THIRTY
The day was cloudy and it dragged. By ten thirty, most of the kids had gathered in the huge hall of the funeral home. The entire school, including faculty and staff, were gathered there. The hall was frozen silent as everyone filed passed the gold and white casket. Some stopped briefly, others broke the silence with sobbing outbursts.
Danielle’s family was there, all dressed in black, their faces solemn and their eyes red. Josephine stared at the body of Danielle in the casket. She wanted to ask why? But only sobs came. Josephine saw Coco next to the window and approached her. Coco was staring longingly out the window. She watched the kids outside, forming groups and engaging in gabfests.
“What’s up, Coco?” Josephine startled Coco, who whirled to face the girl she had considered a friend.
“Yeah, what’s popping, Josephine?”
“Lots of people showed up, huh?” Josephine asked. Coco noticed her eyes swollen from crying.
“Yeah. How’ve you been, yo?”
“I been better. Look, you probably don’t understand, but my parents…”
“We better go outside, yo.”
Both girls walked hastily out of the building. The gray skies hung delicately, as if the slightest interruption would cause them to come crashing down to earth. The girls stood amidst their peers and briefly hugged. Then Josephine resumed her explanation.
“My parents, they think I could be next, so they didn’t want me out of the home for a minute. I’m lucky they let me come here. Listen, she was my friend, too. I’m still expecting the phone to ring and she’ll be on the other end. I miss her crazy ass,” Josephine said as tears streamed down her face.
Coco hugged her and they both cried together. Their sobbing drew the attention of other mourners. Grief stricken kids came to Coco and Josephine, shared the sorrow, wished them both the best and moved on.
“My parents want to send me to some school down south. I don’t really wanna go, but I don’t have much choice.. After all, they’re still my parents. I mean...”
“You got to do what’s right, yo.”
“I don’t know what’s right. I mean, Danielle…I got to go, Coco. Listen, take care,” Josephine said, she was still crying.
Coco stared at her and realized she wanted to know what Josephine had meant, but didn’t ask. Before she knew it, Josephine had rejoined her parents. They waved at Coco, hugged Josephine and walked away. What about the group? Coco almost shouted. What about our friendship? She dug her hands through her pockets found a pack of cigarettes and quickly lit one.
“May I have one of those?”
“Hey whassup, Deedee? Creeping on me, huh? Yeah, sure yo, you can have one.” Coco said and gave Deedee a cigarette. “Having a rough ass day.”
“Oh yeah.” Deedee agreed as she puffed along with Coco.
“This place. Damn, there’s so much sadness. I spoke to Josephine.” Coco said.
“Josephine? How’s she doing?” Deedee asked.
“Well, she’s pretty caught up with the death and all. Her parents are moving her outta town.” Coco said.
“Where? Did she say?” Deedee asked sensing the way Coco’s voice dropped.
“Down south somewhere. I don’t know, yo.”
“So what’s gonna happen with y’all and the singing?” Deedee asked as she tried to change the subject
“Well, damn, I don’t really know for sure. I guess right about now everything will be on hold.” Coco answered.
“Coco, you shouldn’t. You aren’t gonna quit now. I mean, you’ve got to do sump’n for Danielle, you know.”
“Yeah, right now, da shit’s too sad and I miss her too much, yo,” Coco said. Tears formed in her sad eyes, her throat exploded in a choking sob. Deedee hugged her. Coco’s body shuddered from the emotion. Deedee’s body swayed with Coco’s. The clouds continued to stain the sky, leaving it hopelessly gray.
The phone rang once, then again and again. Eric reached up to get the call, but he was pulled back onto the bed by Sophia.
“Oh, aren’t we in a rush to get this call,” she said with mock severity.
“Rush? I only rush for you and business. Oh baby, don’t do that.”
“Let the machine pick this one up, babe,” Sophia said toying with Eric’s semi-erect penis, her hands busy making designs in his pubic hair. The phone continued to ring until the machine picked up. It was Busta. Eric grabbed the receiver.
“Hello.”
Sophia watched Eric for a moment and then jumped out of the bed. She threw a pillow at him before she went downstairs.
“It’s’ done, E. I’ll meet up with you later.”
“Yeah, alright. I’ll talk to you later. At the bar? Cool.”
Busta put the receiver down. Lips traced kisses all over his body. He smiled and stroked the hair of the woman sucking his erection. The lip service brought him the relief he sought, but he had failed to notice the listener standing at the door of his apartment.
“Fat fuck,” whispered Vulcha as he left his listening post for the streets.
Eric peered out the window and saw the clouds. It must be raining on Busta’s end of the city, he thought as he ran down the stairs in search of Sophia. He found her in the kitchen drinking orange juice. He embraced her and stroked her body.
“Let’s go back and roll in my big water bed,” he suggested as he rubbed his hands over Sophia’s breasts. Her nipples hardened to his touch and her knees weakened as she felt his manhood thrust against her.
“Why are you and Busta playing cloak and dagger?”
“Business, babe.”
“Your niece left you a reminder,” said Sophia, handing Eric a piece of paper. He read it quickly.
“Oh, I forgot. Today’s the wake for that girl, ah, Danielle.”
“Well?”
“Well, I told Deedee I would, we would be there...”
“Let’s go, then.”
“You mean at this moment, babe? We could still get sump’n in. I mean we got time. It’s perfect weather for staying in.”
“I wasn’t the one who told Deedee that we would be there.” She kissed his lips and attempted to pull away, but he held her. He ground his body into hers and pressed his mouth against hers. She fell back against the kitchen sink, uttering soft phrases of protest. She held Eric’s arms tightly as he gently hoisted her to the edge of the sink. The tongue lashing commenced.
“Hmm,” Sophia moaned. Eric’s lips now pressed against her exposed upper thigh.
