"I need it, breathe it, the need in me killing me baby... listen, to my heartbeat, girl can't you tell what it's saying to you... you needing me..." Heartbeat by Dazz Band
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Thaedra. Talk to me baby. You gotta calm down and tell me what happened," Drew begs me, watching me like he feels so sorry for me, begging me to stop crying and going the fuck off. Sitting here in my office, watching the rain come down after they done took Miss Betty from me! I'm mad as hell.
It's the worst day, on a dark, Friday afternoon. With the sky so black. And it's all cuz Miss Betty gone. She gone.
"Talk to me baby," Drew prods gently.
"Okay, okay," I suck up snot, drying up, and Nique just shakes her head, mad as fuck and crying like hell too.
"Calm down, we gotta calm down – you gotta go see about Miss Vera and them," I tell Nique. And she gets up and walks outta here. Crying her ass off.
"What happened baby? You got me ready to break out this bitch, calm down. What happened?" Drew asks me with genuine concern.
"That bitch done talked Miss Betty up outta here Drew," I say and burst into tears.
"Nooooo. I thought her son said he had that shit?" Drew says and I crank up-
"He couldn't do nothin, that bitch been here everyday! Talkin' Miss Betty up outta here! And now her son telling me ain't nothin' we can do about it, Miss Betty believin' in everythang that bitch say to her, and we just gone have to pray! Talkin' bout her best friend's daughter, her Godniece, what the fuck ever, that bitch just wants some money! She don't care nothin' about Miss Betty!" I snarl!
"Calm down baby," Drew tells me, and I try to breathe.
"Thaedra," Drew calls my name like I'm hurtin' his heart, and it makes me cry harder.
"Okay, okay, gimme a minute," I say and grab some tissues off my desk.
"Miss Betty gone," I tell Drew again, trying to breathe.
"I know baby. Damn. I hate that shit. I'm gone miss Miss Betty," he says, and I boo hoo my ass off.
Miss Betty was my favorite, I love Miss Betty and she loves me and Nique like family. Miss Betty was safe and happy here, seeing about her flowers on her balcony and playing cards and fussing with Mr. Sam. With a nice clean room and three meals a day and all her favorite healthy snacks. Nique kept her hair done so pretty, taking her medicine on time, and I kept her a new robe and flowers. And her son made sure she was totally comfortable. And this bitch kept coming, twice a week, til she finally started coming every day – and she done talked Miss Betty into moving in with her so she can take her check. Miss Betty always had over three gees left over after her expenses here. To put back in her savings. Me and Nique and Drew, all of us, even my mama, been begging her to stay here, don't listen to that bitch. Drew was even telling Miss Betty if she leave to at least put her son in charge of her check. If it ain't broke don't fix it Miss Betty, Drew told her -- and she kept saying, "You right Drew. But I wanna be around my church family. Now is you gone marry my Thaedra and become my son-in-law or what?"
