by Nicety
“Call me when you got something worth talking about.” Goddess said brushing her poor excuse to blackmail her off.
“Oh sure, will do. But uh, you might want to know that I’ve spoken with the apartment complex down there. I called them because I wanted to know if they could give you your apartment back so you’d have a place to go once I kicked you out on your ass. I mean, even though you sicken me, you’re still my granddaughter. But they gave me a wonderful story, including the fact that you have no lease with them and in turn gave me the number to a young lady who ultimately confessed to this story right before her mother did. Uh, do you know a Tara?”
Goddess turned and smacked her lips at her. “Who?”
“Oh, I think you heard me you little bitch. Tara told me to give you a message, though. She said if her mother is convicted of that murder, she’s coming for you.” Venus said walking right up to her standing so close to give her a whiff of every bit of the alcohol spewing from her breath.
“Ugh, whatever.” Goddess walked off storming upstairs to her room.
“I know your secret, and I want you out of my house in the morning you tramp bitch!” Venus bellowed. “Whether you have a place to go or not!”
She headed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass then headed to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a nice big bottle of cognac. She was in that kind of mood that night not choosing her usual light vodka and stormed over to her usual spot, the sofa. At first, she was unwilling to open the bottle feeling she had had enough of attempting to drown out her problems. None of the solutions were ever at the bottom of her glass.
But the more her hands trembled the more she yearned to get that liquid courage inside of her. After about two gulps on the sweet drink, she was beyond sick and tired of drinking. It never cured her problems only pacifying them allowing her not to think about them for the short while. Self medication was like second nature to her and even though she was beginning to loath the thought of another drink, she continued to do so.
Goddess paced the floor biting her nails and pulling her hair distraught from Venus’ findings. She never believed that that situation would ever come back to haunt her. It wasn’t Tara’s threat that scared her but the fact that the cops could indeed be looking for her if they figured out she had anything to do with Scully’s murder. Packing her shit and running was one answer to her problems but she knew that if she started running like that, she’d be running forever never able to pull her life back together. She sat down on the bed for a minute wondering if Venus had the balls to dime her out to the police.
She walked cautiously to the bathroom and shut the door quietly. The medicine cabinet seemed as if it was calling her as she headed over to it opening it up and gazing at all of its contents. All of the prescription labeled bottles began whispering her name, “Goddess, Pick me! Pick me!” as if they all knew what she wanted with them.
She took down a few reading the label for their contents but none caught her eye quite like the bottle of Oxycontin. In college, a friend met his demise while playing a game of Russian roulette with it. He and four of his friends wanted to see who would fall asleep first after taking it and downing a few beers. They did it because they were bored in their dorm room and were mostly boneheads who were dateless. All of them fell asleep and never woke up.
The pill bottle rattled as she popped the top and poured three pills into her hand then sealed it back tight. The floor crept lightly as she grabbed a few sheets of tissue and exited the bathroom headed back to her room. She wrapped the pills carefully in the tissue then used a heavy glass perfume bottle to grind the them up into a fine dust.
Once they were crushed to her liking, she slowly made her way downstairs. Venus was passed out in her spot snoring heavily, indicating to her that she was down for the count. Goddess stood on the last stair staring and contemplating her next move. She watched as Venus yawned a bit then stirred and stretched as she opened her eyes partially awoke staring her right in the face.
“Can I help you?” Venus snarled groggily.
“I just came to say that I’m sorry, Grams. I never meant to hurt you or disrespect your house. I was wrong.” Goddess spat solemnly.
“You should be sorry.” It was all Venus could muster up after peeling herself up to a sitting position.
“Here, let me help you.” Goddess moved over to the sofa quickly grabbing the bottle of cognac and placing it on the floor before helping her up.
“Just get the fuck away from me! I don’t want you touching me.”
“I just thought we would talk for a while. I don’t want to leave. How can I convince you to let me stay?”
“Can you erase the print of your pussy out of Truth’s mouth?” Venus retorted irately drunk.
Her attitude was not changing at all and Goddess could see it. She was raunchy and rude to her at every chance she got. Venus had no intentions on letting her stay especially since she knew she could be a murder suspect. Goddess reached down grabbing the bottle and placing it close to her foot. The top was missing which made it easier for her to release the contents of the tissue into it. Once it was all in she slid the tissue into her pocket and gently shook the bottle mixing the concoction together well.
"Well, can I at least count on you not to speak to that girl about me again?"
"Wha? Bitch, I gave her my address. Told her come and get your ho ass!" Venus laughed.
"Ugh. You know, I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this. I love you, Grams. But you leave me no choice. I can't trust you now." Goddess recited calmly.
"Trust me? What the fuck you talkin' 'bout, trust me? Trust you, keep yo got damn legs closed...bitch." Venus slurred.
"I love you, Grams, and I want you to know I loved momma too."
“Eh, shut the fuck up. Where’s my damn liquor? I didn’t ask you to touch me, shit.” Venus snapped searching the sofa with her hands wildly.
“Oh sorry. Here you go.” Goddess replied quickly handing the bottle to her hoping she didn’t notice a funny taste.
“Yeah. Thanks. Now get the fuck outta here. I want your shit out in the morning bitch. Out in the morning.” Venus’ words were sluggish but her point was made.
Goddess rose from the sofa and made her way back to the staircase. She stood on the last stair watching as Venus took big gulps of the cognac like a champion in a chugging contest. She waited for her to slow down, take a breather, or pause but after every swallow she just kept chugging more.
It was only a matter of time before her lifestyle destroyed her anyway, Goddess thought. She felt like she was giving her an easy way out. She felt like she was giving her the extra push she needed to get gone. And gone she went as she slammed the bottle down on the coffee table and fell back on the sofa hitting her head on the top. Venus let out a faint sigh of relief and relaxation as her head nodded effortlessly to the left falling immediately back to sleep.
"Night Grams."
Chapter 12
The Act
The next morning Goddess awoke feeling refreshed and relieved. The 300 thread count sheets felt as good as a warm summer’s breeze against her skin as she swam across them. Staring up at herself she realized that Venus was still downstairs lying on the sofa. She grabbed her jeans from off the floor and danced into them, buttoning them up with her lace Camisole dangling on the outside. She fixed her clothes as she headed out to the hall and down the stairs to see if Venus was awake or not. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, her eyes widened as broad as a football field. She began hyperventilating at the sight before her, panicking as to her next move. Her feet headed towards the sofa but her mind remained on the staircase, unable to fathom the scene.
She was gone. Her body had left the sofa and it was nowhere to be found. Panic set in to the tenth power by now as she decided to search the house for her hoping she had no memory of what happened last night. Goddess slithered her way towards the kitchen watchfully. In the distance, the dim sound of Neyo humming abo
ut Independent Women began. She knew it was Truth but she could not bring herself to abandon the mission at hand.
“Grams?” Goddess called out rather loudly. “Grams, are you here?”
Her calls went unanswered. The kitchen was empty and when she circled around to the dining room it was too. It was then that she remembered she had bypassed her bedroom all together and raced up the stairs to see if she had made it there. She pushed open the door and found the room empty as well. It began to annoy her that Venus was nowhere in the house and figured she had ventured outside and was alive and well. It pained her to think that she had woken up earlier while she was sound asleep to rush to the police station and turn her into the cops.
Just as Goddess was about to head towards her room to pack her bags, she heard some strange noises behind her. She turned quickly but there was nothing there. Her toes tipped as she moved towards the sound that was quickly becoming more prevalent the closer she became to it. Her fingertips reached out and shoved open the already slightly cracked wooden bathroom door. Water spewed down from the shower as the tub overflowed dripping excessively onto the floor. The fishy blue carpets were drenched and the entire bathroom floor was flooded while the toilet brush and garbage can floated around the room.
Water seeped out of the door onto her feet when she stepped into the room to get a look at the floating object in the tub. She stood there staring down on the lifeless body of her grandmother wondering if it was indeed the concoction that ended her life or was it in fact the fault of her own hand. There was no knife or gun nearby or even any blood splatter anywhere. But Venus’ eyes were open, glossed over and bulging out of her head. Her skin was pale almost as white as the snow outside. She still had her clothes on as her purple shirt flailed underneath the water. It was over, she was dead. The slightest bit of remorse revealed itself in her heart as she prepared herself for the moments to come.
“911 Emergency. How may I help you?”
“Yes…um…my grandmother is in the tub and the water was just running and her eyes! Oh my God, her eyes! They’re just open. She’s not moving!” Goddess cried real panic-stricken tears shooting for a Golden Globe award.
“Okay, ma’am I’m going to need you to calm down and tell me if she’s breathing.”
“She’s dead do you understand! Somebody help me please, Jesus! She’s dead!”
“Okay ma’am where are you?”
Goddess spat the address quickly and threw some water on her face to add to her already drenched face.
“Grams! GRAMS!” She screamed.
Her blood-curdling scream scared the shit out of the 911 agent and the person sitting next to her. She tucked her cell phone deeply in her jeans pocket then headed downstairs taking a seat on the very sofa Venus frequented everyday. Her jeans were soaked all the way to the knees and her body shivered from the weird breeze in the house. The cell rang through her jeans.
“Truth…Truth baby there’s something I gotta tell you.”
“Baby, why are you crying? What’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong!” Truth had begun to lose it not knowing what had happened to her.
“Baby, my grandmother…she’s…she’s dead!” Goddess busted into full out tears.
“What? What the fuck happened, Goddess?” Truth snapped.
“I don’t know, baby, I don’t know! I just woke up this morning and she was in the tub dead and there’s water everywhere baby. I don’t know.”
“Okay, did you call the ambulance? Are you sure she’s dead?”
“Yes, Truth! Her eyes are bulging. She’s fucking dead okay!” Goddess not only became irate but also a little jealous that he was all into her death.
“I’m on my way.” Truth hung up on her cold.
As soon as she tossed her cell back in her pocket, the ambulance, fire department, and police showed up banging on the door like someone was chasing after them. Goddess opened the door with sorrow written all over her face as a swarm of professionals flooded the house. The detectives searched the house for various clues starting with the alcohol bottles scattered around the living room, bagging them for evidence. She decided to play it cool. There was nothing written with her name specifically linking her to the down south murder so she was going to play it as smoothly as possible.
"What's your name?"
"Avery Young." Goddess lied giving the detectives her middle name instead.
“Ma’am, my name is Detective Fox and I’m gravely sorry for your loss. But we need to hit you while the story is still fresh in your mind. So can you run through the morning’s events for us really quickly? So ya woke and then what?” He asked sternly.
"Yes, sir. I woke up and put on my jeans then I heard the water running on my way downstairs. So when I pushed the door open there she was." Tears ran down Goddess' face as she turned up the waterworks.
"And uh, you didn't see anything else or hear anything last night? Was she by herself?" Detective Fox asked scribbling on his small notepad.
"No, no sir. When I came in last night around eleven, she was right here on this sofa sleeping. She's an alcoholic so she drinks herself to sleep every night. I didn't know she would do anything like this though." She began crying uncontrollably.
“Alright. Well was she depressed at all or spoke frequently about killing herself?”
“No, sir.” She replied as she looked up seeing Truth walk in the door.
“Hey babe you alright?” Truth asked rubbing her back.
“Who are you?” Detective Fox asked putting his hand out so Truth could go no further into the house.
“Oh he’s my fiancé.” Goddess stood interrupting.
The detective side eyed both of them as he reached into his inside jacket pocket fishing around for one of his business cards. He found one but was so focused on the two kids in front of him cuddling that he couldn’t think straight. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but something about them two just didn’t sit well with him at all.
“Here’s my card. If you can think of anything else to tell me please don’t hesitate to call.”
“Will do sir. Thank you.” Goddess said humbly taking the card out of his hand then turning to bury her head in Truth’s chest.
The medical team was still upstairs and the cops were still walking around the house digging in any and everything they could find. Goddess remained in Truth’s tight warm embrace as they continued to violate their belongings. The crew finally made their way to the stairs and began bringing Venus down in a large black body bag. Goddess watched as they made their way to the bottom of the stairs and headed for the door.
“GRAMS! Grams!” Goddess hollered as Truth restrained her so she wouldn’t interrupt their stride.
“It’s okay baby. I’m here, I got you.” Truth said in her ear squeezing her tightly.
“You don’t understand, that’s my fucking grandmother and now she’s dead!” Goddess knew she was really laying it on thick but she was only doing what she felt anyone would do in that situation.
“Goddess. What happened?” Truth asked as all of the professionals filed out of the house quietly.
“I don’t know. Last night when I came in she was rambling on about me and you—“
“What about me and you?”
“She knew about us. I guess she saw me get out of your car. I don’t know. But she knew and then she said she wanted me out in the morning. I went to bed and I swear I don’t know anything after that.”
“Damn.” Truth said taking a seat and putting his head down as he folded his hands.
“What babe? You don’t think she would’ve killed herself over us do you?” Goddess said sitting close beside him wrapping her arm around his broad beefy back rubbing gently.
“I really don’t G, but I do know she was going through a whole bunch of shit, though.”
“What kind of shit?”
“She really didn’t tell you, huh?”
“Tell me what? You wouldn’t t
ell before. What the hell is going on?” Goddess asked annoyed that he was holding back from her.
“G, your grandmother was dying of cervical cancer. She was stage four and it had gotten so bad that there wasn’t much they could do. She refused to go through any more treatments or surgeries. I can’t believe she never told you this.”
“No…she never told me that.” Goddess replied biting on her fingernail.
For a split second she felt a bit guilty about what she had done. For a split second she felt like she had done a horrible thing to a woman who was already decaying away from the inside out. But the more she thought about the kind of wretched woman her grandmother was the easier it was for those feelings to go away. In an instance she was right back to her old self and as her remorse deteriorated so did her thoughts about the old bat.
“Well she was killing herself anyway right? I mean one way or the other she was gonna go.” Goddess said as she stood wiping her tears away from her chubby cheeks.
“Huh? What did you just say?” Truth asked bewildered at how nonchalant she sounded.
“Babe, I just meant that one way or the other something was bound to end her life. I mean, let’s face it, Venus wasn’t exactly taking care of herself.” Goddess spat tossing her hair over her shoulders with a smirk.
Truth sat there trying to wrap his head around her comments. In his head, she sounded crazy as hell no matter how true it was. People who were in mourning never talked badly about someone who had just died, especially when they died in the same house as them. He looked into her face and figured she must have been in shock and was trying to rationalize what had just happened. It was the only sane thing he could think of that would make her say something as evil and vile as what she had said.
“Well, uh, I guess when the coroner releases the body we can start making funeral plans.” He said rising to clean up the debris of papers and alcohol bottles all scattered all over the living room.
“Funeral plans? I ain’t got no money for a funeral and I really don’t want to be bothered with the rest of my bogus ass family who couldn’t give two shits about us anyway.” Goddess responded as she attempted to aid him in the cleaning effort kicking around some paper that was on the floor.
