Rent Money

by Natavia

“We can beat his ass, too,” Tinka said.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m just focused on Ke’Ari.”

  “Amen, these niggas ain’t shit!” Baby Head Poo said.

  There was a knock at the door and Tinka went to answer it. Kitty walked into the apartment with grocery bags.

  “Sorry, I’m late. I had to close the car wash,” she said.

  Kitty was beginning to show and was still being secretive about everything else like where she lived. I had to find out from Tinka what happened between her and Uncle Henry. As much as I loved her, it bothered me that she couldn’t talk to us the same way we talked to her.

  “Or is it because of that police officer?” Baby Head Poo said, hiding the drugs.

  “You don’t have to do all that,” Kitty replied.

  “He might’ve slipped a wire into your purse or sumthin. I been to jail six times and I’m not goin’ back,” Baby Head Poo said.

  “That little shit y’all tryna hustle? That’s about three-hundred dollas if that. They ain’t takin’ you to jail for that. They’ll put you in time out,” Kitty said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

  “So, what’s up with you and Ian? I haven’t seen him since high school,” I said.

  “We’re fine actually. Just dates here and there but we’re always talkin’ on the phone,” Kitty said.

  “She still won’t tell anyone where she lives though,” Baby Head Poo said, and Kitty rolled her eyes.

  “In Towson with my baby father. Y’all hoes happy now, shat?” Kitty spat. Kitty had an attitude problem—a major one. I didn’t pressure her like the others because she was stubborn.

  “So, you and your baby father are together but you’re datin’ a cop? Hoe, I hope your baby father ain’t a street nigga. You’ll be considered a rat by association,” Baby Head Poo said.

  “Didn’t you rat your cousin out for a reward?” Kitty asked.

  “Yeah, but he owed me twenty dollas. How else was I goin’ to get it?” Baby Head Poo replied.

  “You’re a rat then. Look, y’all betta not mess wit’ me today. I’m going through changes and it’s not nice at all. I think my baby father is startin’ to notice sumthin is wrong wit’ me,” Kitty said.

  “Keep the baby then,” I replied.

  “Hell no!” Kitty said.

  “You wait any longer you’re gonna be a murderer. How far are you now?” I replied.

  “I lost track,” she said but I had a feeling Kitty was lying, so I rolled my eyes at her. I told her I’ll go with her, but I don’t think my heart would allow me to do it if she was past the first trimester.

  “Be honest, is he whippin’ your ass or sumthin cause you act like an abused victim. I watch a lot of movies, so I know what I’m talkin’ about,” Tinka said. The apartment got quiet. Kitty being abused never came across my mind because she wasn’t the type of female to let a man hit on her.

  “No, he doesn’t hit me but we’re in a complicated situation where I’m almost too embarrassed to tell y’all who he is because then I’ll have to tell how he treats me. I’m dealin’ wit’ a lot and the last thing I need from y’all is judgement, so I don’t want to tell y’all yet,” Kitty said.

  “This is so fuckin’ childish. In other words, he can kill you and we won’t know who it is? Does he even know you’re pregnant?” I asked.

  “Nope,” Kitty said then went into the kitchen.

  While Kitty was cooking dinner, me and the girls were texting each other in a group text. I suggested we follow her home, so we could know what she got herself into.

  As the day turned into night, we were still drinking and having a ball. It was almost time for Tinka’s sex toy party, so we were setting up. While putting chips inside the bowl, I realized I hadn’t spoken to Governor all day. After I was finished, I went inside Tinka’s bedroom, so I could have a bit of privacy. Governor didn’t answer the phone, so I shot him a text message. I stayed inside the bedroom for fifteen minutes waiting for a response.

  Maybe he’s busy.

  I brushed it off and headed back out to the living room where Tinka was letting people inside her apartment.

  “Bihhhhhhh, what in the hell is this?” Kitty whispered to me.

  Tinka had old women coming into her apartment. Two were in wheelchairs and one had an oxygen tank. The other four were dressed in their Sunday’s best with dress suits and big church hats and gloves. But I wasn’t surprised, Tinka did anything for money like charging them twenty dollars to get in and thirty dollars for all they could eat and drink. Baby Head Poo was going around putting wrist bands on their wrists for the ones who wanted liquor and food.

  “We have six more coming,” Tinka said while looking at a piece of paper on the clipboard.

  “What’s the paper for?” I asked.

  “For VIP. VIP pays one-hundred dollas for a bottle of campaign and a box of condoms,” Tinka replied.

  “Bottle of champagne! And wait a minute! Why do they need condoms?”

  “So, they can do the nasty. I’m rentin’ my room out for thirty-five dollas. You and Kitty are their servers, so whatever they want y’all can get,” Tinka replied.

  “I cooked the food for you and you’re telling me I can’t party neither?” Kitty asked.

  “You’re pregnant so no. Help Essa out. But in the meantime, let’s get this party started!” Tinka yelled. Kitty fell out laughing when Tinka dropped her robe. She was wearing a lime green leather catsuit with her ass cheeks cut out.

  “Tinka know darn well she should’ve at least worn a waist trainer,” Kitty laughed.

  “Tinka owe me some money after this,” I replied.

  An old lady sitting in a wheelchair in the corner of the room rang her bell. Tinka had the nerve to give them bells for service.

  “Excuse me, but I’m ready for my Jell-O shot and make sure it’s sugar free. I don’t need my sugar spikin’ up,” she said to me.

  Me and Kitty were on our feet all night catering to Tinka’s crowd. Her apartment was packed. We had to move her living room couch into the hallway. I was exhausted, and I wanted to snatch their bells. When I finally had a chance to sit down, someone rang the bell.

  “I need some hot sauce!” a woman called out, but I ignored her. I was exhausted from standing up all day. Kitty was sitting in the kitchen eating chicken and fries.

  “Go get the hot sauce,” I said to Baby Head Poo and she got up.

  Tinka had a lot of toys lined up on the table. I almost choked on my soda when a lady yelled out she wanted anal beads.

  I hope my pussy still works when I’m this old.

  It was around eleven o’clock at night and Tinka had someone knocking on her door. She told me to get it since I was closer to it. I opened the door and there were three men standing in front of me.

  “Excuse me, I think you might have the wrong door,” I said while checking them out. The men looked like crackheads and I knew Tinka wasn’t dumb enough to serve them in front of her company. One dude had on two different color Converses, one was black and the other was off white.

  “Naw, this is the right door. Tinka hired us,” the one spoke up.

  “Hired y’all to do what? Clean up?” I asked.

  “Naw, she hired us to do a little sumthin-sumthin for the ladies,” he said.

  “Y’all the strippers?”

  “Yeah, we the strippers! Now, where is she at? I need my money!” he replied. I called for Tinka and she came over to the door.

  “I’ll pay y’all after y’all are done,” she told them. She opened the door wider, so they could come in and I couldn’t believe her, but then again, I shouldn’t have been shocked.

  “Ewwww, it’s gonna smell like HIV, diaper rash cream and Icy Hot up in here soon. I’m ready to be sick,” Kitty said with her mouth covered. She ran to the bathroom and shut the door. It was my cue to go. I couldn’t sit back and watch those crackheads take some of those women to the bedrooms. Tinka cut the music on to get the party started.


  “I hope those dirty-ass niggas don’t steal their purses,” I said to Baby Head Poo. She turned around and pointed at her shirt. Baby Head Poo was wearing a “Security” shirt.

  “I’m gone. I can’t sit here and watch this elderly abuse.”

  “We got condoms, plus they ain’t fuckin’. They just want someone to use the toys on them that’s all and nobody in here is over seventy,” Baby Head Poo replied. Kitty came out the bathroom and announced she was ready to go.

  Now we can’t follow her home. Damn it!

  “Can you take me home?” I asked her.

  “Yeah, let’s hurry up and get out of here,” she said.

  I didn’t tell Tinka we were leaving. She wouldn’t have heard us anyway by the way she was screaming and boosting those old ladies up. One crackhead was ass naked with ashy knees and he was gyrating his nasty behind on Tinka’s coffee table.

  “That dick is huge! Too bad he’s on crack but babyyyy if he was on dope, I would’ve hopped on it,” Baby Head Poo said while throwing a dollar into the crowd. Another crackhead pulled a woman out of her wheelchair, groping her backside. The woman was excited and I somewhat relaxed because they were having a good time. It was probably the only fun they had in years. Tinka still should’ve hired cleaner men. Kitty opened the door so we could leave but a young man was standing in front us like he was ready to knock but we opened the door in time. He was handsome, too; he had two tattoos on his face by his sideburns with a mouth full of golds. He was also light-skinned with a slim and tall frame.

  “Yo, is my grandmama in there?” he asked, peeking over our shoulders.

  “Ummm, what does she look like?” Kitty asked.

  “She left out the crib wearing a pink suit with a yellow church hat and kitten heels. She’s real short, too,” he said. I turned around and spotted his grandmother. She had her hands on her knees while shaking her rump. She looked younger than the rest of them. She was probably sixty years old.

  “Naw, she ain’t here,” Kitty lied.

  “Yo, don’t play wit’ me, shorty. I know she in there!” he spat. He pushed us out the way and barged into the apartment. Everyone ducked when he pulled out his gun and shot at the ceiling.

  “This muthafucking party is over!” the young man yelled. Tinka turned the music off then placed her hand on her hips.

  “Nigga, you fucked up our live video!” Tinka yelled.

  “Yo, Tinka, how you gonna let my grandmother come to this funky-ass party?” he asked while looking around.

  “Nigga, she grown!” Tinka yelled.

  “I’m gonna remember that the next time you want me to fuck you!” he replied.

  “Tinka stay cheatin’ on Cooley,” Kitty said.

  “Aye, nigga. You owe me forty dollas! The fuck is you doin’ down here. Matter of fact, this party is over! Y’all doin all of this on the Lord’s day. Didn’t y’all go to church this mornin’?” the young man asked.

  “I’m grown, Berg!” his grandmother spoke up.

  “Nanna, can you please go home?” Berg asked his grandmother. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the sex toy items she bought from Tinka.

  “Snitches!” she spat at me and Kitty when she left out of the apartment.

  “I know she didn’t!” Kitty said.

  The boy Berg collected the money from the crackhead that owed him before he walked out the apartment. Tinka followed after him and they started arguing about something. I stepped into the hallway with Kitty to see what was going on in case we had to jump him.

  “Is there a problem?” Kitty asked.

  Berg placed his gun back inside his pants and grilled all of us.

  “Naw, it ain’t a problem but shorty know she violated. It’s all good though. Lose my number, Tinka. If you call me again, I’m gonna tell that clown-ass nigga you be fuckin’ wit’ how I be bendin’ yah ass over while he at work,” Berg said. He walked out the building, leaving Tinka in her feelings.

  “Sumthin told me I shouldn’t had fucked his young ass,” she said.

  “How old is he? Seventeen?” Kitty asked.

  “Nineteen. Shid, he legal. That dick bomb, too. I’ll apologize to him tomorrow morning. I forgot Mrs. Marybeth is his grandmother. Anyways, I have to get back to the party. I love y’all and I’ll talk to y’all tomorrow. Goodnight!” Tinka said. She went back inside her apartment and I heard her locking her door. Kitty hit the unlock button to her Dodge Charger when we got outside. I couldn’t wait to get home.

  An hour later…

  I grabbed the bottle of moisturizer off the shelf to moisturize my body after I stepped out the shower. Once I was finished, I grabbed my silk house kimono and went out to the living room where Kitty was lying on the couch smiling. Instead of driving an hour away to go home, she was going to work from my apartment the next day.

  “Is that Ian?”

  “Yup,” she smiled.

  “Be careful, Kitty. People are gettin’ killed these days for breakin’ hearts. Maybe you should move in wit’ me before your man finds out you’re talkin’ to a cop.”

  “Naw, I don’t want to live wit’ you. Ricardo would really try to throw you under the bus with his bitch-ass. I hate that man so much I can’t stand to say his name,” she said.

  “Fuck Ricardo. I’m meetin’ with a lawyer this week. Benjamin lied on me and got the law on his side to cover it up.”

  “They’ll get theirs, trust me,” she said.

  I checked my phone and I didn’t have anything from Governor. No missed call or text. I wanted to call him again but thought better of it. I didn’t want to come off pressed, but I was missing him already when I saw him a day before.

  Maybe him and Rochelle rekindled their relationship. Ugh, fuck him, Essa. He’s just a friend, not your man. He’s not obligated to call or text you back. This is what I get, I had no business fuckin’ him.

  “It’s Mayor,” Kitty blurted out while I was changing the channels to the TV.

  “Mayor, what?”

  “Is the guy I’ve been dealing with for over a year. Mayor thought it’d be better if we kept it on the hush. I agreed to it because I wanted him but everything that glitters ain’t gold. I was just lucky to have a fine-ass man until I fell in love with him and realized how much I regretted it. I’m tired, Essa. He’s the one who wanted the secret relationship and I thought it was a normal thing to do. I was so blinded by him,” Kitty said. Tears fell from her eyes and I went over to hug her.

  “I want to keep my baby, but Mayor isn’t ready, and neither am I,” she cried. It was the first time in a very long time that I saw Kitty shed a tear.

  “This is a start. Talkin’ about it is a part of maturing and so is realizin’ when a nigga ain’t for you.” She pulled away from me and wiped her eyes.

  “I do love him, but I don’t want to be wit’ him. Mayor has said some really hurtful things to me that I cannot get over. He’s a verbal abuser. But please don’t tell anyone. This is between us. I know we shouldn’t hold secrets from one another but Tinka will somehow tell Baby Head Poo and I’ll have to beat her ass if she mentions it,” Kitty said.

  “I won’t tell a soul but now I can’t stand Mayor. He knows we’re cousins. That fool got the nerve to smile up in my face but the whole time he’s degradin’ you. Fuck him!”

  “Ian is a breath of fresh air. He’s different than all the other guys I have been wit’. He listens to me and he’s gentle. I’m done wit’ hood niggas,” she said.

  Me and Kitty sat up until two o’clock in the morning. I had to be at work by nine o’clock and I was anxious because I wanted to know if Governor and Rochelle were really over.

  **********

  “Call me when you get off if you need a ride,” Kitty said to me when she pulled up at my job. I was an hour behind because I overslept. Tinka’s party tired me out. Also, Governor picked me up from work every day since I started but he didn’t today, nor did he call me back.

  “Appreciate you much. Remember what I said. You ca
n stay wit’ me whenever you’re ready.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said as I grabbed my things.

  Kitty waited until I was in the building before she pulled off. Governor was sitting at the desk, but he was on the phone. He gave me a head nod while I sat my things down on my desk. I logged into the computer and already had ten emails from Governor’s clients. After he got off the phone, he rubbed his temples. It was something he did whenever he was stressed.