"So what're you trying to say?"
"Open your ears Jaquan, he's really hurting and I think we should get bruh some help."
"My cousin ain't crazy; he uh, just need some time to get his head together."
"You didn't see him this morning after you left; it's your baby mamma's fault all this shit happened anyway but you wanna walk around with your head shoved up your ass. I'm saying he needs some help, a therapist or something. Everybody can't be untouchable like fucking Renee, negro; she's still living her best life."
"You don't know what you're talking about Rashida; and I know for a fact she hit you up on that cash app with your funds she stole. She knows how heinous she was, but she's uh, different."
"Sounds like you got some pussy this morning, fucking sellout."
"I ain't slept with her since a few days after all that shit came to a head with my little cousin bitch. She's just kind of coasting through life, looking all dowdy and shit. She has one of her employees and whatever friends she's got left taking Daisy to the playground; it's like she doesn't want to leave her apartment. I DON'T KNOW! I mean, both of them are messed up over this. Renee, just sits there looking out of her window most of the time, if she isn't downstairs in the salon or watching tv."
"You're stupid."
"No really, something fucked up both of them. I was hanging out over there one time putting our daughter to bed. Daisy was trying to get us to uhm, spend the night together and Renee was kind of spaced out. Seriously drifting off into space in her head, so I played it off staying there until Daisy was asleep. I went to let Renee know I was leaving and she's just spazzing."
"Spazzing?"
"Yeah, just sitting there looking at her television and it wasn't even on nothing. It was on that blue screen you get when you have a bunch of streaming channels, and she's looking at it but not looking at it. I had to get in front of it before she realized I was there. I'm tired of talking about all this weird shit and..."
"What?"
"Well she's been wearing this head wrap a lot when she's not working and uhm, kind of wearing pajamas and muumuus. She was wearing this bedspread looking shit not even looking at my face like she was embarrassed or something. When I brought up a shrink, she got up and pulled that muumuu up got on her hands and knees offering her ass to me like it would make me shut up. She wasn't wearing nothing under it either and she smelled."
"Maybe you can give her a sponge bath next time fool."
"YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY!! Look, cuz in there is gonna be fine after a while, but I'm walking on pins and needles with her. She was dressed okay this morning, but kind of like when we first met. Rashida, she just wanted to know if my dating Takisha was going to interfere with little Daisy's schooling, and she kept apologizing for asking. I mean, like for real and shit. I don't know, but she's just, broken."
"Like I'm supposed to give a fuck."
"Oh yeah, didn't Renee hold you down after you got trashed in the alley that time?"
[SLAP]
"Your baby mamma was robbing me blind, paying me with my own fucking money nigga! Truth of the matter is, I DON'T GIVE A FUCK about her Jaquan. That's your shit, not mine; and your cousin is in need. That's why we invited him over, right?"
"Well you two been getting it in all over the place, so you tell me?"
"We enjoy each other, but I don't know man; we're friends with benefits? He's in love, but not with me and your bitch took that away from him when she got all up in her feelings. I just, wanna help him Jaquan."
"Then keep doing what you're doing; help him get over his girlfriend by being there for him. He ain't going to no shrink; I'll let auntie be the judge of that shit. She's worried about him too, but still mad about the porno stuff."
"You tell her you were doing it too?"
"Why?"
"Coward."
Neither one of them knew I was awake in Rashida's bed snuggly tucked in as she'd taken the time to wrap me in her blankets before leaving the small room. I listened blankly waiting for a smoking gun that never came.
I'd learned a lot I didn't want to know about the other person. Their duplicity had been revealed to have come out of benign concern for my mental welfare. At once I felt embarrassed enough never to reveal I knew of it. I wrapped the blankets tighter around my body turning towards the wall. I thought of that last night where I'd killed a malignant personality searing my soul in the process.
I felt nothing for her.
I closed my eyes...
"Don't look away it's happening." She was underneath, twisting, arching up into my thrusts getting everything offered in perfect synchronicity. We were locked together unable to move away from one another without giving it all away. Not exactly the price of a song, but something else.
"What's happening?"
"I'm, doing it, finally..."I couldn't look away from them knowing they were not the emerald eyes of some majestic tiger, but the twin jewels of the physical representation of a lady and nothing more. We were wrapped up in one another limbs intertwined.
"NO!!!" The brilliance of those eyes was gone in a flash leaving blackened sockets starting to ooze pools of oily darkness. The resultant streaks burning the skin came with this acrid odor as nails raked and clawed into my back.
"Wait." I struggled using all of my strength in a vain attempt to free myself.
I forced my eyes open shifting panicking trapped in the bedding wrapped around my body.
"Hey it's okay, I'm here right next to you."
Rashida was laying on her side spooning me in to her body. She was wearing a t-shirt and some tight blue panties with an arm draped across my upper half. She'd slipped back into bed under the covers with me almost squashing me with her zaftig proportions.
I figured she'd run in right before I regained consciousness hiding her slight duplicity with my cousin Jaquan. There was no danger of me taking it personal, we were water under the bridge and their conversation spoke to her genuine concern for me.
Part of it felt like a bit of pity. That made me angry.
"What time is it?"
"You've been sleep for about two hours or more daddy; I was kinda thinking of helping myself right before your started squirming. You uh, had a bad dream?"
"It's nothing."