“Yo Banks, I’m about to shoot up to the store right quick bru. I heard Shell yell over my shoulder, as I stood in the doorway staring at Tika, hypnotized with my own thoughts. It was only the sound of Tika’s voice that brought me out of my daylight nightmare.
“Teddy? Teddy?” she shouted to me.
“Huh? Oh, damn my fault,” I snapped outta my trance and walked past Tika into the apartment as her eyes burned holes into my back. Immediately my attention was drawn to the mop and the wet spot on the floor beside it, as my eyes stared down at the area where I knew Fletches sperm lay just seconds ago.
“Teddy what’s wrong? You want mama to take care of you?” Tika smiled as she walked over and threw her arms around my neck.
“I saw what that nigga did to you,” I spoke in an aggravated whisper. Slowly Tika’s arm slide from around my neck.
“Wha…. what you say Teddy?” Tika asked, unsure of what she’d just heard.
“I said, I saw what that perverted, child molesting, bitch ass nigga just did to you.” Suddenly Tika began to tremble uncontrollably, as she shrieked, then crumbled to the floor in a pitiful heap at my feet.
“Oh my god! I’m sorry Teddy! Please! Please don’t leave me! Oh god, I’m sorry!” Tika screamed hysterically, diving to wrap her arms tightly around my legs as if I might bolt out the door at any second. The deep-seated hatred that I felt for Fletch right then, couldn’t possibly be described in words. Somehow this sick fuck, had managed to instill into Tika’s mind, that everything happening between them was her fault. Gently I loosened her arms, and lifted her to her feet. “Tika,” I spoke her name but her trembling and pleas for forgiveness refused to let up. “Tika!” I yelled this time, snapping her slightly out of her hysteria. “Stop crying and listen to me. You haven’t done anything wrong, and I’m not going nowhere. I’m not going anywhere no more.”
“Oh god, thank you Teddy! Thank you!” Tika threw her arms back around my neck and buried her face in my chest as the tears poured from her eyes like a waterfall.
“Calm down and sit down over here,” I gently took her by the hand and led her to the couch. “Now tell me how long he’s been doing this to you.
“You won’t be mad at me? You won’t think I’m a whore?” Tika spoke with a quivering voice, as if the thought of me looking down on her, frightened her more than anything.
“No, I already told you this shit aint your fault. Now tell me.”
“Since I was thirteen.”
“What! That sick motherfucker! Why the hell didn’t you tell your moms about his shit!”
“I couldn’t Teddy. After my daddy died when I was nine, my mama had a nervous breakdown and had to go into a mental hospital. She stayed there for three years! I was passed around from foster home to foster home, while all they cared about was the check they got for me every month. It was hell Teddy. After mama was finally released, it took another whole year before they said she was well enough to come for me. When I got home, mama was already with Fletch. Two months later he raped me and told me if I said anything to my mama that it would send her right back to the nut house. These were his exact words Teddy. I didn’t want to be without mama no more. I didn’t want her to lose her mind again Teddy. I’m so sorry.” The tears of sorrow that streaked down her face infuriated me.
“Stop crying Tika. We’ll get everything straightened out,” I spoke softly as I wrapped my arms around her. The very next day as I sat inside Tika and her mother’s apartment, a million and one thoughts raced through my mind. I’d taken some of the money I’d saved from selling tree at school, and put Tika in a hotel room at the Red Roof Inn on Guess Rd. The time was a quarter to twelve. Tika had told me that Fletch usually came by about twelve, to indulge himself with her young body. I knew Fletch was a hustler, but according to my homeboy JQ, the nigga was major. On more than one occasion Fletch had hinted to me about selling whatever it is he sells, for him. But for some strange reason I’d always gotten a bad taste in my mouth when it came to that nigga, and definitely wasn’t feeling fucking with him on that tip. Now I knew why. Besides, my weed money kept me in plenty of new shoes, clothes, and enough new pussy to quench any young niggas thirst. I had no use for selling coke or dope, which I was sure was one of the two, or both of the commodities that Fletch had on the market.
Sitting on the living room couch, I contemplated what I’d say if the nigga showed up. Either way, I was gonna let him know, that I knew he was a sick perverted motherfucker, and that the shit ended today! Period! But after almost two hours of waiting, I was just about to abort my plans and bounce, when the sound of a car pulling up in front of the building, brought my senses to alert! Easing the shade to the side to peek out the front window, I saw, stepping out of the red BMW, none other than Mr. Pedophile himself. Fletch!
Knock… knock… knock… “Tika, come open up this door it’s hot out here!” I listened to Fletch bang on the door and then yell from outside. Walking over to the door, I unlocked the deadbolt and opened it. Immediately I could tell by his surprised look, that I definitely wasn’t the one he was expecting. “What’s up young blood? What you doing outta school?” Fletch played it cool as he stepped across the threshold into the apartment. All I did was stare as he turned to face me. The hatred I felt for this piece of shit, I’m sure was evident on my face. I definitely wasn’t trying to hide it. “What the fuck wrong with you young blood? What the hell you got your face all balled up for? And where’s Tika?” Without answering, I closed the door, locked it and sat down at the kitchen table. “Yo lil nigga, didn’t you hear me ask you a fuckin question! Where the fuck is Tika!”
“Don’t even worry about it Fletch. You won’t be fucking no little girls today homeboy.” Sarcasm dripped from my icy voice.
“Say what? What the hell you just say?” Fletch asked, moving in a step closer to hear more clearly.
“I said, you won’t be fuckin no little girls today!” I growled as I jumped to my feet.
“Young blood you crazy. What the hell that crazy girl been telling you?” Fletch let out a laugh so fake he should have been arrested.
“She ain’t tell me shit I didn’t already know! I saw you yesterday you sick motherfuc…….” WHAM!!! A blinding light flashed in front of my eyes, when Fletch grabbed me around the throat and slammed the back of my head into the wall!
“I tried to like you, you lil pussy ass nigga.” Fletch leaned in, hissing into my ear while squeezing down harder on my windpipe! “Just so you know wit ya smart ass, I don’t give a fuck about that lil hot pussy hooker you call your girlfriend, or her dumb ass mama. All I care about is money!” His breath smelled like liquor and cigarette smoke. “You hear me young nigga? They serve they purposes for me and that’s all there is to it.” The sound of his voice started to fade as he squeezed down tighter on my throat. “If I ever hear you breathe another word about me, or even mention my name to another human being, you will not continue to exist on this earth long after!” Were the last words I heard, before Fletch drew back and punched me in the face with what felt like the kick of a thousand horses! And then…. There was a darkness.
“Teddy Teddy!” I heard a faraway voice calling out to me as if I was stranded on an island and someone on a ship, miles out in the sea was calling out to me. In all actuality it was Ms. Samantha, Tika’s mom, kneeling next to me, trying to bring me back from the knockout blow Fletch had delivered. My eye fluttered as my vision struggled to come into focus.
“Where am I?” I spoke but my voice sounded foreign to me. I tried to lay back down and return to the comfortable darkness from which I’d come.
“Ohhh no you don’t. Sit up Teddy. Open your eyes. Tika hand me that cold rag.” As soon as Ms. Samantha started to wash my face, I screamed out in agony!
“I’m sorry sweety. It looks like your nose is broken.”
Struggling with the help of Tika and her moms, I stumbled clumsily to my feet. “What yall doing here?” I asked with all the strength I could muster.
“This is my house Teddy. I live here. My daughter lives here too, and I’m gonna kill that motherfucker who hurt my baby!” Ms. Samantha screamed enraged! Quickly Tika slid to my side.
“She knows Teddy. When you told me that you were putting me up somewhere to chill, I knew in my heart you was coming back here. When you didn’t come back when you said, I called mama and told her I was stranded. On the way home I told her what Fletch been doing to me.”
“Why the hell did you do that Tika! You want yo mama to have a nervous breakdown?” I yelled furious, as the drums in my head beat louder with every heartbeat!
“No, god, no….! You and mama is all I got in this world! Without either one of you I’d cease to exist! But I had to tell her what I thought you was doing! I knew you might be in trouble! It was the only way Teddy! I didn’t want nothing to happen to you.”
Even though I was worried about Ms. Samantha, there’s no way I could be mad at Tika. “How is she?” I asked as I sat down and touched my broken nose.
“She says she’s gonna kill em.” Tikas voice held fear that I’d never heard before. “I aint never seen the wild look she got in her eye Teddy. I’m scared.”
The sound of doors slamming coming from upstairs caused me to glance up, just as Ms. Samantha descended the staircase, suitcase in one hand, small black revolver in the other. “Y’all lock this door after I leave. If the police come by here anytime tonight, yall aint seen me since yesterday.”
“Mama!” Tika screamed, latching on to her mother’s arm! Mama no! Please!”
“Tika baby its gone be okay. Mama just gonna take a lil vacation. Okay baby?” Ms. Samantha tried in vain to calm her only child.
“No!” I roared finding strength where I didn’t know there was any, as I jumped to my feet and snatched the gun from her hand!
“I’m gonna kill that motherfucker!” Ms. Samantha screamed as she fell back sitting on the bottom step, crying uncontrollably. Tika sat down next to her and rocked her in her arms, reversing the situation of mother and daughter. My vision still hadn’t cleared entirely, yet I knew that I had to go. Walking out the back door, I didn’t even bother to look back. I had to go find Shell.