“Actually, I never have.”
The two of them just stared at each other not speaking. Barbara was silent because she was tongue-tied, and her body was tingling with an awareness that she had never felt because he was different than the other guys that always came on to her.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Barbara.”
“Barbara.” He smiled at her. “That’s a nice name. I’m Ramses, but my niggas, they call me Ram.”
“I like that,” she said and returned his smile.
Tenikka had been listening to their conversation and knew that it was time to intervene. Her purpose was to get to know her sister better and introduce her to the world that had been hidden from her, not for her to get involved with the kind of people that she’d meet along the way.
“Ram, let me holla at you for a minute,” Tenikka said and stood up. She walked into the kitchen to wait for him.
“I’ll be right back,” Ram said to Barbara. And then he stood up and went in the kitchen. “What’s up?”
“I guess I don’t need to remind you that she is my underage sister, or that our father is Bobby Ray, or that she calls Mike Black, Uncle Mike.”
“No, Butta, you ain’t gotta remind me, but thank you for the reality check.”
“Just checking. I’d hate for our daddy and Uncle Mike to have to kill you over her.” Tenikka stepped closer to Ram and looked up into his eyes. “And they will kill you over her,” she said and came out of the kitchen. “You ready?” Tenikka asked Barbara as she headed for the door.
Barbara looked at Tenikka and then to Ram as he came out of th
e kitchen. “Yup,” she said, stood up and followed her sister out.
“Nice meeting you, Barbara. Come back anytime,” Ram said as they left. “With your fine young ass.”
Tenikka and Barbara got back in the car and started up the car. As she drove away from there, Tenikka felt like there was something she needed to say.
“That’s exactly what I was talkin’ about.”
“What’s that?”
“Hanging out and getting caught up with niggas like that that aren’t going anywhere.”
“What?” Barbara smiled.
“I saw the way you were lookin’ at Ram, and all I’m sayin’ is nothing good will ever come from fuckin’ with a nigga like that.”
“I know,” Barbara said.
“So, where you wanna go?”
Barbara smiled excitedly. “Wherever you wanna take me,” she paused. “I wanna see everything.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. You said that you were gonna show me the world that our daddy, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Rain and everybody else … including RJ, been hiding from me. That’s what I wanna see.”
“Okay,” Tenikka said and headed for a nearby gambling spot that was run by a man they called Jelly, who ran the spot for Doc. “But I want you to understand something.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m showing you this because you’re out here in the real world, fuckin’ around with your girls and you need to know who you are in that world, so you’ll be aware of what’s going on around you and can protect yourself, if necessary.”
“Protect myself from what?”