“Alita, see all the unnecessary hell you always raise?” Burgundy scolded. “You need to do better.”
“Okay, okay. My bad,” Alita whispered. She realized she was exhausted from all her yelling. Her forehead was filled with wrinkle lines. “I need a stiff drink. Need to stop worrying about family. Need to chill. Need to pray.”
“You need a man,” Burgundy answered. “And not just any man. A good man who knows how to love you just right; and one whose love can help take away all your stress.”
“Ain’t no man like that in the world.”
“Oh, really?” Burgundy shot back. “You used to think Leonard Washington was that man.”
“Yeah, I can admit he had me open back in the day. In the beginning when I was allowed to live the fairy tale. I never thought I could love any man as much as I loved him. But it all changed.”
“If you had a great love once in your life,” Burgundy replied, “there’s a good chance you can have it again.”
“True love can’t strike twice,” Alita protested.
“As long as you have breath in your lungs, anything is possible, Sis.”
Alita cast Burgundy a doubtful glance.
“I’m talking what I know,” Alita solemnly continued. “These days brothas out here rough-acting and beat-down looking. I feel like I gotta pick through the scraps after the lunch crowd has come through the Chinese buffet.”
“You’re wrong. There is a good man out here for you. In fact, I know the perfect one.”
“Who is he, Burgundy?” Dru wanted to know.
“He goes to Solomon’s Temple, of course.”
“Church man? With me? That’s like water . . . mixed with oil . . . and dynamite. Aw, hell no,” Alita said.
“Sis, let me finish,” Burgundy pleaded. “Stop being so negative and try to listen first.”
“All right, then. Finish.”
“Thank you! Okay,” Burgundy continued. “All I can tell you is that this man is considerate. Thoughtful. A gentleman. And he’s not the typical selfish guy who only cares about himself. He has a really down-to-earth, agreeable personality, but—he’s no pushover.”
“Go on.”
“He has an excellent job working downtown, Alita, and he’s not that needy, mama’s-boy type, so there you go! That’s another plus mark. Um, he’s a good looking guy too, but he’s no pretty boy, and we know you don’t like those types.”
“Nope, too cute means too arrogant. Go on.”
“What else? Oh! He’s into eating healthy. You won’t catch him at Mickey D’s or Burger King unless he’s buying a salad or a wrap.”
“Mmm, sounds good. I can live with that. I could stand to lose a few pounds anyway.”
“Girl, now we know you lying,” Coco said with a giggle. “You ain’t got an ounce on fat on your bony behind.”
Alita smiled and gave Coco the middle finger.
“Seriously,” Burgundy continued. “This man will work with you if you really want to get back in shape. He’s into fitness and sports, and I think he’s a very patient man too.”
Dru shook her head in disbelief. “A man with patience? Shoot, he sounds like a man that I’d like to meet.”
“Girl, don’t be greedy. You already got a good man,” Alita snapped. She sat up straight in her chair, swept aside the long bangs from her naked forehead. “Um, so far he sounds all right, B. But I have two questions.”
“What are they?” Burgundy said.
“If he’s so damned perfect, why hasn’t another woman snatched him up?”
“Hmm. I can answer that, and I don’t even know him.” Coco spoke with confidence. “He probably can’t commit.”
“You describing Calhoun,” Alita said.
“Shut up, Lita!” Coco said, then continued. “Or he’s a sneaky-ass, down-low man that likes to suck dick. Or he’s boring as hell, a felon with a rap sheet, or he’s too weak to handle a real woman,” Coco said.
“You did good, Dark Skin. I like those answers,” Alita said. Coco and Alita high-fived.
“Coco, nice try, but you’re wrong,” Burgundy replied. “To be honest, Shade told me that he fell in love with a woman that he thought was ‘the one.’ And he assured me that he was very good to her. But you know how there are women out here that have a good man but they take ’em for granted. Yep. Shade held on for a good minute, giving her a few chances to make the necessary changes and respond to him in the way he wanted her to. But she started smelling herself and almost dogged him out. But Shade woke up one day and like Michael Jackson, he said, ‘This is it.’ He cut off that woman and moved on. And, of course, now she regrets it. She sits up in church looking all depressed and suicidal.” Burgundy laughed at the woman’s stupidity. “But when God gives you a blessing, you better be smart enough to receive it. And, Alita, I pray to God that you will be ready. I will not have you embarrass me in front of this man, you hear?”
“I hear you,” Alita said. She actually forced herself to smile. At that moment, a sliver of hope etched itself in her heart. Maybe all men weren’t the devil.
“All right. Fine,” she replied. “But there’s just one more thing.”
“What?” Burgundy sweetly asked.
“Is he father material?”
Alita’s only child, Leno, was an eleventh grader who loved sports. From the time he was in elementary school, kids from the block were always ringing their doorbell to see if Leno could go hang out. Alita would tell the little boys, “No.” And she’d quickly slam the door in their faces. The boys looked like thugs, and she never wanted her child to get caught up in any bullsh*t.
“Doesn’t Leno already have a father?” Dru asked Alita.
“Yes, silly,” Alita barked. “But if you haven’t noticed lately, he and I aren’t together. So, if and when I do choose to date, the man will have to be good with kids. I don’t want no f*cking child molesters around my son. No perverted pedophiles that act nice in front of your face, but as soon as you turn your back, they try and force an innocent boy to suck his dick. Hell, no! The next man I get with has to have the fear of God and the fear of Alita in him before he even comes close to my baby.”
“That’s the problem,” Coco said. “You still treat my nephew like he’s a five-year-old. I’m just sure Leno is sick of you embarrassing his ass in front of his friends.”
Alita’s face reddened. For once she could not dispute her middle sister. She knew she’d never hesitate to say how she felt, whether it was to her son or any of his friends. She thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip. “Well, I am his mama, so I have the right to raise him the way I see fit. You worry about your three and a half kids. How’s that sound?”
Coco could only laugh. She knew it would be a cold day in hell before her sister admitted that she was wrong about anything.
The whirring noise from the dryer fan suddenly came to a stop. Coco took a deep breath and stood up. “You may tease me about my life, Lita, but it’s clear that your life ain’t no day at the park either. You got as many issues as me. So deal with that.”
Coco grabbed her purse, told her sisters goodbye, and started to walk out of the salon so she could go check on her man.
But before she could exit, Alita ran after her.
She told her, “Hold up a sec.” Then she offered her a warm hug.
Coco felt awkward as Alita tightly grabbed her around the neck and gave a squeeze.
“You my boo,” Alita whispered in her ear. “I got you. I’ve been you. I just need you to stop pretending and just start . . . being.”
Coco nodded. “I know. And I need you to start being . . . nicer . . . and a little less nosy.”
Alita embraced Coco even more tightly. “I can try, but I can’t promise you I’ll be perfect.” She released her sister and said in an abnormally soft tone, “Our sister assignment says we should confront someone. I’m confronting you.”
“What else is new?”
“Coco Chanel Reeves?” Alita said.
�
�What, Lita, what?”
“Who is the father of this one that’s in your stomach?”
“Calhoun! What the f*ck?”
“And were you lying when you said you don’t know who Chance’s daddy is?”
Coco paused. Her heart was filled with pain at the memories of her deception. “Yes,” she sniffed. “I lied. I know who his daddy is.”
“I had a feeling you did, but it’s all good. I know you got your reasons.”
Coco gasped, then admitted, “I do.”
“But one day, do you think you can tell us what happened? The true story, Coco?”
“Nosy-ass sister, one day you will know. But today ain’t that day. Now will you leave me the hell alone, please?” And Coco shut down the conversation, told the rest of the ladies goodbye. As she walked out the door, she prayed to God that her sisters would lay off of her and let her live her life. Forget her past, allow her to have her future. And just let her breathe.
CHAPTER 3
Thotsicle
That afternoon, once the Sister Day salon appointment was complete, Dru and Alita began the drive to pick up Leno from basketball practice. They pulled up outside the facility, a moderate-size brick building connected to the high school. By the look of things, it appeared that the team was just finishing up. Numerous young men still wearing their jersey-and-shorts uniforms drifted onto the sidewalk in small groups. Alita strained her neck to see if Leno had emerged from the front entrance.
Leno was zoned to a Houston high school that had a high percentage of Hispanics and blacks. The school definitely wasn’t known for its academic superiority; Alita could only pray that her child (1) got a decent enough education that would help him throughout his life; (2) left school every day without getting into trouble, or being hassled to join a gang; and (3) continue playing ball good enough to qualify for the professional leagues.
After waiting quite a few minutes with no sign of her son, Alita groaned and sat back in her seat. “Damn. This happens every time. Leno’s always got to be the first one there before practice officially starts and the last one to leave.”
“Sounds like he’s dedicated to his craft and is getting ready for the NBA. He could be the next Steph Curry.”
A far-off look formed in Alita’s eyes. Wouldn’t it be amazing if her son made it as a superstar athlete? Even college hoops would be nice. She could only hope that good things would happen for Leno. Then reality settled in.
“I dunno, Sis,” Alita muttered. “I just want my son to do the best he can right here in this school and keep his grades up. He’s doing all right as a junior, but they’ve only had a few tests so far. And if he keeps on top of his studies, then he may get a full scholarship and I won’t have to come out of my pocket. Because I already know that Leonard Washington will not chip in two cents toward Leno’s college funds.”
“Wow, is he that bad? Doesn’t Leonard make good money selling cars?”
“I guess. He lies all day long trying to get people to buy whatever car is sitting on the lot. And he’s got a PhD in lying so, yeah, I’m sure Leonard is making bread and honey.”
Dru laughed. “Alita, I think you’re still upset because he convinced you to be with him. And maybe that wasn’t what you really wanted to do at the time.”
“Can we change the subject?” Alita said. “I think I see my baby.”
Alita watched her son take his sweet time walking out of the building. At sixteen, Leno was already six foot three and there was no telling how many more inches he’d grow. He resembled Ralph Tresvant from the group New Edition: dreamy eyes, slight mustache, and an amazing talking voice, as well as charm for days. Leno’s lightweight headphones were stuck in his ears; no doubt he was listening to the latest from Drake, his favorite.
As he traipsed down the sidewalk, Leno was surrounded by six girls, three on each side of him and all of them jockeying for position. Whatever music Leno was listening to was no competition for a captive audience of beautiful, smiling, energetic young ladies. It appeared that his clique was laughing it up and having a rowdy good time. The girls were of various shapes, ages, and heights. All of their hairstyles were long enough to sit on, or they wore Ghana braids, kinky twists, or Senegalese twists. The girls sported cling-fitting shirts and short shorts that displayed their thick hips and pretty legs. One girl ran and jumped directly in Leno’s path. She stopped, stuck her butt out so far he had no choice but to see it. She whooped and hollered like she was singing the lyrics to a song, then she began wiggling her butt cheeks up and down real fast. Leno stopped walking. He stared and smiled, licking his lips and nodding as he carefully observed the teasing dance that she performed especially for him. All of her braids were dyed various vibrant colors, and she resembled a dancing peaco*ck.
When she pulled up her shirt and exposed her breasts, then hopped around like a Zulu dancer, Alita couldn’t bear to watch any longer. “C’mon on, Dru. Time to run some interference.”
Dru hurriedly got out of her car. Alita marched up to her son, who faced all the girls as they clustered in a semicircle.
By then the dancing girl had sense enough to lower her shirt. But Leno’s eyes had turned glassy, still mesmerized by the bouncing, wild movements of her lush behind. Alita waited a few seconds, then gave Leno a forceful tap on his back.
He slowly turned around, eyes widened, then darkened.
“Um, hey, Mama. I’ll be with you in a sec. I’m just finishing up.”
“Finishing up what?” Alita asked. “Wasting time with these little strippers?”
A chick with purple hair and pouty purple lips rolled her eyes at Alita. Alita raised her arm up and pulled it back, ready to swing. Dru quickly stopped her. “Alita, please. Give my nephew a few more minutes. He’s not doing anything wrong. Let him be a kid.”
“That’s the problem,” Alita snapped. “I don’t want my son out here messing around with these girls, doing sh*t he has no business doing, and he ends up with babies he don’t need or can’t afford.”
Now all the girls rolled their eyes at Alita. The girl with the big booty said, “Who dis old-ass bitch? Do we know her?”
Dru gasped. She snatched her sister’s arm and dragged her to her vehicle, a few yards away from Leno. She popped open the locks of her door, and they sat inside the car to wait.
“Alita, I know that’s your son and you can raise him how you see fit, but I really think you need to watch your negative words. He still has feelings.”
“Mmm hmm! He has a penis too. And a big one at that.”
“Really? And how would you know that?”
Alita ignored her. “My point is that these fast-ass girls can smell the money coming. Future rich baby daddy is what all of ’em are thinking. They’re not thinking about their own careers. Leno tells me how these chicks offer to do his homework for him. Write his essays. And I think even before the school semester gets started, they’ve lined up to earn their spot with him. And their goal is to one day put their nasty mouths on my son’s dick. Give him something he can feel.”
“Oh, Alita, please. They’re just kids. You’re exaggerating.”
“Is this exaggerating?” Alita reached inside her purse and pulled out an unopened black-and-gold condom packet.
“This,” she exclaimed, “isn’t mine.”
Dru’s eyes enlarged. “Oh, okay.”
“I found it in his backpack. My little boy thinks he’s a man, but f*cking at sixteen is no game.”
“Wow,” Dru said. “I mean, he is at that age where he may want to experiment. I’m sure there are middle schoolers out here having sex. Even Coco got started early.”
“And look how bad things turned out for her,” Alita exclaimed.
“Just because he’s talking to a few girls doesn’t mean he’s having sex. He practices his drills very hard every day, he obviously goes to his classes, but the boy needs a social life too.”
“Are you serious, Drucilla Reeves? So a teenage sex life is now considered a damned soc
ial life?”
Dru seemed frustrated, not wanting Alita to misunderstand. “No, I’m saying Leno needs to be around girls and boys. He needs to be well-rounded.”
“Look, I don’t give a damn about that, Dru,” Alita complained. “f*ck meeting girls on the Gram and Facebook and Snapchat, and all these other sites where these kids be lurking. I’m thinking of Leno’s future. I don’t want him to be like his dad and end up a lying-ass car salesman. I want Leno to make some real money, enough money to help him buy land, invest his money, and do something good with it besides buying the latest Air Jordans and a BMW or a Hummer. That is so played out, and I don’t want my son to be caught up in stupid sh*t like some of these other boys. Leno has the chance to do big things and make enough money to get us the hell out of the neighborhood we live in. But if he gets distracted messing around with these whorish little thotsicles . . .”
“Excuse me! What did you say?”
“That’s what they call them. Those hoes over there. And look at ’em. They’re so young; they must learn this behavior from their mamas. I wouldn’t be surprised if their mamas are a bunch of hoes too.”
“Alita, are you serious?” Dru was aghast. She hated labels and seeing anyone paint a group of people with the same broad stroke of a paintbrush. “Be fair, Sis. Do you personally know any of these girls?”
“Nope!”
“Do you have a hidden cameras in their bedrooms to know what they’re doing every night?”
“Don’t ask stupid questions,” Alita said.
“Then why would you call these girls hoes when you don’t know anything about them, Alita?”
“Hello! I have two eyes. I know how girls can be sneaky and very skillful at getting a boy to do what they want. Plus, if these girls weren’t hoes, their tit* and asses wouldn’t be hanging out, and they wouldn’t be all up in Leno’s face dropping it like it’s hot and twerking like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Oh, really?” Dru sounded doubtful. “Tell me, Alita, what should the girls be doing?”
“They should be somewhere at their house helping their parents out, doing chores, or working at a part-time job trying to make their own money instead of working hard to get Leno’s.” She paused. “Girl, do you know that some girls tried to send Leno naked photos of themselves?”
