Death Befits Me

Same ol Shit

The next day I awoke on my own. The sun was peering through the only window in our room. I turned under the sheets and faced Candice who hadn’t wakened yet. Her hair was scruffy and her face bore a scowl, like she was experiencing a bad dream. I flipped over one more time in bed and stared at the dry cinderblock wall.

            Since I had no indignation of what time it was, I rolled out of bed stark naked. The good thing about waking up first was that I get to take a shower before anyone else, which meant hot water. I dragged my feet in our small bathroom, flipping on the lights. Something quickly scurried out of sight, but my eyes weren’t open enough to see what it could have been. I rolled my neck slowly and jerked back the shower curtain, easing inside the tub.

            Time for a hot, refreshing morning shower; I grabbed the bathtub knob and twisted it right. Usually a cold rush of water would strike me before it shot hot, but today that didn’t happen. Nothing happened. I cracked open my eyes, snatching hold of the knob, turning again and again. Still, nothing happened.

            By now my blood began to boil. I hopped out of the shower and swiped a towel off the rack, quickly wrapping my lower body with it. I ran to the kitchen and tried to turn on the water in the sink, but there was nothing. Only one idea crawled into my mind. My legs dashed to the front door while my arms held tight to the towel around me, keeping it from blowing off.

            I swung open the front door and my eyes almost popped out of the skull they lived in. I was outraged but wasn’t surprised to see a pink notice on the door. I had no reason to read it; I already experienced what the note would have told me. Seeing that water termination notice hanging on my door was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I gripped the door handle with my strong hand and slammed it shut as hard as I could.

              There’s only one person responsible for this. “Candice!” I shouted, entering my room. Candice shifted under the cover like she didn’t hear me. That pissed me off even more. I raised my right leg and kicked the side of the bed she slept on, making her jerk up in the sheets. “Wake up nigga!”

            “Ricky what the fuck?” she muttered, turning to face my rage.

            “The Got damn water aint workin’!” I exclaimed. “Why the hell you aint pay the damn bill?”

            Candice’s eyes were still closed, but she heard what I said. Her mouth curved into a frown, presenting a disgusted guise on her face. “Get out my face with that bull shit Ricky. I been up all night! I’m trynna get some sleep.”

            “What!” I stepped even closer to her, kneeling down to her level. “Nigga, I’m all up in yo face nigga. Why the fuck you aint pay the Got damn water bill Candy!”

            Candice sat up straighter in the bed and her eyes tore open, tossing me an evil stare. “Cause I don’t get paid til’ Friday! How the fuck I’m gon’ pay the water bill, if I aint no motha’ fuckin’ money!” She yelled.

            Now I knew Candice’s second job at Waffle house paid her every two weeks, but why would you say you’re going to pay the water bill, if you knew you didn’t have the money. “What kind of sense does that make?” I asked, trying to make her feel dumb. “You say you gon’ pay the bill, but you aint got the money to pay that shit? That’s like me goin’ to a nigga and tellin’ em ‘Imma pay ya Tuesday,’ even though I aint gon’ have the fuckin’ money til’ Sunday…” Candice stared at me fiercely, I could tell she was fed up with my mouth, but I didn’t care. “If you would think before you act sometimes then we wouldn’t be in this situation, and I wouldn’t have to fuss you out. But you always do the same dumb shit.”