Page 38
“Everybody don’t have it like you, Anton. Us poor folks eat leftovers.”
“You not poor. I just gave you twenty bands, and let’s not forget you still got that ten I Zelled to you at the lake house.” She looked at me offended.
“I bought you clothes with that money.”
“Girl, you spent about a hundred dollars on that tight ass shit.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She laughed as I headed to my next destination. When we pulled up on Hamlin, she looked at me, confused.
“Why are we here?”
“Cus your mama got my wallet. I came to get my shit back.”
“Good luck.” I didn’t know what she meant by that, but I climbed out the car with her on my heels. Grabbing her keys, she unlocked the door and we walked in. Juanita was sitting on the couch smoking a blunt.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in. Hey handsome. I didn’t know if I would see you again. What yall doing here?” She was looking back and forth between the both of us as if she was trying to read what we had going on.
“My wallet.”
“Oh, that.” She continued smoking her blunt as if I wasn’t waiting.
“So, where is it?”
“I don’t have it. I only acknowledged that I knew what you were talking about.”
“Juanita, what did you do with it?” Bubbles asked, looking embarrassed.
“That don’t matter. You know I don’t return no ghetto blessings. If the Lord put it in my hands, what I look like telling him I don’t want it. I don’t want him thinking I’m not appreciative. He’ll stop sending blessings my way. Baby, listen to mama Juanita. You gotta make sure your money locked down good. Remember, if you ain’t watching your pockets, somebody else is.” I stared at her for a second and realized she was serious. I smiled and gave her a hug.
“I respect it.” Juanita smiled big and hard.
“Juanita, somebody gone scam your ass one day.” She shrugged at Bubbles.
“Girl, please! Karma knows where I live. If she had a problem with me, she would have visited by now.” I motioned to Bubbles to come on.
“It was good seeing you again, Ms. Juanita.” She smiled at me and waved.
“You too, baby. Come back anytime.” We headed out and jumped in my car.
“You mad?” I looked at Bubbles and laughed.
“Naw. She good.” We drove back to her house talking about everything and nothing at the same time. When she got out, I smiled as I watched her head inside. As soon as she was out of my sight, I grabbed my phone and called Key.
“I need you to do something for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Get in Juanita’s accounts.”
“Juanita as in Bubbles’s mama?”
“The one and only.”
“What you need me to do?”
“Take it all. Whatever she got in checking, savings, anything tucked away. I want it all.”
“Nigga, hold on. You gone clean your girl’s mama out?”
