Life on Banana Street
Car?
“Fuck!” I said loudly. My car wouldn’t start. “Goddamn Honda. Fuck you, hoe.” I beat the steering wheel one last time and leaned my head back on the seat. After all, I was about 20 miles away from home. And no cell phone… I rubbed my head and heard a tap at the window. And who else would it be? “Hello Tre,” I said.
“Need help?” he suggested lightly. How did he know where I was? I don’t know.
“Uh…I need a ride. To the repairman, I mean.” A smile lit his face and he opened the ancient door that squeaked.
“Come on, I’ll tow you.”
[author’s perspective: I am suddenly reminded of the Dukes of Hazzard, “Aren’t you going to need your truck to tow cars?” “Why tow them when I can just finger them.” lol]
I got into Tre’s truck as he backed up to the front of my car to hook it up. I don’t want to get my hands dirty trying to get my car tied up. God. Tre got back in the car and rubbed his hands together. “Alright, let’s listen to some music,” he said and pushed one of the preset buttons. Oh Biggie, Biggie, can’t you see? Sometimes your words just hypnotize me. Well I just love your flashy ways- I pushed another button. HOKUS POKUS TRUNKUS!
“Don’t you just love this song, Tre?”
“I’m not into death metal, thank you.”
“It’s not death metal. It’s your rap shit plus hardcore metal.” He stared at me like I was crazy.
“You have issues, Addie.”
“I know. Hey Tre, you got your cell phone on you?”
“Yeah…why?” he asked, confused.
“I need to call Bill.” He nodded and took his phone out of his pocket. I dialed Billie’s cell phone and he answered on the 4th ring.
“What do you want, Tre?”
“Ahem,” I said.
“Oh, babe! What are you doing with Tre’s phone?”
“My car broke down and who’s to know, Tre was there.” I saw him smile from the corner of my eye and I tried not to notice.
“Oh, well, are you alright? Do you need anything?” he asked.
“Yeah can you meet me at the repairman in like, 10 minutes?”
“Yeah sure, babe. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Bye.” I hung up the phone and handed it back to Tre. The smile that was once on Tre’s face had suddenly disappeared as I said the last 4 words. “Are you okay, Tre? You look a little…what’s the word…annoyed.”
“Do I? I wonder why,” he spat. I crooked my eyebrows and stared at him.
“What’s your deal?”
“What’s my deal? What’s my deal? I don’t know Addie. There was a time when your word used to mean something to me. And now it’s just fucking trash. At least I don’t have the gall to annoy you right in front of you.” I squinted my eyes at confusion. “I don’t get what you’re trying to say…”
“You’re dumb, Addie. Fucking dumb. Do you not know how it feels when someone you once loved says ‘I love you’ to someone else?”
“Obviously not,” I smarted. He breathed out suddenly with anger in his breath. “Are you trying to tell me you’re…jealous, Tre?” He stared at me with his baby blue eyes, those irresistible eyes I once loved; I still loved. Then I realized that was the only answer I was going to get.
****
I hopped out of the car at the repairman’s as soon as Billie’s car drove up. He barely had time to get out of his car before I jumped into his arms and continuously kissed him intensely about 7 times. I wasn’t trying to be mean to Tre, I just missed Billie. “Whoa, someone’s happy to see me.”
“Yes,” I confirmed. He stared into my eyes then we both realized where we were and he let go of me. The back seat door opened and Joey jumped out and hugged my leg.
“Hi momma!”
“Hey honey, how are you?” I asked, ruffling his hair.
“Goooood.” I picked him up and Billie and I walked in the repairman’s with Tre following behind.
“Hey, how can I help you,” said the grease monkey behind the counter.
I was about to say something when, “Yes, can you buy cars? Like, broken down cars that people don’t want anymore?” Billie said.
“’Course. Why, you sellin’?”
“Yes, sir,” Billie said and motioned outside.
“Alright, still in good condition,” grease monkey said. What the fuck, it’s broken down. The guy focused his attention back to us after staring at the broken car. “How much you sellin’ it for?” he asked.
“How much do you want to pay?” Billie asked.
He shrugged. “Thousand? Two? Three?”
“Deal.”
****
“Are you sure you want that?” Billie said. Tre had left after we left the repairman’s.
“Of course.”
“Alright. It’s yours,” he smiled. I smiled and looked into his eyes and as I was about to kiss him, the salesperson came behind us.
“Interested in this one?” he asked.
“Yes, I think we’ll take it,” I said, not looking away from the car.
“Alright, I’ll be right back with the paper work.” Billie grabbed me around my waist and kissed my neck while Joey stayed in front of me, oblivious that we were even doing anything. And then, for the first time, I actually liked my new car. A brand new, Dodge Viper. ♥
“Need help?” he suggested lightly. How did he know where I was? I don’t know.
“Uh…I need a ride. To the repairman, I mean.” A smile lit his face and he opened the ancient door that squeaked.
“Come on, I’ll tow you.”
[author’s perspective: I am suddenly reminded of the Dukes of Hazzard, “Aren’t you going to need your truck to tow cars?” “Why tow them when I can just finger them.” lol]
I got into Tre’s truck as he backed up to the front of my car to hook it up. I don’t want to get my hands dirty trying to get my car tied up. God. Tre got back in the car and rubbed his hands together. “Alright, let’s listen to some music,” he said and pushed one of the preset buttons. Oh Biggie, Biggie, can’t you see? Sometimes your words just hypnotize me. Well I just love your flashy ways- I pushed another button. HOKUS POKUS TRUNKUS!
“Don’t you just love this song, Tre?”
“I’m not into death metal, thank you.”
“It’s not death metal. It’s your rap shit plus hardcore metal.” He stared at me like I was crazy.
“You have issues, Addie.”
“I know. Hey Tre, you got your cell phone on you?”
“Yeah…why?” he asked, confused.
“I need to call Bill.” He nodded and took his phone out of his pocket. I dialed Billie’s cell phone and he answered on the 4th ring.
“What do you want, Tre?”
“Ahem,” I said.
“Oh, babe! What are you doing with Tre’s phone?”
“My car broke down and who’s to know, Tre was there.” I saw him smile from the corner of my eye and I tried not to notice.
“Oh, well, are you alright? Do you need anything?” he asked.
“Yeah can you meet me at the repairman in like, 10 minutes?”
“Yeah sure, babe. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Bye.” I hung up the phone and handed it back to Tre. The smile that was once on Tre’s face had suddenly disappeared as I said the last 4 words. “Are you okay, Tre? You look a little…what’s the word…annoyed.”
“Do I? I wonder why,” he spat. I crooked my eyebrows and stared at him.
“What’s your deal?”
“What’s my deal? What’s my deal? I don’t know Addie. There was a time when your word used to mean something to me. And now it’s just fucking trash. At least I don’t have the gall to annoy you right in front of you.” I squinted my eyes at confusion. “I don’t get what you’re trying to say…”
“You’re dumb, Addie. Fucking dumb. Do you not know how it feels when someone you once loved says ‘I love you’ to someone else?”
“Obviously not,” I smarted. He breathed out suddenly with anger in his breath. “Are you trying to tell me you’re…jealous, Tre?” He stared at me with his baby blue eyes, those irresistible eyes I once loved; I still loved. Then I realized that was the only answer I was going to get.
****
I hopped out of the car at the repairman’s as soon as Billie’s car drove up. He barely had time to get out of his car before I jumped into his arms and continuously kissed him intensely about 7 times. I wasn’t trying to be mean to Tre, I just missed Billie. “Whoa, someone’s happy to see me.”
“Yes,” I confirmed. He stared into my eyes then we both realized where we were and he let go of me. The back seat door opened and Joey jumped out and hugged my leg.
“Hi momma!”
“Hey honey, how are you?” I asked, ruffling his hair.
“Goooood.” I picked him up and Billie and I walked in the repairman’s with Tre following behind.
“Hey, how can I help you,” said the grease monkey behind the counter.
I was about to say something when, “Yes, can you buy cars? Like, broken down cars that people don’t want anymore?” Billie said.
“’Course. Why, you sellin’?”
“Yes, sir,” Billie said and motioned outside.
“Alright, still in good condition,” grease monkey said. What the fuck, it’s broken down. The guy focused his attention back to us after staring at the broken car. “How much you sellin’ it for?” he asked.
“How much do you want to pay?” Billie asked.
He shrugged. “Thousand? Two? Three?”
“Deal.”
****
“Are you sure you want that?” Billie said. Tre had left after we left the repairman’s.
“Of course.”
“Alright. It’s yours,” he smiled. I smiled and looked into his eyes and as I was about to kiss him, the salesperson came behind us.
“Interested in this one?” he asked.
“Yes, I think we’ll take it,” I said, not looking away from the car.
“Alright, I’ll be right back with the paper work.” Billie grabbed me around my waist and kissed my neck while Joey stayed in front of me, oblivious that we were even doing anything. And then, for the first time, I actually liked my new car. A brand new, Dodge Viper. ♥