In Need of You

Chapter Seventeen

"Come on, babycakes," Sabrina said, tying up her apron. "We've got to get ready. Uncle Edward is going to be here any minute now."

Madeline ran behind Sabrina, pulling on her backpack. She glanced at the dining room table and grabbed her three favorite books, stuffing them under her arm. She walked toward the couch, took a seat, and directed her attention on the television. She sang and bobbed her head along with the Power Puff Girls theme song.

Sabrina stopped in her rapid movement throughout the small kitchen and watched her. She smiled. No matter how many times Howard left rude messages on her phone threatening to fire her if she didn't get her ass to work, seeing Madeline happy was the greatest relief she could get. 

A banging at the door caught them both off guard. It could have been Tinesha, Sabrina thought. She was known for making a dramatic entrance and exit. She looked through the peephole. Mr. Garrison stood there with an unlit cigarette in his mouth and his arms folded. His blue and white striped button-down shirt looked like it was choking him, or maybe that was the peephole distorting his image. 

"Hey, Mr. Garrison," Sabrina said, standing outside of her apartment door. 

"Here," he said, handing her a pink slip of paper. "You've got twenty-four to get out of here."

"What?" Sabrina glared at the man with furrowed eyebrows. "I just paid you last Friday. My rent isn't due until the fifteenth of next month."

"Listen," he said, pointing a finger in her face, "The neighbors have been complaining that your apartment smells of marijuana, and on top of that, you've been selling the shit from here too."

"What? Hold the hell up," Sabrina said. She snatched the paper from Mr. Garrison's chubby fingers. "I've never sold drugs from my apartment, Mr. Garrison. Who told you that lie?"

"The neighbors don't lie."

"They don't lie? Half of them smell of marijuana on a daily basis, and I've never seen you evict any of them, so why me?"

"If you don't leave the premises within twenty-four hours, I'll call the cops on your uppity ass, lady."

"Are you serious with this shit right now, Mr. Garrison?" Sabrina asked. "I've got to be at work in the next ten minutes, and you're going to call the cops on me because you refuse to answer a question I just asked you." 

"I don't have to answer your quest--"

Sabrina closed the door in Mr. Garrison's face. Pressing her back against it, she wiped away a tear, then looked at her daughter with a smile. How in the hell did she get evicted for selling drugs? She and Madeline were hardly home most times, especially if she was working overtime at Soul Bistro. This was crazy. 

Mr. Garrison continued to bang on the door as he yelled her name. "I know you hear me, Ms. Ellis. Open up this door."

"Mommy," Madeline said, walking toward Sabrina and wrapping her arms around her waist. "What's going on?"

Another tear slid down her cheek. "I don't know, Maddie," she responded. She pulled her phone from the pocket of her apron and dialed Elisha's work phone. "But mommy will figure something out, okay." She kissed the child's forehead. 

Listening to the phone ring, Sabrina closed her eyes. How was she going to get Madeline past this crazy-ass man trying his best to pound a hole in her apartment door, former apartment door, she wondered. 

"Hey, beautiful," Elisha answered. 

Hearing his voice was like a soothing blanket wrapping a crying child. "Lisha," she said with a sob.