Ghetto Girls Too

by Anthony Whyte

  “You better clean all them skeet marks off the damn floor and window,” she yelled as the other prisoners who had witnessed the incident laughed. Some honored him with adorations.

  “I can’t believe he jerked off for her.”

  “Seems like she enjoyed it.”

  “Nah, he’s gonna be getting some additional charges put on him.”

  “That nigga must have a death wish.”

  Later, Lil’ Long was escorted by Officer Torres and a male officer to the transport van where he was the only occupant.

  “Ain’t y’all supposed to give me some clothes? Damn, how y’all expect a nigga to sit on this hard ass seat in my bare ass?”

  “You’ll figure it out and make the appropriate adjustments necessary,” Torres said smiling. She slammed the door and walked away. The movement of the van left him sprawled uncomfortably against the hard interior as the van jerked away. He rode uneasily as each bump in the road brought a howl from him.

  “Fucking bitch, she knows I’m supposed to get real clothes issued to me. Yeow! I’ll get that fat bitch for doing this shit to me,” he yelped. The ride continued and sometimes, it was if the van jerked back and forth purposely trying to throw his barely dressed body against the metal and hard plastic seats.

  FORTY-FIVE

  Coco woke to a loud banging on her door. She rushed to put away all the cigarette stubs left over from her long night of composing and opened the window. Miss Katie must be feeling antsy today, Coco thought as she opened the door in her pajamas. She was greeted by two women dressed like Jehovah’s Witnesses. Coco rubbed the surprise from her sleepy eyes before she spoke.

  “Look, I think you’ve got the wrong address,” she said coldly and was about to close the door when the ladies addressed her.

  “Good morning. I’m Miss Cook and this is Mrs. Smalls and we’re from the social service office. Are you Ms….?”

  “Oh, my bad. You were here yesterday, right?”

  “Yes, we were and spoke to, ah, Miss Katie. She told us that you’d be here today so we just stopped by. The reason we’re here is to assess your home. Your mother will be released from her program in a few days and we’d like to take a look at her place of residence.”

  Coco could see Miss Katie coming up from behind and immediately tried to prevent the visitors’ entrance to the apartment.

  “Here she comes right now,” Coco said as she walked out and closed the door. “Miss Katie, here are the social workers from yesterday.”

  “How’re you doing, ladies?” Miss Katie asked with a pleasant smile.

  “Miss Katie helps my mother so maybe you should assess her apartment,” Coco said but the workers wanted to see where Rachel Harvey called home.

  “Now, Miss Katie could be a collateral resource for your mother but I’m afraid we’ve got to see the apartment where she receives her mail.”

  “I’m not her collateral. I’ve never used any illegal drugs so I can’t possibly be her co-nothing.” Miss Katie took offense until the worker smiled and raised her hand.

  “No, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. Collateral is a term used by the Department of Social Services to identify someone who has known the family and is able to provide information that will assist us in helping the family.”

  “Oh,” Miss Katie said with a chuckle, “Well then I’m sorry because I didn’t know.”

  “That’s quite alright,” the social worker said. She then turned to Coco.

  “Can I have a few minutes to clean up?” Coco asked. “Like, can y’all go grab breakfast and come back in a few?”

  “Coco, these are busy people and it…”

  “We really would like to see the place. You don’t have to worry about the mess. We understand how messy teenagers are. It will only take a few minutes.”

  “Okay then lets go see the place,” Coco said leading the way. They paraded through the one bedroom. The social workers made stops and took quick glances here and there. After viewing the bathroom, they passed next to where Coco had previously sat generating lyrics. Things seemed like they were going well up until that point and then the bomb exploded. One of the social workers bent over and picked-up a small plastic bag.

  Coco saw the whole thing occurring as if she was in a dream. The slow motion of it all made her want to scream, to say something to stop or divert the social worker from putting the bag closer to her face. As she sniffed and examined it, Coco’s mind did laps trying to come up with the appropriate excuse but there was only a strained silence in the room. Miss Katie saw the social worker pour the contents onto a sheet of paper and fold the paper.

  “I’m not sure but I do believe that this substance is marijuana,” she announced.

  “Lemme see that,” Coco said and reached for the bag. The social worker did not release it.

  “I think we should take this back and have a more complete analysis done but I’m almost sure it is marijuana.” The silence increased such that the social worker sounded as if she was making an announcement for the entire world to hear. “We’ll be getting back to you as soon as we speak with our supervisor.” They were both heading out the door. Coco caught up with them before they were completely outside.

  “But ah…I don’t even know what it was doing there. I mean, it could’ve stuck to the bottom of my sneaks or sump’n.”

  “That’s an unlikely story.”

  “But what could happen though?” Coco asked frantically.

  “Well, for one thing you’ll have to attend a drug rehab for your addiction.”

  “Addiction? You can’t be serious, yo,” Coco said, anger slowly seeping into her tone.

  “At this time, we’re going to ask that you say nothing else until you hear from us, okay?”

  “When will that be?” Coco asked anxiously. “I mean, are you gonna be talking to my mother or…”

  “We’ve got to go. We’re late for another appointment. We will give you a call on Monday and let you know then. We’ve got Katie Patterson’s telephone number as the number to contact you,” one of the social workers said. “Good day. You’ll be hearing from us.” Both ladies left with so much haste that their departure left Coco and Miss Katie gasping for air.

  “But wait a minute now,” Miss Katie hollered as they went off down the stairs. There was no stopping them. The social workers were gone before Coco could think of another question.

  “Uh,” she muttered as Miss Katie gave her a wide eyed stare.

  “I don’t know what to make of it,” Miss Katie said. Coco remained speechless. “Coco, only you and God know how that reefer could’ve gotten into your mother’s place. I mean, your mother isn’t here at the time and that puts a lot of blame on you,” Miss Katie said in a sympathetic tone.

  “But they’re saying I’ll have to go to rehab. I’m not going to any place for addicts. I’m no addict,” Coco said, her hand on her chest. “I’ll just refuse to go. That’s all to it,” she said with her head held low and her eyes downcast.

  “Coco, it’s just like the social workers said. You’ve just gotta wait till Monday when they call. Don’t make no sense you worrying right now. Pray now that everything will be alright.”

  “Prayer, Miss Katie?” Coco asked skeptically.

  “You got that right. Prayer. That’s what we tend to forget. Only God can make things right,” Miss Katie preached as she looked up toward the ceiling. “Only God can. Coco, go on and get yourself together before we’re late for your appointment,” Miss Katie said courteously.

  “What appointment?” Coco asked and then answered herself. “Oh, that’s right. The one at the bank,” she said remembering the check. Coco felt some relief as she thought of the check.

  “That’s right. Let’s go,” Miss Katie said and walked back to her apartment.

  “I’ll be ready in a minute.” Coco walked back inside the apartment. This had to be her lowest and highest at the same time. Coco quickly showered and dressed in her Baby Phat warm-up suit. She twisted her c
urls under a baseball hat. Miss Katie was ready and waiting when Coco rang the bell.

  “C’mon in, Coco, and have a cup of hot chocolate before we go,” Miss Katie said ushering Coco into her apartment.

  FORTY-SIX

  Josephine got up with the sound of the television blaring in her ears. She could hear the sound of Usher and danced out of her hotel bed. She headed straight to the bathroom and played with her bangs before sitting and urinating.

  “Jo, you’re up?” she heard her mother shouting.

  “Damn, she’s here?” Josephine mumbled to herself and took a deep breath before answering her mother. “Yeah, I’m up. What’s new?” Josephine deadpanned. She could hear her mother’s footsteps getting close. Josephine looked in her wallet and made sure the checks were still there. She would call Coco and make arrangements to drop one of the checks off to Danielle’s parents. That was a good thing Eric did. He was alright, thought Josephine as her mother called her name again. “Yes? Why do you insist on calling me so often when you want absolutely nothing?” she asked her mother in a most callous manner.

  “Josephine, if you can take time to get off your high horse and realize that I’m your mother…”

  “So what? Does that give you the right to harass me?”

  “I’m not going to go there with you, young lady. Just keep this act up and I’ll send you to your father’s. You think his sweetheart is going to want you around, uh? He has no time for you and that’s why we’re here together back in this hellhole of a city.”

  “I didn’t tell you to leave dad,” Josephine responded as she walked out of the bathroom.

  “Your father did not want us. That’s why he went out and got himself a bimbo from his office.”

  “How could you say that?” Josephine asked, tears rolling down her eyes. She was sobbing now, shoulders heaving and crying hard. Her mother reached out to hug her but she turned away.

  “I’m all you got, girl. I didn’t leave your father. He left us. You’re going to have to face that hard fact of life. Your father and I are getting a divorce as soon as possible because I refuse to be the other woman.” Josephine heard what her mother said but refused to acknowledge any of it. She kept her head down until her mother left her alone and went into the bathroom. Josephine sneered when she heard the door slam.

  “You’re a fucking witch and that’s why dad ain’t with us,” Josephine said between her sobs. She opened her Coach wallet and pulled out the checks. A smile slowly returned to her face. Josephine picked up the phone and dialed Miss Katie’s number. The telephone rang through to an outgoing message. Josephine waited and left her message. “Hi, I’m trying to reach Coco. This is her friend, Jo. Please tell her I called and I’ll call again later. Bye,” she said then hung up the telephone to discover her mother standing next to her. “What do you want, mother?” she asked tersely. Her mother took a deep breath before she replied.

  “Josephine, as much as you may want to deny the facts, they are there for you to see.” Josephine remained quiet, not looking at her mother’s face. She didn’t want to hear the excuses but she let her speak. “Honey, you’re bitter right now. I wanted the marriage just as you did. I fought for the family but your father wanted something else. He selfishly took me along for the ride.” Josephine could hear the emotions straining the tone of her mother’s voice but she never looked up. She didn’t want to see anymore tears. There had been an ocean of them since the separation, Josephine thought as her mother cried then continued. “I wanted a family. I wanted to be loved and respected as a wife. I wasn’t going to compete with that bitch from his office. Your daddy made his choice. You’re grown enough to know that if he wanted his family then he would’ve chosen us over that two timing slut.”

  Josephine heard her mother’s voice rise then trail off but she still held her head steadfast away from her mother’s view. She was angry and knew that facing her mother would bring about an explosion in her.

  “I know you wanted the family or maybe you wanted to be with your father but…You know whenever there‘s a break up, everyone involved gets hurt. I know you’re hurting as much as I…” It was then that detonation occurred.

  “You may be my mother but you really don’t know how much I hurt. I love daddy and I wanted a family but now that’s not gonna happen. I’m…”

  “Josephine, why do you insist on saying…”

  “I gave you your time to speak. At least respect me and give me equal time. Despite the problems you and dad were having, going around and telling everyone didn’t do anything to solve those problems so why do it? Because you wanted sympathy and everyone on your side. That’s why you did it.”

  “Josephine, you know that’s not true. I was in therapy and the therapist’s secretary spread the news like it was gossip. That’s why he had to fire her and…”

  “Mommy, the reason she got fired is because you told the therapist that you think daddy was boning her.”

  “Young lady, I did not accuse that woman of ‘boning’ your dad. They were seen on camera leaving the Holiday Inn.”

  “Yeah, by a private detective that you hired to stalk and frame dad so you could get a better alimony.” Out of nowhere, Josephine felt the slap against her cheek. As she whirled, she saw her mother’s arm getting ready to deliver another smack across her face. Josephine ducked in the nick of time and ran to the bathroom where she slammed and bolted the door. “You better leave me alone or I’m gonna call 911. I swear, I’ll call BCW on you if you hit me again,” Josephine screamed from behind the bathroom door. “I know why you mad at me. I know why. It’s because I know your secrets. I’m your daughter, remember? I know your secrets, mother.”

  Josephine wept from the confines of the bathroom. The teenager stood at the sink and examined her face in the mirror. Josephine, tears still streaming, saw that her cheek bore the marks of the slap. “I should call the police on her,” she whimpered. Josephine turned each cheek to compare the amount of swelling. I’ve got enough money. I could leave now, she thought as she tried her best to use make-up to cover the redness on her face. The wound was more than skin deep and would take time to heal.

  From the other side of the door, her mother shook her head and wandered through the sitting area. She turned on the television and looked around the hotel room. She found the mini-bar then poured some scotch in a cup. After a sip, she lit a cigarette and sat on the sofa smoking. A few minutes later, her daughter emerged from the bathroom.

  “I’m sorry Josephine. I’m sorry. I never meant to cause you any harm,” she said with a slight slur. This was no time to forgive and Josephine picked up her wallet and kept on walking right out the door. “You’re just like your father. Go ahead and walk out. See if I care.” Josephine could hear her mother yelling. She slammed the door shut and didn’t hear her mother whisper, “I hope you never ever have to go through a divorce.”

  While on the elevator, Josephine held her tears back but as she felt the rush of wind on her face, she cried softly. The hurt came from deep within. She once had a family and now it seemed that she had lost both parents. Her father had stayed back at the house the family had bought. He had given them the reason that his job had him supervising an important project and he couldn’t take the time off.

  Josephine had known it was due to the pending divorce and he just didn’t want to be with her mother. After all, why would anyone want to be with someone if you’re trying to get rid of that person? Josephine thought. She knew her father loved her and maybe he wanted to be with her but she couldn’t understand why he hadn’t returned her calls. The latter was the cause of her unhappiness. She found a coffee shop and sat in a corner sipping coffee.

  FORTY-SEVEN

  “Now that was a good thing you did, Coco. Opening a new bank account is something worthy of remembering. I remember when I first…ah, yeah,” Miss Katie said with a smile as she walked with Coco from the bus stop. They dodged traffic and Miss Katie waited until she was safely on the other side before
resuming. “Yeah, I couldn’t have been more than ten years old. My parents took me to the Credit Union and I opened up my first account. Fifty eight years later, I still have that account. Done raise my children and sent them to college off that,” Miss Katie said with a laugh. She nudged Coco. “I cheated a little though. I used to take all my hubby’s money and spend that on the bills. Then I’d put my lil’ ol’ checks into my secret account,” the woman said and both she and Coco laughed as they walked briskly into their apartment building.

  Moments later, Josephine dialed Miss Katie’s number and this time, the old lady picked up. “Hello, this is Josephine. May I please speak to Coco?”

  “Oh hello, Josephine. This is Miss Katie. If you can hold a minute, I’ll go get Coco,” Miss Katie said as she opened her door and saw Coco. She pointed to the instrument in her hand. “She’s right here, Josephine,” Miss Katie said and handed the phone to Coco. “It’s your friend, Josephine.”

  “Yeah, what’s good, Jo?” Coco asked. She listened and nodded her head. “Oh yeah, that’s right. I’ll meet you there then. See ya, Jo.” Coco handed the cordless back to Miss Katie and said, “That was my friend, Josephine. We gotta go do sump’n for Da Crew. Remember that other girl, Danielle? Well Eric Ascot gave Josephine her cut of the prize money.”

  “What’s that?”

  “She gets ten grand also but because she’s dead and no longer with us, we’re gonna take her share to her parents.”

  “Well that’s a good thing, Coco. See, all that hard work paid off in the end. Of course, it’s really too bad for her but I’m sure her parents will find sump’n to do with that money. You’re leaving now?”

  “Yep, as a matter of fact I am. I’ll see you later, Miss Katie.”

  “Okay, let me know when you get back in. I should still be up. God travel with you girl,” Miss Katie said and waved at Coco. The teenager was down the stairs in a flash.

  FORTY-EIGHT

  They met at the rendezvous just the way Josephine had called it. She was the first to get there. Josephine stood rooted to the spot thinking about the fun she’d had with Danielle. ‘Mama Loca’ she liked to call her. They had been opposites. Danielle always used to wear wild outfits like sarong skirts with no underwear and short shorts. Danielle was extravagantly untamed from the first time they had met. Josephine had felt an immediate attraction to Danielle. She was fun to be around. Josephine knew that Danielle’s parents were going through a divorce and that was somehow linked to Danielle’s wilder side.