Careful of the Company You Keep. Angie Daniels

up in front of his mother’s place in the hood and cursed under my breath when I saw his sister Ursula’s raggedy Honda in front of the house. Damn, that skank always did something to piss me off. I felt like pulling off and coming back another time. The only thing stopping me was that I needed to say what I needed to say to Ron as soon as possible so he could start packing his shit and head on home with me. Yep. It was going to take a lot more than Ursula’s big mouth to stand in my way.

      I climbed out of my SUV, moved past the unkempt yard littered with beer cans, and knocked on a screen door that was hanging off the hinges. As soon as Ursula swung open the door and saw me, she turned up her nose.

      “Uh-uh. No, yo skinny ass didn’t just knock on my mama’s door!” she snarled.

      I rolled my eyes at her. She got a lot of nerve talking about someone with her big forehead. “Where’s Ron?”

      Ursula posted her wide ass in the door. She wore a size twenty and was at least four inches shorter than me. “What the hell you need Ron for?”

      “ ’Cause I need to talk to him, that’s why.”

      She rolled her neck as she spoke. “My brother ain’t got shit to say to you.”

      “Ursula, this doesn’t have anything to do wit you. This is between me and yo brother.”

      “Guess what? I’m making it my business.” She propped her hand on her waist. “Mama!”

      A few seconds later I heard someone dragging their feet across the floor.

      “What’s all that noise on my goddamn porch?” Nita said as she moved to the door. Sponge rollers in her hair. Dingy-looking housecoat and raggedy house shoes she wore every day, even to the grocery store. As soon as Nita spotted me standing on her porch, she bunched up her squinty eyes. “What yo boney ass want?”

      “Nita, I came to talk to Ron.”

      “You got a lot of nerve showing up here. He don’t wanna talk to you.”

      I glared at one and then the other. “I don’t have time to be fooling with either of yo ghetto asses. I came to speak to Ron!”

      “Bitch, don’t be on my porch yelling!” his sister screamed.

      I noticed the neighbors next door had come out of their house and were standing on the porch listening to the exchange. At least there would be witnesses if anything was about to go down. “Go get yo brother and I won’t have to scream.”

      Ursula made a show of pulling off her jewelry. “Mama. You would want and go get the Vaseline.”

      I took a step closer and she took a step back. I laughed. Ursula couldn’t fight and knew it. Hell, everyone knew it after she got her ass beat down by the woman her baby’s daddy was now living with.

      Ursula and I started shouting in each other’s face. Nita got a big kick out of the whole thing and moved out onto the porch, took a seat, and lit up a joint. By the time I had my fist balled up and was ready to take a swing, Ron came to see what all the commotion was about. His right arm was in a sling and his face looked like meatloaf.

      “Can we talk?” I said between breaths.

      He didn’t answer, just opened the screen door and stepped out on the porch. Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. Damn! My brother Kee had done a number on him.

      Only seconds after Portia told him Ron had raped her, Kee tracked Ron down in Church’s Chicken parking lot, yanked him out of his car, then beat him down with a crowbar. Rumor had it that Ron had been in a coma for three days.

      “Can I please talk to you in private?” I asked. I was trying not to smile but was so glad to see him. I wished what happened to him never happened, but I had every intention of making it up to him as soon as we got home. Hmmm, maybe I’ll grill us some steaks.

      Ron moved out toward the curb, then turned and lit a cigarette. “All right, talk.”

      I glanced over at the porch where his mother and sister were both watching. I glared at them, then turned back toward him. “Can we go somewhere more private?”

      “Nope,” he answered as he took a puff. “You either tell me whassup or I’m out.”

      Damn, he wasn’t making this easy for me, was he? I turned so my back was facing them. “I know you’re not the father of Portia’s baby.”

      Ron tossed a fist in the air so fast, I jumped back, afraid he was trying to swing at me. “I told you from the get-go I ain’t touched that girl!”

      “I know, I know, and I’m soooo sorry I didn’t believe you.”

      “Are you sorry for yo brother and his boys jumping my ass? That’s what I want to know.” He glared at me.

      “Yes, I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”

      He took another puff. “So . . . if I held you down while my cousin Twin came over and whupped yo ass, we’d be even, right?”

      Hell nah! His cousin just got out of jail for attempted murder and was crazy as hell. I glanced over my shoulder at his people and rolled my eyes. “Listen, I’m trying to apologize.”

      Ron leaned forward and the muscle at his jaw twitched the way it did anytime he was pissed off. “And what’s that supposed to solve? You and I were trying to do the damn thang, but you wanted to believe that trick over me even when I swore to you on my daddy’s grave I ain’t touched her mothafuckin’ ass.” It was quite evident in his face that he couldn’t stand Portia.

      “She is my daughter.”

      “And I was your man.”

      I smiled, then put on my seductive voice. “And as far as I’m concerned you’re still my man. What can I do to make it up to you, boo?” Even beat up he was fine as hell. I was ready to beg if I had to.

      “You betta not forgive her!” Ursula yelled from the porch as she passed the joint back to her mama. I glared at her and wanted so badly to pick up a brick and toss it at her wide forehead. “What you looking at?” she asked.

      “You, bitch! Now what?” While I waited for her to respond, I watched a yellow Mustang pull up in front of Nita’s place.

      Ron leaned over and gave me the look that I loved so much. “I need to know how sorry you really is.”

      I returned my attention to him and took a step forward so our thighs brushed. Damn, he smelled good. “Boo-boo, I’m very, very sorry.”

      “You are? Well, check this out. You know what I want you to do?” He leaned in closer. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn he was going to kiss me.

      “What, boo?” I asked while licking my lips.

      Before I saw it coming, Ron cleared his throat and sent a big wad of spit that landed on my cheek. “You can get the fuck out of my face! That’s what you can do. You lucky I don’t hit women, ’cause I feel like stompin’ yo ass.”

      “Hell naw!” Ursula shrieked.

      It was then that a woman with long blond locks climbed out of the Mustang, chuckling like a hyena. “Baby, you ready?”

      “Yeah, I’m ready.” Ron tossed out his cigarette butt, then turned on the heels of his white sneakers and hopped into the car.

      Spit slid down my cheek onto the concrete. Ursula and Nita screamed with hysterical laughter. The neighbors joined in. I was so embarrassed I climbed into my Durango without saying a word and headed home to find it empty.

      3

      Renee

       Five months later

       We were already pigging out on homemade chips and salsa when my girl Kayla Sparks finally arrived at El Maguey. She headed in our direction and I have to say,