BOMAW 4-6

by Mercedes Keyes

  "I will be here - Vivian... go!" Sheila commanded.

  "You don't know - which - cre - credit cards to - to ca-a-a-all!" She started bawling, standing holding her hand up.

  "GIRL! Hang on a minute!" Sheila ran and grabbed a paper and pen. "Okay... fire away!"

  It took Vivian five minutes to think of all of her credit cards. Sears, a gold MasterCard, 2 Visa's by two different banks - Carson's - her bank for the debit card, J.C. Penny's, and a Diners Club card.

  "GODDAMN!!! Girl, no wonder yo' ass ain't got no car! All them goddamn credit cards!" Dennis fussed, nudging her out the door as Sheila shook her head and grabbed her phone book. She spent forty-five minutes on the phone, on hold most of the time, and was only able to cancel her store cards, and one Visa. The others required password information, even after she explained the situation and gave the police report number. They still wanted the passwords from Vivian. Nothing Sheila could do about that. She stopped there and put dinner on the table for Tyrese and Jimmy to eat, leaving them in the kitchen at the table. Her next move was to make a phone call having nothing to do with Vivian's credit cards.

  "Hello?" Angela answered the phone. Sylvia and her dad were at Shanna's mobile home, had been for most of the evening.

  "This is Sheila, Sylvia's friend, is she there?"

  "No... not right now. I can go get her if you want, she's just down the road.

  "Shoot! No... that's okay. Just tell her I called and to call me back, it's important."

  "It won't take me long to go get her if it's important."

  Sheila sighed, and then thinking, 'What the hell.' - "Yeah baby, go get her for me, I'll wait."

  "Okay, be right back."

  Angela set the phone down, and was on her way out of the basement, taking the needed break from doing her homework, when she met Sylvia at the exit door from the basement. "Oh! I was just coming to get you, your friend Sheila is on the phone, she says its important." Angela informed her.

  "Oh... okay." Sylvia returned, following her back down the stairs to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

  "Hey, girl! That was quick, man!"

  Sylvia smiled, heading for the stairs to go up, leaving Angela to get on with her homework. "What's going on? Angela said it was important, I just talked to you earlier."

  "I know, girl, Vivian got her purse snatched on the way home from work!"

  "WHAT?! She okay?"

  "Shook up really bad! She fell on a piece of glass when that sorry ass, low down, thieving, shit head nigga snatched her purse! Dennis had to take her to the hospital to get it stitched up, it wouldn't stop bleeding. She gone be staying over here with us a few days. Her keys, credit cards, and information on where she lives was in there."

  "That's a dag-blasted shame! It's reasons just like that, that I do NOT miss Chicago!"

  "Tell me about it, girl. I'm waiting on her landlord now to come with some keys, so she can get in and get some clothes. Now she worried about all her stuff. You know she got all that expensive ass furniture and shit. Expensive ass paintings on the wall! Art collecting... screw that! They take that shit, then what?"

  "She probably has insurance on all of it. At least coming up here for the weekend will get her away from it all. You all should come Friday evening after Dennis get off of work, spend the whole weekend here!"

  "We might, we'll see. You think you should tell Jake?"

  "I don't know. The question is, will Vivian want me to? You know how she is. I don't want her mad at me because we involved him."

  "What you think he'll do?"

  "Honestly, I do not know, but - if he's anything like Shawn, he'll be on his way up there."

  "Tell him, see what he'll do."

  "Oh no you not! You tell 'im! You ain't gone have Vivian mad at me!"

  "She didn't say not to tell him!"

  "Probably because she not thinking about that! Nooo, I'm not going there. If she wants him to know, she'll tell him. If YOU want him to know, YOU tell him."

  "Come on Sylvia... let's just see how he reacts!?"

  "Sheila... I'm not doing it. When Vivian gets back there, have her give me a call, or... I'll call her in a couple of hours. But - I'm not putting Jake in that. I'm not even 100% sure that he gone be any good for her, or else he wouldn't be fighting it so hard."

  "I just wanna know! Because I can tell you this, she all into him!"

  "Yes... I know, but she has her pride. She wants him to come because he loves her, not out of some feeling of obligation. So I'm telling you, let her be the one to tell him."

  "Sylvia... you know what? You ain't no goddamn fun! BYE!"

  Laughing, Sylvia quickly said, "See you this weekend!"

  "Maybe!"

  "Sheila!"

  "BYE!"

  Sylvia hung up the phone and stood staring at the boxes that were Angela's down the hallway. The two of them had gone through some of them, taking out many of her favorite items and clothing, but the girl had loads of stuff. There was no way all of her things were going to fit into that bedroom. No way. When Shawn and Jake came back in the house, she would get them to stack them in the basement. In the meantime, she grabbed some fresh sheets, pillowcases, a thin blanket and a bedspread and went into the room that would now be Jake's. He'd gone and picked up the bed she bought earlier, put it together and now she stood making it up. It was a king size, leaving just enough room in the back bedroom to fit a dresser and a TV stand, with 2 feet of clearance all around the sides and bottom. Sylvia couldn't put her finger on why doing things like this brought her such pleasure, she just knew that it did. Although it had been only a few days that she and Jake had been dwelling together, it wasn't that bad. Happy with the look of the room and providing him with fresh new comfortable pillows, she left and headed downstairs to the basement; time to start dinner. Shanna had gone back to her mom and dad's to start collecting items for her home, now that it was in place. The utilities weren't on yet, that would be happening throughout the week. Water, Electric, Gas, Cable, and the telephone. She was over the moon with joy for this new start.

  Reflecting back just a couple of hours ago, Sylvia stood smiling thinking about how she was acting with Officer Royce Collier around. If their behavior thus far was anything to go by, Sylvia figured it wouldn't be long before something came of it. Throughout the day, he kept circling back by the house, waving at them, pausing to look at Shanna, making sure she saw him and nodded - of course with a smile.

  Sylvia laughed to herself, thinking about Gert when she arrived to see the mobile home in place, Jake started stirring the mess right off the bat.

  "Momma, there's a policemen giving Shanna the eye! He keep circling around."

  "A policeman? Who? Shanna! What's this Jake saying about some policeman sniffing around you?!" Gert asked right out. Jake took off laughing, his job was done, and he returned to helping Shawn mark and measure for the bricks they'd be building around the bottom of her new home. As for Gert, she entered Shanna's home with her hands on her hips, "Spill it girl! What about this policeman?"

  "Momma, don't go listening to Jake! I ain't thinking about no man!"

  "Is he white?"

  "Yes momma, he is! I'm sorry - he is as white as white can be!"

  "Thought you wasn't thinkin' about him?"

  "I'm not thinkin' about him momma, you brought it up!"

  "You need to get rid of that other no good bastard fo' you start reelin' in another! You sure he ain't a Indian or Mexican or something?"

  Sylvia just had to speak up, "At least this one's a cop, mama Gert! And a nice one at that! I like him, he's a good guy."

  "It's early still, may add up to nothing. When you say as white as white can be, how white is that?" Gert asked grumpily.

  Sylvia busted up laughing then and even now, thinking about Gert and the look on her face, sent her into giggles. She would never get use to Gert and her crazy take on life. She was one in a million! Of course, that little discussion had carried on all while she said her goodbyes, needin
g to get dinner on. Shawn was giving her that hungry look. The longer they were together, the more she grew connected to her husband. Now, she could almost predict what he was thinking. When Shawn was in the midst of manual labor, food quickly became the most prevalent thought in his mind.

  Because of the way he ate, with Jake there, her kids and Angela, she knew to prepare plenty. On the menu that night, was stuffed cabbage, corn on the cob, and zucchini. She would have liked to leave out the corn bread, but Shawn would have a fit. He and Jake could devour a round pan of corn bread between the two of them, so she made a long square pan of it. With everything simmering on low, she went and sat on the sofa near Angela, who was sitting on the floor with her books on the coffee table, trying to complete her math homework. Soon she enlisted Sylvia's help when stuck. Some were so difficult, she ended up getting her laptop for Angela and hooking it up so she could go to the homework site to get better assistance.

  Life was good, events were rolling along and Sylvia lay on the sofa behind Angela, comfortably stroking her dark hair, watching the news. In contented peace, the two sat in easy company of each other, ignorant of the storm brewing across the road.

  * * *

  Crystal had not long gotten home, putting away things she bought for the boys. They were running around making too much noise. "HEY! You two, I took you out all day, you've been doing nothing but playing the day away, now sit down and watch TV!" She ordered. Isaac went to the television, turning it on and started looking for their favorite movie to watch, they loved Spiderman and put that in.

  Mundo was in the basement, heard them come in and came upstairs. "Little dudes! Wha's up man!" He called to them, laughing. Hearing him, Crystal asked from her room, "Is mama gonna cook?"

  "Yep... said it be done in a bit." He answered, jumping on the sofa and grabbing Darren who was laughing out loud with his Uncle hugging and tickling him. The phone rang and Crystal rushed to the one in the kitchen.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi, it's me. I was calling to find out, uh - if I can get the boys over the weekend?" Victor asked.

  "It's Memorial Day weekend. Why?"

  "Just wanted to get them."

  "Well, Shawn wants to have a big barbecue, and I thought you might wanna come?" Crystal invited, hoping that he would.

  Victor went silent on the line, nervously clearing his throat he informed her, "I ah - have plans already - for the weekend."

  "Plans? And you want the boys? What kind of plans?"

  "Just plans! My parents booked a cabin, we'll be camping, hiking and fishing. I'm going with them for the weekend, I wanna take the boys. They'll have a good time."

  Crystal felt her face on fire. Humiliation washing over her because the entire time they'd been married, not once had his parents invited them as a family anywhere. Now he wanted to take her boys, -minus her- out with his family. Swallowing down hurt feelings she commented, "I see - so, uh - is it just you and your family?" She just had to ask it.

  "No, there'll be others coming with us. Friends of the family."

  "Yeah - friends of the family, huh?! By the sounds of it, you'll be too busy to look after the boys."

  "Hey! I take care of my boys and you know it, Crystal!" Victor blasted.

  Crystal was pacing back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, Mundo and Isaac watching and listening. Darren was too much into Spiderman, sitting in front of his Uncle, to care; was too young to discern what was happening.

  "Are you seeing that girl again? Jeanine? Is she gonna to be there?" She demanded.

  Victor was unable to respond because he knew that she was.

  "Well?!" Crystal asked, fighting an aching stomach.

  "Yeah."

  "Yeah!? You!" Crystal couldn't find her voice, it seemed to catch in her throat.

  "Look Crystal, I've been thinking..."

  "You've been thinking!? You know what I think!? That you're a weak ass, sorry son-of-a-bitch! We're still fucking married! You ain't shit Victor! You hear me - you ain't shit! You know what else - hell no! You wanna play games and screw around?! FINE! Do what the fuck you want! But you won't be doing it in front of my boys!"

  "They're mine too, Crystal!"

  She hung up on him, fighting down frustration.

  The phone rang again, she charged at it, picking it up.

  "WHAT?!"

  "Crystal, why can't we settle anything without fighting about it?"

  "I'm gone tell you something... all I have to say to you is this - you obviously want a divorce! You got it, baby! I'm done kissing your ass! I'm not doing that shit no more! Do what the fuck you want!"

  She hung up again, turned away, didn't take a step and the phone rang. She reached back, snatching it off the perch. Right away Victor demanded, "When have you ever kissed my ass?!"

  "Victor - when I hang up the goddamn phone - there's a goddamn reason!" She slammed it down again.

  Mundo sat up, staring across the room at Isaac, who was no longer watching Spiderman. He was staring at the kitchen door where he could hear his mother raging at his father, his face on the verge of crumbling as he looked from the door to Mundo. "Come here lil' man... come here."

  Isaac fought back tears as he made his way to Mundo, they heard the phone ring again.

  Crystal held it to her ear, shaking as Victor blasted from the other end, "I'm getting the boys this weekend! Do you hear me!?"

  "NO YOU NOT! NO YOU NOT! WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE!!? YOU AIN'T GETTIN' SHIT!!!"

  "I'M THEIR FUCKING FATHER ,CRYSTAL!! THAT'S WHO I AM!!"

  "AND A WEAK ASS ONE AT THAT!!!"

  "WHATEVER - I'M STILL THEIR FATHER!!!"

  "MAMA'S BABY! DADDY'S MAYBE!" She shouted into the phone.

  "That's bullshit! You know its bullshit! Those boys are mine! I know that damn well and so do you! That fuckin' line don't apply to me! I don't even need DNA testing for them!"

  "YOU AIN'T THE ONLY WHITE ASS PIECE OF SHIT ON THE EARTH!"

  "MAYBE NOT - BUT I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEEN UP YOUR ASS!! I'M GETTIN' THE BOYS!!!"

  "YOU AIN'T GETTIN' SHIT!! UNDERSTAND ME!? COME AROUND HERE TRYING TO GET MY BOYS, YOU GONE END UP WITH A FOOT UP YO' ASS!!!"

  "Tell me something new! Very familiar feeling, that - yeah! I think a divorce - is long overdue! Just so you know it from the start, I'll be going for joint or full custody!"

  "You can go for what the fuck you want! You ain't gettin' my boys! The divorce - you can have that baby! It's yours! But that's all you gettin'! Ain't shit else comin' to you!"

  She hung up again.

  Mundo stood up after trying to calm Isaac down and walked into the kitchen.

  "Crystal, why you got to carry on like that? You must be don' lost yo' min'! You can't keep that man from seeing his own kids! Don't start actin' stupid!"

  "He is not takin' my goddamn boys off to play happy family with someone else! I'm their goddamn mother! Not that silly ho'!"

  "How you know she a ho'?!"

  "I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT SHE IS! WHAT? YOU ON HIS FUCKIN' SIDE!? I'M HIS GODDAMN WIFE-..."

  "WHO WAS KICKIN' HIS SHIT ALL THE TIME!!"

  "I SAID I WAS SORRY ABOUT THAT! DON'T KEEP REMINDING ME - BRINGING THAT SHIT UP! THAT DON'T EXCUSE WHAT HE DOIN'!"

  "Look, I ain't trying to excuse what he doing! And I ain't on his side, but you cannot deny that man his right to see his kids! Think about what you doing to them Crystal!"

  "I'm doing them a fuckin' favor! That way, I don't raise two more weak ass white boys taking after him!"

  "You talkin' crazy! You need to calm your ass down! Quit all that goddamn yelling!"

  "You know what - YOU can get the fuck out'ah my face! It ain't none of yo' goddamn business - anyway!"

  "Fuck it ain't my business! They my goddamn nephews!" Mundo growled back. "I'm they goddamn uncle!"

  Isaac and Darren moved from the living room into the open kitchen doorway watching them argue.

  "Well, you ain't shit else! As I said, - get - the fuck - o
ut'ah my face!"

  "YOU SEE - THAT'S WHY YO' ASS STANDING' HERE LOOKIN' STUPID NOW - WITH YO' MAN OFF WITH ANOTHER GODDAMN WOMAN! 'CAUSE CAN'T NOBODY TELL YOU SHIT!! YOU DON'T LISTEN TO NO GODDAMN BODY! IF IT'S NOT HOW YOU WANT IT - IT AIN'T HAPPENING!! THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!! BUT RIGHT OR WRONG - It don't change one fact - he they daddy!"

  "You got ten seconds to get the hell out of my face!" Crystal threatened.

  "What the fuck you gone do?! HUH?! HUH?! You want som' o' me!? I ain't Victor ass! You come flying at me-..."

  Shawn and Jake were heading towards Shawn's house to get something to drink and to wash up a bit before going to the other house. Sylvia would have a fit were they to come in there with the grit and dirt from working on Shanna's place all over them. They were discussing plans for laying the bricks and in what type of design, and then whether or not to bed the deck, or just attach it to the mobile home? Also, whether they would tackle it over the weekend with Dennis and Derrick coming, when - within 25 feet of the house, they heard a disturbance that froze them both. They could hear high-pitched screaming, shouting and crying, as well the sounds of heavy banging. Startled and unable to imagine what could possibly be happening, they both sprinted to the front door and rushed inside with the loud noise of heart stopping violence sounding through the house. Standing in view of it, Darren and Isaac shook, with arms flailing, screaming in the kitchen doorway, faces red and wet with tears, stomping in place, while waling, "MAMAAA - MAMAAA - MAMAAA!!!"

  Beyond them, heavy cursing and banging, accompanying a harsh struggle in the kitchen.

  "HE-E-E-EY!!! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!!!" Shawn blasted, running past Darren and Isaac, with Jake right on his heels to see Mundo and Crystal gridlocked in a fight behind the kitchen table, which was turned over on its side. Whatever contents once on the table, were now scattered, surrounding Crystal, who was on her back on the floor, with her hand gripping her brother's hair tight, as he stood over her bent at the waist, one hand around her throat, his leg pinning her one arm against her body, with his knee pressing into her chest. Both were breathing hard and fast, his fist balled, raised high and aimed for her face. His mouth was bloody, face scratched and bleeding. Her face showed marks from him hitting her in the jaw once already, as her nose bled.