Page 31 of Small Town Beast

“Hey mama what’s cracking?”

“Tanya, I can’t take you down to Rowanville today.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry. Durk got back early and -–”

“Slow down, Bee. What are you saying?”

“I just can’t take you anymore. I’m so sorry. I don’t even have the car today. He left with it.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Tanya said, sitting up.What am I supposed to do now?But she was more concerned for her friend. “Did he hurt you?”

“I wish you hadn’t given me that money back,” Bee said. “I wish you had taken it!”

“Just tell me what happened.”

“Durk found out I took money off his account. He thought I was taking money to leave him.” Tanya heard her friend’s labored breathing, like Bee was fighting back pain. “At least if you’d taken the money like I meant, I would have got whupped for a reason!” Bee cried.

Oh shit.

“That man put hands on you? He’s dead meat.”

“He just left. I don’t know where he went. Tanya, I’m so scared!”

“I can be there in thirty minutes,” Tanya said, going into the kitchen. For the hundred millionth time in her life she wished she had a car. Or even a bike! Something!

“He got a gun or what?” she asked Bee.

“Yeah, but I took the bullets out.” Next Bee seemed to check herself. She said, “I’m sorry– I can’t be bothering you with this.”

“You ain’t bothering nothing…Lord, where the fuck are my keys?”

“Don’t come over here,” Bee said, getting control over herself and withdrawing like she always did. “I was wrong to tell you all of that. Don’t get up in this mess. You need to go down and take that pill, don’t you? And you need to see that man about Amari. So don’t bother with me. I’ll be fine– I just wanted to explain why I couldn’t come.”

“Bee, for the last time just leave that man. Just walk out of the house, don’t take nothing but your documents, and comeover here. Cut through the trees– you know the way, ‘cause I showed you. And if that evil son of a bitch tries to break down my door after you, guess what? I’ll put some holes in his motherfucking ass! You don’t need to stay and wait for him to chop your neck! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I can’t, Tanya! I just can’t!”

“WHY?”

Bee hung up.

Tanya called her back three times to no avail. Then she leaned over the sink, stressed as fuck. She didn’t know what to do. It was either go help her best friend who didn’t want her help, or go down to Rowanville and handle her business. And for that she needed an early start because sometimes it took three hours to hitch a ride down the mountain, besides the fact that taking a busthroughRowanville was a nightmare.

Have it your way, Bee.

She made the selfish choice. Praying that she wasn’t making a big mistake, she washed up and got dressed double-quick, then started out on the long walk to the main road instead of the turn to Bee’s house.

Thankfully it took only thirty minutes to get a ride. Ben Simpson who owned the chicken joint in Black Florin was headed to Rowanville. Ben was a good character and known in Black Florin for his kindness. The white van labeledBen’s Hot Chickenpulled over for Tanya, who climbed aboard and sank gratefully into the seat.

“Thank you, Mister Simpson. I don’t know for how much longer I could have stood there,” she said wearily.

“No problem, lil’ Tanya. You know I used to know your daddy? Amos Weaver. I always meant to ask you how come you didn’t raise up here?” Ben Simpson asked, giving her a side eye. “I thought Amos would have brought you up with his people, seeing he was so close with his family.”

“His family didn’t like my Mama,” Tanya explained.

“Remind me who’s your Mama?”

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