Not My Mother's Footsteps

by Cherish Amore

  Phoenix brushed her now soak and wet hair, and placed it into a high ponytail, she didn’t feel pretty so she wasn’t about to try and make herself look pretty. After drying herself off Phoenix slipped on a black mini skirt, a red midriff sweater that exposed her breast, she chose to wear a pair of six inch ankle booties, and some accessories completed the outfit. “I plan to eventually not walk in my mother’s footsteps” Phoenix said out loud as she looked herself in the mirror, looking just like her mother.

  Phoenix began thinking about the last time she actually saw her mother she was nine years old. “Mommy you look so pretty” Phoenix said as she watched her mother run around their efficiency apartment getting dressed.

  “Child hush, I don’t have time to listen to you, have you seen my red lipstick?” Phoenix mom asked as she held a cigarette that badly needed to be ashed.

  “Mommy where are you going, can I go?” Phoenix asked as she tried helping her mom look for her lipstick.

  Phoenix mother whose name is Melissa grabbed the side of Phoenix face “baby where I’m going aint no place for kids, hell it’s really not a place for me” Melissa said and Phoenix could have sworn she saw tears in her mother’s eyes. “But mommy’s gotta do what she has to do for you” Melissa said releasing Phoenix’s face. Seconds later there was a knock at the door “baby get that please” Melissa said to Phoenix as she ran into the bathroom.

  Phoenix opened the door without asking who it was, and when she did she saw her Uncle Bo standing there. Well Bo really wasn’t her uncle but that’s what he always told her to call me. Phoenix felt weird around him, he would tell her to sit on his lap, and if she gave him some sugar he would give her a dollar. The weirdest thing about him is he would always tell Phoenix she was in training and to watch her mother closely because she would be doing what she does soon. Phoenix never understood what she meant but she loved her mother so much that no matter what it was her mother did she would do so she could be just like her. “Hey Uncle Bo” Phoenix said dryly as she walked away from the door because she knew her mother would be leaving soon.

  “Now is that anyway to talk to your uncle Bo? Come give me a hug girl” Bo said as he kneeled down with his arms stretched out to Phoenix”

  Phoenix walked slowly backed to him she really didn’t want to hug him, but her mother had always told her to respect her elders. As Bo was releasing Phoenix from the hug, she could have sworn he rubbed his hard up under her nighty and touch her butt, but she wasn’t too sure she just knew she was scared. “Hey daddy” she heard her mother say in a low tone as she walked out the bathroom with another cigarette lit.

  Bo didn’t say a thing to Melissa he just had a mean scowl on his face and nodded his head to the door and then turned in walked out. “Phoenix baby, mommy loves you. Remember once I leave lock this door and do not open for no one and I mean no one, you understand?” Melissa said as she kissed Phoenix on the cheek.

  “But mommy I want to go with you” Phoenix whined

  ‘Stop it No you don’t want to go with me!” Melissa shouted which scared Phoenix. “Promise me you will be better than me Phoenix” Melissa said. Phoenix didn’t understand what her mother was saying so she didn’t say a word. “Promise me Phoenix!” she shouted.

  “I promise” Phoenix said in a whisper.

  “I love you Phoenix” Melissa said once again before looking at Phoenix one last time before walking out the door. Phoenix felt that I love you and goodbye meant so much more but because she was so young she really didn’t understand. Little did Phoenix know that would be the last time she saw her mother.

  Phoenix sat on her couch waiting for Geno and found herself crying just thinking of the last memories she remembers of her mother. She never really was told what happen to her, except she was a prostitute and the streets took over. So she pretty much lived her entire life just assuming her mother was dead, Phoenix couldn’t help but to cry because she was following her footsteps.

  Chapter 15

  It had been two days since Terrell went on a date with Phoenix, and he hadn’t heard from her since. Terrell couldn’t figure out why but he couldn’t shake her from his mind; it was weird she hadn’t called because most females drooled over him. Terrell was sitting on his sofa, watching Monday night football on his 65inch TV as he smoked a blunt and sipped on rum and coke. His phone began to ring, he didn’t recognize the number “Yo?” he answered as he always did.

  “Hey Terrell” he heard a voice he could never forget blare sweetly through the phone; though the voice was sweet the person was venomous.

  “Fuck you calling me for Fluffy?” Terrell asked in a calm manner though he was far from calm, he just never let anyone see him sweat.

  “Come on don’t be that way baby, we got history and I miss you” Fluffy said trying to sound sexy. Terrell use to love that about her, until he found out it was all a front.

  “Whatchu want man, I aint got time for this shit” he said as he inhaled the smoke from the blunt.

  “I want you” Fluffy said with seriousness.

  Terrell laughed a little, though he didn’t find a damn thing funny “shit I hear that. You want me? Fuck outta here” he said before hanging up in her ear. “That bitch is crazy” he said to himself as he stood to go make him another drink.

  As Terrell was making himself another drink he could hear his phone ringing, he just shook his head assuming it was Fluffy calling back but he had assumed wrong.

  ~

  Phoenix held her cell phone in her uncontrollable shaking hands; she couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. The vision of Butter’s brains splatted on the wall as she watched from the bathroom invaded her mind. Phoenix tried calling Mariah and as she waited for her to answer she closed her eyes, and started thinking about what lead up to this moment. “Aight yall, this nigga will be here in a second, I gotta make a run” Geno said as he was about to leave the house.

  “Go in the bathroom and put some more make up on ya eye, I can still see this shit” Geno said has he held Phoenix by her chin examining the damage he had done to her face earlier.

  “Okay” Phoenix said with quietly. Phoenix has been in a daze, not only had Geno been freely using her body as his personal sex slave the last couple of days, he also had been hitting her a lot more.

  Phoenix hurried off to the dirty bathroom in the trap house, where most of her horrible sex habits were performed. Phoenix stood staring at her reflection in the mirror, her once blemish free face carried marks and bruises. Her eyes had bags, and she looked 32 not 22. Pulling out her makeup Phoenix was about to apply more to her face, ‘BOOM’ she heard loudly, which caused her drop the makeup case on the floor causing it to shatter; she could hear Butter screaming and Geno pleading.

  Seconds after hearing the ‘BOOM’ she heard yelling, Geno spoke “I aint got much on me yo, but take what the fuck I got including my truck” she heard him plead sounding like a punk.

  “Fuck that truck, where the money at?” Phoenix heard one of them yelling

  “All I got on me is 5,000, I’m sure yall asses know ion keep money like that on me, it’s all at the house” Geno said, and that was the last thing Phoenix heard before she heard multiple gunshots ring out. Phoenix fell to her knees covering her mouth as she cried, she was scared to even breathe. Though she hated Geno the fact that he might be dead scared the hell out of her.

  Phoenix couldn’t stop the tears, she could hear the room being ransacked and Butter crying even louder now; that let her know she wasn’t dead. “You thick to shorty” she heard somebody say, and for some reason she recognized the voice but for the life of her she couldn’t place the face.

  “I’ll do whatever you want me to do” Phoenix heard Butter say. Phoenix and Butter had become close since they were always working together, so she knew if Butter fucked him they would let her live. Phoenix could hear them about to get down to busy, so the curiosity got the best of her. Opening the door slightly just enough to see, she could see Geno laid out in a
puddle of blood, dead. Butter was standing butt naked about to fuck the guys. Phoenix opened the door a little wider so she could get a look at, at least one of the guys face but she couldn’t because their backs were to her.

  Phoenix was just about to close the door back to allow Butter to do her, plus so she would go unnoticed when the unthinkable happened. “Oh my God please don-” she heard Butter start but was stopped when she was shot right in between her eyes, killing her instantly. Seventeen year old Raquel “Butter” Blanch lost her life that night for something that had nothing to do with her, but no witnesses could be left.

  Phoenix gasp as soon as she saw the bullet enter Butter’s head and all of her brain matter flew and hit the wall, she was now scared for her life more than she ever was. Both of the guys that were in the house turned to walk out the door as if nothing happened. As soon as they hit the door one looked down at Geno and spit on him and when he looked up Phoenix all most had a heartache, it was the guy her and Mariah met; Renz.

  So here Phoenix was now, trying to get ahold of Mariah, because she had managed to get away without being killed. “Oh my God, why is Mariah not answering?” Phoenix said as tears fell, she was walking in Downtown Newport News and alone. Scrolling through her contacts she didn’t know who to call because she didn’t have any friends or family near except Mariah. “Terrell” she said out loud as she got to his name. Phoenix called him three times before he answered, the moment he answered Phoenix began to cry and try to explain what had happen but she couldn’t get it out. Terrell couldn’t understand her so he just told her to go to the McDonalds and he would be on his way.

  Chapter 16

  Renz and a crack head name Pac man cruised in the stolen black navigator as they popped molly’s, headed to ditch the truck. Pac man was a crack head that would steal, rape, kill, and destroy for any drugs. Renz knew the day he asked Pac man to follow through with a job he wouldn’t have any trouble as long as he was high. Renz was high himself at the moment but his mind was focused ‘why was that girl in there man?’ he kept asking himself referring to Butter. He didn’t want to kill her, but she had seen their face and that would only cause trouble later.

  “Yo Pac make sure the gas can in the back” Renz said as he popped yet another molly, they were going to burn the truck and any evidence besides the bodies involved. Renz chuckled a little to himself as he thought about the way Geno was pleading like a little bitch for his life. Though Renz hated taking Geno out just a little bit because he was Terrell’s cousin but it had to be done; it was all a part of the plan.

  Renz pulled the Navigator onto a long dark dirt road, once he got to the end, he put the car in park and hopped out. “Pac man get ya ass out, hell are you doing?” he asked as he looked at Pac man just sitting in the passenger seat zoned out, moving his lips but no words were spoken; he was high.

  “Oh shit” Pac man said as he climbed out the truck.

  Removing the cap from the gas can Renz began to douse the entire truck with gasoline. Placing the gas can on the ground Renz reached behind his ear and pulled out a perfectly rolled blunt, striking a match he lit the blunt then tossed the match onto the truck causing it to burst into flames. “Damn that’s a big ass fire” Pac man said slurring his words like a drunk.

  “Here you go man” Renz said digging in his pocket pulling out two grams of crack and three molly’s handing it to Pac man. Pac man’s eyes lit up like little kid on Christmas morning. “Gone get out of here, and don’t smoke all that shit at one time” Renz said sounding as if he really gave a fuck. Pac man disappeared so quick down the road, Renz couldn’t do anything except laugh. Renz stood there a couple seconds watching the truck burn and then he headed up the dirt road, his car was not far away. ‘Time to execute the next part of my plan’ Renz thought as he walked to his car.

  ~

  Terrell pulled into his garage, and after placing the car and park and turning it off he looked over at a sleeping Phoenix. He still wasn’t sure what had happen, but he didn’t care he just wanted her safe because she seemed extremely scared. Terrell watched as she slept peacefully, he thought she was beautiful but something about her was different tonight; more makeup, less clothes, and of course the numerous of bruises and marks on her face and body. “Phoenix” he called out but she didn’t move. “Phoenix” he called again this time lightly nudging her leg.

  “Please no!” she yelled as she jumped out of her sleep.

  “Whoa calm down” Terrell said holding his hands up.

  Phoenix frantically looked around forgetting that she was with Terrell, after realizing she wasn’t in any danger, she calmed down and looked over at Terrell “I’m sorry.” Phoenix was a nervous wreck, she just wanted to sleep and hoped that when she woke up this day never happened.

  “It’s cool, you good?” Terrell asked sounding concerned.

  “Yea, yea I’m fine” she said unsure her own self.

  “Okay cool, this is my crib, let’s go inside” Terrell said opening his door. Phoenix opened her door after him and slowly got out of the car.

  “Watch your step” Terrell said as they walked up the stairs heading inside his home. Once they were inside Terrell flipped on the light and kicked off his Jordan’s “Umm you gotta take your shoes off” he said pointing to her 6inch heels.

  “Okay” Phoenix said stepping out of her heels and turning and placing them where Terrell had put his shoes. As she did this, Terrell watched her closely, she was beautifully perfectly polished toes, nice slender smooth honey colored legs, a small round ass that bounced involuntarily whenever she moved.

  ‘Ahem’ “You can follow me” Terrell said clearing his throat trying not to think of any sexual things. “This is where you can sleep” Terrell said as he showed her the guest bedroom. “Also if you need to shower, the bathroom is right there” he said pointing to the closed door.

  “I do want to take a shower, but I don’t have any clothes” Phoenix said sounding childlike because she was embarrassed.

  “It’s cool” give me a second” he said walking out the room leaving Phoenix standing there. “Here you go” Terrell said when he returned handing her a pair of his basketball shorts, and a tee-shirt. “The washcloth and towel along with some body wash is in the linen closet there” he said pointing to the closet. “You need anything else?” he asked as he walked towards the door to give her, her privacy.

  “No thank you” Phoenix said politely.

  “Okay I will be downstairs in the living room” he said before walking out the room.

  Phoenix stood in the middle of the floor looking around, and before she knew it she was crying; crying for her, Butter, and even Geno. Walking to the bathroom, Phoenix couldn’t stop the tears, and to be honest she didn’t want to. The entire time in the shower Phoenix cried, her tears were mixed in with the shower water that one couldn’t tell the difference. As soon as she was done with the shower she quickly dressed and went in search of Terrell she had to at least say thanks.

  Phoenix slowly walked towards the living room on the plush white carpet feeling as though she was walking on clouds, she stopped once she made it to the entrance.

  Terrell heard her coming, and when she made it to arched entry way he looked up and was stunned. Her face was now make up less and even with the bruises she was flawless. Her small frame swallowed up by his shorts and t-shirt but yet it looked like she was runway ready. Phoenix hair hung past her shoulders now wet and curly. “Wow” Terrell said out loud without thinking.

  Phoenix being self-conscience with herself and frankly not trusting anyone folded her arms across her chest and hung her head. “Hey my bad” Terrell said realizing how even sounded saying that even if he was thrown off his game how beautiful she was. He went to say something else as his phone began to ring, seeing it was Renz he pushed the ignore button deciding to call him later. ‘You want some food, something to drink?” he asked as he picked up his own drink.

  “Umm no thank you” Phoenix said though she was
hungry as hell.

  “Look Phoenix I know you don’t know me, but I’m not going to hurt you I promise.” He said truthfully.

  ‘Yea right like I never heard that before’ Phoenix thought. “No thank you, I just came down to say thank you, and that I was going to lay down for that night, if that’s okay with you?” Phoenix asked as she watched him take a sip of his drink.

  “That’s cool, imma chill out here though, if you need me just let me know” Terrell said never looking at Phoenix, it wasn’t because he didn’t want to, it just was best.

  “Okay, goodnight” Phoenix said before turning and heading back upstairs. As she walked away, Terrell looked up and followed her up the stairs and his mind couldn’t help but to wonder, but that’s all it did because he would never disrespect her or any other women.

  As soon as Phoenix got up to the room she quickly closed and locked the door, Terrell was nice but she couldn’t be to safe, because the last guy she thought was nice became her pimp. Pulling the sheets back Phoenix climbed under the fluffy down comforter, and before her head hit the pillow good she was out.

  Chapter 17

  Phoenix adjusted her eyes to the ray of sun that shined through the crack of the curtains directly on her. Sitting up she wiped her eyes, and then the corners of her mouth while yawning ‘whew I need to brush my teeth’ she thought to herself as she smiled. Climbing out of bed and quickly making it back just the way she found it, Phoenix then headed to the bathroom to handle her morning hygiene routine.

  Phoenix could hear Terrell talking, she wasn’t sure if he was alone, but she could tell it was serious, he didn’t sound mad just focused. Looking at the wall clock in the bathroom it read 7:26am “damn does he sleep” she whispered as she placed her washcloth down. She knew he could not have gotten much sleep because it was four something when she went to bed and he was still up.