A Dollar And Dream. Carl Weber

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СКАЧАТЬ too many to name. Robilyn, here’s to the start of something great!!! Dwayne Joseph, you have the greatest listening ear and I thank you. See you on the best-seller list!!!

      And last but not least to my newfound friend, advisor, confidante, and mentor—Carl Weber. Words cannot express my gratitude for taking me under your wing and guiding me along the way. You are the big brother I always wanted and never had. Through you I have learned so much and you have given more. I love you for that and will forever be indebted. And I am sure you’re gonna make me pay you back, anyway!!

      To anyone I forgot, I am sorry and I will catch you in Drama Queen.

      La Jill Hunt

       [email protected]

      1

      Katrice

      I barely made it into the house carrying an armload of groceries, my purse, and a handful of mail. I struggled into the kitchen and dropped the bags on the table. Clicking on the light, I saw an open forty-ounce bottle sitting on the counter, the top right next to it. He didn’t even have the common sense to cover the damn thing up. Dishes were piled up in the sink and a pot of spaghetti was sitting on the stove. I just shook my head at the mess and began putting the groceries away. I stopped long enough to go through the junky living room into my bedroom and take off my uniform. I didn’t bother to hang it up. Jordan doesn’t feel the need to hang his shit up. Why should I?

      I sat on my side of the bed and saw the light flashing on the answering machine. I pushed the button and listened to the messages.

      “Trice, call me as soon as you get this message. I got another one of those letters from the bank, and if you can’t tell, I’m pissed. Trice, you and Jordan swore you were gonna take care of this. This is not my responsibility and I am not gonna accept it. I swear—”

      I clicked the delete button before my brother could finish. I knew I wasn’t gonna call him. He knew it, too. It was eleven o’clock at night and I could not be bothered. Besides, what was I gonna tell him? I didn’t have the money.

      “Mrs. Taylor, this is Mr. Hawkins with First American Mortgage. We have been trying to get in contact with you and your brother in regard to payment on the property. It is over ninety days past due and we really need to receive payment in order to prevent foreclosure. Please give me a call at—” I cut him off, too. Lord knows I didn’t wanna be bothered with him either.

      I figured I wasn’t gonna take a chance on receiving any more bad news, so I didn’t play any more messages. I could hear someone moaning over my head and looked up at the ceiling. Kerri must have company, and she is working it! You go, girl! I couldn’t help but smile. I didn’t remember the last time Jordan wanted to get some and wasn’t drunk.

      I went into the bathroom and saw a wet towel in the middle of the floor. Picking it up, I put it on top of the laundry basket already piled with clothes. I picked up the heavy basket and decided that there was no better time than the present to wash clothes. I took a handful of quarters off the dresser and put the basket on a small cart, heading to the basement of the building, which served as the laundry room.

      “Hey, Trice. Need some help?”

      I nearly jumped out of my skin as the voice came out of the dark stairwell just as I walked out of my apartment. “Freddie! What the hell are you doing?”

      “I was just waiting to catch Paul. I been waiting, but he ain’t came home yet.” His breath stank to high heaven and he looked like he had climbed out of the Dumpster.

      “What you waiting on Paul for?” I pushed past him and dragged the cart to the basement door.

      “I need for him to give me two dollars.”

      “You think Paul gonna give you money, Freddie?”

      “He might. It’s for a good cause.” He smiled his yellow-stained grin and I tried not to turn up my nose.

      “What? They got a sale on forties?” I smirked. He actually had the nerve to be offended.

      “If they did, I’d have to stand behind your husband to get one.” He laughed and left out the front door.

      “At least my husband got a job, you mangy, stank-breath drunk! Get your ass off my property!” I raised my hand and Freddie took off running.

      Once I was in the basement I made sure that the washer was empty and poured detergent into the machine. I pushed the quarters in and dumped the clothes. Climbing back up the steps, I gazed at the hallway walls and sighed because I knew they were in bad shape. Looking at the floors, they were even worse. It was gonna take a lot of money to fix this place up. Money I didn’t have.

      I walked into my apartment and headed straight for the bath. Freddie had obviously run into Paul, because I could hear them yelling.

      I got into the shower and stood there at least thirty minutes. It had been a long day. Driving that damn bus is no joke. I’d been cussed out, yelled at, talked about, and spat on, and that was all in the course of one day. But the pay was all right, and I didn’t get bored.

      “Looks like I came home just in time,” Jordan said, and pulled the curtain open.

      “Jordan! Where the hell have you been? I know you got off at five. It’s damn near midnight!” I yelled.

      “Damn, you’re sexy when you’re mad.” He tried to reach in but I hit him. “Is that any way to greet your husband, Trice?”

      “It is when your husband left the house a goddamn wreck. Jordan, I know I cleaned this place up before I left here. You left food out on the stove and beer on the counter. This building is already raggedy as hell. What, you want us to have roaches, as well?” I snatched the curtain closed and turned the water off. I reached for my towel and went into the bedroom.

      “Sounds like Kerri’s getting her groove on! Makes me wanna do some things myself.” Jordan walked behind me and ran his hands across my damp back. I must admit, it felt good, but I knew where Jordan had been and he wasn’t getting no parts of this pussy tonight. I could smell the beer on his breath and it was a turnoff.

      “Where have you been, Jordan?”

      “I went over to the bar with Rodney,” he answered.

      I reached on my dresser to get the cocoa butter and began rubbing it over my body.

      “Trice, you know that gets me horny when you do that. Come on, baby,” he growled.

      “Well, get over it. How much did you lose, Jordan?” I kept rubbing as he watched.

      “Lose? What do you mean, lose?”

      “Don’t play stupid with me. How much did you lose gambling?”

      “Who said I was gambling?”

      “I said it. I know you like a book, Jordan. Now how much did you lose?”

      “See. Why you gotta say it like that, Katrice? How you know I ain’t win?” He took the bottle of lotion and poured some into the palm his hand. I glared at him as he rubbed his palms together.

      “Because if you won, СКАЧАТЬ