Black & Ugly (31 page)

"Yeah. It has," he responds coldly, clearly in a different mood than he was in earlier.

He goes through the kitchen, her bedroom, the bathroom and then comes back in the living room.

"Everything looks real nice," he says. "So, when she coming home?"

"Tomorrow," I answer with a smile. "You think she'll like it?"

"I don't know," Cliff utters as if he's mad. "It looks even better than before." He looks at me with a glassy look in his eyes.

T. Styles

181

Triple Crown Publications presents . . .

I realize he's drunk. Suddenly I feel stupid for letting him in Daffany's apartment without her permission. Now, if he wants to, he can steal everything in here because he knows where it is.

"Okay," I say, trying to push him out. "Let me finish up here." I slightly open the door.

"Did I tell you how good you been looking lately, Parade? You been looking really fuckin' good," he continues as he slams the door shut with one hand and pushes me away with the other. "Damn, that outfit you wearing is making my dick hard." He grabs it. "I wonder what's in it. I wonder if your pussy looks pink and soft when it's pressed up between your thick, pretty legs. You gonna let me get in that pussy, Parade?" Oh my goodness! I'm getting ready to be raped! I coulda never saw this coming. And now, here in Daffany's apartment, I'm getting ready to get raped by someone I trusted - a man I've always looked up to and considered a good husband.

"Stop playin', Cliff," I state, attempting to make light of his actions. "I have to finish up around here."

"Who said I'm playin'?" he responds. "Can you suck a dick as good as your friend? 'Cuz I'm gettin'

ready to find out," he continues, moving toward me.

"Please, don't do this," I beg him. "Please don't do this to me." Each plea appears to bring him closer.

"Yeah. Keep begging, bitch. I'm gonna give this shit to everybody she loves, like she gave it to everyone I love."

I don't understand what he means, but I do know
182

T. Styles

Black and Ugly

that he's drunk and has all intentions of raping me.

Suddenly, I put things into perspective. Number one, from what I can see, he doesn't have anything on him. Number two, I decide that the only way he's raping me will be on top of my cold, dead body.

I continue to back away from him until we end up in Daffany's room.

"Now where you gonna go, you pretty chocolate bitch? It's been a long time since I tasted chocolate. If I knew you were that sexy, I would've fucked you a long time ago. If you don't fight it, I won't put you in the hospital like I did that bitch!" It was him! He was the one who beat Daffany. What does he want to give to me that she gave to people he loves? Before I can think about it anymore, he runs after me. I quickly open the closet door and grab the metal bat I bought for Daffany to keep in her room. It was supposed to be for protection and although it won't stop a bullet, it was all I could afford.

With one quick movement, I swing at his head and he stumbles but remains on his feet. His eyes are now wide open and he looks crazed but more conscious than he was before. Yeah, you ain't drunk no more, mothafucka, are you?

I can tell he wasn't expecting me to fight back so he goes for the door. Something comes over me and I don't know what it is, but I run and knock him upside his fucking head again.

"Hold up, what are you doing?" he continues with his hands up.

T. Styles

183

Triple Crown Publications presents . . .

"I'm whoopin' your ass," I respond, hitting him again.

"Can you please stop hitting me?" he pleads with his hands up as if they would block my blows. "I was just playing with you!" He screams in pain.

He tries to grab the bat as if he can take it. Little does he know, I'm a pro with a bat, having used it on more than one occasion to handle bitches trying to jump me.

I blank out and can't hear a word he's saying. All I can think about is my sister lying up in the hospital bed and how I know he is to blame. Daffany doesn't deserve any of the shit he did to her. I don't care what he's talking about.

"Parade ... pleeease! Let me leave. I just wanna go home!"

"Fuck you, mothafucka! You shoulda thought about that before you tried your hand. Since you like to rape girls, I'm gonna keep kicking your fucking ass till I get tired. And the next time you think about hurt-ing Daffany, I want you to remember this beat down!" I knock him in his head again.

By the time I finish punishing him for what he did to Daffany and was trying to do to me, he's spread out on the kitchen floor, unconscious.

I hit him one last time to make sure he won't move then pick up Daffany's home phone to make a call.

"This is Parade Knight, and I'd like to report a breakin, but there's no rush, ma'am. I have everything under control here."

184

T. Styles

Black and Ugly

28

Daffany

WAKING UP THIS MORNING IS nice, until I hear about what happened to Parade last night. They give me the details and I am filled with guilt. I would've taken it really hard if he had succeeded in raping her. For the first time ever, I'm starting to think that it isn't a good idea to conceal
everything
about my lifestyle. If I woulda told my friends that it was Cliff who beat me, Parade would've never trusted him and opened the door.

We are sitting on the couch discussing the details and Miss Wayne says, "Daffany, I'm happy you agreed to press charges with Parade after all, honey. Don't even worry about him. They're keeping an eye on his tired ass."

"I know," I respond with my head hanging low,

"but I'm so sorry about what almost happened to Parade."

"Don't worry about it, girl. It ain't your damn fault," Parade insists as she moves closer to me. "He's
T. Styles

185

Triple Crown Publications presents . . .

the one who should be sorry. He's gonna be locked up the moment he comes out of ICU. Believe dat."

"Did you beat him that bad, girl?" Miss Wayne asks, laughing.

"I beat him silly," she says as she gives Miss Wayne a high five.

"I bet you did." I manage to smile. "But there's something else you don't know that I have to tell you," I continue and start crying.

"What? What's wrong?" Miss Wayne asks as he kneels in front of me while I'm sitting on his couch.

"I have to tell Parade that I know what he meant when he said that he wanted to give her what I gave his loved ones."

"You ... do?" Parade stutters.

"Yes," I whisper.

"What?" Parade responds real slowly. "Because I thought he was on that shit and was talkin' out of his head."

"Please forgive me," I plead, as it becomes harder to release a secret that I had planned to take to my grave. "I didn't know that this was gonna happen, or I would've told you before."

Parade and Miss Wayne look at each other sensing that whatever I'm getting ready to tell them is pretty serious. The phone rings before I can release the words to inform them that I'm HIV positive.

"Go ahead, baby. Whoever that is can wait," Miss Wayne informs me.

"No, please answer the phone. I'll tell you when
186

T. Styles

Black and Ugly

you're done," I insist, feeling relieved that I have a few more seconds to delay my confession.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Parade asks as she rubs my back.

"No. I'm okay," I say, ear hustling to see what Miss Wayne is talking about.

Miss Wayne's phone conversation gets heated and I can tell that my announcement will have to be put off even longer, which I don't mind.

"What did you tell them, Miss Rick?!" he yells into the phone. "But why would you use the card again, after I told you not to? Well, that doesn't make any sense." He paces the floor and Parade runs to his side.

"If you think I'm gonna get your black ass out of jail after I told you not to use that card, you got anotha thing comin'... Well, fuck you too!" he screams as he hangs up the phone.