Free God Ain't Through Yet by Mary Monroe Page B

no hurry to offer me any more information. “Well, are you going to tell me about it, or am I going to sit here and try and pull it out of you?” I snapped. “We’ve been having this conversation long enough, and to tell you the truth, it’s beginning to get on my nerves. And I’m just as bored and pissed off as you—because of this conversation!”
    â€œYou know Henry Boykin?”
    I nodded. “Who doesn’t?” I said with disgust. “He’s one of the younger boys in that rough family who owns that big white house on Pike Street, right? A real asshole?”
    â€œThat’s Henry.”
    I glanced toward the doorway to make sure Charlotte was not lurking about again before I spoke once more, whispering this time. “You used to buy weed from his uncle. The uncle that got killed by some drug dealers up in Cleveland a few years ago.”
    â€œWell, Henry took up where his uncle left off. But he’s such an asshole, I’d rather buy my weed from the Klan before I put a nickel in his pocket.”
    â€œYou don’t need to be buying weed or any other stimulant from anybody. I’ve told you about that more than once, and I hope it doesn’t keep coming up.”
    Pee Wee snapped his fingers and gave me a dismissive look. “Can we stay on the subject?”
    â€œExactly what is the subject now?”
    â€œI’m tryin’ to talk to you about Henry!” he yelled.
    â€œThen talk to me about Henry!” I yelled back, stomping my foot.
    â€œAnyway, that punk Henry Boykin got out of the drug business after he got busted and now he’s runnin’ Soul Cuts barbershop over by the skating rink.”
    â€œOh yeah, that’s right. I had almost forgotten about that because nobody ever mentions him to me.”
    â€œWell, they mention him to me. Every time I run into one of my former customers, they go on and on about how happy they are to be goin’ to Henry! He is takin’ away all of the young business that I used to have,” Pee Wee complained. There was a worried look on his face, but there was also one on my face now, too.
    â€œOh? And how is he doing that?” I asked, feeling his pain and frustration. One thing about my relationship with my family was that when one of them was in pain, I felt it, too. And in some instances, it seemed like I felt their pain more than they did.
    â€œWell, for one thing, he’s young. Twentysomething. The kids can relate to him. And you seen his shop lately?”
    I nodded. “I went by there with Daddy the other day when he got his bald spots oiled.” I shrugged. “So what?”
    Pee Wee’s face froze and he just stared at me with his mouth hanging open like a gourd. Then it dawned on me why he was doing that.
    â€œOh! Um…see, Daddy only went there because he couldn’t get an appointment with you!” I said quickly.
    â€œYour daddy went to my competition? He had to get his bald spots oiled so fast he couldn’t wait on me? And me havin’ a full schedule never stopped him from comin’ to me before. The last time I had him come by after hours.”
    â€œI didn’t mean to tell you about that,” I admitted, bowing my aching head. “Please don’t tell Daddy I told you.”
    â€œYou don’t have to worry about that. If my own father-in-law don’t want to do business with me, I can’t do nothin’ about it.”
    â€œYou know how mad Muh’Dear gets when she hears about us going to dinner at Antonosanti’s instead of eating at her restaurant,” I reminded. “I guess that’s no different than Daddy going to Henry’s barbershop instead of yours, huh?”
    â€œI guess not.” Pee Wee waved his hands in the air in frustration. “Don’t tell your daddy I even mentioned him goin’ over to Henry’s place. I don’t want him to know how disappointed I