“Time’s up in there. Unless you have some more for the front office, you’ve gotta go,” the housekeeper screamed knocking on the door.
“I’ll be out in a few. Give me about thirty minutes,” Bonnie begged, at least wanting to take a hot shower before having to go. She had a few dollars but wanted to spend it in the projects on a few more pills.
“Unless you’ve got some money, you’ve gotta go. You know the rules.” The housekeeper was persistent. “And hurry up. I ain’t got all day.”
Bonnie threw her plastic pump at the door. “Bitch, hold on.”
That only made the housekeeper throw her weight. She pulled out her keycard and swiped herself into the room, uncaring that she was invading the woman’s space. “You don’t have no minutes. I said it’s time to go.”
Star and Tanisha sat on the back row of the bus in silence on their way back to the hood. Star was lost in thought about how she was going to use the money she got to keep, plus sell the pills and cough syrup to help her, Savannah, and Samantha sustain. Her plan was to get the girls bunk beds and herself a twin bed for the only bedroom, then piece together the rest of the house as money came in. Star knew it wouldn’t be much but she couldn’t wait to make the place home.
Tanisha wasn’t eager about transferring to another route to tag along with Star to the daycare to pick up her sisters, but had vowed to play a friend ’til the end. When the last group of passengers loaded, she nudged Star to make sure she’d seen Bonnie was included within them.
“Lay off, I see her high ass. Let her stay in her lane and I’ll stay in mine,” Star spoke annoyed with a look of repugnance painted on her face. “I don’t need her fucking up my good mood.”
“I feel you. Not a problem.” Tanisha threw her hands up in defeat. She knew not to do what she wanted with Star when it came to Bonnie. There are some lines that should never be crossed; family being one of them.
Granted, Star didn’t want to acknowledge Bonnie or have herself seen either; but she couldn’t quit staring at her mother. The woman who’d birthed her looked like pure death from head to toe, which broke Star’s heart and churned her stomach. She’d never seen her mother look like a beauty queen, but she’d never seen her look so filthy, high, or washed up. I’m so embarrassed. Why me? Out of all the buses running in Detroit, why’d she have to get on this one? This ain’t nothing but an example of some fucked-up luck. As Star watched Bonnie attempt to blend in with matted hair, worn clothes, and the reeking smell of a dead rat, she found herself pitying Bonnie more than hating her.
“Excuse me, driver, but this lady stank like trash. She’s gotta get off on the next stop,” a young girl popped off at the mouth. She was with a clique of girls and was looking to get some attention.
“You want me to get that monkey mouth bitch? You ain’t even gotta move out of ya seat, Star. Just give me the word and it’s on,” Tanisha whispered in her friend’s ear, ready to cause trouble.
“Stand down for now. Let me see how far this chick think she’s about to go.” Star sat up so she could hear the conversation going on in the front of the bus clearer. Gritting her teeth, taking off her earrings, and zipping her phone into one of her purse’s compartments, Tanisha noticed Star preparing for war then fell in line doing the same. They might’ve fought against one another on petty beefs; but they were always riding for one another in the streets.
“Listen here, baby cakes, I’d whip your ass from the back to the front of this bus but I’ve got places to go and people to see. Don’t come for me ’cause you don’t want it.” Bonnie had no problem holding her own. In fact, she worked best that way. She chewed the young girl up without a worry.
“Well, the least you could do was wash your filthy ass in the McDonald’s bathroom before coming around people. So don’t be trying to get crackhead crunk with me. Ugh! Driver, please put this riffraff off.”
The bus erupted with laughter. Her mom had become the highlight of humor for every passenger’s day. When the young girl felt like she had a crowd to perform for, she set Bonnie up on the stage to get clowned even more. Every harsh word or sick joke she could think of slandering Bonnie with, she said it. She was a worthless crackhead, a low-budget ho, and even the scum at the bottom of her shoe. However, Bonnie verbally attacked the girl just as brutally.
Star first contemplated letting Bonnie handle her own battle with the girl as payback for leaving her and her sisters to hold their own against Jerome, but couldn’t witness an outsider attacking her own flesh and blood. Hate or not, these bitches ain’t gonna keep popping wrong on my mom. “Let’s beat the breaks off these bitches, Tanisha.”
It didn’t take the girls two eye blinks before their presence was made known. “Hey, Auntie,” Tanisha greeted Bonnie, then punched one of the young girl’s friends directly in the nose.
Bonnie didn’t have a chance to respond before absolute chaos broke out. Star bum-rushed the mouthiest female, straddled her lap, then began laying haymakers left then right to her face until the girl cried out to call the police. Bonnie watched her neighbor and daughter brutally beat the two girls down as the other passengers cheered, laughed, and videotaped with their phones. No one dared to intervene, not even the other girls of their clique. Tanisha couldn’t be contained since she fought for a living anyhow. But Star was taking all her frustrations about everything that had happen over the last two days out on her less than worthy opponent.
“Get her ass, baby. Y’all two fucked with the wrong one today,” Bonnie was the loudest promoter, especially since she never had someone have her back. Leaning back in her seat, she noticed her daughter’s purse was wide open and found a new interest besides the fight. Her fiend eyes lit up bright when they zoned in on the bottle of promethazine. With all the commotion going on, she was able to snatch it out without been seen and stuffed into her own cheap purse.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. This foolery won’t be going down on my bus,” the DDOT bus driver shouted, then swerved over to the curb. “Clear the aisle way. I’ll be breaking this fight up damn it. You two girls better get off of them. Do you hear me?” The driver was going hoarse yelling, but it was all in vain.
Star was in the zone beating lumps into the mouthiest girl’s face even though Tanisha had dropped the other girl and was posing for pictures. Bonnie smiled with pride when Star bounced the girl’s head off the pole like a Ping-Pong ball. The poor girl didn’t scream or beg for Star to stop, only because she couldn’t get one word out.
Bonnie tried intervening and snatching Star back by the arm but was thrown off by her daughter’s reaction.
“Get your fucking hands up off me, Bonnie.”
“I have a better idea,” the bus driver spoke up over everyone. “Why don’t all y’all hooligans get off my bus? I don’t have time for this nonsense.” Stomping back to her seat to open the door, the bus driver meant business.
Bonnie and Star both ignored the bus driver because they were too caught up in griming each other. Although Star defended her mother against the strangers and anyone else, their relationship was still tainted. Tanisha couldn’t understand the unexplained tension between them but knew a move had to be made regardless. She grabbed her and Star’s purse then tried pulling her friend to the door.
Star maliciously eyed Bonnie with disgust. How pitiful is this? She looks and smells like horse shit. Here I am about to catch an assault and battery case over here. Disgraceful ass. I should’ve let these hoes talk. Grabbing her Coach purse from Tanisha, she thumped the young girl one last time before walking off the bus.
“Don’t think I’m letting none of you troublemakers on my bus again. I don’t care if it’s pouring down raining, y’all will be drenched and maybe down,” the driver barked, then slammed the door. I’ve gotta get my ass back to the suburban routes. I wonder if the SMART system hiring ’cause them white people only wanna “park and go.” She shook her head at Star, Tanisha, and Bonnie while pulling off.
“What is your problem,
little girl? I’m still your mother and you will respect me as such.” Bonnie carried her beef from the bus onto the sidewalk.
“Chill, Ma. I’m telling you to back up off me. I don’t have no gray area when it comes to whipping your ass either.” Star waved her mother back.
Bonnie fought not to snatch her oldest child bald. “Just because your rough cat ass beat the brakes off ol’ girl on the bus don’t mean shit to a veteran like myself. Don’t get to feeling yourself too much. We’re cut from the same cloth and I’ll do you in fa’sho.” Since Bonnie didn’t need Star to feed her little sisters just yet, she felt cocky enough to speak her mind. Matter of fact, she was ready to box Star out if she wanted to keep jumping grown.
“Look, Ma, I’m not trying to take it there with you real talk, but why shouldn’t I feel myself? I’ve been doing me and taking care of your kids for a long damn time per my recollection. I might’ve came up out of you, but I ain’t nothing like you.” Star snatched her Coach bag back from Tanisha, who was standing, jaw dropped, watching the two argue.
“You’re their older sister. That’s your job to be around and mentor them. Momma gotta have a life too.” Bonnie smirked, pulling the half-lit cigarette from her plastic purse along with a lighter. “And quit blaming me for your childhood. So what you didn’t have Cabbage Patch dolls or fluffy teddy bears? You got life skills, baby, handling yourself like a champ and all. You’re everything like me, baby girl.” Large clouds of gray smoke filled the air each time Bonnie took a long puff and drag.
“I hope you suffer off some bad rock,” Star spat. All the years of her hating her mother was coming out whether she liked it or not.
Catching Star off-guard, Bonnie slapped the gloss off her lips and the spit from her mouth. Then she slapped her two more times. Four swift hits total to the mouth, Star squared up for retaliation feeling her bottom lip swell. “You don’t want none of this old head ass kicking I’ve got for you. I ain’t done taking your ass to school.” Cracking her neck, jumping up and down, Bonnie was about to let loose on Star. “If I don’t teach you shit else today, it will be to respect your elders.”
“Well let’s go for what we know. Ain’t nothing but space and opportunity, Ma.” Star invited Bonnie back into her territory but was being snatched back by Tanisha.
“Girl, you ain’t about to fight yo’ momma!”
“That’s right, Tanisha. It won’t be a fight because she’ll be getting her ass kicked.” Bonnie wasn’t choking up or backing down.
“Hey, Bonnie, you good? What’s up?” Banko swerved up honking in the same yellow Challenger Rello was driving and eyed Star and Tanisha suspiciously. He thought Star looked familiar but he’d been drinking and it never dawned on him she was the same girl Dominik had sent a picture of.
“Banko, my main man.” Bonnie let his name roll of her tongue, trying to perp like she had boss status. “You came just in time to see me box this li’l hot thang out.” She laughed, with the cigarette hanging from her lip.
“You look like you’ve already gotten two pieced up. You sure you didn’t get the business handed to you? It ain’t looking too good on your end.” Banko’s eyes roamed Bonnie’s battered body, noticing she was dressed in the same rags as the day before. He normally didn’t care about fiends he served, but Bonnie had given him a grade-A head job.
“I know I look rough, but I’m good. You already know I’m gonna hold my own.” Bonnie walked closer to the car. “But anyway, do you think you give me a ride back to my hood?”
“Yeah, but meet me around the corner at the gas station. You’re gonna have to get some newspaper to sit on and spray down with a can of air freshener before getting in my whip.”
“Bye, niece.” Bonnie waved to Tanisha. “I’ll see you at home, li’l heifer,” she directed venom at her Star then strutted away.
I can’t believe I came from that polluted pussy. As much as Star wanted to chase behind her mother and sneak her from behind, she was too caught up in finding out who was driving Rello’s whip.
“Are you good?” Tanisha was in total shock of what had just gone down.
“Yeah, I’m one hundred percent good. I swear I’ll be sleeping in my apartment tonight even if it’s on a cardboard box. That woman is no longer my mother.” She snarled her face at Bonnie’s back.
Chapter 13
Patrice sat on the porch of her home looking at all the fiends happy that her brother had just supplied them with a fresh batch of pills and syrup. Patrice had a bittersweet emotion when it came to drugs. It was responsible for tearing her family apart with Rello’s father, but the reason she was living comfortably. With her son being tied up with some mess that could tear her blood family apart, she panicked with the depressing thought of having to choose between her child and cash. She’d been calling Rello nonstop since Banko relayed to her the connect’s message. Since she didn’t smoke marijuana but needed a downer, Patrice ran in the house for a drink then dropped it when she got back to the front door. The glass shattered into a million pieces but couldn’t be heard over her screaming.
“Calm down, Ma. You act like you’ve seen a ghost.” Rello was shocked by her reaction.
Patrice swung open the screen door and slapped Rello across the face. “Boy, you’re gonna be a ghost if you keep fucking with your uncle.” She pulled him into the house, locked the door, and then began going off on him about him going against his family. She told him everything Banko told him about Star, what she stole, and the tag on her head if she couldn’t give back the jewelry.
He stared at her puzzled like he was confused. “Damn, Ma, what should I do? I promise I wanna get this right as bad as you want me to.” Rello only wanted to make his mother proud.
“You are just as dumb as your father.” Patrice hung her head, regretting her decision to ever spread her legs to the man who’d given her the only child she’d have. “Call that girl and have her meet you here. I’ll call Banko so he can deal with her and y’all two can make amends. You’ve gotta start thinking, boy.” Patrice marched off to make the call to her brother and to give her son privacy to lure Star into the projects.
Rello never wanted to hear his mother compare him to his father, but the words had left her mouth killing his spirit. He felt like nothing he’d done thus far in life had been right. Picking up the house phone to call Star, he refused to continue being the black sheep of the family.
“Hello,” Star answered on the first ring.
“Yeah, what up? You’ve been calling me.” Rello kept it cool.
“Don’t play with me, boy. You know I’ve been blowing that damn phone up and you’ve been ignoring me just the same. I take it you’re still pissed about what went down the other night huh?”
“Maybe I am. Maybe I’m not. Why don’t you meet me at my crib to do some of those things you were texting me nasty about. I’ll see about forgiving you then.” He knew Star would jump at the opportunity to meet up with him, especially since he said it was his spot.
“I’m sorry, Tanisha, but that was ol’ boy. Thanks for holding me down all day but I’ve gotta go meet up with him.” Star rushed through her words, excited that Rello had finally called. Looking for her compact mirror, she wanted to make sure her face wasn’t too bruised to see him. If it was, she was planning on being honest with him about Bonnie and her situation.
“Straight up? He calls and you’re just gonna dump me by the wayside? I can’t believe you’re shading me for a nigga who left you in his dust on the curb. Especially after I helped you beat a bitch down on the bus. I should’ve gone to school.” Tanisha rolled her eyes then plopped down on the bus stop bench. “But I guess it is what is.”
“Are you serious with me right now? First off, how ol’ boy did me ain’t none of your business. But most importantly, you already know how we play it when it comes to our dudes. I can’t understand why you’re getting all emotional. I’m not even used to you acting like this.” Star was thrown back.
“Whatever, it’s nothi
ng.” Tanisha shrugged her shoulders. “Do you,” she spat, trying to act like she wasn’t caught with her heart on her sleeve.
“It’s not like I don’t appreciate you holding me down and even getting buck with those chicks on the bus; but I’ve gotta answer to my money regardless, Tanisha. Especially since I’ve got my own place and gotta take care of Savannah and Sammy on my own.”
“I ain’t trying to shade your money or how you make a living. You didn’t see me flinch back at the leasing office when you got down with that old white man. But right about now, you’re wrong as hell for leaving me to catch the bus back to the hood alone.”
Star knew Tanisha was right but couldn’t see herself passing up the opportunity to see Rello. If I don’t go now, he’ll probably never call or answer to my calls again. I can’t fuck this up for nobody. “Look, it’s my bad for real. I know I’m wrong for leaving you but I’ve gotta look out for me. The least I can do is throw you a few dollars toward a cab.” Pulling out a twenty, Star hoped the gesture was enough to end the argument.
“You’re lucky I don’t have any other friends.” Tanisha smacked her lips then grabbed the crisp bill. “The first cab that comes is mine. You can wait alone as payback for being so self-absorbed.”
“Little heifer thinks she’s all high and mighty but let’s see how she feels once she realizes that syrup missing,” she spoke out loud to no one on the abandoned house block. Bonnie held her purse tightly as she sashayed up the block to meet Banko. She was grinning ear to ear without a care in the world. I bet Jerome’s ass won’t have a word to say or a fist to swing when I walk through the door with a full bottle of this stuff. We’re gonna be high for days. All the worries of Jerome being upset at her staying out all night was no longer a thought. Maybe I can slob Banko down for a few dollars so I don’t have to share with Jerome at all. If I didn’t have to check in on my bratty-ass daughters I would.
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