Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
“They keep showin’ the footage and it’s funny as hell, girl! Somebody backed up, rolled over it, then did it again. They did it twice. Talk about standin’ on business. More like rollin’ on business!” Sunshine’s shrill laughter echoed over the line. “They see me rollin’! They hatin’! Tryna catch me riiiidin’, diiiirty!” She sang, laughing hard now. “He was an asshole, but my God, that’s extreme! He was cryin’ on the news about it, too, girl. That was the icin’ on the cake.”
“Oh, they interviewed him?”
“Mmm hmm! His voice was crackin’ like my grandmama’s knees! See how karma works? God don’t play about you, Nadia.”
“…Yeah, it, uh, it sure seems that way. Um, Sunshine, I’m on the phone with my brother. Let me call you back, okay?”
“Okay. Oh, and we miss you, girl! Come visit!”
“I miss y’all, too.” Nadia struggled to end the call, trying to sound unmoved and pulled together, but finally managed. She clicked back over to her brother, but he’d already hung up. Reaching for the remote control, she turned on the television, her hand shaking. The first news channel had on the weather report, so she switched to another station. She waited a few minutes, then felt her body go hot.
A black reporter wearing a dark red shirt and black slacks stood in front of a brick ranch home, a slightly distressed look on her face. “… It happened around seven this morning, according to a neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous. They were awakened by a loud noise, like a dump truck running over glass, she said, only to discover that someone on an old excavator had compressed their neighbor’s vehicle. The neighbor added that initially she thought that perhaps the car owner wished to have it demolished, and this was some do-it-on-site service being provided, but moments later when the homeowner came out of the house and screamed, then dropped to his knees, she realized that wasn’t the case.”
The news coverage then showed an earlier clip of the crushed car being loaded onto some sort of long flatbed attached to a tow truck. There Dice stood beside it, in his robe, his eyes watery as he screamed into the microphone and looked angrily into the camera.
“I TOL’ Y’ALL (BLEEEEEP!) I DON’T KNOW WHO DID THIS (BLEEP)! BUT I’MMA FIND OUT AND THAT MOTHAF-(BLEEP) BETTER COUNT HIS DAYS! I’M DYNOMITE DICE, DAMN IT! I’M WIT’ THE (BLEEP!),” Dice went on ranting, screaming at the top of his lungs. His voice cracked repeatedly, and he looked pitiful and wild about the eyes. At the end of a pair of long, skinny legs, his feet were clad in a pair of beat-up fuzzy blue slippers reminding her of Cookie Monster, as his robe swung widely, revealing his small pot belly with jail tattoos scribbled all over it.
Nadia picked up her remote and rewound the footage. She did it again, and again, until tears streamed down her face from laughter—so much she was on the verge of choking. After she’d gotten her fill, she got to her feet and called Lennox. She wasn’t surprised when she got no answer. Instead of sending a text message, she left a simple voicemail: “I know.” She ended the call, then poured herself a glass of water. She actually wanted liquor, and lots of it. Grabbing her phone to make another call, she took several deep breaths as she mustered up the courage.
“We’re sorry. The number you have reached has been disconnected.”
Surprised, she then dialed another number.
“Hi, Marie, it’s Nadia.”
“Nadia! Oh my goodness! I haven’t heard from you in so long, baby! How are you? Your mama and brother?”
“I’m doing fine, honey. Everybody is well.” Marie lived in Atlanta, and was the aunt of her insane ex-boyfriend, LeRon. She was a good, big-hearted woman who’d also warned her while she’d been dating her nephew, who she helped raise, stating that LeRon was a waste of her time—she urged her to cut him loose, for he would only cause misery. Nadia lived to regret not heeding that advice. They’d formed a friendship of sorts, and stayed in touch off and on since she’d moved back home to Houston. “How have you been, Marie?”
“I’ve been good! About to take Kyla to the grocery store to get some school supplies for a project she’s workin’ on.”
“Ohhh, how old is Kyla now?”
“Fifteen! Can you believe I have a fifteen-year-old granddaughter now? Time flies.”
She and Marie caught up for a little bit, and then, she asked the pressing question.
“Marie, have you heard from LeRon?”
“I saw him a couple of days ago at his apartment, but I couldn’t stay long. He was with his physical therapist.”
“Physical therapist?”
“Yeah, he was finally released from the hospital about a week ago.” Nadia’s heart began to race.
“…The hospital? For what?”
“What? You didn’t know? I figured since he keeps your name in his mouth so much he woulda used it as a guilt trip, and told you as soon as he gained consciousness.” She heard the woman suck her teeth.