From Ratchet to Riches

by Patrice Balark

  “Get off of me.” She finally spoke, trying to push him off but was met by the back of his hand.

  The slap across the face silenced Danielle as tears flooded her eyes. She hated everything about her life and was fed up at this point. Just as she was about to give up fighting, the bedroom door creaked, and she was thankful that someone was coming, even if they had no idea that they were saving her.

  Dame paused and turned around, never lifting his heavy body off of hers. Danielle rose up a little to see who was at the door. When she noticed Melissa standing in the doorway with her hands over her mouth, a feeling a relief came over her. She had never been so happy to see her mother before in her life.

  “What the fuck going on in here? Why are you on her?” she yelled, never moving from her current spot.

  “Mind yo business baby. This has nothing to do with you.” Dame boldly replied.

  Danielle knew his response was going to send Melissa through the roof but to her surprise, the woman who birthed her backed out of the bedroom and closed the door.

  “You see that. Even she knows this my pussy.” He boasted with an evil grin.

  With no more fight in her, Danielle laid her seventeen- year old body underneath his forty-year-old frame and took the pounding, literally. Dame had sex with Danielle at least twice a week. In his sick mind, they were in a relationship, although he never acted like it around others. She hated him almost as much as she hated Melissa and her hate for her just inclined due to the fact that she didn’t stop him.

  Danielle cried silent tears and dreamed about how her life should be until Dame was done. Even after he left, she laid there and cried herself to sleep. She knew there had to be a way out of the hell hole she called home.

  3

  “Are you sure you gon’ come back in the house with some food?” Yana whined, her big brown eyes staring at Mecca.

  “Lil girl, what I just say. You know I get shit done.” She replied.

  “Ok, can you bring us some Flaming’ Hots back… Pretty pleaaassseeee?” Coby little chubby hands tugged at her black leggings.

  “I can’t make any promises lil man, but I’ll see what I can do. Go tell Danielle to come on so we can go.” She stated as she laced up her shoes.

  Both Yana and Coby disappeared out of the living room and returned with Danielle as requested.

  “What’s wrong with you? You been acting funky all day.” Mecca asked, trying to read her little sister.

  “I’m just tired, that’s all.” She replied.

  “You been sleep all day.” Yana rolled her eyes.

  “Mind yo fucking business.” Danielle snapped, jumping at Yana.

  “You ain’t grown, don’t be cursing at me.” Yana replied, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Both of y’all chill and get yo hands off yo hips cuz you damn sholl ain’t grown. Now, go clean up that room and we’ll be back.” Mecca told the crew before heading out the door with Danielle in tow.

  Once they made it outside, the two of them stood on the porch and scanned the block.

  “Where you get some money from?” Danielle asked.

  “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go.”

  Mecca jumped off the porch first and headed in the direction of their local Wal-Mart, which was only about a five-minute walk from their home. She wiped the trickles of sweat from her face as she powerwalked down the street.

  Aside from the dope boys on the corner, the hood was surprisingly empty and quiet. Mecca knew the hot and sticky weather played a major role in their disappearance, but as soon as the sun went down, the sidewalk would be packed.

  Turning around briefly, Mecca spotted Danielle lagging in the back and cursed at her to keep up. Replying with her middle finger, Mecca chuckled to herself and slowed down, allowing her sister time to catch up.

  “Why you rushing? It ain’t like you got no damn money anyway.” Dani fused.

  “Girl, mind yo business and come on, I see a cart right there.” She replied, her eyes zooming in on the cart as they began to jog through the parking lot.

  “Now you know the routine.” Mecca turned to Dani and stated, who nodded her head in agreement.

  The two of them stopped running and began sprinting as their eyes zoomed in on their target. Mecca looked over at Danielle, who smiled, and that was all the confirmation she needed.

  “Ummm… excuse me miss, I think you dropped something.” Mecca yelled, jogging towards the middle-aged white woman who had just hit the locks on her trunk.

  The woman stopped and waited as Mecca approached her with an old wallet she grabbed from home. Mecca slowed down a little and eventually stopped a few feet away from the woman.

  “I’m--- I’m sorry. I’m out of breath. I have chronic asthma.” She lied as she bent over trying to catch her breath.

  Mecca looked up slightly and noticed the woman coming towards her, so she quickly jumped back into character and started coughing.

  “Oh dear, are you ok? Do you need me to call an ambulance?” Her soft voice finally spoke.

  “No… No….I should be fine. I just wanted to give you your wallet.”

  Mecca stood up straight before handing the lady the SpongeBob wallet she had taken from Coby earlier.

  “Here….” She stated, huffing and puffing to add special affect.

  Mecca looked on as the lady hesitantly took the wallet with a puzzled look plastered on her face.

  “I’m sorry, this does not belong to me.” She forced a smile, handing it back.

  “Oh my God! I’m so embarrassed. I’m sorry.” Mecca replied, hiding her face inside her hands.

  “No worries. Have a great day.” The woman smiled before turning back around to her car and empty cart.

  Mecca heard the lady yelling and asking people to call 911 but her cries fell on faint ears. She was already half way home and could see Danielle running ahead of her with her hands full of grocery bags.

  This was an unfortunate scam the young sisters had become too familiar with. The five hundred dollars that Melissa received in food stamps on the first was gone by the third. She would sell each and every one of them without even putting noodles in the house. Most of their meals came from Kay’s house and scraps she got from a restaurant around the corner.

  In the beginning, she was embarrassed; but now, it was all about survival for her and her siblings. Madea always did whatever it took to make sure her house was straight, clearly instilling that in Mecca as well.

  “I hope we just ain’t steal no bullshit cuz I ain’t going back.” Danielle said to Mecca who had finally caught up to her.

  “Food is food Danielle.” She replied, rolling her eyes and snatching a few bags from her.

  “Food is food….BULLSHIT. You know white people don’t season shit. What if all we stole was some organic vegetables and that nasty ass sparkle water?” Danielle snapped, causing Mecca to laugh.

  Mecca understood why Yana and Coby complained the way they did, but Danielle was old enough to know better and to understand. She could come across real selfish at times and the shit pissed Mecca off.

  “Look, we gon’ make do with whatever the fuck in these bags. Now shut up and open the door.” She ordered, ready to get out of the heat herself.

  Mecca waited impatiently while Danielle fumbled around with the keys. She could feel her baby hairs curl up as the sweat sat on her forehead.

  “FUCK!” she cursed aloud, dropping the bags on the porch and looking up the street.

  “What?” Dani turned around and asked with a startle look on her face.

  “Take this in, I’ll be back.” Mecca replied, running down the stairs towards Reed’s store.

  Once Mecca reached the corner, she stepped over the bikes that was piled in front of the door and entered the cool establishment. The store was packed with kids at the counter arguing over bubble gum and candy. Mecca headed to the back near the coolers where they kept the chips. She searched the rack until her eyes landed a bag of Flamin’ Hots.
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  “BINGO!” she said to herself before grabbing a bag and stuffing it under her shirt.

  Mecca headed towards the door unnoticed or so she thought until she felt someone behind her tugging at her shirt.

  “You wanna pay for that?” she heard a woman’s voice say.

  Turning around and preparing to fight for a dollar bag of chips, Mecca locked eyes with a beautiful chocolate woman. She had never seen her in the store before and judging by her outfit and pricey purse, she was not from around there.

  “Bitch, don’t touch me.” Mecca snapped back to reality, yanking away from the woman.

  “Lil bitch, don’t do too much, it’s only a bag of chips.”

  “If that’s the case, leave me the fuck alone then.” Mecca replied, rolling her eyes and walking out of the store.

  She couldn’t believe the nerve of people, getting involved in shit that had absolutely nothing to do with them. If people minded the business that pays them, they would get further in life.

  Mecca cursed to herself all the way home. When she got in, she found Danielle in the bed dozing off while Yana and Coby smacked on celery. She chuckled at the displeased look on their faces and handed them the chips.

  “Yayyyy! Thanks Mecca, you the best.” Coby jumped up and hugged her legs while Yana opened the bag.

  “Yeah…. Thanks Mecca.” Yana smacked and spoke in between bites.

  Mecca loved seeing her siblings smile, although it was something that didn’t happen as much as it should. She made a promise to them the day she moved in that she would always have their back and that was a promise she planned to keep.

  4

  “Mecccccaaaaaaaa!”

  “Mecca!”

  “Meccccaaaaaaa!” Melissa’s loud annoying ass voice began to irk Danielle’s last nerve.

  “SHE NOT HERE!” Danielle cracked the door open and yelled into the hallway before shutting it back close.

  “Bitch, don’t be closing no door in my face.” Melissa snapped, swinging it back open.

  “Girl, you were down the hall, wasn’t shit closed in your face.” Dani replied, flopping down on the air mattress.

  “Wha--- What the fuck you just say?” she asked through slurred drunken words.

  It was twenty minutes after noon and here she was, slapped already. Danielle looked her mother up and down before rolling her eyes.

  “Where is that little bitch?” she asked, tripping over one of Coby’s toy trucks, falling on the floor.

  Danielle laughed as she tumbled and tried to get back on her feet.

  “She ain’t here.” Danielle finally replied, tossing the purple blanket over her head.

  “I can clearly see that but where she at?” Melissa asked out of breath, finally regaining her composure.

  “I don’t know. That’s your daughter, not mine.” Dani whispered under her breath, causing her mom to cut her eyes in her direction.

  “YOU REAL DISRESPECTFUL!” she yelled, jumping on the bed, trying to attack Danielle but it was no use.

  Danielle moved out of the way, causing Melissa to fall forward and hitting her head on the wall. Melissa looked up at Danielle with hate in her eyes as she rubbed the knot that began to form on her head.

  “I FUCKN HATE YOU. I HATE ALL Y’ALL!” she screamed at the top of her lungs as she threw pillows at her second born.

  Danielle had been hearing those words almost every day since she moved in with Melissa. She couldn’t wait until next year. She would be eighteen and hopefully heading off to college. Danielle wasn’t a book nerd like Mecca, but she knew enough to get by. If she could stop getting into fights and being suspended, she probably would have had a brighter future. Her worst fear ever was ending up like her mom.

  “Where the fuck you think you going?” Melissa finally jumped up and asked, tugging at the shirt Danielle attempted to put on.

  “LET ME GO!” She yelled, yanking away, sending Melissa flying back on the bed.

  “Did you just push me? DID YOU JUST PUSH ME?” a dramatic Melissa screamed.

  Not even having the energy, Danielle continued getting dressed. She planned on checking on Yana and Coby, who was out front playing. She knew Yana had a habit of running off and since Melissa never looked out for them, it was her job to make sure they were safe.

  “You think cuz you fucking my man that you better than me?”

  Danielle paused in her tracks, her hand stilled on the doorknob. She couldn’t believe the shit that came from her mother’s mouth. There had been no words spoken about what happened since she walked in on her and Dame. At first, just for a brief moment, it hurt but then Dani realized who she was dealing with.

  “You sad bruh.” was all Danielle could muster up and say.

  Leaving her mom alone in the room, she did as plan and checked on her siblings. Satisfied with seeing Yana jumping rope and Coby playing with their neighbor’s son, Danielle took a seat on the porch to keep an eye on them. She watched as everyone moved about the neighborhood and secretly wished that she was anybody but herself. She stared at her siblings who didn’t have a care in the world, even wishing she was them.

  “Dani, can you turn for us cuz this lil baldhead girl is double-handed?”

  “Who you calling baldhead?”

  Snapping out of her trance, Danielle focused on the conversation Yana and her friend was having.

  “Yeah, I’ll turn but stop calling people baldheaded.”

  Grabbing the rope from Kristy, Danielle began turning as Yana struggled with jumping in the rope.

  “Look at her, digging in her potatoes.” Kristy laughed from her spot in the grass.

  “How about I dig my foot in yo….” Yana started to say but paused when she noticed Mecca approaching.

  “SAY IT. I DARE YOU. WATCH I BEAT YO ASS!” Their oldest sister threatened before grabbing the other end of the rope.

  Danielle couldn’t help but laugh. Yana was so feisty, even at her young age. Everyone knew she was going to be a handful when she got older; she acted just like Mecca. After turning a few rounds for the girls, both Danielle and Mecca quit before retiring to the porch.

  “Yo momma was looking for you.” Dani turned to Mecca and stated.

  “Oh yeah, what that bitch want?”

  “Shit. The usual. Wanna holler about some shit.” Danielle replied nonchalantly and just as she expected, Mecca waved it off.

  The two of them sat on the porch in silence, wrapped up in their own thoughts until the loud sound of gun shots rang out. Completely caught off guard, Danielle sat there stuck, her eyes glued on the old green Nissan Maxima that sprayed their block. Screams and cries could be heard as everyone scrambled around. Mothers grabbed their kids that was nearby while the guys on the block responded with gunfire of their own.

  “GET IN THE FUCKN HOUSE NOWWWW!” Mecca yelled at the top of her lungs, grabbing both Yana and Coby.

  Hearing Mecca’s voice must have lit a fire under Danielle’s ass because she too began rushing her younger siblings in their building. Once everyone was secured, safe, and sound, Danielle leaned against the wall in the living room, trying to catch her breath.

  “Didn’t I tell y’all ass to stay out there while I was in here trying to take a nap?” Melissa appeared from the back with a cigarette hanging from her loose lips.

  Everyone stared at her like she was crazy, which only caused her to act crazy.

  “Take y’all ass back out there.” She fussed, blowing the polluted smoke in the air.

  “Did you not just hear those gun shots?” Mecca asked.

  “Y’all assess don’t look shot to me. Take these kids and get the fuck out. Everyone except you Danielle, you come here.”

  Danielle’s brown eyes darted in the direction of her mother as the wheels started spinning in her head. She had no idea what Melissa wanted with her, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before she found out.

  “BYE! WHY THE FUCK Y’ALL STILL STANDING HERE?” Melissa yelled, causing both Yana and Coby to jump.
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  Mecca smacked her lips but grabbed both of them by the hand, leading them back outside to the war zone. Standing there fidgeting with her fingers, Danielle waited for Melissa to say whatever it was that she had to say.

  “Listen to me and listen to me good. I don’t like the fact that my man wants you more than me, but I’m dealing with it because he makes me happy. Therefore, you must continue to do whatever it is that makes him happy.”

  “Wait. What?”

  Danielle was confused. Melissa knowing and not stopping what was going on was one thing but condoning the bullshit was another. She honestly couldn’t believe the nerve of her mother.

  “You heard me and…..”

  The sound of the bedroom door opening caused Melissa to pause and turn around. Dame came out wearing a pair of gas station boxers and a dingy, stretched out wife beater. The sight of him caused her stomach to turn; she hated everything about him.

  “So, she with it? What she say?” he asked, taking a spot in between of them.

  “Is who with that?” Danielle quizzed, her eyes jumping back and forth between the two.

  “Baby, calm down, I was just now getting to it. I’ll be back in there a minute.” Melissa replied, rubbing her rough hands over his beer belly.

  “Hold on because y’all got me fucked up!” Danielle snapped.

  “Who got you fucked up?” Mecca appeared from behind her and asked.

  Silence fell upon the room as everyone looked around at each other. Danielle expected Mecca to pry more, but instead, she walked passed them and into the room, grabbed a toy for Coby, and she was right back out the door.

  Part of Danielle wished her sister had taken the time to question them a little more, then maybe she would have the courage to tell her what had been happening the past few months. But unfortunately for her, today was not going to be the day. Melissa waited until Mecca was completely gone before she finished.