Black Check

Crash, a shriek, banging dishes, “I hate you!”, “Leave me alone”, screamed the girl next door.

“Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!”Aba cries in agony “ What the hell!” she wailed in exasperation as she flumped up on her bed for the umpteenth time; She had just managed to fall asleep after a late-night shift last night at the Vine nightclub where she has been working for 2 years to supplement tuition for college. “Not again!”, she wailed, looking up to heaven, hands clasped whispering a silent prayer, “Please give me peace today” with the hope that someone up there was listening and running to answer that prayer. (Noise till occurs)

She grabs a pillow next to her bed and slams it over her ears in a futile attempt to block out the ruckus next door.

She gets up from bed, paces up and down, and spontaneously moves towards the wall separating her from the commotion; she bangs the hollow wall with a fist of fury, “How am I to believe in love if all you two pathetic idiots do is fight all day?” she screams, fighting to keep control, clenching her fist, ready to break the wall if the noise did not stop.

“Shut up and stay out…...” Her resolve faltered under the threatening tone of the voice she heard; with her words caught in her throat, she remained silent and retreated to the safety of her bed. She picks up her headphones and starts playing the FireBoy DML love playlist. She lies belly flat on her bed and closes her eyes and recluses into a solemn moment of retrospection...

Life with her next-door neighbors, Adu and Esi for the past 3 months could be likened to living in hell on earth; they seemed like a toxic incompatible couple justified by the regularity and frequency of their rows. They fought over everything from how to use toothpaste to what footwear they wore on the way out. Everything, to them, was just another reason to start commotion on the block. Aba had been so sure they both would have been at work. Somehow the universe chose a day and time that she looked forward to a peaceful sleep for these lovers to fight again. “I wonder why and how they are still together”, she soliloquized. “I guess the unlike poles really do attract.” answering her own question.

In defeat she rises from her bed, located at the left corner of her 50 sq feet studio apartment; all she could afford after moving all the way from Colorado to New York to pursue her dreams. She moves to the left side of her bed, sits on the mini-couch, and picks up Majorie, her confidante who lived in a little black notebook; Ever since she lost her brother some years ago, Aba found hope and a sense of peace writing out her deepest fears and happy moments in Majorie; she was the link to her departed brother. It was her only therapy as she could not afford therapy. She checked the last entry and realized it was about a month ago she had written. “Well that is such a long time, I guess I have to keep you updated on what up with my life,” she said, moving from page to page and staring at her writings. She picked up a pen, ready to delve into her life for the past month and tell it all to her brother. With her headphones still plugged in her ears, she started writing and got lost in her thoughts.

An hour later, she felt so much better having shared all her experiences in a letter to her brother. She placed the book and pen next to the table on her right, removed her headphones, and hoped that by now the couple’s fight would be over. It sounded more like it had escalated, unprecedentedly, to a higher level. She had had enough, she crunched up from her couch, sat back down, picked up her phone on the table ready to call the police and... “Cheque”....!

She quickly stares strangely at the dirty piece of paper on the floor next to her table; she stares, at the “Name of Bank” written on top of the paper, and then to the (signature ……) and locks her eyes on the boldly written $20,000 on that paper and silently questions, “Could this be the bone of contention?”