“You can find just about anything you want in D-Ville,” Keyoni told me. “Everything’s all in close quarters, but it’s all about who you know.” Walking, I soaked up his words. “You see that lady right there?” Keyoni asked.
I followed his line of sight, seeing a twenty-something-year-old woman whose mouth never stopped moving. “Yeah.”
“That’s Trina. She does taxes on the fifth floor. The lady sitting in the chair next to her, that’s her momma, Ms.Viv. She makes the best peach cobbler. She lives a couple doors down from Jami.”
“Good to know.”
He continued, telling me about other businesses being run out of the building I resided in. Somebody on the first floor watched kids of all ages. A seamstress lived on the eighth floor and could make anything out of some fabric. Almost any kind of food I craved could be found on one of nine floors, since the top floor belonged to DP’s leaders. I could get a tattoo out of one apartment and a full set of lashes out of another, maybe a bust down too if the lash tech felt like putting her wig laying skills to use.
We walked back down the opposite way, stopping at the booth of a woman selling homemade jewelry. Although she didn’t have anything that was my style, I supported anyway since the woman’s aura was positive and upbeat. Keyoni made the mistake of telling her I lived in the building and gave her my floor number. She smiled and said she would start looking out for me.
When we were far enough away, I asked, “Why’d you do that?”
“Do what?”
I rolled my eyes. Keyoni knew exactly what I was talking about. “You know.”
“I’m just helping you get acquainted,” he said. “You’re still new to the city. New to the building. New to block parties.” He smiled. “This is the perfect opportunity for you to get out and meet people. Shit, they’re your neighbors. And you can network and?—“
“Dad!” Keturah ran up and hugged Keyoni. “Hey, Ms. Sage.” I offered her a smile as Jami walked up holding hands with a woman sporting a low cut. The woman was dressed in black and white, like all the DPs Keyoni pointed out, and held Big Girl’s leash as she wobbled on the pavement.
“Are you having fun?” Jami asked next to me.
“I am.”
“I told ya you would,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Block parties are the best. Ain’t that right, babe?”
Jami’s “babe” turned out to be her on-again, off-again girlfriend Pooh, who offered a firm handshake when Jami introduced us. She already knew Keyoni. They did some weird handshake before laughing like old friends.
Big Girl wagged her tail when I bent down to pet her. Her engorged nipples swayed back and forth with the movement.
“How’s feeding going?”
“Not good,” Jami said. “She’s still being stubborn and don’t want to feed them. All the puppies get at least a bottle a day, sometimes two.” She shook her head. “But they still keep crying and whining and… it’s just a lot.”
“Especially with the landlord on her ass,” Pooh cut in. “Muthafuckas always complaining, fucking shit up.”
“What happened?”
“The neighbors are complaining about the noise. Now I have to have an inspection, to verify the number of dogs living with me.”
“There’s a limit?” I quizzed, regretting the question when it came out.
Of course there was a limit. It was an apartment.
“Two,” Jami advised. Lanique had way more than that. “But it’s cool. I’ll figure something out. I’ll have to get rid of them soon anyway.”
I was volunteering my services before I heard all the details. The puppies were too young to go to just anybody. The dog lover in me couldn’t sit back and stay quiet.
“We’ll talk,” Jami continued, watching Keturah walk off toward a group of girls. “I’ll call you tonight.” Jami and Pooh were several steps in the opposite direction when Jami turnedaround. “Oh, and tell Lanique they’re checking all the renters’ apartments for pets. I told Cauvey, but…you know how he is.”
I didn’t, but… “Okay.”
Keyoni lifted his hands to my shoulders as they walked further away. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”
Lanique was worse than me when saying no to an animal in need.
