From Ratchet to Riches

by Patrice Balark

  “What you doing?” Mecca and Yana appeared from behind her asked, startling her a little.

  “Nothing, waiting on you.” She replied, stuffing the card in her back pocket.

  “Aight, let’s walk Yana down the street to Kay’s house, then we can be on our way.” Mecca instructed as she headed out the front door.

  “Why I can’t never go with y’all?” Yana whined as she dragged her feet.

  “Because you can’t,” Dani turned around and snapped at her.

  Yana smacked her lips before stomping up the stairs to Kay’s door.

  “The door open. They know you on your way. We’ll be back to get you in a little while.” Mecca informed her.

  Full of attitude, Yana walked into the house without uttering another word to her sisters. Neither Danielle nor Mecca said anything else to each other as they headed to their next destination. Making their way downtown, they walked to the train station, which was only two blocks away. Dani and Mecca checked their surroundings for the attendant on duty before they jumped the turnstile. Running up the stairs, they were out of breath yet relieved that a train was headed their way.

  “I hope this ain’t no blank mission.” Dani said exhausted as she flopped down onto an empty seat.

  “Stop being so fuckn negative.” Mecca fumed, taking a seat across from her.

  It wasn’t that Danielle was being negative; she was just tired of risking it all for nothing. School was set to start in a month and Yana needed uniforms, so they were headed downtown to check out a few stores. There was this particular TJ Max and their security was always lacking. Danielle and Mecca had gotten over on them plenty of times in the past, which is why that store was their first stop.

  Entering the store, Mecca and Danielle did what they always do, split up. Danielle headed towards the girls department while Mecca went to scope out the place, looking at lost prevention. Upon entering the section where school uniforms were, Dani immediately went looking for Yana’s size. After finding about three pairs of pants and four shirts, Danielle quickly stuffed the items in the purse she was carrying. Glancing over at the next aisle, Dani’s eyes zoomed in on a Peppa Pig bookbag that Yana would love. Smiling to herself, Dani headed towards the bookbag when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “Come with me ma’am.” A male’s voice echoed in her ear.

  Slowly turning around, Danielle came face to face with a tall wrestling looking white man with a long beard. Automatically thinking of ways to escape, Danielle turned to her left and there was already a uniformed officer standing there.

  “Let’s go.” He ordered, pushing her off towards the offices in the back.

  Danielle didn’t resist; instead, she scanned the store looking for Mecca. Just as she was about to enter the office, Dani locked eyes with her sister, who was standing near the shoes. Danielle could see the hurt look on Mecca’s face as she tried to figure out how she was going to get out this mess.

  Once in the back, security went over the tape while they waited for a female officer to arrive. Once Officer Smith came, they hauled Danielle off to the local police station. The entire time they questioned her, she remained silent. If it wasn’t for the school ID she carried, they wouldn’t even know her name.

  “Call somebody to come pick up yo young dumb ass.” Officer Smith said to Danielle once they arrived at the station.

  Standing to her feet, she walked over to phone and tried to think of Mecca’s number. She only had the phone for a week now but Danielle was coming up with a brain fart. Tossing Mecca out of the window, Danielle tried to think of Kay’s number but remembered she recently changed it. Mentally beating herself up for being so forgetful, Dani slammed the phone back down and folded her arms across her chest.

  “If an adult can’t pick you up, you not going nowhere.” Officer Smith laughed before stuffing her mouth with a powder donut.

  “Damn chill.” Dani replied, rolling her eyes and picking back up the phone.

  Going into her back pocket, Danielle pulled Pip’s card out and stared at it before dialing the number. Danielle listened as the phone rang three times before removing the receiver from her ear. Just as she was about to hang up, a woman’s voice could be heard from the other end.

  “Hellllooooo…” the voice sang from the other end once she placed the phone back to her ear.

  “Ummmm… Hey, is Ms. Pip available?” Danielle’s soft voice asked.

  “This is her. Who’s calling?”

  “I’m not sure if you remember me but I’m……”

  “The girl who let them heathens beat her ass so she could have a miscarriage.” Pip sounded through the phone.

  “How’s my girl doing?” Pip continued.

  “Well, I’m sorta in a bind. I’m at the police station on Harrison and Kedzie. I was wondering if you…..”

  “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She said, ending the call, leaving Danielle standing there listening to a dial tone.

  Ten minutes went by and still there was no sign of Pip. Dani wondered if she sent her off. Technically, she didn’t know the woman to depend on her; she was taking a chance by reaching out. As soon as Danielle began to give up, the sound of heels clicking against the wooden floors struck her attention. She looked up and locked eyes with the same freckle face woman from before.

  “Hello, I’m here to pick up a friend of mine.” Pip said to the lady officer before winking her eye at Danielle.

  The new officer on duty handed Pip some papers to sign. After a few copies were made, they were on their way.

  “I appreciate you coming to get me.” Danielle thanked her as soon as their feet hit the hot pavement.

  “No problem but yo ass need to stay out of trouble.” Pip smiled before glancing at her phone.

  “Yo paperwork say you was shoplifting. Care to explain?” Pip continued.

  “Not really much to explain. School starting, my younger sister needs school clothes, so I had to do what I had to do.” She spoke honestly.

  “A hustler huh? I like that. Come on, let me take you home.” Pip offered, but Dani already had walking programmed in her brain.

  “I’m good. I don’t live far.” She protested.

  “Nah, it wasn’t an option. Come on.”

  Danielle looked around one last time before following Pip to a candy apple red Range Rover, which had her name on the license plates. From where she was walking, Dani could see that someone was in the front seat; therefore, she headed to the back and got in. Once inside, her ass sunk into the leather seats, making it easy to get comfortable.

  “Lil Boosie Bad Ass, where you live?” Pip asked, laughing at her own corny joke.

  “I stay right off 16th and St. Louis but you can drop me off on the corner of Central Park.” She replied.

  “Ain’t that’s where those girls were kicking yo ass at? I rather drop you off in front of your house.” She chuckled.

  Wanting to object, Dani instead kept her mouth closed and listened as the woman in the passenger’s seat spoke for the first time.

  “Pip, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to work over there when…..”

  The young girl, who was thought to be an older woman at first turned around and paused, locking eyes with Danielle. They actually looked to be around the same age, except she was well groomed with a face full of makeup, making her look much other.

  “When what? You finna let them stop you from get your bread?” Pip braked at the stop sign and asked.

  “I’m not saying that, all I’m saying is….”

  “DANIELLE!” Pip cut off the lady in mid-sentence and called out to her.

  “Huh?” Dani replied, caught off guard.

  “Let me ask you a question.” She paused as if she was waiting for a reply before continuing.

  “If it’s money to be made and obstacles in your way, how would you handle that?” Pip looked at her through the rearview mirror and questioned.

  “Ain’t no obstacles when it comes to money.” Danielle replie
d bluntly.

  “You see that? And she ain’t even in the game.” Pip smiled before directing her attention back to the road.

  “That’s obvious. Look at her.” The girl smirked, turning up her nose at Dani.

  “And what the fuck that supposed to mean?” Dani snapped, ready to go back and forth if need be.

  “Ladies. Ladies. Ladies.” Pip called out, defusing the situation before it went any further.

  “All I’m saying is… look at her shorty. She ain’t never touched no money in her life, how she gon’ give advice?” The girl snapped, rolling her eyes at Dani.

  “And apparently you a hoe, letting another muthafucker who bleed like you stop yo income.” Dani snapped back.

  Pip busted out in laughter, causing the girl to get even more upset, but it didn’t faze Danielle either way. She was out of jail, at home, and probably wouldn’t see the girl another day in her life, so arguing with her was a waste of time.

  “Thanks so much for everything Pip.” Dani said, reaching for the door handle once they pulled up front.

  “You have my card if you need anything.” Pip yelled out the window.

  “Will do and buy baby girl some heart… with her BITCH ASS!” Dani yelled, laughing her way up the stairs and into the house.

  19

  Days had passed since Mecca and Danielle’s unsuccessful trip downtown. When Danielle walked in after being caught, Mecca had never been so happy to see her sister. Dani explained about how they let her go because she was a juvenile, which didn’t make much sense, knowing the system. Mecca was just glad she was home and free; therefore, she didn’t question it any further. They still had to get Yana some school clothes and put food in the house. They had been eating down the street at Kay’s, but Mecca knew better to wear out her welcome, so she had to come up with a plan. Her mind raced one-hundred miles per hour, thinking of ways to make it work while Kay talked her ears off about Jay.

  “So, he said that he may play one-year college ball and then head to the NBA. Girlllllllll, Imma be just like Ayesha Curry, living the NBA basketball life.” She daydreamed from her spot in bed.

  Mecca was tired of hearing Jay’s name, especially since Kay hadn’t spoken to him in almost two weeks. Kay had been blowing his phone up, but he always had an excuse as to why he was too busy. She wanted to tell her best friend to give it up and move on, but she knew it’ll be like talking to a brick wall.

  “Have you talked to Capone?” Kay asked, surprisingly taking a break from her life events.

  “Actually, this is him texting me now.” A slight smile crept across Mecca’s face as she read his name on her phone.

  “Ohhhh what he want?” Kay jumped up and down and asked, causing Mecca to smack her lips.

  Mecca read over the message in her head and grinned, but she knew if she read the message out loud to Kay, it would have a different effect on her.

  “BITCH WHHHAAATTTT!!” Kay squirmed around in her seat.

  “We throwing Jay a pool party before he leave. Wanna slide through with me?”

  Mecca read the text message verbatim and as each word left her mouth, the more and more Kay’s face frowned.

  “Hold up! So, he wasn’t gon’ invite me? Why I ain’t know about a party?” Kayla fussed as she fumbled through the covers trying to find her phone.

  Just as expected, Kay was ready to call Jay and give him a piece of her mind, but as expected, again he didn’t answer.

  “Bitch, text back and ask when and where this party is.” A frantic Kay requested.

  “Girl, I’m not about to do all that… besides, I’m not going anyway.” Mecca explained to her.

  “Why not? You were invited. Clearly this man wants you to there.” She reasoned.

  “Yeah but why?’ Mecca said aloud but the thought was for herself.

  She hadn’t spoken to Capone in a few days and hadn’t seen him since Coby’s funeral. He never came back nor called like he said he would, so Mecca went on about her business as she would normally do.

  Hearing her phone chime again, Mecca unlocked it with her thumb and read over the message.

  “That’s him ain’t it? What he say?” Kay geeked.

  Waiting until she was completely done reading it, Mecca shook her head and stood to her feet.

  “What? Wait? Where you going?” Kay quizzed, eyeing her suspiciously.

  “You got a swimsuit I can wear because if not…..”

  “Say less bitch, say less.” Was all Kay said before going into her drawer, pulling out swimsuits and cover ups with the tags still attached.

  Kay pulled up in front of a huge mansion that resembled Uncle Phil’s house from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

  “You sure this the house?” Mecca asked, checking her phone for the address Capone sent, comparing it with the number on the big black gate.

  “According to my GPS, we at the right place. Let him know we outside.” Kay said, unbuckling her seatbelt.

  Mecca did what was asked of her and within a few seconds, the gate open, allowing them entrance to the beautiful home. Shocked like a groupie, Mecca looked on in amazement as they cruised the winding driveway to the house.

  “Who house is this?” Kay marveled.

  “I didn’t ask.” Mecca replied, never taking her eyes off the scenery in front of her.

  Once they found a park, Kay killed the engine and the both of them got out. Mecca and the two-piece yellow polka dot swimsuit she borrowed from Kay sashayed up the walk way. Because Mecca’s bottom half was so much heavier than Kay’s, the underwear occasionally traveled between her ass cheeks, causing her to feel much more insecure than she already was.

  Texting Capone once they made it to the door, the ladies gave their names, walked through the lovely house, and headed towards the pool located in the back.

  “Who crib is this?” Kay asked again, looking around at the many people who were in attendance.

  “It’s my Uncle’s crib.”

  Mecca and Kay spun around, coming face to face with Jay who stood there in a pair of Nike swim trunks.

  “Hey boo.” Kay beamed while Mecca simply smiled.

  “Wad up y’all? I ain’t know y’all was coming.” He stated.

  “Yeah because you sholl ain’t invite us.” Kay replied, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.

  “Chill. I’m glad y’all came through though. Mecca, yo thick ass wearing that swimsuit.” Jay said, staring her up and down as if he was undressing her with his eyes.

  The sound of Kay smacking her lips could be heard all the way across the yard, yet no one paid her any mind. She must have forgotten that she was mad because thirty seconds later, Kay was grinning ear to ear from something that Jay whispered in her ear. Knowing the routine, she knew it was only a matter of time before they were dipped off, somewhere fucking.

  “Damn shorty, I ain’t know you was stacked like that.” Capone came from behind Mecca, eyeing her up and down, licking his lips.

  Capone walked up wearing a pair of black Nike basketball shorts, a white wife beater with a crispy of pair of Ones, no socks, to match. The Cuban links on his neck and wrist glistened under the hot sun. It was so much swag packed inside one person; the shit was sickening.

  “Aye I just told her ass she was thick as fuck cuz.” Jay laughed, shaking hands with Capone who agreed but never once took his eyes off Mecca.

  Feeling way too uncomfortable, Mecca broke eye contract and couldn’t have been happier when Kay took the floor.

  “Heyyyy Capone. Ain’t you over dressed for a pool party?” she flirted, pulling her shades down under her eyes.

  “I’m overdressed Mecca?” he asked, his voice drawing her eyes back to his.

  Unsure of how to answer or if she should answer at all, Mecca simply hunched her shoulders.

  When Mecca finally built up enough courage to say something clever, her presentation was interrupted by a woman walking up, calling Capone’s name. The woman was gorgeous; she was light skinned
with freckles on her face. She wore her hair in a long red weave, easily putting you in mind of a hood version of Pippi Long Stocking.

  “Here come yo shorty.” Mecca heard Jay whisper to Capone who facial expression matched his changed mood.

  “What up baby? Why you ain’t tell me you were coming here?” the woman asked, planting a kiss on Capone’s cheek.

  It was clear she was much older than Capone and could have been his big sister until she addressed him as “baby.” Capone’s lady sported a Burberry two-piece swimsuit and a pair of tan Christian Louboutin pumps to match. Accompanying her Burberry fanny pack was a matching set of Cuban links, just like Capone’s.

  “For somebody not to know I was at a pool party, you sholl came dressed for the occasion.” He stood back and gave her an evil overlook.

  “That’s neither here nor there.” She waved him off.

  “Ain’t you gon’ introduce me to yo little friends?” she continued giving both Mecca and Kay fake smiles.

  “Why Pip? Why you here?” Capone asked, staring her directly in the eyes.

  Pip. Her nickname made sense, Mecca thought to herself as she waited for whatever was about to happen next unfold. But to her surprise, Capone deadened the situation before it went any further.

  “Look, gon’ back over there and lurk with yo funny shaped ass friends. I’m about to slide, I’ll see you at home later.” Capone said, dissing Pip and walking off but not before stopping in front of Mecca.

  “Imma hit yo line later.” Was all he said before entering the house and leaving everyone else in the pool area.

  20

  Danielle took her sweet little time walking down the street to the local corner store, Mr. Reeds. It was the first of the month, which meant Melissa’s food stamps was on her on link card. Per usual, she was high as a kite and had been every day since Dame’s disappearance. They hadn’t seen him around in about a week, which meant nothing because he did that a few times a month anyway. Melissa’s public aid check hit early so her and her buddy got extra high the night before. Danielle was able to steal the link card out of her top drawer to grab a few things from the store. Neither her nor Mecca wanted to chance going all the way to Wal-Mart since they had no idea how long she was going to be knocked out.