Cassie got to the bar first thing in the morning. She was still mad at her sister but she knew her heart wouldn't let her hold her to anything. She walked in the empty bar not noticing how ran down it really looked. The walls were peeling, the floors were multiple colors, the speakers sounded under water, and the smell was unbearable.
"Hello," a waitress said coming from the back.
"I'm here for Obsin," Cassie said slowly trying to not mess up.
"You mean Olpida," Cassie nodded
"Follow me ma'am," Cassie did as told.
"Aye O you got," she looked at Cassie for her name.
"Cassie," she whispered gripping her book bag.
"Cassie looking for you," she pointed to the deep freezer in the kitchen.
Cassie walked further into the kitchen very cautiously. She walked to the deep freezer to see Olapido taking a shot. He shot his eyes in her direction. She looked at the floor.
"You came," he was shocked.
"Yea,"she moved her bag to the other shoulder.
"Aye listen don't tell anyone about that shot," his voice was not playful. He was serious.
"What shot," Cassie smiled.
He nodded.
"Well let's get started," he walked back towards the bar area.
"So tonight we will not be as busy as yesterday," he sighed," but nonetheless you need to act as if it is a lot of people here. Each table you deliver a drink or food or whatever you need to act like its hot potato if you take to long you will get burned aka lose a customer."
"Ok," she looked at him then back at the tables.
"Yup," he pointed to the stage," that area is off limits. If anyone goes up there call security."
She nodded.
"Now go with Franky," he pointed to the girl that first greeted Cassie," she will find you something to wear."
"Ok," Cassie did as told
---
"Excuse me," a woman said shaking her hand. Cassie walked over.
"I ordered 30 minutes ago," the angry woman yelled.
"Sorry," Cassie looked away," We are low on staff."
"I don't give a shit," the women got up from her seat.
"Lisa," Cassie assumed her husband said grabbing her. She was way bigger than Cassie so when he stopped her Cassie was truly grateful.
Cassie gave the woman what she ordered then processed to a table by the Stage. The people whom was occupying it was wasted. Cassie could smell all the heavy liquor on thier breath. One of the guys at the table got on the stage turning on the mic.
"Sir please get down," Cassie whispered.
"This is for my awesome ass waitress," He said while pointing to her with a dazed look. Cassie smiled at the crowd.
"She is going to sing for you aall," he said shortly before he handed her the mic.
She looked over at Olapido and smiled. He nodded as if indicating go ahead. She turned on the Karaoke machine.
"This goes to all my sisters in the building," she took the pin out of her hair to let it fall down. A Acoustic Version Of Keep us head up blared from the speaker.
"Some say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice
I say the darker the flesh then the deeper the roots," she smiled at a drunk woman singing with her.
"I give a holler to my sisters on welfare
Tupac cares, if don't nobody else care And uhh, I know they like to beat ya down a lot
When you come around the block brothas clown a lot," Cassie saw Olapido and Franky exchanging some words.
"But please don't cry, dry your eyes, never let up
Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up
And when he tells you you ain't nothin' don't believe him
And if he can't learn to love you you should leave him" a lady in the bar said that's right.
"Cause sista you don't need him
And I ain't tryin to gas up, I just call em how I see em
You know it makes me unhappy
When brothas make babies, and leave a young mother to be a pappy
And since we all came from a woman
Got our name from a woman and our game from a woman
I wonder why we take from our women
Why we rape our women, do we hate our women?"
I think it's time to kill for our women
Time to heal our women, be real to our women
And if we don't we'll have a race of babies
That will hate the ladies, that make the babies
And since a man can't make one
He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one
So will the real men get up
I know you're fed up ladies, but you gotta keep your head up," She smiled at the drunk lady from earlier
"the Keep ya head up, oooo child things are gonna get easier
Ooooo child things are gonna get brighter
Keep ya head up, oooo child things are gonna get easier
Ooooo child things are gonna get brighter ," Cassie handed the drunk lady her mic.
Cassie jumped off the stage and ran towards the bar. Franky was in tears with anger in her tone while Olapido was cold. There was so much tension in the air.
"Listen Olapido that stage was not for anyone especially her," she was grabbing her stuff.
"Frank you are tripping it was just a misunderstanding," O said dismissively. Franky mugged at Cassie.
"No O you always put shit before her and look how that turned out," Olapido grabbed Franky up.
"Get out and Don't come back," he nearly yelled.
The bar was silenced.
"Everyone get the fuck out," Everyone left without problems except Cassie.
"Did you hear me," Cassie ignored him and went to clean the tables.
"Hello," he grabbed her.
"I'm finishing my hours," she looked into his eyes.
"Whatever you are done just go," she still continued to clean.
"Fine," he walked away his anger overcoming him. He needed air to think.
Cassie finished cleaning up then went looking for Olapido. When she found him she sat a ways away from him. They were outside the thick New York air was making the mood even more tense.
"You paid off your sisters bill," He put a cigarette to his lips. He was ashamed of the habit but lately he found them to be the only thing that can help him breathe.
"Ok Ill see you around," Cassie got up dusting off her pants.
"Bye," he murmured taking another hit.
"Dont say Bye. Bye is forever so unless you are planning on dying tomorrow say Ill see you soon," Cassie said with a smile.
"See you soon," He smiled . She smiled back then disappeared down the empty street .
