Hard Out Here

Let Me Show You

The steam from the shower opened my pores. This was heaven, Money only let us take a shower twice a month. This would be my last shower for the month. Well, last shower is his house anyway. I scrubbed my head with the sweet smelling soap, hoping to have some relief from the scratching.

I wrapped my body in the too small towel and tip toed to my room trying not to wake the other girls. I sighed and sayi down on my twin sized bed. I took the tiny bottle of lotion and smoothed it over my skin. I feel so clean, but so dirty in the inside. The timer on my cheap alarm clock went off signalling that it was time to take my birth control pill.

I dress into the same dirty sweat suite and walked into the dirty kitchen. Part of the blue and white titles were coming up showing the dirty cement. The awful yellow walls were beyond dirty with dirt and cooking oil. Dishes piled in the sink, the morning workers never Fucking clean after themselves, leaving us evening workers to clean up the dirty ass house.

"Hi Chocolate", a little girl voice greeted me. I turned around to see my home girl Sugar, three year old daughter rocking on her toes. She gave me a little smile and held on to her raggedy ann doll.

"Hey sweety, how did you sleep?". I grabbed her cheek and swallowed the birth control pill with a little water.

"I slept fine", she giggled. It was going to be so hard leaving this little girl. Every since sugar had this little girl from some unknown trick, I was by her side. Shit, somebody had to! And because I helped take care of sugar through out her pregnancy, she would hit me off with a few hundreds  a day. Turns out niggas love Fucking pregnant chicks, even if they are hoes. "Are you making breakfast Chocolate?".

"Don't I always? Sit down and watch me get down". I went to the stero and turned on the hottest radio station, Blurred lines came through the dusty speakers. I turned it up enough for Jasmine and I to enjoy but not to wake the girls.

I danced my way back into the living room and started cooking. I looked back at Jasmine a few times and cracked up laughing every time I caught her dancing. Sugar came walking in rubbing her eyes. "Good morning", she said. Her Spanish accent was so thick,.yet you could still understand her. Marie, a.k.a. Sugar, been working as a prostitute every since she was sixteen. When I first got started working for Money, she was the one to show me the rops, and the tricks I know. I will forever be greatful for it as well. I toyed with the idea of taking sugar with me, I really loved her like a sister, even though she was Puerto Rican and I'm black.

"Morning girl. Why Cherry threw up last night?". I flipped the sizzling bacon over and over in the pan and scrambled the eggs.

"I think she pregnant", Sugar said while taking out bread and putting it in the toaster. "That's all she been doing since last month".

The rest of the noon workers, Diamond, Stallion, Becky, and Lotus, walked into the  kitchen.

"It smells good in here", Becky said picking up Jasmine and putting her into her lap. Becky is the only white girl in the house, Money gave her the name Becky because that's what she did best, give that good Becky. She was tall as hell, she looked like one of them white girls that plays basketball with the long blonde hair and all. She was so pretty with the longest white girl nose though, and because of her height and HIV, she was frail to the bone. I never understood why Money allowed Becky to even work, the bitch had a disease.

"Dying or not, you bitches gonna work". Money would say that all the time to us, and especially stared at Becky when he would say this. She didn't care though, she still worked like a damn slave.

"Mhm, you better go girl", Stallion chimed in. It was clear why Money gave Stallion her name. She was build like one, the girl was solid. Being the oldest of us all, she had to keep up. Stallion looked like one too, the bitch looked like a horse, and chewed like one too.

Lotus helped me with the plates while Diamond poured everyone the last bit of milk and passed it out. They were sisters and they did everything together. They fucked together, slept together, hell, they even got they ass whooped together. If one sister got they ass whooped for something, the other would too and they were fine with it. They were also quiet, never really ones to talk a lot, only when spoken to. And the strange thing was, they looked just alike and there not even twins, Diamond is eighteen and Lotus is sixteen. I personally think they would die without each other.

We all sat at the small round table and ate in silence, all in our own thoughts. I was thinking how the Fuck I was going to get out of here. I wanted to go to New York, maybe go to community college and get my bachelor's. I had a certificate to be a nursing assistant, I didn't get to use it though. I promised myself that if I did get the Fuck up outta here, I was definitely going to put it to use. Shit, I was twenty years old, I'm too young to be worn out like this.

Diamond went to the fridge and got a yogurt, everyone froze and watched her as she sat back down and opened it. This bitch wanted to die. Lotus spoke up.

"I know you not stupid", it came out a whisper. "That's Money's yogurt,he's going to kill us". Lotus eyed the yogurt, but Diamond continued to eat, paying her sister no mine.

Money banged on the door and Jasmine ran to the door to open it.

Nobody says a word as money made his way to the kitchen, Diamond lowered the yogurt but it was too late, he seen what she was doing.

"Bitch what the Fuck is you hiding in MY house?", he walked over and pulled up the empty container.

Money was on fire, his black skin turned red and the rolls on his fat neck started to shake.

"You Fucking...", was the only thing he said before he smacked her with the back of his hand. He looked at her body crumble to the floor, then started stomping her with his Timberland boots.

Sugar walked over to a crying Jasmine and locked themselves into their room. Becky and Stallion were long gone after he slapped Diamond. It was just me and Lotus who were witnessing the beat down.

Diamond never once screamed out or said a word, she was use to this, and Money was getting madder since he wasn't getting a reaction.

Money dragged Diamond to the middle of the kitchen and picked up a stake knife from the sink. "Bitch you ate my yogurt? You brave now?" He stood ontop of Diamond with the knife in hand, starring down at a still Diamond.

Money dramatically lifted the knife, acting like he was about to stab diamond, it was only to scare her though, I seen Stallion in the same situation before these two came along. Money actions weren't scaring Diamond at all, she laid their spitting up blood on the dirty for, looking up at him.

Lotus shrieked like a pig and jumped on Money fat back. She started going crazy and punching him all up side the head, causing his fat to jump every time her tiny fist hit them.

Money shook her off and kicked her to the side, and stabbed Diamond in the shoulder.

I was shocked as Fuck, and so was Money. Diamond finally screamed out loud, Money looked scared, then mad all over again. He stabbed her again, and again, and again. Money got in a zone, stabbing her anywhere he seen open. He even carved a money sign in her thigh.

I held my stomach and slumped to the floor, I felt like I was going to be sick.

Finally Diamond screams were no more, but Money was still stabbing her. Lotus came to view, she was pointing a shot gun at Money head, her eyes were dark and fearless. She cocked it back and fired directly at his head.