by Aletto, Anna
That night Terrell admitted me into the club to help him. Curtis was livid and wanted the matter dealt with immediately. Consequently, Terrell stood to gain both great appreciation and compensation. He wanted me there as a safeguard if anything went wrong.
I sat down the bar from the young man from Newark. Surprisingly, he looked only a few years older than me. He was light-skinned and handsome, sporting a short afro and a thin beard. He had sharp features, skinny, wearing a corduroy jacket. He flirted with an off-duty stripper.
Terrell stepped up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. “He might be even prettier than you,” he whispered jokingly. “Keep an eye on him.” Terrell walked away and did his job managing the club.
I eavesdropped on the young dealer’s conversation with the stripper. Eventually she wanted to buy something from him. He suggested they step out back. I made eye contact with Terrell from across the room. Without a word, we communicated everything we needed.
Terrell followed them out the back door into the parking lot. I exited out the front door and walked along the side of the building toward the back. I stopped at the back corner of the building where I could hear them.
“You think you can do this shit here?” Terrell grabbed the dealer by the collar of his shirt.
“It’s nothing,” the stripper tried to explain. We’re just—”
“Are you fucking stupid?” Terrell asked her. “Do you want to get your ass fired? Get the fuck back inside.”
The stripper obeyed without another word.
“C’mon, easy man,” the young man said, pulling a money clip from his pocket. “I’ll cut you in.” He held up a hundred-dollar bill.
Terrell took the bill and tossed it to the wind. But before he could make another move, the young dealer in one incredibly swift, deft motion pulled a knife from his pocket and sliced Terrell across the abdomen, cutting through his shirt and ripping through his flesh.
Terrell doubled over, releasing his grip on the kid.
The dealer cackled and dashed away. As he rushed around the corner, I timed it perfectly. A right-handed punch landed squarely on his mouth, knocking out his top front row of teeth, sprawling his body onto the gravel parking lot, and breaking a pair of my knuckles.
He spewed up blood, rasping guttural moans. Dazed, barely conscious, he swung his knife at me wildly from the ground, which I easily avoided. I kicked the knife out of his hand and kneeled on his torso. With my left hand, I held him by the throat and drilled him with another right hand, knocking him out cold.
Terrell walked toward us, holding his stomach, and observed. “He’s not pretty anymore.”
“Not at all.”
“Let me take it from here.”
Terrell threw the scrawny kid over his shoulder and carried him to the white van and tossed him into the back. The second he closed the doors, the van sped out of the lot and out of sight. Terrell took off early from work, went home, and poured hydrogen peroxide on his abdominal wound before washing it out with soap and water.
I drove to the hospital for my broken knuckles, lied to the doctor that I had defended myself after being jumped, and paid for the visit in cash.
The young dealer’s dismembered body was found the next morning at the front door of the Post Office, sealed inside a cardboard box postmarked for Newark, New Jersey.
Sunday morning Angela and I dress ourselves and drive to church, only exchanging a few words, as my mind is on speaking to Reverend Boyd after the service. Out of the church parking lot, Angela and I walk to the front doors. She stumbles, almost falling to the pavement. I grab her by the arm and steady her. Now near her, I realize she smells of alcohol. Not needing the distraction, I look at her and say, “Are you going to be able to hold yourself together or do you need to stay in the car?”
She looks at me contemptuously. “I’m fine. And don’t talk to me like that. I’m not a child.”
We enter the church and sit in our usual spot in the back.
“Do we really have to sit through another one of these things?” Angela whines. “This is the most boring shit ever. Couldn’t you have figured something else out by now?”
“Just be normal and do like always,” I whisper to her. “We’ll make some money. I’ll talk to the reverend afterward and then I’ll drive you home and you can sleep off whatever drunken bitchy mood you’re in right now.”
“Fuck you,” she whispers back. “You’re not so goddamn great, you know. You need me just as much as I need you.”
I chuckle.
“You think you’re so great just because you can get girls to spread their legs for you?”
I don’t say anything.
“I’m prettier than any girl you get. And I didn’t sleep with you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure you fantasize about it before you fall asleep every night.”
“Whatever. You’re such a cocky asshole.”
“Yeah, and you’re little miss humility.”
“You’re not that good-looking. You’re not that goddamn smart.”
I notice the service is about to begin. “It’s starting. Shut up and let’s get through this.”
Angela begrudgingly bites her lip.
Throughout the service Angela sits beside me without saying anything, though I can feel her fuming. During the collection we pull our usual routine and Angela stuffs a fistful of cash into her purse without incident. Once it’s all over several churchgoers stay after to talk with Reverend Boyd, while I wait. When Reverend Boyd is finally available, I tell Angela, “Just sit here and I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Yeah,” Angela says casually. “Fuck off.”
I approach Reverend Boyd. “Hey, I’m Bill. We spoke at the Harvest Party.”
“Of course, of course. I remember you. Britney said you’d be here so we could talk. Let’s go to my office.” We walk into his office and he says, “Take a seat.” He sits behind his desk. “So what did you think of today’s sermon?”
“Excellent, as usual. I can always relate to what you say.”
“It’s good to hear that. You know, there are lots of great people in the congregation. A lot of them are middle-aged or older folks, though. And, truth to be told, if I had to choose, I’d surround myself with younger people like yourself. Young people really have their fingers on the pulse of society. They know what’s cool. And if you can wow them, if you can hook them, you can hook anybody.”
“Definitely. I think you’re right.”
“That’s why I asked Britney to get a hold of you. I remembered talking to you and you really struck me as an intelligent young man. I know you help collect donations, but I thought maybe you’d want to do more.”
“Yeah, I would. Britney said something about George being out for a while and maybe I could fill in for him.”
“I already have someone for that,” Reverend Boyd says. “Besides, I have something much better for you. Something that would allow you to be a lot more influential, to make a much bigger impact.”
“What’d you have in mind?”
“Our congregation has been growing, especially with younger people. They’re an important part of our church. But, for as many young people who are devout Christians these days, there are also plenty of kids today who are the exact opposite. They’re corrupted by a mainstream media that indoctrinates them with liberal values. They hear music promoting materialism and death. They watch movies and play video games chocked full of violence. And they read books about warlocks and vampires who perform occult rituals. My point being, I think we could do a lot better. Yes, our congregation of young people is strong. But it could be a lot stronger. There are a lot of young people out there who need help.”
I nod. “I see what you’re saying. It’s crazy how popular culture leads people astray.”
“I know. It just astounds me at times. Now, I believe Britney told you I’m interested in expanding our Faith Outreach. And the first person I thought of was you. I thought, ‘Here’s someone
who found out about our church. Who came in and got involved and grew his relationship with God. A guy who is a bright young man who can now help others follow the path that he has set.’”
“Thank you. That’s high praise that you think of me like that.”
“Hey, I’m just being honest. One of my gifts is seeing people’s true selves and seeing all their strengths and weaknesses. That’s why I’m a pastor. And with you, I see a special person with a lot of potential.”
“What do you picture me doing exactly?”
“Well, first, we need to brainstorm some ideas and come up with some innovative new ways to reach the younger generation. We’d work together personally. Britney wants to be involved too. We’d pick a day of the week when we’re free when we get together and put some work into this.”
Not very excited by the idea, but with no recourse, I say, “Yeah, I’d like that. It sounds like an opportunity to really touch people.”
“Perfect. We just need to find a time to get together then. What time each week do you normally have free?”
“I’m pretty open. Is there any time good for you?”
“Well, I know you have classes during the week, so the weekend would probably be optimal. My Saturdays are pretty busy, plus that’s when I write my sermons. How about Sunday afternoons after church, maybe around three o’clock?”
“That’s fine.”
“Excellent. I’ll see you next Sunday then.”
We shake hands and he pats me on the shoulder. I exit the office and find Angela sitting in the exact same spot in the empty church. When I get close I notice she’s holding a bible.
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Oh my god. Eddie saw me sitting here and came over and talked to me and gave me this. He even inscribed something in the cover.”
I take the bible and the inside cover reads, “To Angela: May this Bible guide you to a place of spiritual, mental, and physical purity. I’ll be sure to keep you in my prayers. Love, Eddie.”
A pitiful look in her eyes, Angela begs me, “Please take me out of here before I slice my veins open.”
Ariel and I celebrated our eighteenth birthday. We spent the day at school. In the afternoon, I received a phone call from Cassie.
“I want to see you,” she said sweetly. “Tell me your address.”
For the duration of our relationship, Cassie had still not been to my home. Despite promising many times to have her over, I always opted to go to her house or meet her out somewhere. This time was no exception. “I’ll drive to you,” I told her. “I have some free time now anyway.”
“You’ve been promising forever I could come over. And besides, I want to see Ariel and wish her a happy birthday too.” She laughed into the phone. “You – always thinking of yourself.”
Not wanting to fight, I relented and gave her directions and hung up.
Ariel sat on the living room couch with me. She shuffled through her backpack. “I saw my counselor today and talked about colleges. I might try to apply early somewhere. She said, depending on where I apply, I could probably get a full scholarship.”
“That sounds great.”
“Have you been thinking of applying anywhere?”
“Not yet. I need to. Find a good school and tell me what it is. Maybe I’ll apply to the same place.”
“I’m not sure you’ll be smart enough to go wherever I go.”
I smiled.
Cassie parked a dark blue BMW her parents recently bought her in our driveway. She glanced at the neighborhood and quickly ran up our stoop.
“Hey.” I let her inside. “So you’re finally here.”
“Yeah,” she said, not knowing what to say as she looked around our house. “It’s …”
“What?”
“Small. I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just not exactly what I expected.”
“I told you it’s not anything special.”
“No, no, I like it,” she insisted. “The main thing is to see you guys anyway. Happy Birthday.”
“Thanks,” Ariel and I said in unison.
Cassie handed Ariel a birthday card with money inside.
We all sat on the couch.
Cassie leaned into me and draped my arm around her. “You should’ve skipped school,” she said. “I would’ve too. We could’ve gone downtown or something.”
“I would’ve liked that,” I said. “But honestly, though, I don’t give a shit about celebrating birthdays, especially my own. It’s just another day.”
“You know, celebrating your birthday isn’t just for you,” Cassie said. “It’s also for the people who care about you. But whatever. Ariel and I could’ve had fun if we went downtown together.”
“Why do you have such an attitude lately?”
“What do you mean – an attitude?”
“I mean all the fucking sass.”
“Well, what are you going to do about it?”
I looked around. “My options are kind of limited in this small house.”
“Could we go somewhere private?” Cassie asked me softly. “Like, to your room?”
“Actually, this is where I sleep,” I said, looking at the couch we were sitting on. “I guess we could go to Ariel’s room.”
“Oh god,” Ariel said. “And I’m going to have to sleep in my bed tonight after y’all have been in there? Just thinking about it is going to give me insomnia.”
I chuckled and looked back at Cassie. “We can see each other tomorrow night or sometime this weekend. It’ll be easier.”
“Alright, I mean, whatever you want.” Cassie reached out for my hand. Mistakenly, she grabbed and squeezed my hand with the two broken knuckles.
“Fuck!” I pulled my hand from her and doubled over holding it.
“I’m so, so sorry.” She rubbed my shoulder, trying to soothe me. “I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?”
“I told you my hand was fucked up.”
“I know. I just forgot.”
“Then why don’t you think before you do shit?”
Cassie didn’t say anything.
“I think it was just an accident,” Ariel interjected.
“Whatever.” I stood up and walked to the kitchen for some ice. “Hey, I’ll see you this weekend, alright?”
“I’m sorry,” Cassie said again.
From the kitchen, I didn’t say anything back and she left.
A couple hours later Terrell showed up at our house – a rarity since we usually went to his.
Ariel wore the necklace Terrell had bought her. I don’t think she had taken it off since he had given it to her. When he arrived at our house, Ariel hopped off the couch and hugged and kissed him.
In his hand Terrell held an envelope.
“Is that for me?” Ariel asked.
“Uh, no actually,” he said. “This is for some business with Brandon. I wasn’t sure what you wanted. I thought I’d take you out shopping this weekend, so you can pick out something you like.”
“Okay,” she said. “Seeing you is all I really want anyway.”
“Let me talk to Brandon real quick and then I’ll spend some time with you.”
Ariel stayed in the living room and did her homework.
Terrell and I sat at the kitchen table. He slid me the envelope, which I assumed was my cut for assisting with the dealer from New Jersey. Inside the envelope was six-thousand dollars.
“Damn.” I smiled. “If you’re giving me this much, how much did you keep?”
“You got the majority of it,” Terrell said. “I figured you deserve at least half. The rest you can consider your birthday present.”
“I really appreciate it.”
“Curtis wants a private meeting with me.”
“About what?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “I think he likes me though. When I manage the club, I take good care of him and his boys. We’ve had a few good casual conversations over some drinks. I have a good feeling.”
I nodded an
d asked, “How’s your grandma?”
“She has good days and bad days. I’m just hoping the bad don’t start outnumbering the good. If I become uncomfortable leaving her home alone, I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to do. I can’t stand the idea of putting her in a nursing home. And I can’t imagine what hiring an in-home nurse would cost.”
“Maybe something good will happen with that meeting,” I said. “Get that Curtis Reznok money rolling in and you’ll be able to afford as many nurses as you want.”
Terrell smiled. “Yeah, maybe so.” He returned to the living room and spent some time talking and cuddling with Ariel. Terrell wished her a happy birthday and promised to take her out over the weekend. He kissed her and departed.
In the evening our mother took Ariel and me out for a birthday dinner at Red Lobster.
“I’m thinking of moving out of Memphis,” she said.
“Sounds good to me,” Ariel replied.
I nodded in agreement.
“Once the school year ends and you two graduate, I want to move over the summer. Both of you will be off to jobs or college by then. You can still always come and see me wherever I end up. I hope you do.”
“Sure,” Ariel said, glancing at me. “We will.”
“Sometimes I think we should’ve moved years ago, so the two of you could’ve grown up in a better neighborhood.”
“Why’s that?” Ariel asked. “Are you worried about us, Mom?”
“Should I be?”
“I don’t know.” Ariel laughed and looked at me. “Should she be?”
“No, we’re totally innocent, aren’t we?” I asked. “Pure, even.”
“Shouldn’t you know how we are?” Ariel asked her. “Like a motherly intuition or something?”
“Supporting the both of you, especially when you were younger, never left me much time to spend with you,” our mother said. “Honestly, I’ve always hoped the two of you would watch after each other. And if you had problems, you could lean on each other. Siblings are mated for life. And you two have been together since before birth.”
“We do watch after each other,” Ariel said.
