| Hostage Page 2 When she saw that I did a good job watching Enrique, my mother recommended me for a couple of baby-sitting jobs. She had begun to work part-time at the front desk of the clinic in our neighborhood and so she came across quite a few mothers who needed someone to watch the kids. I�ve made a few bucks this way, but none of the jobs paid as well as the one that brought me to the house that Fuzzy decided to invade. That was the home of Dr. Sarah Newman, about five miles in actual distance from my apartment, but a world away from the drug houses and poverty and violence of the street I live on. Dr. Newman had met me several times and when it was time for her to return to work she asked me if I�d like to watch Samantha a few days a week. She is an easy baby to watch, sleeps like a rock and smiles a lot. �So,� Fuzzy said, �whatta ya say? Whyn�t you slide over here wit� me?� �You crazy?� I fired back at him. �Never. I ain�t like my sister. I don�t like older men. And besides, she say you all talk.� �What?� he said, looking pissed. �Who say that about me?� �Angela. She said you tol� stories to ev�rybody how you bangin� her, but she say it neva happen.� Fuzzy got to his and pointed the gun right at my face. �That�s lies. She shouldn�t be lyin� �bout Spider like that. She gonna get hers.� �Her boyfriend would mess you up, man,� I said. �You think so? I like to see �im here right now holdin� off th� cops wit� a hostage. He be shittin� his pants.� �Y�know,� I said, turning to the TV, �you can take that stupid nylon off. I already know who you are.� �Girl, like I said, I be givin� th� orders here. You just do what I tell you an� maybe I be kind and spare yo� life.� There was some noise outside, more cars pulling up, more radios crackling. Fuzzy turned his gun to the door, but lost his balance and had to drop his gun hand to the floor so he didn�t keel over. Realizing he left his hostage free for a moment he spun back and pointed the gun at me. �Fuzzy, man, will you stop pointin� that thing at me?� �Spider�it�s Spider!� �OK, Spider�if I call you Spider will you please stop pointing that gun at me?� �You the hostage, girl. I make the rules.� �If you shoot me by accident then you ain�t got no hostage.� �Still got me that baby, so you just better watch yo� step.� �You go near that baby an� I swear I will fuckin� kill you,� I said, now getting on my knees and facing him. �Quiet you!� he shouted. �Won�t be no need to go near that baby if you jus� do what I tell you.� Just then the phone rang. Fuzzy jumped again�jumped a mile and started pointing the gun in all directions. �It�s the phone,� I said. �Over there.� �Well who is it?� �How do I know? Probably the cops wanna negotiate wit� you.� �Yeah?� he asked me, like someone had just revealed the key to the universe to him. He started to reach over to the phone with his free left hand, then realized that would twist him up like a pretzel, so he put the gun in his left hand and kept it on me as he slid his back up the sofa and grabbed the phone with his right. �Yo, Spider here,� he said. He listened. His face became angry. �No way...no way. You not takin� Spider to jail, man. I got hostages! The girl and the baby�don�t make me shoot �em.� He listened some more and then hung up. �Shit,� he said and reached up and took off the nylon. �What is it?� �They know my name, man! How they know my name so fast?� He threw the nylon at the TV. And then pointed over to it. �Change the channel�change the channel�see if I�m on it yet.� I got the remote and flipped through all the channels, but there was only talk shows. �Dammit!� he yelled. The baby stirred a bit and Fuzzy put his hand to his mouth, in apology. �What the cops say?� I asked him. �They say my name, and they say they got th� otha three guys already. Got �em in p�lice custody. They say yo� name and the baby�s. They say both yo� mommas is on the way and when they come can they talk to you.� �Fu�Spider, what were you and those otha guys doin�? You stealin� somethin�?� �Yeah, there�s a gas station not too far from here wit� one a them snack shops�those places make tons o� cash. We wuz robbin� �em an� things went wrong. I�m not too sure�I heard shootin� inside an� so I took off.� �What were you drivin� the car?� �Yeah�yeah�an� when I heard shootin� I figured things was messed up, so I took off.� I shook my head. �Some getaway driva,� I said. �Left yo� boys hanging�.� �Hey, there wuz shootin� You wuzn�t there so you don� know.� �No wonder they all got caught and ratted you out right away.� �Hey, you shut the fuck up, bitch. My friends ain�t rats.� �Then how they know your name already?� �Well�maybe they got it from the car.� �What car?� �My car. I drove off�I was flyin��it was awesome. But they I hit a tree around the corner. Dammit they ain�t supposed to have trees next to th� road!� The baby began to make low gurgling noises. �Well, then I jumped out an� ran through some yards and came in here.� �You used your car?!� �Well, yeah. That was why they cut me into th� deal.� |