Violet: Strawberry Mansion 3

by Julia Press Simmons

  ***

  Begonia walked into Rodney’s house, took one look at the stiches on Big Mike’s cheek, and smiled. “Nice tattoo.”

  Big Mike jumped off his stool pulled his gun out and stuck it in Begonia’s face. “Oh, you real funny, bitch. How about I put a hole in your fucking cheek?”

  Begonia laughed. “Aww, Big Mike, you are so sensitive, a real softy. Can’t you tell when a girl is paying you a compliment?”

  Honey walked in the door and pushed Mike’s gun out of Begonia’s face. “Put that away, Mike, before you hurt somebody.”

  Mike lowered his gun just as Lisa walked in. Honey grabbed Mike’s chin and turned his face towards her. “Mike, be a good guard dog and go fetch your master, because we have business to discuss with him.”

  The intercom on the wall by Mike’s head buzzed and Tweet’s high pitched voice came through loud and clear. “Rodney said have them searched and then bring them down.”

  Mike nodded his head at two young boys sitting on the couch. The boys sprang into action pinning them to the wall and having a good time searching them thoroughly for weapons. “They’re clean, Mike.”

  “Aight, take them downstairs.”

  Begonia’s stomach clenched as she walked down the basement steps. She expected to see plastic covering the floor stained with blood.

  Begonia stood up straight and forced herself to walk over to the desk. She put the duffle bag on the table in front of Rodney.

  Rodney smirked. “Word on the street is you’ve been a busy little bee.” He pointed to the bag. “Is that all of my money?”

  “No,” Begonia said simply.

  Rodney nodded to Amir, and Amir opened the bag and started to count the money. Rodney leaned back in his chair. “Come on, Begonia, you’re a smart girl. Why would you come here without all of my money?”

  Honey switched over to them and sat on the corner of the desk. “We’re here because Portia wanted to make a deal with you.”

  “What makes you think that I’ll deal with tricks?”

  “Tricks make the world go round. Sex sells, and you’re a business man. Portia is invested in our girl here and she’s trying to protect her investment. There are 75 stacks in that bag; Portia’s offering that and the use of one of her new girls for three weeks as collateral and to make it an even 100k.”

  “100k, shit; that means your new booty is worth 25k?”

  Lisa walked over to the desk, and a slow smile spread over Rodney’s face as he realized who she was. That smile threatened to stop Lisa’s heart. Everything inside her told her to turn around and run as fast and as far away as she could.

  Rodney stared at Lisa for a full minute before turning his attention back to Honey. “I’m listening.”

  “Portia says that she will give you another 100k in three weeks and ten percent of whatever Begonia earns in the next six months.”

  Rodney raised his eyebrows and looked at Amir.

  Amir zipped the bag back up and went back to stand against the wall. “It’s 75k.”

  Rodney smiled and looked at Lisa. “So you a professional ho now?”

  Lisa stuck her chin in the air. “I’m trying to pay for college and flipping burgers ain’t going to cut it.”

  Rodney looked at Honey. “I’m seriously considering the offer, Honey, but there is one small problem.”

  Honey cocked her eyebrow. “And that is?”

  “Begonia here only has two weeks left.”

  Lisa swallowed hard, walked around Rodney’s desk and sat down on his lap. “That doesn’t sound like such a big problem to me.”

  Rodney smiled and rested his hand on Lisa’s thigh. “You might be right, Lisa.”

  Begonia locked eyes with Lisa and searched her friend’s face but saw no signs of fear. She looked at Rodney. “Do we have a deal?”

  Rodney smiled at her, an evil smile that never touched his eyes. “We sure do ma’am. I have to say that I could’ve sworn you’d be dead by now, what with all your activity in South Philly. I’ve got to tell you that you’ve got more heart than half the niggas in my camp.” He squeezed Lisa’s thigh and let his thumb travel up the hem of her dress. “You have three weeks.”

  Chapter 15

  The intake procedure for the federal prison was practically the same thing Violet went through at the county, except she didn’t freak out when they searched her the second time around. Violet kept her head down and her mouth shut as per the U.S. Marshal’s advice. He had spoken to her briefly in the hall after she’d taken the lie detector test, passing her a note from Begonia.

  “Your sister is a remarkable young woman, Ms. Brown. I want you to know that we are going to do everything in our power to protect all of you.”

  It was a single sheet of notebook paper folded up into a neat square. It looked just like the notes they would pass around in class when they were kids. Violet felt a shiver up her spine when he shook her hand and passed the piece of paper to her.

  She asked Mike and Brandi if she could use the bathroom so she could read it. Her hand trembled as she unfolded the paper.

  Vy,

  You are not alone. I’m doing everything I can, and I’ll see you soon. I love you.

  Bee

  That was it. Two little sentences written in her sister’s handwriting and it changed everything. Violet no longer felt the need to end it all. It was replaced by a fierce since of loyalty and love for her sisters. She had no clear idea of what Bee was doing, but she knew it couldn’t possibly be easy. Violet smiled at the thought of her sister working with the police instead of against them.

  The smile and the good feeling stayed with her as she walked to the prison library. For a short time, all of the pain she felt lifted. No matter what happened, she knew that her sister didn’t hate her and that she was not alone.

  Violet looked around at the few inmates in the library and walked to the back. She took a seat facing the wall and looked at the book someone had left on the table, a history of women in politics. Violet shrugged and picked it up. She would read anything as long as it was well written. She was two chapters in when a crash in the aisle caused her to look up. An older white inmate named Cheryl had been restocking books. Two younger girls advanced, backing her into the cart overturned in the aisle.

  Violet looked around. Everyone must have cleared out when the two bull daggers came in. Fuck this, she thought closing her book, she rose smoothly from the table, and headed towards the exit.

  “No, please don’t,” Cheryl moaned.

  Violet stopped dead in her tracks. The desperation of Cheryl’s cry tore at Violet’s heart and touched that deep well of pain that she had inside She recognized that kind of desperate plea, having made it herself. Violet turned around against her better judgment.

  “Hey, Mrs. Cheryl, I loved the book you gave me on the Civil War. You were right, it wasn’t boring.” Violet ambled over to them.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” said the short black girl. She had braids in her hair going straight back like Queen Latifah in Set it Off.

  “Huh?” Violet asked playing dumb. “I just wanted to tell Mrs. Cheryl about the book.”

  The second girl, who had Mrs. Cheryl pinned against the wall released her and turned her attention towards Violet as well.

  Queen Latifah looked Violet up and down with a sneer on her face. “Mrs. Cheryl is busy right now so why don’t you come back a little later. You guys can talk about all the fuckin books in this place as soon as we’re done here.”

  “Oh, she don’t have to leave, Sammy. Look at how cute she is.” She walked over to Violet and fingered the long braid that rested on her shoulder. “Look at all this pretty hair. You want to play with us, don’t you, Barbie?”

  “Get the fuck off of me,” Violet said between clenched teeth.

  “Oh, hooo, hooo,” Sammy said as she came to stand on the other side of Violet. “Barbie has a little backbone.”

  Cheryl closed her shirt and ran from the library.

/>   Oh, that’s just rich, Violet thought as she watched her go. That’s what I get for trying to be a hero.

  Sammy ran her hand up Violet’s arm and down the middle of her chest. “You are a pretty little thing, aren’t you?” Her breath smelled like stir-fried shit. Violet decided in that instant that if they wanted her they would have to kill her first. She grabbed the big girl’s hair, jerked her head back and bit her in the face as hard as she could. Sammy punched Violet in the ribs so hard that the air rushed out of her lungs she released the girl and fell to her knees.

  Once Violet was down, the blows didn’t stop coming. She was kicked and punched until everything went dark.

  ***

  Diana banged on Portia’s door like a madwoman.

  T-Bird nervously looked around at the neighbors’ houses. “Come on, Mrs. Diana, you don’t have to knock that hard.”

  “Oh, shut up, T-Bird, before I start knocking on you.” She turned around and started kicking on the door. “Open this door or I swear I will break it down.”

  Honeydip opened the door and was surprised to see a tall, middle-aged white woman standing on the porch with T-Bird. Diana walked in the house without waiting for an invitation. She pushed past Honey and started screaming Begonia’s name.

  “Are you crazy, lady?” Honey asked rubbing her shoulder.

  “No, I am not crazy, I’m pissed off.” Diana walked to the kitchen and back and then started up the stairs. “Begonia, I know you are in here and I want you to come here and explain yourself this instant.”

  Babygirl came out in the hallway dressed in a pink nightie. “What in the world is going on?”

  “Where’s Begonia?”

  “In the back room.”

  Honey rolled her eyes. “Babygirl!”

  “What?”

  Diana charged into the backroom and ripped the covers off a sleeping Begonia.

  “What in the hell…” Begonia said. She brought her hand up to her face to cover her eyes while she squinted at Diana. “Mom, what are you doing here?”

  Diana threw her hands up in the air. “What do you mean, what am I doing here? What are you doing here? You left home, dropped out of college, and quit your job to live in a whorehouse? Are you serious? Did you think I wasn’t going to find out?”

  Begonia got out of the bed and folded her arms under her chest. “How did you find out?”

  T-Bird stuck his head in the room. “I’m sorry, Bee; she cornered me at the bus stop and threatened to tell my mom that I was hustling again.”

  “You can’t be fucking serious, T.”

  T-Bird shrugged. “What? You know how my mom is.”

  “Hello!” Diana screamed. “Am I not standing right here, in a whorehouse? You watch your mouth, put your clothes on and come home right now.”

  “Mom, I can’t go home.”

  “Oh, yes, you can, and yes, you will. I got a visit from Mrs. Briggs this morning and she says that your sister Daisy is getting sick. She’s refusing to eat because you won’t come and visit her anymore. I didn’t know you were still visiting her in the first place. There was also a message on the answering machine for you from a Mr. Thompson. What, is he want of your clients?”

  “No, mom, he’s not a client.”

  Babygirl stood at the door. “Why is she calling that white woman mom?”

  “That’s her foster mother,” Honey said from behind her.

  T-Bird frowned. “Yo, Bee, you sleeping with dudes, who is this Thompson guy?”

  “Shut up, T-Bird, ain’t nobody sleeping with nobody.” Begonia closed the door in their faces, and turned to Diana. “Mom, look…”

  “Don’t, Begonia. Put your clothes on, so we can go see your sister. You can tell me what the hell is going on around here on the way over there.” Diana turned on her heels and stormed out of the room. She pushed by the girls on the steps and hollered over her shoulder. “You’ve got two minutes, Begonia. I’ll be in the car.”

  Begonia tore off the nightgown that Portia let her borrow and slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She put on her sneakers and walked out the bedroom door ignoring the questions that everyone threw at her all at once.

  She walked to Diana’s beat-up old Lincoln Town Car and got into the passenger side. Buckling her seatbelt, she faced her foster mother and sighed. “What do you want to know?”

  Diana started the car. “Everything, Begonia, I want to know everything. So why don’t you just start at the beginning and don’t stop talking until you get to the end.”

  By the time they pulled up in front of Mrs. Briggs house, Diana was in tears. She wiped her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. “Why won’t you let me help you, Begonia?”

  “Mom, you may live in my world, but you aren’t really a part of it. I keep things from you to protect you, because I love you. I only told you a fraction of what I’m going through right now and I can see your heart breaking. How do you think that makes me feel? Why would I come to you with my problems when I know you can’t help me, and I know that it will hurt you?” Begonia got out of the car. “What sense does that make?”

  Diana was speechless. She got out of the car and followed Begonia to Mrs. Briggs door.

  Begonia was tempted to pick the lock and walk right in but she didn’t want to upset Diana any more than she already had so she rung the door bell and waited.

  Mrs. Briggs came to the door in her pajamas, looking ragged. Her hair was tangled and her eyes blood shot. She pulled Begonia into a fierce hug. “I didn’t thank you were going to come.”

  “Why would you think that?” Begonia asked, pulling away from her. “Where’s my sister?”

  “She is in her room.” Mrs. Briggs waved Diana into the house. “Thank you so much,” she said, closing the door.

  “I’ll be down in a few minutes,” Begonia told them as she headed up the steps. Diana tried to follow her but Begonia stopped her. “I need to talk to my sister alone. Please wait down here with Mrs. Briggs. I promise this won’t take long.”

  Diana nodded and walked back down the steps, her eyes shiny with tears. “Take all the time you need.”

  Begonia walked in her sister’s bedroom and climbed into her bed. She took a moment to just watch her sister sleep. God help me. I can’t do what I need to do if something happens to this little girl. She picked up Daisy’s small sleeping form and laid her down on her chest. Daisy’s feet hung past Begonia’s knees. “Wake up, Munchkin.”

  Daisy opened her eyes and the corners of her mouth turned up in a small smile. “Bee,” she said softly and snaked her arms around Begonia’s neck for a hug. “Where have you been?”

  “I’ve been busy, little girl.” Begonia fought the lump in her throat. Her little sister was slick with sweat. “Why haven’t you been eating?”

  “I don’t want anything from them. I know they made you go away.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  Daisy nodded her head yes.

  “Come on, sit up.” Begonia sat up and cradled Daisy in her arms. “No one can make me stay away from you. If I stay away for a while, it’s because I have to. Do you understand?”

  Daisy shook her head no.

  “Yes, you do.”

  “No, I don’t, Bee. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to be with you and Violet and Mommy.” Fat tears fell down Daisy’s cheeks. Begonia wiped her eyes and pulled her in close.

  “Aw, Munchkin, don’t cry. We all want to be together but things don’t always work out that way. I’m doing the best I can to make sure everyone is safe and happy. Maybe we can be together but maybe we can’t. I’m not going to lie to you.” She held Daisy away from herself so that she could look in her eyes. “I have to go away for a little while. Ineed you to promise me that you’ll be a good girl and listen to Mrs. Briggs. You have to eat all of your food and take all of your medicine so that you can stay strong and be healthy. Do you understand me?

  Daisy nodded her head yes.

  “Good girl.” Begonia sco
oted to the edge of the bed and stood up with daisy in her arms. “You are getting big, girl. I don’t know if we can keep calling you Munchkin.”

  Daisy giggled against Begonia’s neck and Begonia smiled. “Now that’s what I like to hear. We’re gonna go downstairs and get something to eat. There’s a lady I’d like you to meet. Her name is Mrs. Diana and she’s my foster mother.”

  “She’s like Mrs. Briggs?”

  “Yup, she’s exactly like Mrs. Briggs, and she’s going to help Mrs. Briggs take care of you. I don’t want to hear about you not eating again, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Begonia kissed Daisy on her soft wet cheeks. “I love you, lil’ girl. Always remember that. I love you so much!”

  Chapter 16

  The bathroom filled with steam as hot water cascaded down Lisa’s form. You can do this, Lisa, she thought as she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She grabbed a thick towel out of the closet and wrapped herself in it. Running her hand across the mirror so she could look at her reflection, she bit her bottom lip and took the bobby pins out of her hair, letting it fall down to her shoulders. I miss my braids.

  She squeezed Victoria’s Secret Pear Glaze into the palm of her hand and slathered it onto her legs and arms while she was still wet. You are not the first person to fuck for something other than love, Lisa. You have to keep your mind focused on the end game. She toweled the excess lotion off and shimmied into a pair of purple lace panties. She slid a sheer black nightgown over her shoulders. It fell down to her manicured toes. Lisa put the towel in the bathroom hamper and her clothes in her duffel bag. She looked around the bathroom, making sure everything was in order. You can’t stay in here all night, Lisa.

  For the last couple of days, Rodney had been the perfect gentleman. He wasn’t all over her like she’d imagined. He talked to her about his desire to travel and get out the game. He was fascinated by the stock market and made modest investments, claiming that once he was legit, he was going to be a stockbroker. Lisa did her best to play her part. She listened to all of his stories,smiled when she was supposed to, talked when she was supposed to. If he wanted to act like they were starting some sort of relationship, she was game. She shook herself and put her hands on the door knob. She opened the door and stuck her head into the hall.