Zoya
“You starting to sound just like me with the kissing of the teeth,” Sharon laughed, as I continued to light candles around the villa.
The lights had finally gone out after flickering for the past few days.
It was raining harder, and Thanksgiving was tomorrow.
All my mind had been on was Gerald and wondering if he was safe.
I tried to call him, but I didn’t get through, which was unusual.
He always answered the phone for me without hesitation.
This was what I had to get used to when dealing with a man in the streets. It was all fun and games until it wasn’t. Until you were worried and had a sinking feeling in the pit of your gut.
I wanted to believe everything was good with him. Hell, I had no other choice but to believe that it was, because the alternative was stressing myself out until I eventually made myself sick.
Everyone was gathering at the second biggest villa, which was the one the Infernos were staying in. Gams was making a big spread and had been cooking for two days. She asked Sharon to make brown stew fish, and that was what we were in the middle of making.
“This is so inconvenient right now. He refuses to eat anything that I had a hand in making.”
She snickered. “Oh darn, now you’ll never get to make it.”
I paused before going down the hall. “Ma, I was doing good.”
Her raised brow told me that I was fucking up the fish and playing in the kitchen, but she had been being nice. “You are gorgeous, smart as a whip, and a lawyer… a kitchen doesn’t have to be your place.”
I stomped my feet while laughing. “You are cold, Ms. Sharon.”
“Mi know seh ‘Mommy’ better be di next word weh come outta yuh mouth.” She waved that wooden spoon in my direction.
It always made me feel good that she preferred for me to call her mommy and not by her name. A few times I slipped, and she playfully swatted and reminded me.
Since our talk in the bathroom, I had been helping her more.
I figured out a way for her to use the shower.
I took one of the waterproof pool chairs from the back, and put it into the shower, and it worked perfectly.
She was so grateful for the small gesture.
It took me less than ten minutes to come up with the idea, and she was so grateful to have some of her independence back.
“How am I going to keep your son if I cannot feed him?”
She started to light the candles in the kitchen. “You fed him scotch bonnet, right?”
“Uh huh,” I replied, waiting to see where she was going with that question. The one thing I learned was that she had a smart mouth, and I think that was what I loved the most about her.
“You tried to kill my bwoy.”
“Mommy!” I hollered out with laughter, as she joined me. She gave me back my shit, and I loved her for it.
“Sharon, you ready?” Gams came in the villa through the back. Each villa had a path that led to the next. All except Menace’s villa. You had to get on a golf cart or take the walk to get to his.
Gams was holding more candles in her arms. I helped to remove some and put them onto the counter. “Hi Sweetness… feeling alright?”
I smiled. “Yes, Gams… I could go for a cookie of yours right now.”
“Then have one.” The way she said it was like she knew something and was fishing. When she cupped my face before we boarded the jet, it gave that she suspected something.
“Gams, I’m pregnant.”
She had a wide smile on her face. “I knew it, Sweetness. Haven’t touched a drink since we been here. Congratulations, my love.”
Gams gave me a hug and reached up to kiss my cheek. “And you… welcome to the grandma’s club.”
“I’m gonna need all the advice… you’ve done the grandma thing and now the great-grandma thing.”
Gams was the glue that held the Infernos together. With cookies, wisdom and her nurturing spirit, she was what kept them together all of these years.
“I have two Carib’s on chill over in the backyard… you ready?” She chuckled and went behind Sharon’s chair to push her.
This had become their ritual almost every night. They would share a beer, sit in the back and watch the kids swim, or look out onto the beach. Since Sharon was in a chair, she couldn’t get onto the beach. Instead, she settled for being so close that she could smell the salty ocean water.
“Just leave me in the dark then,” I sulked, faking with my hands crossed.
Gams put her hand onto her thick hip. “Go wake up the girls. Between them and their husbands, all they have been doing is sleeping. I’ve had to force them to eat… wake em up and sit on the beach.”
They needed their sleep, and I didn’t want to disturb them. I wasn’t there to know what went on, so I wasn’t about to be the annoying friend who forced them up. Long as they were here and safe, that was good with me.
“We have tomorrow… I’m gonna shower and try to nap. Call me when you bring her back home?”
Gams nodded. “Get some rest then, Sweetness. Thanksgiving will still go on… I will use the grill if I need to, to heat things up. Are your brothers joining us for dinner for a change?”
“I’ll check with them.”
“We have the space…. They’re welcome to join us.”
Don and Navy wouldn’t mind walking over and having dinner. I wasn’t sure about Menace and Stevie. While Stevie would be excited to come over, I wasn’t sure about Menace.
“Have fun,” I called behind them as I closed the door and finished lighting all the candles.
While lighting candles in Sharon’s room, I gathered her laundry to toss it in the washer. Crossing through the living room, the view from the huge bay windows stopped me in my tracks. With the laundry basket hiked under my arm, my mouth was open as I took all of it in.
The sky swirled in this periwinkle gray color. The clouds were dark and heavy, and the once blue ocean no longer appeared to be blue. It mimicked the sky above it, which worried me.
Pushing the worry out of mind, I went to toss the laundry in before putting the rest of the candles away. I wanted to take a shower and lay down for a little bit. You ever been so worried that nothing would soothe it except for a nap?
I knew the minute my head hit the pillow, I would fall asleep and the negative thoughts would leave, and I would wake up to at least a text message from Goo.
Being in the dark alone never scared me. I was so used to being alone, and my thoughts were often scarier, so I welcomed this small slice of peace. I tossed my phone onto the bed, gathered some night clothes, and went into the bathroom.
No sooner than I went to run my shower, my phone started ringing. I nearly took the door down trying to get back to my phone. It was an unknown number, and usually I never answered them. This time, I answered because it could have been him.
“Hello?”
“Zoya?”
“Who is this?” I was immediately annoyed when it wasn’t my damn man. Who the hell wanted to play on my phone at a time like this? “Breathing in my ear isn’t gonna answer the damn question.”
“It’s Forty.”
“Hey Forty… where the hell you been?”
“Need help, Zoya… I’m being set up.”
“By who?”
“Can’t talk too long over the phone… need to talk to you and Capri like yesterday.” His tone was calm as usual.
“What is going on?” I became worried.
Niggas were no good. Here I was already worried that my man was maggot food, and here comes this bald bitch piling more anxiety and worry onto me.
“Where are yo… are you at least safe?”
“For now. Check your phone,” he replied.
I clicked the link in the text message that popped up.
“Federal and local authorities have been searching for who is responsible for the individual the media has dubbed the Red Hook Killer.” The anchor continued to speak until a picture of Forty popped up on the screen and I held my hand to my mouth.
“Forty…”
“Yeah. I wasn’t trying to bring this shit to Capp after all the shit he’s been through.”
I paused. “As if you’re not the reason that whole plan was put into motion to keep them both out of prison. Forty, that’s your best friend… send me your location and I’ll have you brought here.”
“I’m gonna have to turn myself in, Zoya.”
“And when we get to that bridge, we will cross it. Right now, you need to get out of dodge so we can decide on the next course of action.”
This was new territory for Forty. He was the one who was behind the scenes moving pieces to keep the Delgatos and Infernos safe. This time, he needed them and I knew without a doubt they would be there for him.
“Alright. Send to that number.”
“Will do.”
I ended the call and sat on the edge of the bed to arrange everything. Menace would ask too many questions, so I texted Don and Corleon. They wouldn’t have a million questions and rhetorical questions. Everything inside me told me that he wasn’t the Red Hook Killer.
My snores woke me up out of my sleep. After spending time on my phone lining up Forty’s transportation to the island, I rested back on the bed waiting for Corleon to text back and had fell asleep.
It was three in the morning, and I didn’t even get the chance to take my shower. Wiping my eyes, I checked the messages and Corleon let me know everything was handled. Forty was in Dominica.
Once I checked through my emails, I went downstairs to peek in on Sharon. She was asleep, so I crept back up the steps to shower, so I could lay down for a few more hours before the sun started to come up.
I lathered my body with the Salt and Stone’s cherry body wash. The smell mixed with my favorite Demosea Cherry Amour perfume was heavenly. I didn’t smell too sweet, but sweet enough for this man to want to lick my cherry pop until he made it to the center.
It was the perfect mix and made me smell divine. I was a real nigga, so I couldn’t be too soft, and this scent captured that. It was Goo’s scent that I wanted to smell the most. I wanted him in the worst way.
Recommendation: Listen to” Girls Need Love” by Summer Walker