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

by Jackie Chanel

  “Yeah. Let’s roll out.”

  The teenagers piled into Little Man’s Ford Escort, the car of choice when there was a chance that bullets may fly. Little Man loved his truck too much for it to be sprayed by bullets. Blunts were lit and passed around the car until they pulled in front of Mario’s house on the west side. They sat in the car with the music down low, waiting. Rayshawn was surprisingly calm and patient. Mario would come out eventually.

  An hour passed, then two. Little Man didn’t have any more weed and the crew was getting anxious.

  “Punk ass Mario ain’t never coming out,” Pete muttered.

  Rayshawn agreed. He opened the passenger door.

  “Let’s go in. Pete, keep the car running.”

  Little Man, Johnny, and Rayshawn ran across the street. They crept through the uncut grass to the back of Mario’s house. The back porch light came on when Johnny tripped over a pile of broken lawn chairs and tumbled to the ground. Rayshawn and Little Man laughed as he scrambled to a standing position. Mario opened the screen door and stuck his head out.

  “Who’s that?” he yelled cautiously.

  Rayshawn motioned for his boys to keep quiet. He wanted Mario to come outside.

  “Who’s out here?” Mario yelled again and stepped onto the porch.

  “Let’s go,” Rayshawn whispered and the three boys ran up the steps.

  As soon as Mario recognized them he tried to make a beeline for the back door. He was too slow for Rayshawn who grabbed him by his t-shirt and dragged him down the porch steps.

  Rayshawn sucker punched him in the face. A series of kicks and punches from Johnny and Little Man quickly followed. The beating was over in just a few minutes. Mario lay semi-conscious on the ground, bleeding from cuts to his face. His breaths were labored. Rayshawn was sure that Little Man’s steel toe boots had broken a few ribs. He leaned down next to the bloody and moaning man.

  “Don’t you ever say shit to Jaicyn again or next time you won’t be able to get up.”

  When he stood up, Rayshawn gave Mario one more kick, for good measure. Mario cried out and Rayshawn laughed. The crew noisily ran back to the car.

  “What happened?” Pete asked when the boys hopped back into the car.

  “We whooped his ass!” Rayshawn laughed. “His old ass can’t fight!”

  “So now what?”

  “I guess we wait for his nephew to come over to our side. Take me over Jaicyn’s,” Rayshawn ordered.

  ****

  Rayshawn walked up the stoop and used his key to enter Jaicyn’s apartment. Angelina was on the couch, smoking a cigarette and watching Wheel of Fortune. He could hear Rickie and Bobbie playing in their room but Jaicyn was nowhere to be seen.

  “Don’t be walking up in my house,” Angelina yelled at Rayshawn.

  “This wouldn’t even be your house if I wasn’t paying the rent,” Rayshawn said through gritted teeth.

  “Where’s Jaicyn?”

  “I don’t know. Probably upstairs on the phone as usual,” Angelina answered.

  Rayshawn started up the steps but stopped when he heard Angelina call his name.

  “What?”

  “Loan me twenty dollars,” she said.

  “Hell no,” Rayshawn fired back. “Get a damn job.”

  When Rayshawn walked into Jaicyn’s room, she was lying across the bed and talking on the phone. She said goodbye when Rayshawn walked into the room.

  Jaicyn hopped off the bed and walked over to Rayshawn. She put her arms around him and hugged him tight. Then she looked up at him and kissed him. He returned her kiss, thinking that she must have found out about Mario already.

  “Hey,” Jaicyn said, “What are you doing here? Did you get a car?”

  “I just got back from the west side,” Rayshawn answered.

  Jaicyn stared at her boyfriend. Rayshawn leaned against the wall. He looked like he’d matured in the span of a couple hours. He looked calmer, wiser…stronger

  “What did you do?”

  “I told you I was going to take care of him. I did.” Rayshawn pulled his girl closer to him until her perky breasts were pressed up against his chest.

  In her short little pajama shorts and tank top and fresh out of the shower, Jaicyn looked even better to Rayshawn than she did when she was fully dressed and her hair and make-up were flawless. He felt a slight erection growing in his jeans; something that had been happening more often in the last few weeks.

  Jaicyn felt it too and pressed herself against her boyfriend. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed Rayshawn again until she felt his fingers on the edge of her shorts, tracing what would have been her panty line if she was wearing any. Rayshawn gently eased Jaicyn back from him and straightened his t-shirt so she wouldn’t see what was happening in his pants.

  “Hey,” he said, his voice thick with teenage lust, “I just came by to let you know I took care of it.”

  Jaicyn wasn’t letting him get away that easily. She wanted to be as close to her man, her protector, her comforter, as possible.

  “Don’t go,” she said softly. “Spend the night with me.”

  Jaicyn slid her hands under Rayshawn’s t-shirt. “Please?”

  Rayshawn’s throat felt like he’d just swallowed a fireball or worse, a huge jawbreaker. He knew why Jaicyn wanted him to stay. It was the same reason he wanted to stay.

  “What about your mother?” he asked.

  “She’s about to leave.”

  “Then what about your sisters?” Rayshawn said.

  “I’ll handle them,” Jaicyn said. She walked over to the bedroom door and opened it.

  “Bobbie, Rickie,” she yelled down the hall. “Turn off that damn PlayStation and go to bed like I told you an hour ago before I come down there with the belt!”

  Rayshawn laughed and sat on the bed. A few seconds later Jaicyn ran out of the room and down the hall in response to the mumbled words that came out of Rickie’s mouth. Rayshawn could hear her yelling and then cries of protest when she switched off the PlayStation in the middle of their game.

  Not long after that, the front door opened and Angelina left. The house was quiet. Rayshawn picked up the phone and called home, praying that Dayshawn would answer. To his luck, his brother picked up the line.

  “Where are you?” he demanded to know.

  “I’m over Jaicyn’s. I’m spending the night.”

  It wasn’t unusual for Rayshawn to spend the night at Jaicyn’s. In fact over the last six months, he and his brother had spent many nights over there. But it was the way he said it this time that let Dayshawn know this night was different.

  “You’re finally going to get some?” Dayshawn joked.

  “Just cover for me.”

  “Alright,” Dayshawn said. “I got you. Just make sure you use a rubber.”

  Dayshawn laughed but Rayshawn didn’t find anything funny about the situation. Dayshawn had been having sex for over two years and thought he was a pro. He tried to give Rayshawn pointers all the time but he wasn’t interested. Now after two years of not paying attention, Rayshawn was trying desperately to remember all the things that Dayshawn had told him.

  When Jaicyn finally came back into the bedroom she was smiling.

  “Sorry,” she said. “We started bedtime negotiations an hour ago. You know how long that takes.”

  Even though Jaicyn had instigated the event, she was nervous as hell. She wanted to be intimate with him and it was a feeling that was getting harder to fight. He deserved to be her first, especially after all that he’d done for her and her sisters over the last six months.

  Feeling jittery, Jaicyn walked over to the opposite side of the bed and turned on the new stereo Rayshawn had bought her for her birthday. The smooth sounds of Robin Thicke filled the small bedroom as she turned off the light and slid in the bed next to her boyfriend.

  Rayshawn rolled over on his side and looked at Jaicyn as the moonlight made her white pajamas appear blue. He ran his hands softly up and down her leg an
d was surprised when she shivered like she was cold.

  “You cold?” he asked.

  “No,” Jaicyn answered. “Come closer.”

  Rayshawn leaned closer and they began to kiss. He moved his hand up from her leg and rested it on her flat stomach. As their kiss intensified, his hand first brushed her breast then began to massage it. Jaicyn let out soft moans in between kisses which turned them both on more. Reluctantly they broke apart and Rayshawn got off the bed. He started to undress but stopped when he noticed that Jaicyn hadn’t moved.

  “What? You don’t want to do it now?” he asked.

  Jaicyn stood in front of him. Standing in just his boxers with his erection straining against the thin cotton, Rayshawn managed to lift Jaicyn’s tank top over her head. He pulled down her shorts and let them drop to the floor. He laid back on the bed while Jaicyn stepped out of the shorts. Naked, she crawled over him to her side of the bed. Neither one of them had a clue as to what to do next.

  “I don’t have any rubbers,” Rayshawn announced.

  “So,” Jaicyn said.

  “You on the pill?”

  “No,” Jaicyn answered, “but it’s okay. Autumn said you can’t get pregnant the first time you do it.”

  Rayshawn looked doubtful. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah,” Jaicyn answered. “She didn’t use a rubber the first time she did it and she didn’t get pregnant so it’s true. We’re straight.”

  “Okay,” He slid off his boxers.

  Jaicyn looked down at Rayshawn’s penis and cringed. Autumn was so wrong! Rayshawn’s penis was much bigger than a hotdog. It was more like a cucumber; only brown and menacing. How in the world was that thing supposed to fit inside her? It was hard enough trying to get a tampon in there! Jaicyn had a feeling it was going to hurt much worse than Autumn said.

  “Spread your legs,” Rayshawn said as he tried to get an idea of where exactly he was supposed to put it. He knew where the hole was supposed to be so he just put his penis in the vicinity of where he thought it should be and prayed that it would find its way into the right spot.

  When he entered her, Jaicyn gasped. It was the single most painful thing she’d ever felt! It felt like a long hot poker was inside of her and she didn’t want Rayshawn to move, even though she knew that he had to eventually.

  As Rayshawn moved slowly, trying not to hurt her, Jaicyn held onto him tighter. It was still too painful to enjoy, but she liked the feel of him being that close to her. Besides, Autumn said that after the first time it started to feel better.

  Rayshawn’s pumping started to get faster and Jaicyn knew that he was about to bust a nut so she did like Autumn had advised and squeezed her legs around him tighter. Sure enough, Rayshawn let out a loud groan and went limp on top of her. To her relief he pulled his penis out of her and rolled over. He was sweating and breathing hard but at least he looked satisfied. He pulled Jaicyn close to him and she put her head on his chest. He fingered her hair as he caught his breath.

  “Did you like it?” she asked.

  “Yeah baby, I loved it.”

  “Good,” Jaicyn replied, satisfied with his answer.

  “Did it hurt?” Rayshawn asked.

  Jaicyn laughed. “Like you wouldn’t believe”

  Rayshawn frowned. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He wanted her to enjoy herself as much as he did.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Jaicyn assured him. “It’s supposed to hurt. It’s says so in the Bible. Besides, it doesn’t hurt after you do it couple of times.”

  “So, you want to do it again?” he asked eagerly.

  “Yeah,” Jaicyn said. “But if we do it again tonight, you’re gonna have to go get some rubbers because you can get pregnant after the first time.”

  “That’s cool with me,” Rayshawn said. “I’ll go in a minute.”

  The young couple lay naked for a few minutes in silence, thinking about what they’d just done.

  “Jay-Jay,” Rayshawn said breaking the silence.

  “What?”

  “I love you.”

  Jaicyn smiled. “I love you too, Rayshawn.”

  Chapter 10

  “Autumn, you’re wrong,” Jaicyn laughed. “You don’t walk any different after you have sex.”

  The two girls were walking towards Sandy’s. After the incident with Mario, Rayshawn had forbid Jaicyn from working there anymore. Jaicyn wasn’t happy with her new job. It didn’t pay as much as Mario’s, and waiting tables wasn’t nearly as fun as selling clothes. The only good thing was that Autumn worked there too.

  Spring break was officially over. Even though Jaicyn could have gone back to Lincoln when Angelina came home, she decided not to. She’d stick with Miss Deavers tutoring until the summer came. After the summer she’d decide if she wanted to go to Lincoln. Rayshawn was talking about getting them a place on the north side and if that worked out, she’d be more than happy to go to Booker T instead.

  “Look at you,” Autumn said. “You have a little twist to your hips now that you and Rayshawn are doing it regularly.”

  “I do not!” Jaicyn protested. “I noticed a little switch in your hips too. Did you let the other twin hit it?”

  “No,” Autumn yelled at her best friend. “Dayshawn has not got any! Did he say that?”

  “Yeah right,” Jaicyn said as she opened the door to the restaurant.

  Jaicyn suspected that Autumn wasn’t telling her the full truth and continued to press her friend for information. Autumn ignored Jaicyn’s questions about Dayshawn while they clocked in and put on their aprons. Even though Sandy didn’t require her employees to wear uniforms, all the waitresses were required to wear red and black and the signature apron. Autumn and Jaicyn usually spent their weekends trying to figure out ways to incorporate red into their wardrobe since neither girl was fond of the color. Today, they were both wearing red tank tops and black jean skirts with brand new black and red Air Jordans.

  About two hours into the shift Jaicyn spotted a face that she was certain didn’t belong on the south side and definitely not in Sandy’s. Ramel Cruz and two of his cousins strolled into the restaurant and helped themselves to a table without waiting for Jaicyn to seat them.

  “Autumn,” Jaicyn half whispered, “come here.”

  Autumn finished refilling her customers’ drinks before she wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to her friend who was hiding in the kitchen doorway.

  “What Jay-Jay? You got customers.”

  “Can you take that table?” she asked, pointing to the table full of Puerto Ricans.

  Autumn laughed and shook her head.

  “You mean that table full of your people?”

  Jaicyn rolled her eyes at Autumn. “Shut up. Can you just get that table please?”

  “Yeah, I’ll take it. But you gotta take the next two then.”

  Jaicyn hadn’t told anyone what happened between her and Mario. She made sure to keep quiet about Rayshawn beating Mario’s ass. Ramel had to know what happened. Why else would he be hanging out on the south side unless he was looking for her and Rayshawn?

  Not long after Jaicyn slipped into the kitchen, Autumn came back, her face flushed with anger.

  “Jay-Jay, you better go check your friends because I’m about to cut one of them!”

  “I’m not going out there! You said you’d take it!”

  “I don’t care,” Autumn yelled at her friend. “They don’t want me. They keep asking for you and if one of them calls me another black bitch I swear, I’m going off!”

  “I’m not doing it!” Jaicyn yelled back, determined not to show her face to Ramel and his crew.

  Jaicyn and Autumn continued to yell at each other until, Sandy came running out of her office.

  “What the hell is the problem?”

  “Nothing,” Jaicyn muttered. “I’ll take care of it,” she replied, tying her apron and walking out of the kitchen. As much as she didn’t want to see Ramel, Jaicyn wouldn’t let him keep disrespecting to her friend.<
br />
  If it had been anyone else, Jaicyn would have cussed them out and kicked them out of Sandy’s in a heartbeat. Ramel wouldn’t go easily. Ramel Cruz was a terror. He and Jaicyn hated each other since she moved to Washington Heights.

  Ramel always made her feel like she didn’t belong on the west side with his stupid comments about her being half Black or her mother’s drug problem. Jaicyn had a fiery tongue and could usually hold her own with Ramel but as they got older and his temper got worse, Jaicyn tried not to deal with him.

  “What do you want, Ramel?” Jaicyn asked when she got to the table.

  “What are you doin’ workin’ here?” Ramel asked. “Going back to your roots?”

  “Whatever. What do you want?”

  “Where’s your boyfriend?” Ramel questioned.

  Jaicyn shrugged. “I don’t know,” she lied.

  “You know where he is. Don’t lie to me.”

  “I’m not lying,” Jaicyn replied with her hands firmly on her hips.

  “Yes you are. Why you protecting him? You forget who your people are?”

  “Here you go with that shit again,” Jaicyn groaned. “Why do you always have to bring that up?”

  “Because you’re a fuckin traitor! You’re Puerto Rican! You don’t belong over here with them,” he spat in disgust.

  “Shut up,” Jaicyn insisted. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about them! And you’re already in trouble!” Ramel stood up and continued to scream at the top of his lungs.

  No one did anything to stop him as he stood in Jaicyn’s face and accused her of lying on his uncle. Jaicyn took a few steps back and looked around for the nearest thing she could grab. She spotted a water pitcher on a table. If Ramel took one more step closer, she was going to blast him upside the head with the glass pitcher.

  “You betrayed us when you lied on my uncle!” Ramel screamed. “Why would do you do some shit like that when he was the only one who’d give your broke ass a job?”

  “Betrayed you?” Jaicyn rolled her eyes. “I don’t have any ties to you.”