| |
Diplite couldn’t believe the shit Dirty-Red had told him. Could it be true? He wondered as he walked over to the window and peeped out, still tripping at the fact that after all this time the money that he and Hulie flamed to get came dropping right in his fucking hands. Dirty-Red told him that Nikki had confided in him about what happened and that she needed help. He had no clue that he was involved and neither did she. He kept a low profile; the police had already questioned him several times and were watching him. He was a person of interest they said, so he didn’t want his face out there like that. She never questioned why her son was killed in front of his trap. At least from what Dirty-Red had told him. Hell, she’d just now buried him so that was probably the furthest thing from her mind right now.
He put his foot up on a chair and dusted off his Jordan’s, then froze.
‘What if she did find out? Would she still want him to wash the money? What exactly did Dirty-Red tell her anyway and what kinda deal did he make to put him in the car?’
Diplite had a thousand questions and no answers. He walked over to the closet and pulled out his favorite jacket, a black, leather bomber. Her put it on, then picked up his keys off the dresser and headed out the door. He was supposed to meet them both at Dirty-Red’s and go over the plan to flip the money, then find out what he knew about her son being killed. He had to come up with something to tell them to throw them off.
He thought about it over and over again. If he could just figure out a way to take out Hulie then he’d get it all and split the difference with Dirty-Red, but it had to be something smooth. Maybe, he’d blame the whole thing on him but if he did that and they confront Hulie he could just as well throw everything back on him and Nikki would back out for sure. It was just too much bullshit from her. Hell, she might even run to ball and then they’d both go away, for a very long time and that wasn’t what he wanted, at all.
As he walked to his car and opened the door, he peeped up the street at her house, leveled to the ground in a heap of ash, blanketed at the top.
“Damn, Hulie, didn’t have to do it like that,” Diplite said to himself.
He never did get the chance to holla at him that night, but according to the way Dirty-Red described Nikki looked, it was evident that Hulie had tried to off her.
“Why the fuck didn’t he get the money?” Diplite asked no one in particular.
He slid behind the wheel of his black Mustang, then backed out of the driveway and sped up the street, he was already running late. The only other person that could finger him that night as being involved was Jabari or Rip, and Rip was dead. He’d have to get at Jabari too, but no one knew where he’d disappeared to. The chick Rip and he stayed with had to know something, but he hadn’t seen her either. Somehow or another he had to get with Hulie on the low-low and not let him know about Nikki or the money. He had to keep them separated at all costs. He needed somewhere to stash her, to get her out of the hood. He knew Hulie would come looking once he got word that she wasn’t dead.
He made a left on the main street coming out of the hood off Montague Street. After driving by his trap house to making sure everything was good, it suddenly dawned on him...his sister. He could just stash Nikki with her somewhere and have his sister keep an eye on Nikki, the loot and Hulie all at the same time.
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan!”
Dirty-Red sat on his porch looking up the block as Diplite’s car turned the corner coming his way. He’d closed down shop for a couple of hours so that he could handle the business at hand and sent Wood to the liquor store. Nikki sat close by watching as well.
“Dat him?” she asked.
“Yeah!” Dirty-Red answered.
“Damn.” She leaned up and watched him as he pulled into the driveway. “I ‘member when hem ben just a lil’ ole ting.”
Dirty-Red smiled and said out o the corner of his mouth. “Still is.” Then he got up and dapped him. “Yo’...wassup?”
“Wassup?” Diplite glanced Nikki’s way. “Ms. Nikki!”
Nikki got up and walked towards him. Diplite could see a slight limp and some bruises around her face, but she was still fine as all hell. He hated to have to fuck her over, but it was necessary, and all apart of the game.
“You okay?” Diplite asked as he hugged her, tightened his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him.
His head was damn near swallowed by her titties as she squeezed. He got a hard-on and was hoping she felt some sort of way.
Nikki pushed him away slightly and looked him up and down. “How’s Cleo?”
“A’ight.”
“Good.” She grabbed him by the hand, and they followed Dirty-Red into the living room.
On the table was a duffle bag and she walked towards it past Dirty-Red and emptied its contents onto the table. Diplite was so shocked he gasped.
Nikki smiled. “Dis it!”
****
Finally, Hulie was able to sit back in the tub, relax and wash his ass...well, Cleo washed his ass.
“Uh, yeah, girl...the back...ahh, right der...”
Like a baby in her hands, she gently scrubbed him as sweat dripped from her forehead from the steamy hot water making her skin moist to the touch. Hulie peeped up at her and caressed her face as she soaked the soothing soft sponge.
“Damn, girl...you really love me, huh?” She looked into his eyes and smiled, then continued. Hulie got up and lifted her in one swoop, then tenderly kissed her face. “Take dem clothes off and come in here wit’ me.”
After letting her down gently, Cleo reached around her back and unsnapped the button on her mini-skirt causing it to fall softly to the floor. Hulie started unbuttoning the blouse she had on and unhooked her bra-strap. He looked her up and down as she moved about, ever so gracefully as she stepped back out of her clothes in one motion. Standing in front of him with just a thong on made Hulie’s dick rise and poke stiffly to the left like a banana. She stepped forward and stroked it then, played with the tip with her thumb until he purred.
“Don’t tease me like this...” he said.
Cleo pulled her thong off, stepped closer to him and rubbed the head of his dick on her soft, trimmed pubic hairs and his knees buckled. His eyes fluttered as he stared into her kinky Chinese eyes that fucked him up every time. Her soft, cocoa-brown skin was nearly flawless as her long straight, jet black hair set off her look and made muthafuckas stop dead in their tracks. Her body was petite and slim, but yet full of perky titties that stood firm with thumb sized nipples and a dark-nickel sized ring around them both that almost made Hulie cum just staring at them.
Cleo knew all of this, she knew she was fine and that men would do anything for her, but somehow, Hulie was different, maybe he just wasn’t the average man. She never knew what angle he’d come at her with. He’d smack her up a couple of times, then make mad passionate love to her and afterward, cry like a little bitch. She shared that with her mother once and her mother told her point blank that he was sick, that he needed help and she’d better do something quick before he killed her. Cleo paid her mother’s words of advice no mind, it went in one ear and out the other. She had no doubts in her mind that Hulie loved her and it would only be a matter of time before her peeps came around to seeing that.
Hulie watched, trying to figure out what to do to satisfy her seductively, horny ass. She’d been so used to tricking and at a hundred dollars and a better nut, muthafuckas would come up with all types of shit to get their monies worth. If not, they knew just by looking at her long enough, they’d cum quick and lose, then be assed out.
‘Fuck ‘em,’ Hulie thought. ‘This bitch belongs to me, I own this pussy!’ “Come ‘er!” Hulie grabbed her arm and pulled her roughly towards him.
Submissively, she rubbed her hands across his broad hairy chest, tickling him and he responded by cupping her ass and pulling her closer, making his dick sit snuggly between the gap in her thighs, rubbing her clit.
“Oh, Hulie baby...” she moaned as he hoisted her up and angled his dick into her pussy, then bought her down on it.
Her head tilted back as he thrust the full length into her and pumped ravishly, like an animal, he lowered himself into the tub with her still on his dick and sat down. The soothing, heated water electrified them both as their senses exploded from the rush. Hulie leaned back and gripped the side of the tub.
Cleo lifted up her legs with both arms and spread them over his shoulders. Hulie looked at her like, what the fuck, his dick was fully in her and it felt good. she leaned back and balanced herself in his lap. Then with both hands, she grabbed the railing and started spinning herself in a 360-degree angle.
“Goddamn, girl!” Hulie yelled out. “Oohhh, muthafucka...oh, yeah!” She spun and stopped, then looked at him and he hollered. “Please...please...don’t stop!”
She moaned and continued to corkscrew her pussy around his dick until she felt him swelling up inside her. Then she turned facing him, let down her legs and eased up off him softly. He was sweating and breathing so hard he could barely speak as she started positioning herself in between his legs and lifted his waist out of the water enough so that his now huge dick flopped around like a small whale ready to blow. She opened her mouth and swallowed him whole down her throat and slowly sucked.
“Oh...God!” Hulie screamed out.
Cleo rubbed the head of his dick around her tongue and licked the tip of it like a lollipop and rubbed it around her face letting her wet hair tickle his groin. He couldn’t take no more, he grabbed the back of her head and eased it down until he felt himself all the way in the back of her throat and she stopped resisting. He let loose and pumped until he started cumming, she swallowed his cum in one shot. He went limp on her tongue and she washed his head with it. His body shuddered as she kissed it, then he fell backward and closed his eyes.
“Baby...you alright!” Cleo asked.
Hulie opened up his eyes ever so slightly and said, “Yeah...I’m...a’ight!”
Cleo curled up in his arms as they both let the water sooth their bodies and looked up at him, then of into the ceiling and said to him, “Hulie...I love you!”
He stroked her hair and answered, “Believe it or not...I love you, too, baby!”
Cleo didn’t even want to look up at him, she wanted the moment, for life. A grin appeared across her lips as she heard him snooze, then begin falling asleep.
“Finally, Mama, I told you he’d come around!” she said to herself.
Cleo laid snug in Hulie arms as he stared off into the abyss of the night. His mind wandered aimlessly. He stroked the back of her neck tenderly, occasionally looking down on her and smiling. They’d been fucking the better part of the evening. All in all, he really did like her, as much as his gruff persona would allow him to show. Hulie was smooth in some ways, but he was still a two-bit thug in every sense of the word, and he couldn’t change that.
He tried wrapping his mind around the idea of taking her off the streets. He didn’t need her money and so far, she’d proved to be a thoroughbred bitch. He just needed to get his money straight and his shit in order. He needed to find the money he was still looking for. A couple of hundred grand would easily award them the luxury of chilling somewhere South of the Bahamas.
“Maybe it might be good if she moved in, it’s a good time to ask,” Hulie said to himself. Then he turned toward her and shook her softly. “Hey, baby...wake up!”
Cleo opened her eyes as she yawned, then smiled rubbing cold out the corner of her eyes. “Yeah, babe...what’s up?”
“I was wondering, well, actually thinking about making a move.”
“What kinda move...you need some money?” She asked excitedly as she prodded herself up on her elbows. “I told you if you needed some money, I could...”
Hulie put his finger to her lips, shushing her. “Nah, it ain’t like that. I mean...” He pointed out the window. “I need a change of scenery. I’m tired of this shit. I can’t get no peace and hell, you see what the bitch did earlier.”
“That hoe!” Cleo reached over, pulled out her cigarettes and lit one up. She was clearly still frustrated over the dispute she’d had earlier with Sunshine. “That bitch needs her ass kicked!”
“Well, it’s comin’...one day.”
Cleo turned his way. “If you want...I can do her a little something...”
Hulie looked at her and shook his head. “You talkin’ ‘bout...offing her ass?”
“Hell yeah...I can do it, Hulie, if you want me too!”
Hulie opened his eyes wide. ‘Damn!’ he thought. This bitch would kill a muthafucka for me. “Damn, baby, suppose she was like a chick on the side or something?” He laughed waiting for her response.
She put the cigarette out in an ashtray and swung her legs off the side of the bed. “Well...I’d be real careful with that, ya know.” She got up sucking her teeth and walked into the bathroom, leaving Hulie in bed with the answer he was looking for.
She would kill him, too. “Now I don’t want this bitch to move in at all, matter of fact, she don’t need to know shit.” He said to himself.
“Hulie...what is it you wanted to know?” Cleo asked.
“Just thinking, uh, maybe we should start going to...uh better clubs instead of those holes in the wall spots.”
She peered her head out of the bathroom. “Okay, let’s go downtown then. Meeting Street...I can wash up and put on my make-up real quick.”
Hulie got up, walked over to the window and stared out of it. “Take your time, babe.”
He thought about the bullshit from earlier and he definitely needed to eventually find a way to take Sunshine’s ass out of the picture. She was becoming too much of a problem, but still, she was a DA and it wouldn’t be easy. Somehow, he needed to figure her in on some shit, a flam...something she couldn’t wriggle out of.
“Hey, Hulie!”
“Yuh?”
“Remember, I said I had something to tell you?”
Hulie sat on the edge of the bed, checking messages on his cell. “Wassup?”
“I heard on the block that Ms. Nikki is still alive.”
“Who?”
“Ms. Nikki, she was the one who everyone thought was killed in the fire up in Liberty Hill! Remember? Hulie turn off your phone. The chick that was caught in the fire...T-Black’s mother, remember he was found dead, too.”
“So, they found his mother, uh...Nikki?”
“Ain’t that some shit. Then on top of that, I heard she found some money or something too. Probably T-Black’s stash, they said it was a lot.”
Hulie was already at the bathroom door. “Found some money...”
Cleo looked up and tripped, he moved that quick. “Yeah, they said she had a lot of money or something, but so far it’s just a rumor.”
“You sure?”
“I guess, but you’d have to ask my brother. That’s his hangout spot. He’d know one way or another.”
Hulie scrolled through his voice messages and Diplite’s name came up a couple of times. He’d been trying to get in touch with him.
‘Yeah, that’s what’s up,’ he thought as he put it behind his back as she came out of the bathroom with a towel on. “I’ll find out something later. Come over here and hold me.” He hugged her, stroking her long, soft hair.
“Oh, baby...” she cooed in his arms.
‘She did good,’ Hulie thought.
He’d have to get up with Diplite and find out if this shit was true and if it was. He needed to get his goddamned money before someone else did.
****
“Seven...eight...nine...ninety-six. Damn, that’s a nice piece of change!”
“Damn, right.”
“So, Dirty-Red, you my witness, right?” Diplite turned towards Nikki. “Ninety-six gees on the head, those the numbers?”
“Uh...huh!”
He sat down in the chair in front of a small oakwood desk where the money laid, looking over the bundles and rubbing the brow of his forehead. He knew Hulie was more than likely looking for it, and he’d have to act fast. At the same time, he’d have to careful not to bring any suspicion to himself.
“Check it out, the only way to flip this kinda bread is in the country.” That was the same lie he’d told Hulie.
“The country...why?” Dirty-Red asked as he looked over at Nikki hunching her shoulders, trying make sense out of what was just said. He damn well knew it would be crazy hard to separate the money from her. Wherever the cash went, she’d be right there. “Don’ know ‘bout that.”
“Don’t know...”
“Hem right. I go wit’ dat money just case somebody tries...” She reached into the gym bag she carried around with her, then stopped when Dirty-Red touched her shoulder. She put down the seven-inch, stiletto switchblade she was carrying.
“No, need for that...it’s cool!”
“Hell, me kno dat. I kno his people, but, I don’t kno who hem kno...dats not good.” Nikki remarked.
“You don’t trust me, Ms. Nikki?” Diplite asked.
“Trust? C’mon now, who you kiddin’? You got more dem trap houses den tha law allow. You ‘bout dat paper, dat’s what’s up. If you knew you could get dis from out my hand, you would...na wouldn’t you?”
Diplite sat back in the chair watching her body language as she spoke that good geechie shit to him. She knew his ass, and his kind, that’s for sure. It was going to be difficult at best, but not impossible.
“You know, you’re right. So, we move you and the money at the same time...didn’t you say that someone was trying to kill you? How do I know that they might not try and kill me too? No way in hell we do this in the Chuck...”
“Cheraw!” Dirty-Red interrupted.
“What...what the fuck you talkin’ ‘bout Dirty-Red?”
“We can hide her in Cheraw...my hometown.” Dirty-Red walked over to Nikki. “Nobody don’ know you down there, right?”
“Ain’t neh ben, not as I know.”
“Then, it just might work. Hell, my cousin runs a club out that way and we can flip it from there. There’s plenty of bread moving in and out.”
Diplite leaned over looking at the both of them, contemplating to himself that just might work. “She needs someone else to be with her tho. We gotta make it look good, like family, kna-mean.”
“Family...like who?” Dirty-Red asked.
“My sister, Cleo, she knows her. She can go with her and it’ll look like mother and daughter or some shit, visiting from outta town, and less suspicious.”
Dirty-Red rubbed his deep red goatee. “Yuh...sounds ‘bout right. But, what’s up with your sister? Ain’t she still fuckin’ with that dude from the Heights?”
“I got that covered.”
Nikki walked over to the table. “The Height...who?”
“I think his name is Hu...”
“Yo...I got it, Dirty.” Diplite butted in.
He damn sure didn’t want them to figure in on his connection to Hulie, not now. Or at least not until the money was handled and he got his cut, then it would be too late for them to do anything about it.
“Wha hem look like?” Nikki looked over at Diplite and he ignored her. She turned towards Dirty-Red and pressed him. “Wha hem look like, Dirty-Red.”
“Big, husky...missing a tooth with a mouth full of gold...”
“Muthafucka, that’s dat nigga who tried to kill me dat night!” She walked over to Diplite. “You kno hem, muthafucka?”
“Not really, he’s just another hustler.”
She leaned over and grabbed him by the collar, look him in the eyes and said in a raspy voice filled with hate. “Okay, we do it dat way...but den, when it’s ova...I wan hem ass dead! You hear?”
Diplite got scared and pushed her away. “Hey, I ain’t got nuthin’ to do with that bullshit. I was at the crib when your son was killed.”
“Diplite, if I find out yu had something to do wit’ me son’s murder...”
“Man, fuck this shit, find somebody else!”
Nikki stepped in front of him as he stormed towards the door. “I’m gon go wit’ yu on dis, ya hear. But ‘member if I den finds out...”
“I don’t know nuthin’ except what you told me...a’ight.” Diplite lied turning away from her.
She smiled, rubbing his cheeks. “A’ight...den do it.” She knew he was lying. No one knew that her son was killed before the fire. She knew right then he would die. She leaned forward and kissed him. “Sorry, ‘bout that, heh.” He would be the one who would lead her to the man who killed her son.
Diplite reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. “I need to call, Cleo.
“Yo’ Wassup, it’s me Dip.”
“Boy, what you want?”
“Damn, sis...it’s like that?”
“I’m in the middle of eating.”
“So, damn, you can’t stop to talk...”
“I’m at a restaurant with Hulie. I had to sneak into the bathroom just to take this call. You know how paranoid he is. Now, what you want?”
Diplite cuffed the phone closer to his ear and walked off towards the back of the room out of earshot. Dirty-Red and Nikki sat at the bar sipping on drinks he’d set up and engaged in small talk. She turned briefly and glanced his way but turned back quickly once he realized she was staring. She leaned closer towards Dirty-Red. “You think we can trust em?” she asked.
Dirty-Red looked over at him. “Hell naw, I wouldn’t trust that muthafucka as far as I can throw him,” Dirty-Red admitted.
Nikki smiled. “Me neither...sumptin, ‘bout him, ain’t right.”
They both snickered as Diplite turned towards them, then back to his conversation with Cleo.
“I need a favor, sis.”
“What kinda favor, what is it...money?”
“Naw, I’m straight, I need you to...”
“Hold up.” Cleo popped out of the stall she’d ducked into. Hulie had knocked asking if she was alright. I’m okay, I think my friend came...”
“Damn!” She heard him mumble as he stomped back to their table.
She closed the door slightly and hunched down. “C’mon now, he done came to my door with his nosy ass.”
“I need you to go away for a few days.”
“Go away, where?”
“Out in the country.”
“The country?”
“Would you just shut the fuck up for a minute?”
“Aw hell naw.” She got up. “You called me, remember. Who the fuck you dissing?”
“A’ight...a’ight hear me out. I need you to go with Ms. Nikki to Cheraw for a few days. Just so she can stay out of sight for a while.”
“Ms. Nikki, what’s happening with her now? I heard she was almost killed or something.”
“She was, we trying to keep her low for a while until he find out what’s up.”
“I dunno, Dip, supposed someone tries to kill me, too?”
“Naw, it ain’t like that, besides you gonna be with Dirty-Red’s folks.”
Cleo leaned back crossing her legs. “Hmmm...fine ass, Dirty-Red, huh? He’ll be there with us? Okay!” She had dealings with him, very frequently and felt some sort of way. There was something about him that she dug. He was mysterious and very different from Hulie, he was more confident and everything. Even when she refused his money, he’d make her take it anyway, not like Hulie’s grimy ass, he was just cool like that.
“If you want, I’ll tell him to make the trip with you personally.”
“Okay...okay, but what’s in it for me? I know you getting something out of it...you don’t do shit for free.”
“Right...right, okay, sis, you on point. I think I can squeeze about two gees or...”
“Two-grand...please, I can get that...”
“A’ight, four gees, cash, and all the expenses paid, that’s it.”
“Hmm...sounds good. How many days again?” She started counting on her fingers the amount of money she’d make a day.
“Damn, Cleo, who the fuck are you now? Goddamned police or some shit? You gonna do it or what?”
“How many days?”
“About a week, okay!”
“Alright, a week and that’s it? Call me later and tell where you want me to meet you. Or do you want me to pick up Ms. Nikki instead...and of course, Dirty-Red.”
“I got that, I’ll call later...and sis!”
“What, I gotta go!”
“Don’t tell, Hulie, jack shit!”
“I’m wrapping that muthafucka around my fingers, he wants me to move in with him. He didn’t say it, but I know he does.”
“Don’t do it, I’m tellin’ you that muthafucka ain’t shit.”
“You sound just like Mama! Let me live my own life, okay?”
Diplite knew good and damn well he couldn’t let her do no dumb shit like that. Hell no, if he did, Cleo’s ass would be in danger, but on the other hand, he’d know all Hulie’s comings and goings and that shit might work in his favor. One way or another, he had to make a decision quick.
“If you make that move, I’ma tell Ma. He’s beasting on you. How’s that?”
“You wouldn’t...I...I...I thought that was between us. Dip you said you was gonna talk to him for me. C’mon now don’t do no slip like that, Mama will raise pure hell.”
“Then...don’t do it! You heard what I said, at least sis...not right now. I’m serious, okay?”
“Damn, but you better have this Nikki...country shit together!”
“I will, later!”
“Bye!” Cleo closed her phone and walked over to the sink to wash her hands, partly drying them, like she had used the restroom.
She put on some fresh perfume, her game face and stepped out the door. She knew Hulie was gonna drill her about what was going on, so she’d have to come up with a lie...a damn good one. She made her way to the table and sat down.
She grasped at her stomach, groaning. “Baby...got cramps!”
“Damn, Cleo!” Hulie fumed. “You sick...you need to leave or what? Hell, I just ordered fuckin’ steak!”
“No, baby...that’s alright, I’ll stick it out.”
“A’ight, but if it gets any worse...”
Cleo reached over and stroked his hand. He wasn’t shit, he really didn’t give a damn about her. “I might be sick or about a week, tho.” She said in her best Emmy Award-winning performance voice.
“A’ight...I understand. It’s a female thing, no problem. Once we finish eating, I’ll take you home. I can’t get no pussy anyway!” he mumbled.
She managed to fake enough of a smile as she thought. ‘Diplite better have my goddamned money!’ But one thing she knew for sure it would give her a chance to find out what really happened to Ms. Nikki...and get with that fine ass Dirty-Muthafuckin’-Red’s ass in the process...instead of the muthafucka that was mean-mugging in front of her.
He was in the game now, Diplite closed his phone and turned to Dirty-Red and Nikki. “Well, it’s all done...what the fuck!” The money on the table was gone, bag and all, along with Nikki. He did a double take glancing around making sure she just didn’t step out for a sec, but she was nowhere in sight. “Where the hell is, she... and the money?”
Dirty-Red was behind the bar wiping down shot glasses and peeped up at him, then smiled. “Naw, bruh, she’s ghost gone!”
“Where the hell did, she go? I wanted to tell her...”
“She knows ‘bout a week or so, right.”
“Y’all was peeping in on my call?”
“Nooo...ain’t like that!” Dirty-Red walked from around the bar over to a closet and pulled out some keys, then opened the door and snatched up a keg with a label attached around the backside in ink: Anheiser Busch-Plant 9. Dirty-Red was the biggest buyer of stolen kegs and cases in North Charleston. Ball could never pin him down because as quickly as he got them, they were gone, that damn quick. He grumbled something under his breath about having to get a couple more, then turned his attention back to Diplite.
“Yo’ she moves like that. In and out, you never know when she’s coming or leaving. I really don’t blame her, err since her son got killed and she got caught up in that fire, she changed. She trusts people, but no way like she used to, not even me...I’m tellin’ you.”
So, damn, how the fuck am I supposed to let her know where to meet my sister and all that shit?”
“Trust me, cuz, either she knows already, or she’ll see you real soon, like.”
Diplite walked towards the door on his way out and turned back around. “Well, at least where’s she staying?”
Dirty-Red put the keg down he was dragging towards the back of the bar and looked at his stupid ass. “Damn, you ask a lot of questions. Just lee’ it alone.” He shook his head then rubbed his goatee. “Besides her peoples is dem root workers. You don wanna fuck wit’ that. So...if you plannin’ sumptin’ stupid, I advise you to think twice about that shit!”
Diplite grabbed the door and swung it open. “Naw, it’s cool, don’t worry ‘bout it, everything’s a’ight. Then he let the slam shut behind him.
Dirty-Red stood there and watched through the window as Diplite got into his car and pulled off. “Homeboy...don’ got it twisted, I’m not the one worryin’.”
****
Tangie rummaged through the box Dondi had given her. It contained old clothes, papers and a lot of stolen credit card receipts that were taken out of dumpsters, somewhere downtown. She sucked her teeth and sighed as she looked at them.
“Jabari’s crazy this shit don’t work anymore.” She snickered, then flipped through some old photos of her, her mom, dad, Jabari, and she and Jabari together. There were a couple of photos she didn’t recognize, with smiling white people in them and some freckled face young white hugged up on Jabari. She’d never seen him before, she picked up the phone and dialed Dondi.
“Hey, uh, wassup?”
“Hey, Tangie girl...wassup?”
“Damn, you sound too good, you alright?”
“Hell, yeah, I’m alright.”
“Girl, look, the day when I left your hot ass, all you wanted to do was get fucked up. Now, you sound like some Dixie chick white girl or something at a square dance.”
“Dixie chick white...where do you get this shit from? Naw, I’m cool, I just ain’t been gettin’ high. Been going to meetings and shit.”
Tangie smiled and leaned back in her chair. “For real, girl, I’m proud of you. That’s alright!”
“Yeah, wanna get my shit together! Maybe I can’t be like you, all smart and shit...and good looking, but I can be somebody.”
“You can be whatever you want to be, believe that.”
“So, what’s up, you find out anything else about, Jabari?”
“Not really, I’m going through his things and I found some pictures I didn’t recognize, though. Thought you might...” She picked up the photos off her desk. “...know why there are pictures of white people. Lots of pictures of Jabari and some white boy, that’s tall and lanky, with freckles...ring a bell?”
“I asked about him, too. Jabari said some it’s some dude he met in a foster home. Didn’t say his name though...oh...no wait he did. Something like Dory...Dee or something like that. You know them drugs done took all my little memory. I can’t really remember for sure.”
Tangie laughed. “You crazy, just stay clean...it’ll come back.”
“That’s all I know. Hey, would you like to go to a meeting with me? I’ll be picking up a thirty-day chip soon and I’d really like for you to be there. I mean, you like family now!”
“Sounds cool, just leave a message or you know, call me. I’ll be there!”
“Thanks, Tangie, sorry I didn’t know more.”
“No...you did good, catch you later!” Tangie hung up the phone and paged an intern. “I’m looking for some foster care records. You think you can help me?”
“Sure Tangie, let me know what you need.”