Chapter Fourteen
Hazel was wiping down the table in Insight’s cafeteria. Dr. Young had gotten her a job as a food service worker there and she had been clean going on almost six months. She had visited Apple frequently along with Seven and she could tell that her father was happy to have his little girl back. Hazel glanced at the clock and noticed that she had worked five minutes past her shift, and quickly finished wiping of the long tables and snatched off her hair net. She made her way to the back room where the other cafeteria women were and stuck her head in the door.
“See ya, guys,” she yelled as she smiled, sticking half of her body inside the room.
“See ya!” one of the elderly women yelled.
“Bye, Hazelnut!” another one said. Hazel was taken aback at the sound of someone calling her by her nickname. It instantly reminded her of Millie. She exited the facility, telling people bye on her way out, but Millie was the only thing on her mind. Hazel missed Millie so much, it hurt her heart. But a rule of recovery was to separate yourself from former friends who could potentially make you relapse.
Hazel made it to her car and sat in front of her steering wheel, contemplating going to see Millie. I just want to know that she’s okay, that’s all, she thought as she gripped her steering wheel tightly. Hazel no longer had the urge to use heroin and her body was fully detoxed, so she decided that she would go to see Millie just for a second, having confidence in herself not to relapse. “Sorry, Seven,” she whispered as if he could hear her. But that was impossible, because he was on the highway on his way to see Hassan that evening. Seven informed her that he would be staying the night up north to prevent driving back late and would be returning in the morning. That gave Hazel a while without him. Seven would always tell GiGi to check in on Hazel, but she never did. Hazel didn’t mind that at all. Hazel started up her Benz and pulled off, heading to Millie’s projects.
Hazel was standing in front of Millie’s door and had been knocking for two minutes straight. Hazel saw Millie’s light creeping from the bottom of her door and heard the television running from the outside. Hazel knew how cheap Millie was and also knew that she wouldn’t leave the house with her lights on and the television running. “Come on, Millie. I know you’re in there,” Hazel whispered as she began to grow impatient. Hazel had had enough of waiting and bent down to pick up the doormat, remembering how Millie always left an extra key under it for emergencies. Just as she thought, a silver key was placed underneath it.
“Bingo,” she whispered as she scooped up the key and laid the mat back in its place. Hazel quickly opened the door and walked into the house.
“Millie!” she called as she began to walk through the house in search of her friend. “Millie!” she called again. Hazel’s heart began to beat as she approached the bathroom door, instantly throwing her back to her childhood when she found her mother dead in the bathroom with a needle stuck in her arm.
“Millie,” Hazel whispered as she placed her hand on the bathroom’s doorknob, afraid of what she would find on the opposite side of the door. Hazel slowly turned the knob and opened the door. The first thing she saw was Millie’s feet. Hazel opened the door wider, finding Millie with a gown on and a needle sticking out of her arm as she lay limply on the toilet.
“Millie!” Hazel screamed as she put both of her hands over her mouth. Hazel froze as one of her worst fears had come true. She had lost the only woman she had left on earth.
Millie quickly opened one of her eyes and wiped the slobber from the side of her mouth. “Bitch, why you yelling so damn loud? You scared the shit out of me,” she said while giving Hazel a small grin.
“Millie!” Hazel screamed as she smiled and wiped the tears that had just fallen from her eyes. She rushed over to the toilet, took the needle out of Millie’s arm, and hugged her.
“I thought you were dead!” she said as she hugged her as tight as she could. Mille wrapped her arms around Hazel and began stroking her hair slothfully.
“Girl, you know Millie don’t die. I’m the toughest bitch alive,” she joked while still slurring her words. Hazel laughed, knowing that Millie hadn’t changed a bit, and was still conceited and blunt.
“I missed you, girl,” Millie said as she placed her ear right over Millie’s heart.
“I missed you too, Hazel . . . nut,” Millie answered. “You look good, baby. Seven taking real goo . . . good care of my girl, huh?” Millie asked as she slowly continued to stroke Hazel’s hair.
“Yeah, he’s treating me very good, Millie,” Hazel said as she closed her eyes and cherished the moment. She missed Millie so much and it just felt good to her just to be in her arms. Hazel began to smell the musty body odor reeking off of Millie and instantly knew that Millie was down bad. Hazel never recalled a time when Millie didn’t keep herself or hygiene up. Although Millie had a bad habit, she used to never let her appearance slip, but times had changed. Hazel grabbed Millie and stood up. Hazel looked into Millie’s eyes and saw that she had a yellow shade within her pupils and had lost quite a few pounds.
“Damn, Millie,” Hazel whispered as she just stared for a minute. Hazel quickly took off her jacket and rolled up her sleeves. She then threw Millie’s arm around her and tried to help her into the bathtub so she could run cold water on her; a trick that helps a fiend get out of a nod. Millie had done this so many times for Hazel and now it was a role reversal.
“Come on, girl,” Hazel said as she slightly lifted her up, helping Millie get to her feet and into the bathtub. Hazel wasn’t too strong so she dropped Millie sort of hard into the porcelain tub.
“Bitch, you dun’ hit my head against this hard-ass tub,” Millie said teasingly while cheesing from ear to ear with her eyes still closed. Hazel burst into laughter and felt warm inside, knowing that she was with her partner in crime and best friend once again.
“Sorry,” Hazel said, half laughing as she put her hands on her hips and stared at Millie lying there so cool with her head propped against her fist. Hazel turned the knob for the cold water and then reached up, pointing the shower directly at Millie’s face. Nothing came out. Hazel frowned and then walked over to the sink and turned the knob for the faucet water to run. Again, nothing.
“Millie!” Hazel yelled as she looked over at her girl. Millie had begun nodding again and her chin was buried into her own chest. “Millie,” Hazel yelled again, that time waking Millie. Millie opened one eye and looked at Hazel.
“Your water got turned off?” Hazel asked.
“Yeah, they caught me slipping,” Millie said, almost sounding drunk. Hazel shook her head and helped Millie get out of the tub. She was about to take her to Seven’s place to clean her up, although Seven had told Hazel never to have company at his spot, being that it was the place that he laid his head. However, Hazel felt that she owed Millie at least that much.