The People vs. Cashmere 2

by Karen P. Williams

  My eyes shot open and before I could do anything, she grabbed me by my ponytail and slung me off of her father to the floor. I peered up from the floor and watched my best friend look at me and her father hatefully.

  “Yeah, y’all thought y’all was gonna get away with this again. You not slick, Daddy. This time you must have forgot to drug me so you can do it to my best friend. I just so happened to walk in the kitchen and saw you! So I didn’t eat that! When you went to let her in I snuck in your closet. I wish I had remembered to get my phone and record it!”

  Mr. Douglas scrambled into his boxers.

  “I’m calling Mom! And when she get here, Dominique, she gonna beat your ass!” Jada ran into her room at a fast pace.

  By the time Mr. Douglas had his boxers on and raced to her room it was already locked. Still he beat on the door. “Honey.”

  After a few seconds I heard Jada’s door open and her yell, “Daddy! I can’t believe you cheating on my mama with my best friend.”

  Jada was now standing in the bedroom doorway with Mr. Douglas next to her. She entered the room as I reached for my dress but was stopped by Jada who rushed toward me and kicked me in my head with a booted foot. I moaned low in my throat scared to make a sound although in pain and fell back to the floor.

  “Jada, stop!” Mr. Douglas said.

  “Don’t tell me what to do, Daddy!” she spewed hatefully. “Get out of here! Matter fact don’t. My mom called her two brothers and they on the way to fuck you up for cheating on her! Daddy, I hate you.”

  Mr. Douglas looked fearful at this point. He dressed in a rush and retreated toward the door. Jada tried to block and he shoved her out of the way. I sat up fearfully.

  “Yeah, he got away but not you.”

  “Jada, please,” I whispered with tears in my eyes. My heart was pounding and I couldn’t stop shaking.

  “Bitch, don’t talk to me!” She grabbed my face between her hands and started pummeling me on top of my head.

  That’s when I heard yelling from the living room. It was a woman’s voice and men. Next I heard Mr. Douglas’s voice and he was howling while Mrs. Douglas continued to shout at him.

  A few minutes later Mrs. Douglas came in to the room. “Where is that little slut?” I heard her yell.

  I didn’t bother going for the door because Jada was blocking it. Mrs. Douglas walked in and before I could even take a second breath they both commenced whipping on me. A man came into the room and put me in the full nelson while Mrs. Douglas attacked me, throwing a series of punches.

  “You fucking bitch! I let you in my house and you got the nerve to be fucking my husband!”

  At the reminder of what I had done, Jada spit in my face. The man holding me elbowed me in my side so hard I couldn’t breathe for a second and slid to the floor. I closed my eyes and curled up into a ball as her and her mother tag teamed me. Seemed like forever that they beat on me. My right eye was swollen shut to the point I couldn’t see out of it. My nose was bloody and my lip was not only busted but there were several knots on the inside of my lips. Jada continued to pull and tug at my hair with all her might until strands were caught in her fingers and off my scalp. I cried and took it all, not just because I was scared to fight back but because I knew I deserved it. When they were done, Mrs. Douglas said, “Bitch, now get the fuck out of my house and don’t ever come back around here! When I see your mom I’m fucking her up on sight just because she had a ho-ass daughter like you!”

  I nodded and Jada gave one final kick to my back. At that I took off running out of the house. I cried all the way to my house.

  I wanted to say sorry. I wanted get down on my knees and beg Jada and her mom to forgive me. Jada was my only friend and I felt bad for hurting her. But I simply ran from their house all bloodied and bruised.

  Chapter 9

  Cashmere

  I sat in the living room and took a deep breath. Dame, Demarco’s friend, had come over to fix the toilet. In all actuality I had dropped one of my hair clips in the toilet and flushed it, messing up the toilet, and I had called Demarco and made it seem like a big deal in hopes he would come home and maybe we could spend some time together and even talk about us and making our “us” better. But when I called him he huffed out an impatient breath like I was bothering him and said Dame would come over and fix it. I couldn’t say anything to that because if I said never mind he would know I had bullshitted, and the hair clip really did mess up the toilet. Dame brought his snake and unclogged it in a matter of minutes.

  I also had still not confronted Demarco about how he had lied about being at the shop in Compton. I didn’t want to make him mad; and, I really didn’t want to know what his answer was because it would hurt me.

  After Dame fixed the sink he came and sat down next to me and we started chatting. He like everyone else noticed how unhappy I was looking. Dame had been close to Demarco for a long time. He worked with Demarco at all the shops. He fixed any maintenance issues we had. So when he sat down next to me I knew I should have told him to leave but I was so down and out I started speaking on the issues Demarco and I had. For me there was nothing like being able to talk to a man. I mean this is what I missed all these years about no longer having a father. But with Demarco I never felt any sort of void. Because he filled every void that I had. At one point he was the best.

  After I talked his ear off about our problems, Dame listened patiently and said, “Well, Cashmere, I don’t think Demarco hates you,” he assured me. “The man is just stressed is all. The best thing you can do in this situation is give him some space. He’s a Pisces. He’ll come around. Just continue to be the good and fine woman you are, Cashmere. Don’t turn your back on him. ’Cause I notice you kinda been letting yourself go lately. Like right now for instance, your hair not combed and you need a manicure. Come on. A woman can’t slip up on stuff like that. You be whipping those girls up at the shop and neglecting yourself. There is always someone willing to take over for you. It’s fucked up but it just is what it is.”

  I chuckled despite the situation. But I swallowed as I mulled over the last of his comment, about another woman willing to take my spot. Hell I believed it.

  “But I will say that Demarco not dumb. He has a fine-ass woman and he is not trying to lose that by fucking around.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked hoping he would confirm my hope that he wasn’t.

  “No. He is drinking a little more and he don’t want you to know about that because you know how you women nag.”

  I chuckled again.

  “But that man ain’t fucking around. After dealing with all that bullshit with those bitches at the shops who wo—”

  The living room burst open and Dominique ran into the living room and threw herself into my arms sobbing.

  I screamed when I lifted her face and saw it all bruised and bloodied. “Dominique! What happened to you?” I demanded.

  She wouldn’t speak, just buried her head in my chest like a small child who had just seen a monster. I pulled her face out of my chest and demanded of her again, “What happened? Who did this shit?” My eyes started tearing up at seeing my child all bruised. Dame even asked and she wouldn’t respond.

  “Dominque.” I shook her gently. “Who?”

  Silence.

  I stood and pulled her to her feet. “Tell me!”

  She closed her good eye and whispered, “Jada and her mom.”

  “What! Let’s go!”

  “No, Mom. Mrs. Douglas’s brothers are there.”

  “I don’t give a fuck.” I paused, took a deep breath. “I’m calling your father.” I grabbed my phone and dialed his number and got no answer. I even texted him that it was an emergency and he didn’t respond. A few seconds later he called back.

  “I need you to come home. Dominique was attacked.”

  He paused, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m busy! You handle it.” Before I could respond he hung up.

  I swore silently and pulled my daughter wit
h me toward my living room door. Adrenaline was pumping through me so I ignored Dame as he called my name.

  “I’m coming with y’all,” he said.

  Chapter 10

  Dominique

  When we were on their doorstep, I stood back as my mother walked up the steps, to the door, ignoring Dame, who asked what she was about to do.

  To his question she mumbled, “He will see.”

  My eyes were wide and my heart pounded in my chest.

  “Times like this I wish my sister were still alive. I know she would do some serious damage with me,” my mother said. She banged on the door until Mrs. Douglas opened it. Before she could say anything my mother yanked her out of the house.

  I watched as my mother put a serious beating on Mrs. Douglas while Uncle Dame stood back and laughed. I knew he was waiting to see if another man would come back out and intervene. But I guessed her brothers had both left because no one came out to stop Mrs. Douglas from the butt kicking my mother effortlessly gave to her. A beating that made me feel bad because it truly was my fault. I had deceived Jada and her mother. They were nothing but nice to me and I had been foul to the both of them. Now my mother was taking a risk of going to jail to avenge me. I didn’t deserve her to take those kinds of risk. Not when I caused this.

  But what was funny, not in a comedic way but in a weird way, was that Mrs. Douglas was so powerful when she and Jada had attacked me. But now she looked so powerless as my mother continued to assault her. I mean my mother gave it to her good. Then Jada flew out the door. My mother spun around just in time and slammed Mrs. Douglas to the ground. She landed in a sharp thud and she struggled to get up. As she struggled to get up, Jada rushed toward my mother. My mother simply took Jada and tossed her. “You better get the fuck on,” my mother threatened Jada. Jada got up and continued toward her. My mother took her by her hand and flung her onto the pavement. Jada screamed out in pain. Mrs. Douglas made her way to her feet again and lunged toward my mother. My mother took a fighting stance. “Come on. I’m ready for you, hoe!” my mom said.

  I looked away as Mrs. Douglas took another ass whipping from my mother. Soon Mrs. Douglas backed away from my mother and said while panting, “You. You don’t know what that little bitch did.”

  My mother ran up on her again and smacked her in the face. “Her name is Dominique. Nothing could have been worth you putting your hands on my child and hitting her like she is grown. She is thirteen!”

  “She’s been sleeping with my husband!”

  From the corner of my eye I saw my father approaching.

  At Mrs. Douglas’s comment, my mother went after Mrs. Douglas again. “Lying bitch!”

  “Cashmere!”

  My dad ran forward and grabbed my mother by one of her arms before she could assault Mrs. Douglas further.

  I shook my head fearfully as my mother cast a look my way. She tried to snatch away from Daddy but he held her firmly. “Stop this shit before you get arrested!” he yelled at her.

  “She has been!” Jada yelled.

  My mother ignored him. “Fuck y’all and your lies. My daughter not sleeping with your husband. Stay the fuck away from my daughter.”

  My daddy snatched my mother and pulled her until she started walking on her own. “Shut the fuck up!” he ordered.

  My mother’s eyes bore into his as he pulled her out of the yard but she said nothing. My mother turned to look at me.

  “Come on, Dominique,” Dame said. He put his arms around my shaking shoulders and I walked back with him to the house.

  When we made it home Dame left and my father went off on my mother while she cleaned up my bruises. He continued to go in on her as she cooked dinner.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you, Cashmere? You not a kid anymore. You a grown-ass woman with a kid and you running around putting your hands on somebody.”

  My mother paused on the chicken she was rinsing off. “Did you take the time to look at Dom’s face? Shit, while you going off on me.”

  My dad walked up to my mom and shoved her into the sink. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you talking to, bitch, but you better watch you motherfucking mouth.”

  Instantly my mother’s eyes got watery at how rude he had just treated her. But instead of standing up for herself she hung her head in shame.

  “I’m not those bitches in the street. Shut the fuck up talking to me like that.” His voice raised an octave. “Got it?”

  My mother wiped her tears away and turned back to the chicken. “All I was saying is Dominique got beat up pretty bad and I’m not buying that Dominique slept with her husband. Dominique is only thirteen. She is innocent. Why would she do some shit like that?”

  “Look. I got a lot on my mind. I don’t have time to worry about what Dominique do and don’t do.”

  “But—”

  “Period point blank. Now I gotta get back to handling real business.”

  As strong as my mother had been with Mrs. Douglas and Jada, she looked so weak now with my daddy. But I was weak all the time so who was I to judge? I walked up the stairs and went into my room. I lay on my bed and cried. I knew sooner or later what I had done would catch up with me. And now I had lost my only friend. I cried into my pillow feeling horrible.

  Chapter 11

  Cashmere

  Demarco stayed gone for two days. And for every bit of those two days I blew his phone up. He never answered though. It made me sick to my stomach. Maybe he was leaving me for good now. That after all these years he had finally had enough of me. The thought of that brought more tears to my eyes. I didn’t go to work for those two days but I did call all the shops nonstop to see if he had gone to any of them. He hadn’t. I was such a wreck that I continued to call Dame nonstop. He would be cool and always pick up. But he really couldn’t do anything for me. The only person who could change things was Demarco. Matters of the heart could fuck you up, boy. ’Cause my ass could not get out of the bed, period point blank. I had no appetite at all and always a sinking feeling in my stomach. My mother had to come over and take Dominique to school. Good thing she was a big girl and could heat up a frozen pizza. Literally every other second I was dialing his number.

  I cried my eyes out in my bed wanting to throw my phone into the wall. That’s when I heard my mother knock and without permission come into my room.

  “Hey, Cash, you feeling better?”

  Dominique was with her. I turned my back to her and wiped my face before turning back around in my bed to face her. Before responding, I told Dominique, “Go do your homework.”

  “Mom, you okay?” Dom asked.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Okay, I’ll check on you again. Soon.” She walked out.

  My mother closed the door and sat on my bed next to me. “Is this about Demarco?”

  “Yes. He hasn’t been home in two days and I don’t know if he is dead or alive.” Despite not wanting to divulge the problems I told her anyway. “I don’t know what to do.”

  My mother huffed out an impatient breath.

  “That’s all you have to say, Mom?”

  “Honey, you don’t want to hear what I have to say ’cause if you want my help just know I’m going to pray that nigga out your life.”

  “Yeah? And why the fuck would you do that?”

  “Because. Look. I don’t know where you get this shit from, Cash. One thing about me is I always keeps it moving. When a man acts up he ain’t got to wait around for me to bounce. I’m gone. I don’t take no shit. I’m too pretty and too good of a woman. You are too. I don’t know where you got this low self-esteem from. How many years are you going to take Demarco’s bullshit? He don’t want you and he don’t love you, Cash. You got to let this shit go. What, you think you deserve this treatment?”

  I sat up in the bed and pierced my mother with a hateful look. “Well I’m sorry if my self-esteem is so low that I won’t leave Demarco. Maybe if I weren’t raped, drugged, and prostituted as a teen then maybe just maybe my mo
therfucking self-esteem would be as high as yours!”

  “Here you go throwing that in my face again. I have said sorry to you countless times and you keep bringing it up. If you forgave me for abandoning you and your sister years ago then you shouldn’t bring it up now. Cashmere, all I’m saying is you don’t deserve to be treated this way. You want me to agree with how you’re handling this and I’m not. The marriage is a mess plain and simple. It is not going to get better. You need to divorce Demarco bottom line.”

  The sound of that word, “divorce,” caused a sharp intake of breath in me. The thought of divorcing Demarco made the pit of my stomach twist and turn to the point where I thought I was going to throw up on my bed. The thought of leaving Demarco was worse than the pain I was feeling because of how he was treating me. She just didn’t get that!

  “You know what, Mom, just get the fuck out!”

  “See how you talk to me? When I’m only showing concern. What y’all going through shouldn’t affect the respect you have for me. I’m your mother.”

  “I lost respect for you long ago and never quite got it back,” I bit out hatefully. I knew I was wrong for speaking to my mother that way but I needed to lash at her so she would leave and stop telling me what I didn’t need or want to hear: the truth. But I swallowed an apology and turned my back on her.

  “Fuck it then,” she mumbled. “I’ll go home to my husband where I’m appreciated.”

  I didn’t bother to respond. Just waited for her to get out my room and close the door behind her.

  I texted Demarco and asked him where he was and he texted back: Where I’m at. I cried more tears and through my phone. Images with him with another woman popped into my head. I wanted to escape the pain I was feeling. I went into the bathroom, pulled out my NyQuil, and chugged down a capful so that I could go to sleep. That was the only thing that would stop the pain I was feeling: sleep or death.