“Right here, Flack,” Tina said.
She got out of the car and started walking to the door. Kim kissed Flack, and was about to get out of the car.
“Here, give Tina her share,” he said, shoving money in Kim’s hand.
Kim smiled at him, and closed the door. Flack waited until they were both inside the building then he stepped on the gas, and drove away. Kim and Tina took the elevator to the sixth floor.
“Bitch, just cuz you got that cash stashed, don’t mean you can’t take a hundred here or there,” Kim said.
“Shut your face! That nigga could’ve given us two hundred a piece. He was being selfish, keeping all that dough. He can keep his scraps. Greedy-butt nigga,” Tina said, opening the door.
What they saw shocked both Kim and Tina equally. Kim ran to where she left the bags and they were all gone with the money. She threw herself on the sofa and screamed loudly.
“Kim, Kim shut da fuck up!” Tina shouted. “You’re gonna wake up the whole neighborhood, bitch!”
“I don’t care. Fucking thieves broke in and stole everything including the ten thousand dollars you gave me and shyt.”
“Shut da front door, ho! Why da fuck would you leave all that money in the bag?”
“Shyt I thought it was okay, bitch. How was I gonna know that these grimy neighbors that you have were gonna break into the damn apartment. They took all the clothes, and I had just stashed the money in one of the bags,” Kim cried.
“A’ight bitch! Shut da fuck up and stop sniffling like a bitch ass. You da one who left the dough carelessly,” Tina said.
“How was I gon’ know, huh bitch? Tell me how?”
“These muthafuckas don’t care, Tina said, walking to the window before continuing to speak. “They probably saw us with all ‘em bags and came here to steal.”
“I didn’t know—”
“Bitch you were raised in this city. Thieves find a way to steal your shit. They must’ve come through the kitchen window. It has the fire escape. And you left all that money here. That’s what poor people do. They leave money carelessly laying all over damn the place.”
“Shyt! I’m a call the police,” Kim said.
“Nah, I don’t want nobody to shoot me for snitching. Fuck being a rata. I can get you some more money, but you gonna have to put a lil’ work in,” Tina said.
“What kind a work you talkin’ ‘bout…?”
“Just a lil’ sump’n, sump’n,” Tina said.
“As long as it ain’t no illegal shit, bitch. I’m through doing that type o’ shit with you,” Kim said.
“Shut da front door, ho! It ain’t nothing illegal.”
“When you want me to do this work?”
“I’ll let you know soon. In the meantime, I’m a give you two G’s out of my fifteen thousand—”
“I thought you said it was twenty thousand and you gave me half which is ten? Remember your story bitch, cuz now you got me thinking.”
“Shut your mouth, ho! You acting like you ain’t the one who lost your dough!”
“Yes, but I left it in your apartment, bitch. Your fucking neighbors are a bunch of thieves!”
“Ain’t nobody’s fault, but your own ho! You can’t blame anyone else—”
“So you’re sayin I should’ve took all that dough to the club, bitch?”
“I’m sayin’ you should’ve hid it. Put it somewhere safe like under the bathroom sink like I did.”
“Shyt bitch! I wasn’t expecting a robbery!”
“I gave that ten thousand to you out of the goodness of my heart. So, it don’t even matter if it’s ten or fifteen thousand. That was from my heart, ho.”
“You right, bitch. You’re right. Thanks again. When you want me to do this for you?”
“I’ll let you know, ho. And just shut your face—didn’t I say that already. Didn’t I?”
“Just checking, bitch,” Kim said.
Tina went to the kitchen and closed the window. Then she poured two drinks and offered one to Kim.
“Here drink this ho,” Tina said. “By the way, you sleeping over tonight?”
“I might as well, bitch. Cuz I’m go home and all I’m gonna be thinking about is losing that money. And I ain’t gonna be able to sleep either,” Kim said, gulping the drink down.
“A’ight, you know the lay of the land. I’ll take the sofa. When you’re ready, you can have my bed, ho,” Tina said.
“Why are you being soo nice, bitch?”
“Shut your face! Who said I was being nice?
“Then what is it then, bitch…?”
“I just don’t want your fat ass to break down my sofa,” Tina said.
“Good night, bitch,” Kim wryly said, swallowing her drink and walking away.
“Good night, ho,” Tina said, raising her glass with a cunning smile on her face.
14
While Deedee leafed through an edition of Uptown magazine, she munched on fruits from a variety neatly set out on a tray. She glanced up now and again to hear her uncle who kept correcting Coco. Eric Ascot, music producer extraordinaire, was helping Coco revise her lyrics. He worked with a strained patience, stopping often to give Coco pointers. The teen seemed to labor in vain at her craft.
“Play it back for me again,” Coco requested.
Listening to the recording, Coco changed her pronunciation and rhymes based on Eric’s recommendations. They were in the recording studio of Eric’s apartment. “Home-base studio” was what he had dubbed the place he now worked one-on-one with his new artist Coco.
Mumbling softly, the talented teen bopped to the beat, trying to get the verses right in her head. Eric watched her for a few moments, glanced at the diamond-crusted Cartier on his wrist, and turned the volume down.
“Are you ready to go in yet?” he asked Coco. “Don’t be scared,” Eric added with a hint of sarcasm.
Coco’s head was nodding like it was on a spring. She twisted her body and neck in rhythm to the beat, but her body language expressed doubt. Coco didn’t have the hook to the song completely set in her mind. Eric could hear the doubt in her tone when she made the request.
“Could I hear the first verse again?” Coco asked.
“C’mon already—if you don’t have it down by now, Coco, you just ain’t got it. I can’t be fuckin’ around with a three-line hook all day!” Eric shouted.
He should have had the music on full blast, but the volume was down, and the ensuing silence was made tense by Coco and Deedee’s shock. Fingering the controls, Eric glanced at the expressions on each of the teens’ faces.
Biting his lips, he shook his head at the realization of how offensive he sounded. He shouldn’t have let his emotions run uncontrolled. Coco was a new artist going through tough times and he should be more nurturing. Silently he wished no one had heard him. Coco and Deedee continued to shoot him stares of disbelief. They heard him loud and clear.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t supposed to come out like that, Coco,” Eric said in an apologetic tone.
The six-bedroom apartment was huge, but at the moment it felt smaller than a tiny closet. “Maybe we should just break here and continue tomorrow,” Eric said, walking out.
Coco and Deedee glanced quizzically at each other. Saying nothing, Deedee could read the smirk on Coco’s face.
“My uncle’s intense, but I don’t think he meant it to come out quite like that,” Deedee said.
Walking to where Coco stood in the small recording booth, Deedee pushed the microphone from her face, hugging the talented teen. Coco’s mind was still wrapping around what had just gone down. Her body stood frozen stiff in Deedee’s arms.
Deedee planted a deep kiss on Coco’s sensitive lips and breathed life into her. Tears came easily. Her lithe body jerked in convulsions, and Coco sobbed quietly with her head resting on Deedee’s shoulders.
“I gotta go see my mother, yo,” she said.
“I’ll go with you—”
“You don’t have to, yo,�
�� Coco shrugged, walking away.
“Coco, I want to go with you,” Deedee shouted, running after a seemingly seething Coco.
They both ran by Eric who was pouring a drink. He saw Coco storming out of the apartment door with Deedee quickly behind her. Eric drank his drink then pulled out his cell phone and called his security.
“My niece and Coco are on their way out. Detain them until I get there,” he said, and finished his drink.
Coco walked out of the building and Deedee was still behind her. The teens exited the elevator at the same time, but Coco’s pace increased.
“Wait up!”
They both turned around when they heard the voice. Two beefy guys came huffing toward the girls, and Deedee recognized the security.
“Do you have somewhere to go in a hurry?” he asked.
“Well, I—”
“I gotta go see Madukes. My mom’s in the hospital, so I’m out, yo.”
Coco attempted to walk away but the second burly security guy moved closer to her. He blocked her path.
“You ain’t going nowhere until Mr. Ascot gets here,” he said.
“A’ight chill, yo,” Coco said, sizing up the security. “Don’t look so insecure. When Ascot comes I’ll make sure to tell him what a great job you did,” she continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Coco took one too many steps and the security was in her face. Deedee pulled Coco back from the staring contest with the determined-looking security guy. Coco reluctantly back down. A few minutes later Eric Ascot walked out and the guards turned over the enraged teen girls.
“Where are you running off to Coco?” Eric asked.
The sigh of exasperation escaping Coco’s lips was the only the response. Eric let the question hung in the air for a couple of beats while looking at Coco’s face. Then he turned to Deedee.
“Where is Coco—” he was about to ask Deedee, but Coco interrupted.
“I can speak for myself,” Coco said, raising her voice. “I’m going to see my mother in the hospital.”
“Okay, that’s not a problem. I think we’ll all go and visit your mother in the hospital,” Eric said, nodding to the security.
In no time they were all loading in the back of the black limousine. Eric and the girls were heading to the hospital. Coco felt mixed emotions. She spent the time staring out the window, trying to figure out if there was any truth to what Mrs. Jones told her. Coco couldn’t wait to talk with her mother.
They entered the hospital and Eric stopped in at the gift shop again.
“I’ll call you back—the famous Eric Ascot just walked into the store!” a store clerk said. This time he even posed for a picture with the gift-shop employee.
Eric chose a huge bouquet. He walked to the cashier, who was staring at him and seemed eager to wait on him.
“Anything else, Mr. Ascot…?”
“Flowers that’s it,” Eric said.
“I know that trial’s coming soon, but I know you’re gonna beat all that. They ain’t got nothing against you but made-up trash,” one of the employees said.
“Government always trying to jam up the Black man,” a customer shouted.
Eric looked around and saw that other customers were becoming involved in the discussion. Preferring not to be the focus of the commotion, he quickly paid and rushed to join the girls waiting by the elevator. Hospital security waved the group on and they entered the elevator.
Coco led the way to the hospital room with her mother. The frail woman was sitting up in bed with Nurse Roberts at her side when they walked in. Nurse Roberts was busy checking Ms. Harvey and turned to see the group. She directed her stare at Coco.
“I’ve got a few words to say to you Coco,” Nurse Roberts said, and continued to check Ms. Harvey.
“My boyfriend! Oh you always bring me flowers,” Ms. Harvey gushed. “He’s nice right, Nurse?”
“Yes, he’s a good man,” Nurse Roberts smiled.
“Okay, take your googly eyes off him. I know you wish you had a one like him and you trying to steal him,” Ms. Harvey said. “Take it easy, my dear. If I wasn’t married, you would definitely have some competition. Hi, Mr. Ascot. Coco, I need to speak with you.” Coco looked at her. “Now, Miss.”
Unwillingly, Coco walked out with the nurse, leaving Eric and Deedee with Ms. Harvey. The feeble woman was back to lying in the bed, and peering from her moist swollen eyes. Life sustaining machines were hooked into her main arteries and veins. Straining to look directly at Deedee, Ms. Harvey said, “I just meed a few minutes to talk adult talk with your uncle.”
Surprised by the request, Deedee stood and looked at the ailing woman then at her uncle. Wishing she could stay, she walked out of the room into the hallway and spotted Coco talking to the nurse.
“And you did what…?” the nurse asked.
By the uneasy look registering on the nurse’s face, Deedee could tell that the discussion was about something very serious. She tried to move closer, but Coco and the nurse walked further down the hall. Determined to find out what was being discussed between Coco and the nurse, Deedee followed until she was within earshot.
“I’m telling you that it wasn’t real liquor. It was only fruit juice in a liquor bottle,” Coco said.
Nurse Roberts saw penitence on the teen’s face and the nurse’s disdain faded. She was now concerned about Coco’s actions.
“But why…?” she asked.
“Madukes… My mother’s always stressin’ about me bring her lil’ sump’n,” Coco said. “She was killin’ me with all her feignin’.
“So you decided to give her—”
“Fruit juice—cranberry and grape,” Deedee said, butting into the conversation.
“Dee was there. She knew,” Coco said.
“Okay, but Dee is your best friend. Were there any adults around?” Nurse Roberts asked inquisitively.
“Yes, my uncle was there. He bought the bottle and Coco poured out the liquor then replaced it with the juices,” Deedee said.
“Then let’s go find out from your uncle,” Nurse Roberts said.
They walked back down to the room. Coco was thinking about the trouble her little trick had caused. They arrived in the room and overheard Eric talking with Ms. Harvey. They were holding hands as if sealing an agreement.
“Everything will be alright. Don’t you worry, Ms. Harvey, I’ll take care of her make sure everything goes right. You just get your rest and recover from this, alright?”
“Thanks, Eric. You understand me. And I can see you’re an honest man,” Ms. Harvey said.
“Speaking of honesty, may I speak to you for a brief moment, Mr. Ascot?”
“Sure,” Eric said to the nurse. Standing, he continued. “I’ll talk to you again, Rachel baby. You take care of yourself, girl.”
“Yes, boo. And you don’t worry about them judges, and the prosecutors. They’re all legal thieves just trying a rob you blind,” Ms. Harvey said. “They won’t win.”
A smiling Eric walked outside the room with the nurse. Ms. Harvey was lying on the bed with her eyes closed while Coco and Deedee watched silently over her. Several questions hovered in Coco’s mind. She tried not to sound angry when she began talking to her mother.
“Mom, I have to talk—we have to talk,” Coco said, patting her chest, and pointing at her mother.
“What’s up with all that bass in your voice? You better check that at the door,” Ms. Harvey said, wheezing loudly.
“You know Mrs. Jones?”
“Yes? From the east side…?”
“Yes,” Coco answered.
“What about her?”
“She told me that ah… Rightchus is my father and she wanted me to know for my own good—”
“That woman don’t mean nobody no good. She just be letting her mouth flap off da hinges,” Ms. Harvey said.
“She said she used to babysit me, and that Rightchus and you—” Coco began, but her mother interrupted.
“That nosey woman chat too
damn much! Always mindin’ other people’s biz,” Ms. Harvey said. “Never minding her damn own! Just look at her. She has six children and you see how they turned out. Two dead and two in lockup, and the other two are damn sluts!”
“Yeah, but Mom, he was coming around and you and him were cool,” Coco said.
“If you must know why, it’s because I asked Rightchus to keep an eye on you. He was always in da streets and—”
“Ma,” Coco shouted. “So you asked this crack-head to check up on me? Yuck!” Coco said in disbelief.
“I been known Rightchus for a long time. He wasn’t always a crack-head. Back in the days, none of us were, Coco,” Ms. Harvey said, and started coughing.
“That may be true, but this ain’t back in the days, yo.”
“You best mind your lingo, girl,” Ms. Harvey said.
Her coughing continued even when Eric and the nurse returned to the room. Nurse Roberts walked to where Coco stood. The teen turned to face the nurse.
“Well Coco, I checked out things with Mr. Ascot and I’m happy to say it makes me feel better. We were all wondering where the bottle came from,” the nurse said, smiling and shaking her index finger at Coco.
“I told you so,” Coco said excitedly.
“What’s going on? Everyone’s just jumping around. Tell me why. Did someone win the lotto or what?” snapped Ms. Harvey.
“No Rachel, the nurse just had to straighten some things out with me,” Eric said.
“Thank you, Eric,” Ms. Harvey said, and started to cough again.
“But next time please consult with me,” Nurse Roberts said, hurrying past Coco and going straight to Ms. Harvey’s bedside. “You’ve gotta take it easy, Rachel.”
She examined the ailing woman. After poking here and there on Ms. Harvey’s bony structure, Nurse Roberts addressed the pensively waiting group.
“I’m gonna have to curtail this visit; I’ll have to administer sedatives and she’ll be asleep soon. So you can always come back tomorrow. Maybe she’ll be feeling better. Even though she’s over the worst hill, her condition still is critical,” Nurse Roberts said with a disappointing tone.
“Okay we’ll be back,” Eric said.
He put his hand on Deedee’s shoulder then walked away. Deedee glanced at Coco, who was still staring at her mother. There was pain in her eyes. Deedee knew Coco wasn’t satisfied with the conversation she had with her mother. Coco wanted to keep asking questions, but she would have to wait for another time.
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