Chances Read Online Free PDF Page B

housekeeper. “Bring your things and move in on Monday.”
    Carrie’s mind was racing. She would do it! How could grandma Ella ever find her? She knew nothing of the job, and she would never summon the energy to track her down.
    To live in the Park Avenue house would be a dream come true. Her own room! Five dollars a week! In no time at all she would be able to save enough money to get back to Philadelphia and her real family.
    It was Friday, so there was only the weekend to get through. She hurried home, planning her escape. Grandma Ella was waiting for the money Carrie brought home on a Friday night, and, grabbing it, she went out.
    Carrie settled on her bed. She was too tired even to drag herself down to the corner restaurant and buy a greasy piece of chicken or some grits. Loud jazz music drifted into the room from down the street somewhere. All she wanted to do was squeeze her eyes shut and fall asleep as soon as possible. The sooner she fell asleep, the sooner it would be Saturday and then Sunday and then…
    A hand woke her two hours later. A rough shoving hand that had her by the shoulder.
    She came awake slowly, rubbing her eyes, saying, “What is it, grandma? Whassamatter?”
    But it wasn’t her grandma. It was a very tall black boy with wide eyes and shaggy hair.
    “Who are you?” she shrieked.
    “Don’ get frightened now,” the boy said with a big grin. “I’m Leroy. I’m jest lookin’ for my mama.”
    “How’d you get in?” she started to say. But then she saw that he had kicked his way in. The thin moldy door kept nobody out.
    “I guess you-all are Lureen’s kid. Someone tole me mama bin kind enough to take you in.”
    Carrie sat up in bed. She had heard about Leroy. Grandma Ella mentioned him often. “That mothafuckin’ slimy little rat, runnin’ out on his own mama. I ever see that little turd agin I’m gonna crack his head!”
    “She’s out. You’d best come back tomorrow.”
    Leroy planted himself firmly on the end of her bed. “Girl! I ain’t movin’. I am one tired person. You got any food around here?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Aw, shee-it. Just like my dear ole mama.” His wild eyes looked her over. “I suppose she got you haulin’ ass for her jest like I did.” His eyes lingered on her breasts, which were not covered much by the thin slip she had on. “You a pretty little thing. Mama got you sellin’ your tail, I bet.”
    Carrie pulled the cover up around her. “I work as a maid,” she said primly, wishing he would go away.
    “A maid, huh? For some big fat whitey, huh?”
    “In a restaurant.”
    “A restaurant. Shee-it!” He bit at a hangnail and studied her through narrowed eyes. “You wanna sell tail,
I’m
the daddy can arrange it for you.”
    Suddenly she was very very nervous. It was as if a warning system started going off in her head:
Danger. Danger. Danger.
    She moved at the same time as he did. But he was bigger and stronger and he had her arms pinned to the bed in no time at all. “Don’t tell
me
ya don’ sell ass,” he sneered, and he pinned her wrists with one hand while the other roamed over her body.
    “Just you leave me alone,” she gasped.
    “Why should I?” He laughed. “
I
ain’t buying.
I
get it for free.
I
am your uncle—girl.”
    With one vicious tear he had the slip ripped off her. She arched her body in a vain attempt to shake him off, but he just slammed her down on the bed, pried her legs apart, and entered her.
    The pain was intense. But it wasn’t the pain that made her scream. It was the frustration, the fury, the sheer helplessness of what was happening.
    “Hey! Hey! Hey!” He was laughing and coming all at the same time. “You ain’t shittin’ me—you
was
a virgin. Holy shee-it! You an’ me gonna make our
fortune.
We gonna git
rich
from your tight little box. Shee-it!” Finished, he released her.
    She lay perfectly still, too frightened to move or do anything. Between her legs she felt a burning hot stickiness. So this