Page 25 of Mafia Kings & Wedding Rings
“I can show you to your room.”
“The name is Six,” I introduced myself.
“Nice to meet you, Six. Sol will show you where you can sleep and provide you with a key card for access. Dinner is usuallyaround 6 p.m., if you are interested, though. A menu is usually posted every week on the board. There is a gym down the hall as well, and it’s accessible 24/7. We have a common eating area and a conference room where meetings are held. We hold different AA meetings along with grief groups if you’ve lost someone. Your room has a book with all that information though. I don’t mean to talk your ear off.”
“She does that sometimes,” Sol whispered to me playfully. “Come on.” She nodded over her shoulder to the staircase.
Trailing her to the second floor, we hooked a quick left before continuing down a dimly lit corridor to room 208. She slid my key card into the slot and turned the knob before pushing the door open. I was surprised by how nice it was when the lavender fragrance struck my nose. The eggshell-white walls appeared freshly painted, and a full-size bed faced us. Purple and white zig-zag patterned comforter and sheets covered the bed, and in the corner above a dresser, there was a TV mounted. Books crowded the shelves on either side of it, and beside it was a chair and desk with a rotary phone. A minifridge with counter space took up another corner, and beyond that, a small vanity space connected to a bathroom. Surveying the room, I dropped my duffel bag on the bed, and Sol set the fresh towel and toiletries on the desk.
“If you need anything, you can call the front desk. Just dial 1 on the phone.”
“Thank you. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I got off that bus.”
“I can get you some ice for that eye, maybe match your color with some foundation to cover up. You should just take a shower and try to get some rest though. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
“I appreciate that… more than you know.”
“Goodnight, Six. You’re safe here,” she insisted, backing out of the room.
Sinking into the mattress beside my bag, I believed her. After a hot shower, I slipped into a t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and pulled the covers back on the bed. I plugged my phone into the charger and set it on the night table. Grabbing the remote to the TV, I flicked it on and searched the cable channels until I came across some old episodes ofTheBernie Mac Show. For the first time I can remember, I dozed off without the fear of being jerked out of my sleep by Skully or my mother.
Hours later…
“No!” I screamed, popping up like a rocket in bed.
With my t-shirt clinging to the sweat covering my chest, I had to collect myself and remember where I was. The small hotel room wasn’t much, but it was the nicest place I’d stayed in as long as I can remember. My mama had six kids, and with me being the youngest, I became the one she warped the most with her own fucked-up ass views. My older siblings could give one fuck about what happened to me, and they were all pretty much shady, just like Darlene. With a baby daddy for all of them, each carried one horrible trait after another.
Somehow, I became the one they were envious of because she chose to keep me so close to her. Hell, I didn’t want that shit. I had to witness her getting her ass beat, abusing drugs and alcohol, and making herself a fool in front of any and everybody when she got that way. I’d been scarred long before that though. My brothers were cruel, and I wholeheartedly believed that she should have swallowed them. My sisters were no better. The only thing either of them cared about was bagging a man with money. The oldest, Trice, was well on her way at becoming just like ourmother since she was on baby number two with a new baby daddy to match.
Darlene was an embarrassment, and a huge part of the reason people were always trying me. I didn’t care about the name calling because she was a crackhead, alcoholic hoe, but they weren’t about to lump me up in that category. Being called a crack baby, a hoodrat, and everything else but a child of God would get you fucked up! Everyone in the hood knew she was Skully’s gutter bitch, and to her, that was like a badge of honor. The nigga was like ten years younger than her, but word on Darlene was she could eat an apple through a fence, and niggas young and old loved getting their dick sucked by her.
Skully was hood, but the nigga had connections. He was able to keep his men in line and rule the corners in Omaha. The kind that kept bitches in rotation and all knowing about one another. There were plenty of times Darlene had to bang out with younger chicks over him. Shit was low vibrational as fuck, and I was ashamed to claim that woman as my mother.
“It was just a dream, get it together, Six,” I told myself.
Tossing the covers aside, my parched throat indicated I needed a drink. I thought taking a light walk might help me clear my head and calm down too. Reaching for my phone on the bedside table, I clocked that it was just a little after ten a.m. I hadn’t slept for that many hours in a row in a long time. Stopping at the mini fridge, it had some appeal, but what I really wanted was a cup of coffee.
It was the one thing that made me feel normal. I grabbed a pair of jean shorts and slipped into them along with the fresh pair of house slippers that Rossi had provided. Checking my appearance, I pulled my hair back into a tight ponytail on the nape of my neck. I could do a wig install with the best of them; it was all about the hair, which I made sure to invest in and take care of. One thing my mama always instilled in me was the factthat a woman had to look good every time she stepped out. You only had one chance to make a good first impression, she would quote. Bitch might have been high most of the time, but she didn’t look like a crackhead.
Deciding to make myself presentable, I brushed my teeth and washed my face, then changed from the sleep shirt to a vintage Chicago Bulls basketball jersey I’d had forever. I grabbed my key card and cell phone before exiting the room. Looking up and down the hall, I spotted a maid service with their cart exiting a room a few doors down. I treaded in the opposite direction toward the staircase. Coffee beans teased my nose as chatter and laughter from the lobby erupted in my ears. My taste buds were ready for the caffeine.
“What are you doing here? Wasn’t there some big meeting you had to attend?” I heard Sol question.
“Yeah. Shit was cool,” I heard a deep, rugged voice respond.
“You mean to tell me Staten actually showed up?” I heard Rossi ask.
“Nigga ain’t got no choice. Bro might be fucked up, but he ain’t about to leave us in the middle of this, Ma. I don’t think he wants to suffer Marcella’s wrath either,” he chuckled.
“So what have you decided about your situation?” Sol asked.
“I was talking to Armon. We coming up with a plan.” I continued to eavesdrop. “Here’s your snacks though, Ma.”
“Brick, you know I’m about to be heading out soon,” Rossi’s soft voice countered.
“You say that, and then I check in a few hours later and you still here. You need your fuel, and you know I’m here to give it to you. I also gotta make sure niggas on they shit around here. I ain’t got time for no bullshit, especially when it comes to you and Sol. Plus, you got all these women in here.”
“You just trying to run them views up with your ‘good deeds,’” Sol kidded.
