The Punany Experience (30 page)

“Sister Blue, this place ain’t the joint. Those are children in there. Every last one of them is somebody’s child. And you should know, but for the grace of God go you and me.”

With that Blue was silenced and thankful for knowing that her sister was right. If she had not whored herself out for her and Hartford, there’s no telling where any of them would have ended up, she thought and stayed quiet for a time.

“I don’t understand,” Alex was saying as she walked away from the juvenile grounds with her aunts. “Did Raven finally tell them the truth?”

“Ha!” Blue spat.

“How did they find out I was telling the truth then?”

“It was simple forensics. I hired my own investigator. It was the angle of the blade. They could tell by the way it entered Shawna’s body that the wound was self-inflicted,” Dream Crow said. “I’d figured as much.”

“Oh. So she killed herself?”

“Didn’t you know that?” Dream Crow asked.

“No. Not really. I thought maybe…”

“You thought maybe Raven did it.” Blue finished her sentence. “I thought the same thing. Not that I wanted Shawna to die or anything, bless the Lord; I just thought it would be great if somebody would lock that little hooligan, Raven, up.”

“I don’t think they lock people up for putting laxatives in cookies, Aunt Blue.”

“Well, they sure should. I still got hemorrhoids.” Blue reached around and grabbed her own ass. “Damn.”

“You’ll have to go back to court to testify again, so we can enter the new evidence and they can close the case.”

“Get on with it, Dream Crow. Go ahead and ask her,” Blue said.

“I was getting to that.”

“Ask me what?”

“Alex,” Dream Crow said, “how would you like to come live with us out in Black Hawk?”

“I would love it.”

“All right then. Let’s go talk to your father.”

“You know your daddy is shacking up with some woman already, don’t you?” Blue asked Alex as they got into the car.

Dream Crow interrupted her messiness. “That’s not even appropriate conversation for you to be having with a child, Sister Blue.”

“Why not? That’s what’s wrong with kids these days. They’re too damned ignorant. Grown folks don’t want them to know anything, so they guess about it. Then, they do what comes natural for them to do. If we don’t talk to them, how are they supposed to know anything? How are they supposed to protect themselves from anything?”

“Aunt Blue does have a point, Dream Crow,” Alex said supportively, wanting to know more. “Who is he shacking up with?”

“I give up!” Dream Crow said to anyone in the car who was listening.

“I don’t know exactly. Some woman he met before your stepmother died. Raven’s there with them. It ain’t too far from your daddy’s house.”

“Really? Raven was right then.”

“Right about what?” the Crow sisters asked in unison.

“Raven said Daddy was with another woman. She told me that the night Shawna killed herself. She said, he asked for a divorce. She also said Shawna was pregnant.”

“See, Dream Crow; it does no good to keep the truth from children. They’re going to find it all out sooner or later,” Blue said. “You’re going to stay with your aunties, baby. You stay with us, and we’ll help you with your singing career. You had a couple flat notes in that song you were singing.”

“I just plain give up,” Dream Crow said, looking at her sister as she hit the highway, headed for Hartford’s new home.

“W
HAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING FOR ME?
” M
ELODY ASKED
T
OM
. He was sitting in his favorite chair, in the back room of his favorite youth program: The Blossoming Flower Shop on Grand Avenue.

“I meant just what I said, Melody. With all of that shit you started over at that dyke’s place.” He paused and sipped from a small crystal glass of scotch. “No, no. I can’t have it. You’re not worth it. I sent you on a simple mission, and you got it all fucked up.”

“Admittedly,” Melody said, removing her left dress strap from her shoulder. “It was messy, but I got you what you wanted, didn’t I? I mean Korea’s out of business, and you have the contracts.” Melody let out a gentle purr as she removed her right dress strap from her shoulder, releasing her blue silk dress to fall on the floor at her feet. “Are you sure you don’t have anything for me, Mr. Tom?”

Tom adjusted himself in his seat. “Well, uh, what did you have in mind?” He watched her hard brown nipples spilling through peach bra lace like melting Hershey’s Kisses as she pinched them and smiled knowingly at his weakness. “First, I would like my job back. Then I’ll take some of that stiff dick you got in your pants.”

“You are rehired,” Tom answered, unzipping his pants and releasing his golden brown shaft for Melody.

“Damn, you’ve got the prettiest dick I’ve ever seen.” Melody was on all fours, ready to suck Tom’s soul through his shaft when the flower shop doorbell jingled.

“Hello, is anyone here?” The voice of the councilwoman was unmistakable.

Councilwoman Grace Riley had been calling Korea repeatedly ever since she realized she had been wrong. She learned that Melody had been lying all along and that Korea had given her old assistant Martha $10,000. The realization that Korea had shut down her entire operation on her misinformed advice was tearing her up inside. She had awarded most of her contracts to Tom Brown, the man Korea has stolen Stormy away from, and she felt just awful about it. Grace had no idea what she would say to her old friend but she wanted to begin with an apology. Since Korea hadn’t returned her phone calls, she decided to pay her a visit at home, flowers in her hand and the sincerest apology on her lips.

“Hello, is anyone here?” Grace yelled from the counter in the flower shop.

Melody was still giggling when she emerged from Tom Brown’s office. Grace watched her hard nipples poking though her dress as she approached the counter.

“Hello, Councilwoman Riley,” Melody said. “How can I help you?”

“I have an order for flowers.” Melody fished around behind the counter looking for Grace’s order. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”

“I don’t think so,” Melody said, smiling as she noticed Grace eyeballing her breasts.

“Do you have my order?” Melody looked around again. “Hold on.”

“Mr. Brown,” Melody called out, turning to the office door. “Grace Riley is here to pick up her order.”

Tom Brown walked through the door, talking fast. “Melody, the order is on the table by the door as always.”

“I’m sorry, Tom; you know it’s been a while, uh, Mr. Brown.”

“Melody? That’s your name,” Councilwoman Riley asked, as Melody whisked past her to collect the beautiful arrangement of Bird of Paradise and Stargazer Lilies.

“Wow, this is pretty,” Melody said, picking the arrangement up and smelling it. “Toggle,” she said absently. “My name is Melody Toggle.”

Grace turned to Tom. “Is this the Melody I think it is?”

The look of guilt on Tom’s face told her she and Korea had both been played. Grace didn’t have to force a confession. It came spilling easily over his tongue. “She took something of mine. She had it coming.”

G
RACE EXCHANGED NICETIES WITH
M
RS
. D
AVENPORT
in the lobby of Korea’s building and greeted Charlie O at the elevator door. “It’s a beautiful day for an elevator ride,” he said. “Come on, lady; step inside.”

Korea opened the door and greeted her old friend with a cheery hug and a smile. She accepted the flowers and said, “Follow me while I go put these in some water.”

“Are my eyes deceiving me?” Grace Riley asked. “Or, do I detect a new switch in your stride?”

Korea laughed, smiled again, and said, “Girl, never underestimate the power of some good dick.”

“T
HIS MIGHT BE COMING KIND OF LATE
, now that I’ve already moved in and put my house on the market, but who’s going to do the cooking?” Hartford asked Korea. “I’ve seen how you get when you don’t have a home-cooked meal.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we can hire a chef.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“I can cook for you, Daddy,” Raven said.

“That’s sweet, baby. It’s getting late now. Go get ready for bed.”

“Okay, Daddy. Good night. Good night, Korea.”

“Good night,” Korea said. “She has really great manners. I’m looking forward to getting to know her.”

“She’s like a changed little girl, now that Shawna is gone.”

“Didn’t they get along?”

“It’s complicated.” Hartford could feel the tension in her shoulders as he rubbed them. His hands were strong and he effortlessly massaged deeply into the muscles, squeezing the pressure out.

“That’s weird,” Korea said.

“What’s weird?” Hartford asked her, running his hands down her arms.

“Don’t feel vulnerable with you. I feel supported.”

“That’s a good thing,” Hartford said, not surprised by her finding. “Don’t you know me by now? That’s what I do. I support people, in music and in life. I’m a musician. I create the music babies are made to. I give life.”

Korea lay back in Hartford’s arms and watched the fire logs burn until they both fell asleep.

W
HEN
D
REAM
C
ROW STEPPED OFF THE ELEVATOR
, she gave Korea a big hug, as if she had known her for years. “Korea Smith, I’m so pleased to meet you after all of these years. Who would’ve ever thought you would end up a part of my family after all.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, too, Dream Crow. I’ve heard so much about you, and you, too, Blue, of course. Have we met before?”

“Oh, forgive me. Everyone calls me Dream Crow; have since I was a child. My married name is Bandarofski. I guess you could say that I’ve been your sponsor for years. It’s a shame you shut your businesses down. I’ve been donating for years to your girls program.” Dream Crow put her arm over Korea’s shoulder and said, “Now is not the place or time to talk about this in detail, but you and I have an old friend in common. Do you remember Keith?”

Dream Crow could have knocked Korea over with a feather. She stood there with her mouth gaped open, remembering the man that had left her with a piece of him she could never forget. “No worry,” Dream Crow said, reaching for her hand. “He’s long gone. We can have coffee some time. I will tell you all about it.”

Blue and Dream Crow sat their brother down and promised him they would raise Alex in love. Hartford cried, but was completely agreeable.

“So,” Korea chimed in. “You don’t want to take Raven?”

“Oh no, no, honey, bless the Lord,” Blue said. “If I were you, I’d think about getting her an exorcism. Here you go, baby,” she said, handing her a small paper bag. “I brought you some something.”

“Gee,” Korea said, looking in the bag curiously. “Thanks.”

“It’s sage. You might want to start burning it now in Raven’s room.”

“Sage? I’m not sure it agrees with me.”

“You don’t say. Maybe you two will get along then,” Blue said, looking at her suspiciously.

“Hi, everybody,” Raven said, skipping cheerfully down the hallway. She stopped by her father’s leg and reached for his hand. She eyeballed her big sister and gave her a crooked smile. “Hi,
Alex,” she said sweetly. She dropped Hartford’s hand, put earphones on, and scrolled through the playlist on Alex’s iPod screen.

Alex stabbed her with her eyes. “Can we go now, Auntie?” she asked Dream Crow.

“Sure thing. Blue?” She nodded at her sister. “Are you ready to take off?”

Korea called for the elevator.

“Well, we need to get on out of here, Hartford. I’m sure Alex has a lot of things to get from your house.”

“Let’s go,” Hartford said.

“Daddy, can I go?”

“No, baby, you stay here. You can help Korea with dinner.”

“I would do that, if I were you,” Blue said.

“Hmm,” Raven pouted, adjusting the volume on the player.
“I shot the Sheriff
…” she sang as she walked back down the hall.

“Hey there, Charlie O,” she said when the elevator doors opened.

“It’s a fine day for a ride, ladies and gentleman, step right on inside,” Charlie O said, smiling broadly. Hartford ushered his sisters on board. He turned to help Alex onto the elevator but she was charging down the hall after Raven. She caught her by her ponytail and pulled her to the floor.

“I told you not to touch what’s mine!” Alex smacked her repeatedly in the head. “Take them off! Take them off!” She snatched the headphones and iPod from the little girl.

“Hey, you two, what’s going on?” Korea asked, running down the hall to pull Alex off of the little girl.

“I’m just taking what’s mine,” Alex said, putting the headphones on. Raven shook the ass whipping off, as Korea helped her to her feet.

“I can respect that,” Korea said.

Raven rubbed her head and looked at her sister in disbelief. “I can respect that, too. I guess jail made you hard.”

Alex rolled her eyes and strutted victoriously back to the elevator.

K
OREA STAYED HOME WITH
R
AVEN
, who was clicking away on Stormy’s computer. “What is it about this room that causes everyone to become a clicker?” she said to herself, reaching for the door. She stuck her head in the door.

“Hey, you,” she said. “Is everything all right in here?

“Hey,” Raven said.

“Can I come in?”

“Sure, Mommy.”

Korea wasn’t sure how she felt about Raven calling her “Mommy.”

“You can call me by my name,” she said. “Korea or Ms. Korea will do for now.”

“But I like to call you Mommy.”

If I’m going to be anything around here, I’m going to be Daddy
, Korea thought. She would talk to Hartford about it. “Hey,” she said in her friendliest voice. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking up recipes so I can make you some special cookies.”

Stormy had quickly become the food critic to be aware of in Washington, D.C, when her first review slammed a popular yuppie favorite, better known for its sexy, scantily clad waiters than for its overpriced food. It was said that the place was bankrolled by a congressman’s wife, who had found favor in the young grad student at Georgetown University who owned it. “The waiters wore midriff tuxedo shirts, with red bowties and low-cut slacks, and the hottest thing in the kitchen was the chef himself,” Stormy wrote in her review… “My Nuclear Family platter, complete with meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables, was packed full of flavor. In fact, I think I still have some Lipton onion soup mix in my molar. I suppose the sugar-mommas who patronize the quaint little waterfront joint (conveniently located across the street from an all-too-popular boutique hotel) don’t need their meatloaf so hot it could melt denture glue, but every portion of the meal was cold. Oh, except my iced tea; it, my friends, was room temperature…Oh well, the next time I want my vanilla bean crème brulee served with college boy butt cleavage, I will definitely know where to go.”