I'm Still Wifey (12 page)

“Hello, ladies,” I spoke the second I stepped through the door.

“Hey,” everyone replied in unison.

“Anybody called me?” I asked aloud for the entire salon to hear.

“Yeah,” April replied. “Some man named Burgess called. He said he was your husband’s lawyer and that he needed you to call him back, because it’s really important that he speak with you. So I wrote his number down and stuck it on your desk in the back office.”

“Okay. Thanks,” I said as I began to feel my heart pick up speed. I know what he wants. That’s why his ass is going to wait until I’m good and ready to call him back.

“Did anybody else call me?”

“No,” April replied once again, as she walked up to my station. “But where’s Rhonda? Is she alright?”

“She’s sitting in my car. And yes, she’s alright. But please leave her be when she comes back in the shop. She’s got too much shit on her mind right now to be answering a whole lot of questions.”

“Okay, I understand. So I won’t say nothin’ to her.”

“Good. But let me ask you something.”

“What?”

“Tell me who was running their mouth when all that drama was going on outside?”

“I didn’t hear nobody say nothin’. But I did hear a couple of your clients laughing when she fell on the ground after he hit her.”

“Yeah. A’ight,” I said because I really didn’t believe her. But since I didn’t have a choice in the matter, I’m going to deal with it and leave it alone because the hoes up in here can get fake at the drop of a dime. So I know I’m going to always have to deal with the bitter and the sweet.

***

Right when I was about to set the security alarm for the shop, it dawned on me that I hadn’t call Mr. Burgess back. I took a couple steps backwards and grabbed the cordless phone from off my station and dialed his number.

“Hello,” he said immediately after the lines of communication opened up.

“Hello, Mr. Burgess. This is Kira.”

“Hi. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Now what can I do for you?” I got straight to the point.

“Well, I just wanted to let you know that I spoke with the federal investigators earlier today, and they are requesting to have a meeting with you, since you’re going to assist them with their investigation on Papi and his men.”

“So when did they say they wanted to see me?”

“They didn’t say, exactly. But they are pressing for one day next week, if that’s okay with you.”

“Next week is fine. Get back with me when they give you the heads up on what it’s going to be.”

“Well, they were saying that it would be better if you decided upon one.”

“But I can’t do that right now because I’ve got a couple of appointments scheduled for next week. And I would run them down to you, but I left my organizer back at my apartment.”

“Well, will you be able to call me back with that information by tomorrow?”

“I’ll try,” I said in a nonchalant manner.

“Okay, then. Well, I guess that’s settled,” he commented sarcastically.

“Yeah. A’ight. Whatever!” I replied.

Right when he was about to hang up, he said, “Kira, I’ve got one last thing to ask you...if you don’t mind.”

“And what is that?”

“Do you really want to help your husband?”

“No. Not really.”

“But you will, right?”

“Yeah,” I replied and then I let out a long sigh.

“Okay. Well, do you have another contact number? Because it’s really hard trying to get through to you at your hair salon.”

“Well, I’m sorry that I’m hard to get in touch with, but I don’t have another phone number. So you gon’ have to keep trying to reach me here,” I told him in a candid way.

Once he realized that I would only help him and Ricky on my terms, he saw that there was no use in continuing with this conversation, so he said his goodbyes and hung up.

Now I betcha after he hung up, he was calling me all kinds of names, but who gives a damn? Because I sure don’t!

Haters Will Hate

My cellmate Bossman just pulled my jacket about the talk that’s going around in some of the cell blocks concerning me and Lena. I sat back on my bunk and listened to what he had to say.

“Yo, dawg! Mu’fuckas ’round this joint gotcha on the radar and they trying to stop your show with C.O. Bivens. So you better start watching your back,” he told me.

“Goddamn! How niggas found out ‘bout that? Shit! It ain’t even been a week yet since I started fucking with her.”

“C’mon Ricky, look where we at? You know somebody is always peeping shit out.”

“So who told you this?” I wanted to know.

“That nigga Dune from the trustee block.”

“Damn! I wonder how he found out?”

“I don’t know. But he also told me that most of the niggas ’round here know she be bringing you plenty of shit in here from off the streets. And right now, they straight hating on you, dawg.”

“Fuck ’em, na mean?”

“Yeah, but don’t sleep on them.”

“So, whatcha think I should do?”

“I don’t know, dawg. But you gon’ have to be real crafty with this one.”

“Do you think that nigga Dune will tell you which niggas got me on the radar?”

“C’mon Ricky, you know damn well you can get anything you want for the right price.”

“Well, step to that nigga and see what his price is for that information and let me know. ’Cause I want whoever’s talking mouths to get wired.”

“Oh yeah, for the right price, I can make that happen, too.”

“Good. Because I’m about to put some shit in motion that’ll keep me and you paid in here. So I can’t let none of them crab-ass niggas interfere with that! And not only that, home-girls pussy is crazy good, so I ain’t ready to let nobody interfere with that, either.”

Bossman laughed at my comment and said, “Damn, dawg. Is the pussy good like that?”

“Yeah, man. That shit is popping! And it’s always wet, too.”

“I betcha be tearing it up. Dontcha?”

“You damn right! Every chance I get. But what’s so crazy is, when we first got together, she wanted to suck my dick instead of giving me some pussy. But I was like, nah. I wanna fuck. So then she was like, ‘but we ain’t got a condom.’ So you know I had to kick game to her, ’cause I was not about to let her walk out of that room without giving me the goods. So I told her, ‘I’ll pull out.’ And she went for it.

“That’s what’s up!” Bossman agreed with me and then he said, “But, tell me what wheels you trying to put in motion? ‘Cause if you talking ‘bout that venture we were speaking about a few weeks ago, then I’m all geared up and ready.”

“Yeah,” I started saying, “I talked to my peoples on the outside and they gon’ send us some good shit up in here. And I’m talking ‘bout shit that’s gon’ have these mu’fucka’s ‘round here looking like zombies.”

“Oh, yeah. We gon’ need something like that.”

“That’s what I was telling my peoples. And because that shit is so lethal, we going to be able to spread it around and blow up.”

“So when are you trying to do this?” he asked me.

“Very soon, baby boy! Very soon!” I assured him. ’Cause I wasn’t gon’ tell him exactly when my pack was going to make landfall. It ain’t good to let the next man know your every move. I mean, even Bossman know that. But I guess since I only been kicking it with him since my bid started, he thinks that I’m on it like that with him.

And don’t get me wrong, ’cause he’s a cool dude, but I’ve got to protect my investment. And that’s some real shit!

***

I got another letter from Sunshine today talking about she ain’t heard from the appeals court, which is a good sign that they’ll grant her the appeal. But I wasn’t trying to hear that shit. I don’t want to hear about nobody getting out of jail but me. So fuck all that other shit!

And then her letter started talking ’bout how much she misses and loves me. But that ain’t nothin’ but game. I know she’s telling me this ’cause she wants my peoples to keep sending her dough, so her commissary can stay tight.

Yeah. She thinks I’m stupid. But it ain’t that type of party with us no more. I mean, it ain’t like she can do something for me. I can’t get no pussy or head from her. So what good is she to me now? Not a damn thing! So I’m going to dead this pen pal thing with her real soon. She’s done.

***

Later that night I woke up to the sounds of some bitch-ass nigga moaning ’cause some punk was sucking him off. Now this type of shit makes me sick to my damn stomach when I hear these niggas acting like a man and a woman. But as soon as the lights come on, the same ones be ’round here patrolling like they soldiers or something. That’s why I wish one of them would ever run up on me with that bitch shit! ’Cause when they do, I’ma straight put ’em out of their misery! Ol’ con-fused-ass muthafuckas!

Nothin’s 4-Ever

Rhonda called me early this morning and woke me out of my sleep to tell me she wasn’t going to be coming into shop today.

“But why?” I asked because it’s not like her to miss any days, especially when I know she has a long list of clients’ hair that needs to be done today.

“Because I am too emotionally drained right now to be around anybody, that’s all.”

“What’s wrong?”

She sighed and said, “I just got some unfinished business to talk to Tony about.”

“Where is he?”

“He just called me about twenty minutes ago and said that he was on his way here. And he thinks I’m stupid, too, but I bet you any amount of money that he’s coming from Letisha’s house. ‘Cause when I asked him where he was at, he tells me that he was just leaving his mama’s house. So after we hung up, I called Ms. Mable and she told me that she ain’t seen or talked to Tony in two days. Now you tell me what you think?”

“Well, it’s obvious. The nigga lied. And now he’s going to come home with more lies. So don’t fall for that shit, girl.”

“I’m not. But I am gon’ sit back and hear what he’s got to say. I mean, you should’ve heard him begging me to let him come back home. Talking about how sorry he is for hurting me. And that he ain’t gon’ do it no more because he sees how it’s affecting our kids.”

“And what did you say?”

“I told him that we need to sit down and put everything on the table and work it out from there.”

“C’mon now, Rhonda. Girl, you know that shit he’s talking about ain’t nothing but game. I mean, look how many times this nigga done screwed around on you already. He’s not going to change and you know it.”

“But we don’t know that, for real.”

“Yes, we do. So please stop lying to yourself.”

“But...,” Rhonda began saying.

I interjected and said, “But nothing, Rhonda! This man of yours disrespects you and hits you in public. Now are you gonna sweep that under the rug? ’Cause if you do, trust me, it’s going to happen over and over again, just like all that other fucked-up shit he does to you.”

“So, you wouldn’t let him come back?”

“That’s not for me to say. But I will say this—stop short-changing yourself, because you deserve a whole lot better. And I know you can be so much happier if you just let all that baggage go.”

“You’re right.”

“Okay. So if I’m right, then whatcha gon’ do when that nigga come walking through the front door?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, you know! It’s just that you’re afraid of going on with your life without him being in the picture. You’re so used to having him around, so you’re not sure if you can function without him. But you can, if you just stop letting him consume you with all his drama.”

“Kira, it’s not that easy.”

“Rhonda, I know it’s not. But it’ll get easier every time you take a step forward. You see, I did it.”

“Yeah. And that was because Ricky got locked up.”

“Okay. And you’re right. But, do you see me running down to the jail to visit him?”

“No.”

“Exactly. And that’s because I could care less about his no-good ass! You remember all the shit he used to put me through?”

“Yeah.”

“But guess what?”

“What?”

“He will never be able to drag me through that bullshit again.”

“Wait...hold up,” Rhonda said and then she got quiet.

So I waited a second and then I said, “Hello,” but she didn’t respond. So I said, “Rhonda, you there?”

“Girl, I’m sorry. But I had to put the phone down because I heard a car pull up to the house.”

“Is it Tony?”

“Yeah. It’s him. He’s out there parking his car now.”

“Well, go ahead and get your thoughts together. Because he’s going to come at you with some game. But don’t fall for it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“A’ight. Well, keep your head up! And I want you to know that I love you, girl. You have always been like a sister to me. So I’m going to have your back, regardless of what you decide to do. Okay?”

“Thanks, girl. And I love you, too.”

***

Later on that night, my baby Mark sat in the living room and waited for me to get dressed so we could go to the bowling alley. Nikki and Syncere had already called and told us that they was gon’ meet us at the place, so Mark put the pressure on me because he was ready to go.

“Are you ready yet?” he asked in an impatient manner.

“I’m almost,” I said as I began to tie up my sneaker laces.

Immediately after, I stood up and got a glimpse of my 36-24-38 frame, and wondered how in the hell I got my big butt in these tight-ass jean shorts. And then I realized that it didn’t matter because I was looking so good in them. Plus, I knew Mark was going to love it. So as soon as I grabbed my handbag, I cut the light out in my bedroom and headed into the living room.

“Baby, I’m ready,” I told him the moment I approached him.

“Goddamn! Whatcha trying to do?” he commented.

“What are you talking about?” I played dumb. But I knew he was talking about my shorts.

“Yo, you need to go and change them, ’cause there’s no way I’m gon’ let you go outside with that shit on. They’re too tight.”

“But they’re Apple Bottoms. That’s how they’re supposed to fit.”

“Look, Kira, I ain’t trying to hear that. So go and take that shit off.”

“A’ight,” I said and left the living room to change into something a little more loose fitting, which only took me about five minutes to do. When I returned he was already standing up and waiting by the front door.