The Sweetest Piece

I wanted nothing other than to rest my aching body on the hand-me-down couch in my tiny basement apartment, eat the piece of chocolate cake in my mini-fridge, and fall asleep with one of my Best of Saturday Night Live DVD’s. I slowly pulled into the back gravel parking pad. My landlord, Nancy, let the weeds grow so full that my bumper pushed against them and nearly tipped the garbage can over. She has been slowly letting the property devolve. Two months ago, Nancy started threatening me with eviction since me and a woman I brought home were too noisy after she had been in bed. Nancy just had no patience for most people, and that included me. I walked toward the backdoor and the motion light flicked on. Nancy’s Chihuahua darted through the thatch. bit my leg, and growled.

“Ow, goddamit Precious!” I yelled kicking off Precious.

“Yip! Yip! Yip” Precious barked at the backdoor for Nancy.

I kept on the path toward my little sanctuary.

“Nancy never even trained you, Precious. You know who I am.” I muttered to the little Chihuahua.

“Precious, come here baby!” Nancy called from behind a screen door. She creaked it open on its rusted hinges.

Her hair was a giant messy bird nest, frizzed out due to the summer heat and a lifetime of smoking. Even now a Marlboro Red hung from the corner of mouth as the ashes blew on her stained purple nightshirt.

“Get over here right now Wilson!” Nancy ordered.

I was livid from the dog bite. My hand quivered as I tried to remain calm.

“Yes, did you need something?” I asked.

“I see you’re fine going around abusing dogs?”

“You saw the whole thing? Then you saw little Precious come up to me completely unprovoked and bite me. Look she even drew blood.” I said as I pulled up my pant leg.

“That ain’t nothin’ but a little scratch. You need to grow some balls you ungrateful shit, and you’re three days behind on my rent,” she snarled

“I told you they keep cutting my hours. I’m looking for things with better pay. I get paid again this Friday.” I said and hoped for lenience.

“Well, you better hurry up and find something better than kitchen work. You don’t even bring me or Precious any of your leftovers, no ribs, no wings, nothin.”

“I can’t just steal from work. I’ll call home later, maybe I can get an extra check to help cover my rent.”

“You’re such a pompous little shit,” she said as she shut the screen door behind her.

I made my way downstairs and threw off my dirty kitchen clothes in the corner basket before taking a shower and trying to relax.

With only an antenna television and no internet I turned on my DVD player and brought out the piece of cake to the coffee table. My fridge was now empty. I sat back down on the light brown couch with the unraveling seams.

“What do I have left for tonight?” I said as I opened my coffee table drawer to see only two half full pint size liquor bottles. I wanted to save the vodka so I opened the bottle of rum and took a big swig. The burn felt good and I had the bright idea of cutting a small piece of cake for tomorrow. I picked up the cake, went to the pocket-sized kitchen area, and grabbed a small knife. I swayed back and forth as the alcohol rushed in. Then I heard a pounding on the door.

“Wilson! Open up!” Nancy shouted.

I cracked the door and she barged in.

“There ain’t no more hot water now! I was gonna take a bath after you put me in such a bad mood.” She paraded around.

“Are you drunk? Got plenty of money for booze but not rent?” She picked up the vodka bottle.

“I’ll take this.”

“THAT IS MINE.”

Nancy pushed me away from the counter and chugged the vodka bottle in front of me.

“Oops, sorry Wilson,” she said sarcastically.

“Better ask for a little more money too, because rent is going up by fifty bucks next month.”

“What? Why?” I asked.

“Cuz’ I got a great place to rent here. So, if you don’t want to stay, I’ll get my cousin over here to help throw you and your shit out. You are such trash.”

“And you have been bringing home food from the restaurant I see,” she said as she spied my slice of chocolate cake.

A rage mounted inside of me. The body aches, the dog bite, and Nancy’s complaints, when all I had wanted was to eat a little cake after a stressful day.

“You know I’m just tired of all your shit, make new plans because you’re out of here at the end of the month.”

“But I can get the money,” I pleaded.

“Oh, you are such whiny little bitch! You. Are. Done. I’m sick of seeing your face around here. I’m gonna take this too,” she said as she grabbed for the plate.

“NO. That’s all I have!” I grabbed her from behind and pinned her arms.

Nancy pushed backward and knocked me into my breakfast table, I fell to the ground with a sharp pain in my lower back. The cake cutting knife dropped down to the linoleum.

“You fuckin’ bitch, my back.” I moaned.

She jumped on me and I felt a sharp pain in the side of my stomach. I looked down and saw the small paring knife stuck in me.

“You stabbed me? You stabbed me you crazy bitch?”

I pulled her by the hair until she slid back. I twisted and grabbed the knife. Nancy pushed me down to climb back on, her weight pinned me.

“Get the fuck out you goddamn bum!” she hollered. She put her hands on my neck and started to squeeze. I managed to reach the cake knife and plunged it into Nancy’s neck.

“You damn bum.” She said as her eyes went wide and she rolled off. I clawed my way up toward the counter as the blood started spilling out.

I used my hand to start shoveling the cake in my face.

“It’s my cake Nancy. It’s all I have.”