Paddles its feet at me.

I have heard and read stories but its red ink was never stamped in my forehead until it was featured in the latest biweekly bulletin of circus the salon soap opera talk. I needed not to wait for All My Children or the Young and The Restless as it was unceremoniously chafed on my nose on the day of this exchange.

Beauty salon reminds me of a bar; every patron invokes trash to its highest levels and has an opinion specially when inebriated. The tête-à-tête flows unapologetically, piercing unguarded with some rejoicing even if not invited. How the content is majored and perceived, whether or not it is worth taking seriously, depends on how much the listener is willing to give it credence and whether or not he/she is not high on something.

The topic of the conversation the other day – believe me, the river usually comes flooding, rising to its highest potential (from a balloon getting stuck in the mud to how many Pathfinder’s God drives) – was about “Dancing with the Stars”.

I don’t recall when the wind shifted but somehow the theme deviated and we all fail prey to it. We found ourselves stranded in one messy bowl of cereal. Everyone had an opinion about which of the three contestants would make it all the way. The consensus was that Melissa, Giles and Little Kim. But suddenly, the vibe brusquely turned to what “in the world” Queen Latifah was wearing.

Spits were flying through the roof on that one; from she looked like a drag queen to “huhuh”, to the latest four one one: “She is dyke”. “C’mon, the girl looks the part, you can tell. She better pay her beautician some really good money if she want her to keep quiet. That’s simple.”, one quipped.  “If she does not want her bunezz out”, someone countered.  “Ain’t that a trip?”, the other commented. The exchange was hilarious; I could not contain myself and must admit was s%&* in my pants.

Being that I was in a black saloon, it was more than fitting when the soiree shifted to Little Kim. “She is doing her thing, girl. She is representin”, the other lady noted. “She is really good and has come to her own. Right on sista!” Yehhh, hifive!

The dice was enthusiastically rolling when someone brought up Little Kim plastic surgery.

Lady 1: “Chilllld, she had plastic surgery?”

Lady 2: “Yeah child! Where have you been? Dontcha see how she looks kinda different now? She done something, I tell yah. She probably did a lot, chopped some parts, you can see it; her skin – chilld, she is a little whiter now, her face, her buttocks, it all look different; but she look goooood!”

Lady 3 – “Someone told me she had her face done; so now she looks Chinese.”

Lady 1: “Chinese? Ain’t she black? How she gonna look Chinese?”

Lady 3: “Yeah but her booty look good too and she is shakinnnn it! Kim Kardashin ain’t got nothing on her! Shake what yo mama gave yah.”

Lady 2: “Child! She is doing us proud. She look good dancinggg and I am loving it.”

Lady 1: “Wasn’t she in jail too?”

Lady 2: “Yeah girl, and she is dedicating the whole dance to them, her hoomies in penitentiary!”

Lady 1: “Ain’t that something. Why did she go to the big house again?”

Lady 3: “Because she ain’t going down with snitching; she did not want to tell on them. Girrrrl, don’t be telling on people’s bunezz, I would have done the same thing.”

Huh? Suddenly, the switch was turned on and things went sour on my side of the table. I could not help it and jumped in.

Me: “Wait a minute; so, you would rather go to jail then do the right thing?”

Lady 1: “Well, not really but if I say something, I know someone will be settin me up; so, I won’t say nutting. I keep my mouth shot.”

Me: “Yeah! She went to jail for lying, she went to jail because the feds had the evidence on tape. The tape does not lie remember? She was on tape, she was caught and you do not see anything wrong with her behavior? You do not see anything wrong with her action? Where is the value of life that you all so preach? ”

(Silence; total stillness. Suddenly, no one was moving; no one was talking. It felt like the electricity was turned off on the building. The electrical razor speedy Gonzalez train machine mamas just went into total darkness. Someone must have switched the mute button and forgot to tell me.)

The conversation no longer existed but one brave soul eventually adventured.

Lady 1: “Let’s say someone is trying to kill you if you say something; let’s say you know that if you open your mouth you will be dead, would you say something or keep quiet? ”

Me: “Why not? Why not be the courageous and brave soul, and tell the truth; why not? Take the case in Liberty City (a black neighborhood in Miami), nine kids were shot; two of them died mercifully in vein.
They were out enjoying the beautiful January night. There was an enormous crowd; tones of people standing on a street corner, playing dice when the bullets came flying. They saw the shootings; everyone run for cover but to this day, no one soul has come forward; not one soul have said a word. Politicians came pouring, screaming bloody hell that “we are killing our young; let’s march; stop the madness” to dissipate in the air as soon as the cameras were turned off.

A month later in the same neighborhood, a 10-month-old baby sitting on her father’s lap was shot dead while he played dominos. To this day no one has come forward; the killer has not been caught. So, you are telling me that it is all right, no need to call the police even if you know the accusers?!”

Lady 1: “And… what’s wrong with that? This is the environment they grew up in, they do not know any better; you say something you are next… ”

Me: “So, these murderers must go unpunished because no one dare to say a thing… oh, until it happens to you right? ”

Lady 1: “Yeah, probably; but right now, I have to protect my family and protecting I will keep quiet!”

While this exchange is taking place, Lady 2 and 3 kept numb, silent pretending not to be listening. They ignored the debate and turned their faces and ears to the other side, but I knew better, they were listening. It is not like we all moved; we were all sitting at the same location. Somehow the Dancing of the Stars went to Dancing of the Unknowns; they no longer had an opinion. Not to be undone and curious about my beautician’s opinion, I pulled her into the fray.

She too had a riveting explanation. Her logic was as follows: “what if your friend sees your husband with another woman and she tells you. You on the other hand, confront your husband. He lies to his teeth and says that your friend his wrong and turns her against you. He tells you he no longer wants you to have her as a friend; the situation gets uncomfortable and you don’t know what.”

(Huh?! Stop! What is she saying? First of all, there is no way anyone will ask me to stop being friends with someone just because… Let’s just say that the logic did not make any sense to me. So, I did not drive with it and I took a different route)

Me: “So, you are telling me that you would not say a word also?”

Beautician – “You damn right. No, not when my children and my family’s life are at play. I would not tell a word to the police or anyone else. Who to tell if the police is not on it too. They are probably involved and are part of it.

You see, this is the way it works. The policeman may know someone, who knows someone… word goes around, you say something to them and the next thing you know the whole community knows of it. It is the police; they are not to be trusted. You know, you have never been there. You don’t know where it is like living in that situation.”

(I agree, I do not but people are no longer brave to the right thing?)

Me: “So you would rather see the lives of these young people go in vein, just because… you would rather see a mother cry, suffer; so you would rather see the killer’s action go unpunished.”

No response; the wall was still thick but I kept on, exploring. So, I turned to Lady 2 and 3 who were restrainedly sitting in the corner, listening. I know I was being monitored (I could hear the hahha.. who does she think she is pulse) as their eyes and their faces said it all. They were rolling them; the ladies were communicating in codes, and I could see, and did not give a rats ass but yet privy and cognizant of their acions.

Me: “I completely understand what you are exerting but the logic of it really stinks; it just does not make any sense to me.”

Lady 2: “I understand because you were not brought up in it. You see kids are raising kids, no one is telling them right or wrong; no one is giving them directions. They have no values for nutting. Did they get the second kid yet? ”

She jump the broom again to another case in Broward county where this nice sixteen years old who was out and about for the first time past his curfew (with his mother’s consent so he could perform in a competition).

Just after attending a concert, he was killed by another teenager. They had already taken his valuables and without a care (we later learned it just for street creed) in the world, they killed him anyway. Yes, the kid lost his life for some stupid street creed.  At press time, the perpetrator and one of his accomplices (turned over by his mother – hurray to her) were caught but two others were still out.

Yet, even after the first kid was found to be the triggerman, a family member was on camera accusing the police of lying and fabricating stories. “Yoll wrong; my brother is innocent. The police did it. ”, she said. Ok!  Meanwhile the kid was all smiles on the day of his arraignment.

Me: “No, they are still looking for him. No one is talking.”

Yet, just the other day, another shooting, in the same neighborhood.  One by one the kids are dropping and the Russian roulette continues. Rumor has it, Joshua was accidentally killed by Tom. Apparently, they were talking and it led to altercation that led the gun to go off inadvertently.

So, Joshua’s peeps believing Tom was responsible for killing, did Tom in; thus the shootings while he was playing dice in the street corner. No one is talking; no one is saying a word; case unsolved right? Wrong, now here comes Tom’s peep going after (who they know is guilty but no one is talking) Joshua’s peeps.  No one is talking; no one is saying a word; case unsolved, a few hurt one dead. Not to be undone, Joshua’s peeps go after who did their peeps’ in and shot some of the Tom’s peeps (or whatever is left of it). No one is talking; no one is saying a word; case unsolved, a few hurt one dead.

I understand and am sympathetic to anyone’s cause and under the circumstances, I would have probably done the same – survival of the fittest but the logic of it just does not make any sense to me. It stinks!

Two days ago another shooting, around the same neighborhood, the same brand, driving by shooting. Innocent kids caught in the crossfire were rushed to the hospital; mad house, chaos, family crying foul, family crying for support, the community organizer showing up, “Where is the government? Where is the mayor? They have money to fund a stadium but do not have money to protect the few. A person can go to jail for killing a dog but not for killing a human being, a black kid.” Exactly! Hellllo?… NO ONE IS TALKING.