“Yo, I’ll be back,” Tone suddenly announced, he felt awkward standing there watching the process. “Anybody need anything while I’m gone? Soda? Juice? Bag of chips? Somethin’ to eat?”
Aja remained quiet. She shook her head as she continued doing Netta’s hair.
“You could bring me a bag of chips,” Netta suggested. “That’ll hold me over til later. Aja you want somethin’ baby?”
“No, thank you,” she replied. “I ate before I got here.”
“Aiight, I’ll be right back,” Tone said, exiting the room.
While the two females busied themselves with the hair braiding, Tone had more things on his agenda than just going to get refreshments. He also went and got the television and the phone turned on in the room. He paid for it a week in advance, even though he was unsure of how long Netta was going to stay. However long she planned to be there, Tone wanted her to at least be comfortable.
Sonya sat patiently in the car as she watched Bri approaching. She hoped her friend had some information on the person Tone was going to visit.
“Busted!” Bri announced, jumping into the driver’s seat. “Got his azz!”
“Who is he up there seein’?” Sonya asked.
“Some bitch named Shanetta Jackson,” Bri replied. “You know her? Does that name ring a bell? Huh?”
“No,” Sonya said somberly.
Sonya was barely able to look her friend in the eye, not because she was embarrassed, but because she was so mad.
“How you find out?” she wondered.
Bri answered, “I went right up to the security guard at the visitation desk a few seconds after Tone and that young girl got on the elevator. I told him my boyfriend just went upstairs, but I didn’t know what room he went to. The security guard gave me the name and room number.”
She sighed. “Let’s go before I go up there and do somethin’ I regret. Like gettin’ arrested.”
Bri did as she was told without saying another word. This was Sonya’s situation, so if she wanted to deal with it in this manner, then she had every right to. Bri didn’t want to influence her one way or another. She wouldn’t make any awkward attempts at small talk. Tone’s cheating was the elephant in the room. Bri had done her job, now she was just there for support.
In Sonya’s mind it was a good time to be alone. She just wanted to go home and bury her head underneath the covers and cry her eyes out.
The young girl worked quickly and Netta’s braids were done by lunchtime. Netta picked up the mirror and examined herself. Finally, she looked presentable. Putting braids in her hair was always a good idea, but depending on who did them and how they were styled, the end result could be a different story. Fortunately Netta liked her braids. She thought the young girl did a real good job.
“Thank you, Aja. You really took care of me,” Netta complimented her.
“You welcome,” the young girl replied.
Now Netta felt dignified. This was a step in the right direction to getting back to normal. That’s all she craved, a little normalcy after her world had been turned upside down.
Suddenly, the nurse walked into the room just as Netta was admiring herself. It was time for Netta to take her pain medication.
“Well, well, good morning ladies,” she spoke as she handed Netta a small cup filled with two pills. “Looks like you have been busy this morning, Shanetta,” Nurse McNeil said. “I like the braids, they really fit you.”
“Thanks, Nurse McNeil,” Netta remarked while dumping the contents of the cup into her mouth.
“Here you go,” the nurse said, handing her a cup of water.
Netta washed the medication down and then handed her back the cup.
“Do you mind if I take this lunch tray away,” the nurse asked.
“Be my guest,” she replied as she waved her hand at the bland food. “I wasn’t plannin’ on eatin’ that.”
“I see,” Nurse McNeil stated, grabbing the tray and exiting the room.
Simultaneously, as the nurse exited the room, Tone entered. They greeted each other while headed in the opposite direction.
“That’s more like it,” Tone said, admiring her braids.
“You tellin’ me,” Netta replied sarcastically. “I feel like a new woman.”
“Well lemme take Aja home and I’ll be right back,” Tone mentioned.
By the time she had packed up her things to leave, Netta thanked Aja a million times as she walked out the door. Acting as her escort, Tone drove her back to East Baltimore.
Once again Netta was alone with her thoughts. However, her isolation didn’t last long, Rasheeda, Fila and Petey entered the room.
“Netta!” They all seemed to say in unison.
Individually they all went over to her, hugging and kissing Netta and wishing her well. Her eyes were wide as she soaked in all the love from the Pussy Pound. Netta couldn’t but wonder where the missing member, Mimi, was.
“What’s up with Mimi?” Netta asked.
Rasheeda responded, “She’s a mess. We don’t fuck wit’ her. Her ass strung out on dope.”
“What?” Netta speculated. “I don’t believe you!”
Netta was stunned by the news. This wasn’t your average he say she say or your typical ghetto gossip. This was a bad bone to put on someone if it weren’t true. So there must be some validity in what they were saying. Everyone couldn’t be conspiring to throw dirt on Mimi’s name.
“You don’t gotta believe me,” Rasheeda answered. “Wait til you get up outta here. I guarantee you’ll hear about her. The streets can tell you better than me.” The information that she had received didn’t sit well with her.
Netta was deeply disappointed in Mimi, her best friend, her ace, her everything, now turned drug addict. How or why Mimi got hooked on dope was beyond her. They all knew how she felt about drug usage. Netta had voiced her opinion on several different occasions.
“I swear, I ain’t never going out like that. I’d rather die first than live like that. And if any of you bitches get hooked on dope, y’all cut the fuck
