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Well, secret from me anyway.
But at the same time, and with a lot of urging from Tenikka, she came to understand why it was kept from her and her younger sisters, while RJ was permitted to grow up in it.
“Aunt Wanda?” Barbara said in shock, because Wanda was her role model.
“Listen, girl, you gonna have to stop acting surprised that just about everybody you know is a gangster.”
They didn’t stay long at Jelly’s before Tenikka and Barbara left there and went to Shooters, because Barbara wanted to see where Tenikka used to dance. When they got there, Tenikka got the same reception.
“What up, Butta?” the door man said and allowed the ladies to pass.
It didn’t take long for Treach, who ran the spot, to hear that Tenikka was in the club, and he came out to show her respect because she wasn’t just some ex-dancer. When he saw that Barbara was with her, he was not happy that she not only brought a minor to his club, “But a minor who is Bobby Ray’s daughter,” he said and pointed at Barbara. “You must be trying to get me killed.”
“We’re not gonna stay long. She wanted to see where I used to dance and now we outta here.”
“Okay, Butta,” Treach said, and Barbara laughed as they walked away.
As they were leaving, Fantasy arrived, and they stopped to talk to her because she and Tenikka were friends from the time when they both used to dance there.
“Is this your sister? I can see the resemblance, Butta,” Fantasy said and once again, it cracked Barbara up.
“Did I say something inappropriate?”
“No. But there’s something I need to tell you, Fantasy. My real name is Tenikka and this is my sister, Barbara. Bobby Ray is our father.”
“Oh,” Fantasy said in surprise, and she wondered if Jada knew.
Tenikka hugged her. “Good to see you, Fantasy. We need to get together and hang out like we used to.”
“I was about to go to The Four Kings and then to J.R.’s, the two of you ladies should come with me. I have a limousine waiting outside,” Fantasy said, and Barbara shook her head, thinking, oh hell no.
“Thanks, but we’re gonna call it a night. We both have class in the morning, right, Barbara?” Tenikka asked as they walked out with Fantasy.
“Right,” Barbara said quickly.
“You always said that you wanted to go to college. Good for you,” Fantasy said, as the driver held the door open for her and she said good night to Tenikka and Barbara.
On the way home, Barbara was quiet and that was mostly because she had seen and heard things that day that opened her world and her mind. Things that fascinated her. She looked out the window thinking about something Tenikka said to her earlier.
In these streets, our father and our uncle are kings, and in that world, we’re princesses.
Barbara thought about how that asshole at Club Garage reacted because she was Bobby Ray’s daughter. She had seen how Tenikka was treated everywhere they went. Barbara took a second or two to think about how she felt about it all and what she felt was proud. Her father was a very powerful man, and other men feared him.
“What you thinking about?”
“Nothing really. Just how cool it was to hang out with you today.”
“I enjoyed it too and remember, if you ever need me, I’m here. We’re sisters and we should always have each other’s backs. Remember that.”
“I will.”
They pulled up to Barbara’s house and after a moment of hesitation, she asked her, “Wanna come in?”
Chapter Fourteen
Marvin sat alone in his car parked outside of Classics, a club that played nothing but old school rap music from what they deemed The Classic Era of Rap because the owners felt that the genre had lost its way, waiting for RJ to get there, and he had a lot on his mind. He needed to find ways to earn.
To be a contributing member of this family.