It's Like Candy (10 page)

 

In a rage, River thew her late-night snack
and glass of juice against the bedroom wall, screaming like a madwoman.

“I fuckin' hate you!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Why? Why?”

She fell to her knees, tears trickling down her face.

The unpleasant memories of the abuse and sexual assaults were forever embedded in her mind, and she could never forget. Her mother had fucked her up. It haunted her every night, and when she thought about what her sister must have had to go through after she left, the guilt of abandonment ate her up.

“River, are you okay?” Tah-Tah asked, knocking at her door.

River didn't answer. She sat on the floor with her back against the bed, her arms wrapped around her knees that were pulled up to her chest, and she continued to cry.

“River, you okay?” Tah-Tah repeated.

“Go away!” River shouted.

“We heard a noise,” Tah-Tah said.

“Leave me the fuck alone!” River screamed.

“Fine, bitch!” Tah-Tah went back into her bedroom.

River continued to cry as she picked the picture of her baby sister off the bed and stared at it for hours.

It was Saturday afternoon,
and Eric, Raheem, Donald, Mel, and the groom, Rah, stood by the church altar, handsomely dressed in their elegant three-button tuxedos waiting for Rah's bride, Vivian, to stride down the church aisle to join the man in her life. The church on Merrick Boulevard was filled with family and guests dressed formally and seated patiently as the bridesmaids, who stood across from the groomsmen, peered at the entryway. Moments later, after everyone was situated, the bridal march began to play, and everyone quickly got to their feet, peering back at the entryway, and there stood Vivian, clad in her off-white flowing bridal gown, arm in arm with her salt-and-pepper-haired father.

She gracefully began walking down the aisle with her father right beside her, smiling, with her eyes fixed on her groom. This was the happiest day of her life. Vivian couldn't wait to say “I do” to her man, her Rahmel. She loved him.

Family and guests smiled, eyes glued to Vivian's beauty, her sheer veil falling over her face. She clutched a bouquet of flowers in her hands that were wonderfully arranged. Within minutes, she stood next to her groom, and waited for the reverend to begin the wedding ceremony.

Eric was happy that his cousin Russell was coming home soon. He leaked the word out to his boys, Donald, Mel, and Raheem, and they, too, were equally excited. Eric stared ahead at Rah and Vivian as they held hands and pronounced their wedding vows in front of the many men and women who had assembled in the church on a beautiful, sun-drenched Saturday afternoon. He smiled at Rah, happy for his man. He gazed at Vivian, and thought to himself,
Vivian's a beautiful bride, and Rah 9s a lucky man.

Eric knew that a wedding day for him, like this, would most likely never come. He knew Rah would probably make a good husband. But he felt he himself had too much loving to share and it couldn't be with one woman. He was a playboy and he loved women too much to settle down with just one when he was only in his late twenties.

Several hours later, guests and family unwound, drank, partied, and had a good time at the reception hall in Belmont Park, located in Elmont, New York. The DJ puffed up the revelers by spinning off some hip-hop and R&B jams like Jay-Z, Chingy, Jagged Edge, Mary J., and Beyonce.

Rah and Vivian chose the famous wedding song by Luther Van-dross, “Here and Now” to be played for their wedding dance.

Eric stared at the many beautiful females who crowded the reception, and he had to smile. He knew he probably could take any one of these women home tonight. The majority of them were giving him the eye and flirting with him, implying that they were definitely interested in him. And many caught his eye, but he remained nonchalant and chilled with his niggahs.

“E, yo, Yung Slim comin' home fo' real?” Donald asked. He towered over Eric and the majority of the crowd, and looked dazzling in his tux.

“Yeah,” Eric answered.

“Damn . . . the niggah did seven years,” Donald said.

“I know.”

“You ayyite, E?” Donald asked, seeing Eric looking aloof from him and the wedding party.

“Yeah, Donald, just thinkin' about some shit, that's all.”

Eric thought about his uncle's word, and he remembered how Russell had been before his incarceration. He thought:
Was the hood, and he himself, ready for Russell to come home?
His cousin was a bully, and for the past seven years, he'd been doing fine without Russell around. Things had been quiet for him, and he was making good money doing what he did. He loved his cousin, and he missed Russell a lot. But it had been different.

Donald looked at Eric holding a glass of champagne in his hand. “Ayyite, E, you know where I'm gonna be at. Too many females in this place for us to be holding up the wall just lookin'. I'm gonna get my dance on, and hopefully take one of these lucky ladies back to my place tonight.”

Eric smiled. “Do you, Donald. Do you, yo?”

“To the fullest,” Donald said, and casually walked off.

Eric remained standing and observed the reception. He needed a smoke, so he walked outside and pulled out a Black & Mild from his inner pocket. When he reached the exit, he noticed Rah standing alone, peering up at the sky and clutching a cigarette between his fingers. Night was soon to descend and the Long Island night began resting, heavenly and tranquil, over the heads of happy wedding revelers.

“Ain't you supposed to be with your bride, Rah?” Eric said, interrupting Rah's quiet moment.

Huh . . . what, oh, what up, E. . . .” Rah returned, looking lost in his own thoughts.

“What, your wife got you stressed already?” Eric joked.

“Nah, I was just out here, chillin' . . . thinkin' to myself.”

“So how does it feel to be a married man?”

“Feels ayyite so far.”

“I know you can't wait for the honeymoon. Where you takin' her?”

“Barbados. We're leaving in two days. I'm gone for two weeks, E. Getting the fuck outta here,” Rah proclaimed.

“I feel you, Rah. Shit, I need a lil' vacation myself. Hood gettin' hectic and shit. You know Russell's coming home, right?”

“Yeah. I heard,” Rah replied, looking halfhearted about the news. “He did seven years, right?”

“Yeah. Finally.”

Rah shook his head lightly. He and Yung Slim had never really gotten along when Yung Slim was home. They were like oil and water. Russell felt that Rahmel was too much of a pretty boy, a faggot, and he'd never understood how his cousin Eric could be best friends with him.

But unbeknownst to Eric, the silent beef between Russell and Rah went further than unpleasant glares and small unkind words toward each other. One reason why Russell was locked up was because of Rah. But Rah never said a word to Eric about what had gone down between him and Russell. He'd figured Russell would do hard time, like twenty-five years plus, so it was a shock to him to hear that he was coming home soon.

Rah stood next to Eric, keeping his composure, looking nonchalant about the news.

“Eric, how long you and me been friends?” Rah asked, out of the blue.

“Shit, since the sixth grade. Why you ask?”

“Yo, we brothers, right?”

“Niggah, we family.”

“So whatever pops off, you got my back, right?” Rah asked.

“Niggah, what kind of question is that? You know we ride or die together, Rah. You, me, Mel, Raheem, Critter, Donald . . . yo, you in some kind of trouble?” Eric asked, becoming wary of Rah's tone.

“Nah,” Rah stated. “You know a niggah just got married, so you know . . . I'm just a little paranoid.”

“Yo, I got your back, but any problems between you and the missus, you're on your own. That's where I don't have your back. You know I don't mess wit' angry black women, shit. I rather fuck wit' the feds than a mad, belligerent black woman.”

Rah chuckled. “I hear you, niggah.”

Eric looked at Rah, and said, “Congratulations, Rah . , . you doin' your thang. You stepped up and married shorty, surprising me and shit.”

“Thanks.”

“Fo' real. I'm happy for you, Rah. Vivian, she ayyite.”

“She's more than ayyite, she's a blessing,” Rah corrected.

“Yeah, I feel ya. You stepped up, tho', niggah. You're finally leaving these hoes alone, huh?”

“E, I'm ‘bout to be thirty in two years. I need to start doin' me. You know? I'm thinkin' about moving out the city, getting a house in V.A. somewhere.”

“You wanna move?”

“I need to. Queens is gettin' old.”

“Damn, Vivian got you soft already?”

“Nah, I've been thinkin' about this for the longest. I wanna start doing me, and open up a business somewhere in the South. I just wannabe gone.”

“What about us?”

“Yo, y'all can always come down and visit. You know I always got a place for my peoples. But I need a change, E, and Vivian's a start. I'm tryin' to relinquish my old ways and become a good husband, and soon father,” Rah suddenly announced.

“Father?”

“Yeah, Vivian's two months pregnant.”

“Word. Congratulations, Rah,” Eric said, giving him dap and a hug. “Damn, you about to be a daddy.”

Rah smiled. “You're the first to know. And I want you to be my child's godfather.”

“Godfather?”

“Yeah. I know you ain't got any children yet, and Mel, he got a handful. So I know you'd be a suitable godparent to my child. I want you part of the family, E,” Rah happily proclaimed.

“Rah, thanks. That's my word, I won't let you down. Your seed, I'm gonna treat it like it was mines,” Eric stated, then giving his boy a manly hug.

“There you are,” Vivian, the beautiful bride, called out. “Baby, I was looking all over for you.”

“I just needed some air.”

“Hey, Vivian,” Eric greeted.

“Hey, Eric.” Vivian returned, giving Eric a hug. “You were trying to keep my husband away from me?” she joked.

“Nah, never that. We were just having a one-to-one talk.”

“I hope y'all two weren't talking about me.”

“Nah. If so, we both had nothing but good things to say about you,” Eric stated joyfully.

“Uh-huh, y'all better.”

“Oh, by the way, congratulations,” Eric announced.

She looked at Rah, and asked, “You told him?”

“Yeah.”

“So you cool with being the baby's godfather?”

“What . . . I'm ecstatic.”

Vivian smiled.

“Well, I think we should get back inside, before the guests think we abandoned them,” Rah said.

“Yo, Vivian . . .” Eric called out. “What's up wit' your girl, the maid of honor? She single or what?”

“Why, you tryin' to get at her?”

“Maybe. She's cute.”

Vivian smiled. “Go holla at her and find out yourself.”

“I might just do that,” Eric said, smiling. He just wanted to fuck her.

Eric followed Vivian and Rah back into the reception area where he'd make his move toward Vivian's friend. Seeing a bunch of single, sexy, and cute ladies clustered together in one room made him horny, and Charlene, Vivian's maid of honor, caught his eye the most and he definitely wanted to get at that for the night.

Eric wasted no time trying to get at Charlene, Vivian's girl. With the Dom Perignon champagne flowing through his system, his mind was on sex for the remainder of the reception and night.

Eric started a friendly chat with Charlene, getting her to smile and laugh. Rah looked over at Eric and raised his glass toward him, giving his friend the heads-up, seeing Eric doing his thang.

Two hours later, they both were tearing garments off each other at Charlene's Canarsie apartment in Brooklyn. Charlene jumped in Eric's arms, straddling him, and ramming her warm tongue down his throat. Eric, still clad in his tux pants and unbuttoned shirt, dropped Charlene onto the bed and stood over her. He was excited. Charlene was sexy—long jet black hair, exotic bedroom eyes, flawless brown skin, and stunning legs. Eric's manhood had risen profoundly just by the sight of her seminudeness.

Charlene went for his pants, slowly unzipping them, reaching for his dick, and pulling it out. She smiled. “I see we're gonna have some fun tonight.”

Eric returned the smile as Charlene gracefully leaned forward and pressed her precious thick warm lips against his dick and engulfed him like a highly paid porn star.

To Eric, this was what life was all about—making money, his niggahs being happy, having pussy at his beck and call, and just doing him. He was happy. Rah got married and his cousin was coming home. He couldn't wait. He wanted to throw Russell a big coming-home party, and have mad bitches and strippers in the place—give Russell the welcome-home party he deserved.

He stood over Charlene, watching her head bobbing back and forth sucking hard on his dick, and causing him to grunt and moan.
He'd had a good day today. He told Charlene to stop. He pushed her on her back against the bed, and removed the rest of his clothing, along with hers, and then he slowly climbed on top of her and pushed his erection into her, melting in between her warm thighs.

Eric enjoyed Charlene's company throughout the remainder of the night. He felt contented, lying in Charlene's slim arms, both of them naked in her bed after having good sex. At this point in his life, things were going smoothly, and he wasn't stressed about anything much. Ever since Eric had got laid off from his airport job two years ago, his life went in a different direction—for him, a better direction. He didn't have any kids, and he wasn't committed to anyone at this point in his life. He did whatever he chose to do and bounced from one warm bed to another. Women loved him, and he loved them right back.