Chapter Twenty-One

 

I jumped up to hear my phone ringing. I grabbed it off the nightstand and looked at the number. It was Reds. It startled me because I didn’t remember falling asleep. The last thing I remember was watching an episode of Meet the Browns and I must have dosed off.

“What’s up?” I groggily asked.

“Put some clothes on. I just got a text that Manny’s down Me-Me’s.” She told me.

“Reds, who’s gonna be down there? Cause Me-Me keeps company with a strange crew. The last couple times we been down there, I felt a little uncomfortable.” I said.

“Well you on crack now so your crew is her crew.”

I was so angry my face turned warm. I hated being reminded of my predicament. And for some reason, I didn’t feel like I was addicted. I thought I could control it.

“Look, I might be on crack but I’m not crackish. Now who gonna be down there?”

Reds had taken me down to Me-Me’s and introduced me before. Me-Me seemed pretty cool and we all got high together a few times. A couple days ago, when we were down there, Me-Me told me she heard about Jarvis and wished him well. When she said that, I wondered who told Me-Me that Jarvis was in the hospital to begin with because the only people who knew were my Dad and Reds, so I thought.

“Just friends, nobody to be worried about.”

“Reds, let me ask you a question? Did you say anything to Me-Me about Jarvis?”

“No, why?”

“Cause she told me to tell Jarvis to get better. She knew about him being in the hospital and why he was there.” I said.

“Did Me-Me say how she knew?” Reds asked.

“No.” I replied. Reds blew her breath out. “Well I don’t know then. Don’t worry about that, Kaneesha. It ain’t like the man wasn’t carried out of there in a stretcher. Girl get your clothes on.” She said.

“Okay.”

“I’ll be over in a few.”

I got out of the bed and took a birdbath when I heard a knock at the door. When I peeped out the peephole, I saw it was Reds. She was looking around. I opened the door and she hurried in.

“Come on, girl.” Reds urged.

“Let me get my bag and I’ll be right there.” I said running to the closet to get my coat.

I went to the bedroom and got my purse. In my purse was my new Crown Royal Bag. I officially got me one so I was in the clan with Reds and we rolled out to Me-Me’s.

When we got there, there were two other girls that I had never seen before sitting at the table along with Me-Me and Tommy. The two girls were throwing mean daggers at me when we walked in. I also saw Tommy standing by the table. Tommy was another neighborhood crack queen. I had gotten high with Tommy twice while I was with Reds.

Reds and I took a seat on the couch in the living room. I wasn’t sitting at the table with these two unknown bitches and I was not feeling them at all. Me-Me had gone to the back of the apartment. I heard a voice coming down the hall and saw Me-Me reappear in front of Manny. I had seen Manny around but never talked to him or been officially introduced. The last time I saw him was in the hotel room the night Stone came in to get us

He came out into the living area where everyone was. He didn’t see me until he cut the corner off to the kitchen.

He smiled.

I didn’t.

I just looked the other way. Tommy jumped up off the couch like she had fire under her ass.

“Manny.” she crooned. “How you doing with your fine ass?” Tommy asked all up in the man’s face. “I didn’t know you would be here!”

“Shit neither did we!” The girls at the table piped in.

“It gonna be a party now!” One of the girls said.

Manny looked around the table.

“Yeah, I told Me-Me to call my girls and I was gonna treat ya’ll.” He looked over at Reds.

“How you doing, Reds?” he asked.

Reds smile deepened and she said, “I’m fine.”

“What’s up with this lovely thing sitting over there on the couch, acting like she don’t want to be here? I remember you from the hotel room.” He said as if he didn’t tell Reds not too long ago that he wanted to fuck me.

Tommy interrupted and said, “Yeah, that’s Kaneesha. She cool and all, but what you got for us, daddy?”

“I wanna hear from her mouth,” Manny said looking at me.

“If she acting like she don’t wanna be here, maybe she shouldn’t. Shit when did she become part of our clan?” One of the unknown girls said throwing shade at me again. “I heard she snort, so why she even here?”

“What you say your name is again?” Manny asked pointing at me.

“Her name’s Kaneesha.” Tommy replied.

“Tommy, I can talk and I do hear ya’ll. If Manny wants to know about me then he should ask me himself!” I shot back.

I heard one of the girls at the table suck her teeth. Tommy looked over at me and threw me a look. I gave her one back and Manny broke the tension in the air.

“Before we do anything in here, I want all my girls to come give me a hug.”

Manny held out his arms and every last one of them bitches jumped up out their seats and Me-Me ass came running out the kitchen like she was Flo Jo or some shit. Even Reds gave that nigga a hug. I couldn’t believe that they were hugging this man like he was some damn prince and shit. Fuck this shit. Let me get my ass up out of here. I ain’t bought to kiss his ass for no crack.

I got up and started towards the door. Manny saw where I was going and broke away from the arms of all his bitches. Every one of them looked at me evilly.

“Reds, I’m goin’ home. I’ll catch you another time.” I was trying my best to get to that door before Manny’s ass reached me but no such fucking luck.

“Whoa, little lady, where you going? I thought you wanted to party.” He said blocking the door.

“No, I don’t. I'm goin’ home.” I told him.

“Shit, let her go, Manny. If she don’t wanna be here, let her ass go. We ready to party!” one of the girls said.

I snapped my head around. I had just about enough of her fat-ass mouth.

“Who the fuck is you talkin’ ‘bout? You don’t know me! Stop tellin’ me that I need to take my ass home! I didn’t come down here to see you no way!” I was mad now. “And if you say one more thing I’ma have both of my feet in your ass.”

I saw Tommy’s eyes get big and Reds got up and stepped to the side. She knew that I was getting ready to get stupid up in here. She quickly tried to diffuse the situation by stepping in front of me.

“Hey, ya’ll, come on. This is my girl Kaneesha. We just tryin’ to get in the party mode. Ya’ll know that Kaneesha don’t hang out like that with us. So why ya’ll trippin’? She just a little uncomfortable with this that’s all.” Reds said.

“Well, if you uncomfortable in here, why don’t you just take your ass home like you was fixin’ to do? We ain’t stoppin’ you!” One of the girls said.

I jumped for her but Manny stepped in between the two girls and me. He turned around and extended his hand towards the two girls.

“Kaneesha, this is Cheryl and Tracy.” He said looking at me.

“I don’t give a fuck.” I said.

“And we don’t give a fuck either.”

“Calm down. Didn’t we all come to have a good time?” He asked.

I didn’t say shit. Fuck them bitches. They about to get sliced the fuck up. I had my hand on my knife in my purse just in case a bitch broke bad.

“Look, I don’t want no shit up in here. Now I called Me-Me and told her to tell you Tommy, Cheryl, Tracy and Reds to come on down and hang out with me for a while and I guess Ms. Kaneesha just lucked up to be in the right place at the right time. I want all ya’ll to shut the fuck up with that dumb shit and get yourself ready to do what the fuck ya’ll know I want ya’ll to do. I don’t want to hear no more shit out of anyone here or I’m packing up my shit and going across town to my other spot. Ya’ll got that?” Manny said looking each woman in the face.

They all shook their heads and said yes. Then Manny turned to me.

“I'll talk to you later on. For now, take a seat at the table while I take care of business in the back.” He looked at Cheryl and Tracy.

“Ya’ll go on to the back.” he commanded.

They mean mugged me again. I mouthed the words fuck you to both of them and Manny saw me. He winked at m and I turned my head. They got their purses and went down the hall to Me-Me’s spare room. When they were gone, Tommy slapped me on the arm.

“Girl, what the hell is you trying to do? I thought you were getting ready to fight up in here. You almost caused that man to pack his shit up and go!”

“Yeah, Neesha, I don't know what attitude you got but you needed to check that shit at the door. And I ain’t having no fighting and shit going on in my house.” Me-Me said giving me a hard look.

“Chill out with that shit y’all. Them bitches is hatin’ on Kaneesha for no reason.” Reds interjected.

“You know them girls didn’t know me and they didn’t have no business talking shit like that about me.” I said to Me-Me.

“Yeah, they was wrong, but don’t let them fuck you outta your high.” Tommy commented.

I looked at Tommy and rolled my eyes.

“Why do ya’ll act like that around him? Ya’ll act like he’s some type of God or something. Shit, he’s a common drug dealer who likes throwing around his money and coke to get women.” I said.

Me-Me leaned down in my face.

“Girl, Manny is known all over the eastern seaboard. And when he comes in town to party, he does just that. He don’t party with everyone. We are his chosen select girls and when he calls, we drops our shit and come running cause we all know that we will get broke the fuck off. And I ain’t about to pass up the money or no coke. Shiiiit...If you don’t know, you better ask somebody. Every girl right now wishes they was down here at my house laying up with Manny. Shit, girl, you better recognize.” Meme high-fived Tommy.

“You ain’t never lied.” Tommy said.

I briefly looked at them and for a moment, I felt out of place. What is this, a Crack Head Convention? They act like they involved in a cult or something.

"Well, I don’t know Manny like that and I ain’t trying to get to know a nigga on that level. Besides, that’s Reds man.” I said pointing to Reds.

Tommy smirked and Me-Me burst out laughing.

"Girl, Manny ain't Reds’ man. Reds ought to be fuckin’ grateful that he even looks her way with her pregnant ass.” Me-Me said.

“Fuck you, Tommy?” Reds said. “You ought to be grateful that Manny just lets you suck his dick with your toothless triflin’ ass.” Reds spat back to Tommy.

“Whatever, Reds. I ain’t fixin’ to argue with your ass today. Shit, I’m waitin’ to get my high on.” Tommy and Reds parted ways.

Reds went down the hall to the bathroom and Tommy came back over to where me and Me-Me were sitting. I looked at Tommy and Me-Me.

"How long Reds been smokin’ this shit anyway?" I asked Me-Me.

"Shit, I don't know.” Me-Me replied.

"Why ya’ll ain't try to help her get off this shit while she pregnant. Ain't ya'll her friends?" I asked.

Me-Me and Tommy both threw their hands on their hips.

"Bitch, I know you ain't talkin’ cause you be wit’ her now more than me and Me-Me. Why ain't you trying to help a bitch?” Tommy said.

"Fuck you, Tommy. I got enough to deal wit’ on my plate. I can't be responsible for Reds habit too.” I snapped back. “Besides, I tried to get into her business ‘bout that shit when we first started hangin’. She shut me right down. I just figured ya’ll would have more influence since you known her longer.” I continued,

“Stop assuming that we didn’t try to talk to Reds ourselves. She told us to mind our fucking business!” MeMe chimed in. “So that’s what the fuck we intend to do.”

Manny reappeared at the kitchen table where we were all sitting. He put a mirror on the table that had about a gram of coke on it.

“Divide the coke up between yall.”

Me-Me started dividing the powder and I made sure she wasn’t given herself more.

Before he left, he tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Can I see you in the kitchen?”

Both Tommy and Me-Me cocked their heads and gave me the, “girl you better get your ass up” look. I slowly got out the chair and followed him into the kitchen. Manny reached out and stroked my face. I reared back.

"Don't be afraid, I don't bite. I just wanted to speak with you in private for a minute. You know I’m surprised to see you down here among the likes of them. You don't look like the type to smoke. And I definitely was surprised to see you with Stone at the hotel. You too pretty for this shit. So, why you down here for real?” he asked.

"What?" I asked looking at him like he lost his fuckin’ mind. “I like a good high like everybody else.”

"This ain't you or your style. The first time I laid eyes on you was at the Elks club, you was wit’ Jarvis. You was one of the finest things up in the club. Then I seen you another time at the mall. You had a little boy with you. The next time was when you rolled up in the hotel with Stone and Reds. Never had I once seen you on the street or down here getting high. So I'ma ask you again, why you down here with these crack queens, now?"

"First of all, I don't know you like that to be telling you my business and second, what I do ain't your business. Tommy and Me-Me are my friends and I came down here on the invite of Reds.” I said sarcastically.

"Don't get hype, lil mama. I was just asking that's all. But if you comin’ to play, you gotta pay.”

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"It means that all my bitches know what I want. They back there in the bedroom for a reason. You feel me?”

"I thought you was Reds’ friend." I said backing up further away from him.

He began to laugh loudly.

"Girl, Manny don’t belong to no bitch. Ain't enough women in any of these bitches for me to even consider them as my main lady. Shit, you must be crazy. And Reds, shit, she just feeds a need cause of what she serves and how well she serves it." he said.

"Yeah, well you can count me out. As a matter of fact Mr. Manny, I'm on my way out the door right now."

"You ain't gotta leave.”

“What you want I can’t give.”

“Look, why don’t you make sure don’t nobody come to the door and if they do, you tell them to get away. Hear?" He handed me a baggie of powder. “See…now you’re earning your keep.”

I took the prized package and turned around.

"No thank you or nothing, huh?" Manny said.

I turned back to face him and couldn’t help but notice that the man was fine as shit.

I pursed my lips and said, "Thank you, Manny."

"You welcome, pretty mama.” He said winking at me.

He walked out the kitchen and pointed to Me-Me and Tommy. They got up like robots and followed him down the hall. He already had Tracy and Cheryl back there, damn! Reds came back in the kitchen and I pulled out what Manny gave me. It was sweet. It had to be at least a fifty-cent piece.

“Manny gave you that?” Reds asked.

“Yeah, nice ain’t it.”

“Yeah, girl. Hurry up and cook up a piece. Shit I need a hit.” Reds said.

We both copped a seat at the table and I broke out my purple bag and went to work. About a hour later, we was mellow, sitting on the couch trying to watch some TV. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking about cause you can't watch shit high, but I was doing my best to stay focused. I kept looking around and getting up and walking around. Reds was laughing at me cause I even peeked out Me-Me's curtains a few times thinking someone was outside her door.

I noticed that sometimes I would become paranoid although I’m sure it just the gloom of Stone’s threats. I was gonna have to put that paranoia shit in check. But at the moment, I heard a noise coming from down the hallway from Me-Me's bedroom area. Tommy and Cheryl were coming down the hall talking loudly. The closer they got the more it sounded like an argument. Tommy came over to the kitchen table and took a seat. She had her purple bag with her.

"Shit, Cheryl, didn't I tell your ass not be so fuckin’ greedy? You know how the fuck Manny get. Why you have to go and take more than he was tryinna give you? Now he put your ass out and mine too. I don't know why the fuck I had to leave. Shit, I was sucking his dick just like he asked me too. And then your bold ass gonna pick another rock and try to light it. Girl, was you out your mind?” Tommy asked.

"Fuck you, Tommy. Had you been sucking his dick and not been so worried about who was smoking, your ass would still be in the bedroom too. So shut the fuck up." Cheryl pointed out.

"Fuck you, Cheryl!" Tommy hissed back.

Cheryl rolled her eyes and Tommy sat down on the couch beside me. I sniffed the air and made a face.

"Damn, Tommy, you smelling, girl. You need to go wash your face." I said to her wiggling my nose.

Her mouth was white all around her lips and I could smell her dick sucking breath on her face.

"Fuck that! What you got to smoke?" she asked me.

I know this hooker didn't just ask me what the fuck I had to smoke.

"Wait, hold up! Didn't Manny just leave you some shit out here on the mirror? What the fuck?! What you do with your shit? And don't say that you smoked it cause I know that's a lie.”

"So, Manny didn't give you anything? She asked me again ignoring my question.

"Why you all up in my shit? I questioned her.

Cheryl was sitting at the kitchen table all this time listening to Tommy and me before she decided to add her fucking two cents.

"What I wanna know is why you was left out of the party in the back? Shit, all of us had to go back there and work for our packages. Why is you special?" She asked me.

I slowly said, “You’re Cheryl right?

"Yeah, I'm Cheryl." She hissed.

"Cheryl, I don't know you and I can't figure out why you got such a nasty attitude with me. But for the record, I am not one of Manny’s bitches! You can be his bitch all you want, and hoe for him, but I'm nobody's bitch." I said setting her straight.

Cheryl jumped up from the table.

"What the fuck you mean hoeing? Ain't no body hoeing for shit. And bitch, you don't know me either, I'll whoop your little skinny ass." She said coming up to my face.

Jarvis always said never let a nigga step to you first. You swing first, and that's exactly what the fuck I did. I balled my fist up and punched the shit out of Cheryl and my blow landed dead on her chin. She was stunned. I don't think she thought I was bold enough to hit her in the face. She quickly regained her composure and swung back connecting with my lips. I felt the stinging sensation and knew that one of my lips was busted. Fuck this. Before I could get my Mike Tyson on, Cheryl popped my ass again this time upside my head.

"Yeah, bitch, come on! Come on bitch !" she shouted.

Cheryl planted her feet and was sticking and moving like a prized fighter. Shit, this bitch was no fucking joke. I tried to move away from another punch but was caught on the left side of my temple by her heavy hand. I staggered into the table and then into Me-Me's china cabinet bringing down several glasses and plates with a loud crashing sound to the floor.

I’m confused. I don’t even know what we’re fighting for. But at this time, it didn’t matter. I swung back and landed a punch on Cheryl’s lips. She automatically counterpunched and I was thrown off balance. She threw three more blows to my face. Cheryl was whooping my ass. I needed to get this bitch off me before she beat me to death in here. Before I could get my next action into play, Cheryl lunged forward into me. I grabbed her as her momentum propelled both of us to the middle of the living room. Both of us couldn’t break the fall as we fell backwards into the coffee table shattering it into pieces. I tried with all my might to push Cheryl’s ass off me but I couldn't get the leverage I needed. I could hear Tommy screaming in the background and felt Reds pulling at me.

Then I heard other voices come into range. I heard Me-Me screaming at the top of her lungs. Eventually Manny grabbed Cheryl off of me. Tommy and Reds helped me up out of the frame of the broken table. My nose was bleeding, my lip was bleeding, and I was cut all over my arms. My head was pounding something fierce and I was winded. Cheryl tried to grab at me again until Manny pushed her down on the couch.

"What the fuck happened in here!?" Manny shouted to Cheryl.

"Look at my fuckin’ house! Look at my fuckin’ house! Look at this shit! What the fuck did you two bitches do? Oh my God! Just look at my shit!" Me -Me was hysterically crying and shouting at Cheryl and me.

Tracey came running into the living room to see what all the commotion was about and Reds spoke up.

"Cheryl came out her mouth wrong to Neesha. Neesha said some shit back to Cheryl and words turned into a fight." Reds helped me to stand up straight.

I could hardly move. Me-Me went over to the couch where Manny had pushed Cheryl down. She pointed her finger at Cheryl.

"What the fuck did you say? Why you always got to be starting shit every fuckin’ time you come down here? You always got something to say about somebody. Cheryl your ass is going to pay for fuckin’ up my shit!” Me-Me screamed at her.

Cheryl stood up in Me-Me's face.

"I ain’t payin’ for shit. That little bitch right there hit me first. She needs to be payin’! Don’t no mutherfuckin’ body call me no hoe to my face and think they gonna walk away like that. Fuuuuccck that shit! And since that little bitch thought she could, I had to show her she was wroooong! " Cheryl flipped.

Manny stepped in between Me-Me and Cheryl.

"Look, Cheryl, I'ma give Me-Me some money for her shit and then you will be indebted to me cause I know that your ass started this shit.” Manny said.

“Fuck her, Manny. I…” Cheryl stopped in mid-sentence.

With base in his voice and an evil look Manny walked over to Cheryl and said, “Shut the fuck up, bitch! You say anything else out that mothefuckin’ smart ass mouth of yours and I’ll beat your ass myself! Now sit the fuck down and don’t fuckin’ move.” Manny commanded.

Manny the King of the Crack Heads had spoken. She didn't say another damn thing and sat her ass back down on the couch. He came over to me, looked at my face and shook his head.

“Reds, take her to the bathroom and clean her up,” Manny said.

Just as I was walking past her, Cheryl reached out for me again but my ass had enough of her shit. I don't know how, but I reached across Red’s back and snatched the pewter candleholder off of the table and swung it hard, straight across Cheryl's face. It connected with a mighty thud and the bitch went down.

Everyone stopped and waited to see if she was going to move. Suddenly she was screaming at the top of her lungs as several of her teeth fell out of her mouth and onto Me-Me's blue carpet. Blood was free flowing from her mouth, down her chin and all over her clothes. Cheryl tried to talk but couldn’t. Her Jaw was broke. I snatched myself free from Tommy and Reds's grip and stood over Cheryl.

"If you had kept your mouth shut and your fucking hands to yourself this shit would not have happened. But you didn’t! And this is what the fuck you get!” I yelled.

I swung the candleholder again, striking Cheryl in the stomach. She doubled over in pain and no one came to her aid. They all watched me as I hock spit on Cheryl. I picked my purple bag up off the ground, found my coat and keys and looked back at everyone. Then I opened the door and walked out. I slammed the door so hard, I heard something fall and break on the inside. Fuck them bitches! Reds took a few minutes but then walked out behind me. She helped me limp back to my apartment. Once inside, she found some alcohol and peroxide to clean up my cuts.

“Damn, Kaneesha, that was a gangsta move you put down on Cheryl. I bet she won’t be talkin’ shit no more.” Reds snickered.

“It could have been worse.” I said flinching from her dabbing alcohol on my arm.

“Why you say that?”

“Cause she coulda been dead. If I had my defender she woulda gotten dealt with.”

“I’m sorry. When me and Jarvis sold it, I couldn’t believe you gave it to him.”

The room was spinning and I pushed her hand away.

“What the fuck you mean when me and Jarvis sold it?”

“We sold it…for some money for a package. He ain’t tell you? You smoked it with us and everything.”

“Fuck no! And since you my friend, why you just telling me? Stone was gonna kill me for that gun.”

“Stone ain’t botherin’ you,” she joked.

I didn’t smile.

“Look, you gotta take that up with Jarvis. I’m your friend and I’m telling you now so it’s obvious I thought it was cool. You know I wouldn’t have done no shit like that.”

“You gotta lot of shit with you, Reds.”

“Don’t we all?”

When Reds phone rang, she held it up and showed me the message.

“Do you think that shit’s real?” I questioned, my heart racing.

“Stone don’t say nothin’ he don’t mean.” She replied.

“You sure that’s Stone’s number?” I quizzed.

“Look at it again, Kaneesha, you tell me. Don’t nobody fuck wit’ Stones’ personal phone but him. So yeah, this is from Stone.” She affirmed.

We both read the message a third time and slapped each other a high five. The text read, ‘the dogs were sent home. No worries, clean slate!’

We knew that meant that the contracts on our heads were lifted. I wondered what happened to change Stones mind. Did his shit turn up or did the real thieves resurface? At this point, I ain’t give a fuck as long as he wasn’t coming for our heads.

“Damn, Reds. I hated living in fear of my life like that.”

“So did I. When I sold my Eagle, I felt powerless and defenseless.” She said.

“You sold yours too?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I’ma buy me another one and sleep with it under my pillow.”

“I feel you,” she sighed. “After all the adventure, I’m ready to blast. What ‘bout you, Neesh? You feel alright to cook some?” She asked.

“Shit yeah! And we got some good news too! Fire it up!” I said.