by Midnite Love
“Get the hell off of me!” He spewed, kicking her away from him.
He then snatches up her purse along with the keys to the house and the car.
“I hope you got some rest after you got up off your knees. It’s a long walk back to Skid Row.”
Sonnet became indignant behind that remark.
“Fuck you Derrick! You ain’t shit for trying to bring up my past! Yeah, I ran up your card, but I was just trying to upgrade your low budget ass. But I can see now that you wouldn’t know class if it slapped you in the face. Which is precisely why I couldn’t bring a baby into the world by a lame ass nigga.”
CRACK! Derrick slapped Sonnet across her face so hard it caused the flipper to fly out of her mouth. He normally didn’t make a habit of hitting women but he had all he could take from Sonnet.
“Upgrade me? Bitch you was a starving, snaggle toothed gutter rat when I found you. Had my whole damn house stinking with your nasty ass. But don’t worry, you ain’t got to be bothered with this “lame ass nigga” any longer. And gimme this damn tooth back,” he yelled, grabbing it off the floor before she could get it.
With that he shoved her out the door with nothing but the few clothes he’d gotten her from Old Navy. Despite Sonnet’s pleading and knocking Derrick didn’t bend. Her first mind was to burn the house down with him in it but she decided that it wasn’t even worth the headache. As the sun began to rise Sonnet was faced with the fact that she was now homeless once again.
Later that day
Sonnet found her way to Aintee Maven’s house. She figured that if it was still unoccupied she could squat there for a while. Much to her dismay the home was now rented to a new family.
She couldn’t believe that she had blown the chance she had with Aviare to bond with him. And once again she didn’t bother to get his number. She was too dumb to figure out that she actually could have stuck around for a few more months with Derrick. If she would have fought for her rights to residency, he would have had to formally evict her. That was neither here nor there. The only thing she could do now was make her way back to her old crew. Hopefully they would take her in.
“Got room for one more?” she asked as she cautiously approached the group.
They appeared to be having a cook out. From what she overheard when she walked up, it was a celebration of someone getting their foodstamps.
“No room for you,” Effie replied as she turned the meat.
Little to Sonnet’s knowledge Bernard had reported back to the group how she treated him when she saw him.
“Back out here again I see,” Royce responded, giving her the once over.
“Yeah, I was straight for a minute but you know how it goes. Life happens,” she replied in a somber tone before switching her attention back to the grill. She was starving and the food smelled delicious. “This one right here has my name on it,” she said playfully as she tried to ease her hand towards one of the charbroiled hotdogs.
“Touch that dog and lose a finger,” Effie snapped, holding up the tongs she was using, giving Sonnet the death stare. “You ain’t wanted around here.”
Sonnet looked at Royce for approval. In the past he’d vouched for her but not this time.
“Young lady do you remember me telling you that you need people out in these here streets to survive? When we let you in the last time you reaped the benefits without giving anything in return. We all do our fair and give what we can but you was still too high and mighty to understand that. That’s not how we operate. We are like family. Bernard here is like a brother to me. He told us how you treated him once you made it out. Couldn’t even spare a quarter, when you know what it’s like to be hungry. I’m sorry but you are no longer welcome in this circle.” Bernard and Effie nodded their heads in agreement.
Sonnet wanted to plead her case but after looking at the faces of everyone in the group she realized that it would be useless. She set out once again on her own, This time around the streets didn’t seem as cold. Maybe she was finally getting used to them. As she looked around at the filth and poverty that surrounded her she began to choke up as she thought about all the chances she had and messed them up. She picked up Gucci and stroked her head, knowing that they would be cuddled close tonight for warmth.
After all Sonnet had been though only one thought crossed her mind, “I started from the top, now I’m here.”
Epilogue
Cheron and Kenterris - Kenterris slowly regains Cheron’s trust. They go on to get married and have three children. He remains faithful to her. He also tells Cheron about the revenge he plotted against Sonnet. She’s pissed at first but eventually forgives him and all is well. They become best friends with Lexi and Darrius. Cheron eventually told Kenterris about what happened with Quinn the night of her accident. Just as she suspected he wanted to kill him. However he never got a chance to lay a hand on him. Cheron’s testimony, along with the complaints of several other women was enough to have him arrested. He is currently serving fifteen year sentence for assault. Cheron’s greeting card business continues to thrive, now being sold in all major retailers.
Lexi and Darrius – Still happily married enjoying the good life. They go on to have another child, this time a girl. After Aruba, Darrius asks Kenterris for business advice which leads to Kenterris finding a spot for him at his company. Not only allowing him to have room for growth, but excellent benefits for him and his family. He earns three times as much as he made at the plant. Lexi goes on to land a job as a talk show host at their local radio station.
Aintee Maven – Enjoying her new found wealth. She finally gets up the nerve to have the hip replacement surgery. Recovery was a bit slow but once she bounced back she hit the ground running. She used part of her settlement money to open a small chain of soul food spots in the hood.
Aviare – Graduates from college with a degree in software engineering. He is currently working for Microsoft developing web applications. His success allowed him to move on and purchase his first home by the age of twenty four.
Ace – Makes the hard decision to finally stop selling drugs. Aviare and Aintee Maven make him an official part of the family. His new image consists of coaching the little league football team he started in the old neighborhood. Along with helping Aintee Maven manage her restaurants.
Derrick – Finally understood that he couldn’t turn a hoe into a housewife. He eventually heals from his broken heart and marries an old friend that attends his church. While he was chasing Sonnet he had a good woman sitting in his face all along. After they marry he gets the big family that he always wanted. Twin girls and three boys, two of which his wife has from a prior marriage. His business continues to thrive.
Rayquan – Finally gets his shit together. He is currently working three jobs to pay his back child support.
Sonnet – Still hasn’t learned a lesson. She is currently living on the streets still waiting for her come up.
The End
Midnite Love
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