Family Over Everything (11 page)

When she knew both girls were satisfied, she left the room.

For the next couple of days, Rachael had left Corrine and Mercedes to rot in misery in their tiny, dirty bedroom. The room was filthy. Dead rodents, mouse droppings, and old trash were scattered around. At night, lying on the dirty jail-like bed that was very small and thin, the girls had to deal with the chirping sounds of rats eating at the garbage that was on the floor.

“Are you okay, Mercedes?” Corrine asked in a low, weak voice.

It was three in the afternoon and both girls were curled in a fetal position, gripped with fatigue and hunger. It had been two days since they'd had anything to eat and if they didn't eat quickly, they'd die from starvation. Wincing in pain, Mercedes nodded and bravely stood up. A wave of pain washed over her and her knees buckled as she fell. Corrine struggled to her feet and helped her back up, both their faces masks of pain. Taking small steps, they went to the door, opened it cautiously, and peeked out, remembering Rachael's warning.

They had taken heed to Rachael's warning and were too weak to endure another beating.

When they noticed the small hallway was clear, both girls walked as fast as they could into the kitchen. Mercedes opened the refrigerator, not too disappointed at what she saw. There were a couple of flies circling around a half-empty pot of ravioli and a jug of water.

Taking the ravioli out of the refrigerator and placing it onto a plate, she popped it into the microwave.

“Here, eat this,” she said, after removing the plate and passing it to Corrine.

“How about we both eat it?” Corrine asked, picking two forks from off the floor and passing one to Mercedes.

In a matter of seconds, they demolished the ravioli. Looking at the empty plate, their stomachs turned.

“I can't take this shit anymore,” Corrine cried, clutching her stomach and falling to the floor.

“Well, we have to deal with it, Corrine. Where else will we go?” Mercedes asked, taking a seat next to her.

“I don't know,” Corrine said.

Wrapping her arms around her best friend's shoulders, Mercedes managed to flash a fake smile. “We'll find a way, Corrine. Trust me, we'll find a way.”

W
hen Deion arrived home from his book signing that night, he couldn't help but think about the conversation he had with Day'onne. His thoughts ran a mile a minute as he walked into his condominium, located on the Southside of Pittsburgh.

“You okay, baby?” Yoka, asked, rubbing his masculine chest.

“Yeah, I'm cool.”

Yoka noticed how quiet Deion had been on his way back home. “You look stressed. Can I help take that tension away?” she asked, smiling seductively.

They were seated on his La-Z-Boy chair in his living room. Even though he really didn't want any company at that moment, he could use the stress reliever.

“Give it a shot, baby,” he said, flashing a fake smile.

Yoka, who had radiant dark skin, rocked a short haircut, and had a strong resemblance of Naomi Campbell, continued to smile as she slid in between his legs. Unzipping his slacks and pulling them down, she licked her lips as she held his thick penis in her hands.

Teasing the head with the tip of her tongue, she moaned and went to work. Deion closed his eyes and threw his head back as he grabbed the back of her head and moaned. Yoka took a deep breath as she slid his penis deeper and deeper into her mouth until the head was nearly down her throat.

“Alright, alright, come here,” he said, standing to his feet.

He reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a Magnum condom and placing it on himself. Lifting Yoka against the wall and wrapping her legs around his waist, he slowly entered her, teasing her opening with the tip of his penis.

She tossed her head back in ecstasy when he was fully inside of her. He held her tight, stroking deeply.

“Harder, harder!” she moaned, biting her lip.

He held her closer, pounded her harder, causing her to have multiple orgasms.

Fifteen minutes later, Deion ejaculated into the condom and collapsed to the floor, holding Yoka in his arms.

“Hey, Ms. Younger,” Deion said as he walked into Ms. Younger's small duplex.

“Hey, baby, what are you doing here so early?” Ms. Younger asked, glancing at her watch, noting it was only ten in the morning.

“I had a lot on my mind and I needed someone to talk to,” he said, taking a seat on her couch.

Ms. Younger, who was still dressed in her nightwear, took her robe off of the couch and put it on. Taking a seat next to her adopted son, she looked at him, seeing the stress in face.

“What's wrong, baby?”

“It's nothing.”

“Now you know I've known you for the past decade of your life and I can tell when something's bothering you. So, what is it?”

Taking a deep breath, Deion dropped his face into his hands, shaking his head. “Day'onne showed up to the book release party yesterday.”

“What's wrong with that? I know that boy is trouble, but that's still your twin. Y'all are family, Deion.”

“It's not that. When he came up to me, he asked me to start working for him. So, then he goes on and says some man named Jewels is about to get out and he'll be looking for us.”

“Who's Jewels?” Ms. Younger asked, confused.

“Some old hustler from Northview that used to run it back in the day. Well, he probably still does, but I don't know. I'm confused. What does Jewels want with me, Day'onne, and Corrine? Whatever it is, Day'onne's name is written all over it,” Deion spat viciously.

“And what makes you think Day'onne had something to do with this?” she asked, trying to put the pieces together.

“Because, I can just tell. Day'onne isn't nothing but trouble, Ms. Younger. All he does is go around being a menace to society. Whatever it is, though, I want no parts. I got this book to worry about and I don't need any drama.”

Wrapping her arms around Deion's shoulder, she gave him a warm hug. “Baby, I understand it's hard for you, but he's still a part of your family. What do you think Ms. Melissa would've wanted you to do?”

The mention of Melissa's name brought him into an even more somber mood. Every time he thought of her, he couldn't help but think about all the things she'd done for him and the unconditional love she'd provided him with.

Pushing her to the back of his mind, he shook his head as he stood up.

“This isn't about Melissa!” he yelled, trying to fight back his tears. “This is about Day'onne entering my life out of nowhere, right when things are finally positive for me. I haven't seen or spoken to him in the past eight years of my life, and now he suddenly
pops up out of nowhere talking about some old gangster out to get me!”

“Boy, would you calm down?” Ms. Younger said, tapping him on the leg. “Listen, it may be a lot to digest, but you have to calm down, Deion. He is your family. Even when I adopted you following Melissa's death, it seemed like you didn't want anything to do with your family. Why is that? Speaking of family, when was the last time you even talked to Corrine?”

“Since they took her. I tried to locate her, but they couldn't find her,” he lied, eyeing the floor.

Standing and shaking her head in disbelief, Ms. Younger said, “I'm highly disappointed in you, Deion. This book means a lot to you and it's your dream, but they are your family. No, you don't have to hustle or get into all of the shenanigans that Day'onne gets himself into. What I'm saying is that you should have their backs and find out why this man is after all of y'all.”

“So what should I do, Ms. Younger?”

“I don't know, baby. You're a grown man now, and it's time you make your own decisions. All I can say is follow your heart.”

R
achael sat Indian-style in the middle of her dirty living room floor, going into a head nod. She clutched the crystal meth in her hands, slobber seeping from the corners of her mouth. Her white complexion was ghostly pale from the drugs she'd been taking for more than two years. Her blonde hair that was once flawlessly healthy was now breaking off into chunks, and her pink lips were white and chapped.

She'd been sitting in the living room for hours now, rocking her head back and forth. An hour later, when she felt the drug wearing off, she looked at the small bag of crystal meth she had left in her hand and reached for the needle. As she held the needle in her hand, she heard the faint sounds of Corrine, Mercedes and Tessa, in the next room talking.

Quickly standing and flaring her nose, she tossed the needle down before making her way toward their bedroom.

“Why does your mom treat us like this?” Mercedes asked Tessa.

All three of them were seated in a semi-circle in Corrine and Mercedes' bedroom, having a sister-to-sister talk.

“I don't know; I guess it's the drugs,” Tessa said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Man, fuck those drugs! That ain't a reason for her to be fucking us up the way she do! You don't have shit to worry about, Tessa. You don't go through the shit we go through up in here!” Corrine spat, trying to hold back her tears.

“Would you calm down and watch your mouth, Corrine?” Mercedes said, lightly slapping Corrine's arm.

“I don't know. When I was younger, she was the best mother but then . . .” Tessa paused as she thought back to when Rachel used to bend over backward to make sure she had everything.

“Then what, Tessa?”

“My father up and left one day. I don't know why, but he did. After that, she became depressed and angry. She ended up adopting you, Mercedes, got them checks and it helped feed her habit. When she got on them drugs, it became worse than before.”

Corrine and Mercedes watched as a tear made its way down Tessa's cheek. Tessa, who was biracial, was a beautiful young girl who, like Corrine and Mercedes, was misguided and lost in this world. When Rachael had gotten hooked on drugs and lost herself, Tessa had lost herself, too.

“Don't cry, girl,” Mercedes said, giving Tessa a hug.

“No, I hate to see her do this to y'all. I don't know why she doesn't hit me, but when she abuses y'all, it feels like she's doing it to me, too. Y'all don't know, I don't have anyone but y'all. I don't want y'all to leave me.”

“Girl, don't worry; we're not going anywhere,” Corrine assured her.

“I heard y'all talking about it the other day. If y'all leave, I really don't blame you. But please know I'm leaving with y'all.”

“We can't leave because we don't know where to go!”

Taking a deep breath and wiping her tears, Tessa tapped her fingers against her chin as if she was thinking. Snapping her fingers, she said, “I have a friend that used to work for some woman name Sugar. She can give us a place to stay.”

“Sugar? Who's Sugar?” Mercedes asked skeptically.

“She's a pimp.”

“So you saying your friend used to sell her body and that's what you want us to do, too? Oh, hell no!”

“Shit, I'd rather do that than continue to live in these conditions. Sugar is cool. She's not your usual pimp. I won't be in here for long and y'all don't want to be either,” Tessa said.

Mercedes took a deep breath, thinking about what Tessa had said. Even though it was hell living with Rachael, she couldn't see herself sinking to a new low by selling her body.

“Think about it, y'all.”

“No, but—”

Before Mercedes had a chance to finish her statement, Rachael came barging into their bedroom like a madwoman. Her eyes were blood red and appeared crazed.

“What the fuck y'all doing in here? Tessa, get the fuck out!” she yelled, lunging at Corrine.

Corrine curled into a ball, praying to God, trying to prepare herself for the brutal beating coming her way. Her body was still sore from the beating a few days ago, and she wasn't physically ready for another one.

“Bitch, get the fuck up!” Rachael yelled.

Corrine did what she was told, quickly getting on her knees to stand up. Before she had a chance to rise completely, Rachael kicked her in her chest, knocking the wind out of her.

Falling to the floor, she grabbed her chest, gasping for breath. It felt like her chest had caved in. Rachael continued to kick, claw, and punch at her mercilessly, yelling obscenities at her.

God, please just kill me now,
Corrine thought, slipping out of consciousness.

“Yeah, bitch, that's what you get! Stay the fuck away from my daughter!” Rachael said cruelly.

Turning around to face Mercedes, still in attack mode with her
adrenaline rushing, she threw a hard blow, connecting with the teen's face.

Mercedes collapsed to the ground, holding her face in pain as Rachael continued to beat on her. She wrapped her elbows around her head, trying her best to protect it.