Taboo 2, p.10
Taboo 2, page 10
Three days later, after the funeral services for Miss Carrie, family and friends gathered at the Gordon home on Halsey Street. Rasheed didn’t even notice the people who came in and out of the house, let alone the funeral services. His mind was in a blur as he thought about his grandmother and all the good times that they had.
Rasheed felt shame as he recalled all the times that he had gotten into trouble. He knew that she’d worried about him. Miss Carrie worried about all her children and grandchildren, especially after her oldest children, Peppy and Lavon, were murdered.
Kemp walked over and sat next to Rasheed on the chaise longue. Everyone was filing in and out of the living room, helping themselves to the delicious food that was being served in the kitchen. Rasheed didn’t have the energy or the appetite to eat anything.
Kemp put his arm around Rasheed’s broad shoulders. He knew that Rasheed would take the death the hardest. Miss Carrie had been instrumental in making sure that she made up for the loss of his mother. It was something that Rasheed would never forget.
“What’s up, nephew?” Kemp said softly. “I know you’re not okay, but I wanted to come over here and give you some kind of comfort.”
Rasheed sighed and wiped a tear from his eye. “I know, Unc. Thanks, man.”
“Damn, I’m gonna miss Ma, but you know what? She’s not sufferin’ anymore.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I know I wanted her to be here for my own selfish reasons, but she was too sick, Unc. She was fightin’ it but she just couldn’t do it anymore.”
“Well, this house isn’t gonna be the same.” Kemp nodded at a few of his mother’s friends. “By the way, Ma left us some money, but I don’t even need that shit. You can have it.”
Rasheed smiled. “Thanks, Unc, but I can’t take that money.”
“So you know what you do with it? Put it in a fund for Messiah. Sierra would appreciate that.”
“That’s cool, but I don’t know what she appreciates anymore. Speakin’ of Sierra, did she come to the funeral?”
Kemp shook his head. “I’m not sure. I didn’t see her at the wake, either, but that doesn’t mean that she didn’t show up.”
At that moment, the Charles twins, India and Asia, walked over to Rasheed. They looked good in their allblack attire. Kemp looked up at them and glanced at his nephew, who was emotionally drained. Kemp said hello, excused himself, and walked to the other side of the room. Asia sat beside Rasheed, and India sat on the other side of her sister.
“I wanted to come to you and give you my personal condolences,” Asia began. Rasheed gave her the side eye. Her expensive Bvlgari perfume tickled his nose hair. “I haven’t seen you in a minute, and when I heard about your Nana, me and my sister had to come and give you support.”
Rasheed managed to smile. “Thanks, ladies. I’m just going through it right now, but y’all look good.” He checked out their expensive threads. “I hope that y’all not still on that stolen credit card bullshit.”
They both grinned. “Hell no,” replied India with a smile. “You won’t believe this, Rah, but we’re correction officers now.”
Rasheed’s face lit up. “Damn. That’s what’s up. They must be givin’ away shields if you two are COs.”
India laughed. “That’s what we said,” she said. “But at least we’re finally gettin’ our shit together. We’re gettin’ older, and, one day, we both wanna settle down and even have kids and husbands. We don’t need to have our kids doin’ the same things that we did growing up.”
“But how did y’all manage to get law enforcement jobs? Haven’t you two been locked up before?”
“Man, we got our records expunged. It cost us some bread, but lucky for us they were all misdemeanors,” said India.
Rasheed was impressed. And for some reason, Asia was unusually quiet and wouldn’t stop staring at him. He made eye contact with her as well.
India sensed her sister’s moment of opportunity and excused herself so that the two could be alone.
“I’m gonna go over here and talk to a few people,” said India. “Hold your head, Rah.”
“No doubt, India,” Rasheed replied, giving her a nod. It was time to give his undivided attention to Asia. “So what’s been up with you?” he asked.
Asia crossed her legs, exposing some French vanilla thigh, and smiled sweetly. “I’m fine. What’s up with you, Rah?”
“Well, my Nana’s passin’ has got me down, but losin’ my mind isn’t goin’ to change anything. I’m officially livin’ back in Brooklyn so now I can see my son as much as possible. I need that balance, you know.”
“What’s your son’s name again?”
“Messiah Amir Gordon. He’s two years old.”
“So how are you and his mother doin’? Are you two tryin’ to work on the relationship?” she asked.
“We’re not gettin’ back together. She’s moved on, and I guess I did too.”
Asia shook her head. “I hear that, but do you and her still talk to each other? You do have a son together.”
Rasheed shrugged, reluctant to give her any details about the relationship between him and Sierra. Even though she looked good as hell, he didn’t want Asia all in his personal business.
“Yeah, we talk,” Rasheed replied. “We’re civil toward each other,” he added.
She quickly changed the subject. “You do know that I always liked you, right, Rah?”
“You liked me?” he asked, pointing at his chest.
“Yeah, I liked you, but you ended up gettin’ with Tamir. I was there the first day y’all started kickin’ it with each other.”
He smiled at the memory of that day. He remembered that Tamir was with a friend who was just as cute as she was. “That was you?”
Asia nodded. Rasheed got very quiet all of a sudden. He was grieving enough; he didn’t need any more memories of his late ex-girlfriend, Tamir.
“You look real good, Asia. I’m definitely likin’ what I see, for real.”
She blushed. “I’m likin’ what I see too. Look, I know you have a lot goin’ on right now, so let’s exchange numbers. When you feel up to it, call me.”
They exchanged numbers and Asia kissed Rasheed on the cheek. Then she stood up to leave. “I’ll be lookin’ forward to hearin’ from you,” she said, blowing another kiss at him. Rasheed’s eyes followed the silhouette of Asia’s curvaceous body.
“You’ll be hearin’ from me real soon,” he said to himself. He waved at India as she and Asia walked out the front door.
Twenty minutes later, Rasheed felt that he was composed enough to start making rounds. Just as he was about to do that, he heard a familiar voice in the foyer talking to his aunt, Sharee. When he walked over, Sierra was standing there, holding Messiah in her arms.
Chapter 12
Sierra
It was the night before Miss Carrie’s funeral. When Sierra told Lamont that she was going to pay her respects, he didn’t object to it at all.
“If that’s what you feel you like you gotta do, then go ahead and do it,” Lamont said with a loud sigh. She’d noticed that he had been sort of standoffish lately.
“So that’s it,” Sierra replied. “I’m not gonna hear about this later on?”
Lamont shook his head. “No, you’re not. I’m done with it.”
“Okay, well, the funeral is tomorrow. I’m not gonna be able to go to the services, but I would like to go to the house afterward. That’s the least I can do.” Sierra didn’t see Lamont giving her a nasty look. “Well, thank you for understanding, babe,” she added, kissing him on the lips.
“Good night, Sierra.” Lamont turned off the light and climbed in the bed. He turned his back to her and was snoring in less than five minutes. Sierra lay in the dark with her eyes open. She wasn’t able to get any sleep that night.
The day of the funeral, Sierra entered the Gordon home, and Rasheed’s aunt, Sharee, was more than happy to welcome her inside. Rasheed immediately walked over to greet her and Messiah. He took the baby from Sierra and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“What’s up, Si? I didn’t think that you would show up here,” he said.
“I came to pay my respects. Miss Carrie was always very nice to me and I really cared about her. She was such a beautiful person,” Sierra replied. “I would have liked to have been at the wake and the funeral but I couldn’t make it.”
“That’s okay, Si. I’m just happy that you and Messiah were able to come out.” Rasheed kissed Messiah’s chubby cheeks. “Nana was beautiful, a good woman, a good everything. I just hate that she had to die like this and so soon.”
“I know. It’s so messed up when you lose a loved one. I lost my father when I was younger and I still cry sometimes. I am truly sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. I appreciate that,” Rasheed said, giving Sierra a hug.
Kemp walked over to where Sierra and Rasheed were standing. He took Messiah out of Rasheed’s arms.
“What’s up, Miss Sierra?” Kemp said with a smile. He kissed her on the cheek. “I’m glad that you came. Rah is even happier now that you showed up! Look at him. He can’t stop smilin’!”
Rasheed nudged Kemp’s arm. He was smiling from ear to ear. He couldn’t deny that he was happy to see Sierra and Messiah.
“Man, whatever!” Rasheed exclaimed. “I was real stressed out, but seein’ you and Messiah made me feel better.”
Sierra blushed. She hadn’t expected this type of reception from the Gordon clan.
Everything is goin’ good so far, she thought.
Sierra assumed they understood why she had stayed away from them for so long. She had to do what was best for her and her child.
Sierra followed Rasheed into the huge living room. Most of people who had attended the funeral were standing around, drinking and talking. She figured that most of the people were relatives and some were ex-coworkers of Miss Carrie. Rasheed even introduced her to some of them.
When Sierra finally came face-to-face with Rasheed’s uncles, Nayshawn and Shaka, they embraced her as well. Rasheed finally introduced his brother, Karim, to Sierra, and Kemp immediately passed Messiah to his proud uncle. Karim beamed with delight at the sight of his only nephew. This put Sierra at ease, but, unfortunately, that feeling would be short-lived.
“Well, well, well! Look who the wind blew in,” said Rasheed’s aunt, Carrie, who was visibly drunk. She took a sip of her drink and scowled at Sierra. “Never thought we would see you or my great-nephew again,” she added.
Sierra shook her head. Coming there might have been a mistake after all. I knew that it was too good to be true. Let me find out if I gotta whip some ass in here today, Sierra thought.
Carrie Gordon, who was the most outspoken and obnoxious of the Gordons, was extremely upset by her mother’s passing. She had had one too many cups of Hennessy Black and Coke that day.
“Well, I’m here now,” Sierra sarcastically replied. She didn’t want to have to tell anyone off while the family was grieving. She wondered if Carrie was still upset about the fracas that she and Tamir had in her beauty salon a few years before. There was some property damage and, of course, Carrie had not forgotten the mess.
“Hmph,” said Carrie. “People think that they’re too good to come around us! Personally, I think you should take your bougie ass back to wherever the hell you came from,” she said, taking yet another sip of her drink.
Carrie’s older brother, Shaka, grabbed her arm. “C’mon, Carrie! It’s Ma’s home goin’ and I see you’re tryin’ to start some shit. This is not the time or place for this!” Shaka said through clenched teeth. “Pardon Carrie, Sierra. She just had too much to drink! It’s the liquor talkin’.”
Rasheed intervened. Sierra could tell he was about to be pissed off. “Yo, Carrie, what the hell is wrong with you? You’re embarrassin’ everybody!”
Carrie gave Sierra the once-over, rolled her eyes at Rasheed, and then looked at Shaka.
“First of all, Shaka, I ain’t no damn drunk, okay?” she yelled. “And ain’t shit wrong with me but tryin’ to figure out why is this bitch comin’ around here all of a sudden! I still didn’t get in your ass about fightin’ Tamir in my fuckin’ shop! As a matter of fact, didn’t your little boyfriend, whatever the hell his name is, isn’t he the one who killed Tamir? Yeah, mm-hmm, it’s because of your ass that that girl is dead! You’re a troublemaker and I don’t want my nephew nowhere near you!”
Sierra sucked her teeth. She didn’t come there for foolishness.
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, Carrie! Yeah, I had a fight with Tamir in your shop. I apologize for that, but I was defendin’ myself! And as far as Rasheed is concerned, he wanted me here and that’s why I’m not goin’ anywhere!”
Carrie pointed her finger in Sierra’s face while looking at her nephew. “Rah, why are you even fuckin’ with this foul bitch?” she spat. “As a matter of fact, how do you know if this baby is even yours?”
“Whoa, Carrie! You’re runnin’ your mouth a little too much!” Rasheed yelled.
“Did you just say what I think you said?” Sierra shouted, stepping one inch closer to Carrie’s face. She could smell the liquor on her breath. “It’s one thing to fuck with me, but don’t fuck with my child!”
The Gordon men attempted to quiet them down, but to no avail. At this point, Sierra had had enough. She was going through too much at home with Lamont just to be there for Rasheed. To have this type of disrespect directed at her from Carrie had put Sierra in a place that she never thought she would have to revisit.
Seeing what was about to go down, Rasheed stepped in between the two women. The other brothers were trying to talk to their sister, and Sharee attempted to keep Sierra calm.
Meanwhile, Carrie was still running her mouth. She must have figured that the petite Sierra was scared of her. Little did she know, Sierra was far from being a punk, or getting punked by anyone for that matter.
“Rasheed,” Sierra said. “You don’t have to stand in between us. I’m good.”
Rasheed was hesitant to move. He glanced at his Aunt Carrie, who had a smirk on her face, and Sierra, who seemed as if she had calmed down a little.
“Are you sure?” he asked Sierra.
“I’m sure,” she replied, tying her long hair into a knotted ponytail.
All of a sudden, Sierra reached around Rasheed and punched Carrie in the face. The two women began fighting right in the middle of the living room of the Gordon home. They were pulling hair and punching each other uncontrollably.
Children were crying and adults were yelling for someone to break it up. Furniture and food were falling all over the place as Sierra got the best of Carrie. She was beating her mercilessly as people who were not related to the Gordon family scrambled to get out the front door.
The relatives tried unsuccessfully to intervene in the fight between the two women. The wild catfight went on for a few minutes as Carrie’s older brothers, Shaka and Nayshawn, tried to pull them apart, and Sharee attempted to pry Sierra’s hands from Carrie’s long hair. Their dresses were ripped and Sierra’s left breast was almost exposed.
“Get off of me!” screamed Carrie. Sierra finally let Carrie’s hair go and Sharee held her sister back. Rasheed held on to Sierra, whose hair was covering her face.
Everyone gathered around to see what was going to happen next. Karim walked up to Sierra, holding the crying Messiah in his arms. The toddler reached for his mother, but Kemp took him instead.
Rasheed was livid but Sierra didn’t care. She felt that she’d had to prove to Carrie that she was no sucker.
“Give me my son, Kemp! We’re outta here!” Sierra yelled, attempting to fix her ripped dress. “I don’t need to be anywhere where I’m goin’ to be disrespected!”
“So get the fuck out, bitch!” screamed Carrie, beaten up and in a drunken stupor. Her brothers were still trying to calm her down. Carrie’s clothes were in disarray, and it looked like Sierra had done a number on her swollen mug.
Rasheed immediately helped Sierra gather up her things, and walked her outside to her truck. She was so humiliated, and she was pretty sure that Rasheed was too.
She began crying as soon as they got outside. “Rah, I’m so sorry! I hope you know that I didn’t come here to start any trouble!”
Rasheed hugged her, with Messiah still in his arms. “It’s not your fault. I know that she’s upset about Nana, but I don’t know what that has to do with you.”
Sierra wiped her tearstained cheeks and opened her car door. “I don’t know. Shit, I have never done anything to that woman! I barely even know Carrie, but, like I said, I’m not gonna sit around and let anybody disrespect me, I don’t give a fuck who the person is!”
Rasheed put Messiah in his car seat and made sure that it was securely fastened. He gave his son a kiss and closed the rear door. Then he hugged Sierra and kissed her on the lips. Sierra blinked back her tears and kissed him too. They stood there silently for a few moments, just staring at each other.
“I gotta go, Rasheed. I shouldn’t have come here.”
“Please don’t feel like that, and don’t worry about Carrie. My grandmother’s passin’ is tearin’ her apart right now, so she lashed out at you, but trust me, that shit won’t happen anymore.”
Sierra hugged Rasheed again before she climbed into her truck and pulled off. She watched in the rearview as he stood at the curb, waving at her.
When she arrived home, Lamont and Trey were not there. Sierra breathed a sigh of relief and undressed the sleeping Messiah, putting him in bed. After taking a nice shower and inspecting her minor injuries, she went into the family room to watch some television.
