CHAPTER 31
Lightning waited on the corner. “How’d everything go?” I asked him.
He rubbed his hands against his pants several times. “Good, just got one little thing we need to do first.”
A sour feeling hit me. “What?”
“Twin said he needed to know who he’s dealing with.” Lightning stared out the window. “He wants to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Like I said, he’s suspicious about folks, especially white folks.”
“How does he know I’m white? Dammit, Lightning, why can’t you keep your mouth shut?”
“Just came out when we were talking. You’ll be fine. It’s business, Junebug, nobody’s going to start any ruckus. Turn left at the next street.”
We drove deeper into the heart of Hayti. Houses along the streets were run-down, white-painted wood that had faded to a dusty chalk. Most had a shaded front stoop, and folks sat outside taking in the night air, watching traffic pass. I felt like every eye was on me.
Lightning pointed to a house that sat above the street. “Pull up right there.”
No light was visible from outside. “Don’t look like anybody’s home.”
“They’re here, the windows got heavy curtains.” Lightning got out of the truck.
Fancy started to follow. Lightning turned and put his hand on her shoulder. “You might ought to stay here.”
“I’m going.” The tone of her voice didn’t leave it up for question.
“Suit yourself.” We climbed the cement steps that ran from the street up to a long wooden porch. Lightning knocked.
The curtain moved slightly before the lock rattled. A colored man built like a hickory stump opened the screen door and motioned us in. “Put your hands on the wall.” He wasn’t asking. He patted me down from shoulders to feet. “Go on in,” he growled.
The run-down condition of the outside didn’t match the inside. Thick red carpet covered the floor. There was nice furniture, music coming from a long console against the wall, and a couple of crazy-looking lamps with blobs floating up and down. Lightning motioned me to stand beside him. “This is Twin.”
A fat, bald-headed man sat on a white leather couch, smoking a cigar, except it didn’t smell like cigar. He didn’t bother to get up. “So you’re Lightning’s partner?”
“Reckon so.”
He pulled himself up off the couch. “Hell, y’all ain’t nothing but a couple of punk-ass kids.” Twin towered over me by at least four inches, weighed about three hundred pounds, and had the biggest hands I’d ever seen. His face was pocked bad and a lot of yellow showed in his eyes. He bent down and put his broad nose real close to mine, like he was sniffing my scent.
He moved from me to Fancy. “Now, this is something I can use.” He lifted her chin, pushed her around so he could see her behind, then used his first finger to lift one of her breasts.
Fancy jerked away. Her fists balled up. I moved between them. “She ain’t for sale.”
Twin was startled. He leaned down to me again. “Let me tell you something, you white-bread motherfucker, I’ll take whatever I want.” His breath stunk like my pigpen.
“Like I said, she ain’t for sale.” I swelled up the best I could, staring back. He had a fearsome sneer. His man started laughing.
Twin straightened, then suddenly reached down and grabbed me by my privates, jerking up. “I like a man what’s got some balls, boy, but don’t talk like that to me again. I’ll put your ass in a place nobody will ever find all your parts.”
The sudden severe pain made me suck air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fancy start to move. I put my elbow against her chest. “She’s got no part in this.” My tone had a higher pitch than usual due to the grip Twin had on my nuts.
He turned loose. I cut an eye at Lightning, but he just stared straight ahead. He was either scared shitless or more worried about the money than about his sister.
“Oh, I get it now,” Twin said. “You done got a taste of this chocolate stuff and you like it. You think this nigger cunt is your girlfriend? Boy, you got a lot to learn about women. But, like I said, I respect a man that’s got backbone.”
He stepped back and settled on the couch. “Y’all sit down and let’s talk business. I have to admit this shit Lightning brought is pretty good. How much you got?”
Lightning talked while Fancy and I sat close together, staying quiet. “A hundred jars like I brought you, and fifty half-gallon ones.”
“When can you deliver?”
“Anytime you want.”
Twin puffed on his cigar while he glanced at the ceiling. “Okay, let’s set up for this coming Wednesday; y’all can get it here?”
Lightning started to agree before I stopped him. “No offense, Mr. Twin, but we ain’t bringing it here. We’ll meet you somewhere private so we can make the trade.”
He pushed to his feet again, his expression pissed off and serious. Then he began to laugh. “What we got here is a junior John Dillinger.” He looked at the other man standing behind us. “What’s the matter, boy, you scared of coming to black folks country?”
Maybe I should just agree, and never show up. “I just don’t trust you to have our well-being in mind.” I watched the blobs float up and down.
That really got him going. He slapped me on the shoulder. “I’m starting to like you, boy. What’d you say your name was?”
“Folks call me Junebug.”
He leaned down in my face again. “That’s about the dumbest name I ever heard, right behind Lightning.” He wasn’t smiling when he straightened up. “All right, where you want to meet?”
I was surprised he agreed so quickly. I waited to see if Lightning had any ideas. He just stood there like he had a post up his ass.
I felt like the idiot in the room, putting myself in a place I was scared we wouldn’t get out alive, but didn’t see anything to do except keep talking. “There’s a bridge just past the county line on Highway 751 where it crosses over Northeast Creek. Right before the bridge is a pull-off place people use to go down to the water and fish. We’ll meet you there at ten o’clock Wednesday night.”
Twin stared at me, rubbing his jaw with a massive right hand. He glanced at his man. “You know the place?”
The man nodded.
“Okay, I’ll be there. Make sure you bring all the stuff.”
“No disrespect, but it comes to some over twenty-two thousand dollars, as I figure it.”
“Don’t you worry about the money, boy, I can count. But worry about this: If anybody jumps out of the bushes, know I’ll kill you first.” He scratched the side of his jaw. “I’m already wondering how two dumb-asses like you could come to have that much reefer.” He wasn’t loud and he didn’t push his face in front of mine, but he wasn’t playing. “Try setting me up and I’ll bury you and everybody in your family.”
I could tell he meant every word. “Mister, all we’re trying to do is make some money and not have any trouble.” Fancy and I got to our feet.
“You best hope that’s all you’re trying to do. Now haul your ass out of here.” He looked Fancy up and down again. “Unless you want to stay, little girl.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.
“Well, ain’t that cute, white bread’s got him a farm nigger. You be careful, that stuff can mess up your head.” They were still laughing as we pulled the door shut behind us.
As soon as I got the truck turned around, I lit into Lightning. “Who the hell have you got us messing with? They could have killed us in there!”
Lightning sounded irritated and impatient with my ignorance. “Junebug, who the hell did you think you would deal with? Ain’t no choirboys selling dope.”
Fancy tried to ease the situation. “Junebug, I’m okay. It didn’t mean anything. It’s like Lightning says, he was just trying to scare us.”
“He damn sure did me. What if they decide to rob us when we do the trade? I don’t want somebody to find my body floating in Northeast Creek.”
Lightning made a feeble attempt at putting my worries to rest. “You’re getting all worked up for nothing. He said he was starting to like you.”
“He can kiss my ass is what he can do. I can’t believe you’re actually stupid enough to trust that bastard. Telling me I’ll be the first one dead, shit, he better be worried about his self.” We rode the rest of the way in silence.