Sugar Doll's Hurricane Blues Read Free

a low, deep voice.
    “C’mon man, she can’t be no more than 4 or 5; my baby sister can’t remember nothing you tell her. Let’s go man, Karl got what he deserved but the girl is innocent.”
    “Yeah, all right man. I don’t want killing a baby girl on my conscience.” The door slammed. After several moments Sugar Doll crawled into the room to find her father’s bloodied figure lying on the white carpet. She embraced him with her little arms, then as though she were the parent and he was the child. The door opened again and as Sugar Doll looked up in fear her mother let out a scream.

     
    Marsalas attended Karl Bouvier’s funeral. He provided limousines for the family. Mona knew that her husband had had shady dealings but the turnout alone made her realize that her husband was in quite deeper than even she had imagined. She stood at the gravesite amazed that so many whites would pay their last respects to skinny Karl. Old men passed the gravesite and in shaking her hand deposited hundreds of dollars there. Little Sugar Doll had her little black purse full of twenty-dollar bills. One would think that this was a wedding and not a funeral. Mona knew that Karl had been up to something when he’d purchased their home in New Orleans’ East almost five years ago but he didn’t talk and she hadn’t bothered to ask. She knew that he ran around with sluts and tramps but he didn’t know that she had her own secret lover and that secret had kept her in the marriage.
    Marsala’s crew thought that Karl had died for saving his life. He had lost and Marsalas had won. Tony stood next to Marsalas. His rich dark hair contrasted with his flashing blueeyes. He was not handsome, he was beautiful. He could not keep his eyes off of Mona. Her caramel colored skin drove him wild. He was the only one who seemed to be happy that Karl was dead. He could now have her whenever he wanted. When he couldn’t he would get angry and no woman wanted Tony to get angry.
    Mona looked over the gravesite. She instinctively took her daughter’s hand. She could feel the heat pulsing through her veins as she felt Tony’s gaze on her.
    “You could wait until after the funeral to show your lust!” Karl’s mother snapped at her. Mona dropped her gaze. She hadn’t realized that she was looking at Tony. The heat rose in her cheeks. She could still feel him looking at her, caressing her from a distance.

     
    “The kid should go to her grandmother’s or one of your cousins in the country.” Tony argued for the hundredth time.
    “No, she’s fine just where she is, I’ve got her in a nice Catholic school and I like to know what she is doing.” Mona replied bored with the conversation.
    “Baby, do you think that the way we carry on is good for her Catholic morals?” Tony grabbed her by the neck and ground into her suggestively.
    “No, you are right about that, but I don’t want to lose my baby. I’ve already lost her father.” Mona pouted.
    “Lost her father? What are you talking about? You were doing me when he was alive. You didn’t care for him. If it weren’t for that bar I gave to you, you would have nothing!” Tony’s yelled.
    “Tony, calm down. I just mean that she needs me now. She was very close to her father and seeing him die like that really affected her.” Mona reasoned.
    “You know what? That kid has got to go! I’m running things now, keeping you out of the hole. Do you think that Marsalas would let a colored woman run such a successful bar if I weren’t involved with it?”
    “Tony, don’t you threaten me. You sure took over quickly. I’m wondering what you had to do with Karl’s murder. I’m wondering if things didn’t just work out for you just fine!” Mona realized her mistake as soon as she had made it. Tony slapped her hard across the face. He pushed her down and continued slapping her.
    “Don’t you ever say that to me. Don’t you ever say anything about your beloved husband again. Everything I’ve