Skeeder stumbled into the small flat and knocked over the tiny dining room table, the little plant on it crashing to the floor.
"Man, what's that matter with you, you high? Or do I even need to ask," she said. Annie May was only 19, but she had an older woman's voice. I guess that's why she took to singin' the Blues. Guess that's why she went with Skeeder, he could play the drums like nobody's business.
Skeeder collapsed into their bed with his shoes still on.
"Damn it, Skeeder, take off them clothes and have some sense! What you on?"
"I'm high, woman, what it look like?"
"You smell like, African Violet, you got high with Billie?"
"You got nose of a blood hound, woman."
"Skeeder. You didn't."
"You know I'm not here to tell you no lies."
"No. Skeeder... No. Get your alley cat, good for nothin', horse ridin' ass out my bed, fool!" She yelled, and pushed him onto the floor. She got up and closed the door, which was still wide open, withe the light from the hallway pouring in. She turned on a light and took a look at Skeeder laying on his back. She walked to the sink and grabbed a long kitchen knife and walked over to him.
"Skeeder, of all the two nickel whores and show girls you could of stepped out on me with, why you choose my teacher? Why you take her away from me? How am I supposed to listen to her now? How am I gonna learn from her now?" She held the knife tightly behind her back and shifted her weight from right to left slowly.
"Woman, I was so high I didn't know where I was. I thought she was you. She didn't know me from nobody either. I called your name, though, when I reached that promise land, I called your name. She slapped me silly... She slapped me and threw me out the door... can you believe that. I had to go back for my damn shoes. She threw my clothes in the hallway. I called your name, Annie May, and you can believe that."
"I took this knife so I could cut the life out of you Skeeder, but you ain't worth my time. Now get out. You can get used to women kicking you out of they life because you have no decency. You have no shame, and you have no decency."
She threw the knife across the room and grabbed his leg and dragged him to the door. Annie May was a little, pear shaped woman with short curly hair. Pretty when she smiled, but she didn't smile too much. Had too much of that blues in her. She pulled Skeeder into the hallway and went to close the door but he stopped her.
"You know I love you more than life itself, don't you?" He said from his knees.
"Let go of me, " she growled.
"You know I love you like a bee love honey and a fish love water, Annie May. Come on now."
She began to sink. Like a ton of bricks she came down with no bones in her, she came down. She came down and cried like she just lost her Mama. And Skeeder held her close, how he usually held her. Like a man who loved hard but too late. She let him hold her there, and searched for the dreams inside her that had died prematurely of unnatural causes. She searched her heart, and she searched his eyes. His eyes were red, but tender... a real puppy dog... What hurt her most is she couldn't stop loving him. No matter what.
