“Girl, come on!” Carla snapped, opening the bedroom door. “The sun does not rise and set on your ass. Everyone is waiting.”
“I’m coming.” Tyler stood up. “I’m going to cut out a little early to go see my mama.”
“Girl, she don’t do shit but stare at the wall.”
“And we’ll be staring at it together.”
“So you’re going to just leave your party?”
“Carla, I don’t even know half of these people.”
“Then get down there and introduce yourself. Darryl spent a lot on this party. It’s your birthday and you don’t need to be thinking about nobody else,” Carla reasoned, going into herclutch. Pulling out a mint can, she removed a pill and handed it to her niece. “Here, take this.”
“What is this?” Tyler frowned.
“It’s going to take your mind off everything and allow you to enjoy the party.”
“I'm fine, I’ll just have a drink.” She shook her head.
“You don’t trust me?” Carla accused.
“Not at all.”
“Girl, just take the pill. It’s like a strong Advil or something. You won’t even need to drink.”
“Hm.” Tyler hesitated, reaching for the little pill that would change her life.
“I didn’t say you were a crackhead,” Carla said, snapping Tyler out of her memory. “Just make sure you relax before going to the party. I’ll keep you updated with the label.”
“Thanks.”
“You know I really have your best interests at heart, right?”
“No, you don’t, but I think you tricked yourself into believing it. A good person wouldn't have done half of the things you’ve done or allowed,” Tyler replied. “Oh, and please stop changing my mother’s contact information. I don’t need your help with her.”
“She’s my sister.”
“And she’s my mother. Stop changing her information, please and thank you.”
“Whatever.” Carla waved her off. “I’ll leave this here. Let me know if you need anything else,” she said before quickly slipping out the door.
Tyler stared at the mint can and shook her head.
???
“Good looking, Ms. G.” Logic leaned in to give the elderly woman a hug.
“You know I’m going to look out for you. These other heathens couldn’t get my dirty drawers.” She pursed her lips. “I’ve been staying in these projects long enough to know the difference between the ones that wanna hustle and the ones that need to hustle. It’s a big difference.” She puffed her joint before extending it to Logic, who respectfully declined.
“No, thanks. I gotta couple of things to do.” He sighed, running his hand over his unkempt hair. With the pills he just bought off Ms. G, he planned to go grocery shopping, get the girls' hair treated, and give Sage a couple of dollars.
Dealing pills wasn’t the route he chose, but he was good at it. The money was quick, and thanks to a few of the other women around the projects, he was able to get them at a discounted price. While other dealers had to scheme and fuck on pharmacy techs for the hook up, Logic had a system that fell into his lap.
Ms. G fell a few years ago and broke her hip. Since she was on Medicaid, the hospital basically patched her up and sent her home with a shitload of pharmaceuticals to manage the pain. They didn’t care that the medicine they gave her was highly addictive, and had she been anybody else, Ms. G would’ve been strung out. It was she who approached Logic, asking him to flip the pills for her. Not only did he sell them within a couple of hours, but he made three times the amount she was asking for.
“See, I pay attention. You work hard for them babies, but the rest of these nobodies sit around hustling in two-hundred-dollar shoes, smoking weed all day, and chasing after these fast tail hood rats. They don’t wanna leave the projects, no dreams, ambition, just stewing in generational curses,” Ms. G grunted. “I can say it because I was them. I am them. Three kids later, one deceased baby daddy, one a deadbeat, and the other one like dick. Shit, I’m still depending on the system for my next meal. I’ve seen the best days life has to offer and the worst. They don’t listen to me because I’m the crazy woman who sits on her stoop all day, but you hear me.”
“You know knuckle-headed niggas don’t wanna listen until they plugged up to machines with hot metal in their ass or standing behind a glass while these sluts out here screaming free my baby daddy.”
