The next day when I got home from work Sholanda was waiting for me in the apartment.
It was only 5:20 when I walked in and she said, "You better rush home to me, every day. Doll!"
I kissed Sholanda on the lips, but she broke it off fast. "We have to go get my stuff, so come on." She commanded.
I led her down to my car and went to get in but she said, "Uh uh! You give me the keys." "From now on if we goes anywhere together I'm driving."
I handed my keys to Sholanda and got into the passenger's side, wondering where she was going to take us. Fifteen minutes later we pulled into a section eight apartment complex in a very bad part of town.
When we got out of the car I noticed lots of older black people playing dominoes and drinking malt liquor. Most of the younger people just seemed to be hanging out in the passageways drinking. Some of the guys were making cat calls to girls as they passed by.
Sholanda took me by the hand and led me into one of the passages. A girl yelled out. "Sholanda, that a nice sugga daddy!" "And he ain't even old!"
I could see Sholanda glowing at what the girl said, as she led me up the stairs and into a ratty apartment.
There was some guy obviously on drugs passed out on a ripped sofa.
Sholanda said, "I don't do drugs except weed, but he let me live here free." While pointing to the druggie on the sofa. "Now get my stuff into those boxes!"
All her clothes were piled up in the corner by the bed. I quickly threw them into three medium sized boxes. Sholanda then showed me her toiletries, and I put them into a bag that she had. All her packing only took about four minutes and she reapplied her makeup in front of the mirror as I packed her stuff.
The girl who made the "sugga daddy" comment came in and Sholanda started talking to her. Before she got to deep into conversation she commanded me to take the boxes to the car. I was actually kind of scared to make the trip on my own but I obeyed. While walking down the stairs I heard Sholanda tell her friend, "He gonna take care of me." "Why don't you come by my new place later?"
On the way to the car I had a kid ask me for a cigarette, and on the way back I only had some hard stares from the group of young people congregated in the passageway. The next two trips were uneventful. When I finished carrying the boxes to the car, Sholanda hugged and kissed her friend on the lips, took me by the hand and led me back down to the car.
When we arrived there were four bucks sitting on the hood and leaning on the doors. One of them said, "I can't believe yo scanky ho ass leavin fo him!"
Sholanda just said, "Fuck you!" "At least he will pay the bills." and pushed him away from the drivers door. With that we got in the car and Sholanda drove us off to a furniture store.