at Eric anxiously.
“I’ll tell you about it on the way there.”
“No,. Tell me now. What happened to Deedee?” Sophia asked, grabbing Eric’s arm. “I’m sorry, but you just can’t say something like that, especially about Deedee, and walk away. I know she was…”
“It’s not Deedee. It’s Coco. She was shot last night.”
“What? Coco? You mean... Coco... we saw her, I saw her performing and... Oh my God! Is she dead…?”
“She’s holding on,” Eric said.
Sophia waved for the car and a black Cadillac stretch pulled over to stop in front of them.
“What happened?”
“Let go of my arm and I’ll tell you about it on the way.”
Sophia freed his arm and he held the door. Getting into the car, she wobbled and Eric steadied her.
“Thank you,” she said and nervously sat. “Tell me what happened, Eric.”
CHAPTER 3
“Oh shit. It was on when ‘em damn Chinese bitches got up in there, Kim. The bitches sprayed the whole place and not one single shot touch me or my son. Thank you God,” Tina said, making the sign of the cross across her chest. “Cuz, if they would’ve hit me or Junior it would really be on.”
Tina hugged herself and puffed hard on the cigarette. Under the cold scrutiny of Kim, she snuffed out the rest of the cigarette into an ashtray. They were sitting in Kim’s destroyed two-bedroom apartment. Tina was there after leaving her son at her parents’ apartment. Kim shook her head and stared at Tina with pity.
“Bitch, shut the fuck up! If them Chinos would’ve shot you, it be over. That’s all there is to it—”
“Why you gonna say it like that, Kim? I wasn’t part of Nesto’s mix up. He the one they were after. I mean I had no—”
“Bitch, don’t you know I know? Those same muthafuckas roll up in this crib on my ass. They killed Carlos, right out there in the hallway. That shit had the police all up in here. Lucky thing Roshawn was with me or else… Shit! You talking bout a scared-ass bitch. I went straight to church.”
“Kim, youwent to church? See, now I know anything is possible.”
“Don’t talk like I don’t be going? I goes to church. Last Easter I went to church.”
“Easter? That was months ago.”
“Okay, but when was the last time you went to church?”
“Don’t start acting and talking like you a regular and all that. If it wasn’t on account of Carlos being in here up that coochie your ass would never have gone again until next Easter.”
“Nah, I would’ve gone on Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Kim said.
“What? You the type that be going only on holidays?”
“Damn Skippy, and special occasions too, like when your boy and his friends goes and steals shit that’s not theirs. I knew it.”
“You know what?”
“I knew Ernesto was nothing but trouble. Can’t say I never told you. And what you mean up in my coochie?”
“Ha, ha,” Tina snickered. “I thought you didn’t hear. But your ass wasn’t telling me nothing like that, okay. You were telling me to give him one more chance—”
“Me? I wasn’t saying no shit like that,” Kim countered. Her tone was an octave higher. “Your crotch was on fire as soon as you saw the no good bastard. Your ass didn’t even remember who your real friends was. If those bitches hadn’t put the fear of God in your ass, you’d still be home cooking damn rice and beans for the lazy ass nigga.”
“Pipe down, Kim. You’re gonna burst a damn blood vessel.”
“You should’ve told them Chinese bitches with the Uzi’s or whatever machine guns those was to pipe down. I bet you never say shit to them, huh?”
“No-muthafucking-way-Jose was I opening my fucking mouth. Shit, I was in a heller shock. I couldn’t even speak if I wanted to, not one damn word…” Tina’s voice trailed and her eyes wandered around Kim’s ruined living room.
“So why do you think it’s okay for you to come up in here and shoot your mouth off then tell me to pipe down? Answer that one, bitch.”
“I’m saying be easy with your mouth, bitch. You gonna wake up your own son.”
“You leave Roshawn outta this, alright? Lucky thing he’s able to sleep after all this horror.
“Where’s he at?”
“In his bed safely sleeping. Damn! Look at my fucking place. It’s a total wreck. Ugh…who’s gonna replace my shit after them two Chinese bitches ransacked and fucked up my damn place!”
“You don’t have to tell me. They went through my place and pointed them same guns at me, Kim. I swear to God, I pissed right there,” Tina said, making the sign of the cross again. “I was trembling the whole time.”
“Bitch you should’ve been shook. They had all rights to be up in your place. He was your baby-daddy and he lives with you. I know Nesto done stole their ice and shit.”
“Carlos was involved too. You know that’s why they came here, Kim.”
“And his ass was only visiting. They came up in here wearing motorcycle helmets and all. They just started shooting as soon as they saw Carlos. I was scared shitless. It’s your fault why I was fucking with Carlos’ pimp ass. He had too many women. He wasn’t staying here and that’s why they shouldn’t have shoot up at my damn place. Just look at it now,” Kim said, waving her arm around.
Both glanced around the wrecked apartment. The sofa was ripped and flipped over and pillows littered the apartment. CD cases were strewn all over.
“It’s you and your man’s, I mean ex’s fault why they fucked up my place. I was an innocent bystander to this. You’re gonna have to help me clean this place up.”
“Damn girl! Let me at least mourn his death. I may have to leave town and all.”
“Girl please, not over Nesto?”
“I mean…”
“Tina you know the nigga got right back into things as soon as he came home from jail. Him and his boys robbed da wrong fucking people. How I got dragged in some shit where my place becomes people’s damn shooting gallery and bitches running up in my muthafucking crib…?”
“Look, I heard your bellyaching. Alright already. I’ll do more than help you clean up. You just remember who was there for you when your baby father was shot.”
“Oh girl please. You leave
