“I know you big enough to go make it yourself, Tracy” he joked.
“Oh…okay,” she said still eyeing Yvonna.
Yvonna didn’t know if she was scared or what. So she waved at her and when Bricks wasn’t looking, she put a finger over her lips wanting the little girl to keep her secret. The little girl nodded and smiled putting Yvonna at ease.
I’m A Little Teapot
Thaddeus sat in the living room with the television blasted and he was consumed by the football game. Always a Dallas Cowboy fan, he was irritated that the Washington Redskins, a team he felt was weaker, was up by a touchdown. He tucked his hand halfway in the waist of his jeans, and allowed the beer he was drinking to rest comfortably on his large belly, which was covered by a soiled t-shirt. Although he used to be fine a century ago, years of daily alcohol abuse had taken its toll on him.
“Fuck! I can’t believe they letting these sissies win!” He yelled before washing his mouth with ice-cold beer. “Baby, if they lose this game, I’ma owe Frank five hundred dollars!” He yelled at Penny who was cooking his dinner in the kitchen.
Penny walked into the living room and placed a bowl full of hot buttered popcorn on the table next to him. One of the ways she roped his ass was by catering to his every need. His wife, who thought they were still together, had stopped doing that the moment she discovered he slept with prostitutes and gave her herpes.
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, Thaddeus, you knows them boys ain’t worth shit! They not gonna win.” She bent over and kissed his lips and when she walked away, he slapped her large ass. She smiled believing she finally had it made by landing herself a man.
Delilah, who was uninvolved in the nonsense going on around her, sat on the floor with her brand new pink teacup set. For her guests she chose to invite her Cabbage Patch Kid Dolls, Aiden Luis and Shayna Jacey, but it was the fourth place set, which was empty that held her attention.
“Some for you,” she said holding the teacup up and pouring it into her imaginary friend’s mouth, “dwink up.” She continued in her high-pitched child’s voice.
Irritated that his team was losing, Thaddeus’ bum ass used the time to bother the child. “Why you always talkin’ to people who ain’t there?” he said guzzling his beer, “Your mama in there done bought you all them nice toys and you still talk to yourself! Don’t make no damn sense! You just like that crazy bitch who gave birth to you.”
Delilah looked at the man and frowned, she didn’t like him and anyone who watched him walk into a room when she was present knew it. Because the moment he’d show his face, she’d have a tantrum.
But instead of sobbing, she continued to feed the imaginary friend, leaving the other dolls thirsty. When she felt the imaginary friend, whom she called Ra-Ra, had enough tea, she talked to her.
“No…don’t say that! That’s bad!” Delilah said to Ra-Ra. She looked at Thaddeus and shot him a glare so cold, her intentions were known. She hated him and even as a child the look couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. “That’s not nice.”
Thaddeus believing the child’s imaginary friend was talking about him, got real indignant-like and for no reason whatsoever, got up and knocked the entire tea set over before flopping back down in his seat. Delilah was livid. Thaddeus smirked like the Grinch and turned his eyes back to the game. The moment he did Delilah threw a tea cup in his direction hitting him in the forehead. But before he could react, she screamed and kicked wildly.
“What happened to the chile?” Penny asked running from the kitchen picking her up.
“She knocked her toys down.” He lied knowing the child couldn’t verbalize fully what really the fuck happened. He starred at her with anger and rubbed his forehead. “What’s wrong, Delilah? Tell me so Mommy can make it better.”
Penny was out of pocket for telling the child to refer to her as mommy, but she didn’t care. As far as she was concerned she’d taken care of the girl so long, that she was the mother and Yvonna was just a surrogate.
“Why’s you cryin’, chile?”
Delilah pointed to Thaddeus but Penny, pushed her little hand down and walked away. She knew he could be impatient when it came to kids and she wished it wasn’t so. She loved Delilah being around and she wanted him to like it too.
“Mama’s gonna get yous some ice cream. Would ya like that?”
Delilah smiled and just like that, for the moment anyway, forgot about Thaddeus and his inconsideration of her toys. While they were in the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Thaddeus bitterly waddled to the door and opened it. It was the first time he and Yvonna met, and she didn’t like him already.
“What you want?” he said with a beer in hand.
“I’m Yvonna. Where’s Penny,” she asked looking at the full-bodied, robust man before her. His body stank of sweat and his stomach hung over the belt of his jeans. “I came to pick my daughter up.”
“Come on in,” he huffed. “Penny, Yvonna’s here for Delilah.” He seemed to be relieved that she was coming to get the baby and Yvonna wondered why.
Penny walked out of the kitchen and the way she looked at Yvonna would forever stay etched in Yvonna’s mind. For the first time ever, Yvonna felt Penny hated her.
“I came to pick up Delilah for a few days,” Yvonna said. “And to grab my clothes and car out front. I left you a voicemail. You didn’t get it?” When Yvonna looked over at the machine she saw the light wasn’t on and knew she’d gotten her message.
“No I didn’t,” she frowned, “I just got the machine since your doctor be callin’ and leavin’ messages and I don’t know how to use it yet. Where yous taking her anyway?”
Yvonna didn’t think she had to tell her old ass shit, since Delilah was her daughter, but she also knew she’d been caring for the child for two years and there was going to be some attachment.
“We’re just going to Ming’s. And then maybe to Chuck-E-Cheese,” she said as she moved to take her daughter out of Penny’s hands. This time Delilah didn’t fight, and seemed to want to be held by her mother. “I’ll call you when we’re on our way back.” Yvonna smiled at the baby and played with her hand.
“I’s don’t feel too good about this,” Penny said looking at Delilah. “I’s think it’s too early.”
“Well yous gonna have to get use to it,” Yvonna said mocking her broken English. “I wanted you to care for my baby until I came home, not forever, Penny.”
“I knows it’s your baby, Yvonna, but I’s cares ‘bout her too.”
“Good for you,” Yvonna smiled slyly, before walking downstairs.
She grabbed a few things while maintaining her physical hold of Delilah and went back upstairs. She was just about to leave when she remembered something.
“Penny, I thought you told me you didn’t tell Jona I didn’t stay here. In my appointment today, she said you told her I wasn’t staying here.”
“I’s didn’t tell her that. That’s your business not mines,” she scowled still angry.
Yvonna could’ve gone back and forth with Penny but she didn’t. All Penny had to do was make a call and they would no doubt re-institutionalize her, and take her baby from her. It was bad enough that she didn’t have the relationship with Delilah that a mother and daughter should have. If Delilah were taken away from her again, she’d lose the precious years necessary to build a solid bond. It was now or never for them.
But…Yvonna kept quiet and made mental notes to be weary of a woman she once respected and loved. That day marked the turning point of their relationship, and it would be a day Yvonna would never forget.
Secret Reasons
After Yvonna picked up Delilah, she went to Ming’s house but she wasn’t home. Ming called five minutes later telling her she needed to see her right away. There was something in her voice that sounded frantic and it put Yvonna on edge.
Yvonna decided to meet her at Ketchup, a restaurant at the National Harbor near Washington, D.C. Their specialty was fries with different types of sauces for dipping,
so she chose that while she waited. And she had the waiter seat her near the window so that Delilah could be entertained by the water people passing by on the boardwalk.
As she watched Delilah play with her food, her mind wondered. Here she was the brokest she’d ever been in her life, and she had a child. All the times she earned money in the name of revenge, when it came to earning cash for love, she was coming up short with ideas on how to do it. Running her hand across her baby girl’s face she made a vow.
“I’m gonna do whatever I gotta do, to take care of you.” The baby cooed, and went on about playing with her food. For now Delilah could care less if they were busted or rich.
Minutes later, Ming walked in front of the window, saw them sitting inside and waved. She was fifteen minutes late and in pure disarray. When she walked inside, she flopped her white Louis Vuitton bag on the table, a large black duffle bag on the floor and hollered for any waiter to come over to the table. Luckily the waiter she caught was her own and she ordered two vodka martinis.
“I see you have Delilah,” Ming smiled. Her hair was scattered all over her head, and it was obvious that she’d been crying. “Must be nice to finally make family with your baby.”
“What’s up, Ming?” Yvonna asked as Delilah played happily in her high chair. “You don’t look too good.”
“Ming needs your help.” She drank both Martinis when the waiter brought them to the table.
Yvonna seeing this as a chance to get some capital eagerly said, “You got that, what is it?”
Ming threw the bag under the table, on top of it and examined her surroundings. When she was sure no one was watching, she opened it. Inside were six bags of pure white cocaine. “What the fuck are you doing?” Yvonna asked looking around. “Close that shit up! My baby’s in here!”
Ming sat the bag back on the floor and looked around again. Yvonna got the impression that she wasn’t used to dealing with drugs because she was frazzled instead of cool and calm.
“Ming needs you to go with Darcus to New York, and drop this off. It’s very important this favor. I’ll give you the address.”
“Ming, I can’t do that.” She whispered leaning in closer. “I have Delilah now. The risk is too big.” She said as if she didn’t just kill a mothafucka earlier in the day. Murder was her thing but running drugs up 95 was another story.
“Please,” she begged. “Ming has to be on plane by the morning for China. If I don’t drop this off, it will cause much problems for me and my family.”
“First off, why is Darcus going?”
“Because I trust him.”
“But you’ve only known him for a couple of months.”
“Ming says she trusts him and he has nothing to do with my asking for your help. Are you not Ming’s friend?!” She yelled beating her fist on the table.
Delilah looked at her and slapped her hand. “Stop!” she said turning her attention back to her food.
Ming looked at the child and dropped her head. “Ming this shit is too crazy. Talk to me.” She knew if Ming was asking for her help, she really needed her but this was too much. That explained the huge bank account although she hoped she wasn’t putting illegal drug money in a legal banking account.
“How long have you been involved in this?”
“There are many things you don’t know about Ming. I’ll leave it at that.”
“When does this have to be done?” Yvonna sighed.
“In two days.”
“I can’t, Ming. I have Delilah for two days.” She said sitting back in her seat, touching Delilah’s foot. “I haven’t spent any time with her and I don’t want her not to know me.”
Ming sat back in her seat and cried. “Ming has done everything for you that you asked.” Tears poured out of her eyes like Demi Moore in the movie Ghost. “Ming even helped you dispose of body and now you don’t want to help me?”
Yvonna reached over the table, and grabbed Ming’s tiny throat. When she had a good hold of it, she squeezed tightly. “Listen, bitch, if you ever say somethin’ about that night again, I’ll kill you. And if I’m not mistaken, you’re the one who sucked and fucked his ass before I killed him with your shoe. So as far as I’m concerned, we’re both guilty.”
When she thought Ming understood, she released the grip. Ming stood up and appeared to be transformed. “If you knew Ming’s family, you would not have put your hands on me.” She grabbed her purse and duffle bag. “A friend who doesn’t help another in need is no friend at all.” She said wiping her finger across the air. “So as far as I’m concerned, you dead to me.”
Ming stormed out the restaurant and Yvonna fell back into her seat watching her only source of income walk out the door with her.
“Mam, can I get you something else?” The waiter asked. Yvonna’s mind had wandered. “Mam. Are you okay?” He asked politely.
“Oh…yes, can you please bring me a strawberry daiquiri?”
“No problem,” the kind waiter said.
Her head ached because of their conversation and she missed her friend already. At one time in her life, friends surrounded her, but since then she’d killed every last one of them, and now she had no one. When the waiter returned with her daiquiri, she swallowed half of it before it even touched the table. She would’ve ordered something heavier, but she had to drive.
“I guess I’m meant to be alone,” she said to her baby. “It’s just me and you against the world.”
The moment those words of truth exited her mouth, her phone rang but the number was blocked which pissed her off. Although she had only given her number to Bricks, Ming and Penny, she couldn’t be sure who was calling because Swoopes also had it.
“Hello.”
“Yvonna, are you busy?” The woman sounded as if she’d been crying and she was whispering.
“Who is this?”
“Listen, you don’t know me, but you should leave Ketchup right away. I can’t say anything more.”
“What? What are you talkin’ about?” Click! “Hello! Hello! Who is this?” Silence.
Yvonna looked around at all the patrons in her area. No one seemed to be paying her any mind but she was scared shitless. She summoned the waiter over to the table to bring her the check.
“Look, we have to go,” she said to him, wiping Delilah’s mouth. “I need the check please.”
“No problem, mam, would you like a…”
Even if you saw it with your own eyes, you still couldn’t believe the sight. The window glass shattered, and the waiter’s head was blown completely off his shoulders. Yvonna covered her baby with her body, and hoisted her out of the high chair. It was obvious that the gunman was after her.
“Move!” She screamed running in the back toward the kitchen with her baby tightly in her arms. Delilah was kicking and screaming but Yvonna had her in a death grip and there was no way she was letting her go. “Somebody call the fuckin’ police!”
More bullets rang as Yvonna dipped into the swinging door leading to the kitchen, knocking a waiter with a silver tray onto the floor. Bullets continued to bend the stainless steel cabinets, as the gunman gave chase.
“Please stop! I have my little girl in my arms!” She continued to run until she reached a walk in freezer door. A few feet from the freezer, was the back door. She quickly opened the back door and slammed it shut, before she dipped into the freezer. She wanted him to think that she’d gone outside and she hoped it worked. A light switch sat next to the door in the freezer and she cut it off. Her heart beat rapidly as she covered her baby’s mouth with her hand.
Peeking through a corner of the freezer door’s window, she saw a man she recognized. It was Cane. He walked slowly toward the outside door but not out of it.
“Please go.” She sobbed softly. “Please don’t hurt my baby.”
He remained inside and she hoped he didn’t pull on the freezer’s door handle because if he had, she would be caught. Although she had her daughter’s mouth, she didn’t have control of her f
oot and the baby kicked the door. It sounded off and Yvonna moved quickly away from it. It was too late, he’d heard the noise.
Instead of going outside, he looked at the freezer and smiled. “You in there, bitch?”
It was over. She said a silent prayer for Delilah asking God to let her into heaven, and told the devil she was on her way. Because there was no way they were going to make it out of there alive. The handle continued to move but stopped after loud police sirens sounded in the background. The cops were there and the gunman dashed out the back door.
When she felt he was long gone, she darted out of the freezer and then the restaurant’s front door, with her baby in her arms. Out of all of the times she had run for her life, she’d never been as scared as she was at that moment. It wasn’t her own life she was concerned about, but that of her baby girl.
She decided then to do what needed to be done. For starters, she would stay with Bricks until she was able to get a place of her own. And then she would grind until she saved up enough cash to leave town. Her mission was simple and concise. Her fight was no longer about revenge, it was about survival.
Brick’s House
Bricks walked quickly to the front door to open it for Yvonna. He had known she was coming because his cousin, at the end of the block alerted him that she was on her way. When he opened the door, Yvonna stood motionless, with Delilah in her arms.
“You okay?” He asked pulling them inside. Silence. “You gotta speak to me. Did somebody fuck wit’ you? Are you hurt?” He continued as he examined their bodies.
Yvonna stood in the middle of the floor and burst into tears. She hadn’t cried that hard since she found out that Bilal was dead. All of the people she murdered, all of the people she’d hurt, and she was finally getting what she deserved and it didn’t feel good.
“I’m…I’m…scared,” she cried placing Delilah down on the floor for fear she would drop her. “I…I…don’t know what to do, Bricks. I don’t want to be the other person I use to be. I’m trying to be a good person but it’s hard.”
Shyt List 3 (The Cartel Publications Presents) Page 11