Habibet Albi (Incomplete)

Chapter 6: Blue Balls in South Bronx

IT TOOK ALMOST twenty five minutes taking route 87 to get from Highbridge to Hunts Point, because of bumper to bumper traffic caused by a minor car accident. The whole time Phoenix had road rage and didn't bother to strike up conversation with Malik. She drove her used red, Honda 2012 edition CR-V to the peninsula of South Bronx, Hunts Point. Her stereo blasted "Changes" by Tupac as she prowled the streets to see if Hakeem was wandering them.

"I see no changes, wake up in the morning and I ask myself. Is life worth livin'? Should I blast myself?I'm tired of bein' poor and, even worse, I'm black." She sang along to her idol.

"That's really morbid." He commented.

"Yeah but it's my reality." She said without emotion.

She rolled the windows down, the rancid stench of urine, vehicular exhaust and bud invaded her nose, she plugged her nose. She steered her car towards 753 Faile Street. She parked the car on the side of the curb in front of the brick apartment building.

She turned to him, "Stay here and watch my baby. I'll be back." She said with certainty.

"Yeah that's the shit people say before they die in horror movies." He dryly added.

"I use to live around here, I can handle myself."

"I grew up in Syria, where a civil war went on in the streets. Nothing scares me anymore." There was a distant look his eyes.

"I thought you were Jordanian?" Phoenix questioned, confused.

"My father is, my mother's Syrian. When I was five he moved us to Jordan." He stated.

"Ok we'll discuss this later, I need to get Hakeem." She slammed the car door shut.

She knew which apartment Azaan lived in. It was the one on the top floor. She hated heights, it made her uneasy. She opened the entrance door and hiked up the staircase. When she reached the top floor, the unmistakable stench of marijuana flooded her nose. Some guy she didn't recognize stumbled out of the apartment with a half full bottle of Grey Goose.

"Hey shawty, dayumm ma you thick as fuck." He slurred tripping over his own two feet as he tried to approach her.

Phoenix snorted and walked past him into apartment 7D. The door wasn't locked to her luck. When she flung the door open the room made her nauseous with all the smoke and musk. Trap music blared throughout the apartment, drilling into her ears.

On the weathered leather sofa, guys had girls seated on their laps as they took drags of cigarettes and blunts. Most of the girls in the room were nearly naked or topless, bra and everything. What was this a brothel? Phoenix had asthma and coughed on the contaminated air as she made her way to the kitchen.

A group of guys were pouring drinks and chugging them down. Maybe they knew where Hakeem was. One of the guys held a girl under his arm. She immediately recognized him with his thick glasses and gold chain. "Azaan." She shouted.

"What's this bitch doing calling yo name?" The girl aggressively said throwing her sharp acrylic nails in Phoenix's direction.

"Trust me hoe I ain't worried bout your man. I'm tryna find Hakeem. Yah might wanna fix your tracks Synthetic Cynthia." Phoenix insulted getting in her face.

Synthetic Cynthia clamped her mouth shut. All the guys cheered and laughed chanting the girl's new nickname. She just pouted and cursed at them. All bark no bite.

"Oh shit, you're his sister right? He's in one of tha bedrooms." He jerked his head down the hall.

Phoenix didn't bother saying thank you. She was just glad he was cooperative. She navigated through the crowded, small kitchen. Down the hall she opened the first door and a guy stood with his pants pooled around his ankles while a girl was on her knees bobbing her head. The boy gripped her head as she did so. Phoenix saw more of her brother exceedingly beyond what she was comfortable with. If she had that neuralyzer device they flashed at people to erase their memories from Men in Black, she would've voluntarily used it on herself.

With her arm shielding her eyes, she yelled, "Hakeem get yo dumbass out here right now."

Hakeem threw the girl off him and hastily pulled up his boxers and jeans over his waist. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He demanded.

Phoenix dropped her hand and stared at him like he was an escapee from a psychiatric ward."Getting yo wallin' ass back home. You've got school tomorrow you musta hit your head thinking I'd let you pull some shit like this." Phoenix grabbed his arm and dragged him out the room into the kitchen.

Hakeem yanked his arm free. "I ain't going anywhere with you hoe." Acid dripped from his words.

Her jaw dropped. There was no way that her little brother just called her that. She felt like her blood turned into lava. "What did you just call me?" She said in an artificially calm voice like a rubber band that was right about to snap.

"You heard me hoe." He repeated.

"Don't you ever come home, you ungrateful, disrespectful bastard." Phoenix jabbed her index finger into his chest and said through her chattering teeth.

Phoenix stormed out of the smoky, dingy place and raced down the steps. When she emerged outside and got into the driver's seat she turned the key and slammed her foot down on the pedal.

"Where's Hakeem?" Malik asked turning around to see if he was in the back seat.

"He's dead to me." Phoenix lied, as a tear rolled down her cheek. She furiously wiped it away. She was pissed off not sad so why was she crying?

The car was at 70 miles per hour. She barely noticed. She deftly swerved the car around a passing car almost colliding into another car pulling out beside her.

"Stop the car habibti." Malik gently cooed.

Phoenix pulled the car onto the side of the curb and got out. Malik ungracefully climbed over the console and sat in the driver's seat. As soon as she closed the door after she got in, he sped off. Phoenix rested her head against the cool glass. The remainder of the car ride they rode in silence.

"I'll park the car in the garage." He offered when she got out of the vehicle.

She turned around, "Thank you." She gave a small smile.

Jose was sitting outside on the front steps with his hands folded. "Where's Hakeem?" He peered up at her.

"He doesn't want to come home and called me a hoe, so I told him never to come back." Phoenix managed to say through her tightened throat.

Jose rose to his feet and enveloped her into his arms. She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. "Why do the people I love always leave me?" Her voice was muffled.

"He'll come back. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm like herpes you're stuck with me." He joked smiling at her.

"Leave analogies up to me." She teased.

Jose opened the door allowing Phoenix to go in first then followed after. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Malik standing outside lighting a cigarette. When he looked at Malik, his eyes as if sensing him flickered up and met his. Then he kicked the door shut.