Page 9 of Speed

“Roscoe, you do realize you are old enough to be my grandfather, right?”

“You’re legal and a woman, age don’t mean nothin’ as long as you enjoy what’s being done to you. And, little girl, doing you would be a pleasure for both of us.

“If’n you need references, ask your girl, Candie, when she comes off the stage. Had her yelling my name last nightandearly this morning.” Every Black Hawk member that sat around the table burst out laughing.

“Oh my God, Roscoe, now that was TMI. I’m going home and work on getting rid of that vision. Behave yourself and, gentlemen, you have a good time and please don’t let him ride his bike back if he keeps drinking.”

They each gave a chin lift in agreement, and I turned, leaving them laughing. When I reached the door, Brutus was working and held it open for me and watched while I walked and got in my car, then after I pulled out in the rearview mirror, I saw him close the door.

“Mama!” was yelled asI stepped through the door into Mrs. Mayson’s house.

“Hey, baby girl. Have you been good?” I bent down to catch the little body aiming right for me.

“I was...good.” I caught her, and she wrapped her little arms around my neck and squeezed.

“She’s getting as big as you, Sami,” Mrs. Mayson said as she walked out of the kitchen. “And, Ally, did I hear you say you were good today?” Sue Mayson smiled at me and winked. With that, it could mean that yes, she was an angel, which would surprise me more than no, she tied sheets around her and tried to jump off the roof. Sad but true, her tiny frame, her silky black hair to her gold speckled blue eyes yelled little lady, she was anything but.

“Uh huh. I ate all my carrots at lunch.” I looked at Sue whose pursed lips and raised eyebrows told me this was not going to be good, I just hoped it wasn’t anything like last week at school when she told her teacher, Mrs. Elderman, that she wasn’t growing boobies because then she couldn’t play outside without her shirt on.

Ally let me go, looked toward Mrs. Mayson and then faced me. “I punched Benji in the nose,” she said with no apology in her voice, and the expression on her face said she wasn’t sorry for doing it.

When I looked up at Sue, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Ally never lied, at four she spoke well for her age, was starting to read, and had a stubborn streak that rivaled a grownup’s.

“Spider, why did you punch Benji?” Benji was five and went to the same preschool as Ally. They constantly argued. So much so, Mrs. Elderman separated them in class.

“He said I couldn’t go to school because I didn’t have a daddy,” Ally said and the only hint that what he said hurt her feelings was she sucked her bottom lip in. It was a sure sign she’d been upset.

“You know no matter what people say to you, even if it is ugly, we don’t hit them, Ally.” She shook her head in agreement but looked none too happy about it. “Go get your bag so we can go home and let Mrs. Mayson get to her errands.” Ally left to get her things, and I looked at Sue and sighed. “What am I going to do with her?”

Sue chuckled, “She will grow out of it, Sami. She is rough and tough now, which isn’t a bad thing. One day, instead of wanting to do what boys do, she will want to watch the boys doing it.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me of that. It’s not that I don’t want her to take up for herself or even being tomboyish but, Sue, I can’t get her in a dress. Last week, she even asked Thelma while we were getting our haircut if she would cut her hair short like a boy’s. Now, she has moved on to fighting, what is next?”

“Ally will be fine. Mrs. Elderman wasn’t upset, she scolded Benji for saying that to her, but she also said it would depend on what Benji’s parents said when she informed them when they picked him up. She didn’t seem to think they would make too much of a fuss over it since Benji was wrong in saying that. However, luckily she didn’t hit that hard, his nose was red, and his lip was swelled a small amount.”

“Great.” I might have to tell Perry to put his money on jail time for Ally, she seemed to be leaning in that direction.

“The reason that all happened was because in a few weeks they have a day where the dads come to the school and do crafts and eat lunch with the kids. That was when Benji said she couldn’t come that day because she didn’t have a daddy.”

“Well, I can’t run out and buy her a daddy. We’ve had the talk, she knows why she doesn’t have a daddy. At least as close to the talk as you can have with a four-year-old. She knows he is gone. She knows he didn’t know about her when he left. I explained the best I could to her when she asked why she didn’t have one,” I whispered, not wanting for Ally to hear any of our conversation.

“Oh, honey, there are men out there who don’t have a problem raising other men’s kids as their own. But if you don’t go out you won’t find one. And don’t say you are around men all day.” She smiled.

Knowing she was right and actually doing something about it was two different things. Between Ally and my job, there wasn’t much time for socializing. And when I was off, it was time to catch up on chores and spend extra time with Ally.

When Ally walked back in dragging her bag, nothing else was said. She hugged Sue goodbye, and I told Sue we would see her later. Sue would come over to my house next door and stay with Ally while I went back to the club.

“Come on, baby girl, let’s get you cleaned up, and your pj’s on before Mrs. Mayson gets here.” Ally finished her dinner while I straightened up the kitchen.

“Can I see what candy Perry sent me now?” She pushed her plate away and smiled at me. I hadn’t said a word to her about the chicken being Perry’s, and she still knew. She also knew those men wouldn’t forget to put something in the box either.

“There wasn’t any candy in the box, baby girl.” I watched her brow furrow, it would be the first time she didn’t get some kind of candy from Perry or one of the guys. Tank must’ve told Perry what I said so yes, they went in another direction. I was undecided which would be worse where they were concerned. “But...” I paused, dragging it out.

“But what, Mama?”

“No candy but they sent you a cupcake.” And I had to smile as she bounced in her seat when I picked up the small box and set it down in front of her.

“Yay! My favorite,” as she dived into her chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing from Claire’s Bakery in town. Which meant one of the guys would have had to run there and back to pick it up. They spoiled the girl rotten.

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