by Nicety
“What the hell are you doing here?” Mink stood up from behind Yolo’s ear as I pushed the door open walking in the room.
“I was invited here to pay my respects to Flava. Something it doesn’t look like you’re doing.” I responded looking around the room at the near wreckage a nurse was attempting to clean while on her cell.
“Don’t worry about what I’m doing. I don’t know who invited you but consider yourself uninvited. You need to leave.” Mink folded her arms like she was the boss of shit up in there.
“Says who?” I laughed walking up towards her.
“Aye, y’all can take that bird shit out of here. My woman is trying to recover.” Yolo said standing and walking over to Flava’s bedside.
I agreed. This shit wasn’t about her and I but believe a different time and place wouldn’t keep me off her ass. No, Cesar and I were not together anymore but I didn’t like this bitch. There was something about her that made my skin crawl and my ass itch. She had that rat in the dirt type of face going on and everything that came out her mouth seemed like a lie to me. I focused my attention on Yolo who seemed like his soul was about to fall apart. He leaned over on her like he was about to cry until his heart exploded inside and he could join her on the other side, or wherever her soul had drifted too.
Flava was on all kinds of machines it was hard to know what tube went where. I felt as bad as she looked lying there like she would never get up. I walked up to the bed to get a closer look at her. Her eyes were closed but looked as if they were bulging. Her body was badly bruised and swollen and her hair was disheveled. I found it odd that Mink had been here for however long and she didn’t even bother to try and fix her sister’s hair for her.
“Oh hi. Who are you?”
“Hi, I’m Lasha. Cesar’s g-girl.” I smiled stumbling through the lie.
“Oh ok. I’m Flava and Mink’s momma. But you can call me Ms. Pearl.” She smiled back as she greeted me shaking my hand.
“Nice to meet you ma’am.”
“How did you find out about my daughter?” She asked walked over to her with a cup of ice chips to rub across her lips.
“Oh, well Cesar told me so I came to see if she was okay.” I said walking up to her. “If there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“Hmm, well I appreciate that child. Thank you.”
“Hey mom, why don’t you and Mink go on home and get a little rest. It’s been a troublesome day for you both so I can take it from here and you guys can come back a little later.” Yolo murmured through a cracked voice.
“No. I’m not ready to leave yet.” Ms. Pearl responded sorrowful.
“Yeah I think we need to be here for Flava. You know, just in case she wakes up.” Mink added.
“Mom, I got you. If anything changes you will be the first I call. I just think that you should get some rest. You look tired.”
Ms. Pearl thought about it for a second. She didn’t want to leave her daughter’s side. I could tell by the way she looked down onto her battered face. It took every bone in her body not to excrete tears and let them fall. I went over to her and rubbed her shoulders for comfort, something her no good second daughter should have been doing.
“Well, it’s not for me but for CJ. That boy needs to eat and rest and then I’ll be back later. I’m just going to go get some information from the nurses and then I’ll be back. Mink go get CJ so we can get ready to leave.” Ms. Pearl said as she smiled in my face before heading to the door.
“Um, momma I’m not really ready to leave yet.” Mink said fiddling with her fingers.
“Your son needs you, Flava has her husband here.” Ms. Pearl gritted her teeth feeling as though she was biting her words. “You need to come home and be with your son. Hell, if nothing else help me to explain to him what’s going on with his favorite aunt.”
“Momma she’s his only aunt.” Mink growled, rolling her eyes in dismay. “You need help to talk to your grandson?”
“Mink, I’m not gon’ debate with you about this. Get your son so we can go.” Ms. Pearl responded firmly as she walked out.
“Awe, what’s wrong Mink? You’re mad cause you can’t be all hugged up with your sister’s husband anymore?” I giggled.
“Bitch, you don’t know me. You need to shut your mouth. You lucky I got respect for her or else I’d drop kick your ass right here.” Mink barked waving her finger in my face, popping her neck around.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, alright. She was just consoling me in my time of need.” Yolo responded taking a seat in the chair and placing his head down in his hands.
“Oh I’m sure I know what a hoe like Mink is trying to do and consoling isn’t one of them. Tell me Mink, just how concerned for your dear sweet sister are you?” I asked walking square up to her face.
“Back up bitch.” She replied calmly. “I don’t owe you no kind of explanation.”
“Hmm. It’s funny cause I see distraught on everyone’s faces but yours.” I pointed allowing my finger to touch her nose. “When people are genuinely hurting over a loved one’s misfortune, their hearts are usually in their knees and their brains are scattered. It reads all on their faces. The only thing I can read on your face is that of a cold, heartless bitch.”
“Hmph. Why don’t you go back to your play pen and finish fucking my leftovers?” She chuckled.
“See how much you know; Real women don’t have to spread their legs to get and keep a man satisfied.” I smirked and rolled my eyes. “This pussy has never been touched and is waiting on marriage. That’s why he gave me the ring and not you.”
Yolo looked up into my face as I stared back into his. His eyes were slightly squinted as if he was contemplating something for real. I didn’t know what it was but it also didn’t matter. I knew what I was thinking and it had everything to do with seeing his face bruised and bloody and lying stiff on the cold hard ground. Funny thing about it was that he had no idea that this would be his last day on earth. I chuckled a half smile to his ass before turning my attention back towards the sniveling little weasel still poached in my face.
“Hmm. But he did lick that shit didn’t he?” She whispered, her uncanny laughter pissed me off royally as my frown turned upside down quickly. “I know boo; licked that shit clean didn’t he?”
“Whatever bitch. You don’t know shit.”
“Oh I know. Cause see that’s the same thing he did to me a decade ago when he took my virginity. So you see, bitch, you ain’t special. Just another weak dick nigga getting bitches with that tongue.” She laughed as she walked over to kiss Flava’s forehead. “Gotta admit that shit was fiyah. But it ain’t shit without a good rod to bust that shit wide open.”
“Sounds like that’s your problem; too many niggas bustin’ that shit wide open.”
“Slow down hoe. You’ll be me in a few years, wishing you had a real man to come fuck you until the sun came up. Then you’ll be calling me crying talking about how did I put up with it all those years.” Mink returned to my face overconfident, licking her lips. “And when you do, I’ll show you how to turn that kitty cat right on out. I’m sure we’ll be the best of friends then.”
“Do…do you smell that?”
“What?” Mink looked around the room sniffing like the rat that she was. “The smell of a corroded pussy losing elasticity. Quick, throw that shit in the garbage before it’s too late.” I turned my lip up at her before returning to Flava’s bedside.
“Real funny; mark my words bitch. You will be calling me. Have fun with my leftovers.” Mink said heading over to Yolo. “Do you need me to do anything before I go? Do you need me to fetch you some coffee or…anything else?”
“Naw, I’m good. I just need some time alone.” He said rubbing his head profusely.
“Are you sure? ‘Cause, I can get you anything you need, just name it and you got it.” Her clingy ass couldn’t take a damn hint.
The irritation read on his face like braille
but because she wasn’t paying attention to that she didn’t see the storm brewing and coming her way. He sat up placing his hands in a triangular shaped pyramid before placing them to his mouth for strength not to snap off on her ass. I damn near blurted it out to make it plain as day for her just to save her from getting her feelings hurt from not listening. Mink was so annoying and the only person who didn’t think so was she.
“Mink, your son and mother need you. I think you need to go be with them. I’m fine, I’ll be fine.” He said rising to his feet. “Besides, I need to talk to Ms. Lasha here alone for a minute.”
The look on Mink’s face when he was done talking was priceless. I wanted to tell her to pick her jaw up off the ground but in all honesty I was in a bit of shock myself. What did he need to talk to me for? I had given him no indication that I needed to talk to him or had any information he could use and I hadn’t even put the moves on him to lure him out of the hospital yet. So it came as a shock that he would say something like that and to put Mink out in the process, it had to be major.
“Me? You wanna talk to me alone?” I asked pointing to my chest.
“Yeah. I think its time we had a little chat. Don’t you?” He responded walking towards the room door holding it open for Mink to exit.
“Um, well you have my number and my momma’s number if anything changes with my sister.” She mumbled staring at me as she walked to the door. “If you need anything—“
“Yeah, Yeah. I know. Just call you. Got it.” Yolo mimicked as he shut the door behind her.
He walked over to me grabbing Flava’s hand and kissing it gently as the machines beeped through the silence. I couldn’t bring myself to make the first move, to say the first words. I needed to hear what he was about to say first. He was mysterious. Everyone told me that but it wasn’t until now that I understood that. Until today, I was never in a room with him this close longer than five minutes. This would actually be the first time that I had ever really interacted with him other than the meet and greet at the club last night.
“Go ahead, take a seat so we can talk.” He said shifting his hand over towards the visitor’s chair on the other side of the room.
“Naw. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stand.” I responded never about to be caught off guard in his presence.
“Suit yourself. Lasha. Remember when I said I know you from somewhere?” He asked.
“Yeah, last night at the club you said you thought that.” My heart pounded so loudly I thought my hearing would be knocked out leaving me deaf.
“Yeah…while now I know where I know you from.” His face filled with the most menacing looking grin.
Chapter 7— Cesar
These sons of bitches didn’t even have the decency to even offer me a cup of water of coffee before they stuck me in an interrogation room and left me there for what seemed like days. I had only been there for a half an hour but being in a silent cramped room with only a table and a few chairs made it seem like forever. Not even a clock clicked on the wall. The room was light blue and padded like they had just stuck me in an insane asylum or some shit. I knew they had to be studying me on their cameras, watching my every move to see if I would make any nervous indications that I was hiding something. I made sure to pick my nose and fling buggers across the room just to give the muthafuckas a show to watch.
Come to think of it, these muthafuckas didn’t even tell me their names. The whole car ride here they barely talked to each other and when they did they were fake whispering, mumbling to each other but looking forward so I couldn’t read their lips or eavesdrop. They didn’t even care who I was or why I was even at the hospital. Just asked me to come on down to the station like I was already guilty; believing the shit that came out of Yolo and Mink’s mouths. I no longer felt any kind of sympathy for either one of them. Both of them could kiss my ass as far as I was concerned. I had been trying to figure out a way out from under Yolo’s arm any fucking way.
“Hello. This is Detective Dicks and I’m Detective Rich.” The too swoll detective said as they entered the door, slapping manila folders onto the table, and taking their seats. “We just like to ask you a few questions about last night’s events and then you can go.”
“And then I can go?” I asked looking confused; “The fuck I come down here for if you needed to ask me some questions and then I can go?”
“Well depending on what you say, will depend on the matter in which you leave. You might be able to go home and you might be going to lock up. That will be your choice.” He said shifting through his thin stack of papers.
“Man, y’all aint got shit. I know y’all ain’t got shit cause I wasn’t there and I got a alibi.”
“Well what do you need an alibi for if you weren’t there?” Detective Dicks asked trying to flip the script and confuse me some more.
I just blew steam out of my mouth and tried to remain calm. Any tension sensed on my behalf and these muthafuckas would have me locked up just because. I knew how they operated. They didn’t give a fuck about me. They didn’t give a fuck whether I lived or died. All they cared about was solving their pathetic little case. I could never hurt baby girl like that. It killed me inside just thinking about that shit and how she looked lying in that hospital bed.
“Just tell us what we wanna know!” Detective Rich roared slamming his hand on the flimsy table.
“Man you can miss me with all that. I told you I ain’t did shit.”
“Oh you did it! Cause we’ve got witnesses that were at the crime scene and picked you out of a line up. We’ve got forensic evidence and video. Now tell us what happened.” He spoke as his words fell on deaf ears.
“Ah ha ha ha ha!” It was all I could respond to those clowns.
“Hey man. We understand you were scared and you didn’t mean to do it. We understand you made a mistake. Everybody has made one at one point in time or another. It’s okay man. Just tell us what happened.” Detective Dicks said as he folded his hands leaning in with interest.
The good cop bad cop shit was working with me. Not only was I hip to the shit but they were not about to scare me into confessing to some shit that I know I didn’t do. They might have gotten some scared punk with that shit and from the seriousness on their faces, it’s worked for them plenty of times. But they weren’t about to get this nigga. I placed my hands on the table interlocking them and remained silent. I realized that when they brought me here I wasn’t in handcuffs so that was their fuck up number one.
“Am I being charged with something detectives?” I asked eyeing both of them simultaneously.
“Well that depends. Are you confessing to attempted murder?” Detective Rich asked now calm in manner.
“No sir.”
“Then I’ll say not yet.” Detective Rich said as he exited the room leaving the good cop in there for me to play on his sympathy.
“Listen son. I understand that you might have made a mistake and you need some help getting it off your chest. So I’m here for you son. I got a boy a little younger than you and he’s off in college right now. He’s training to be an engineer. I’m so proud of him I gotta tell ya. But if he went and done something wrong I would want him to get it off his chest and deal with it like a man.” Detective Dicks went on.
I sat there and listened as he went into a near thirty-minute spiel about how shit is wrong and as men we need to own up to our responsibility. Then he went so deep as to bust out the pictures of Flava in the middle of the road, the crime scene with blood all over the car and then what she looks like in the hospital. Inside those photos made me want to vomit just because of who it was in the mist of it all. But none of them fazed me like he wanted them too. None of them made me cringe and want to cry in his arms like a little baby. That pissed him off.
“See son, you can sit there and act like this hard dude with this hard exterior and shell but I’ll tell you one thing, it’s gon’ eat your soul alive.” He said leaning back in his chair.
“Is that r
ight?”
“You know it is. I can see it all in your face. You wanna come clean. You wanna tell me the truth. But you’re scared. Deep inside you’re nothing but a little scared young man and that’s what’s keeping you from talking.”
“For real?”
I could see his eyebrows drop and his breathing elevate. Just like he studied the mannerisms of criminals for a living, I studied the mannerisms of cops. See they were all the same even though no two were alike. They all had bad attitudes and thought the world revolved around them. But they were all working towards one made goal, becoming Lieutenant. None of them really wanted to be doing much of the legwork. That’s why they aren’t beat cops. Naw, they wanted to be the sit behind a desk and eat donuts and coffee all day type of niggas. Giving all of the demands and doing none of them themselves. I saw that Detective Dicks was losing his patience with me though.