Read The Blackbirds for Free Online

Sunday morning.”
    Destiny asked Kwanzaa, “Have you heard from Brixton since the mall fiasco?”
    Kwanzaa’s nostrils flared. “Brixton has sent me a dozen text messages.”
    â€œAnd?”
    â€œHe apologized profusely and wants to meet at a restaurant so we can talk.”
    â€œDon’t fall for it. He wants to separate you from the pack and devour you.”
    Indigo snapped, “Must all roads lead back to Brixton, Kwanzaa? Must they? Now your rent has gone up two hundred dollars. It will be three hundred if you say his blasted name again.”
    Destiny snapped back, “Indigo, as much as you talk about the footballer Olamilekan and Yaba the Laker, you need to raise your own damn rent. Brixton slept with his side chick until he ended up contaminated, then slept with Kwanzaa, and if not for the infection it would have gone on and on. If he had done that to me, you know I would not have been as nice as Kwan.”
    Ericka said, “Kwanzaa, it could’ve been worse. Take that as a sign to move on.”
    Kwanzaa said, “I could’ve been patient zero for some new incurable ish. And when you’re the first person to get a new disease, they want to name the ish after you. They would’ve called the new STD the
Kwanzaas
just to mess up black folks’ holiday season.”
    The girls laughed. Despite the grin and the light words, despite the joke and a moment of self-deprecating humor, tears rolled down Kwanzaa’s cheeks, to her lips, to her chin and neck.
    Kwanzaa said, “I guess liars and their games are part of my heritage. We are our parents’ problems, victories, and history united by the blending of egg and sperm, brought to life by God.”
    Indigo said, “Heifer, don’t even try to get deep and philosophical over Brixton.”
    Exhausted men filed up the stairs and stared at Ericka’s, Indigo’s, Kwanzaa’s, and Destiny’s bodies, ogling a tad bit too long. A few became entranced. Destiny became self-conscious of not only the eyes on her body, but also the eyes that lingered on her face. A sweaty Idris of a guy stared at her, smiled, nodded his head, and waited on reciprocation. She turned, walked away.
    In the delicate and concerned tone of a den mother, Ericka asked, “You okay, Destiny?”
    Destiny said, “I’m fine. Was just creeped out. One guy kept looking at me. He realized who I was. I could tell. When they left, he started whispering to his friend. He said my name.”
    Kwanzaa said, “More men have arrived. Looks like a few more eyes are on us.”
    Indigo said, “Because we’re four bad-ass black bitches breaking the stereotype.”
    Destiny said, “Okay, Indigo, we need a better word than
bitches
.”
    Ericka agreed with a nod. “You’re right. We have to do better, even when we’re joking.”
    Destiny shook her head. “The
B
-word is just the
N
-word for women.”
    Indigo nodded. “We’re too smart and
amazing
to use such a lowbrow term. I mean, unless we’re listening to music, or describing other women whom we despise. Some bitches are bitches and there is no other word on reserve to call those bitches except
bitches
, unless we come up with a bitching word for those bitches, especially aggravating bitches who keep sending those bitching
Candy Crush
requests.”
    Kwanzaa Browne laughed. “What are we going to call ourselves when we powwow?”
    Everyone shrugged.
    Indigo said, “Pillow Queens?”
    Everyone laughed and Destiny and Kwanzaa shook their heads.
    Ericka wagged a finger. “You three might be passive, but that’s not the way I roll.”
    Kwanzaa said, “The only thing I use a pillow for is to put under my butt or my belly so we can get the angle right. I turn a man into a pillow king. I had Brixton crying like a three-year-old.”
    Indigo hummed. “Black Pussycat Dolls?”
    They laughed