She continued eating up the chocolate cake indifferently while giggling at her thought; Mya, seeing that her friend was too busy gobbling up Mr. E's cake than to bother with life or death situations, tried a more straightforward method. She got up and shoved the cake to the far right of the table, almost knocking it over, and placing the newspaper in front of her again.
"According to the statement given by Miss Ellington, Missei was a God fearing child, never going out to drink and party. Her days were spent mostly in the church. ''I sent her to the supermarket to go buy some groceries in the town to Kenstone. But she never came back" the mother sobbed."
Mya read out the article with the utmost emphasis and expression to not only grab Amina's attention, but to make her not take the gravity of the situation for granted. Mya swore the only time Amina took anything seriously was when you shouted and repeated yourself over and over again.
Suddenly, an annoying scratching sound rang out in Mya's ears as Amina began to take her nail file and sharpen her Pepto-Bismol colored acrylic nails. The carefree young lady got distracted yet again, refusing to lower her mental fortitude to Mya's controlling and negative ways.
"Let's go get our nails done one of these days. You up for vacation soon right?'' Mya sighed at her question as Amina stretched her hand out to look at her nails, she took the nail file out of her hand and tapped the girl softly on her head.
"Oww! Damn Mya what the hell-''
"Didn't you see how they raped and murdered Missei? Leaving her in the bushes to die? That could've been you Amina! All these short dresses and tiny skirts you be wearing. Them thug Oda boys take all this frilly hoe dressing shit as an invitation. You betta watch yourself now..'
Mya flicked the edge of her friends' crème coat, putting up her hands to point at her tight fitting leather dress, that temptingly stopped 4 inches above her knees.
''Everything is let's go out East Flora to eat. Let's go shop lets go somewhere. Why you don't wanna come by me and study? Watch a movie? Ever since you be hanging round them upitty girls from Williams stead you never come by me. Now all of a sudden, you don't wanna sleep over by me because of these new bitches that you be hangin around. I can't tell when last you watched movies and talk mess with me like we used to…'' At Mya saying that Amina drew her head so far back she formed a double chin, and giving her the craziest look, her well-manicured hand against her chest as she looked upon the girl in shock.
"Here you go starting shit again. Always guilt trippin me. Mya I done told yuh ass to stop worrying about me. I'm good!. Missei wasn't no street gurl like that cause everybody knows you take the bus to get to Kenstone you don't go through no damn forest path, not with those overly patriotic, blood sucking Bluebird men that stay chanting and shit in the mountains. It was not the Oda boys that killed her. So stop-"
Amina placed her hand up signaling for Mya to stop, and she not even getting to finish her sentence properly, Mya attacked, not listening to Amina and her selfish, carefree ways. This is for her own good, and if it took nagging to get her to stop going out so often, it was worth it to save her life. She couldn't afford to lose her.
"She was a church girl Ami. A church girl! All the years she went to Knoxsford High I ain't evvvaaa seen that girl with no man, no squeeze, no nothing. The bitch didn't even know what the word ''clit'' meant. Like no idea I had to explain it to her! So imagine what they'd do to a Jezebel like you're going out every night ass. I'm jus saying cover up, stay home sometimes. You doing too much dammit''
That was it. That was the last straw.
Amina sprung out of her seat, throwing down her bag that she usually handled with so much care, feeling weary of Mya's underhanded bullying that she tried to disguise as "loving and caring advice".
"Oh my God! You do this every damn time you see me dressing up to go out! Every single time you nag nag nag. Listen. Just because your parents, your cousin, shit even your man done all counted out doesn't mean that I will.'' She hissed, counting out on her fingers as she rehearsed the deathly list from her memory.
''I am not Miss Esmie , I don't scare easy and aint nobody finna shoot me in my damn chest while I stand up like that. I'm young I got legs I can outrun bullets. I'm pretty damn fast okay boo? So check yourself. I'm good"
Right after Amina said that she instantly regretted it, she never realized how insensitive she sounded until she heard the words sounded aloud ; Mya opened her mouth to warn Amina yet again but that thoughtless statement made her quiet. Amina had a ruthless way of expressing herself that she was almost selfishly unaware of. She couldn't help but say what was at the top of her head, and like a desperate person who didn't know they sold their soul away to the Devil until after they sealed the deal, she didn't consider hindrance or deep thought about what was about to be said, having rather acknowledged the consequences later.
Mya raised her hands up in surrender, twitching the tip of her rounded nose and blinking rapidly, feeling that annoying stinging itch you got in your eyes just before you were about to cry. She felt a tightening pain in her chest and decided to sit down. Amina, seeing that she had verbally affected her friend, felt immediate remorse. Where was a time machine when you needed it she thought...
"Mya I'm so sorry I didn't mean it like that-'' Amina sat herself down next to the expressionless girl in the booth, placing her arms around her and hugging her tightly.
"No no no…your right. I'm projecting my insecurities on you in nagging you to be safe all the time. You know, I'm reading about Psychology and a professor says it shows that my past experiences with death and loved ones has created a hole in my subconscious mind and therefore I can't help but to view you as a victim, paranoid over a natural occurrence in life. As death is-''
''Okay I get it Professor. I get all A's just like you. Don't go University on me now. I'm still sorry though my love, I didn't mean it like that.''
Amina gave Mya a kiss on the cheek and hugged her, squeezing her tightly before they both burst out laughing, the mood instantly lightened as Mya knew Amina hated it when she got into her "Psychology talk". The two friends simply laughed it off and before they knew it, it was 7. Time for her to lock up from Mr. E's. Amina spent the rest of her time apologizing as they got to the door, she knew how sensitive her friend was, Mya, being the "good" friend kept telling her that it was okay, when she knew deep down inside it wasn't.
Mya got the keys to close up and they did just that. Not a minute after they were outside the door, a black RV that's windows were as dark as midnight rolled up close to the side walk, the crappy road illuminated with the street light that blinked on and off.
Mr. E certainly didn't like spending on upkeep much less to maintain anything so it would continue barely blinking for as long as it could. She watched Amina's wavy hair blow into the wind while she swang her cotton leather St. Duke's mini bag from side to side, as she walked towards the Jeep, the scent of her mist tropical body spray itching Mya's nose as it blew in the wind.
"That's my ride. Toddles!" Amina strutted away confidently in her long and slender suntanned legs, walking daintily in her thick black heels.
"Call me when you get there! Be safe." Mya warned her, Amina nodding and waving as she walked of.
An intimidating man of 6"4 with a really muscular body opened the car door for her and she slipped in, his face covered by shades. Who really wore shades at night? She thought to herself, so she decided to take her phone and took a picture of the license plate as the Jeep drove off.
" God please protect her"
Mya closed her eyes and prayed, a sinking feeling settling to the bottom of her stomach. Even though Amina had not intentionally mean to hurt Mya like that when she said what she said earlier on, she managed to remind the girl of her hideous curse; everyone that she has ever loved, or felt some sort of attachment to, has died. Her parents died in a car crash. Her cousin got killed in a shootout. Her boyfriend obviously didn't want to be around anymore…And Miss Esmie was the only person in the whole entire world that was family to her, (Apart from Amina) she was like her mother. And God took her as well…
Life in the Knox had taken everything from her and she couldn't wait to get the hell out, the only thing she had left was what Esmie left her.
The girl looked down at her chest and took the gold chain that settled in between her breasts, looking at the round pendant, and the key that was attached to it. The piece of whatever it was that stuck inside the pendant had some scribbling on it. The gold spray on the key that was attached to it was stripping off of it now, showing the miniature initials of E.S that were printed along its jagged edges.
''This is the only thing you left me with.'' Mya whispered to herself. . She remembered Miss Esmie's last instruction clearly.
''Everything is gonna be revealed with this key baby. I promise you, everything will fall into place. When the right person comes along to help you, both of you do right by me when you find out what this key opens" she said.
What did she mean by that?? What was going to be revealed and how was she going to do right by her? And what information was she talking about? Tears began coming to her eyes again as she envisioned Miss Emsie's sorrowful expression that day, there was something embedded in her serene eyes, it was the look of a person who had decided that they were at peace with their life. It's almost as if she knew she was going to die the day after.
Amina was the only closest thing to family that she had left now. There was no one else and she had to protect her no matter what. She wasn't letting death take anyone else away from her. So she put the shop's key in her bag and turned to head home, hoping and praying in her mind that nothing would happen. It was bound to be another sleepless night, knowing that her mind wouldn't stop wondering until she knew Ami was safe.
''I'm gonna call her….'' she took out her phone and brought up her number, walking down the street as the cool air hit her face, blowing the curly strand in her face back, the November afternoon darkening fast. Mya's head was straight into her phone, not paying attention to the man dressed in a full black sweat suite, hiding behind a garbage can across the street. He popped out from behind the garbage bin with a wrench in his hand, heading across the road sneaking behind the distracted girl.