of location. Knowing this Rochelle looked in that direction to see Crystal's husband standing there looking their way.

  "Tell me his ass is here with friends."

  "Sure I will - girl friend." Omyiah reported.

  Rochelle glared harshly at him, spotting the chick with him and then looked at Crystal who turned back to the bar to order another drink, making sure she kept her eyes from that corner of the bar. Rochelle moved to her other side, leaning on the bar to look into her face. "I know you're gonna give him some shit for this. At least walk over there and let her know who you are." Rochelle pleaded.

  "Nope. And if it's all the same to you guys, I'd rather you all just ignore it too."

  Kayla walked up then and Omyiah went on to tell her what was happening and what Crystal was doing about it - nothing!

  "What?! Crystal!"

  Another hit was coming up in the mix, Crystal took her drink, cut it in half in no time, and turned from her friends and went out on the dance floor. She didn't want to think about anyone, or anything. The music was good, the drink was kicking in, and if she just rode out the storm, the pain and humiliation would dull down and she just might get through the night and not shed a tear... just might. In the mix, 'Don't Walk Away - by Jade' came up and she got into the song, a black guy made his way over to her moving in sync with her, she didn't fight it, why would she? After all, she hadn't come with anyone, but who knows... she might be leaving with someone that night. Whatever his name was, he was all over her, and she let him. Making things worse, Mundo did a skip mix cutting in 'Jimmy Page and P diddy's - Come wit' me!' The heavy rock mix made Crystal feel reckless, as she moved, swinging and tossing her head to the heavy beat, she saw nothing, heard nothing, just moved in mindless oblivion through the crowd on the dance floor. A couple of times she felt a tug at her arm, and snatched away and continued to move, gyrating and moving in rhythm to the bass blasting around her.

  "Shit!" Mundo spat from the mix platform. He could see everything from where he was. One moment he was watching Letté, and then someone dancing wild on the dance floor caught his eye. It was his sister. She was tripping! Dancing in an uncontrolled abandonment that scared him. Three guys were dancing around her, her girlfriends were trying to step in and push them back off of her. He prayed they succeeded. He needed this gig to go right, the discs were selling. So far if his count was right, 22 had been picked up, the money for it shoved in a jar as each person showed their 10 and 5, putting it in the jar and grabbing a CD. However, sells were going to end up interrupted if some of these dudes didn't back up off of his sister. He didn't understand what was going on. Hadn't seen what she'd seen or who she'd seen. But then, understanding came. Because he spotted Victor, her husband. He was standing face to face with one of the guys who had been all over her, a white guy. He couldn't hear what was being said, but blows were on the verge of being exchanged any minute now. While Victor had never hit his sister, he wasn't a punk. The dude got too close in his face and Victor popped him.

  "SHIT!"

  They were thumping and the bouncers were in quick. Before they could get to Victor, he'd popped two more. Crystal's friends, grudgingly tried to help him. Things got crazy, something about the cut, 'Kryptonite - by Three Doors Down' turned white boys into maniacs! He was gonna have to jump in - because they were bumping the table. Crystal finally came out of her trance to see her husband in the midst of a fighting frenzy and it didn't matter what was wrong with them, she wasn't gonna stand by and watch him get hit on. She jumped on one who had him, hand full of his hair, her fist smacking him like a champion. Mundo held on for as long as he could, long as no body hit his sister, he'd keep on playing in the midst of the madness. More bouncers were needed, police came in and he had to kick someone who tried to grab one his discs.

  From where he stood, by the looks of things, Crystal, Victor, Rochelle, Omyiah, three guys they were fighting with and two others - were on their way to jail. Mundo smiled, happy that he could keep selling his discs and making his money, he continued to jam with his favorite tune that was up, 'Sergio Mendes, Magalenha' as he stood there, he looked through the crowd for Letté, she was at the bar talking animatedly with Kayla, no doubt about the fight. Mundo shook his head as he continued on wondering who could he call to get his sister out of jail, because he knew she was definitely going. He wasn't gonna worry about that right now, he was at work. At least going to jail, he knew she'd be safe until someone came to pay bond. Kayla and Letté were looking at him as if he were crazy. He knew they were talking about him, but he had money to make. He didn't have time for crazy ass nigga's - black or white ones, sister or not. Long as she wasn't hurt, which she wasn't - he would keep going - now, thank goodness with no distractions. Time for a little 'Eminem with Slim Shady' Jamming he watched as Letté shook her head at him, disappointed that he wouldn't come down to go and see about his sister.

  Chapter 133

  "Hello, Mrs. Prescott? This is Jeanine, you're not going to believe this! Victor is in jail!"

  "What?! How? When did this happen?"

  "Oh I am so upset, the whole ordeal is totally stressing me out. We were having a perfectly good time, at the Coco-cabaña, everything was fine. I should have known the moment I spotted her, she would deliberately, do something to spoil our evening!"

  "Her - as in Crystal?"

  "Yes... exactly."

  "Ugh I rue the day he met her! I fear she will always be a thorn in our side because of the boys. If I could think of a way to take them from her I would. At least then she would have no hold on my son! What happened?"

  "She, being true to her kind, acted a total slut. She did everything she could to make it impossible for Victor to ignore her. I tried to tell him to ignore her, that we should just leave and go to another bar, but he wasn't listening. I stepped away for only a moment to the ladies room, and by the time I returned, all hell had broken loose! With her in the center of it."

  "God! I wish he would just divorce her and be done with it! For the life of me, I don't know why he doesn't just ask her for one and be done with it already! They have nothing in common, not in the least! When did this all happen?"

  "A few moments ago, he was arrested with a group of them, including her. Who of course was yelling and screaming out in the street, acting an absolute - UH! What did he ever see in her!?"

  "Lust! You know how easy they are! How sex driven they can be. That's all it was - pure and simple! She offered him a bit of a thrill and I'm certain now, that he regrets it. I'll be there shortly to pay his bail. Thank you for calling and letting me know. How will you get home?"

  "I'm at the police station, he can take me home once you've bailed him out."

  "Alright darlin' I'll be right along. You just relax and maybe now, he'll see and get on with his life once and for all."

  * * *

  Jake had been dozing off with Isaac laying beside him and Darren in the playpen he'd put up for him to sl
eep in. It was a little past midnight when someone came knocking at the basement door startling him awake. He rose with just a tank top on and his casual house lounging pants. Opening the basement door, he clicked on the outside light and looked up at see two of Crystal's friend waiting outside the door. Right away he knew that something was wrong, his heart took off beating erratically, as he cleared the four steps going up to open the outside door.

  "Crystal's in jail!" The young Mexican girl blurted as soon as he opened the door.

  "Aaah hell! Come in, be quiet, the boys are sleeping." He directed the two as they followed him into the basement. They went on to whisper what had taken place, with him trying to think of what to do. "You drove all the way back here from La Crosse? Why didn't you just call here?" He asked standing on the other side of the pool table talking to them.

  "Well I live in Necedah-..." Letté informed him, with Kayla cutting in to say, "I live in Tomah, so we would have come this way anyway to bring her home."

  "Shit - damn kids! Look, will either one of you stay with the boys?"

  "Hey - we'll stay... no problem. We just didn't know what else to do."

  "Well where's Mundo?"

  "HE! Is still-..."

  "Shhhh!" Jake had to shush Kayla, she was definitely tipsy, swaying a bit, bleary eyed, most certainly deep in her cups.

  "Ooops... sorry. Yeah, he's still at the club, doing his mixing thing. I swear, he's as cool as a cucumber man, nothing shakes Mundo. He just carried on."

  "While they were fighting he carried on?"

  "Yep... sure did." This confirmation came from Letté.

  "Okay okay - I need to get dressed really quick here, so have a seat, make yourselves comfortable." He invited heading for the closet off the small kitchenette where his things were hanging, he grabbed a folded t-shirt off the top shelf, jeans, socks and rushed to the bathroom.

  "Oh my goodness... who is he? Oh my god, is he fine or what?" Kayla murmured to Letté.

  "He's Crystal's, stepdad's brother, Jake - she told me."

  "Oh my god, he made me cream my pants." Kayla slurred leaning towards the right, not realizing it with the alcohol she'd consumed.

  "Girl your drunk ass is crazy! He's old enough to be your father!"

  "Shit - my father don't look nothin' like that." Kayla winked.

  Jake dressed in no time flat, gave the girls his mobile number and then his mother's phone number in case of an emergency, giving them her name and headed out, jumped in his truck and took off for La Crosse and the jail-court house there.

  * * *

  Shawn and Sylvia sat curled up together on Lydia's sofa, laughing and talking with her in disbelief. As they spoke, Shawn was looking over the photo albums he'd asked to see. Every now and then, he'd point to a picture for Sylvia to identify for him, looking at pictures of the young Lydia and Lucas. Photos of Sylvia's brother's, David and Lucas Jr. Especially fascinated by those of his wife as a baby, a toddler - and older. One in particular grabbed his heart, she was five years old holding a teddy bear, in her father's arm on his hip, her head laying on his shoulder as she shyly smiled for the camera. One braid at the top of her head, and two on each side with ribbons in the medium length plats. He had plans to steal that photo and copy it if Lydia wasn't willing to part with it. She'd stayed up to tell them about Jake and their mother who had called her earlier in the day.

  "Lord have mercy chile, ya'll mama is somethin' else! I couldn't get a word in edgewise. Lord lord lord - she bought one crazy white woman!"

  Shawn was laughing because he could just imagine the things she must have been saying as he flipped slowly through the albums. Sylvia was smiling, commenting, "Mama you should have come to our wedding, and you would have met her then, she's wonderful. I just love her."

  "She is fu-u-u-nny! Lord I wasn't on the phone with her for five minutes and she had me laughing my tail off! I gots t'meet her! She went on to compliment me on my beautiful daughter, and what a blessing you are to the family. That made me proud."

  Shawn smiled and kissed his wife's temple.

  "Lord then she got to talkin' 'bout Jake! I couldn't help myself, I told her about the other night, she was just'ah laughin', hoopin' and hollerin'! Yo'mama strange boy." Lydia laughed.

  Shawn shrugged, "Ms Lydia, I've known that all my life. She's certainly not what you'd typically expect, but I wouldn't have her any other way." He commented slowly flipping from one page to the next. Sitting comfortably with is white socks on, loose fitting, draw string gray lounge pants and see thru, black net-mesh tank top.

  "I bet you, she drive yah'll daddy crazy!?" Lydia chuckled.

  "And then some... she's harmless though, means well. She just gets a bit over enthusiastic about pairing her children up with whom she thinks is best. Did she give you her theory on the imperfections of man, our declining health and reasons why?"

  "Nooo, not this time. She was going on about Jake and wantin' him to hook up with Vivian. You know she calls her black velvet? She was going on and on about how she gone give her beautiful little brown granddaughters, lord! I still can't believe her."

  "That's my mom! So you say he's going to be renting the basement apartment from you?" Shawn asked, closing that book and setting it to his steal from pile, then grabbing another one.

  "He say for the weekends he be down here. Your mama had the money for it transferred into my bank account. She give me a bunch a numbers for the transfer, say it should be through by next week. She give me her number, her address, and made me promise to call as soon as it come through and then, promise to come up there sometime soon. I guess I'm gone have to, else she say she be up here to get me." Lydia laughed shaking her head. "Lord she got too much energy! I swear she do, it was comin' through the phone."

  "And it's all for her kids and match making." Shawn added, seeing another picture of his wife he liked. She was about 12 years old and skinny as hell. No figure to her at all, she was all mouth and white teeth, her hair combed back into a ponytail. He pointed at the girl beside her, already knowing the answer.

  "That's Sheila." She answered smiling.

  Shawn thought so, even then she was a cute chunk. Very kissable cheeks, long hair and looking like she was having fun.

  "So Jake is going to be staying in the basement every weekend? Is that what he said?" Sylvia asked, burning to get on the phone with Sheila and give her this very important update. Shawn looked at her and began chuckling, thinking of Sheila and Dennis, she was obviously going to be just as bad, turning another page, he sat simpering, could hear it starting.

  "I'on know 'bout every weekend, but he must be serious 'cause his mama transferring the money for it."

  "Well what did he tell you he wanted it for?" Sylvia asked, the rumble of Shawn's laughter was rolling out now, she looked at him and gave him an elbow to his ribs, making him fake a grunt as if it hurt, "That ain't hurt - what'chu laughing at?"

  Shawn put his hands in the air as if surrendering, but his mirth could not be contained.

  "I know what he laughing at, first Sheila, now you - all in they business! Ain't it Shawn - and yo' mama too! Looks like to me, I'm in a pretty good position, ya'll all gone be asking me what's going on. But I'm gone tell you now, that's that mans business - I ain't gone be gettin' in his business and tellin' nobody nothing. Let's just get that straight right now."

  "Now mama, how you gonna be? I just asked you what he said he wanted the apartment for, that's all I asked." Sylvia pressed gently. Shawn leaned away from her laughing even louder. "Mama, ignore him, he crazy. Laughing like he done lost his mind. So what he want it for mama?"

  "I tell you what, next time you see him, you ask him what he want it for... that's what you do." Lydia rose to go to bed.

  "Mama! Come on mama... can't you just tell me that? What he said?"

  "That's privilege information between a landlord and tenant. Now goodnight."

  Sylvia sat with a pout on, crossing her arms over her breasts. She looked over at her husban
d who was wiping his eyes, he looked at her down the length of his body from laying on the sofa arm and started laughing again.

  "Shoot, all I wanted to know was what he said? What's wrong with that?"

  "Nothing baby, nothing at all." He sniffed trying to bring himself under control.

  "Don't you wanna know why he renting it?"

  "I already know why he's renting it, I don't have to ask around." He assured her sitting up, moving the photo albums to the floor, turning with one leg bent, his elbow resting on the back of the sofa, his head cupped in the palm of his hand as he stared at his wife.

  "You gonna tell me?" Sylvia asked seductively. Shawn smiled. "If I tell you what I know, what do I get in exchange?" He drawled slow and sexy.

  "Oooh, anything - you - want." She promised leaning towards him, her lips gently tasting his.

  "Ouuu, anything?"

  "Well, anything within reason." She purred, giving his mouth a slow perusal with her own.

  "I can tell you now, problem with this is - I already have, everything I want ... right here ... beside me." He murmured softly, tasting her lips in return.

  Sylvia groaned, "So you're not going to tell me?" She whimpered.

  He smiled, reached for her and pulled her onto his lap, their mouths once again engaged in a foreplay that stirred them both. "No..." He finally answered, "...don't wanna talk about Jake right now. You've gone and put me in the mood."

  "Shawn, now you know we're at my mother's, we can't."

  "Why not? We did it here before, in her basement. We're married now, a simple move to the bedroom is all it takes. Long as you don't get to howling like a wolf, give it all away." He chuckled on, as they kissed.

  "One of these days I'm gone bite my tongue clean in half tryin' to keep in what you do to me." Sylvia murmured, touching his lips with her tongue. His came out of hiding to stroke with it. "Ummm, wouldn't want you to do that. I rather like this - tongue." He grabbed her head and pressed her mouth to his for a long, slow kiss that had her first sucking his tongue and then he was pulling on hers. Their bodies pressed to each other with Shawn grinding up against her bottom.