Down in the Valley Baby

Chapter 29

"I'm good gurl! Don't you gotta go hit that floor? Wit you looking this good you gon make a lot of skrilla tonight." I said raising the palms of my hands up to hold the sides of her face, tell these bitches they look good and they forget what they was tryna talk to you about.

"Thank you Uncle Cliffordddd."

"Alright na, hooch on." After I pushed her out on that floor I went over to the bar, a bitch need a drink! "Hey Jupiter gurl!"

"Uncle Clifford..." she immediately stopped pouring a drink for one of the bitches sitting down and was looking at a bitch like I was a ghost or sum shit.

"Aht Aht! Don't ask!"

"Listen if someones beating you..."

"Beating me?! Chileee pour me one of them dranks back there it ain't nun like that."

"Alright but you can't never be too sure round here."

"What you said!" When she passed me my drink I couldn't help but notice the empty bottles back there on my shelf...I thought we just had a shipment. "Why my shelves half empty? And why all them bottles look half empty Jupiter gurl?!"

"Ahhh... Uncle...Clifford..." she was bout to tell me fa Monroe's ass interrupted us.

"Bitchhhhh! That's you?!"

"Hey Monroe how you been?! And before you answer that question you needa be telling me why yeen been texting a bitch!"

"Bitch, you ain't seent ya phone?! I was texting you all last night but na I see why you wasn't responding." She said bringing her hands up to touch my face.

"Ooo!"

"Sorry,Sorry...We was real worried bout you sis. Fa more than a minute..."

"Long story short me and Lil Murda got caught up in sum shit but we fine na, don't worry yo lil head."

"Bitch don't tell me not to worry cause that's only gon make me worry more. Na are you sure you alright?"

"I'm fine Monroe...I'm fine..." I said as she used her hands to rub my back. I kept tryna hold back this water coming up from the back my eye sockets but I couldn't so I just let it flow.

"Sis? Imma always be here fa you, and that goes for anythang. If you wanna talk Imma be here, if you need me to beat a bitch or a niggas ass Imma be here just know I love you."

"I love you too Monroe, and thanks fa holding it down these past few days, specially wit Big L's ass!"

"Bitchhhh! You welcome! And I got Big L don't even trip!"

"Na why all these bottles look half empty gurl? We ain't been that packed out have we?" When I asked her she gave Jupiter the side eye like sum was wrong. "What's wrong ya'll?"

"What make you thank sum wrong Clifford...?"

"Yeah, Uncle Clifford...listen you know I always been heavy handed."

"So Jupiter you telling me yo ass is still giving away all my good liquor? You know money don't grow on trees don't you?"Chileee they both was looking back at them bottles like they was gon vanish into thin air or sum. "Monroe...?"

"Clifford...Sis we just ordered our next shipment and it's just running a lil late that's all."

"Umhum, I guess wit this pandemic still at its head I shouldn't be surprised. Wit all these businesses round here it's hard fa anyone to keep the shelves stocked wit errybody and they mama buying extra of what the next business in need of!"