No Sister Of Mine

Chapter 4: Life & Death

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Honey grew up around shooting. The men in her family turned Cleveland into Afghanistan every New Year’s Eve, and pistol play on a sunny afternoon was what opposing cliques considered recess. Honey figured this is what sparked her secret love affair with guns. Her .40 caliber pistol with gold accents and mother of pearl grips was obvious proof of her admiration. But pretty girl and pretty gun aside, this was Honey’s first time ever shooting at someone. Her father was lucky that she missed.

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To her surprise the sound of actually discharging a weapon is deafening. The ringing in Honey’s ears muffles Henry’s screams. Her father is now on his knees with his hands clasped tightly together begging his daughter for his life.

“I’m you father! Your daddy! I gave you life, baby! Don’t do me like this!”

The sticky substance that covers his body makes his legs stick to the carpet.

“I… I didn’t w-wanna kill you,” she says sobbing.  “Just… Just come h-home! Mama needs you!”

“I will, I swear! Honey, baby please! Come on now, let Candace go and put that damn gun down! You can’t do this!”

“Who?” Honey almost forgets about Henry’s prostitute she has locked away in the bathroom. “Oh, fuck her right now!”

Honey shoots at him. Once again she misses putting a bullet through the floor. She hears Candace scream through the bathroom door, which is the only thing separating them.

Henry’s attempt at dodging the bullet is pitiful thanks to the honey-like lubricant that he wears. He can’t help it anymore and the grown man starts crying like a newborn.  “God, no! I’ll pack up and leave right now if you want me to! Please, Honey! Please…”

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Barbie doesn’t realize how much she missed the hood until today. It’s a beautiful outside so the residents are out in full effect. A basketball game is in full swing in the middle of the street and you can smell barbecue in the air.  Stepping out of her new Jaguar, the chocolate beauty is glad that she fought the urge to turn around and abandon her homecoming. Everyone on the block showers her with hugs and compliments. She is back on the street where she grew up to visit one of her closest friends, Ebony. Her new life has been better than good to her but Barbie needs to see her friend badly.  

She enlists one of the block boys to carry her bags up to the door. She tips him $10 as a thank you and rings the doorbell. 

“Tell your dude to come hoop wit us one day,” the boy says with a smile.

“I will. I promise.”

“Bet.” He runs off to rejoin his basketball game.

Always impatient, Barbie rings the doorbell again. Instead of a chime, Barbie hears the clicking noise that the broken bell always makes. Moments later Ebony answers.

“My bitch here!” Ebony squeals and grabs Barbie in a tight hug.

“The baddest bitch you know,” Barbie says returning the hug. The ladies go inside with Ebony leading the way.

Barbie swats away a gnat and tries her best to hold in her discomfort. Small, dirty houses with mismatch furniture and bed sheets for curtains are no longer suitable for her. But she is still the same chick from the South side of Cleveland so her instincts kick in and she quickly gets over it. “Still got that raggedy ass doorbell I see. You drink brown liquor right,” she says as she approaches the coffee table.

“I drink everything you got. You already know I’m tryna get busted!” Ebony watches with excitement as Barbie lines up bottles of top shelf liquor across the coffee table.