Read Online 5 Minutes and 42 Seconds by Timothy Williams - Free Book Online Page B

some money—my baby was not about to run around having to smell his own shit.
    I searched every inch of Ralph’s trying to find him. I can remember it like I was there yesterday. The bar stools were so worn that the yellow foam inside overwhelmed the black leather cover. The walls needed paint, and the floor wasdusty. There was a strong smell of sweat, and must. Two old men with leather tams stood at the end of the long hallway in front of the dance floor telling me I couldn’t come in. They were so old and frail, I pushed right past them.
    I was there for about a minute before I saw a door on the side of a mirror behind the dance floor. I started to head toward it, and the men with the tams yelled at me to stop. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, one of them yelled for Ralph. Ralph turned on the lights, and loud music started blaring, both inside the club and behind the mirror. If stopping me from going behind the mirror was that serious, I had to go.
    I opened the door and stepped into a dark hallway with twelve closed doors. The smell was so foul I didn’t open my mouth. JD started crying.
    Ralph caught up with me, and grabbed me from behind, looking at me like I was stealing something.
    â€œWhat the hell are you doing back here?” he whispered.
    â€œI’m looking for Pie,” I said, not bothering to lower my voice.
    â€œHe ain’t here,” said Ralph, and he tried to rush me out the door.
    â€œI know he is,” I said. “I saw his car parked at the record company across the street.” I rustled his arm off my shoulder and began to walk down the hall before he grabbed me again.
    â€œPie, some woman here to see you,” he hollered before slowly letting me go. I heard a bustling about and some man said “Oh shit” behind the door in front of me. I started to walk in because I thought it was Pie, but Ralph grabbed meso hard I thought he was about to hit me. A door opened down the hall, and it seemed like a pinkish light was on.
    â€œWait here,” Ralph commanded. He walked toward the room with the pink light without taking his eyes off me for a second. He said something to them that I couldn’t hear, then finally motioned for me. “Pie’s in here.”
    I almost threw up when I walked in. The smell outside was bad, but the smell inside was awful. At some point the pink light had been turned off, and there was now a plain yellow one in a lamp beside a pull-out couch with white sheets showing through the cushions. In most clubs people are dancing and drinking and having fun. Pie was laying in that nasty room on the couch with his shirt off, watching WWF. I was about to let him know just how much of a loser he was, but I saw a fine nigga sitting on the table, opposite of Pie, doing the same thing, and I didn’t want to call him out. It was Fashad.
    Now, Pie was fine. All the girls wanted Pie, but Fashad blew my panties off my ass and right down around my ankles. He had good hair, but his skin was milk-chocolate brown. His body was even bigger back then, and he had a big dollar sign tattooed across his chest that made his chest look even bigger. I was young and dumb and thought it was love at first sight.
    I came to talk to Pie but I didn’t say a word because I was too busy staring at Fashad. I was so “in love” I even forgot about the smell.
    â€œCameisha. Cameisha. Bitch, I know you hear me,” said Pie.
    â€œNigga, I ain’t none of your bitch,” I finally answered,covering JD’s ears ’cause he was too damn young to be hearing his momma cuss.
    â€œWhy you come in here? I mean, why you bring my baby down here? This ain’t no place for no kids.”
    â€œNigga, y’all ain’t doin’ nothin’ but watchin’ TV! And what the fuck you mean, your baby? How the fuck is this your baby? If it’s your baby, then why don’t you take your goddamn baby and buy some muthafuckin’