by A'zayler
It had only been a little over two hours and Honey was already ready to get back to Congo. It seemed like he was the only person that really understood her and her situation these days. Or maybe it was the fact that he was the only person she allowed to understand her. When she pulled up she text him letting him know she was outside. He didn’t reply but a few minutes later she saw him coming around the building. His clothes were dusty and had paint all over them. He even had splatters of white paint on his face and hands. It was crazy how dirty and attractive he looked at the same time. If Honey didn’t love another thing in the world it was a hardworking man. That just turned her on to no end. Then the fact that Congo had a real man job that required some serious body labor she was almost in love at just the sight of him. Even in his Dickey pants and orange construction shirt he was killing niggas. His walk was so swagged out you could feel the cockiness just oozing off of him. This nigga Congo definitely had the juice. When he got close to the car he peeked in the windshield and winked at her.
“Yo ass had better been on time.” He slid in the passenger seat and closed the door.
“I wish I would have been earlier, sexy as you look.”
He was trying to hide it but he was blushing.
“Girl I’m dirty as fuck. What you mean?”
“I mean you look sexy. Dirt and all. If I hadn’t just met you I probably would have gave you some of this Honey love.” She side eyed him and smiled.
“GUYYYYYYYY-DAMN! You for real?”
Honey licked her lips and nodded slowly.
“You full of shit man. You serious?” Congo’s voice held an enormous amount of enthusiasm. He turned in the seat to look at her. “You fucking with me aint you?”
“Nope. I’m not.”
“Well pull over right here.”
“Boy no. Tell me where to go with your tacky butt. Who has sex on the side of the road?”
Congo grabbed a hand full of her thigh.
“Stick with me and you’ll see.”
For some reason Honey could tell this nigga was serious. She couldn’t lie and act like it didn’t make her think. Would she be sticking with him? If she did, how long did he plan on keeping her? She’d figure that out in due time. All she wanted to do now was enjoy the few hours she had left before Samuel got off. Congo gave her directions to his cousin Toro’s house as she drove. When she pulled up the girl she’d saw at the barbershop that day was sitting on the porch with a guy she assumed to be Toro.
“You do remember I’m anti-social right?”
“Fuck that. This fam, you better get your ass out and talk.” Congo got out the car and came around to open the door for her.
“Oh shit. You got lil mama pushing the whip? Y’all must be engaged or some shit?” Toro yelled as she got out.
Congo grabbed her hand and pulled her up the sidewalk. She held her head down momentarily but lifted it when she heard the girl Congo referred to as Z talking.
“Hey Honey,”
Honey gave a friendly smile.
“My brother mean he aint letting you go,” She screamed dramatically. “Look at him holding your hand and shit. Get her bruh.”
Z, Toro, Congo, and even Honey had to laugh at her silliness.
“You remember what I said don’t you?” Congo asked referring to the conversation he and Arizona had when they’d picked him up from jail that day.
Arizona was smiling and nodding as she looked from Congo to Honey and back again.
“What you say?” Honey looked at Congo.
“He said if he ever found you, he was going to get you on his team. I thought the nigga was just talking but you see he proved me wrong.”
Congo looked down at Honey to see if she had any objections. She didn’t say anything she just looked off in the distance at the other houses down the street. He pulled her arm lightly so that she would look at him. When she did he raised his eyebrows at her to ask was she all right. When she nodded he did too and turned back around.
“Aye my nigga I need to take a shower and borrow something to throw on real quick. We just gon’ chill here until it’s time for her to go home. Z, you think you can take her for me?”
Arizona picked up the bag of Salt and Vinegar chips and ate one. “Yeah, I’ll take her.”
“Cool. I’m bout to hop in the shower.” He and Honey walked past Toro and Arizona into the house and up a flight of stairs. She followed him down a hallway and stopped in the bathroom before going across the hall to another room. When he came out he held a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt.
“You aint gon’ wear no underwear?”
“From where? Tell me where I’ma get some damn draws from? I sho as hell aint finna wear none of that nigga’s shit.”
“You aint have to get smart lil nigga I was just asking.”
“Well next time ask some shit that make sense.” Congo laughed and pushed her ahead of him back into the bathroom and closed the door behind them.
“Why you bring me in here? I can wait for you outside with your people.”
“Nah you can sit yo ass down on that toilet and wait til I finish. It aint gon take me that long.”
Congo turned the shower on and began to remove his boots. Honey leaned back against the back of the toilet and crossed her arms over her stomach. She watched him undress and had to fight to keep her mind under control.
“Stare any harder and this dick may just jump over there and fuck the shit out ya. I told you it do what the fuck it wanna do.”
“Man Congo, shut up.” Honey was laughing hard at this fool.
“I’m serious. I aint stopping shit that pop off.” Congo pushed the shower curtain back and stepped in.
The muscles in his dark back and arms had Honey feeling like she’d been missing out on life being with Samuel. Nothing about Samuel said sex, while every inch of Congo had her mind in the gutter. She could hear him bathing and wanted to watch. As if hearing her thoughts Congo made it worse.
“Honey, come look at my dick. It’s clean now.”
“Leave me alone boy.”
She could hear him laughing.
“So you gon sit there and say you don’t wanna see it?”
“I don’t. Never said I did.”
“Okay. Remember that shit girl.”
He had to have gone back to showering because she could hear him moving around again. She looked around the bathroom and the way it was decorated and thought about her own house. She hoped they called her soon. It was time for her own space.
Someone knocking on the door got Honey’s attention. “Y’all fucking?”
That was Arizona.
Honey laughed. “No Arizona. He’s showering and I’m sitting on the toilet waiting.”
“Um huh. Tell that lie to somebody else. Just make sure y’all clean up behind yourselves.”
When Honey heard her walking away she snatched the curtains back before thinking about it.
“See you got your sister thinking I’m in here having sex with you.”
Congo’s head was beneath the water and his hands were pressed against the wall. His back was to her and she couldn’t close the curtain back. It was impossible. The sight of a man this fine up close was something she’d never had the chance to admire and she wasn’t about to waste it being shy. Clearly he didn’t care anyway, he’d done everything but pull her in with him.
“Shit we should be.”
“No we shouldn’t. We haven’t even known each other that long.”
Congo looked over his shoulder at her. “That’s childish as fuck if that’s what you’re waiting on. I dun ate that pussy and everything shit, aint no point in waiting now.”
Honey almost felt embarrassed. Congo’s words had made her feel immature that fast. She threw the curtain back and crossed her arms again. Only for him to peak his head out.
“Chill with that gotdamn attitude.”
Honey rolled her eyes and looked away.
He was finished and turning the water off a little
over ten minutes later. Honey thought for a minute that he’d purposely taken a long shower but she didn’t know for sure, not that it mattered anyway. He proceeded to dry off and get dressed while she watched. When he was done they exited and joined his cousin and Arizona back on the porch.
*****
Congo appreciated the fact that Honey had warmed up to Arizona and Toro so easily. For her to be as anti-social as she claimed to be her ass sure was doing a lot of talking and laughing. She and Arizona had been talking shit and making jokes since he and Honey had come outside. They were so busy laughing and joking they were falling all over each other and shit. If Arizona liked her that meant she was definitely one to keep. Z didn’t hardly like anybody he dealt with including Neeka. She couldn’t stand her ass. She thought Neeka was ghetto and unappreciative. Arizona and Neeka had even had a few run ins with each other due to the fact Arizona openly expressed her dislike for her and the way she carried herself. Neeka not one to back down, got slick at the mouth every time and he and Toro would have to break shit up. This happened almost every time all four of them were together which was why they hardly ever hung out like that anymore.
“Stop bullshittin Honey, that shirt did not come from Wal-Mart.” Arizona looked at Honey.
“I swear it did Z, Check the tag it got that OP symbol on it.”
They both laughed again like it was the funniest shit on earth. Congo nor Toro saw the humor in it but they kept drinking their beer and left them to their girly shit.
“Here Honey, get this shit. It’s ringing off the hook.” Toro passed Honey her phone.
Congo watched her check the caller ID before telling him she’d be right back and walking off the porch. He kept his eyes on her as she walked back and forth across the sidewalk. He could tell by the way her head and hands were moving that she was emotionally riled up. Without another thought he hopped up and walked to her. When he got closer to her he could hear her saying something about going through her mail. He stood right behind her and grabbed her hand. When she looked at him he could see the worry in her eyes.
“That has nothing to do with me. Please don’t do this. I swear it’s nothing.” She pleaded.
He could hear that the caller on the other end had a deep voice. He took another step so that he was directly behind her. His front to her back. He wrapped one arm loosely around her neck while the other remained in his pocket. She stopped walking and leaned against him.
“Samuel, listen to me. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think it was that important.”
She paused for a minute before speaking again.
“Where am I supposed to go? You know I don’t have anywhere else to live.” Honey’s voice was strained as if she was trying to hold back tears. “Please don’t do this.”
Congo grew tired of listening to her beg so he turned her around and took the phone from her hand. He hung it up and pushed it in his pocket. He looked down at her with a frown on his face.
“Don’t beg that nigga. I got you.”
“No you don’t Congo. He found letters from my uncle and wants me to come and get my things. He claims his mother is scared I’m involved in some illegal activities.” Honey shook her head at the thought. Joanne probably couldn’t wait to throw her out anyway.
“Well fuck it. Let’s go get your shit.” Congo stormed away from her and walked back to the porch. “Aye, y’all come roll with me to take Honey home real quick. The people she stay with on some bullshit. Throwing her out and shit.”
Toro and Arizona both got up. Arizona went over to the door, locked it and met the rest of them back at the car. She and Honey sat on the backseat while the men occupied the front. Congo watched her in his rearview mirror as he drove. Every so often he would hear her sniffle or something and get madder. He couldn’t stand muthafuckas that tried to do others dirty just because they could. That shit made him angry as hell. He thought about what he was going to do with Honey. She had no place to go and he had no place to take her. All he did know was that he couldn’t leave her stranded like this. He would have to figure something out. Her hand tapping him on his shoulder brought him back to the present.
“You can drop me off at the top of the hill and I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
“Fuck outta here with that shit Honey. I’m about to take you to this nigga doorstep and if he step out of line I’m beating his ass. Straight the fuck up.”
“Congo, you’re just going to make it worse.”
“It’s already worse.” He looked back out the front window. He was done talking.
He could tell she was mad by the way she slammed her body into the backseat but he didn’t give a fuck. She might as well channel that anger at the right muthafucka because it wasn’t him. He turned down the hill to her house and drove until he got to the streetlight he’d picked her up from the night before. He looked at her in the mirror again. He was about to ask which house it was until he noticed a chubby lady with pink rollers in her head throwing shit out the front door.
“Is that your stuff?”
Honey sat up and looked out the front window. “Oh my gosh. Why is she doing that?” Honey whined.
Congo didn’t even wait for her to point him to the right house, he pulled his car right alongside the curb and got out. The lady looked at him probably trying to figure out why he was in her yard until he opened the back door and Honey stepped out.
“It’s about time you got your ass here. Come and get this shit. You won’t have the police raiding my gotdamn house.” Joanne threw some more of her clothes into the lawn.
“What are you talking about? Why would they come here? That’s my uncle he’s locked up. That has nothing to do with me.” Honey walked over to the pile of her clothes.
“I don’t want to hear it. Just get your shit.” She said just as Samuel and his sister appeared at the door with some more of her things. To see Samuel standing there aiding in this catastrophe only angered her more.
“So you helping her do this?” Honey looked at him holding a few boxes of her sneakers.
“What you want me to do?”
Honey couldn’t believe he was seriously playing this clueless.
“I want you to be a fucking man and stand up to your mother. She’s standing here throwing all my shit out and you’re helping her?” Honey was livid.
Congo mugged this ugly ass nigga up and down. How in the fuck Honey laid up with his old ass every night was a mystery. Thick ass ugly ass fro. Big ass beer belly and shit. Congo shook his head. This was some bullshit. He didn’t miss the nigga looking over at him, but if he knew what was good for him he’d keep his mouth shut. It was nothing for Congo to beat his ass.
“You know what? Fuck y’all.” Honey started grabbing her shit from the ground and walking to the trunk of Congo’s car. “Toro, pop the trunk.” She yelled.
“I have to open it.” Congo walked over with his keys and opened his trunk.
Thank God it was empty. She threw her stuff in there and was headed to get some more of it. Arizona was out of the car and met her in the grass to help her. The both of them made trips back and forth grabbing stuff while that punk ass nigga Samuel, his mama, and Congo guessed his little sister, stood watching.
“They probably couldn’t wait to do this shit.” Arizona said as she and Honey walked back to the grass to pick up some more stuff.
“I know. Look at em’ standing there watching me. And that bitch is wearing my damn shoes and shirt.”
Honey was definitely mad. That was the only time she cursed and she’d said a million of them in her head already.
Arizona grabbed Honey’s arm and stopped her from picking up the stuff from the ground. “Go get you shit Honey.”
“What? She’s not going to give it to me.”
Arizona looked at her like she was crazy. “Well you better take that shit.”
Congo stood by listening and watching. He’d let Honey handle her own shit with those females but if that nigga got out of hand he wa
s hopping on his head ASAP. He watched Arizona pump Honey up to take her stuff, but for some reason he didn’t think Honey was going to do it. She just didn’t look like a fighter. That was one vibe he just didn’t get from her.
“What if she don’t give it to me?”
“What part of take your shit from that hoe don’t you understand? They throwing your shit out like you’re trash. Don’t let this shit slide, go and get your shit Honey.”
Arizona was talking loud enough for the girl, her mother, and Samuel’s punk ass to hear her. It was obvious by the smirk on the girl’s face she knew Honey wasn’t going to do it. That pissed Congo off to the max because he didn’t want Honey to take this shit from these people but apparently she was going to.
“I don’t fight Z,” Honey whispered
“You about to today. If that’s what it comes to, you better beat her ass Honey and I’m not playing with you.” Arizona pushed Honey towards the porch. She didn’t stop pushing her until they were at the bottom of the small staircase. “I’m right here Honey, if you don’t get your shit I will. These fucking people don’t care about you. Out here throwing out your shit, embarrassing you like this. Get that shit Honey.” Arizona’s tone had gone to a more demanding one.
She wasn’t playing with Honey and Congo liked that shit. If anybody would get her right, it would be his sis. She didn’t fuck around. He thought about intervening but changed his mind. Maybe it was time Honey got her feet wet, and there was no better time than when he and Arizona was with her. He knew for a fact wasn’t shit popping off he and her couldn’t handle. It was no question that Toro was down to ride, but he could handle this wack ass nigga by himself.
“What you waiting on mama. Get your shit. If she wanna shoot the one with you, knock her ass the fuck out.” Arizona nudged Honey’s shoulder.
“Bitch, you gon’ have to take this shit off me if you want it.” The girl taunted from the top of the stairs.
“You heard her Honey. Take ya shit.” Arizona took a step back and looked over at Congo for approval. When he nodded she took a few more steps back and they all waited to see what Honey would do.