Black & Ugly (30 page)

shit hot for the rest of us."
Markee listens to his older brother, Silver. But for
real, he isn't feeling him. He's tired of people treating
him like he is a kid and feels he has to step up his game
to prove himself more. He can't count the number of
times a nigga on the block laughed in his face when he
was about to stick them up - that is, until he pulled the
trigger.

"Sil, that nigga tried to play me. He gonna holla

'bout he wasn't givin' me shit and to do what I have to
do. So, what the fuck? I pulled the trigger, eight fuckin'

times," Markee shoots back.

"First off, little nigga," Silver says with irritation in
his voice, "I didn't give you the order to hit Kwame's
block. You don't do a mothafuckin' thing without runnin' it past me first."

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"I did run it past you. And what you tell me? Chill
the fuck out until shit cools off from the other spots I
stuck up. But shit was nice and cool when I got there
so I took that nigga out."
Silver's reminding Markee of his age gets to him.

Markee wonders how many mothafuckas he has to kill
until Silver respects him. He's tired of standing by and
waiting on orders when shit needs to be done, but until
he earns the respect of his other brother and cousins,
he has to rely on niggas from his original home,
Baltimore, to hold shit down with him.

"Listen, Markee," Silver says as he breathes so
heavily in the phone that his feelings closely resemble
hate, " you gonna chill the fuck out and don't make no
other moves till I fucking tell you to. There's some other
shit that's gettin' ready to go down with Sky and her
girls and I don't want the heat from their bodies fallin'

on us, too. So, I'm not asking you, mothafucka, I'm
telling you to chill the fuck out. What I got to do, get a
stroller and strap you in like you a mothafuckin' kid?"
Markee sighs heavily, signifying that he is beyond
mad.

"Just so you know, big bruh, I don't think Eclipse is
gonna do shit but fuck them bitches. He be riding
around with Parade like she his bitch. If we wait on
this mothafucka to do what gotta be done, we won't
neva make no money."

"Like I said, chill out and don't make no more
moves. Do I make myself clear?" Silver yells.

He doesn't respond so Silver yells again, "DO I
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MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Yeah, big bruh. You make yourself clear," he
answers as he hangs up the phone, completely disre-garding everything his brother just said.

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27

Parade

"MISS WAYNE, I'M COMING IN a minute. And don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I know you will," he whispers so as to not wake up Daffany, who just fell asleep on his couch. "But it's dark now and I don't like you walking by yourself."

"I know, daddy, but I'll be fine," I say, sensing how much he cares about me. "I was just adding the finish-ing touches on Daffany's apartment. She's been so stressed out that I want things to be as nice as possible for her when she comes home tomorrow."

"Okay," he says and sighs. "And how are you feeling about that other thing that happened?"

"You mean with Sky?" I ask, already knowing what he's talking about but wanting to avoid it.

"You know I'm talkin' 'bout that dry pussy bitch so stop playing wit' me."

"I know you are." I laugh.

"Well, how are you holding up wit' her coming to the door questioning you about Jay's slutty ass?"
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"I'm fine," I say, even though I'm not.

Hearing how Sky really feels about me, due to my listening to them in the hallway, hurts a lot. But, at the same time, I am wrong for sleeping with her man. Yet, she talked about me like she's never cared, even before suspecting anything ever happened between Jay and me. But, for some reason, I've always loved Sky.

"Did his double dippin' ass call you yet?"

"Yes, he did. I told him that she didn't know anything and I was able to confirm his story because I overheard them. But I also let him know I can't see him anymore 'cuz I hate sneaking around behind Sky's back, anyway."

"Will he let you go that easy?" he asks, remembering the threats I told him Jay made earlier.

"I hope so. Maybe since we almost got caught, he'll realize it's not worth it."

"My baby done turned into a black Barbie doll and now everybody wants her." He laughs.

"Stop playing. You know that's not true," I say, trying not to blush.

"Honey, sooner or later you gonna realize that you have always been beautiful. It's just that now you're starting to show it," he explains in a loving voice. "And I think it's for the best that you leave him alone, too.

After that little stunt Sky pulled by asking to use your cell phone, she's liable to do anything to catch you two.

And any-who, you have a new man. Speaking of such, when you bringing him by to meet me and Daffany?"

"Well, he has been wanting to meet you, so I'll be
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bringing him to our end-of-the-month get-together."

"Oh,
really
?" Miss Wayne says. "What you do? Tell him how beautiful I was?"

"No." I laugh. "I told him how much I love you. But I'll tell him how beautiful you are later."

"Parade, you don't know how good that makes me feel to hear you love me. It's one thing to know someone loves you, but it's a whole 'notha thing to hear them say it."

"Well, let me get off this phone before you get all teary and shit," I tell him.

"Yes girl, 'cuz you know I'm getting ready to get juicy-eyed."

"Bye, boy," I say. "And just so you know, the furniture is beautiful. Do you think the person who beat her stole her things, too?"

"Probably so," Miss Wayne responds, "but who truly knows? Miss Sky was the last person to see her place intact with the exception of the bastard who hurt her."

"You don't think she had anything to do with it, do you?" I ask, wondering if he suspects Sky is a little untrustworthy, too.

"Let me just say this. I've known Sky all my life, only to realize that I don't know her very much at all.

Now hurry up home. Dinner is getting cold." I get off the phone and wonder what he means. But after thinking of the things I heard Sky say about me in the hall, I have other issues on my mind.

BANG, BANG, BANG.

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Why do black people have to knock on doors so hard? I hope it isn't the same man who hurt Daffany.

One thing's for sure, I ain't opening up shit unless I feel it's okay.

I look out the peephole and see it's Cliff from next door. He's always so sweet and his wife is beautiful. He helped the movers bring all Daffany's furniture in earlier. When I first asked him to lend a hand, he looked kinda strange, but when he saw everything Miss Wayne and I had, he agreed.

I open the door, thinking he left something.

"Hey, Cliff. You leave something?" I ask.

"No," he says. "I was coming to see how everything turned out."

"Well, don't stand out in the hallway, boy. Get in!" I yell as I grab him by the arm and lock the door. "I don't like talking with the door open after what happened to Daffany. This neighborhood has gotten worse over the years."