Fixin’ Tyrone (30 page)

“Don’t say that about me.”

“Why not?”

“’Cause it’s not true. You just sayin’ that, ’cause you mad.”

“You damned right I’m mad, Tyrone! Do you know how stupid you made me look? I bought you that chain, and you’re over there selling
dope
. Pants sagging. You’re a big
front
. I don’t even know who the
real you
is.”

“This is the real me. Right here,” Tyrone patted his chest.

“So who is that other guy?”

“That’s just for the streets,” he said. “If I’m on the block with my pants pulled up, nice shirt tucked in, they gon’ think I’m a
narc
or some shit.”

“Why does it matter what they think about you?”

“It don’t, really, but I needed to make some money.”

“By selling drugs?”

“What else I’m supposed to do?”

“That doesn’t sound at all ignorant to you?”

“Yeah, I know it’s stupid, Mia. But what was I supposed to do? I had to take the kids to Six Flags. I wanted to bring ’em here.”

“You didn’t
have to
take the kids to Six Flags.”

“My son asked me to take him. I told him I would, that means I had to do it—no matter what.”

“What about your uncle’s shop?”

“I don’t make that much there. I’m not even on the clock. He just give me twenty, thirty dollars a day. That wasn’t enough to do what I had to do.”

“Tyrone, the ends do not justify the means.”

“How come it don’t? You see how happy them two is?”

“What do you think they’ll look like when you get locked up?”

“I’m not getting locked up.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” Mia said.

Tyrone took offense to that. “Well, Mia, what you expect me to do? You got this . . . high-class lifestyle. You wouldn’t give me the time of day if I couldn’t bring nothin’ to the table.”

“Don’t you dare put that on me.”

“Tell the truth. You ain’t tryin’ to date no broke nigga.”

“I’m not dating a drug dealer, either.”

“All right. I’ll quit sellin’ drugs,” Tyrone said. “Now, are you going to go out with me when I’m broke or not?”

“You’re not going to stop selling drugs. That you would sit there and lie to my fac—”

“Mia,” Tyrone took her hand. “That look I saw on yo face when you pulled up to the park, I don’t
ever
want to see you like that again. It makes me feel bad just to think about it. I’m not gonna be out there on the cut. When I say I’m not gonna sell drugs again, I mean it. I don’t ever want to make you cry again.”

His words warmed Mia’s frigid heart.

“So, we back together,” he asked, “or you don’t want to be with me now ’cause I’m broke?”

Mia smiled but shook her head. “I don’t know, Tyrone.”

He nodded. “See. A regular nigga like me ain’t got no chance.”

“It’s not that,” she said.

“Then what is it?”

Mia sighed. “Tyrone, we’re just on two different levels.”

“I can make as much money as you.
Legally
.”

Mia frowned.

“This is America,” Tyrone said. “I can do anything I want.”

Mia smiled. She wanted detailed information about Tyrone’s plan to get rich, but the kids completed their final lap. They came to a squeaky stop back at the terminal. Mia stood and took a few steps to meet them.

“So what about us?” Tyrone asked.

“We’re not through talking,” Mia said.

Tyrone stood next to her. “I mean for
today.
I need to know if you still my woman
right now
.”

Mia was curious, but decided to throw the dog a bone. “Okay. For now, I guess I’m still your woman.”

Tyrone smiled and loosened visibly. Mia still didn’t know why he wanted that information so badly, but she found out when she took a couple more steps. She felt the back of her shirt rising.

“
Nice
,” Tyrone called from behind.

Mia raised her eyebrows. “Um, the kids.”

“They didn’t see nothing,” he said.

And he was right. They didn’t.

* * *

When they got back to Mia’s house, Tyrone wanted to come inside, but Mia bid him a fair adieu on the front porch. With his arms around her waist, he kissed her gently.

“Why can’t I come in?”

“’Cause the kids are awake and I know what’s on your mind.”

He grinned. “I can play with them ’til they go to sleep, then come play with you.”

“Well,” Mia said. “As tempting as that sounds, let’s not forget I caught you selling drugs six days ago.”

“So what? You punishing me?”

“Somebody’s got to do it.”

He kissed her again. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“If it happens again, you’re gone,” Mia assured him.

“Just like that?”

“Consider yourself lucky. You’re the only one who’s got a second chance this year.”

Tyrone grinned. “All right. I guess I am lucky then.”

“We still need to talk about your future,” she said.

“What future?”

“You said you could make as much as me if you wanted to.”

“Oh yeah. I’m serious about that.”

“We’ll see.” She moved in for a full body hug. Tyrone’s hands were on her butt within seconds, but Mia was starting to think she liked that even more than he did.

WHEN IT RAINS SOME MORE

Mia slept like an infant Sunday night.

On Monday morning she dressed to kill, as always, and left for work in a cheery mood. Her day went fine until 3:30, when Miss Tenery wanted to transfer a call.

“Yes?” Mia answered the phone with unmistakable attitude in her voice.

“Mia. There’s a call for you.”

“I told you to hold them.”

“Yes, ma’am. But this is an emergency. It’s your children’s school.”

A hard knot formed in Mia’s throat. She swallowed it down. It felt like swallowing a dry marble.

“Okay. Send them through.”

There was a slight click.

“Hello? This is Mia Clemmons.”

“Mia. Hi. This is Julie at Woodway. I was calling to let you know we have your two kids, Tyrone and Mica, here. They say their Aunt Crystal is supposed to pick them up. They’ve been waiting since three, but no one ever came.”

Mia was immediately pissed, but a cold wave of dread washed over her at the same time. Crystal was rarely tardy in picking the kids up. Ten minutes Mia could understand, but a full thirty minutes late went past irresponsible and all the way to scary.

“Where are they now?” Mia asked.

“They’re here with me, in the office,” the woman said. “But we’re closing up soon. Any children not picked up by 3:45 have to go to the daycare area.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s here in the cafeteria. We’ll get ’em started on their homework. They have snacks provided, too.”

“How late does the daycare stay open?”

“It’s open ’til five, but there is a charge if your children have to be taken there.”

“That’s fine. I’ll have someone there in fifteen minutes.”

“If they come after 3:45, your kids will be in the cafeteria.”

“Right,” Mia said. “I heard you.”

“There’s a charge fo—”

“
Okay
, ma’am. I’ll take care of it. Thank you for your call, seriously.” Mia hung up and stared at the receiver. She pursed her lips and quickly punched in the numbers to her home phone. She nibbled her thumbnail as she listened to it ring.

Four . . . five . . .
six
times . . . And then the answering machine came on.

“
Crystal?
Crystal, this is Mia. Are you there? The kids haven’t been picked up from school. Pick up if you’re there . . .”

But no one answered. Mia hung up and called Crystal’s cell phone. She didn’t get an answer on that line, either. She removed her own cell phone from her purse and looked up a number she had saved in the contacts. This number was rarely used. In five years, Mia thought she may have called the woman twice. Mrs. Jeffries answered after only two rings.

“Hello?”

“Janice? Hi. This is Mia Clemmons. Um, I know we don’t talk much, but I live right across the street from you.”

“Mia, I know who you are. I see you every morning, for Christ’s sake. How’s it going?”

“I’m fine, I—”

“How are the kids?”

“They’re fine, too. Thanks for asking. Hey, I don’t mean to trouble you, but could you do me a favor?”

“Sure, Mia. Anything.”

“I just need you to look at my house and tell me if my sister’s Tahoe is in the driveway?”

“That’s no problem at all,” Mrs. Jeffries said. “As a matter of fact, I’m cleaning the blinds in my living room now. And I can tell you that . . .
yep
! Her car’s right there where it always is.”

Mia sucked air through her nose. She was about to ask her neighbor if she could go and knock on the door for her when Mrs. Jeffries said something that made the blood in Mia’s veins burn hot.

“There’s another car there, too. It’s parked in the street. Looks like a, I don’t know. One of those old Cutlasses. It’s gray. It has some really big wheels on it.”

Mia was so upset her vision blurred. “Um, thank you, Mrs. Jeffries.”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, ma’am. That’s what I wanted to know. I appreciate it a lot.”

Mia thanked the woman again and disconnected.

“
Shit!”
she spat in the silence of her office. Not only was that
knucklehead
still around, but Crystal had the bastard in her house again. Mia didn’t think Crystal could get so lost in sex she forgot something as important as picking up the kids, but how could she know? If Crystal was using drugs, she was already somewhat of a stranger.

Mia thought quickly about how she would handle the situation, and then made another call. Tyrone answered on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Tyrone, this is Mia. I need your help. Are you busy?”

“Never too busy for you, baby.”

“Alright, calm down,
Billy D
. This is serious. It’s an emergency.”

“What’s up? You all right?”

“I’m fine,” Mia said. “Crystal’s the one you need to be worried about.”

“What’s going on?”

“She didn’t pick up the kids from school,” Mia said. “I just got off the phone with one of my neighbors, and she says Crystal’s car is at home.
And
her boyfriend’s car is there, too.”

“So, what you sayin’? She in there
getting busy
?”

“I don’t know what she’s doing, but she’s not even supposed to have that boy over my house anymore. I found some dope he left last week.”

“No shit?”

“He snorts heroin,” Mia said. “I think he got Crystal on it, too. She told me she used it twice.”

“That’s messed up,” Tyrone said. “You want me to go over there and whoop that nigga’s ass for you?”

That’s not what Mia had in mind, but it sure sounded good. “No, Tyrone. But we’ll keep that on the back burner. What I wanted to know is if you can pick the kids up.”

“Where? They go to Woodway, right?”

“Yeah. They’ve already been out since three. The secretary say’s they’ll be in the cafeteria.”

“I can do that,” Tyrone said.

“Can you take them to your house for about an hour?” Mia asked.

“I can keep them as long as you want.”

“I’m about to leave work. I’m going home to see what’s happening over there. After I get it settled, you can bring them.”

“Cool. Just call me when you’re ready for me to bring them.”

“Thanks, Tyrone. You don’t know how much I appreciate this.”

“All right. I’m fixing to go now. The cafeteria, right?”

“Yeah. Tell them I’ll see them in just a little bit. I’ll call you as soon as I know what’s going on.”

Mia hung up and stared at her phone again. In the six years Crystal had been living with her, she never pulled a no-call, no-show when it came to picking up TC and Mica. Mia called her home phone one more time, but again no one answered.

She grabbed her purse and told her secretary she was gone for the day.

* * *

Mia raced down the freeway, cursing her sister for the tramp she was. How dare she have that boy in her house again? And she
lied
! Mia asked her straight out if she planned on seeing Sydney again, and Crystal looked her right in the face and
lied
. Mia didn’t know if it was the
dick
or the
dope
that had Crystal stuck on that fool. Either way, Mia was through coddling the girl.