Ghetto Girls 6

by Anthony Whyte

  “Yo Coco, whaddup, girl?” a member of the crowd greeted.

  “Hey yo, Coco wanna cop sump’n?’

  “Nah, I’m good, yo.”

  “What’s good, Coco? How’s the flow?” another member of the crowd shouted.

  “It’s goin’ down, yo.”

  “How’s your Madukes, Coco?”

  “She’s doing better. I just came from seeing her, yo.”

  “That’s peace. Tell her the block’s praying for her when you see her again, Coco.”

  “A’ight, I’ll do that, yo.”

  “What’s gonna be your new joint. You smashin’ ’em on the streets with that Tougher Than Dice, shit!”

  “Word up, you slayin’ all that other shit out there.”

  “When you dropping sump’n new, Coco?”

  Coco stared at the crowd gathering around her. They stared at her, clinging to her answers like students taking notes. Class was in session, she thought for a moment. They seemed to be under the impression that she was about offer something. Coco delivered.

  Sometimes when I feel I’m losing my mind /

  I call out your names… I hear y’all listening

  Things don’t always work the way we plan ’em/

  Your voices live through me just the same/

  Be my number one fan and I will succeed

  I’ll be felt the champion title I will claim

  I’m making a stand feeling hard to defeat

  We taking over just the way we planned/

  From the start doing it from our hearts…

  Sisters always dreaming us on top forever /

  Reigning hopes never die you’ll always remain

  So fly…/Jo, Dani, Bebop living for you /

  Missing Miss Katie’s voice y’all got her/

  Listening made me nicer music game sicker/

  Lyrics lock tighter feeling invincible Truth is

  Her wisdom helped me survive all my fights

  Made me stronger now I’m tougher than dice…”

  I-I-I’m tougher than dice…tough…tougher than dice

  My name’s Coco and I’m tougher than dice…

  Coco came out of her zone and found the crowd had grown to a much larger size. They were excited jumping around and dancing to her impromptu acappella performance. Those who knew the hook were still reciting it long after she was finished. Coco clapped her hands to the chanting of the crowd.

  “Lyrics lock tighter feeling invincible Truth is her wisdom helped me survive all my fights Made me stronger now I’m tougher than dice…I-I-I’m tougher than dice…tough…tougher than dice the name’s Coco and I’m tougher than dice…”

  She laughed at the excitement that her music had created. The crowd was buzzing when someone turned on a boom box and pumped up the volume. The crowd gathered in front of her building was rocking and jumping to her song, Tougher Than Dice.

  It was a Friday evening to remember. Coco smiled when she realized that this wasn’t a drug. It was her God-given talent drawing the hustlers, buyers, and sellers. She decided chilling out front for a minute wasn’t such a bad idea.

  “Shyt, Coco, these peeps really feelin’ you, huh?”

  Coco turned to see Kim. She was holding her son, trying to keep him from getting crushed by the crowd.

  “Hey Kim,” Coco said. “Wow your son gown up, yo.”

  “I was taking Roshawn to the babysitter on the first floor and I was thinking, ‘The Bloods and Crips started a riot?’ Then a cop on the corner said it was a chick rapping. And I had a feeling it was you, girl. What da deal? You takin’ it live?”

  “Five-Oh—five-oh!” someone shouted.

  “Oh that was just some—shit!

  The sirens closed in and the crowd began running in all directions. Those who were the dirtiest were running the fastest. Kim held Roshawn against her chest to prevent him being trampled. She was standing next to Coco, and could feel to the crush.

  “Turn that music off and everyone go home. If you’re caught out here loitering, you’ll be arrested,” one of the officers shouted.

  “It’s TGIF, and there’s no pity in the naked city. Time for me and Roshawn to get inside before they start ackin’ da fool out here, Coco.”

  “Yes, you right, yo. These po-po out here don’t even need a reason, yo.”

  “You got your keys, right? Cuz this damn sitter must be deaf at times. Shyt, it seems like I gotta ring her bell five and six times for her to let me inside.”

  “Yeah, I have my keys, yo,” Coco laughed and turned to open the door.

  They walked inside and Kim walked to the babysitter’s apartment on the first floor. Coco continued upstairs to the third floor. She walked to her apartment and went to the window. Shaking her head, she saw the officers searching and frisking a group of teen boys. They were lined up against a fence with their backs to the officers. Police searched each of them, releasing some while handcuffing others, and placing those in a waiting paddy wagon. Coco was smirking when she heard the doorbell.

  “Who dat?”

  “It’s Kim,” the voice outside the door said.

  “Whaddup, yo?” Coco greeted, opening the door.

  Kim walked inside and Coco looked at her strangely. Wondering if Kim had lost something, Coco waited while the unexpected visitor glanced around. Then she spoke.

  “I’ve never been here before.”

  “I don’t think you were ever invited, yo.”

  “Oh, I knew your mother, Coco. When my baby-father used to sell crack, she was a real customer.”

  “Yes, you right, Déjà was a dealer, wasn’t he?”

  “Yes, he was. God bless his soul, Déjà was good to your mother. He would let her have jumbo after jumbo and she didn’t have to leave her welfare card. May his soul rest in peace. He was mad cool,” Kim said solemnly.

  Coco stared at her in disbelief without saying anything. This must be a joke. She wanted to laugh but refrained, and instead tried to welcome Kim’s annoying visit.

  “You wanna chill for a minute or you in a hurry somewhere, yo?”

  “Shyt, I got time. Me and Tina going downtown to get our shopping on,” Kim said walking to the sofa. “I see you dressing like a pretty girl now, Coco. We all gotta move on.”

  “That’s all Deedee. She likes the stores, yo.”

  “I hear that. I’m a clothes ho’ myself. But I gotta save money for my son’s school gonna cost money. I want the best schooling for him so he can be a doctor. I don’t know why, but I feel that’s what he’s born to do. He’s really smart. Roshawn’s only three and he already knows his ABC’s… And he can count up to ten and say ‘Mommy,’ all the time and he’s—”

  “Do you want a drink of water or—?”

  “Do you wanna smoke a blunt?” Kim asked, pulling out a bag.

  “Damn, you walking round with all that weed, yo?”

  “This just sump’n for me and Tina. We can’t be goin’ ’round coppin’ on da streets. That shit’s dangerous,” Kim warned. “So my babysitter cops ounces for me, and I pay her. I’ll break you off a lil’ sump’n if you don’t wanna smoke right now.”

  Coco watched curiously while Kim set about removing some of the weed from the large ounce sack. She walked to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

  “That looks like some good sticky type right there, yo.

  “It’s da shyt, Coco,” Kim smiled.

  “We can spark sump’n in here, yo.”

  Coco broke the Dutch Master down, and Kim rolled up some weed. Coco lit it and they were soon puffing. She started coughing and Coco poured two cups of fruit punch. The weed was strong and Coco puffed her problems away. She stopped thinking about her mother and more about her impromptu performance. She passed the smoldering weed to Kim. Kim puffed and stared coughing.

  “This shyt is real chronic, Coco,” she said.

  “This ain’t for no light-head, yo.”

  “We were at this party last night and smoked couple of this shyt. T
he whole party was soo lit up the whole night. Everyone was copping from Tina and me, they were like we must get some o’ that shyt, Kim. So me and Tina—well Tina actually—went and re-up. But it’s for the two of us. That shyt was crazy,” Kim smiled while recounting the happenings.

  “You had mad fun, huh?”

  “What…? We were dancing the whole night. That shyt was rocking. I’m tellin’ you Coco, you gotta come hang with me and Tina just once. You’d love…” Kim said and her voice trailed. “I guess you still have feelings about back in the days how we used to pick on you, huh?” Kim said, puffing the weed.

  “I don’t hold nothing against you or, ah, Tina, yo. I’m good on all that back in days beefs.”

  “I know we had our run-ins but you were always real, Coco. And you’re skinny but you never back down,” Kim said, passing the blunt.

  “There was nowhere to back down to,” Coco said, puffing. “I mean I had to come home from school and you and Tina were always out there on the Ave. Ain’t shit I could do but fight my way home. I’m through with all that BS now, yo.”

  “Shyt that’s how I feel too,” Kim said high-fiving Coco. “I’m on my grown-woman shyt. And I definitely see you on some music shyt.”

  “I’m taking this music game more serious, yo. And working with Eric Ascot is a blessing. I’m learning a lot.”

  “Eric Ascot, hmm-hmm—that’s one fine-ass nigga. Lord whew!” Kim said, waving her hands like fan blades. “He could get this shyt,” she laughed, waving at her ass. “Coco, you look at me as if I’m buggin’ out.”

  “I know peeps bug on him. He’s good-looking but he’s a real talent. A great man, yo.”

  “No doubt,” Kim joined in. “I love the way he walks, hmm.”

  “I don’t be getting all the way deep like that, yo. Doing this music thing is what it’s all about, yo.”

  “That’s good, Coco. Cuz you can sing, dance, rap and you’re pretty. I used to think you were a butch, but I see how you move. You’re very quiet. You like Prince—you’re just androgynous. But when it comes time for the music shyt—you go all the way indeed.”

  “I’m androgynous…? That’s the first time I heard that one, yo.”

  “Shyt we, you know, me and Tina sorta thinking that maybe you and Deedee were into a relationship. But then after Reggie started dating her, well that was it. Too bad about Reggie, huh? It gets me sick when I think about it.”

  “Yeah, that was fucked up, yo.”

  “Yeah, you know as quiet as it was kept, he was dating Tina first, and then wham! He saw Deedee’s sexy ass, and shyt. That was a wrap.”

  “I hear you,” Coco said, puffing on the blunt.

  “Deedee was lucky she didn’t get in that car with Reggie. She would’ve been history. God was on her side. Shyt, you know she’s probably here to do something great. That’s why she never got in the car.”

  “I hear you,” Coco said, passing the blunt.

  “She was probably devastated, huh? I mean they slept together. At least he was screwing Tina for sure. I know cuz she likes to show out about her pussy power. Tina was sayin’ that nigga was just tryin’ a get a woman pregos. You think Deedee prego by him, Coco? You don’t know what they were doing—you weren’t there. Why?” Kim said.

  “I was recording late and went to visit madukes in the hospital, yo.”

  “How’s she doing?”

  “She was up two days in row, yo.”

  “Is that good?”

  “I mean, I’ve been to the hospital, and before that she didnn’t even open her eyes, yo.”

  “Shyt, that must make you feel sad by all that shyt, huh?”

  “She’s trying. Madukes’ all I have, yo.”

  “Shyt, don’t you have other relatives I mean…?”

  “Madukes never talk about anyone, yo,” Coco said, puffing and thinking for a beat. “I never met anyone. From the moment I was born I’ve been with this woman with a deadly drug problem. All I know is her. She’s my only family.”

  “Shyt girl! What about your father?”

  “She used to talk about him.”

  “You don’t know who your father is, Coco?” Kim asked.

  “She said he was some type of a musician who be traveling around a lot. And that’s why we never seen him, yo.”

  “Coco, let me put you down on the score, girl. You know Rightchus? That’s your father, girl,” Kim said.

  There was a pause as Coco’s mind slowly wrapped itself around this explosive piece of information. Coco stared incredulously at Kim. Her tongue was known for gossiping and licking dicks. Coco’s mind did laps and slowed.

  “So you’re telling me that Rightchus is my father? You’re saying that lil’ ’itty bit con artist is my father? Unbelievable, yo.”

  “Shyt, Coco, my mother has live around these projects for a minute. She was the one who told me that Rightchus and your mother were lovers back in the days. They even went to the same church as she did. My mother still go to the Abyssinian Baptist Church, Coco. Your mother used to be in the choir and then she became pregnant. Rightchus got into crack and they broke up. By the time you were born your mother was on drugs. I ain’t lying. You can come and meet my mother. She knows you; she used to babysit you.”

  “Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me, yo? Get da fuck outta here! Rightchus? My father, yo? I gotta get used to the idea. Where’s your mother?”

  “She’s home, two buildings over. She used to babysit you, Coco. Shyt, you come with me right now, she’ll still remember you,” Kim said.

  “No bullshit? Alright, I’m ready—let’s go!”

  “Here, let me pack this weed up and we can go and verify all that info. This is for you. Put it away,” Kim said, handing Coco a few buds. “My mother have no reason to lie,” she continued.

  “Good looking out,” Coco said, taking the weed and wrapping it up.

  She checked the kitchen found a place to stash the weed in a cupboard. Then she walked out the door with Kim.

  “The elevator doesn’t work?”

  “The elevator never works, yo.”

  “You ever notice that in some of these buildings the elevators never working or they always getting repaired.”

  “I’m telling you, this is one of those buildings, yo. The elevator has never worked. It’s constantly getting repaired.”

  They raced down the stairs and passed the people in front of the building. Coco’s lips remained pursed as she went past them. She nodded and kept it moving. They were still reliving the performance she gave earlier.

  “She was rocking out crazy sump’n…”

  “That’s nice that they love you, Coco,” Kim said.

  “Yes it’s cool. I want the whole world to love me, yo.”

  Coco and Kim quickly walked the short distance. Kim was soon ringing the doorbell. Her mother buzzed her in, and Kim led Coco to the elevator.

  “This shyt always workin’,” she said, pushing the button.

  When they got inside the elevator, Kim pressed the button for the eighth floor. Coco brooded over the possibility of Rightchus being her father. Kim fussed with her designer gear, while Coco fidgeted with her thoughts.

  “You’ve gotta speak a little loud for her to hear you. She’s kinda losing her hearing,” Kim said. “She getting’ ancient and shyt. Gotta tell her shyt three or four times. That’s why I gotta take Roshawn to that sitter by you. Shyt, my son could be right next to her choking to death, God forbid—Mommy would be just thinking he laughing and shyt.”

  Coco nodded in silence and before long they were standing in front of the door. Coco’s thoughts weighed heavy on her mind causing small beads of sweat to form on her forehead. She felt like she was being led to the court of public opinion. Coco remained calm while waiting in front of the apartment door. An older woman opened the door and stood smiling like a teacher on the first day of school, greeting her new pupil, Coco. Kim walked ahead and entered the well-kept apartment with plastic covering the living room set. The pl
ace smelled of baked cookies.

  “Mommy, you always baking cookies. Roshawn can’t eat too much of that. His teeth will get rotten,” Kim said.

  “Oh you so crazy, Kimberly,” the older woman said, chuckling. “I can bake for my grandson anytime. How’s he doing?”

  “Roshawn is fine with his bad self. I brought you an old friend,” Kim announced. “Remember Coco?”

  “Of course I ’member Coco. It’s only my ears going bad. Hi Coco. You don’t remember me, huh Coco? I’m Kimberly’s mother, Mrs. Jones,” the woman announced.

  Coco stared at her with a dumbfounded expression all over her face. The woman had a stark resemblance to Kim, but was older. Her face appeared to be kind. Coco wondered how Kim became the person she did, after living with this seemingly nice person.

  “Your mother used to bring you right here, and I babysat for her when you were first born. After that Katie Patterson, may she rest in peace, took over. So see, you don’t remember cuz you were a newborn then. Now look at you all grown up and pretty as ever,” Mrs. Jones said, gushing like an artist at work.

  “Thank you,” Coco said.

  The older woman was caressing the outline of Coco’s face, touching her cheeks and brushing her eyebrow. Coco took the time to look at the woman carefully. She had a pretty face dotted by a black mark on her nose.

  “You mother was such a beautiful woman…” Mrs. Jones let her voice trail. Her tone was harsh when she asked, “How’s she doing?”

  Coco was in the process of opening her mouth to answer Mrs. Jones, when she heard the woman speaking.

  “You don’t have to tell me. That damn drug destroyed her,” she scoffed. “I hate that damn drug with a passion. I’ve see it destroy too many, too many lives. Too many, dear Lord,” Mrs. Jones said in a pleading tone. “Once she took up with crack, her life was over and I know it’s that man Rightchus who turned her on to it. Before that she was happily going to church and working as a stenographer. He and his damn drug kept going after her and you know once she started doing it, I never saw her again,” Mrs. Jones continued.