Читать книгу Ghetto Girls Too - Anthony Whyte - Страница 13

EIGHT

“Madukes gonna flip once she finds out, yo,” Coco said as she sat watching television in Deedee’s room later that evening. The volume from the television was low and the girls sat, watching eagerly.

“Coco, the important thing is that we’re alive,” Deedee suggested. Coco agreed but with reservations.

“Yeah, that’s true but you don’t know my mom. I might as well be dead the way she’s gonna want me to live from now on. I won’t be able to go anywhere else but school for the next year. I might as well be under house arrest, yo.”

“You’re graduating soon. Its not gonna be that bad.”

“What! It’ll be to school and back home. No stopping for a minute.”

“Damn, Coco, things will be crazy, huh?”

“Is it! My crazy ass mother is not gonna want to stay in rehab no more,” Coco said.

“I’ll ask Uncle Eric or Sophia to talk to...”

“Hold up, yo, we made the evening news?” Coco interrupted Deedee. “Look, it’s coming up right now,” Coco said and pointed to the wide screen television.

“Uncle E, the whole thing is on eyewitness news,” Deedee yelled. She plopped back down on the bed next to Coco and paid close attention.

“Two people were shot and one fatally wounded when a gunman attempted to rob the apartment of music producer, Eric Ascot. The police recovered one of the weapons that, at the moment, is being checked by the crime lab. So far, no one has been charged. Police have one of the shooters in custody. He has been identified as Michael Lowe. He was shot and wounded. Kamilla Davis, former model and dancer, was found shot to death in the apartment. The police are investigating the shootings and we will keep you up to date as information becomes available. Earlier this morning a flash flood destroyed...”

Coco and Deedee stared wide-eyed at each other for a second. The news story brought the unenviable feeling that they were being watched. Their reality had become television news drama.

“Oh shit. You saw that?” Deedee asked.

“How could I have missed it? I was sitting right here.”

“I can’t believe that we were on the news.”

“No we weren’t. They just talked about the shooting and said that one person was dead and another injured. That’s all, yo.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Deedee said. She seemed to be shaken by the fact that her horrible experience had made the evening news.

“What you trying to say?

“I’m just saying. I mean, in the hood people get shot everyday?”

“So?”

“I’m just saying it’s not everyday people get shot in this neighborhood. They’re more violent in your hood, that’s all.”

“You know that may be true and all but what are you really trying to say?”

“I’m saying when you see violence around you all the time then you just expect it all the time, that’s all.”

“I’m not sure I understand. In the hood, people starving and if you want sump’n, you’ve got to go get it. Niggas can’t get a job but they got families so they go and rob and...”

“Get real, Coco. People in your hood aren’t robbing to feed their family. They robbing to feed their greed. Most of them are nothing but fiends.”

“All the poor people in the hood ain’t fiends, yo.”

“Yeah, well...” Deedee was interrupted by Coco.

“You don’t know no one from my hood so whatever.”

“You don’t have to know anyone. They’re always on the news, Coco.”

“And the news is always right, Deedee?” Coco asked and emphasizing every syllable of her name. This was not lost on Deedee. She knew that she had stepped out of line and offended Coco. She was trying to get a point across but it wasn’t worth the friendship. Someone had to step back, Deedee thought as she saw the gritty look on the face of her friend. Deedee smiled and leaned back, not wanting to further agitate the situation. Even she had to realize that the evening news was homemade.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I’d offend you,” Deedee said and reached out to touch Coco’s hand. Coco returned the squeeze.

“It’s all good, yo. I guess we were both bugging on the news situation.”

“I guess we were.”

“My mother never misses the evening news though. She’s gonna be calling around to see where I am,” Coco said after a beat. She shrugged before adding, “I’d better call her, yo.”

“Use my phone, girl,” Deedee said pointing to the cordless. “I’ll go see what’s with my Uncle and Sophia,” Deedee said and walked out the room.

I can’t blame Coco for being spooked after seeing the news. Shoot, I’m a nervous wreck too, Deedee thought. Before closing the door, she asked, “I’m getting something to drink. You want anything?

“Aiight, that’s what I’m talking about. Got some Henny?” Coco asked with a chuckle.

“Coco, I’m talking something lighter. Soda, water, juice, something in that family,” Deedee said with a smirk and Coco laughed.

“I’m just playing around, yo. Water is good,” Coco said and began dialing the digits to the Green Acres Substance Abuse Center.

The center was located in a commercial area on the eastern border of Queens known as ‘Crack Central’. The drug rehab center boasted a high success rate. It was outfitted with its own dining room and single bedrooms. There were two conference rooms, a large one for general assembly meetings and a smaller one for therapy and counseling sessions. Separated by a long hallway, the lounge and recreation area were located next to the small gymnasium. The offices were close to the recreation area. The place only hosted women.

Its shadowy pasture gave the place the feel of a farm outside. Although there was some amount of gardening done, the produce was mostly used for the participants in the drug rehab program. Staff members and residents shared in the duties of taking care of the property. It was supposed to teach self-reliance to the residents. That was part of the goal of the program.

Rachel Harvey had been involved with recovery for the past six months. She had spent the last two months as a resident. Time and time again, Mrs. Harvey had expressed how much she hated staying there. She wanted out but stayed at the behest of her daughter, Coco.

Rachel left the conference room and walked through the lounge area. It was the shortest route to the reception area. She wore a blue silk dress that Coco had bought her for her birthday. Her stay had improved her diet and with that, she had gained a few necessary pounds. She walked with a youthful prance through the assembly hall then through the adjoining hall where there were several phones.

“Your daughter is on line number two,” the receptionist said as she made her way past the reception area. Mrs. Harvey picked up line two and heard Coco’s voice on the other end.

“Coco, whatcha doing calling me in the middle of my meeting? If it was so damn important, you should’ve brought your black ass over here. What is it, child? Coco? Coco? You there?”

Coco was surprised by her mother’s reaction. She did not know quite what to say.

“Coco, why did you call? If it’s to hang out at some damn party, the answer is hell no. You’re not hanging out during the week from Monday to Thursday. Hanging out is not in your dictionary so hang it up.”

“Ma, have you seen the news yet or heard anything?”

“No why? You won the lotto or sump’n, child? Stop playing and tell me what I missed. Don’t tell me you got arrested ‘cause I’m not coming down to no damn central booking. And if I find out that you’re pregnant then God help you. You heard me, Miss?”

“Nah ma, it ain’t none of that.”

“Then why the hell you be calling outta the blue if this ain’t no emergency? Do you know you’re disturbing me at my meeting, girl? My spirit is weak and I’m doing all I can to get out of here.”

“I’m sorry ma. Listen, I’ll call you later. Take care. I just wanted you to know I’m all right, okay?”

“Okay Coco. I really really don’t have time to talk to you right now but I’ll call you later. Okay, honey?”

“Bye, mommy.”

“Bye, Coco.”

Rachel Harvey hung up the telephone and mumbled under her breath as she walked back to the assembly hall. She looked at the television but failed to notice the evening news regarding Eric Ascot as she went past the reception area. Rachel Harvey had only one thing on her mind and saw another reason why she had to leave this place for good.

That daughter of mine is going insane. Poor girl probably just miss me. She always trying to be so hard. I guess she gets that from me. I miss being there for her but most of all, I miss my freedom.

Rachel’s thoughts were riveted on not being where she couldn’t be or who she was. She had failed to utilize her environment. The place she had been confined to for the past six weeks was a residential treatment program for drug addicted mothers. The stay proposed by her welfare worker was six week to eight weeks. Rachel was mandated to attend the program or be kicked off the welfare roll after one of her weekend binges landed her in the hospital.

Doctors told her that the ventricles to her heart had shrunk due to crack abuse and warned that repeated abuse could result in a fatal heart attack. Her medical condition along with the doctor’s advice scared Rachel so she decided to enter the residential treatment.

From day one, she resented being at the center. She wanted to do outpatient but went along when the doctors told her she could die with the next heart attack. It made her think twice about the habit. Come Monday, it would be six weeks. It was time for her to leave and there was no time for what she considered to be Coco’s idle gestures.

The things my daughter goes though to keep me off her trail, Rachel mused. She didn’t want mommy to worry. That’s Coco, that’s my daughter and that’s her father. Rachel Harvey was convinced that her daughter wanted to do everything to make her stay at the center but Rachel wanted to leave the place.

“That girl going crazy and she’s gonna drive me crazy right along with her if I stay here,” Rachel Harvey said to herself. “I’ll find out the real reason she called and when I do…” Rachel never completed the thought. She just shook her head and went back to her meeting for the day.