CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
KORMIA
The shop was freezing.
Kormia sat wrapped in a blanket behind her station, staring through the front window as the snow swallowed the block a little more every minute.
The space heater beside her was trying its best, but it sounded tired.
Every few minutes it rattled, coughed, and pushed out a weak burst of heat before giving up again.
Across the room, Graveyard was eating Chinese food straight out the container.
“Slow down.”
“I ain’t ate all day.”
“That’s because you wanted to camp out on Market Street waiting on this mysterious nephew to come pick you up.”
“He is coming,” Graveyard shot back, almost choking on the fried rice. “His momma would never let me be out here like that in a blizzard.” Kormia wanted to say, She let yo ass be out here in every other weather condition, but she kept it to herself. Instead, she let Graveyard run her movie.
If there was one thing Graveyard was gon’ do, it was tell a story.
Sometimes it was about this nephew that was so connected niggas had to check in with him before they made a move in the city.
Other times it was about the good ole days with her and her two best friends and the man she almost married.
Kormia never knew what was true and what was the drugs talking, and at some point, she stopped trying to figure it out.
Most people only saw addiction, dirty clothes, missing teeth, and a woman who sold her body.
Kormia saw something different. She saw the woman underneath all of it.
Years ago, Gloria “Graveyard” Turner had been one of the baddest bitches West Philly had ever produced.
She had the kind of beauty old heads still brought up like she was a legend.
Flawless deep chocolate complexion, long jet-black hair, body for days.
She got the name Graveyard because she used to knock ’em dead.
Beautiful, funny, popular… and apparently one of the best natural hair stylists in the city.
Then life happened. Now she spent most of her time floating between shelters, abandoned houses, church basements, and whatever man would tolerate her for the night.
The funny part was she never treated herself like a victim.
She didn’t even charge Kormia for any of the odd jobs she had her do.
And when Kormia tried to pay her, she’d never take the money.
Graveyard was the first person she met on the deuce to show her real love.
She even gave her the drop on Medina’s snake ass.
The only thing Graveyard would allow Kormia to do was her feet and nails.
And that was sometimes. Kormia had just done them earlier because supposedly she was going to wait out the storm with her rich best friend that lived in a fat-ass crib out in Cheltenham.
Graveyard talked about this lady for damn near an hour.
The bitch sounded like Monet Tejada— classy, street smart, business savvy and according to Graveyard her family had serious connections.
Kormia knew most of it was cap, but she was just happy to have found her.
She’d been looking for Graveyard for weeks.
One of the other working girls in the neighborhood had been found frozen to death under the “L” train.
Looking for Graveyard had taken Kormia’s mind off her own bullshit.
She was still living in her shop. And just when she was gonna bite the bullet and move in with Jackie for the winter to regroup.
Najee had moved Jackie and Fat Daddy to Center City.
Kormia stopped by her condo the other day and the place was unrecognizable.
Her daddy could barely look her in the face.
All she could do was cry. She hadn’t spoken to Wheezy since news of his new baby momma hit the streets.
But she was ready to break no contact and let him put her up in one of his spots.
Because by the looks of this weather, Old Man Winter was outside for real this season.
If Kormia were being honest, she had a lot more in common with Graveyard than she cared to admit.
They were both homeless. Kormia would never say that aloud.
She still had some pride, but that was all she had.
Because even Jamillah’s shady, disloyal ass offered her a place to stay, of course she declined.
At least Graveyard owned her shit. Talked about her mistakes openly.
And even laughed at some of the shit. Somehow that made Kormia respect her even more.
“Niece, remember I told you I had that Cadillac?” Graveyard asked.
Kormia could tell she was falling asleep now.
She always got nostalgic right before she went out. “Yeah, I remember.”
“You would’ve loved it.”
“Yeah?”
“Yup. It was candy apple red with white interior.”
“Yard, you was doing more than two strand twist sis. You was definitely selling drugs.”
“And doing them.” Kormia laughed so hard she choked. For a while they sat there listening to the wind beat against the storefront. Then Graveyard got quiet as Kormia took the space heater and sat it directly in front of her. “You remind me of her sometimes.” Kormia frowned.
“Of who?” Graveyard looked away. “Nobody.”
“Bye girl, it better not be that imaginary boss bestie you keep talking about. I don’t think I like her ass very much. Because why she okay with you being out in the street like this?”
“Is she one of those bitches that abandoned you, when you lost everything?”
A sad smile crossed Graveyard’s face.
“No. She never abandoned me. If anything, baby girl I abandoned myself. But no, not her. Just somebody else I used to love.” The answer should’ve felt strange.
Instead, it felt familiar. Because somehow whenever Graveyard looked at her, Kormia always felt like the woman was remembering something.
Or somebody. Before she could think too hard about it, her phone started ringing. Jackie.
Kormia answered on the third ring, keeping her voice low. “I’m not coming over there, Jackie.”
“Why not?” Jackie asked, sounding irritated but still concerned.
“It’s about to be a whole blizzard outside.
Najee said he’d pick you up. My place is warm, we got food, and Fat Daddy keeps asking about you.
Stop playing, Mia. Bring your ass down here.
” Kormia glanced over at Graveyard, who was still half-asleep, and lowered her voice even more.
“I’m good right here.” Jackie sucked her teeth.
“You mean you good in that cold-ass shop with no heat? Come on now.”
Kormia stayed quiet for a moment. She wasn’t about to tell Jackie that Graveyard was with her.
She already knew her cousin wouldn’t understand.
And quite frankly, she wasn’t in the mood to hear a lecture or deal with the judgment.
So, she kept that part to herself. “Look, this y’all first blizzard together and I’m not trying to be the third wheel.
I know Najee probably trying to put a baby in you right now.
” Jackie was quiet for a second. “Girl bye, that man is outside in the park with Fat Daddy creating the saddest looking snowmen I ever saw. I told them the snow is too soft, but they insisted on trying anyway. That’s why I’m in here now, making lasagna soup and garlic knots.
They should be coming in any minute now to thaw out.
So, you might as well come down here now while the roads are still clear.
You can stay in the downstairs apartment since you feeling all anti-social,” she joked.
“I thought you said that was for MJ,” Kormia said as Jackie got quiet again.
“It is, but right now no one’s in it so…
come on pack your bag and we can ring in the new year together like old times.
” Kormia couldn’t lie—that sounded like a plan.
Then She looked at Graveyard again and felt that same strange pull in her chest she always got when it came to the older woman.
She didn’t fully understand it herself. All she knew was that she wasn’t leaving her out here alone in this storm. “I’m good,” Kormia lied smoothly.
“Kia is supposed to be getting me a room at the W tonight. That’s actually who I’m waiting to call me back.” She could hear Jackie sigh on the other end. “Alright, Mia.”
“But if she don’t hit you back about the room, you call me. I mean it.”
“I will.” They hung up. Kormia set the phone down and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders.
She was happy for her cousin. Jackie hadn’t been this stable in a long time.
The good doctor had moved her off the trap block and put her in a brownstone overlooking Rittenhouse Square Park on some Sex and the City shit.
Her cousin was living the soft life now.
She wasn’t struggling. Her man handled everything, and for once she was at peace.
Jackie deserved that. But that didn’t mean Kormia was about to insert herself into it.
She looked over at Graveyard again. The older woman’s breathing had evened out.
Kormia stood up quietly, walked over, and adjusted the blanket over her legs.
Graveyard didn’t stir. Kormia went back to the couch and stared out the window at the snow piling up.
The shop was quiet except for the occasional creak of the old building and the low hum of the struggling heater.
She too was falling asleep, but she was fighting it.
She was just about to call Jackie back and beg if Graveyard could come too.
But just as soon as she hit unlock on her phone, she heard someone banging at the door.
Only three people knew to come to the side door and that she was staying here, and one of them was knocked out on the futon.
She knew it wasn’t Jamillah — she was too busy throwing game nights with opps.
She knew it had to be Jackie, she thought as she wrapped the blanket around herself and went to the door.
“Jackie, I said I was cool,” Kormia said as she snatched the door open.
And there he was. Newdy. For a second, neither of them said anything. Snow swirled between them as the wind pushed through the alley. “The fuck you doing here?” she asked. Newdy looked her over once. “I should be asking you that,” he shot back, as Kormia rolled her eyes.
“I’m good.” Newdy looked past her into the shop, before bringing his attention back to her.
“I ain’t ask if you were good.” Kormia tightened the blanket around herself.
“I’m waiting for somebody to call me back about a hotel room.”
“A room.”
“Yeah.” Newdy nodded slowly before looking around her again.
“Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?”
Kormia frowned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” The wind pushed between them again. Newdy’s expression never changed.
“If you had somewhere else to go, you would’ve already left.”
“I’m handling it.”
“No. You not.” Kormia folded her arms.
“So, you came all the way down here to argue?”
“No.”
“Then what?” Newdy held her gaze. “I came down here because you’re not freezing to death in one of my properties. So, I suggest you get your shit and come on.”
“No.” She said still trying her best to hold on to the little pride she had left.
His expression didn’t change. “I’m not leaving.
” She folded her arms tighter across her chest like that somehow settled the matter.
Newdy stared at her for a long moment before stepping closer.
When he spoke again, his voice dropped. “Ayo, Kormia.” He glanced past her shoulder toward the dark shop before looking back at her.
“Either you walk out or I carry you out. And I honestly don’t care which one you choose.
” There wasn’t an ounce of humor in his voice.
Before she could respond, Graveyard’s voice floated from inside the shop.
“Mia, who at the door?” Kormia closed her eyes. “Fuck.”
A second later Graveyard appeared beside her, blanket around her shoulders, Chinese food still in her hand. She squinted toward the doorway, then her whole face lit up. “Nephew?”
The word hit Kormia like a slap. Nephew?
Her head snapped to Graveyard, then back to Newdy. Graveyard had spent the last hour talking about her “nephew”—the one who was so connected niggas had to check in with him before they made a move in the city. The same one who supposedly ran shit. This couldn’t be him.
Everything Graveyard had said tonight suddenly clicked into place. The stories. The “my nephew this,” “my nephew that.” The way she swore he was coming to get her.
Kormia felt the floor shift beneath her feet. Newdy was the nephew. The realization made her stomach drop so hard she actually took a small step back. Newdy’s eyes flicked between the two of them, confusion flashing across his face for a split second before he focused on Graveyard.
“I thought I told you to wait for me on Market Street.”
“I was waiting,” Graveyard said, shooting Kormia a look, “but she made me come with her.” Kormia still couldn’t speak.
She just stood there, blanket pulled tight, staring at Newdy like she was seeing him for the first time.
Newdy watched her for a long moment. Then his voice dropped, low and final.
“Look… I’m not about to argue with you in the snow.
Either you walk out, or I carry you out.
Your choice.” Kormia stared at him. The fight was still in her chest, but she felt her resolve weakening.
She could feel Graveyard watching them, and the weight of everything she’d just realized sitting heavy in her stomach.
She exhaled, long and tired. “Okay.” Newdy nodded once. “Good.”
He glanced past her into the shop. “You need help with your stuff?”
“No,” she said quietly. “I got it.” She started to turn away, then paused.
“You can wait in the car. I know you probably cold.”
“Nah.” His voice followed her down the hallway. “Imma stand right here and wait for you.” Kormia kept walking, heart hammering in her chest. She didn’t know what any of this meant.
But she knew one thing for sure: Newdy wasn’t leaving without her tonight.