"My mama is selling her car!" Tonya blurted out to the men in the old Cutless Supreme.
This was going to be easy, is what Tonya thought. She could help her mother find a potential buyer for their car and they'd get the money, and wouldn't get evicted. Easy as pie.
"What did you say little girl?"
They heard Tonya clear enough the first time, but she didn't hear the slear undertone behind their question. The tall, lanky girl quicken her steps over to the men. There were four of them. A quick glance of the car spoked volumes to her. There was a large crack in the windsheild. The paint on the car had long since rusted over. The outside mirror was dangeling by something, she just didn't know what. They were perfect customers for her mother.
Tonya's smile brought a gleam in the men's eyes.
"Now what were you saying, Babygirl?" The driver asked.
"My mama is trying to sell her car and I heard her saying that she needs about one thousand dolloar so she can pay the rent."
The dedication in Tonya's voice was so strong, she thought of herself as a saleswoman or perhaps one day a congress woman. She felt very confident about these men. They appear to be very interested in her mother's car. They were holding on to her every word.
Although Tonya always liked their car. A 1998 Ford Taurus. It had air conditioning and a CD player. Tonya had all her favorite CD's in it. She'd hate to see it go, but keeping a house was far more important. And besides her mother could get a ride back and fourth to work with her new boyfreind that also works with her. And Tonya also had her ten speed. That's was what she was on when she over heard one of those men saying that they needed a car so that they wouldn't have to keep paying for gas money.
"What's your name, babygirl?"
"Tonya, but you can Slim, cause my mama says that i'm skinny but that's not nice, so she calls me Slim." The energy in Tonya's voice made the men chuckle.
"Slow down girl. You moving way too fast. Now take your time with that sweet voice of yours."
The wickedness the traveled through the men's mind was oblivious to the thirteen year old. She thought that she was handling herself very mature like. Giving them a nickname to call her so that they may feel comfortable around her.
"My mama and I are right up the street. She left the car in the driveway so people can see it. I can call her right now if you like. And she can show it to you when she gets off in the next hour."
"No, why don't you get in and let us drive you to your house so that we can make our decision now." The man in the driver seat was making all the decisions but as Tonya remembered correctly, it was the man in the back right seat that exclaimed he needed the car. The men seemed destracted by something. She could hear it in their voices. Somehting was wrong.
"Uhm, why don't I call my mama first and she'll let me know if it's okay to brign you guys to our house, cause sometimes my mama be trippin' about me bringing company over while she aint there and I don't want to get in trouble."
Suddenly finding potential buyers for her mother's car was not her concern. As Tonya was feeling for her prepaid phone her front pocket of her favorite jeans, the driver had already slipped the tiny phone from her back pocket. Never had she felt so invaded in her entire life. And by a stranger.
"Now, what's your mama's name and number so I can talk to her about this damn car."
This was Tonya's chance to speak up for herself and to see where there minds were.
"Hey mister, I thought it was the other man who wanted a car."
Tonya had her hand on her hip with her chin up into the air.
"Yeah, it's Bow who needs the car... but we all want a ride." They all laughed heartily at their friend's remark, giving eachother hand slaps of aproval. "I know that's right."
Tonya's heart jumped into her stomach. These men had no interest in her mother's car. She dared not to think about what they were really interested in.
"Look! Just give me back my phone cause yall don't won't no car!" they could tell that the young girl was getting defensive, so they quickly straighten up so that she could take them more seriously.
" I'm sorry sweetheart, we were just kidding around. Old Bow here been needin' a car for years now. And your mama's car sound good and reliable. Shoot we all just got paid and if yo mama need money for the rent, we can chip in and help pay for the car. Aint that right Bow?"
"Uh, yeah!" Bow replied.
This gave Tonya a change of heart. She didn't even bother to have the men to call her mother.
These men had a pocket full of money and they seemed ready to buy. Her mother would be so proud of her.
"Are you gone get in the car, or are we gone have to tie you up on the hood?" The man gave Tonya a big warm smile, trying to be funny.
"Nah, where am I gonna put my bike? I'll just ride my bike and yall can follow me." tonya was so determind to make a sell, she didn't even bother to retrieve her cell phone from them.
"You guys ready?" she hollered to them.
"Oh yeah." There it was again, that something in there voices that made her feel uneasy.
She hopped on her pink and purple ten speed and pedaled passed the corner store and down the street. Tonya would trek for at least ten minutes. She was so anxious and so relieved that her mother would not have to worry about the rent. Perhaps this would also give them a little breathing room for the future.
As Tonya made her way pass Mitchell street, she started to replay the conversation she had with the men in her mind.
"Turn around and go back the other way."
"What?" Tonya say out loud. She instintively touched her ears to check for her headphones.
NOt there.
"Turn around."
"Who's talking to me?" she thought. her speed was slowing down. Her strong steady pumps on her bike began to falter. She turned around quickly to see if the men were trying to get her attention. But how could they, they were too far away to be heard.
But Tonya noticed something about the men in the car. Something was differant. Their faces were revealing something that was recently hidden before. Their real intentions.
There was a reason that they wanted Tonya to get in their car. And somehitng else she just realized, they don't know what kind of car they're going to look at. And why not talk to her mother as she suggested... because these men had no itentions on buying a car. They intended on doing harm to Tonya. And now she knew it.
She had to get away from them without taking them to her house. But how?
This was going to be easy, is what Tonya thought. She could help her mother find a potential buyer for their car and they'd get the money, and wouldn't get evicted. Easy as pie.
"What did you say little girl?"
They heard Tonya clear enough the first time, but she didn't hear the slear undertone behind their question. The tall, lanky girl quicken her steps over to the men. There were four of them. A quick glance of the car spoked volumes to her. There was a large crack in the windsheild. The paint on the car had long since rusted over. The outside mirror was dangeling by something, she just didn't know what. They were perfect customers for her mother.
Tonya's smile brought a gleam in the men's eyes.
"Now what were you saying, Babygirl?" The driver asked.
"My mama is trying to sell her car and I heard her saying that she needs about one thousand dolloar so she can pay the rent."
The dedication in Tonya's voice was so strong, she thought of herself as a saleswoman or perhaps one day a congress woman. She felt very confident about these men. They appear to be very interested in her mother's car. They were holding on to her every word.
Although Tonya always liked their car. A 1998 Ford Taurus. It had air conditioning and a CD player. Tonya had all her favorite CD's in it. She'd hate to see it go, but keeping a house was far more important. And besides her mother could get a ride back and fourth to work with her new boyfreind that also works with her. And Tonya also had her ten speed. That's was what she was on when she over heard one of those men saying that they needed a car so that they wouldn't have to keep paying for gas money.
"What's your name, babygirl?"
"Tonya, but you can Slim, cause my mama says that i'm skinny but that's not nice, so she calls me Slim." The energy in Tonya's voice made the men chuckle.
"Slow down girl. You moving way too fast. Now take your time with that sweet voice of yours."
The wickedness the traveled through the men's mind was oblivious to the thirteen year old. She thought that she was handling herself very mature like. Giving them a nickname to call her so that they may feel comfortable around her.
"My mama and I are right up the street. She left the car in the driveway so people can see it. I can call her right now if you like. And she can show it to you when she gets off in the next hour."
"No, why don't you get in and let us drive you to your house so that we can make our decision now." The man in the driver seat was making all the decisions but as Tonya remembered correctly, it was the man in the back right seat that exclaimed he needed the car. The men seemed destracted by something. She could hear it in their voices. Somehting was wrong.
"Uhm, why don't I call my mama first and she'll let me know if it's okay to brign you guys to our house, cause sometimes my mama be trippin' about me bringing company over while she aint there and I don't want to get in trouble."
Suddenly finding potential buyers for her mother's car was not her concern. As Tonya was feeling for her prepaid phone her front pocket of her favorite jeans, the driver had already slipped the tiny phone from her back pocket. Never had she felt so invaded in her entire life. And by a stranger.
"Now, what's your mama's name and number so I can talk to her about this damn car."
This was Tonya's chance to speak up for herself and to see where there minds were.
"Hey mister, I thought it was the other man who wanted a car."
Tonya had her hand on her hip with her chin up into the air.
"Yeah, it's Bow who needs the car... but we all want a ride." They all laughed heartily at their friend's remark, giving eachother hand slaps of aproval. "I know that's right."
Tonya's heart jumped into her stomach. These men had no interest in her mother's car. She dared not to think about what they were really interested in.
"Look! Just give me back my phone cause yall don't won't no car!" they could tell that the young girl was getting defensive, so they quickly straighten up so that she could take them more seriously.
" I'm sorry sweetheart, we were just kidding around. Old Bow here been needin' a car for years now. And your mama's car sound good and reliable. Shoot we all just got paid and if yo mama need money for the rent, we can chip in and help pay for the car. Aint that right Bow?"
"Uh, yeah!" Bow replied.
This gave Tonya a change of heart. She didn't even bother to have the men to call her mother.
These men had a pocket full of money and they seemed ready to buy. Her mother would be so proud of her.
"Are you gone get in the car, or are we gone have to tie you up on the hood?" The man gave Tonya a big warm smile, trying to be funny.
"Nah, where am I gonna put my bike? I'll just ride my bike and yall can follow me." tonya was so determind to make a sell, she didn't even bother to retrieve her cell phone from them.
"You guys ready?" she hollered to them.
"Oh yeah." There it was again, that something in there voices that made her feel uneasy.
She hopped on her pink and purple ten speed and pedaled passed the corner store and down the street. Tonya would trek for at least ten minutes. She was so anxious and so relieved that her mother would not have to worry about the rent. Perhaps this would also give them a little breathing room for the future.
As Tonya made her way pass Mitchell street, she started to replay the conversation she had with the men in her mind.
"Turn around and go back the other way."
"What?" Tonya say out loud. She instintively touched her ears to check for her headphones.
NOt there.
"Turn around."
"Who's talking to me?" she thought. her speed was slowing down. Her strong steady pumps on her bike began to falter. She turned around quickly to see if the men were trying to get her attention. But how could they, they were too far away to be heard.
But Tonya noticed something about the men in the car. Something was differant. Their faces were revealing something that was recently hidden before. Their real intentions.
There was a reason that they wanted Tonya to get in their car. And somehitng else she just realized, they don't know what kind of car they're going to look at. And why not talk to her mother as she suggested... because these men had no itentions on buying a car. They intended on doing harm to Tonya. And now she knew it.
She had to get away from them without taking them to her house. But how?
