glaring at him. “How can you take care of her if you’re guzzling all day?” She
lifted the beer in mock salute. “Listen, Pops. If I don’t drink, you don’t drink.”
She tossed the entire pack away.
Her dad flinched, then sighed before passing a bright blue envelope her
way. “Why didn’t you tell me we were moving on Friday? That’s only three
days away.”
“We?” Dee took a deep breath and whispered as low as her anger
would allow. “Listen, your job right now is to take care of my mother. That’s
it. All the rest of this,” she said, with a sweeping gesture that meant the entire
apartment. “Is me.”
Her dad’s lips drew downward. “But where you got that money
from—”
Dee leaned forward so they were eye to eye. “—is none of your
business. My mother isn’t dying in the projects. She shouldn’t have had to
live here in the first place.”
Her head snapped up at the shrill ring of the phone and managed to
snatch it from the cradle before the second ring. “Hello.” Dee placed her back
on the wall and relaxed … until she heard the voice on the other end.
“Hey … it’s been a minute,” Big Rock’s deep voice crooned, causing
Dee’s heart to sink through the hollow pit of her stomach.
Dee’s back sank against the wall as she gripped the receiver so hard
she accidently pressed the redial button. “Sorry about that,” she said, turning
her back to Nipsey. “Yeah, I haven’t been around because my mom—”
“Your mom’s the only reason you’re getting the courtesy of a phone
call and not a knock on your door,” he seethed. “I’ve been hearing some
rumors. Rumors about you moving, putting up security deposits. Rumors that
suggest that not getting my money has nothing to do with your mom.”
“It’s not like that,” she protested. “I just need a little more time. I
just—”
8
From Behind the Curtain
60 Naleighna Kai Literary Cafe Magazine July/August 2017