The anger welled up inside me as the heels of my shoes clicked loudly against the pavement as I walked quickly from the bus stop. The cardboard box I carried was heavy, making my arms ache. I breathed deeply to hold back the tears hoping my composure would remain until I could close the door of my house behind me.
"Eight years of my life," I thought, "Shit down the drain because that asshole's girlfriend fucking hates me." That asshole, of course was Bob Hadley, who, until this afternoon had been my boss. Then without so much as a howdy do, canned my ass. Oh, he had the nicest things to say about what a good worker I was and promised to give me glowing references and so on. I kept asking, "Why?" But he never could really answer.
But it was clear to me what was really going on when I said to him, "Yeah, It's Cheryl, isn't it?"
He stared at me a moment then said, "Really, she has nothing to do with this, Jenn. This is a management decision." At that he turned away, but I could see the red grow on the back of his neck and knew the truth. I'd known the truth about their slimy little office affair for a long time. I even knew when it started. Cheryl had been a passing friend, but suddenly she became somehow better than me or any of the other girls in the office. "Her god damned little turned up fucking nose and big fucking fake tits and fat fucking ass. What a cunt," I raged.
"Well fuck him and fuck her too."
I packed my stuff in a cardboard box and with my back straight reaching my full 5-7 height, ample breasts held high, straightened black, immaculate, shoulder length hair combed and a smile on my face, I marched out of the office in front of everyone and caught the bus.
As I turned at the corner of 19th and moved away from the traffic on NE Alberta street my cell phone began beeping. I pulled it from my purse and said, "Yes."
It was Kathy from Accounting. "I just heard, Jenn. I'm so sorry,"
"Yeah well all I gotta say is fuck him and all of you." I broke the connection and stomped on towards the little house I rented near the west end of 19th Street.
That was when I heard a car slow in the street behind me. "Hey, Bitch. You looking for a date," I heard. As I turned, I would see a white boy hanging out the passenger side window of a newer Lexus. He looked to be maybe 20. Too young to be driving around in the ghetto and too damn stupid not to be.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, Bitch. Wanna Fuck?"
I stopped. This was nothing new. Little white, rich, asshole, boys come down from the west hills to pick up black chicks. Yeah, every one of us were just walking the fucking streets waiting for one of them to come by and show us what men they were with their little, tiny cocks and bad whiskey-breath. My eyes flared as I said, "Fuck off you god damn honky mutha fuckas."
"Oh, this one wants to play."
Another voice from the car said, "Oh yeah. She fucking wants it."
I turned back down 19th street and began to walk. That's when I heard the car door slam and feet running behind me. I started to turn, but hands were on me, holding my arms. I tried to scream but a hand clamped down over my mouth. I felt myself being dragged sideways. Then I was slammed against something hard and for a moment all I could see were stars dancing in front of my eyes.