Dark Waters (SLOW UPDATES)

6

Denise rubbed the top of New York's head as he slept next to her on the coach. Annie came over to check on her Bestfriend as soon as she got off work.

They listened to the raido as Louis Armstrong played softly in the background. Denise stared out the window of the fire escape watching cars drive by.

"Do you wanna hear what happened after you left?" Annie asked rubbing her large belly.

"Sure." Denise got up and went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bowl of grapes from the top shelf of the refrigerator and sat back in her spot by the window.

"You had everybody worried. Shit, they were more worried about you than the situation at hand. After you left the police came and Victoria started begging for them not to take her before they could even ask what happened. She started telling on herself and she was damn near about to rip all her hair out. They handcuffed her and sat her in the back of the car and started looking at the crime scene. They hadn't even looked around for more than five minutes before they claimed it was self defense."

Denise frowned. "Self Defense? That bitch killed Norma! The poor girl just started workin there two months ago and ends up gettin stuffed in a linen closet by some spoiled white bitch who can't hold her anger in even if it was held in by the hands of God. Victoria admitted to killin her and had the nerve to be sorry." She stuffed her mouth with grapes angrily. "That brat caused each one of us pain and sufferin since we been there and she gets tipped off by the cops for self defense. Ha! Yeah right. Self defense my ass. If I would've busted her white ass in the head till she died they would've hung me from the top of the church for everybody to see."

"If it makes you feel any better Mrs. Barns whooped her ass all up and through that house since they didn't arrest her. Mrs. Barns made her clean up the bloody mess she made in that bathroom instead of letting the crime scene people do it."

"A whoopin? She killed somebody! The sixth commandment says "thou shall not kill". She disobeyed God and all she gets is a chore and a sore ass?"

"You should go down to the police station and tell them what really happened." Annie said resting her tired feet on the coffee table.

"They wouldn't believe me. My black ass come waltzin in there they gone think I'm up to somethin. They'll probably think I'm some crazy negro lookin for trouble and I ain't got the time or patients for it. Norma was seventeen years young with a sixth month old baby at home. Where that baby gone go? The babies father ran off on her for some white girl down down south and her parents can't afford shit." Denise's eyes became wet with angry tears. "What her parents gone do? They needed that money Norma was brinin in. They needed it more than you or I do. And their daughter is dead." Annie began to cry herself.

"There's nothing we can do Nisey." Annie said wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"I know. I just... I can't believe Victoria would do somethin like that. She's done horrible things in the past but this has to be the worst." Denise sat the bowl on the coffee table and sat on the edge of the seat trying to wrap her brain around the idea that Norma was really gone.

"I bet her ass not even sorry. I bet she was just saying that so the police wouldn't toss her ass in prison and throw away the key." Annie said shaking her head.

"They should have. Norma and I weren't the best of friends cause she was always messin some shit up. But her mistakes shouldn't have caused her death. She was to young. She had a whole future and a baby to live for but it was taken away over some damn bath water."

"Bath water?" Annie asked.

"Bath water, I know. Ridiculous is how I see it. If you want somethin done right, you do it yourself so things like this don't happen but I know that's not how Victoria operates. She rather you do everythin than lift a damn finger even if it's to wipe her own ass."

"Nisey don't stress yourself out. Mrs. Barns said you can stay home for as long as you need."

Denise leaned back in the seat before standing up and pacing the room. "I can't take no time time off Annie. I gotta save all the money I can so I can move my family out this apartment and into that house before someone claims it. I have first grabs at it but if I don't get all the money in the next three months it'll go back on the market."

"But I don't think it's good for you to go back to work after seeing something like that."

"I'll be fine Annie. As much as my parents tried to shelter Dennis and I, I've seen worse." Denise said lowly.

"You won't be fine. If you would've seen the glazed look you had, you'd want yourself to stay home too. You looked mortified Denise. Why do you wanna go back their after witnessing what you saw? I think you should stay home."

"I can't Annie. I just can't. I'm a few paychecks away from gettin this house. I'm sure thirty dollars is gonna be missin from my check since I had the day off from work the other day. I know she's not gonna give me paid time off and I have to suck up how I'm feelin and go to work." Denise patted her head gently to scratch it trying not to mess up the roller set in her hair.

"If you says so Nisey. But if you can't handle being there then tell Mrs. Barns and go home." Annie stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be back I gotta take these work clothes off."

"Alright." Denise sat back down and New York crawled in her lap.

James ran up the steps till he got to the fourth floor. Out of breath and to tired to speak he dug in the pocket of his pants and found his house key. He unlocked the door dropped all his stuff on the coffee table and ran to Denise and picked her up knocking the dog to the floor.

"What has gotten into you?" Denise asked as he put her down.

"I got a raise." James said taking her spot on the couch.

Denise's eyes widened. "By how much?"

"I went from three dollars an hour to six fifty. Mr. Felture, my boss been getting a lot of trafficking through his store lately since the shoe shiner down the street closed and since he's got more money he gave everybody a raise." He said smiling.

"That's great." She sat on his lap to hug him and kissed his lips.

"I know, maybe we can get out this apartment quicker than we think."

"I hope so." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"How are you feeling?" He asked resting his lips on her forehead.

She snuggled close to him try getting to get as close as possible. "I'm okay. Annie thinks I shouldn't go to work tomorrow."

"I don't think I've ever said this but she's right. You just went through a very traumatic experience and you can't go back there after what happened. I'm not saying quit but you can't go back tomorrow."

"And why not? I get paid tomorrow, that's more money to get out of here and into our new place. If I don't get my money tomorrow I'll have to wait til my next pay to get it."

"I think the house can wait." James said rubbing her thigh.

"It can't. You remember what the Salesman said, he told us we have to keep up with these payments or he's giving us our money back and puttin the house back on the market."

"It know what he said baby.... I just don't want you to keep overworking yourself over this house and you go back to a work with the wrong mind set."

"I'd rather suffer through work than not be able to put my family in a stable home."

"The one we got is fine for right now. Take tomorrow off at least just to clear your mind."

"Your right."

"I know." James tapped her thigh to let her know he was getting up. She stood and picked new York up from the floor and sat back down on the couch.

She watched him walk to the bathroom and close the door. "What am I gonna do?" She asked New York who laid across her lap looking up at her. He licked the top of her hand and laid his head down. Denise took a deep breath and waited for Annie to come back.

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