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You a dummy

Based on a true story on domestic abuse

By MarieMarie Urban Published 4 years ago 10 min read
1
I wrote details from an old journal. Please comment, I hope someone may read.

"You a dummy"

Khadijah, Lala and Sky came by my room early. It's a Saturday morning. They shamelessly arrive in pajamas and colorful hair bonnets excluding Lala (who is wearing a night cap or du-rag.) My roomate is at work and I am still hugging my sheetlike pillow drearily, half awake and half asleep. I dreamt Michael Madrid messaged me on Facebook and asked for my personal cell number. Give or take, I almost forget I was asked out last night by Brock. Adaego carelessly slams the door on her way out, which is my cue to turn the air condition on quickly after her departure. She must 'thrive in room temperature only'..our dorm is currently a sauna. I slept miserably without covers, dry sweating in a large t-shirt and little else. I hear Lala punch the door as soon as I get to a point in which Michael calls me, his voice vibrant and familiar. I imagine dialing him up, and my tone of voice equivalent to a puma purring before its next kill (yes, my inner sexy is of the cat family.)

Lala, "Damn bitch you take sleeping medicine or somethin' I knocked like three times. You got a water bottle?

Tanya, "Oh, girl, you still sleeping?

"No, not at all."

Khadijah, "Well, we're going to breakfast. Thought you might want to come?"

"Thank you..shouldn't I get dressed?"

Lala, "Guuurrrll..half the others are prolly dressed in pj's too."

As we arrive, the cafeteria is close to empty. I overwhelmingly inhale buttery eggs and fresh coffee. We sit like scattered islands toward the far end of the entire cafeteria at a round table. Everyone is tired and less energetic than usual, we pick at our food for the longest as Sky sips orange juice and vodka like morning tea.

Lala, "Eggs runny." ( Looks at my plate.)

Tanya, "Don't start, I'm not fully awake. Tryin' tell you."

Lala, "Jus' what kinda person eat salad for breakfast? Not a biscuit or sausage in sight..no dick, no liqour, no weed.. Marie you might be onto something." (All I can do is shrug.)

Khadijah, "She might be. But I like sausage way too much."

(Tanya neatly cuts her food in proportionate pieces.) "How's Niecey?"

Khadijah, "I dont know. She hasn't called since last night."

Lala, " She called me this morning. Said she's bringing more stuff."

(Khadijah removes her bonnet and begins to scratch her head. Her shoulder length hair hangs messily.) "Lala, that's somethin' I wish you told me before we came here."

Lala, "I thought you knew?"

Khadijah, " I didnt."

Lala, "Now you know."

Khadijah, "I swear one of these days a bitch gone catch it..I'm her roommate. Stuff like that I like to know. Her aggy ass stay wit' drama."

Tanya, "What you mean?"

Khadijah, "Girl had the nerve to put her clothes in my closet..said she had more stuff than me. She stay using my Pink Oil and flat iron, laundry detergent and body sprays. I cant."

Tanya, "She uses often?"

Khadijah, "Uhh, yea. We're not friends."

Tanya, "Yes she is."

Khadijah, "Says you. It's bad to get close to her. She'll eventually backstab you."

Lala, "How you know?"

Khadijah, "In high school..for all the years I've known her, she was always the center of shit. Girl fights an' whatnot. We've had our issues, but I set that ass straight long ago. We're good from a distance."

Lala, "Ohh, that kinda ish..I see you."

Khadijah, "Tryin' tell you Tanya, love her but leave her at a distance."

Tanya, " People change. I will have to see this girl for all that she is until I make judgement."

Lala, "Speakin' of roommates, Marie, I see your roommate tomorrow for tutoring."

"That's nice."

Lala, "You think she'll be any good."

"I think so. She's good at math."

Lala, "Fuck round and stay an hour longer cus' I still can't do algebra for shit."

(Lala's cellphone vibrates heavily against the table of a distinctive but recognizable lyric, "Oh la la la, it's the way that we rock when we doin' our thang, oh la la la It's the natural LA that the refugees bring…" I immediately blurt, "Fu-Gee-La!" Lala coolly answers the phone, "What you know bout' that, Maryland?" As usual her demeanor is rather unemotional, at times dry, and the occasional "mmhmmn, what? damn.. foreal?" Yet, she lags response. Her face went from calm to pissed in less than one minute. She silently clicks off and eyes Khadijah. "Well, Im'ma take a trip wit' Niecey. You comin' Khadijah?"

Tanya, "What's wrong?"

(Lala glances over at me, and stunts initial speech.) "Think its best I not say." (Glances over at me, I realize my presense might be the reason she can't express herself.)

Tanya, "Marie is good people. Right? (Eyes me for approval) Mum's the word.."

"I never talk, I wouldn't want to upset anyone. You can trust me."

Khadijah, "Yea, she right."

(The expression on Lala's face is deeply surprised.)" Well, I know Khadijah really fuck wit' no one like that. So I trust Maryland here can keep a secret." (Glances over at me in a serious way.)"If I get word of this round campus, that's your ass. I'll find you personally and fuck it all up. Get what I'm sayin'."

(I peer down at my lap and shyly acknowledge my own truth.) "I don't have friends anyway. So it's not like I can jus' spread gossip." Tanya warmly looks over at me and says, "Well, we're your friends Marie. Foreal."

Lala, "Aiight, well, you all know Niecey movin' her stuff out from Blue's apartment. She want us to help."

Khadijah, "The fuck, she can't get movers."

Lala, "I don't know. She sound hella upset and I jus' said yes."

Khadijah, "It's cus' of Blue I bet."

Lala, "Yea that, and homegirl sound off..I don't know. Y'know what I mean Khadijah."

(Khadijah sucks her teeth.) "Bitch, if I dont get a dub off you by lunch for helping, issa problem."

Tanya, "Are you serious? The girl is obviously going through something."

Khadijah, "Don't care. Not my problem."

Tanya, "If you were in a situation like this wouldn't you want our help?"

(Khadijah reaches into her sweatpant pocket and shakes a pack of Newport cigarettes.)"First of all, I wouldn't be in this type of situation because I dont need a man. Monogamy issa joke. You know how I feel about that. And second, I've already addressed how I feel toward Neicey..she's trouble." (Slowly gets up from the table and places a dry cigarette into her mouth.)"If you dont know, you'll know soon..I'll be outside."

(Lala yells from across the cafeteria.) "You ain't got to be all that dramatic!"

Tanya, "I think I'll bring Niecey my complimentary rasberry vodka. I make it from scratch."

Lala, "Yea, please make me some. Hell..we all gone need it..you comin' Maryland?"

"Yea, sure. I'll get ready now."

Lala, "Aiight, bet, we all meet at Khadijah's in a hour."

(As we leave I realize the mood is a bit tainted. Sky never spoke but I assume her presence alike mine I hope speaks for itself. I barely know myself enough to justify whether or not I should trust these girls. Weird enough, I'm secure in going with the flow. I'm hesitant to call my grandmother.)

We cross the street from Rhode Island Station and manage to see from afar Niecey patiently await our arrival. She solemnly holds a blunt at the hip, its smoke visibly dissolving slowly into the wet air. Her disposition a bit unusual than from the last time I first met her and from the party. Tanya prepared fresh raspberry juice (from the plant as I learn on our way here on the bus her favorite food are raspberrries. She used a blender and squeezed a fresh batch mixed with Wild Berry Ciroc from within her dorm.) The trunk of Blue's car is open, further indicating she begun packing. The closer we walk, I personally overhear Blue talking to another male from within his apartment. Lala walks inside as we wait quietly for her to return. Although Tanya motions for her purple custom-made knipsack for groceries and says, "I thought I'd make you my raspberry drink..figure as we pack it would make you feel..y'know better." I can't tell the difference if whether Niecey is displeased or thankful, her smirk is wide and clear. Rather she inhales the blunt and silently awaits for Lala to return. Khadijah rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. I pan the ground like a nervous school girl.

Lala, "Aiight, well, you got your stuff pack. I dont see any boxes."

Niecey, "No."

Lala, "Bitch whatchu' mean no..It's raining like shit this morning. You knew we was comin'."

(Khadijah walks away and Niecey somehow focuses her energy onto Khadijah.)

Niecey, "Fuck you bitch..you ain't shit no way!"

(In this moment, I recognize a different Khadijah. Not at all the laid back girl I'm growing to learn. Rage is buried beneath her every move as she charges forward moving all of us out the way, her face nearly touching Niecey's face.) Her tone of voice low but cutting, "Bitch, I'll drag you cross this floor right the fuck now..Don't play wit' me, you's hoe ass bitch for asking any one us for help.. Keep it cute.. I got shit to do." I'm disturbed just by observing, yet, to my surprise Niecey quietly walks inside the apartment. I look to Lala and her expression is the same as mine.)

Tanya, "Damn, girl got it bad, foreal."

(Lala smoothens her dreads from underneath her baseball cap as Khadijah flickers a cigarette lighter. I can tell she is mad, however, she is doing a fantastic job so far at keeping her composure. In my opinion.)

Lala, "Why she go on like that?"

Khadijah, "In high school..(flickers lighter) she was dating a dude that I knew..(flickers lighter)long story short she thought I fucked him and tried to get me jumped wit' her friend..little did they know I always carry a swiss army knife..(flickers lighter) she ran the fuck off but her friend..still tried to fuck wit' the shit..so I stabbed her..beat her until she couldnt move."

Lala whispers, "Gawt (got) damn.. What we all doin' here like buddy buddy. You should've told me. You know I ain't wit' the mess."

Khadijah, "Oh no need to worry.. She cant fight anyway. All bluff is what she is.."

Tanya loudly whispers, "Who said anything about fighting? No one is fighting."

(Meanwhile Sky sets comfortably on a nearby curb. Blue rushes out of the apartment with a bundle of clothes in hand, awhile dropping socks, underwear and a few bras.. He mindlessly tosses the clothes aback the trunk of his BMW. Niecey charges after Blue, her body sloppily swaying from side to side as she slaps him throughout the arms and waist. Blue easily shakes Niecey off of him, "Fuck off bitch. You a dummy." None of us intervene as Niecey screams from the top her lungs as they walk in and out the apartment.. Blue is the one carrying her belongings free-handedly throwing her shoes, shirts and pants into the trunk and others onto the ground. Niecey breaks into tears, "How can you do this to me?!!..After everything I did for you?! I fuckin' paid rent while you were in jail. I paid to get your car repaired! This is mine!! Everything is mine!"He briefly stops in place, "Drive my car back when you get to campus. Dead ass." As they face eachother, Niecey slaps him upon the face..and before I could process my thoughts, Lala, Tanya and I stand rigid, possibly shocked. I try my best to breakdown my internal actions in which brought me here. Similar to a sudden crack of thunder, Blue punches Niecey square in the eye, and she collapses head first. Khadijah extends her arm before us all, as to keep Tanya in place as Blue walks inside.) Tanya rushes toward Niecey. I look to see Lala nervously walk inside the apartment, yet, rapidly leaves handing Khadijah car keys, "Khadijah you wan' drive us back?"

Khadijah, "Is she comin'?" ( We all look over to see Niecey within Tasha's arms, the both of them rock back and forth as Niecey cry mumbles under her breath.) Khadijah lights a cigarette, her calm demeanor likely soothes my nerves, or overall anxiety. I'm shaking in place. She says, "Can we hurry this up, I got shit to do."

Start writing...nx

breakups
1

About the Creator

MarieMarie Urban

Thus finally a website that incorporates music and story-telling! My mind exactly on auto pilot!

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