Daddy's House

by Azarel

  “Big V,” Rich called out to me.

  “What, mufucka!” I turned my neck all the way around like the damn exorcist. “Go ‘head and tell everybody my damn name.”

  I bent down to fix the handmade cuff I had put in my jeans, while looking around to check my surroundings. I felt like a teenager trapped in a thirty-six year old body. My form-fitted jeans clutched to my firm hips. I’d been pumping iron in the pen, so I was shapelier than ever.

  “You know which building?” Rich whispered, through the window.

  “I got this,” I snapped.

  “Don’t do nothin’ crazy.”

  “You should’a told your lil’ girlfriend that a long time ago,” I responded, reading the building numbers. I laughed crazily.

  “Shit, you know how I feel about your girl. I don’t get along wit’ snitches,” Rich responded.

  “Nigga, stop lyin’. You still in love,” I added, swiftly walking away.

  Rich’s eyes followed me into Tracey’s building, but he didn’t dare get out. I didn’t need no help. Tracey could be handled without back-up. Just in case anything went down, I had already told him to pull off and meet me at my boy’s place on Lenox Ave.

  I passed two young boys dressed in black hoodies on my way in. I gave’em both a nod, since they were lookin’ like they wanted to try their hand. I was fresh outta prison, but still looked young, and good enough to get a few stares. Just in case they had me fooled, or any other foolish thoughts on the brain, I held my hand inside my shirt and made a bulky shape, symbolizin’ a gun.

  “What up, baby girl?” one of the guys called out.

  “Shut the fuck up,” I barked. Our eyes met, and I stared them down hard. Real hard.

  Finally, they backed down and made their way in the other direction. They knew I meant business. Instantly, I proceeded to look for Tracey’s apartment number. I knew the information I’d been given was accurate, because my snitch wouldn’t want to see me again if anything he told me turned out to be false. My feet moved cautiously, while my eyes watched over my shoulder for anything behind me. It only took a few seconds before I spotted Tracey’s door.

  “29E, jackpot,” I said out loud.

  My snitch was always on point. Shit, he valued his life too much not to be. I pulled out the small jimmy from my side, and popped the cheap-ass locks. It was easier than I thought.

  The door squeaked like some shit out of a haunted house. I peeked around slowly, before stepping completely inside. Once realizing Tracey wasn’t home, I quickened my pace. There was no need in trashing the place, ‘cause there was enough shit thrown around to have the place condemned.

  Out the left side of my eye, I caught an image that gave me mixed emotions. The picture of my sister, Vicki, Tracey’s mother, stared me in my face. She knew my style, and knew my intent. Quickly, I pushed the frame downward, no longer allowing her to peep my moves.

  Besides, there was no time for emotional shit. I started to look for anything I could find. I pulled out all the drawers to her plastic storage bin, but found nothin’.

  Nothin’ but a bunch of damn bills. I flipped over every pillow, Snicker’s wrapper and dirty-ass condom in sight. My niece ain’t nothin’ but a nasty hoe, I thought, as I began to get pissed off.

  Surprisingly, Tracey’s computer was still on to the left of me, which caught my attention, because of the explicit photos on the screen. It was Tracey’s MySpace page. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times she’d been on that thing contacting Candice throughout the day. My brother, Ray, had already passed word that Tracey talked to my daughter frequently via that MySpace shit. I rushed to the keyboard, ready to punch a few keys. I hoped it was still active, so I could send my baby a message.

  Surprised by the sudden sounds of the front door opening, I backed away from the computer and turned to face what was before me. When Tracey walked in, I could’a bought her ass for a penny. She stood at the door with her bottom lip hung low. She had one hand on the knob, and the other on her hip. I wondered if was she was still comin’ in, or gonna make a run for it.

  “Problem?” I questioned.

  “Problem? Yeah…I gotta problem a’ight. What da fuck you doin’ in my spot?”

  She looked me up and down, waitin’ for an answer. I couldn’t be certain, but her stare hid her fear well.

  “You questionin’ me?”

  “Big V, e’erybody ain’t afraid of you.”

  “Then why the fuck you still standin’ at the door? Come the fuck in here. I gotta talk to you ‘bout something.”

  “When you get out?” Tracey asked, closing the door slightly, but not all the way . She kept looking back toward the door, like she was expecting somebody to come rushin’ in.

  “I’m asking the fuckin’ questions. Now where’s our girl?”

  “Our girl? Who?”

  I gave her a slight smile. “You know who I’m talkin’ ‘bout. And shut that damn door. Lock it too,” I ordered.

  Tracey was up to some shit. I could smell it. Planning my next move, I eyed the bottle of Drano sitting on the floor near Tracey’s leg. Not that it was my choice of weapon, but I needed a back-up plan. I let my eyes wander for a moment, wondering how much lay inside, and how potent the liquid was.

  Besides, Tracey still hadn’t complied and locked the damn door. After giving her a moment, and looking deep into her eyes, I felt her defiance. Quite frankly, it filled the room. I knew she wasn’t gonna do as I instructed.

  I wasted no time. Two steps and a strong grip later, I had Tracey pinned to the wall by her damn throat. “Where she at, huh?” I taunted. I pushed the door all the way shut with my right hand, and turned the wobbly lock.

  “Big V, why the fuck you come up in here disrespectin’ me like that?”

  Her bitch-ass was whining like a chump. I hated chumps, and was shamed to say she was my niece. “Disrespectin’ you? You the one been on the phone singin’ my mufuckin’ name. You know I finds out everything. You think I’on know.”

  She looked puzzled. I guess wondering who I was talkin’ ‘bout. Maybe she’d talked to several people about me. “You run your mouth too much. Cedric told me you called, braggin’ bout how you gotta look out for Candice.

  I know she was here. So, where the fuck she at now?”

  “I’on know!”

  “You’on know,” I repeated, applying extra pressure to her neck. One of the benefits of being in and out prison was I could snap a fuckin’ neck faster than my victim could scream, ‘nooooooooo’. “You either with me or against me. Which is it?” I badgered. My face told her this was it. No matter what she said, I knew the answer. She wasn’t down with me. Never was. I kept my tight grip with one hand and reached for the Drano with the other. “This some potent shit,” I threatened. “Have you foaming out the mufuckin’ mouth.”

  “Look, Aunt V, I know what Candice did was foul. I told’er. But why you got me in this shit!” Tracey yelled a few words that I couldn’t understand.

  My response, I just tightened the grip on her neck, and tried to pop the top on the Drano.

  “Aunt V, noooooooooo…!” my niece screamed.

  Out of nowhere, Tracey slipped a knife from the opening in her purse. I looked into her eyes and saw my sister. She looked so much like my side of the family, but acted nothin’ like us. It was in our blood to be loyal. “Oh, so you gon’ fuckin’ kill me?” I asked, with a hurtful expression. My heart sunk just a bit, totally out of the ordinary. Would I allow my niece to shank me? My flesh and blood?

  “C’mon, Aunt V, look how you got me? You got me all in the middle of you and Candice’s shit!” she screamed, gripping the shank tightly.

  I wasn’t one for a lot of talkin’, so I grabbed her hand in mid-air. We swayed back and forth, like two dudes at a wrestlin’ match. Tracey’s force told me she wanted me dead. All I really wanted was the whereabouts of my daughter. I couldn’t believe Tracey’s will. One slip and

  I’d be punctured straight in the shoulder
blade. We struggled for less than a second more, before the knife was up for grabs. She was a huge girl, but I was bigger and much stronger. My mind wrestled with what my next move would be.

  A tear fell from Tracey’s eye. Fear? Pain? Triumph? I wasn’t sure. But I do know the knife went in deep and hard. I couldn’t believe she had me like this. My lids opened wide and my eyes protruded to the size of an eight ball. They remained stuck and my body froze. I couldn’t believe this was happenin’. I closed my eyes and cried. A nasty cry.

  Chapter Eleven

  No sooner than me and Sushi made it back to the house, I rushed up to my room, taking two steps at a time. Sushi tried to follow, but I told her I needed some time alone. Luckily, she understood and backed off. The house was unusually quiet for 9 p.m., so the noise from my shopping bags seemed extra loud. I figured I would have some me time in my room, throw all my new clothes across my bed, and think about what Tracey had told me about my mother. Besides, I was tired, and my feet were swollen from all the walking in the city.

  When I opened the door, my eyes darted around the room. I stared in horror, and my mouth fell open, full of surprise. The bright red lipstick smeared on the walls and the mirrors sent me into a rage. Instantly, my bags hit the floor, and I walked around looking at how my room had been smashed. Somebody obviously hated me.

  When I turned to see toilet tissue spread over the bathroom floor, my feet led me in that direction. The closer I got, the smell intensified. I stood speechless in the mirror, just like a character in the Candy Man movie. The lipstick read, “Slut, if you wanna live-go home.” This wasn’t the work of Big V. This was a hater.

  By now, the smell was all in my nose. My adrenaline was on fire. I looked down into the blood-filled toilet and gagged. A combination of soiled sanitary napkins, and balled up bloody tissue stared me in the face. I flushed, and cupped my nose and mouth at the same time. None of it worked. As the toilet overflowed, the water soaked my shoes and freshly painted toes.

  Reacting like a mad woman, I jetted from my room and stomped down the hall, still gagging along the way. My first instinct was to bang on Cat’s door until she opened, but after the first two loud clunks, something told me to turn the knob. Bam! It was open. Cat was calmly propped up on the bed in a pink-silk one-piece, like she was prepping for a porno set. I charged at her, ready to finish where we’d left off. Even though she saw me, she was caught off guard by my quick approach.

  Before she could get off the bed, I grabbed her by her weave and landed a solid punch to the back of her head. Like Tyson in a heavyweight match, my swift aggressive hit knocked her to the floor. She jumped up, ready to fight back, but my anger, combined with frustration, was too much to handle. She started kicking and fighting wildly, with her arms swinging in the air. Big V had taught me that type of fighting was for whimps. I went postal. I snatched an extension cord from the wall, while she threw lashes at my back. I turned quickly, dove into her torso area, and twisted her arm into a painful position behind her back. The moment I knew I had her, I backed her into the wall.

  My animalistic behavior had Cat in shock. Surprisingly, I was in shock too. Most would’ve thought I was on drugs or some type of crazy steroid, but it was simple. I had something to prove. I was tired of living in fear. Finally, I was able to get her in the perfect position. I wrapped the cord around her neck, and tightened it as much as I could. I grinned, seeing the sign of defeat on her face.

  “Get…the fuck…off me!” Cat shouted, in between breaths.

  “You gonna pay, ‘cause being nice don’t work with you,” I rambled, really getting the hang of being the torturer for once. “I tried to stay out your way…but noooooooooo...you wanna keep fucking with me,” I added, while tightening the extension cord even more.

  Cat kept lifting her head, trying to sneak some extra air into her lungs. Nothing was working. I had her where I wanted her. I heard a few of the girls screaming behind me, but I blacked out. The real me was surfacing. I breathed heavily, trying to calm myself. It wasn’t working.

  “Let..meeeeeee...goooo. Let..meeeee...gooo,” Cat repeated.

  “Oh, I’m gonna let you go alright.” I yanked her by the arm that was held hostage by my forceful grip, and led her about two yards to her toilet. It was sparkling, the total opposite of mine. I got angrier, and forced her head down into the bowl. The cord had fallen off, but the imprint from the force on her neck was still there. I grinned again as she goggled the water to keep from drowning. My patience was running thin. I lifted her head momentarily, to see the fear in her face, and swiftly dunked her head back in. The bubbling noise made me feel good for once.

  “You like toilets, don’t you!” Of course I got no response. “Oh, so you don’t have any sarcastic remarks now, do you?” I questioned.

  My hand had been gripping Cat’s head so tightly over the last three minutes, that my palm was now extra greasy. As my grip loosened, I took her head down for one last dive. By now, I had killed any fight left in her. She was as quiet as a church mouse. The most humble I’d ever seen her. I loved every minute of it.

  The sudden sound of keys jiggling, told me my adventure was over. I felt Ms. Dottie’s hand on my shoulder, pushing me out of the way. She looked at Cat, who was down on her knees and hovering over the toilet in disgust.

  “Get up! This is it!” she yelled. “Time for an emergency meeting.” She looked at me and smiled. I wasn’t quite sure why. “I’ve already sent Daddy a text message. He’ll be here shortly. I’ve gotta tell you, Miss Candy, this is not good. I’ve seen this happen before, and Daddy doesn’t tolerate it,” she fussed, while writing on her pad. She never looked up again. She just rambled on telling me how the last time this happened, both girls were out the door. “I mean, we’ve gotta make examples outta people like you. Strangely, we didn’t have a problem out of Cat until you came along.”

  She looked at me real evil-like. Although I turned away, her words cut through me like a sharp knife, just about the same time that she ripped my pink slip from her pad. The moment it touched my skin, I crumbled it up into the palm of my hand.

  “Fuck your damn fines. Did you see my room?” I yelled.

  She shot me with her hand movement that showed she didn’t care. Palm to the face was her favorite. “Save it for Daddy. Moving right along,” she added.

  I rolled my eyes, crossed my arms, and huffed loudly.

  “That won’t help you at all,” she fired back. “Have you ever watched the Apprentice?” she asked.

  I thought it was a weird question, but answered with a sarcastic, “No!”

  “Just wondering. ‘Cause you may need to get packed.” I didn’t feed into her shit, but was definitely frightened by the sound of the front door downstairs being closed. Daddy’s voice yelling upstairs for Ms. Dottie to come down alone startled me. He was always sweet to me, but

  I’d heard the stories about how he handled problems in the house...ruthless.

  “The two of you can behave yourselves, can’t you?”

  I looked at Cat, but she turned away. I just nodded and kept my arms folded across my chest.

  “Stay in your own rooms, until I call for you,” she ordered.

  I turned, headed to my room, expecting to hear remarks from Cat. Nothing. Not one sound. Inside my room, I closed the door just enough, leaving it slightly cracked. My goal was to eavesdrop. Nervous about how Daddy would react, I paced the floor.

  I removed my clothes, and other accessories from the bag to keep my mind occupied. Seconds turned to minutes…minutes turned to almost a half an hour. Suddenly, through the crack in the door a large figure quickly passed by. It snuck past me, headed in the direction of Cat’s room. I didn’t see Ms Dottie, but figured she wouldn’t be far behind.

  I sat on my bed as my heart raced. I just knew it was Daddy, on his way to see Cat, and then me next. My feet led me to the door for a quick snoop. I listened for a slap, but nothing was heard. No arguments, no loud talking, nothing.

 
After several minutes of total impatience, I gave up and moved toward my window. My fidgety frame of mind had gotten the best of me. Staring out my window, I felt a strange presence. When I turned to my fate, I wasn’t sure how to react. Daddy just looked at me, saying nothing. A minute went by before he even made a move. Chillingly, he walked toward my bed with long confident strides, still two yards away from me. His interest in my new clothes seemed out of the ordinary, but at least he left the door wide open. As he moved the fabrics around on the bed, scrutinizing each piece, his scowl remained merciless. Finally, he inhaled with frustration and spoke like a betrayed lover.

  “So, this is how you show your gratitude?” His voice was more rugged than I’d ever heard.

  “Uhh…it wasn’t my fault,” I confessed.

  Before he could say anything else, my heart raced again. I kept my cool, after seeing Cat walk past the door with two heavy suitcases. I was sure my time was near. I guess this is what Ms. Dottie meant when she asked me if I’d seen the Apprentice. Cat was fired, and I was next.

  “These are some sexy pieces,” Daddy spoke. “Why don’t you model for me?”

  I was in no mood for antics. I’d rather be fired on the spot.

  He walked smoothly over to the door, and pushed it shut. “I’m your customer,” he uttered, then pulled a few hundred dollar bills from his money clip. “Here’s a little something for you, come get it,” he said, eyeing me like a piece of meat.

  I figured the cash would be good, since I was well on my way to being evicted. I guess this would be my last hour at Daddy’s House. “Anything in particular?” I asked, with my hand pointing to the outfits.

  “The black halter dress,” he said briskly.

  I turned my back and slipped the dress on quickly, wondering what would happen after I modeled. By the time I turned around, Daddy had pulled a chair to the center of the room and flipped the light switch. I slipped on my stilettos, and strutted around the room like a runway model for all of ten seconds. I breathed heavily, wondering if my quick show had satisfied him.