And You Call Yourself A Christian by E. N. Joy Read Free Book Online Page B

there. The last thing she could clearly recall was earlier that morning, her walking up to the crack house where her oldest son’s father hustled. Although it was only around 10:00 A.M. , it was never too early for a hustler to hustle.
    She’d knocked on the door and Two-Step, her baby daddy’s flunky, had answered the door. Ironically, he’d been given the name Two-Step because he always remained two-steps behind her baby’s daddy. Unique knew of some pastors who didn’t even have armor bearers that were on the job as well as Two-Step.
    â€œGirl, what you doing up in here?” Two-Step had asked Unique.
    â€œYou know exactly what I’m doing here.” Unique looked over Two-Step’s shoulder while scanning the inside of the house. “And so does that no-good baby daddy of mine.”
    Two-Step flashed a crooked-tooth, gold-cap-wearing grin. “Which one?” That was his attempt at a low blow.
    â€œAsk your momma. He’s her baby daddy too,” Unique shot back.
    That comment turned his grin into a frown. “And you call yourself a Christian,” Two-Step replied, turning his lips up. “You go to church every Sunday and you talking like that.”
    Unique put her hands on her hips. “Uh-huh, so if you think this is bad, imagine how bad I’d be if I didn’t go to church every Sunday.”
    Two-Step just rolled his eyes while saying, “Wait right here.” He closed the door in Unique’s face but then five seconds later, it opened again and there stood Unique’s baby daddy.
    â€œWhat’s up?” were the only words he had to say to her as he sucked on a toothpick and tugged on the brim of his Yankee cap.
    â€œFool, you know exactly what’s up, some money to take care of your son is what’s up.” Unique got loud.
    Her oldest son’s father looked over his shoulder at his crew that was busting dominos, playing spades, smoking weed, and drinking alcohol behind him. “Look, don’t be coming up to my place of business trying to cut the fool, Unique.”
    â€œSeriously?” Unique replied. “Your place of business?” She let out a laugh. “This ain’t nothing but a Columbus Metropolitan Housing Unit that some dumb broad and her six children probably live at, that you and your boys pay her to run drugs up out of here and probably run a train on her every now and then too.” Unique knew some awful things were coming out of her mouth, but being back in the hood, being in this atmosphere, being out of her element was starting to get to her. Her baby’s daddy lack of responsibility was starting to get to her.
    â€œGirl, are you crazy talking all loud like that?” he snapped, grabbing her by the arm, and then pulling her into the house. He slammed the door closed with an attitude. “Wait your tail right here. Let me go see what I can do.”
    â€œYeah, go see what you can do,” Unique spat while pointing to his back as he walked away.
    He went into the kitchen. She peeked her head around and watched him open the fridge. The next thing she knew, he walked back over to her with a plastic Kroger bag.
    â€œHere, take this.” He handed the bag to Unique.
    She felt it, and it was hard as a rock. It was freezing cold where she could barely hold the bag. “Ice ... You think a block of ice is going to put food in your child’s stomach and clothes on his back? I’ll tell you what—”
    â€œPolice!” Unique remembered hearing before she could even get the rest of her words out. “Police!” She heard it a second time, then looked over her shoulder to see a swarm of men dressed in black with caps and masks and bullet shields storming the place. With her being right there in front of the door, she received the complete wrath of what felt like a human tidal wave.
    The rushing bodies pushed her to the floor where her head slammed on the edge of a