Newspapers / Elizabeth City State University … / Dec. 7, 1993, edition 1 / Page 7
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The Compass Tuesday, December 7,1993 7 husband, Isley Brian Keyes, was cheating on me. "Oh, man, check out Ken and Barbie," Centavis howled as he let us in. '7«s' Iwut to do this liquor. Have some?" Isley shrugged. "Why not?" I requested lots of ice. Centavisrolled hisbeady red eyes. "The girl don'twcintto get nice. Isley, whatchoo mary her fb'?" Isley squeezed n>e around my waist. "Cause she good in bed, man." Centavis couldn't stop laughing as he handed me a short gl^ filled with ice chunks and rum. "Damn, Ice Dog, you tellin' me son>ehin' I might want to find out!" "Keep dreamin', Centavis. Isley don't share." "Ain't Isley I want to know 'about. I want to know what you share," Centavis leered. "I said, "Really, Centavis, you need to learn some manners." 'Teach me, Ga-tina." Isle/ssilence frustrated me andlrolled my eyes at tt\e two of them. 'Tm going to talk to Keisha. I know she'll give me some intelligent conversa tion. ( Keisha was spraying her thick jet-black Goddess braids witha sweet-smelling oil sheen when I entered their bedroom. It was the same deep blue and black as the rest of the apartment. Tall green stalks set in heavy blue ceramic pots—that were scattered around the seventh-floor apart ment, guarded the four comers of their waterbed. A musky smelling incense burned dowly in a ceramic holder on the chest of drawers to tt»e left of her three- mirrored vanity, j She stopped humming to the Vesta love songblasting from the stereo. "Hey, gill, with them damn stacks on, Manute Bol comes to yo' shoulders." I snorted. "And with your stacks on, you and Tatoo still don't see eye to eye." She laughed. "So whas up with you other than you and the Green Giant are twins?" I let that one slide. "Nothing other than the fact that your man is obnoxious." Keisha laughed. "What you mean by that?" "I should say that he md Isley are assholes." "Oh yeah?" I nodded. "Hell yeah...J know ti\e two of them are frat bl^blah but still....Isley lets Centavis get away with too damn much,giri. Heistoodamnnastyandlam tired of his littie boy games." "Oh come on now, Tina, girl. You know it's all in fun and gannes....'Sides Cents is a good nxx)d....He chill...." "Bull, Keisha. He's drunk and that's no excuse because he acts tiiis way all the damn time." "You are really upset, Tina? Damn, Cents been talkin' to you like tiiat for years....Why#BByouallswollnow?" . ., / "Idon'tknow....Iguessit'sallgettingto I ms, Keisha joined me on the cuduoned window seat. "What you mean?" I bit my lip. "Keisha, have you ever been....uh, suspicious and had no damn reason to be suspicious?" "Suspicious? Who are you suspicious ofT' "Isley." 'Tina, you aint talkin' to me right....Go 'head on with what you want to say." "I want to ....really. But I just don't know how... J guess it's nothing, I mean, Isley loves n>e. He does. He said so." I^isha finished her beer and reached for thepackofdgaretteson the vanity. "If you say so, Tina." "I did say so." terrupted him. "Ya'Ureadyr Centavis jumped. "BabyGirl! Whythe the hell you sneakin' up on me?" "laintsneakin'! Ya'll aint sayin'nothin' I want to hear 'bout." "Hmpff." "What is up, Isley?" "Nothing much....You and Gatina fin ished chitchatting?" I nodded. "Yeah....Did we interrupt you and Centavis? Isley shook his head. "No." "Good." We exchanged tig^\t smiles as Keisha discovered that the rum was also a menrtory. "Deimn! Whatchoo do. Cents? Put a straw in the bottle? I “My husband, the man who promised to bve, honorard dierish me forever last Valentine’s Day, could be plan ning a rendezvous vi/ith another woman. ” n "Don't sound like you too sure." I huffed at her that I was most certain of myself. She nodded. "Uh-huh....Damn,Ihope Cents stops somewhere 'cause I am hun gry as hell." j I was grateful that she changed the / object. "Keisha, why don't you cook?'V "Cook? Are you mad, Tina? Why"| should 1 have to cook when I have a man who can take meouttoeat?" Shespritzed perfume behind her ears and between her cleavage. 'Thas what restaurants are fo'. After three years at Golden Corral and Dizzie's, I want somebody to wai t on . me fo a change." / ckwactk "Uh-huh, well I hope his drunk ass isn't driving 'cause if you ride with him you'll have more than dinner to worry am ret to get mine on and ya'll drink up 'everything fo' I can get to it..." Centavis frowned as he put a bottle of beertohislips. "Giri,youknowyou'Uget yours later....We be ready wh^ I finish dis." "Haven't you had enough?" I asked. "Gatina, let the man just finish it, so we can go." I r i "In a hurry, Isley?" I wondered, giving j him a sweet smile. He shook his head. "No, but I'm tired of sitting around here." Centavis wobbled up and patted his pockets. "Lennme find my kej^....I think they in the room." 'i think you betta leave 'em in there. Wecan take Tina'scar ...Right, Tina,girl?" "I think you betta shut up thinkin'....Go about" r get my keys.Baby Girl." Her Newport and two bottles of beer j "Centavis, baby-" were a menwry as she slid into her plat- \ He gave her a swift kick to the ass that form shoes and clipped on a pair of gold earrings. Gently, she fingered the braids that circled her head. She looked like a cone with a swirl of chocolate ice cream on top. 'Tina, don't lecture....I am ret to go. How 'bout you?" I followed her into the living room where Centavis and Isley were talking in hushed tones. The empty bottle of rum sat on the chaise lounger like a forgotten child. ^ "Man, I don't know 'bout dat...I mean how you 'posed to do dis?" huriedheroutof theroom. "I think you betta go get them damn keys." Isley looked at me, then, turned away. >. "Centavis, you..." Islej^s glare cut me short. I tried not to let it worry me but every five minutes I was checking the rear and side view mirrors of Isle/s car. 'They gone be okay." "You amaze me, Isley. So damn calm when you know you're wrong." "Now what the hell does that mean." "You should've stopped them." "It's none of my business...It's none of Centavis was saying before Keishain-1 your business. You know that Cents is It^ - uS-? cV gone do what he wants to do." "NO DAMN GOOD, ISLEY!!! Some times I think you're scared of hinn." "This isn't what you want to do, Gatina." "Do whatr "You don't want to go there with that.....This isn't what you want to fight about" "Do you have something for us to fight about?" "I don't want it to be a fight, Gatina. I think we can talk about it like grown folks instead of yelling like children." "You are willing to take tiiat risk, Isley?" Isley drove in silence until we reached the Wharehouse District on waterfront's edge. Wharehouses that onces bulged with tobaccoduringandentauctionsnow housed restaurants and chic boutiques. La Nailz, the trendy nail salon, was a block over from the glitzy Nightlife. Vermena's, named for and operated by lsley'sgrandmother,wastwodoorsdown from La Nailz. River Qty considered having a business in the Old Tobacco center sophisticated. "Isley?" "You want to do this now?" We cruised by people who had shed themselves of the rat race's combat gear for Ae camofiauge of the night Men dressed in the silk shirts and women with heads bombarded with hair spray mingled on the sidewalk. The thought that one of those women could be that faceless voice awaiting the arms of my husband haunted me until we found a park, and entered the club. "Do you want a drink?" I shook my head. "Well, I need one." I watched him weave through the bob bing crowd until he reached one of the three moving bars. The moving bars crept along so that the drunkest patron wouldn't fall on his ass while purchasing another drink. "Girl, you need to get a life." "Oh yeah?" Keisha plopped into the iron-backed chair beside mine. She had this dreamy look on her face and a glossy look in her eyes. "Hell yeah. Who you lookin' fo'?" "You." She shook her head in slow motion. "Naw...You know where I eim." "How long have you been here?" She shrugged. "I have no idea, Tinaaaaa Lets go get a drink." " Whaf s your poison. Miss?" asked the bulky bartender. "Qub soda for me...and, Keisha, what about you?" "Ahh, vodka and O.J. Simpson...! mean orange juice." The bartender returned with our drinks. "Hereyougo..Hey,where'syour friend?" I turned around to see that Centavis had a strong grip on her.... Fiction continue on page 12 1—1 1 Ovcuorci^
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