A Woman’s Work: Street Chronicles (15 page)

“Can one of you strip his ass naked?” Aisha said more as a demand than a question. She knew it was time to finish exacting her revenge and release her pain. Big Black used his foot to roll Slick onto his back. Slick screamed in agony as his broken leg was moved when his pants were stripped off. His high-pitched screams pierced everyone’s ears. The crying began when Big Black kicked Slick back onto his stomach. He was now ready for Aisha to finish him off.

Aisha rammed the plunger inside of Slick’s anus with all the force she could muster. “You bitch!” Slick yelled. “You can’t break me.” Next, she violated him with a wooden broomstick until blood started leaking from his anus. Slick continued to scream and cry from the torture. He was helpless to defend himself. Blood gushed from his anus forming a pool beneath him. Aisha was unfazed. She imagined the shame and disrespect her mother
must have felt while he raped her. The thought infuriated Aisha to the point of no return. She hoped Slick’s insides were being ravaged with each thrust of the foreign object.

Tears streamed down Aisha’s face. She dropped the broomstick and walked over to where the two-inch Marcel curling iron was heating inside its oven. The curling iron was as hot as molten steel. “Fuck you, Slick! How about that? Fuck your mama and her mama. You’re going to hell because I’m sending you there. When you get there, tell your boys I said fuck them too!” Aisha cried right before jamming the hot curling iron into Slick’s rectum. Slick was semiconscious and near death. After giving the handle a good twist, she left it there and turned her back on him.

A smile covered Aisha’s face as she walked away from Slick, feeling satisfied and lighter. Slick passed out from the pain and blood loss. The grim reaper was holding Slick’s hand. Aisha had gotten her revenge, allowing her mother to rest in peace and her to finally sleep at night. She was happier than she had been in months.

I don’t know what everybody was tripping about. I feel strong, guilt free, and hungry for more. I may have walked in here as Aisha, but I’m leaving as Dream. I can get used to this feeling. Just the thought of more victims is making me wet
, thought Aisha.

A
isha and Shy were enjoying a late lunch at A Piece of Soul Café & Catering, which was owned by Shy’s best friend, Cherise Peters. The ambiance was calm and relaxing in the quaint café as jazz played in the background. All her customers seemed to enjoy
the setup, and Shy encouraged Cherise to keep everything the way it was. Aisha, Kayla, and Terry always used Cherise when their company, KAT69, needed catering services.

“I’m glad you called. We haven’t talked since that day at your brother’s house. What’s been going on with you and the kids? How are the twins and that little beauty queen of yours?” Aisha asked between sips of coffee.

“Princess is spoiled as ever. How many five-year-olds do you know who have everything? Christmas and her birthdays always have me stumped. All I can do is give her an updated version of what she already has,” Shy said half jokingly. “As far as the twins are concerned, Jayden and Prince are doing well.” She picked at her apple fritter and savored the taste of her strawberry-banana smoothie while she and Aisha made small talk. After the two settled into their visit, Shy decided it was time to get to the point. “Aisha, I wanted to talk to you about what happened and how you’re dealing with it. Are you okay?”

“I’d be lying if I said sleeping some nights was easy, but I’m doing well,” Aisha said with complete honesty.

“I’m happy to hear that. Sleepless nights are part of the package when we choose to do what was done. The million-dollar question is, would you do it all over again?”

“I’ve asked myself that many times. When I think of my mother, all that comes to me are the good times we shared together. I miss Mommy every minute of every day,” Aisha said as she reached for a napkin to dab the tears rolling down her face. Shy reached across the table to hold her hand.

“I’m okay, girl. I have bad days and I have good days. The good are beginning to outweigh the bad.”

“I understand, girl. Your heart will slowly heal and the weight of your pain will get lighter,” Shy promised.

“The only time I think about what went down is when I can’t sleep. I feel no compassion for them, and I hope they’re burning
in hell. So to answer your question, yes. If I had to make the decision all over again today, I’d still want to be the one to punish the punk-ass niggas who ruined my life. They robbed my mother of the joy of being a grandmother. They stole our shopping for my wedding dress together. Those three boys deserved what they got, and I have no problem living with myself.” Aisha had expected to feel guilty and experience nightmares about the torture she’d inflicted on her mother’s killers but she hadn’t. She was at peace with her actions and made no apologies for them.

“To be honest with you, I went through some bad dreams after my situation,” Shy said. “The only thing is, the bad dreams weren’t about the crooked-ass cop who gunned down my husband in the presence of our son. My dreams were about my husband. My conscience was telling me that Melvin was somewhere watching me.” She agonized at reliving that difficult and emotional time in her life. Aisha listened intently and felt Shy’s pain as she spoke.

“Why would Melvin watching over you make you feel bad?” Aisha asked.

“Because I thought that he might be disappointed with me. That he might have been angry with me for what I did. I mean, it was so out of character for me,” Shy explained.

“Girl, that man loved you. It was obvious to everyone. He always took care of you, even when we were in high school. I wish I had a man who loved me with the level of passion and commitment Melvin had for you.”

“Melvin was my world, my life. He became my life the day we met. We had time to enjoy each other before we had kids, and I cherish that time. When that cop pulled the trigger that day, he not only killed my husband, he killed the father of my children, my best friend, my protector. Aisha, he shattered my family’s life and we’re still trying to recover from it. I remember that day as if it had just happened.

“I was rushing home from a doctor’s appointment. I was hurrying to tell Melvin I was pregnant. He died not knowing we had a baby on the way,” Shy cried. Recalling the events of that tragic day still drained her. Now it was her turn to grab a napkin to dry her tears. It was not like her to get so emotional in public. She had buried her husband six years ago, and the pain was still overwhelming for her and her children. The twins were ten years old when their father was gunned down in their own home. Prince bore the weight of seeing his dad murdered while trying to protect him. He was a daddy’s boy to his core. Prince and Jayden were identical twins but only physically. Their psychological, emotional, and mental makeups were as different as if they were strangers. Five-year-old Princess Lilac never knew her father. She saw pictures and heard stories from her brothers, but she was robbed of having a relationship with her father. She would never get to experience being a daddy’s girl. Shy knew her husband would have adored his daughter. He would have spoiled her, overprotected her, and loved her as only a father could. Shy dried her tears and pulled herself together. She continued her conversation with Aisha.

“The city officials didn’t care about my family. They covered shit up and made it seem like Melvin had attacked them. The trigger-happy cop got a three-month paid suspension, a vacation really, while the police chief and mayor worked out the details of all the lies they’d tell. I couldn’t live with that. So I did what I had to do,” Shy said with contempt in her voice.

“I don’t think Melvin would be angry or disappointed with you. Had it been you who took a bullet and died, Melvin would have made the shooter pay.”

“You’re right, he would have. When he was here, my husband tried so hard to keep the twins and me from
his
world. Out of nowhere, strangers with badges kick in our door and all hell breaks out and I’m pulled into a foreign land. When it’s all said and done,
my heart knows that Melvin would understand why I did what I did,” Shy said, as if trying to convince herself along with Aisha.

“Do the dreams ever come back?” Aisha asked.

“They only resurface around the anniversary of Melvin’s death. Instead of chastising me, my husband praises me. Those are the sweet dreams Kayla referred to the other day. The beautiful nightmares are when Melvin’s unhappy with what I did and I wake up with my heart racing and short of breath.” Shy smiled. “I hated to have that man mad at me. It wasn’t often but I still didn’t like it.” Both Shy and Aisha laughed.

Aisha was pleased with what she’d just heard. As far as she was concerned, the subject was closed, locked, and buried under cement. It was time for her to focus on running KAT69 and rebuilding her personal life. She was aware that her relationship with Kayla had become strained while all that ugliness was taking place. Kayla was her sister, and their relationship was important to Aisha. She was determined to start repairing things between them. Aisha was thankful that Terry had been away the last few months. Her daughter, Anissa Renée, was dealing with some difficult times, so Terry had temporarily relocated to North Carolina to be near her. The last thing Terry, or Anissa’s two godmothers, Aisha and Kayla, wanted was for Anissa to withdraw from college when she was only one semester away from earning a double master’s degree in business management and public relations. Terry was in the dark about what had gone down, and Aisha’s and Kayla’s involvement. Aisha wanted to keep it that way.

Aisha’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Kayla’s voice. She’d been invited to join Aisha and Shy for lunch. Aisha had given her a later time to allow herself time to talk with Shy alone.

“Good afternoon, ladies, I hope your day is going well so far,” Kayla said.

“Hi, Kayla,” Aisha and Shy said simultaneously.

“The day is much better now,” Aisha added.

“Are you ladies ready for your soup and sandwiches now that Miss Kayla is here?” interjected Brianna. She was a part-time server and cashier. The sixteen-year-old was also the girlfriend of Shy’s son Jayden.

“Yes, baby.” Shy smiled. “Bring our soup out first and we’ll let you know when to start making our sandwiches.

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Brianna stated with a smile.

“How’s business going with the spa and barbershop?” Shy wanted to start a lighthearted conversation.

“Business is holding strong. We might be in a recession, but women still need their hair and nails done. Nothing can keep us from it.” Kayla laughed as Aisha and Shy backed her statement with positive comments.

The lunch hour went by much too fast. Before they knew it, all their soup was gone and every bit of their sandwiches was devoured.

“Wow, time just flew by,” Aisha said.

“I know. Good conversation with great friends never lasts long enough,” Shy joked.

“Yeah, I need to be getting back to the spa. Our paperwork has been backed up for way too long. Lunch was fun but I have to be going. Duty calls,” Kayla said while gathering her things. “Are you coming, Aisha?”

“I’m right behind you. We better get caught up before the drill sergeant comes back to the office,” Aisha said jokingly. “Terry does not play, okay?”

“Right, and you know she’s been looking into our record keeping. Her laptop was the first thing she packed for her extended trip,” Kayla stated.

Just when Shy was about to joke about Terry’s overbearing business dedication, her phone rang with the ringtone set to alert
her that one of her children was calling. “MomMomMomMaMommyMommy …” It was Stewie Griffin’s voice, the baby from the
Family Guy
cartoon. “Hello.”

“Ma!”

“What’s wrong, Prince?” Shy inhaled deeply as she waited for the answer.

“Man, something ain’t right out in these streets. In the last month three of unc’s soldiers have fallen.” Prince spoke as if he was in a panicked rush.

“I remember you telling me about Ace, B.J., and Skip. I feel terrible for their mothers, but what does that have to do with what’s got you so hyped and upset?” Shy asked, worried that her son was in some sort of trouble.

Aisha and Kayla giggled at the ringtone and watched Shy as she spoke with one of her kids. The look on her face went from relaxed and happy to stressed and concerned in just under two seconds. It was obvious that something was wrong. Aisha and Kayla sat back down to see what was going on. They waited to see if she needed them. When she gasped and put her hand over her mouth, they held their breaths. Shy looked at Kayla and told her son, “I’ll take care of that right now. You meet me at the house. We’ll call your uncle when I get there. Are you okay to drive?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m cool,” Prince answered.

“Okay, I love you and be safe,” Shy said before hitting the
END
button. Her heart was pounding; she took deep breaths to try to slow it down.

“Tell us what’s wrong, sweetie,” Aisha said with her hand on one of Shy’s shoulders. “You’re turning pale.”

“It’s about Devin,” Shy began.

“What about my brother? He’s working at the barbershop today,” Kayla said.

“Kayla, I’m so sorry to tell you this. There was a drive-by shooting in front of the barbershop. Devin was hit by multiple
bullets. I’m so sorry, sweetie, your brother died on the scene.” Shy began to cry.

Kayla’s hands went over her mouth and she began shaking her head. Aisha jumped up and immediately embraced her sister. Shy ran her hand up and down Kayla’s back. She felt horrible having to deliver the bad news to her close friend. Devin was the last blood relative Kayla had left. He’d been doing well rebuilding his life after serving twenty-five years in prison. Dealing with his death was going to be very difficult for Kayla. It went without saying that Aisha and Shy would remain by her side as long as she needed them. Aisha was certain Terry would come back home after receiving the horrible news.

Kayla began rocking back and forth, holding onto herself for dear life. She screamed in pain with a steady stream of tears pouring from her eyes. Aisha held onto her and rocked with her. She knew the pain Kayla was feeling. Grief was a difficult emotion to jump into a boxing ring with. Aisha held on tight as Kayla released some of the pain she felt down in her soul.