Page 16 of Hellcat Barbies: Imani
His words temporarily calm my ass down and it seems like my eyes are truly open. More people have congregated the hall, even patients and family members. Their judging eyes are on me.I’m making a scene and I need to leave.
“I’ll walk,” I concede.
Slowly and somewhat cautiously, he lowers my feet to the ground then releases his grip around my waist. Like the queen bitch that I am, I stand tall, straighten up my scrubs, hold my damn head up and walk towards the door. Micheal follows and we walk all the way to the door for the parking garage.
“You be easy, Miss Imani,” he says.
“I’ll try and thanks,” I tell him before walking to my baby.
The moment I’m inside, every emotion that jolted through my body this morning, rolls together, forms a ball of destruction, and obliterates my soul in the form of sobs. Angry, sad, disappointed, and overwhelmed tears pour out of my eyes. I’m unable to stop them. Hell, I don’t want to stop them anyway. I need to cry; I need to let this all out.
What I envisioned for my life in Crescent Falls just crashed and burned. After we lost Imari, my family and life that I knew shattered. I lost a huge part of me and I was devastated. My parents were shattered. The day we found out what happened to Imari was the first day I saw my father cry. That shit sent jabs to my heart. We were broken and still are.
My parents left North Carolina first. We buried Imari on a Saturday and on that Sunday, my parents put our childhood home on the market and went on a three-week cruise. Whilethey were away, my Hellcat Barbie sister, Breezy, a real estate agent, took care of the house and hooked up with an agent in Panama City in Florida to help find them a condo there. When they got off the boat, they went to Florida and didn’t look back. Their home sold three months later.
Between the money from the house, their savings, and 401ks, they are trying hard to be happy. We talk weekly and I’ve been to Florida twice in the past year but things have changed with them. I love them and I know they love me but when they see me, they see Imari and it hurts us all.
I left North Carolina two months later. It took me longer than I intended to find this job and my townhome. My plan was very similar to my parents. I wanted out expeditiously but it took time and once I got here, I was cool with the time because Mount Sinai was my dream come true. The surgical staff is world renowned, minus the fuck boy. Their benefits are top-tier and they give a week more PTO than most hospitals. And, the building itself is just beautiful with state-of-the-art technology and equipment.
I loved working here. I enjoyed being in the OR with all the doctors but Stetson. I didn’t mind staying late when scheduled surgeries ran behind or over. I even volunteered at times for extra shifts. Besides my ride and my cooking, this place was another safe haven, another thing that kept my mind busy enough to process the loss of my brother.
But it’s over now.
I’m no longer a scrub tech here.
I feel like shit and I need to feel better.
Daymir
“One day, you need to let me do a whole facial,” Red, my barber says as she massages the Barbé Beard Oil into my mustache and beard.
“Never that. This is all I need,” I tell her.
Once a month, I come into She’s Elite Cutz barber shop for their signature beard treatment. When I first moved here, this was the spot that Brick recommended. I came once and have been coming back ever since my first visit. The owner is a woman, Nyla, and there are ten chairs, seven male barbers and three females. Nyla has a suite in the back for her celebrity clients.
I don’t trust anyone with my head or beard but Red. She gets my head right every two weeks and she now has me doing this beard treatment once a month. I can’t lie; I like it. She washes and conditions my beard, she cleans and treats my skin under my beard, then she puts these hot steam towels on it. After about ten minutes with the steam towels, she trims and shapesmy beard then she finishes the treatment off by massaging the oil in. This is my favorite part, especially today.
Yesterday, I was at the warehouse until eleven. No body left until all orders and shipments were processed. For lunch, I ate the remainder of Imani’s good ass leftovers but for dinner, I ordered for everyone. I let Hazel pick the place and she chose Smokey’s, a barbecue joint. I killed a half slab of their ribs plus some potato salad and spicy beans. By the time, I made it back to the crib, I was tired as fuck. Them seventeen hours had me tight too, so this treatment is much appreciated today.
It's only noon and the shop is busier than normal. There’s always a crowd but this is more than that. All then chairs are filled, the chest and checkers play tables are filled, and there’s no more seats in the waiting area by the door. At least six or seven niggas are standing waiting.
“What’s up with the crowd?” I ask Red.
“Some racing shit is happening this week,” she says.
“They done brought some furious and fast shit to Crescent Falls,” Pharris, the ol’ head barber says.
Pharris occupies the last chair and talks the most shit up in here. Out of respect for his age and seniority in the shop, the other barbers let him make it, even when he clowns like this. Pharris has to be about fifty something but he acts older than that and they said he’s been in the shop since the first day the original owner opened years ago.
“It’s fast and furious, ol’ man,” Dre, another barber says. “There’s a street race Friday night out on Beacon Road. It’s a two lane and two railroad tracks cross it. They race between the stretch of the two tracks. My brother races and sometimes it’s some big money on the races. Niggas love to bet on shit. We’ve been packed like this all week.”
“Nigga, you love to bet on shit,” Red quips and the barbers laugh. She places her hands on my shoulders. “We’re done,” she says while bringing a large held hand mirror in front of my face. I admire my beard and nod in appreciation. “I’m serious about a full facial. Don’t sleep on it. Plus, we ladies love a man that takes care of his self.”
“I’m straight with the ladies, Red,” I assure her.Especially one right now.Imani is still heavy on my mind. She was on it all day yesterday and after spending all damn day at the warehouse, I called her. She answered and we talked like two young ass kids for at least an hour. I went to sleep another night with her on my mind and now, I’m just ready to have her sexy ass in my space tonight.
“I’m sure you do, Philly,” she says. She has called me Philly since my first cut. She removes the drape and I hand her a fifty for her tip.
“Thanks, Red. See next week.”
