A Special Relationship (14 page)

 
“Just curious.”

 
“Yeah, right.”

 
“She need a job, you said so yourself.
 
You need the rent.
 
I could hook her up.”

 
Mona laughed.
 
“My sister a stripper?
 
Man please.
 
That girl is a Christian with a capital C.
 
The only reason she’s even here is because my mama kicked her out of her house.
 
And you wanna know why she kicked her out?
 
Because her fiancé called off the wedding when she wouldn’t give him some.”
 
Mona laughed again.
 
“You can forget her.
 
She’s all holier than thou with it too.
 
Just like all those so-called Christians that ran me out of town.
 
And you think you gonna turn her out?
 
I don’t think so.”

 
“How old is she?
 
She eighteen yet?”

 
“You’re wasting your time, Dooney.”
   

 
Dooney, however, was staring at Carrie as Carrie stirred around in the kitchen.
 
“She can pull down a pretty dollar, girl.
 
I ain’t lyin’ though.
 
She wrap that body around one of them poles, man forget it.
 
The cash will fly her way.
 
And you’ll be sitting right there collecting it.”

 
Mona began to think about it, and it suddenly didn’t seem so far-fetched.
 
“That would be something all right,” she said with a faraway look in her eyes as she stared at Carrie too.
 
“Miss Perfect becomes a stripper.
 
Yeah, that’ll be something else.
 
And I’ll write Mama and tell her all about it too.
 
Send her a few pictures since she wouldn’t believe me anyhow.
 
I’ll tell her how her wonderful daughter ain’t so wonderful after all, that’s what I’ll tell her.
 
First time hard times hit her, look what she becomes.
 
Then we’ll see
who’s really the bad seed
.”

 
“And the money won’t hurt either,” Dooney reminded her sarcastically.

 
“You got that right.
 
Oh, hell yeah, Doon.
 
That’ll be beautiful.
 
That’ll be killing two birds with one stone.”
 
Then Mona shook her head and took another hit on her joint.
 
“But I still say you wasting your time.
 
Carrie a trip, I’m telling you.
 
She ain’t
no
easy nut to crack.”

 
Dooney smiled and began standing up.
 
“It’s all in the presentation, dawg,” he said and walked smilingly into the kitchen.
 

 
Carrie had finally cleaned the filthy glass and began pouring herself some tap water.
 
Her shape was perfect, Dooney thought as he checked her out.
 
She was exactly what he’d been looking for in a featured dancer: young, small,
gracious
.
 
“Hard night at work, Carrie?” he asked her before she could turn around.

 
“Yes,” Carrie replied as she turned off the tap and began to head, with glass of water in hand, for her bedroom.
 
Dooney, however, moved in front of her and cut her off at the path. Carrie’s heart sank.
 
           
“I understand you need a job,” he said.

 
“I’m fine,” Carrie replied, remembering Willie Charles “job” offer and what it really meant for her in the end.

 
“You don’t even know what the job is.”

 
Carrie exhaled.
 
“What’s the job?”

 
“I manage
Simms,
okay?”

 
“A nightclub?”

 
“It’s a multiplex.
 
It’s a lot of things.
 
I can hire you on right now, and you can start working tonight, baby, making some real money tonight.
 
All you gots to do
is
say yes and come on with me and your sister.
 
We’re due at the club in a few.”

 
Carrie shook her head and tried to move around Dooney.
 
“No, thank-you,” she said again.

 
“Why you acting like that?”

 
“I don’t dance,” she said, moving again.

 
“Who said you had to dance?” he asked, moving to block her path again.
 
“Stop being so judgmental, girl.
 
You can wait tables.
 
You ain’t got to dance.”

 
“No,” Carrie said firmly but politely.

 
“But why not?”

 
“I don’t care to work in a nightclub,” she said, moving again.

 
Dooney tried to block her retreat yet again, but she was too swift for him.
 
She moved around him quickly and hurried out of the kitchen.
 
Mona started yelling at her, telling her that beggars can’t be choosers and she’d better not turn down Dooney’s offer, but Carrie ignored her too.
 
She wasn’t about to work in some nightclub as if her Christian walk meant nothing to her.
 
She, instead, went into her bedroom and locked the door.
 
The loud music was still piercing her eardrums, and she was still terrified that the road ahead was going to be far from smooth, but she sat in the corner on her suitcase and prayed just the same.
 
She prayed and cried.
 

 
Cried and prayed.

 
All night long.

NINE

The We Love Jesus Holy Ghost Revival Temple was on fire.
 
The storefront church couldn’t stop rocking with praise as the members danced and worshiped the Lord to fast, up tempo music after a rousing, fiery sermon.
 
It reminded Carrie of her church back home, where there was no shame in proclaiming Jesus name, and after service she couldn’t stop thanking Millie for the invitation.

 
They walked home together, still on a natural high from the service, and Millie was laughing.
 
“I thought you was gonna stomp through that floor, child, you was so happy!”

 
Carrie laughed too.
 
“I was beyond happy, Mill.
 
It was great.
 
God is good!”

 
“God is able now.
 
You right about that.”

 
“I’m sorry your husband couldn’t make it.
 
He missed a great service.”

 
“He’s always missing it.
 
Greg ain’t saved.
 
I been praying and trying, but not yet.
 
But God is able.”

 
“Amen.”

 
“Greg’s a good man, a good provider.
 
He’ll see where he needs the Lord one of these old days.”

 
“I’ll pray for him too.”

 
Millie smiled.
 
“Thank-you, Carrie.
 
You’re so sweet.
 
Lord knows he can use all the prayers he can get.”
 

 
“How long have y’all been married?”

 
“Fourteen years.”

 
“Goodness.”

 
“Yep.
 
And he’s my rock, Carrie.
 
Don’t know what I’ll do without that big lug.”

 
Carrie smiled.
 
She would love to feel that way about someone.
 

 
“So,” Millie asked,
“ how’s
things going between you and Mona?”

 
Carrie hesitated.
 
Just the mention of her life situation caused her joy to quickly fade.
 
“Not so great,” she said.
 
“I quit working for Willie Charles last Wednesday.
 
Now it’s Sunday and I still haven’t found a job.
 
Not even a promising lead or a prospect.
 
And I been praying so hard, you just don’t know, Mill.
 
And Popena’s liable to kick me out any day now.”

 
“Who’s Popena?”

 
“That’s Mona’s real name.
 
I keep forgetting.
 
She hates her real name.”

 
Millie laughed.
 
“Yeah, it fits her though.
 
She
act
like a Popena, whatever that is.
 
But don’t you worry, honey.
 
She wouldn’t kick you out.”

 
“She said she would.
 
She said she can’t keep taking care of me.
 
She said I better take Dooney up on his offer or hit the road.”

 
“What Dooney Wallace
want
from you?”

 
“He’s been offering me a job at his nightclub.
 
But I don’t wanna work in no place like that.”

 
“‘Course not,” Millie said.
 
“But listen, Carrie, I been thinking.”
 

 
“About what?”

 
“You.
 
And your situation.
 
I told you I work at Jetson’s, right?”

 
“Some nice restaurant, yeah, you told me.”

 
“Now I’m not promising you anything, but I can talk to my boss about you.”

 
Carrie stopped walking and looked at Millie, the afternoon sun almost a welcome beam of light on her dreary prospects.
 
“Really?”

 
“I couldn’t say anything to you before now because I really didn’t know what kind of woman you
was
, or what kind of character you had.
 
I mean, folks can tell me some of anything, but I have to see it for myself.
 
And based on what I seen of you in that church today?
 
Child
please
.
 
You got the Holy Ghost deep down in you.
 
And that’s a good enough character reference for me.”