Soulful Strut

by Emery, Lynn

  “I’m Trey.”

  “Hey, Trey.” Candi laughed at her own joke. Her eyes glittered, and she hummed to herself.

  “Excuse us a minute. Trey.” Monette didn’t wait for him to reply. She pulled Candi to a spot near the back door. “What the hell you doin’? You can’t walk in the halfway house messed up.”

  “I’m okay, mother dear. Just had a sip of LeAndre’s drink. Maybe more than one. But I can hold my liquor.” Candi hiccupped, then put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing again.

  “You were locked up for seven years, so you can’t drink like you used to. Damn it, you shouldn’t be drinking at all.” Monette jerked on Candi’s right arm for emphasis.

  “Chill, ’kay? I’m straight. Besides, it’s just ten o’clock. I got two hours to go. This little ole buzz will be gone by then.” Candi laughed for no reason.

  Monette considered slapping that stupid grin from her face, then resisted. “Look, we’re gonna catch a cab to that diner around the corner and pour coffee into you for an hour.”

  “Nah, I owe LeAndre another dance or somethin’. He’s been nice to me.” Candi spotted him on the other side of the kitchen. He gave Faye several bills, then jerked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing down the dark hallway.

  “Oh no. You won’t slip into some back room with a dude you just met tonight. You don’t know what he’s carrying,” Monette hissed into her ear.

  “Relax. I’m gonna make sure the brother is wearin’ a raincoat.” Candi patted a back pocket of the tight jeans she wore. “ ’Sides, I’ve been knowin’ him for three weeks.”“So he’s your old friend. That’s too sweet,” Monette said with a grunt of derision. “We’re leaving.”

  “No.” Candi yanked her arm free of Monette’s grasp. “I spent years without a man. I’ve got a lotta unspent passion built up. Now you just relax for a little bit.”

  Monette clamped a hand down on Candi’s shoulder. She dug her fingertips into the fabric of Candi’s black T-shirt. “I agreed to come out here, and you’re not leaving me with a bunch of thugs. I don’t know these people.”

  “Aw hell, just chill out here and I’ll be back soon. I know LeAndre. Won’t take but fifteen minutes, gurl.” Candi winked at her, then giggled.

  “Candi, let’s go,” LeAndre yelled to her.

  “Come on, Monette. Between work and them watchin’ us back at the house, I don’t get to be with LeAndre enough. Not nearly enough,” Candi said with a sigh. “We really do care about each other.”

  “What you waitin’ on, baby? I’m ready.” LeAndre did a bump and grind.

  “Yeah. Y’all like Romeo and Juliet,” Monette retorted. She shook her head.

  “That’s my girl. Go dance some more with that fine Trey. He’s a real player in this town.” Candi darted off. “I’ll catch you in a minute.”

  “Candi, don’t be stupid,” Monette yelled. Another burst of loud music and the crowd drowned out her words. Candi and LeAndre vanished in seconds.

  “Your friend is gonna be busy for awhile. Gives us time to take a ride over to the club I told you about I’ll get you where you need to be by midnight” Trey held his palms out as though that should reassure her.

  “No, thanks.” Monette tried to walk away, but Trey put a hand on her arm.

  “I don’t think your friend is going to be happy if you bust in on them.”

  An image of what she might see flashed in Monette’s head, and she stopped. “Right.”

  “So like I was saying—”

  “I’m not leaving without my friend. Besides, I’m not into clubbing.” Monette crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

  “Why you all tense and stuff? This is a party.” Trey massaged the space between Monette’s shoulder blades. “It’s gonna be awright”

  “Sure it is.”

  After a few minutes Monette let him lead her back to the living room again. She refused a slow dance with him. The crowd seemed to have gotten wilder. Several couples were wound around each other, kissing. Monette watched three men come in the front door. They looked around as though hoping to find trouble. When Trey’s smile froze, Monette sensed something bad in the air. Several people glanced at the newcomers, then left. A tall, dark-skinned man appeared at Trey’s shoulder.

  “We need to handle this, man,” Trey’s friend mumbled.

  “I got it.” Trey pushed his way through a knot of couples bouncing to the music.

  “Damn it, Candi. Fifteen minutes is up.” Monette got to the door of the kitchen when someone shouted.

  She turned around in time to see Trey’s head snap back from a punch. His friend shoved aside one man, then slammed his fist into a second man’s stomach. Women screamed as the crowd pushed away from the fight. A heavy woman almost ran over Monette in her quest to escape. The force of her bulk propelled Monette ahead of the stampede into the kitchen. Gunshots exploded. Monette kicked and clawed her way against the flood of sweaty bodies running for the back door. She finally stumbled down the hallway where Candi and LeAndre had gone. One door banged open, and a half-naked couple raced out past Monette. LeAndre ran out of a second bedroom door.

  “Candi,” Monette called out.

  “You chump! Look what you done, Monette. I was just gonna— Shoot.” Candi pulled down her shirt with a frown.

  “We gotta get the hell outta here fast.” Monette went to a window, only to find burglar bars blocking that means of escape.

  When gunshots boomed again, Candi’s glazed expression cleared up instantly. “I’m ready to go now.”

  “No kiddin’.” Monette glanced around. “Where’s another way out?”

  “I, uh.” Candi ran in a circle, unable to decide which way to go.

  Monette cursed and clutched the hem of Candi’s shirt. “C’mon.”

  They ran toward the kitchen. Sirens squealed closer by the minute. In seconds Monette got them to the back door and through it. When they jumped a fence, a dog barked and jumped around frantically. Neither of them paused to see how big or dangerous it might be. Instead they sprinted to a gate and scrambled over it. More people raced ahead. Monette heard footsteps behind her.

  “Hold up. I hurt my foot,” Candi panted.

  “You better heal fast unless you wanna go back to prison,” Monette said over her shoulder. When a police car pulled up, Monette swore.

  “Let’s take this back alley.” Candi turned, but Monette caught the belt loop of her blue jeans.

  “Run and they’ll chase us down,” Monette whispered.

  A white female officer gave them a stony stare. “You ladies live in this neighborhood?”

  “Yeah. We were walking home from the bus stop and heard a pap-pap-pap. Around here that’s probably a gun, so we took off runnin’. Think it came from a house back that way.” Monette pointed down the street

  “Oh yeah?”

  The officer looked skeptical. She continued to stare at them for a few seconds, then started to get out of her car. A voice crackled through a speaker that a male suspect was headed east on North Street so she sped off instead. Monette finally let out a breath when the patrol car vanished around a corner. Candi groaned with relief. She limped behind Monette for two blocks before she spoke.

  “Hey, slow down. I think I sprained something.” Candi took off one shoe and rubbed her right foot.

  “Exercising it should help. Keep moving,” Monette snapped and kept walking.

  “I’m not jokin’, girl. Ouch.” Candi leaned against the post holding up a stop sign.

  Monette let out a long hiss. She stopped, counted to ten, and then went back to where Candi stood. “Let me see.”

  “Them fools better not have made me break my foot,” Candi whined. She flinched when Monette first touched her ankle, but relaxed a second later.

  “Does it hurt when I press?” Monette put her skills learned in first-aid classes at the prison to use.

  “No, but it feels sore.” Candi watched Monette gently probe with the tips of her fingers.
<
br />   “You didn’t break anything. Probably just twisted it a little. If any bones were broken, the pain would be a lot worse.” Monette glanced at her wristwatch and started off. “We’ve got plenty of time to make it back.”

  “Let’s stop someplace to rest first. There’s a fried chicken place still open down the street. I could use something to eat anyway.” Candi put her shoe back on. She smoothed down her clothes.

  “You got to be out of your mind.” Monette spun around to face her, both hands on her hips.

  “It ain’t even eleven-thirty. We can have a bite to eat, call a cab, and get back by curfew no sweat.” Candi smiled as though they’d had a normal night on the town.

  Monette marched up to her until they were nose to nose. “I was stupid enough to listen to you once. It won’t happen a second time tonight. Now you can come with me or chow down on greasy chicken by yourself. Choose.”

  “You need to stop trippin’, gurl. We both got out okay, didn’t we? And you got to admit that was a jammin’ party until some fool started shootin’ up the place. No harm done. Anyway, I can’t walk four or five miles on my sore foot back to the halfway house.” Candi waved her arms, as though frustrated with Monette.

  “I should break more than your foot for getting me into this mess,” Monette yelled over her shoulder.

  Candi half jogged, half limped until she caught up to Monette. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know all that was gonna happen. You actin’ like I planned it.”

  “You knew thugs and chumps would be there. Wouldn’t take much common sense to figure there might be trouble,” Monette shot back.

  “Up until tonight Faye had some good parties with nice folks like us,” Candi said. She huffed at the pace Monette forced her to keep.

  Monette let out a loud, gruff laugh. “Like us, huh? We’re not exactly members of the Junior League.”

  “We don’t go around shootin’ folks, though. I’m tellin’ you Faye’s parties have always been people just lookin’ for a good time. Never been a big problem before,” Candi replied.

  ‘Trey and LeAndre are gangstas. I know the type and so do you, so don’t even try it.” Monette stopped at a street corner when the traffic light turned green. Cars whizzed by.

  “Thank you. I need to catch my breath.” Candi leaned against her. “I’m really sorry, Monette. Come on now. I didn’t eat any supper at the house cause you know I hate tuna casserole. Let’s go over to the Chicken Shack. Please?”

  “Ten minutes. After that I leave with or without you.” Monette scowled at Candi when she grinned.

  “That’s why they call it fast food. Come on.” Candi walked ahead as though her foot had healed.

  They followed the smell of fried chicken to the bright yellow building. Candi went in and greeted the woman behind the counter. In minutes she’d bought a three-piece dinner with French fries, coleslaw and a strawberry soda. Monette got a diet cola. They went to a booth and sat down. The Chicken Shack did a brisk late-night business. Monette watched customers come and go while Candi ate.

  “Hmm, now this is good food. You oughta have some. Here, take this drumstick. I can’t eat all this anyway. These pieces are huge. I never saw chickens this big on my grandmama’s farm.” Candi waved at a couple across the room.

  “I don’t want any.” Monette stared through the glass window at traffic passing in front of the restaurant.

  Candi threw down a bone and wiped her hands on a napkin. “Look, get over it. I didn’t drag you over to Faye’s place at gunpoint, ya know. Damn! All of a sudden you too good to hang with me.”

  “Quit the guilt trip. You’ve been playing that card since I got to New Beginnings, and it’s old. Sure, things are different for me. I wrote a book, got a radio show and some attention from the press. So you get over it.” Monette glared at her.

  “Fine.” Candi picked up a plastic fork and stabbed it into the container of coleslaw.

  “Yeah, fine,” Monette shot back. Neither spoke for another ten minutes.

  “I’m finished so we can go,” Candi said finally.

  Monette went to a pay phone in the corner near the restrooms and called a cab. She went back to the booth. “The guy said fifteen minutes.”

  “ ’Kay. Let’s not fight. I should have listened to you when you wanted to leave. You always had a nose for trouble.” Candi shrugged.

  Monette sighed. “I could have said no. To be honest, I wanted to party.”

  “It’s tough being out in the world again.” Candi leaned forward with both elbows on the table. “That’s all I thought about for eight years, all the things I’d do once I got out. Funny how much stuff can change in a short time. I got off the Greyhound bus and it was like I’d got off a time machine or somethin’. You know what I mean?”

  “No kidding. I was inside longer than you. I’m not sure of anything most days. I wake up at two o’clock in the morning sometimes with this sick fear in the pit of my stomach. I’m wondering if this is the day I screw up and go back to prison. I’ve screwed up so many times before.” Monette picked up the paper cup of soda to keep her hand from shaking.

  “Damn, you got a lot goin’ for you out here. If anyone can make it, you can.” Candi gave a sharp nod to show she had confidence in Monette.

  “I’m like everybody else in that house in one important way. I’m one phone call from being revoked and sent back to prison,” Monette reminded her.

  “Ain’t gonna happen. You’ve got more sense than any of us, me especially,” Candi said.

  “Uh-huh. That’s why I was right there with you jumping fences and dodging the police a while ago,” Monette wisecracked.

  Candi grinned at her. “A momentary lapse in judgment ’cause you wanted to hang with a friend. Hey, I had fun even with my hurt foot”

  “You’re a drama junkie.” Monette relaxed against the yellow plastic bench. “Didn’t know I could still move that fast.”

  ‘Tell me about it I was working hard to keep up.” Candi pursed her lips.

  They looked at each other and burst into laughter. They traded jokes for another few minutes. A group of rowdy customers came in. Two teenagers got into a playful shoving match that quickly turned serious. The six-foot-five muscular manager came out and made them behave. Monette glanced past Candi and saw a black-and-white taxicab pull into the parking lot.

  “Our ride is here. Not a moment too soon.” Monette waved for her to follow.

  “Great. We’ve had enough excitement tonight.” Candi slid from the booth.

  “There’s always tomorrow, though.” Monette laughed again when Candi’s eyes widened in fear.

  Monette and Candi got to the halfway house at five minutes before midnight. They hurried down the driveway to the back door. They rang the doorbell and stood under the floodlight so they could be seen through the peephole. The night staff on duty let them in, then glanced at the kitchen clock. Mrs. Inelle Mason still had the novel she was reading in one hand. Everyone called her Miss Inelle.

  “You ladies cut it close. In by midnight does not mean walking down the driveway at the stroke of twelve.” Miss Inelle clicked the three locks back in place. She went to the table and sat down. She wore a hairnet over her neatly combed gray hair.

  “Lucky for us Nita ain’t on duty tonight. She would have locked us out and written up a report for Trudy.” Candi gave the older woman a hug.

  Miss Inelle brushed her off. “You saying I’m a pushover, that I violate rules and don’t do my job?”

  “No, ma’am.” Candi’s smile vanished under Miss Inelle’s stare. She stood to attention.

  “Don’t mistake kindness for weakness, missy. I’ll write your butt up if you cross the line.” Miss Inelle pointed at her.

  “We appreciate you being tough but fair. Miss Inelle. Next time we’ll be back well before curfew,” Monette chimed in.

  “Better be. Don’t know why ladies need to be rambling around in the streets this time of night anyway. Ask me, the curfew should be nine o’cloc
k at night Monday through Sunday.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Candi and Monette replied in twin respectful tones.

  Her severe expression softened a bit. “Y’all hungry? I made some of my turkey salad and baked a sour cream pound cake.”

  “We’re cool. Stopped at the Chicken Shack right before we came home,” Candi said. “But we’ll enjoy some of that cake tomorrow for dessert.”

  “Okay then. Goodnight.” Miss Inelle yawned as she opened her book and removed a fancy bookmark.

  “We might watch a little television if you don’t mind. Maybe I’ll have a teensy slice of cake tonight. C’mon, Candi. Let’s get in our pajamas and have a slumber party,” Monette said.

  Candi followed her moments later, after thanking Miss Inelle for baking the cake. “Whew, better not step on her toe again. Tough old lady.”

  Yarva came down the stairs. She wore pink fuzzy slippers and blue sweats. “Well if it ain’t the party girls back from a night on the town. Surprised you got in so early.”

  “Keep your voice down,” Candi whispered. She looked over her shoulder toward the kitchen. “Miss Inelle might be old, but she can hear through walls without straining.”

  “We went to the movies, for your information.” Monette brushed past her.

  “So Faye is showin’ movies at her house on Saturday nights,” Yarva said, lowering her voice as she walked behind them.

  “Faye who?” Monette said before Candi could answer. She grabbed Candi by the sleeve of her T-shirt and pulled her into the living room.

  Tyeisha hopped from the stuffed chair. She peered around them. “Hope Lenore is with y’all.”

  “Lenore didn’t come to the movies with us.”

  “Movies my ass,” Yarva blurted out. She sat in another chair but watched Monette and Candi instead of the television.

  Monette ignored Yarva’s comment. “Lenore is probably just running late like us.”

  “Yeah, sure. Bet she missed the last bus.” Tyeisha slapped the paperback romance novel she held against one thigh. “Guess I’ll go upstairs.”