“Oh my Goddd!! Mya, you rich, girl!” Rochelle jumped up and down and grabbed me in a big hug.
“Shhh, girl!” I looked around and put my hand over her mouth. “Girl, you gone tell the whole projects and get me robbed. Calm down; it’s only money. Besides, I wouldn’t want Li’l Bo or Monica to find out from anyone but me.”
“Why haven’t you told them? You can’t keep this a secret from them.”
“I know. I just gotta get used to the fact that I even have all that money first. I already safely put it away. But having that much still makes me nervous.”
“Nervous? It should make you happy as hell. I know it makes me happy. I know Li’l Bo and Monica will be too.” Rochelle had a grin on her face so wide it looked like her face was going to pop. “I know your dad is happy Big John showed up with that money.”
“Yeah, he is,” I lied with a grim smile on my face.
“OK, look. You have to tell Monica and Li’l Bo soon. Maybe you should take them out to eat or something and do it,” Rochelle suggested.
That sounded like a good suggestion I thought as I stopped walking to face Rochelle. “Yeah, I think that’s what I’ll do. I’ll take them out later today and tell them. That way, if they get too excited, my momma won’t hear. Rochelle, thanks.” I gave her a fake push while we continued to walk.
“Now what are you going to do for your eighteenth birthday?”
“Oh snap, Rochelle. Girl, I forgot all about my birthday, I’ve been so busy.”
“Mya, how you gon’ forget your own birthday? I didn’t forget. It’s next Saturday, and we gon’ party.” Rochelle threw her hands up in the air.
“No, doubt,” I smiled. “I know we gon’ party.” I got hyped.
“Damn right. And you’re gon’ spend some of that money to go shopping too. I don’t wanna hear shit, and do your hair. You’ll be the main bitch that night. You only turn eighteen once, so it’s on.” Rochelle gave me a serious look to make her point.
She’s right, I only turn eighteen once, and with all the drama I’ve been going through the last four years, I deserve to celebrate my eighteenth birthday. And that’s just what I plan to do. As for shopping, I haven’t done that in a while so it should be interesting. Not only am I going to go shopping for myself, I’m going to take Li’l Bo and Monica on a shopping spree. Spending money ain’t something we’ve been accustomed to in the last couple of years, but I’m pretty sure we won’t screw it up.
Chapter 15
“Give me that bread back, Li’l Bo. I had it first. You know I had it first,” I heard Monica scream at Li’l Bo when I entered the front door.
“I don’t know shit. If you had it first, why didn’t you eat it?” he asked calmly.
“Because I went to the bathroom. Now give it here.” Monica snatched the bread out of his hand. The bread crumbled when she snatched it. “You see what you’ve done? Now the bread is torn up. How am I supposed to eat it?” Monica continued to yell at him.
“Why don’t you ask yourself that, since you the one snatched it?” Li’l Bo started laughing.
I stood back in silence and watched them argue. They have been arguing like that since I became too old to argue with Li’l Bo myself. So now I get to sit back and referee their petty bullshit arguments. Monica always wins because Li’l Bo always lets both of us get our way in the end. Just when the argument was over Momma came out of her room.
“What is going on in here? Why all the hollering?” She headed in the kitchen.
“It’s him,” Monica pointed her finger at Li’l Bo.
I started laughing out loud, and Momma turned around. “What’s so funny? Don’t you hear them in here about to kill each other?” she asked.
“Yeah, and can you believe over some bread?” I answered still laughing.
“It ain’t funny, Mya. He knows I was about to make a sandwich with that bread,” Monica pouted.
“Stop whining like a baby. The next time you take the bread out use it. Females,” Li’l Bo breathed out loud.
“Whatever, boy, get yo—”
“Hold it.” I cut Monica off before she could say anything else. “Could both of you stop about that damn bread. We can get more bread. As a matter of fact, both of you get dressed. We going to the store,” I ordered them.
“Why are we going to the store? I don’t feel like it. Besides, I just took my clothes off. If you lookin’ for me, I’ll be in my room trying to beat the next level on my game.” Li’l Bo walked off.
“Li’l Bo,” I yelled, “boy you better get dressed before I act a fool,” I warned him.
“I’m already dressed,” Monica smiled. “All I have to do is put on my sneakers.”
Li’l Bo gave both of us a malevolent look before going to his room to get dressed.
“Speaking of the store, did you get my Newports?” Momma asked. In the mix of everything I had forgotten all about the Newports that Rochelle and I had walked to the store to pick up. I reached inside my pocket and handed them to her.
“Thanks,” she smiled as she grabbed the pack out of my hand. “You taking your brother and sister to the store so you must have some money. Why don’t give your momma some, because I sure could use it.”
“I already told you I don’t have any money. Now I got you those Newports just like you asked.”
“I know that. I just thought you had some money. If you ain’t got no money, why you going to the store? You better not be on no stealing shit, because I ain’t coming down to Juvenile to get your asses,” she warned.
“Who gon’ be stealing?” I fired back at her.
“I’m just telling ya,” she frowned at me and lit a Newport. I hardly even recognize this mother in front of me. She has changed so much since my dad left. Feeling sorry for my own mother I decided not to argue with her today.
“Yeah, I hear ya.”
Li’l Bo came out of his room with a look that said, “Let’s go now.”
“We’ll be back later if you still here,” I said before we headed out the door.
Chapter 16
Once outside the apartment we started walking like we’re going to the store, but I decided to take a detour. I speeded up my walking pace and stopped in front of Li’l Bo and Monica.
“Let’s stop a cab.”
“Stop a cab for what?” Li’l Bo looked at me like I have only one eye. “Mya, what’s up with you today? You got us out here walking in this damn heat like we going to the store. Now you talkin’ about let’s stop a cab.” He started walking again. Monica looked at me confused.
“Look, Mya, are we going to the store or not because I’m hungry? I ain’t got time for this neither.” Monica looked defeated as she ran her hand through her braids to get them out of her face.
I turned around and waved a cab down that happened to be passing by, and it actually stopped. I can’t help but think this must be my lucky day because it’s rare to get a cab to even slow down in the Brewster. I stepped off the curb up to the cab.
“Where you headed, little lady?” the male cabdriver asked me. I almost threw up before I could answer because his bad breath slapped me in the face.
“Downtown,” I was able to answer before having to catch my balance.
“They with you?” He looked past me and pointed at Li’l Bo and Monica.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“You got money?”
“Uh-huh,” I answered, sick to death of his killer breath.
“Then hop on in.”
I opened the back door, and Li’l Bo and Monica hesitated for a minute. “Would y’all get in the cab,” I said in a demanding tone.
As soon as we all piled inside the cab, the driver took off like a bat out of hell. He didn’t even give us a chance to put on seat belts. By the time we hit the interstate headed downtown we had all settled comfortably in our seats. I, for one, was just hoping the driver kept his damn mouth shut since I had come up close and personal with his foul breath. To be honest, the whole cab smel
led just like his stank-ass breath. So him not talking only eased the funk just a little bit, but just my luck, he didn’t stay quiet for long.
“Where ya headed downtown, little lady?” he asked while looking through his rearview mirror, which had me worried since he was driving like a bat out of hell.
“Not sure yet; just keep driving.” I looked over at Li’l Bo and Monica who were quiet as hell.
“Where would y’all like to get something to eat from downtown? Like what restaurant?” I asked them hoping to get a response.
“You got some money?” Li’l Bo asked, giving me a suspicious look.
“I asked what did you want to eat, didn’t I?”
“I want a greasy burger with mustard and pickles,” Monica said, without a doubt.
“Yeah, that does sound good.” Li’l Bo cosigned with a slight nod.
“A’ight, bet. You know there’s only one place to get that downtown. Aye, driver, you know where Motown Café & Grill Burgers is?” I asked.
“Absolutely. I’ll have you there in five.”
We pulled up in front of Motown Café, and I paid the cabdriver and we got out.
“Thank God! I thought we’d never get outta that stanky-ass cab,” Monica revealed taking a deep breath. Li’l Bo and I started laughing.
We stared at Motown Café for a while before going in. This place brings back memories for us because my dad used to take us here all the time for burgers. A waitress seated us and took our orders. After she left the table Li’l Bo started with the questions.
“OK, Mya, what’s up? How you gon’ pay for all this? And after all that food I just ordered I don’t plan on running up outta here. Not today. So you better have a better plan or some money,” he informed me.
“Don’t worry about that. I got money, so you can eat your food in peace. Monica, you can order dessert if you want.”
“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” Monica said without questioning anything. But I decided to go ahead and fill them in on our new financial gain before the food arrived.
“Look, I brought both of you out to eat for a reason. I need to talk to you about something important. What we discuss is not to leave this table for no reason. Understand?” I gave them both a serious look.
“Spit it out—” Li’l Bo stopped because the waitress approached the table with our drinks.
“A’ight, I’ll get to the point,” I said, knowing what Li’l Bo was about to say before the waitress walked up to our table. “Remember when I went to visit Dad the last time?” I paused, and they both gave me a nod.
“Well, Dad told me he had a friend that owed him some money. Just so happens that friend had come by to visit him to let him know he was ready to pay up. Well, to make this story short, Dad told him to give me the money for us. I met with the guy about two weeks ago, and he gave it to me.”
“How much money?” Monica asked.
“Two hundred thousand,” I lied, not giving them the exact amount. I couldn’t disclose the actual amount. I didn’t want my money to add up to the robbery.
“Stop bullshittin’, Mya,” Li’l Bo stated, giving me a sideways glance.
“I’m not.” I gave him a smile. “I promise.”
The waitress came back to our table with the food. “Let me know if you need anything else,” she said before walking away.
“This looks good,” Monica said, staring at her plate.
“Yeah, it does,” I replied before biting my burger.
“So what did you do with it?” Li’l Bo said with a mouth full of burger and a few fries also stuffed inside.
“What did I do with what?” I played dumb.
“The money,” Monica jumped in the conversation and inserted a fry in her mouth.
“I put it up and don’t ask me where.” I looked at Li’l Bo knowing that was his next question. “Look, we have to be really careful. No one can know about this, especially Ma. If she knows about that money she will lose it. Dad said not to give her none because she will only smoke it. If she needs something like clothes or Newports we can buy it for her. As for other people they aren’t to know either. We don’t want to get robbed, so we need to continue on like we were doing. Except I’m taking you two shopping,” I informed them, and they both started smiling.
“When are you taking us shopping, because I need some of everything?” Monica said, giving me an assuring look.
“No doubt.” Li’l Bo started on his second hamburger since he ordered two.
“Eat up and we can head to the mall,” I said feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders by telling them about the money. Now that I had got that out, we could move forward. My eighteenth birthday was just around the corner. I didn’t want to feel no burden riding my back. This shopping trip for me was going to be a huge stress reliever.
Chapter 17
When we got back from shopping last night Momma was out so we didn’t have to worry about hiding all the bags that Li’l Bo and Monica had. They were really happy. They both got a lot of what they wanted. By the time we got through shopping they had spent two thousand dollars so I knew it was really time to get up out of the store. We took a cab back home because I didn’t want to ride the bus back with all those bags. In our hood, we would’ve been asking to be robbed. Speaking of being robbed, I knew Momma would notice Li’l Bo and Monica had new clothes. I wasn’t worried about her asking where they came from as much as I worried about her trying to sell them for money. While we were out shopping I picked up locks for our bedroom doors. That would keep her out of our rooms when we were not home.
This morning when I got out of bed I decided to get dressed and head over to Rochelle’s house. I figured we could do some shopping so I could pick me up some new ’fits. Yesterday I didn’t really do any shopping for myself; I just let Li’l Bo and Monica shop. Today is my day, and I’m going to let my girl Rochelle shop as well since she’s been the best friend a girl could have.
When I knocked on the door I could hear Rochelle’s mom, Ms. Wynita, fusing about something. When the door swung open it was none other than Ms. Wynita, and I knew from the look on her face I had come over at the wrong time. It’s Sunday, and Ms. Wynita got this “church/she-will-cuss-your ass-out” thing going on. She has on her Sunday best and her Bible in one hand which means she was ready for war.
“And why ain’t you dressed for church?” she asked me right off the bat.
“Uhhhh, I told you before, Ms. Wynita, I wasn’t brought up in the church,” I answered, knowing it’s the wrong answer. But the words escaped my mouth before could I catch them.
“You wasn’t brought up in the church? Chile, that ain’t no excuse.” She gave me a hard stare like she’s considering what I just said. “Well, what’s Rochelle’s problem? I took her to church every Sunday. Now she done turned into a regular Satan. Going to the club is the only thing she thinks about.”
“Ma,” Rochelle screamed from the other room, “would you stop terrorizing my company?”
“Shut up and bring me my baby. You gon’ me make me late for the sermon. And if I’m late, I’m gon’ kick your ass,” Ms. Wynita threatened.
“Here she is.” Rochelle brought Tiny out and handed her over to Ms. Wynita.
“There’s Grandma’s baby. She ain’t gon’ turn out like you. Humph,” Ms. Wynita said before storming out the door.
“Damn, girl, she woke up trippin’ and shit.” Rochelle looked at me and pulled a cigarette out of her pocket.
I immediately started laughing. “Ms. Wynita don’t play. She be hoeing you.” I pointed at Rochelle while laughing so hard I had to catch my breath.
“Shut up.” Rochelle smiled as she lit her cigarette. “Why you out so early?” she asked before taking a deep intake on her cigarette.
“I came by to scoop you up. Let’s hit the mall. I need to pick me up some ’fits for my birthday bash. I took Li’l Bo and Monica out yesterday, but I didn’t get anything for myself. So how about you roll with me?�
� I smiled.
“Hell, yeah. I got to make sure you pick the fly ’fits,” Rochelle complimented as she got off the couch. “Let me get dressed. I can’t go to the mall lookin’ like no wack ho. You know the whole Detroit be at the mall on Sunday. And you know I’m looking for Tiny’s new dad,” Rochelle joked.
“Girl, please,” I laughed. “Hurry up.”
Her Sweetest Revenge (Delphine Publications Presents) Page 7