California Connection (Califronia Connection)

by Chunichi

  Again she didn’t say anything, but she did shake her head no. I had a feeling that something was really wrong. I gently grabbed her by her chin and turned her toward me. And, just as I’d thought, tears were rolling down her eyes. I didn’t say a word. I just grabbed her and hugged her tight. I listened as she cried hysterically.

  “This is my house, Jewel,” she said, forcing out the words. “This is all I had left. Now I have nothing, absolutely nothing. No car, no furniture, no home, nothing. All I have is a shitload of dance costumes and heels, and a single suitcase of daily clothes.”

  Damn, I thought to myself, she doesn’t deserve this. I truly felt bad for her.

  “Baby, I wish I could make it all right,” I told her. “Look, before you know it, things will be better. Just go to Atlanta and stack your dough. When you get a little saved up, I’ll put it in the right places and make things happen.”

  “Okay, baby.” Sasha wiped her tears away, and I pulled off.

  It wasn’t until I got home that I realized I was really gonna miss Sasha.

  The next couple of hours were spent in pure ecstasy. Sasha had made me feel things I’d never felt before and in places I’ve never felt before. I’d never felt such pleasure in my life. She definitely left her mark.

  As she was washing up to prepare to leave, I went through my dresser drawers and my closet and collected things I knew she would like. When she came out the bathroom, I had a number of jeans, dresses, shirts and bags waiting for her.

  “Too bad you don’t wear my shoe size,” I said as she looked as the things I had laid out for her.

  “This is for me?” Sasha said in disbelief.

  “Yes. I want you to have them.”

  “Your True Religion, Joe’s Jeans, and Rock and Republic? They still have tags on them!” Sasha said, still in doubt.

  “Baby, it’s all yours,” I reassured her.

  “Even your Prada bag?”

  “Everything on the bed, Boobie.”

  “Damn!” Sasha rushed over and kissed me passionately. “I love you so much!”

  “I want it back when you come back to VA, though.” I shot her a quick look. “I’m just joking.”

  We laughed together.

  The trip to the airport and the good-byes were heart-wrenching. I drove home depressed like a little girl who’d just lost her puppy. I turned on the TV and flipped through the channels as my mind wandered. I thought about all the good times and all the bad times we’d shared. I never thought I would miss her as much as I did.

  My house phone began to ring, interrupting my reminiscing.

  “Hello,” I said without even looking at the caller ID.

  A male voice said, “May I speak with Mrs. Burroughs, please?”

  “You have the wrong number,” I said and prepared to hang up.

  “I believe I have the correct number,” the person said on the other end of the phone.

  The voice began to sound familiar to me.

  “Who is this?” I asked

  “Mr. Burroughs,” he responded.

  “Calico?” I said, figuring it could only be him.

  “What up? How you gon’ be my wifey and not know your last name?”

  I snapped, “You never offered to give me your government name. I figured you would tell me when you wanted me to know.”

  “Michael Burroughs. You happy?”

  “Nah. I need a social security number, permanent address, and the name and phone number of your nearest relative,” I spat back.

  “Damn. What am I doing, applying for a line of credit?” Calico laughed.

  “I’m just fucking with you. So when am I going to see you? I’m real lonely right now.”

  “I’ll be there probably in a week or so.”

  “What if I can’t wait that long?” I said, just to see how he would respond.

  “Then I’ll come sooner.”

  “Yeah, right,” I said, knowing he was just talking shit.

  “I’m serious. I’ll do whatever makes you happy.”

  “Well, in that case, can you make everything right so my girl can come back to Virginia?” I said, really missing Sasha.

  “Huh?” Calico was thrown by my request.

  “My girl Sasha just left to go to Georgia. She had to move because shit was really fucked-up for her here. So she’s going down there for a while to try and get things back in order. She just left, and I already miss her.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. I wish I was there to pamper you. You want me to catch a flight tomorrow?” Calico asked.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, but you can’t let nobody know I’m coming. Niggas gon’ expect this to be a business trip, and my phone gonna be blowing up the entire time. I’ll have to hide out at your crib or something, and we won’t be able to hang out.”

  “First of all, no one sleeps in my bed except rent-paying tenants. And, lastly, what fun would that be if we have to be cramped up in the crib anyway? I’ll rather wait.”

  “That’s cool. We can wait. I was just trying to be there for you. And, for the record, I don’t mind paying rent. How much is it?” Calico asked like it was nothing.

  “My mortgage”—I put emphasis on the word mortgage—“is twelve hundred a month.”

  “A’ight, I got you. Do I need to put down a deposit too?” Calico said, cool as a fan.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I should ask for a deposit, since you refused to supply information to put in a credit application.” I giggled.

  “I ain’t got no problem putting down a deposit. So when is my move in date?”

  “We’ll discuss that when the funds have been secured. I accept cash only, Mr. Burroughs.” I spoke to him in a professional tone as though I was a property manager.

  “Okay, well, I guess we’ve got a contracted lease. You can pick your funds up at a Western Union in about an hour.”

  “Okay. Bye”

  “Gone.” Calico ended the call.

  I watched the clock constantly as I counted down the minutes. After about forty-five minutes, I couldn’t wait any longer. I hopped in my truck and headed to the grocery store to check on the wire. I filled out the Western Union form and gave the cashier my ID.

  “Do you know how much?” she asked.

  Now my first thought was to say, “Did I put in an amount on the form?” Instead I chose to be nice and replied, “No, I don’t.”

  The cashier huffed and puffed as she entered the information in the computer. “Do you have the money transfer control number?”

  Now this time I just had to respond, “Do you see one on the paper?”

  The cashier must have gone with her better judgment and decided to keep any comments after that to herself. She handed me the money order and directed me to sign at the X.

  I glanced at the amount. “Three thousand, umph,” I said to no one in particular.

  The cashier counted out my money, and I pranced out the store with a big smile on my face.

  I called Calico as soon as I reached my truck. “Okay, it looks like I have a new tenant. When would you like to move in?” I asked as soon as he answered, pretending to be a landlord.

  Calico played along. “When will the place be ready?”

  “Immediately,” I responded, wanting him to come right away.

  Calico laughed at my eagerness.

  I figured, since we’d touched the money subject, this would be a good time to talk about exactly what type of business Calico had. Deep inside I already knew the deal, but I wanted to see just how he would carry it. I wanted to know if he was gonna be up front with me or keep playing the “I’m-a-businessman” game.

  “Do you remember the first time you saw me?”

  “Of course, I do,” he answered confidently.

  I knew he thought I was referring to the bar, so I figured I would use this as an opportunity to get a little deeper in his pockets. “I bet you don’t.”

  “I’m a gambling man, so I’m game. Set your wager.” C
alico was enthusiastic about our little competition.

  “Okay. If you win, I’ll give one sexual pleasure of my choice. If I win, you have to take me to Potomac Mills Outlet for a day of shopping.” I said, laying down the rules.

  “That’s cool with me. I just hope you can keep up your end of the bargain,” Calico said as though he knew he was going to win the bet.

  “Okay, so what’s the answer?”

  “It was a Friday,” Calico began to say very carefully. “The day I saw you at the bar with Touch.”

  “Wrong!” I said right away, interrupting him. “So when are we going shopping?”

  “Damn, you ain’t even let me finish.”

  “No need, hon. You are wrong. Now the answer to my question, please.”

  “As soon as I get there,” Calico responded, no longer putting up a fight.

  “Okay, and I’m holding you to this too.”

  “No problem.”

  “Why you so quick to give money up?” I asked, directing the conversation to where I really wanted it to go.

  “What make you say that?”

  “Well, you took me shopping on our first date. You sent me three grand like it was nothing, and now you just agreed to take me shopping again with no problem. The average dude ain’t coming off no money like that, especially with a chick he’s only known for a couple of days.”

  Calico gave the safest answer he could, but that wasn’t gonna stop me from finding out what I wanted to know. “I feel like I’ve known you for years.”

  “I’m sure, but that doesn’t answer my question. I’ve noticed you’re pretty good at avoiding subjects that you rather not talk about, but in order for this thing we have to go any further, I have to know exactly who I am dealing with.”

  I heard him chuckle on the other end of the phone. “I like you, Jewel, but there are things that I can’t tell you. Not yet anyway. I am good at dodging bullets and questions. It comes with the territory. I do this for a reason, and I shouldn’t have to defend that at all.”

  I listened as Calico talked. I heard what he was selling, but I wasn’t sure if I was buying. Calico had so much game, it was almost impossible to tell when he was lying from when he was being sincere.

  “When you’re in my position, it puts even the ones you care about at risk. That’s why I do my business on the East Coast. When I was working in the area where I lay my head, at shit got too hot. I’m constantly worrying about the safety of my kids and their mothers as well as the rest of my family. Withholding shit from friends and relatives in my line of business keeps niggas breathing for at least another day.”

  I wondered what type of girl he figured I was. “So what are you saying, Calico?”

  “You ain’t ready for all the shit that goes down in my line of work. You ain’t no ‘ride-or-die’ chick. You ain’t that chick that can sit through interrogation and not rat. You’re not that chick that can go deliver a package or hold shit down if I get locked up. I mean, would you even know how to bail a nigga out?”

  Calico’s words cut me deep. If any other nigga would have said this to me, they would have certainly found themselves alone, but his words, however harsh, were true.

  Although I had a gold-digger’s eye and could easily categorize a man based on his wealth, I had never been “a gangster’s girl.” Frankly, because dope-boy money had never been long enough for a bitch like me, but I wasn’t gon’ let this nigga know that. Something about Calico was different from those cats, particularly because he was the nigga giving out the orders and not taking them. But, besides that, I think I was really starting to like him.

  I didn’t want him to know that his words affected me in the least, so I did what any bitch would. I put on a front.

  “You’ve just proven I am good at what I do. Don’t let the image fool you. That’s why I’m never suspect, because even though I know the game inside and out, I look like ‘miss corporate America,’” I lied.

  “That’s hard to believe, but I’m not the one to call anybody a liar. Trust me, time will tell.”

  “It sure will.”

  “It’s more to it than just standing by your man side though. You gotta always be on point. You can’t be distracted by any nigga that pass you in a shopping center in a drop-top Benz. I bet you know how many karats were in my ear,” Calico said, proving he did know the first time he saw me.

  “You tricked me!” I yelled, shocked that he really remembered that first glance.

  “No, I didn’t. You cut me off. You were too eager. You moved too fast. That could fuck you up in the game. But a real ride-or-die chick would know that, right?” Calico tried to make a point.

  “Whatever! Finish what you were saying.”

  “All I got a chance to say is, it was a Friday, the day I saw you at the bar. If you would have let me finished, I would have continued by saying, you passed me as you chatted away on your cell phone going downtown, probably on your way to the nail shop.”

  “And how do you know I was on my way to the nail shop?”

  “Observation, another skill that comes with the territory.”

  “Okay, okay! Maybe I’m not ‘married to the game,’ but I can be that chick by your side, and I’m not afraid to prove it.”

  “Action speaks louder than words. Don’t talk about it, be about it.”

  On that note I was ready to end the call. “Enough said.”

  Chapter 6

  “Juggling Chicks”

  Touch

  Damn, I ain’t even trying to see this bitch, I thought as I rounded the corner, heading toward my crib. I had been chilling at Ciara’s crib for the last week and a half, so I wouldn’t have to kill a bitch, but since I had run out of clothes, I had to come back. Although I thought it was gonna be hell staying with Ciara, shit turned out all right. We had a few arguments, but all in all, it was cool being around my girls. For a split second, I actually thought about really getting back with her, but that shit flew out the window as soon as it entered my mind.

  “Yes, sir!” I said to myself as I put the car in park and jumped out.

  The house was empty. Everything was in the same order that it was left that night I fought with ol’ girl. Tired of her constant bullshit, I packed her shit and told her to come through for it. She was trying to act different on the phone, being all calm and cute, telling me that she’ll be by in twenty minutes. While I waited, I tried to straighten up.

  When she got to the house, she pleaded with me to forgive her, but like I said once before, I don’t go back. She finally realized my mindset when she found her stuff in two plastic garbage bags. I told her that I had something to do, so we needed to make this quick.

  She flipped out. “Where you in a rush to? You still running after your baby momma, huh? Well, she can have your sorry ass then!”

  “Bitch, whatever,” I said. Truth be told, this was a good move for me. I never even clicked with her like that anyway.

  “I was a good fucking girl to you,” she yelled as she was reaching for her car door.

  “Nah, what you lost was a good man. What’s sad, you don’t know shit about me.” Me and ol’ girl were together for a good minute now. You would think she would know how I flex and that I wouldn’t even roll with my baby mother like that. This bitch ain’t even know my drink! I thought about what Jewel said and decided to put her to the test.

  “What color are my eyes?”

  “What? What kind of fucking question is that?”

  I gave her another chance to answer. “What color are my eyes?”

  I faintly heard, “I don’t fucking know,” and she got in the car and then quickly sped off.

  Exactly! Eat dust, bitch. I looked at her from my door, confident that I’d made the right decision. I took her two garbage bags full of stuff to the curb and then went back into the house.

  After about an hour of flipping TV channels, I realized I hadn’t talked to my road dawg in a while, so I pulled out my cell phone to hit Jewel up.


  “I was just about to call you,” Jewel said as soon as she picked up.

  “Oh yeah? So what was stopping you?”

  “Whatever! Where the fuck you been? Boo’d up somewhere?” Jewel snapped.

  “Chill out, man. I been at my baby mother crib.”

  “Ah shit now! You been doing the family thing. I’m cool with that. I told you, you need to get back with that girl anyway.”

  “I don’t know about that shit. I can’t lie, shit was cool when I was there. She made sure a nigga ate. I had my fat rats around me all the time. I had to admit, that shit was a’ight.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear that. I just want you to find you someone and settle down. You’re a good guy, and you deserve a good girl.”

  “You know I ain’t even that nigga that got a bunch of bitches. I do my thang, but I don’t mind having a steady bitch. You know me, I do the relationship thing,” I told her.

  “Yeah, I know, but you just be picking the wrong damn chicks.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I wasn’t trying to hear that shit Jewel was talking. “I’m gonna need you to take me to the airport next week. I’m going to the A.”

  “Okay, I got you. But, anyway, on to me, I talked to your boy today.”

  “Yeah? What that nigga talking ’bout?”

  “Well, I think I really like him. He sent me three grand today,” Jewel said full of excitement.

  Oh shit. This nigga ’bout to pull one on Jewel, I said to myself. I knew exactly how Calico moved. He was known for running game on bitches and giving them money and gifts and shit to win them over then convincing them to let him chill at their crib, and the next thing you know, he doing work out their crib and have them doing runs for him. But I was hoping that Jewel was smarter than that.

  “So what’s three grand, Jewel? That ain’t no money, and you for one should know that,” I said, wondering if my homegirl was slipping.

  “I know that, Touch. Of course, I’ve gotten much more than that from dudes, but the difference is, I ain’t even known him that long, and I ain’t put in no work. This nigga took me shopping and sent me three grand in this little bit of time. Plus, this is dope boy money, not entertainer or athlete money that I’m normally dealing with.”