A Hustler's Promise: Some Promises Won't Be Broken

by Jackie Chanel

  “What’s up Miss Devers? What you doing here?”

  “We need to talk, Jaicyn,” Cheryl said.

  “I have to be at work in twenty minutes. You can walk with me if you want.”

  “That’s fine,” Cheryl agreed.

  While Jaicyn was upstairs saying goodbye to her boyfriend, Cheryl looked sadly around the apartment. Jaicyn kept a clean house but it was clear that there was no adult living in the house. Angelina was still M.I.A. It was obvious that the twins spent a lot of time in the apartment too. With three teenagers and two kids in one small townhouse, Cheryl speculated that nothing good was happening there.

  “Jaicyn, do the twins live with you?” Cheryl asked as she and Jaicyn walked down the street.

  Jaicyn laughed. “No! They just hang out on the weekends.”

  Cheryl nodded but didn’t respond. Three sixteen year olds practically living together was never a good idea. With no supervision Cheryl figured that Jaicyn would be pregnant before the summer.

  “What’s this really about Miss Devers? You didn’t come over my house to talk about my living arrangements.”

  “Your homeroom teacher brought me your withdrawal paperwork yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I figured that.”

  “You don’t have to drop out of high school.”

  Jaicyn shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not quitting my job and I’m not leaving my sisters alone while I work part time.”

  “What if I tutored you after work?” Cheryl suggested. “I mean, I’ll tell the school board that I’ll do it for free but at least you wouldn’t have to drop out.”

  They’d reached the mall and Jaicyn looked at her watch. Jaicyn said hello to her co-worker, Alyssa, who was just arriving to work as well.

  Jaicyn turned to Cheryl to finish their conversation before she had to go into the mall.

  “If that’s what you want to do, then fine. But right now I have go to work. We’ll talk later.”

  As much as she acted indifferent and brushed off Cheryl’s offer, Jaicyn was ecstatic. She didn’t want to be labeled as a high school drop-out. She had to work though. No one had seen her mother since New Year’s Eve. Jaicyn feared the worst but she didn’t care if Angelina was dead or alive. Rickie and Bobbie would be devastated though.

  At least she was making decent money. She opened a bank account with her first paycheck and set aside enough money to cover the light and cable bills. She still had enough to buy the girls some new spring clothes. Rayshawn insisted on paying the rent as long as Jaicyn worked. He wanted her to go back to school. Since King was forcing him to graduate, he wanted his girlfriend to get her diploma too. They could figure out what to do after that later.

  With Miss Devers tutoring her, her new job, and Rayshawn helping out, Jaicyn finally had things under control. Angelina could stay gone forever. With steady money and a good guy by her side, Jaicyn knew her plan would work.

  Chapter 8

  Sandy’s Kitchen, Washington Heights’ most popular soul food restaurant was crowded and loud, a typical Friday night. Rayshawn looked around at the crowd of hard working people who just wanted to get some food before going home for the night. It had been a long week.

  Then there were the guys like him. Drug dealers, hustlers…gearing up for a long night on the streets.

  Friday night. Payday. The start of the weekend.

  Friday was Rayshawn’s favorite day of the week, especially on payday. His business practically doubled on Fridays. Unfortunately he wouldn’t get to spend this Friday on the corners with his crew. He and King had business to handle in Detroit.

  When the dark skinned waitress with the blonde wig brought his food to the table, Rayshawn tried not to laugh at the random ridiculousness of her appearance.

  Ghetto Fabulous.

  Bright colored hair, weave and wigs mostly, big gaudy jewelry, tight clothes…Rayshawn was not a fan of the way girls were dressing. He liked Jaicyn’s fashion sense. Simple chic is what she called it. She was gorgeous anyway so it didn’t matter what she wore. She didn’t have to overcompensate with extra make-up and fake jewelry. Every ring, earring, or necklace that Jaicyn wore was twenty-four karat gold. Rayshawn made sure of it.

  He inhaled his plate of ribs, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese like he hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. He wanted to get on the road. The sooner they left, the sooner they could get back.

  Spring in Washington Heights meant the weather was warming up. More people were spending time outside. More people on the streets increased crack and heroine sales and that’s all Rayshawn cared about. His master plan was finally being put in action. He was banking more money than he was spending.

  Six months ago, his plan was to save enough money so that he and Dayshawn could get out of Washington Heights as soon as they graduated. His plan now included Jaicyn and her sisters. He couldn’t leave them in Washington Heights; they depended on him. Dayshawn, Rickie, Bobbie, and Jaicyn were the reason Rayshawn was out on the corners making money. They were the reason he ran his corners with such an iron fist and complete caution. He wasn’t paranoid. He just couldn’t risk getting locked up or killed.

  “I have to say, Rayshawn,” King said, “You’re out there working that crew of yours harder than any other crew. Y’all are making people look bad.”

  Rayshawn looked up from his plate. “Should I be worried?”

  “Never let your guard down,” King reminded his protégé. “There will always be cause for concern; like the west side crews.”

  The predominantly Hispanic population of drug dealers on the west side of Washington Heights had always been rivals to the south side dealers. King’s name was venom on the west side. Rayshawn was the new kid on the block and they hated him too, but no one had made any moves against him or his people.

  Yet.

  They were just talking shit. For now.

  The Puerto Ricans never stayed completely cool. Ramel Cruz was becoming the loudest voice in the pack. He and Rayshawn would have to “meet” soon. If Rayshawn had his way, Ramel’s voice would have been quieted a long time ago. He hadn’t done anything to Ramel because Jaicyn had ties to the west side. Her grandmother lived over there and everyone knew her father. Rayshawn didn’t want to cause problems for them.

  “So, how’s Jaicyn doing?” King asked. “I heard she’s working at Mario’s.”

  “Yeah, she’s been there for a couple of months. She likes it.”

  “Angelina come back?”

  Rayshawn nodded. He wasn’t happy that Angelina had come home. Neither was Jaicyn. Even though Angelina’s vanishing acts put a huge burden on Jaicyn, her reappearances usually did more harm than good. Plus it put an end to their weekend visits. Now he rarely got to see his girlfriend.

  “You and Jay-Jay seem pretty serious,” King commented.

  King had been itching to get Rayshawn alone so they could talk about this relationship of his. He and Jaicyn had only been a couple for six months but they were in love. Everyone could see it. Their relationship wasn’t some sort of teenage puppy love. They have the kind of love that made powerful men like King very nervous. The kind of love that makes men do stupid shit.

  “We’re cool,” Rayshawn answered nonchalantly.

  “Just cool?”

  “Yeah, man, we’re cool. That’s my girl and all but I don’t know why people acting like we’re about to get married. It’s not that serious.”

  They may not be as serious as marriage but Jaicyn and Rayshawn were definitely more than just “cool”. King suspected more.

  “Are you and Jaicyn having sex?” King asked.

  “No!” Rayshawn abruptly answered. “I’m not stupid. She takes up enough of my time already. Imagine if we were having sex. It would be crazy.”

  King was stunned…and pleased. Sex could be a major distraction, especially to a boy Rayshawn’s age and he definitely didn’t need the distraction. He was playing a dangerous game and distractions were the difference between an engagement ring
or a Rest In Peace tattoo.

  “Why not?” King wanted to know. “She won’t let you?”

  Rayshawn wiped his mouth and set his napkin on his empty plate. “Are we goin’ to talk about my sex life or are we going to Detroit?”

  King laughed. “We’re going to do both. You wait in the car. I need to holler at Sandy.”

  Sandy was the listed owner of Sandy’s Soul Food Kitchen but it was King’s money that paid for the building and supplemented the restaurant’s profits. While the restaurant could have been used as a good front, King absolutely forbade any drug business to go down there.

  Sandra Kelly was well known around Washington Heights and not only because of her mouth watering soul food. She was the well dressed and well respected girlfriend of Andre “King” Carter. Even as much as King tried to keep his personal life private, the neighborhood still buzzed about their relationship.

  As Rayshawn sat in the Nissan trying to find some decent music he started thinking about Jaicyn and wondered what she was doing. He hadn’t seen his girlfriend in over a week. Lately Jaicyn had been complaining that Mario had been doing a lot of extra flirting with. He hadn’t come right out and said anything too inappropriate, according to Jaicyn, but Rayshawn figured that sooner rather than later he’d have to show his face in the store. Maybe Jaicyn hadn’t informed her boss of who her boyfriend was.

  Jaicyn was tough. As long as she was okay, Rayshawn found it easier to focus on his business. Cocaine and heroin were a large part of King’s drug empire. Rayshawn felt like they were missing a huge slice of the proverbial pie.

  Marijuana.

  King thought weed was small money and didn’t sell it. Rayshawn knew different. Some people would never use coke or heroine, like his brother and aunt. They smoked weed though. A high percentage of weed smokers on the south side were going to the Puerto Ricans on the west side or the Haitians on the north side for their product. Rayshawn wanted a piece of that action.

  The trip to Detroit was a test. If Rayshawn could successfully negotiate a large marijuana buy from Detroit’s biggest weed man, DX, King would be able to trust him with much more responsibility and finally put all of Rayshawn’s training to good use.

  At sixteen, Rayshawn had a knack for making money and making it fast. That’s why King wanted him in Oak Park. He was ready. After the deal was done in Detroit, Rayshawn’s promotion was imminent. He’d built a network of trustworthy dealers and handled the business end of his corners like a professional, just like King had taught him to.

  If only Jaicyn wasn’t in the picture.

  Jaicyn Jones was Rayshawn’s only flaw and the one thing that was keeping him from reaching his full potential. Rayshawn wouldn’t take the risks needed to grow in the game because of what his girlfriend might say or do.

  No matter how much Rayshawn trusted King, no one knew the depths of his feelings for Jaicyn. Rayshawn wanted to talk to somebody, but who? He couldn’t confide in anyone. How could he explain something that he didn’t understand himself?

  His relationship with Jaicyn was much more than just a teenage love affair. Without Jaicyn, Rayshawn could not function. She was his therapy. She was everything that he lived for. She was the only person in the world who knew everything about him and didn’t judge him. She loved him. Rayshawn wasn’t giving that up, not for the drug game. It wasn’t worth it.

  ****

  Rayshawn ignored the look of contempt his grandfather gave him as he passed him on the porch. Ike didn’t like the idea of Rayshawn hanging out with King. He suspected that something was going on, especially since King was taking Rayshawn car shopping.

  Rayshawn wasn’t the least bit bothered by his grandfather’s suspicions. Summer would be around in a few months. Rayshawn was hoping he could convince someone to rent him a place so he could get the hell out of his grandparents’ house. His grandmother asked too many questions.

  She always wanted to know how the twins had new sneakers and new clothes. She wanted to know why he was hardly home for dinner and why he always spent so much time with ‘that girl’ as she called Jaicyn. His grandfather warned him that ‘there’d be no drug selling in his god-damned house’.

  Fine, Rayshawn wanted to say. He never sold drugs in the house anyway.

  For the third time in an hour, Rayshawn’s phone vibrated in his pocket. When he got in King’s car he checked the number. Jaicyn was calling him again. She didn’t leave a message.

  “Who is that?” King asked when Rayshawn’s phone buzzed again.

  “It’s Jaicyn. She’s been calling me all day. Something must be wrong.” Rayshawn hoped that whatever was making Jaicyn keep calling him without leaving a message. She knew that when he was busy he couldn’t answer his phone.

  “Jay-Jay, what’s up? Rayshawn said into the phone.

  Jaicyn breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that he would answer eventually.

  “Where are you?” Jaicyn asked.

  “On the way to the car lot,” Rayshawn answered. “What’s up?”

  “I need some help with this Mario situation,” Jaicyn admitted. “That asshole crossed the line and I swear, if you don’t whoop his ass, Rayshawn, then I will.”

  The frustration in Jaicyn’s tone was enough to make Rayshawn smile. People said that his temper was out of control but Jaicyn’s was far worse. She had a knack for blowing things completely out of proportion.

  “What happened?”

  Jaicyn told him that Mario had been flirting with her all day. While they were closing he started being vulgar and grabbing her ass. Rayshawn’s blood started to boil when his girlfriend confessed that Mario had said he wanted to “fuck her better than Rayshawn ever could”. Rayshawn had heard enough.

  “Did he rape you?” Rayshawn demanded.

  In the passenger seat, King leaned forward and looked at Rayshawn with a worried expression on his face.

  “Hell no!” Jaicyn yelled. “I slapped the shit out of that rat-faced motherfucker and told him that I was letting you know what he did. You think I’m stupid enough to let Mario rape me?”

  Rayshawn exhaled and shook his head at King. He was already planning the beat down Mario was going to get when Jaicyn first started her story. Rayshawn was grateful that he wasn’t going to have to kill the man.

  “When I said I was going to tell you,” Jaicyn continued, “he got all nervous and started begging me not to call you.”

  “Don’t worry about anything, Jay-Jay,” Rayshawn said. “I got this.”

  Rayshawn was already formulating a plan of attack. He was going to make that fool pay for disrespecting him but most importantly, for disrespecting Jaicyn. Rayshawn hung up the phone and slipped it in his pocket.

  “What happened?”

  “She’s pissed because Mario was talking shit and grabbing on her ass. He said something about wanting to fuck her.

  “So what are you thinking about doing?”

  “I’m going fuck him up,” Rayshawn answered calmly.

  “Is Jaicyn okay?” King asked.

  “She says she is. She says she just mad as hell.”

  King nodded. He was quiet for awhile while Rayshawn fumed in the driver’s seat.

  “What?” Rayshawn asked.

  “What you talking about?”

  “You got that look on your face like you need to tell me something,” Rayshawn said. “What?”

  “Mario ain’t from the south side,” King stated.

  “So.”

  “Do you know who his nephew is?” King asked.

  “No,” Rayshawn answered. “Who?”

  “Ramel.”

  Rayshawn shrugged his shoulders. “Am I supposed to be afraid?”

  “Not at all, but if you go after Mario, what do you think is going to happen?” King asked.

  “I’m going to kick his ass,” Rayshawn stated simply. “I know you aren’t goin’ to tell me not to because Ramel is his nephew.”

  “You have to do what you have to,” King clarified. “I’m n
ot going to stop you. But we both know that Mario is not going to take that shit lightly. He will send Ramel after you.”

  “Ramel ain’t shit. He can come over here if he wants. He won’t leave the south side alive.”

  “Rayshawn, when you beat down Mario, it won’t be over corners or packages anymore. It will be about family. Are you ready to use that .38 you’re so fond of carrying?”

  Rayshawn fingered the butt of the gun sticking out from his pants. Mario may be Ramel’s family but Jaicyn was his girlfriend. He wasn’t about to let anyone do anything to her.

  “Hell yeah. If after all is said and done, Ramel wants to bring his ass over to the south side, he can catch a beat down or a bullet. Don’t quite matter to me.”

  The streets always found a way to test a newcomer’s manhood and identify his weaknesses. Jaicyn clearly was Rayshawn’s test and his weakness. As long as she was around, guys would use her to see what Rayshawn was made of. King couldn’t help him. When Ramel crossed over to the south side, Rayshawn would have to keep his word and protect his reputation and business. If he didn’t, he’d lose both. At that point, he’d be no good to King or Jaicyn.

  “Take me to over to Marshall,” Rayshawn ordered. “We’ll get a car tomorrow.”

  Chapter 9

  Fifteen minutes later, King dropped Rayshawn off with his crew. Little Man, Johnny, and Pete were all there, sitting on the stoop and talking. They definitely weren’t working and that pissed Rayshawn off even more.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he yelled.

  “We sold out,” Johnny said. “We ain’t got shit to sell.”

  “And none of you had enough sense to call Blaque for a re-up? Do I have to do everything around here?”

  “Man, chill out,” Little Man said. “I paged Blaque. He said we can’t re-up until tomorrow. That’s why we chillin’.”

  “Someone should have called me,” he mumbled. There was something more important on his mind than his crew slacking off.

  “Yo, strap up,” he ordered his crew.

  “We already are,” Little Man replied. “Jay-Jay called me when she couldn’t find you. We’re going after Mario, right?”