Street Soldier 2 by Silhouettes Page B

you’d better think twice about what you’re sayin’. Now, I got work to do. Somethin’ you haven’t known about in years. Get the fuck out of my way, and if a fight is what you’re lookin’ for this mornin’, I ain’t got time for it!”
    I stepped forward again, and Raylo took his fist, slamming it into my gut. Pain rushed through my midsection, causing me to double over before staggering and dropping to one knee. I held my stomach, unable to regroup after such a hard blow. I tightened my eyes, wondering how in the hell Mama could bear his punches after so many years.
    â€œIf you rush up, it better be to make yo’ way to the door. If you move in my direction, this will be the last time you will ever see light,” he threatened.
    I didn’t doubt Raylo’s words one bit. And even when I tried to move, my stomach was so sore that all I could do was continue to soothe it with my hand. Staying in the same position with my head down, I wasn’t about to challenge Raylo. I knew I couldn’t take him with my bare hands, and my strength was nowhere near what it used to be. He stood for a second, waiting for me to make my move. When I didn’t, he headed toward the back. Doing the norm, he went into Mama’s bedroom and slammed the door. That’s when I slowly eased up.
    â€œShit,” I said, as my stomach hurt even more when I stood straight up. I surely thought about going to my car to get my gun, but the last thing I wanted was for the police to be on the scene. Instead, I slowly walked to my car and dropped back on the seat for a while. I was sure Raylo would tell Mama what happened, and I awaited her call to ask me what I had done to him. Then again, lately she’d been siding with me. But even if I thought this was enough to make her throw him out on his ass, I was positive that wouldn’t happen. After all of the beatings, why not? I couldn’t help but to sit and think about the many times I’d seen him go upside her head, and what I’d seen him do about a month ago to a woman who was standing on Newstead Avenue. He didn’t see me, but I parked my car and rolled down my window to hear what was up that day.
    Raylo had the frail redbone chick who looked to be in her thirties by the back of her hair. His grip was so tight that tears were pouring down her face and her eyes were squeezed together. She kept begging him to let go.
    â€œBaby, please,” she said, trying to laugh it off, but appeared to be in so much pain. “I won’t do it again. I promise. Ju ... just give me another chance, Sugar Bear.”
    I guessed she thought that calling him a pet name would help ease her pain, but she must not have known Raylo like I did. “You slutty bitch,” he said, then pushed her down where she skinned her knees. They were bloody as ever, and he picked her up, again, dragging her to the side of a building like a ragdoll. He lifted his hand that had four thick gold rings on each finger, slapping her so hard her head snapped to the side, as if she were in a heavyweight fight getting her ass beat by Mike Tyson. Raylo spat in her face as he spoke, then squeezed her nose, trying to break it away from her face. Blood ran from her nose and dripped over her lips to her shaky chin. The woman’s ear-ringing screams could have woken up the whole neighborhood but, unfortunately, no one stopped to help, including myself.
    His fist tore into her stomach that day, just as it had done mine. It sickened me to watch what he had done to that woman, and she was in the same predicament as Mama. Raylo would apologize for his abuse, and all would be good, until he was ready for some more gangsta shit again. Knowing so, I drove off, thinking what a gotdamn shame this truly was.
    I arrived at the laundromat a little after eight. There were already several people inside, but I started to remove the quarters from the machine. My face was still