A Bittersweet Hood Dilemma: A Naptown Love Story
A Bittersweet Hood Dilemma
Natavia
A Bittersweet Hood Dilemma
Copyright © 2015 by Natavia
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Table of Contents
Tokyo
Kauzie
Tokyo
Tassana
Tokyo
Tassana
Kauzie
Tokyo
Tassana
Kauzie
Tokyo
Tassana
Tudos
Kauzie
Tokyo
Kauzie
Tokyo
Tassana
Kauzie
Tokyo
Tassana
Kauzie
Tokyo
Tassana
Tudos
Tassana
Osari
Tokyo
“May I take your order?” I popped my gum into the microphone. I hated this bullshit ass job. Most of all, I hated the nasty ass customers. This shriveled up bitch, eyed me as if I was scum at the bottom of her shoe.
“I said no salt on my French fries,” one customer said to me as she threw her fries on the counter. I was pissed at myself that I let a man ruin my life. I was now working at Burger King. I’d only been working here for a week and already wanted to walk out, but I had bills that needed to be paid.
“I’m sorry ma’am,” I said as I took her fries back.
“You damn right your ghetto ass is sorry. See, that’s why education is important. With an education, you wouldn’t be standing behind that counter getting my damn order wrong,” she fussed, as the people in the line laughed with her.
The sad part about that was I didn’t have a good education. I dropped out of high school in the twelfth grade and fell in love with a dope boy. It landed me into the pits of hell. Police raided our home and took everything. Now look at me, twenty-three years old, and flipping burgers. The past few months, I had been attending a high-school diploma program for adults. It’s better late than never right?
“Chill out with that shit. What’s ghetto is the crust on the bottom of your feet. What the hell are you trying to lay off of the salt for anyway? Aye yo, don’t she look like the Michelin Tire Man?” Kauzie asked his friend, Tudos. The customers in the line laughed at Kauzie as he cracked his jokes. After I took a few more orders, I took a break. I walked outside to the parking lot towards my old beat up Honda. It was red with a mixed-match Bumper. It was horrible. When I go over 50 mph, it made sounds like gunshots.
“Tokyo, why you didn’t tell me you was flipping burgers?” Kauzie asked me while standing against his Ford F-150. Kauzie and I grew up together. We were as thick as thieves. But if I had told him where I worked, he would’ve flipped out. When I was with Darrion, he couldn’t stand it. He and Darrion didn’t get along. Kauzie didn’t like the way Darrion dragged me into that street life.
“None of your fucking business, nigga. Don’t start shit with me today, Kauzie. I almost lost my damn cool back there. I hate that I need this fucking job,” I spat. He held his hands up.
“Whoa nigga, you better pipe the fuck down, Tokyo. I’m not one of these niggas out here that you talk your bullshit to. If you needed help, you should’ve came to me. You know your ratchet ass don’t get along with people to be working around them all day,” he said smiling. I frowned up my nose at him then waved him off. He grabbed my hands and looked at my nails.
“Yo, that’s why people judge you the way they do. Your nails look like old school Chevys. They are too long. And your eyelashes looks like sliding boards. Then the bright red braids, Tokyo. Shorty, you can’t be doing all of that if you want people to respect you,” he said to me.
“How long have you known me?” I asked Kauzie.
“Thirteen years,” he said.
“Exactly! I have always been me and will always remain me. Fuck out of here with that bullshit and roll up something for me. Do that shit!” I snapped.
“I got one rolled up,” No Hands said.
“How in the hell did you roll up? Don’t fuck with me No Hands,” I said.
No Hands didn’t have no hands. He was another one of my friends. When we were ten years old, we were playing around outside. No Hands ball had gone into the electrical box that wasn’t covered up. In the hood, they never really were covered up. Anyways, No Hands grabbed his ball from out of the electrical box and it burned him badly. They were able to save his arms, but not his hands. He had nubs where his fingers were supposed to be. It didn’t kill his spirit, he even joked about it. I love him to death. No Hands kept a woman because he got a nice check from the city every month. His mother sued the hell out of the city and the neighborhood.
“Shit girl, my tongue is like fingers. I can do a whole lot with that shit. You lose one strength, you pick up another,” he joked. Kauzie and Tudos chuckled.
Kauzie was from Barbados. He had been in the U.S. since the age of eight. He was handsome in a rugged type of way with a complexion like honey. He had long, sandy brown, needle-thin dreads with light brown eyes. He stood at 6’2” and weighed around two hundred fifteen pounds, with a lean athletic build. The gold diamond grills he had on his bottom row teeth, gave him that edgy look. He had a nice set of pink lips, and the sandy brown hair on his chin was trimmed to perfection. Kauzie was fine. His exotic features didn’t make him look soft, but he did stand out from the rest.
The manager stormed out of Burger King. She had her hair in a high updo with a lot of gel caked up around the sides, and dried up curls came down her face. She had a gold-tooth in her mouth. Someone needed to remind her that Salt-N-Pepa had been played out.
“No selling drugs in this parking lot,” she said to Kauzie, Tudos, and No Hands.
“Why the fuck a nigga always got to sell drugs? Damn,” No Hands said. Only one that hustled out of the bunch was Tudos’ bitch ass.
“Break is over, Tokyo,” Rhonda said to me. I shook my head then just walked back inside. She knew I needed my job and didn’t have a problem with always reminding me. I had three more hours to go until I clocked out.
I pulled up to my crack-infested neighborhood, parked my car, and got out. As soon as I opened the door to my building, the stench of piss and shit hit me in the face. The woman that lived across the hall from me had seven kids, ranging in ages from three months to seven years old. She had nasty diapers sitting outside of her door, and there was even one in front of my door.
“This nasty bitch!” I spat as I knocked on her door. Moments later, Kiwanna opened the door sipping a Bud Light.
“How many times do I have to tell you to keep those nasty ass diapers from in front of my door? That shit is nasty as hell,” I said to her.
She peeked her head further out of the door.
“What you got in that bag?” she asked me talking about my Burger King bag.
“None of your fucking business. Next time I come home from work and there is a diaper in front of my door, I’m beating your ass!” I said fed up.
“Look bitch, don’t get brand new because you got your little fancy burger job. This is the hood bitch. Get used to it,” she spat then burped.
“Feronda, didn’t I tell your little peezy head ass to stop putting roaches on the dinner table!” Kiwanna yelled at one of her kids, as she slammed the door in my f
ace.
I almost threw up. I hurried inside of my apartment where it was peaceful and quiet. I managed to keep the furniture from me and Darrion’s condo that we had downtown. That was all I could keep. The way I had my place fixed up you couldn’t tell that it was a hood apartment, until you walked out of the door.
I took a shower then put my pajama shorts on with a camisole and watched TV as I ate my bacon cheeseburger. My cell phone rang and it was Darrion.
“What the fuck do you want, bitch? Stop calling my muthafuckin phone nigga,” I spat.
“Open up the door. I miss you. I need to talk to you. I’m sorry baby,” he said to me. I hung up then opened up the door. Darrion stood there eyeing me with a smirk on his face. Darrion was thick and chubby, average in the face, but he kept himself up. He didn’t have a flabby stomach with man titties. He reminded me of Beanie Sigel.
“Why do you keep popping up on me?” I asked walking away from the door. He grabbed my ass as he followed me into the kitchen.
“I want you back,” he said.
“Well, I don’t want you. Besides, aren’t you about to do some time? What, Keshawna don’t want you anymore? Isn’t that your baby mama? I stood by your side; even helped you get your hustle up. This is how you do me? You had that bitch living in a townhome driving a Mercedes. You used OUR home as a fucking stash house. I caught a charge behind your shit. I have to flip burgers while your side bitch is still living the life. You lucky all they did was put me on house arrest for a few months!” I yelled with tears on the brim of my eyes. I had dealt with this nigga since I was seventeen. Six years of my life I dedicated to him.
“I’m sorry, Tokyo, damn. I’m trying to make shit right with you. I got caught up with her,” he pleaded.
“You had a baby on me and she is pregnant again. Oh, wait, aren’t y’all engaged now?” I asked.
“Mannnnnnn,” he said stepping back away from me as he scratched his beard. He did that when he was ready to feed me a lie.
“SPEAK NIGGA!” I said yelling at him.
“She put pressure on me,” he said. I slapped the hell out of him.
“GET THE FUCK OUT. GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SHIT HOLE!” I yelled at him as I pulled on his shirt. He was teary-eyed, but I didn’t care.
“I need you,” he said trying to hug up on me as I pushed him away from me. He pulled this stunt a few weeks ago. I shamefully ended up giving him the cookie, and he woke up in the middle of the night to go home to his family; a family he made while I was playing the down bitch.
There was a knock on my door. I don’t know why everyone wanted to stop by so late.
“What nigga is that? You better not be fucking with another nigga!” he yelled jacking me up. He pushed me into the table as he walked to the door. He snatched the door open, and it was Kauzie. Kauzie walked in without even acknowledging him.
Kauzie sat down on my couch then started rolling up. I laughed silently to myself, because Kauzie had the worst manners ever. It’s no secret he didn’t like Darrion. Darrion even accused me at one time of sleeping with Kauzie.
“What the fuck is you doing here?” Darrion asked Kauzie. Kauzie raised his eyebrow then smirked, as his lips worked its way around his blunt.
“Damn nigga. You should be used to a nigga coming around by now,” Kauzie laughed.
“Hey, Tokyo. Bring me my Henny please and cook a nigga something to eat,” Kauzie said as he leaned back on the couch and got comfortable. He lit his blunt, grabbed the remote to the TV, and changed the channel to Sports Center.
“Put some fucking clothes on,” Darrion said to me. I rolled my eyes at him, as I prepared to fix Kauzie something to eat. I was slapping the hell out of Kauzie when Darrion left. Kauzie had a woman, and she needed to be cooking for him.
“Nigga, you need to leave,” Darrion said to Kauzie.
“My nigga, you need to chill the fuck out. I’m grown over here nigga. The last time you bucked up on me I fucked your big ass up. Now, you can either sit down or get the fuck out of my face with that bitch-ass shit. I’m chilling nigga,” Kauzie said kicking off his New Balances.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, Tokyo. This conversation ain’t over,” Darrion said, grilling Kauzie as he walked out of my apartment.
“You need to stop fucking with that nigga. You are supposed to be moving on, Tokyo. That nigga did you dirty shorty. He shouldn’t even feel comfortable popping up on you like that,” Kauzie said walking over to me. He handed me the blunt. I needed something to calm my nerves. I inhaled the exotic kush as it burned my chest, and I slightly coughed.
“What are you doing over here? Where is Tassana at?” I asked him exhaling the smoke.
“I don’t know. I don’t give a fuck neither,” he said.
“Trouble in Paradise?” I asked squeezing his cheeks.
“Naw, we are good,” he said. I could tell that he was lying. I made Kauzie a cheesesteak sandwich with French fries then watched him as he ate his food. I always wondered how it would be if Kauzie looked at me as more than a friend. He was the only man that understood me. He was the only man that could uplift me. Kauzie was the first boy I fell in love with. I will never told him that. That was a secret I kept over the years. To this day, I still felt the same, but he belonged to another woman.
“Let me get some Kool-Aid girl,” he said licking his lips.
“Pour it your damn self nigga,” I said walking out of the kitchen.
Twenty minutes later, he came into the living room. He then went into his pocket and pulled out some money.
“This all I got on me right now, but I got you tomorrow,” he said placing a wad of money on the coffee table.
“I don’t want it!” I spat.
“You better take it. Real shit, Tokyo, seeing you live like this is fucking with a nigga. I’m mad that you even got wrapped up with that nigga. You caught a charge behind him. A real nigga isn’t going to let his shorty do that,” he said.
“Go home damn. Why in the hell do you keep talking about that shit? Do I be in your fucking business? I was dumb in love, Kauzie. I’m trying to get back on track and I want to do it on my own. Take that money and give it to Tassana. I’m sure she wants it for a new sew-in,” I said rolling my eyes.
My phone rang and it was Tassana. The drama never ended.
“Yessssss,” I said into the phone.
“Tell Kauzie I said bring his ass home now,” she yelled at me.
“You tell him. I keep telling you stop getting me involved in y’all bullshit,” I said to her.
“You are my fucking sister, you are supposed to be involved. Now, tell that NIGGA I said bring his ass home now, Tokyo,” she said hanging up.
“Your woman wants you to come home,” I told him.
“Oh, she’s there? I’m surprised the bitch even remembers where she lives at,” he spat. Something was seriously going on between them. Kauzie was deeply in love with Tassana. He used to do anything for her. A lot of females envied the relationship that they had. He and Tassana had been together for ten years, since she was thirteen years old. They were each other’s first.
“Don’t call her a bitch,” I said.
“Mannnn, I’m gone, I will hit you up tomorrow. I need you to do my dreads over for me,” he said putting on his shoes. He kissed my cheek then walked out of the door.
Kauzie
I walked into the crib where Tassana was sitting on the couch. She grilled me then rolled her eyes at me.
“What are you grilling me for?” I asked her.
“Why do you keep going over Tokyo’s dirty ass crib?” Tassana asked me. I will never tell Tokyo, but our problems are because of her. Tassana talked badly about Tokyo twenty-four seven.
“Yo, why do you keep dissing her like that?” I asked her disgusted.
“Because she is ghetto. She still has those nasty ass braids in her hair? I hope you get in the shower before you get in the bed. I saw her neighborhood and I wouldn’t be surprised if you brought home a critter. Her
dumb, slow ass fell in love with Darrion’s ugly ass,” Tassana said getting up from off of the couch. She walked into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine.
“Then the nigga gave her herpes I heard,” she said while shaking her head.
“I’m not trying to hear that shit. What the fuck did you do? You burned me last year, remember that shit?” I asked her.
“I apologized already. But you was fucking that ghetto ass bitch from Brooklyn Park!” she yelled at me.
“That shit was good too,” I said walking into our bedroom.
“I think you are in love with Tokyo. Do you think she is prettier than me or something?” Tassana asked me.
“Y’all are fucking twins, dumbass. Yo, why the fuck is we even talking about Tokyo? Why Tassana?” I asked.
“How much do you think she makes at Burger King?” she asked.
“At least she is working. You went to college and got a degree and you are still simple as fuck,” I said taking my clothes off.
“I just want to be happy like we use to be, Kauzie. You used to make me so happy,” Tassana said sadly.