by Ca$H
Rah couldn’t help but smile when he looked at Kayundra. It was truly amazing how much better she was looking now that she was no longer using drugs. She had wanted to give them up months ago but couldn’t find the motivation. It was not until she saw the horrified look on Rah’s face the day she accosted him, begging to trick off with him for ten dollars, did she decide to do a three-sixty.
“Oh, she claiming to be off of drugs?” CJ had asked skeptically the other day.
“Yeah, but she admits to slippin’ back once,” Rah said.
“C’mon, fam, I know you ain’t buying that lie. Fiends can’t just quit like that!” he’d said, snapping his finger for emphasis. “One of those bullets must’ve hit your head, yo. But if you like it, I love it. Word.”
“All I’m saying is that I wanna believe her, and I will until I see otherwise. Look at her, dawg, she’s been by my side damn near 24/7. She’s getting her weight back and that sparkle I used to see in her eyes.” Rah defended her, but CJ wasn’t buying it.
“That sparkle you see is that flame she put to that rock when she’s cluckin’.” CJ couldn’t stop himself from cracking.
As Rah studied Kayundra now he really believed that she was going to be all right. Tomorrow she was checking herself into drug rehab. She wanted to go through the ninety day program to further her chances of avoiding a relapse.
While Rah saw so much in Kayundra, such as love, hope, and a sweet disposition, CJ viewed her as a crack fiend. He was grillin’ her like mad. This bitch frontin’, she’s still a clucker. CJ told himself.
Unabe to stomach Kayundra any longer, CJ asked Rah to take a ride with him. “I need to holla about some graveyard-serious shit,” he emphasized without letting the others overhear him.
“A’ight.”
CJ recounted the shit that happened with Cujo to Rah as they rode around chopping it up. He didn’t leave out a single detail; he knew that Rah would never betray him by repeating what they discussed to anyone.
“So they was just testing ya gangsta, huh?” asked Rah once CJ concluded the story.
“Yep. That’s why I always say, snitches got found dead, real niggaz get blessed.”
“What kinda deal you got with them?”
“They hit me with work on consignment, as much as I can handle at fifteen a bird, protect me from arrest, smash all serious competition, and eliminate anybody I got beef with.”
“That’s wild, yo. Those muhfuckaz can get away with it too; they got a license to kill.”
“Yep, it’s called a badge,” understood CJ.
“What about the feds? How Cujo get around them?”
“Shit, fam, one of the niggaz that snatched me up is feds. You know Cujo ain’t really the HCIC, so I figure that one of those high-ranking fed boys is the shot caller and Cujo is just his mouthpiece, nah mean?” speculated CJ as they continued to cruise the city.
“Where they get all the yayo from? You know?”
“Dig. Say they knocked a nigga with a lot of them joints, or even somebody with a boat full. The shit remains on lock as evidence until after the trial, then the feds are supposed to destroy it, but guess what?”
“They don’t. They put that shit back out on the street through you, and whoever else they’re fuckin’ with like that.”
“Yep. And they jack niggaz for their shit and turn it over to me, no arrest or nothing. Nigga just got his whole trap took.”
“Dayum! The muhfuckin’ feds is the real cartel,” said Rah. “Cujo told y’all this shit?”
“Yeah, after the two dudes that sntached me up left, Cujo drove me back home in a limo tinted SUV so that niggaz couldn’t see inside. He broke it all down to me so that I would feel confident that shit is gravy. Of course, he didn’t give me any names, and his is the only face I saw,” explained CJ.
“So what you gon’ do? You gon’ fuck with ’em?”
“I already did, otherwise I probably wouldn’t be here, nah mean? I got thirty of them joints at a stash spot now. I’m just lining up clientele before I move ’em. I told you all this for two reasons, fam. Number one, you can stop fuckin’ with the hustle in ATL and concentrate on school. I’m straight now, so I got you. Number two, if Cujo cross me, I want you to promise me that you’ll ride for your boy. Don’t let that cracker do a nigga dirty and live to laugh about it,” said CJ.
Even though he’d be vowing to murk a cop, Rah didn’t even have to think about it.
“Word, on all that I love…if something suspicious happens to you, Cujo gon’ get it,” promised Rah, and they touched fists. “On that other thing, son, you know a real nigga ain’t gon’ let his man take care of him like that. I know it’s all love, but a man has to get his own, ya feel me?” Rah tried to explain.
“Naw. I can’t feel you, but I know that we’re both cut from the same cloth and when we feel a certain way about something can’t nobody change our mind, so I’ma let you have that. At least let me help you get another whip though,” offered CJ.
“Fam, I’m good. The insurance company has a check waiting on me. I’ll get it as soon as I get back to ATL. Plus, I got about twenty stacks on stash.”
“A’ight. When you leaving?”
“In two days. I’ma fly back. But yo, if shit gets ugly up here I’m just a phone call away,” said Rah.
“What’s understood don’t have to be said, yo.”
Kayundra and Rah were chillin’ at a motel.
“You should get serious about your music, you have a gift that can take you far away from here,” Rah said.
“I wouldn’t want it to take me far away from you though,” she replied honestly.
“Ma, our friendship knows no distance limitations. I’ll never forget how you’ve been by my side through all of this, and I’ll always return the love.”
“Raheem, I was by your side because deep down I never stopped loving you. Tell me something, do you think that we can possibly be more than friends again one day?” Kayundra asked, sitting across from him on the bed.
Rah thought before he spoke, choosing his words carefully. He didn’t want to smash her hope nor did he want to mislead her, which is why he had been hesitant to get a room with her when Kayundra suggested that they do so. She wanted them to spend some time alone before she went into rehab and he returned to school.
“Let’s just take one day at a time and not make each other any promises. Right now, I just wanna see you remain on your square shorty, for yaself,” said Rah.
“Okay. I’m good with that. But if I can’t ever have you again I won’t have anything to live for.”
Rah took Kayundra’s hands into his and looked her in the eyes. He saw in her eyes that her words were not idle talk, and that bothered him. He kissed her hands and spoke gently.
“Don’t say things like that, baby girl, or you’ll start to believe them. No matter what ever happens, the only reason you ever need to live is for yourself. That alone is reason enough, because at the end of the day no one else should be in control of your happiness.”
“I know, but I want us to be in love again so bad. Like when we were in seventh grade and I gave you my virginity,” Kayundra reminisced. “I gave you mine too,” Rah laughed at the shared memory.
Kayundra took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then she slowly let it out. “Raheem, could we do it all over again? I mean tonight, will you make love to me?”
He told her that he didn’t think that was the best thing for her. “You don’t need all those emotions messing with your head right now. Just get well, ma. What’s meant to be will be.” His words brought tears from her eyes.
“You see me as a crack ho, don’t you?”
“Of course, not. I see you as the beautiful girl that I know you to be. But you have to see yourself that way,” Rah spoke with wisdom beyond his years.
“I’m trying to. But your love means so much to me. That night after I approached you, and realized who you were, and saw the way you looked at me…disgusted by how bad I had le
t myself fall, I ran straight to the crack house up the street. But I didn’t ask anyone there for a hit. I asked them for a mirror. The dude who runs the house thought that I wanted a mirror to snort coke off of. But I wanted to see what you saw. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that I truly had become a crack monster. I smashed the mirror against the wall and ran out of there crying. I knew that I had to leave that shit alone. I looked like something out of Tales from the Crypt. So Raheem, I know what you saw that night, and you probably can’t get that vision out of your mind,” she sobbed.
Rah took her into his arms and rocked her; kissed her tears away, and told her that she was wrong. The vision he had of her in his mind was of her on stage singing a top R&B hit song of hers. It was a prophecy that would come true down the road. But it would come at a price to both of them.
The next day Rah and Kayundra’s mother drove Kayundra to Trenton where a new drug rehab in-house facility had recently opened its doors. The program in which Kayundra was entering was voluntary and the facility didn’t have barred windows or locked fences around the perimeter like a prison.
Kayundra said a tearful goodbye to her mother and Rah before walking into the facility, but her tears were of hope not pain.
The following day Rah’s plane departed for ATL, he was returning to school; once again leaving The Bricks. A visit home had almost cost him his life, reminding him how blessed he was to have the opportunity to get out of the hood. However, everyone that he loved still remained in The Bricks, so his heart was still there. And that hood mentality still existed inside of him, in spite of his academic intelligence. That much was obvious even to Rah himself, because calling his connect and getting hit off with some pounds of weed and some E was one of the first things he planned to do when he touched down in ATL.
“Is everything okay?” asked the airline attendant perfunctorily.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” replied Rah as he pulled out the stationary that he had brought along, then let down the tray flap in the back of the seat in front of him, and used it as a desk.
Dear Sparkle,
As I write this letter I’m on a flight back to ATL. I’m looking forward to returning to school, though many of the students will have gone home for the summer. I’m still in the air and already I miss you. I guess you spoiled me with your daily presence while I recovered. I can’t thank you enough, ma, for the love you showed me. Truly, you epitomize compassion. I want to reiterate that our friendship means a lot to me. Like you said your Mom Dukes told you, don’t put too much into titles, it is what’s in our hearts that matter more. I hope that by the time this letter reaches you, you will be adjusting well to the program and all that it entails. Remember why you went into the program: for yourself. Not for me or anyone else. You’re doing it for YOU! Every night when I look up at the sky and see the “sparkle” of the stars, I will know that it is you winking at me, sending me the message that you’re doing just fine. Stay strong.
Love, Raheem.
EIGHT
CJ pulled up on the block in the midnight blue Expedition. The big chrome rims were sparkling almost as bright as the jewels CJ was rockin’ when he hopped down out of his brand new whip. The forty-two inch platinum chain hung down to just above his waist, the icy Jesus piece that was the size of a tea cup saucer swung from the end of it. Dime-sized diamond earrings adorned both ears, and a Cartier with ice told him that it was two o’clock in the afternoon.
“Sup, fam?” he said to each member of his squad, dapping them one by one, beginning with his lil brother Eric who had pleaded his way on the team. Next, CJ dapped Kareem and Snoop, the two dudes who had hustled from his spot when he was in jail charged with the four bodies.
“What it do, my dude?” replied Kareem.
“I’m good. Sup, Snoop?” said CJ.
“Getting stack.”
“That’s what’s up. How you living Premo?” CJ asked a kid who lived on the top floor of his old building. He had put Premo on the team a week ago because he knew the kid was ambitious.
“I’m lovely, black,” replied Premo.
Lastly, CJ dapped Guru, a dude who’d been hustling the block for years but couldn’t seem to elevate his hustle. Guru was thirty-five and was still slangin’ rocks until CJ made him crew chief of his squad.
“Sup, Unc?” CJ asked Guru.
“Everything is quiet. You know the haters can’t stand to see us with the entire block on lock, but after that shit last week, they know to fall back.”
“They better know,” replied CJ with cockiness, recalling the incident that Guru was referring to.
“Those kids that pump outta that spot two buildings down catching beef with us ’cause their money is starting to come in slow. We got size and prices they can’t match, yo,” Guru reported to CJ.
“It’s serious like that?” asked CJ
“Yeah, I heard that they’re plotting.”
“Word? A’ight, they plottin’ their demise!”
Before CJ sent the squad at the kids, he conferred with Cujo, who said, “Handle your business, I’ll clean it up.”
Eric, Kareem, and Premo caught the two kids who had been talking that rah rah shit and left them with their dicks in the dirt a day later. That next day the whole squad was back out on the block pumpin’ as if they didn’t have a worry in the world.
Only CJ knew that they were immune from arrest, but the whole projects knew who had bodied the kids. When niggaz saw that CJ’s squad had bodied the kids in broad daylight and weren’t in jail behind it, they had no choice but to fall back. Because a squad with immunity to murder is not to be fucked with.
“They know we ain’t playin’,” said Guru, who himself wondered how CJ had gained so much power all of a sudden. But he knew better than to ask.
“Yo, I’ma hit you with ten birds in a minute. I need you to meet Rob Nice at the joint on Central Ave. where we hit him up last time. He gone have a hundred fifty stacks for you, tell him to have my other fifty in two days. Take Greg, Eric, and Snoop with you,” CJ instructed Guru.
“A’ight.”
CJ’s cell chirped.
“Hey, ma, sup?”
“I found a condo way out in West Orange, you want to come look at it?” asked Tamika, who was crib hunting so that they could move out the hood.
“Naw, if it’s what you like I’ma be good with it.”
“Okay, it’s twenty-five a month. Is that too much?”
“Naw, money ain’t a thang. I told you, ma, anything you want. And I’ma let you lace that bitch, a’ight?”
“I can’t wait! Ooh, I am so excited. I love you, CJ,” said Tamika.
“Love you too, shorty.”
CJ ended the call and addressed his squad for a minute before bouncing.
Later he dropped the ten birds to Guru, and Guru and ’em handled the business with Rob Nice with no problem. Now CJ had the one hundred-fifty stacks spread out all over Tamika’s bed, and Tamika was butt naked lying on top of the guap. CJ stood in his boxers watching her masturbate as Lyfe Jennings played in the background.
Tamika stroked her pussy nice and slow, locking eyes with her man as she did so. “Umm! You like to watch me play in my pussy? Ooh, I’m getting so wet for you, baby,” she moaned, sliding two fingers inside of her honey walls.
CJ dropped his boxers and stroked his dick.
“Yeah, daddy, get that dick rock hard for your boo. Yes, daddy, yes, stroke that long, thick muthafucka. I’m rubbing my clit for you, boo, thinking about sucking your dick and drinking your cum. You know I love to drink your cream, daddy.” Tamika moaned as she rubbed her clit. She was driving CJ crazy, his dick was so hard it felt like a pistol.
“CJ, I’m about to cum. Ooh…oh…oooh…oh…ooh wee…ohhh!” she cried out as she made her pussy melt. Then she stuck her fingers into her mouth and tasted her sweet nectar.
CJ wanted a taste, too. He crawled between her thighs, head first, and licked up the honey that now ran down them. He licked his way up to her puss
y, softly sucking on the lips as he spread them wide open.
“Oh yes, baby,” moaned Tamika.
CJ continued to alternate from one side to the other as Tamika gripped his head and gently began to grind. He pushed his tongue deep inside of her and Tamika’s back arched in a C. When she felt his lips wrap around her swollen clit she screamed out his name.
CJ took her where she wanted to go. It felt so damn good but she wanted the dick, and she wanted it now. “I want you to fuck me, daddy. I need to feel your dick inside me right now, don’t play,” she warned digging her nails into his back just hard enough to let him know not to fuckin’ tease her.
CJ was a fiend for the pussy, so he didn’t tease. He plunged in deep, started stroking slow, then increased his rhythm. Tamika was giving it back just as hard as she was receiving it. “Fuck this pussy! Beat it up! Fuck it, daddy! Fuck it hard!” she cried.
CJ banged in and out of the pussy until she cried out, “I’m coming, come with me, baby!” They both exploded and called out each others name. Cum and body sweat was all over the guap spreaded out on the bed. Bills were stuck to Tamika’s back and ass like pasties.
They laid naked side by side and smoked a blunt as Tamika described the condo to him. “Mama said she’s going to help me pick out the furniture,” she said. “I am so excited. I can’t wait to cook for you and wake up next to you every morning. CJ, you better not get me way out there and be creepin’ back down here giving my dick away. Trust, I’ma have my people watching that ass.”
“Shorty, hush. You ain’t got no peoples,” laughed CJ.
“You’re my peoples.”
“Yeah, ma, I’m ya peeps.”
“And him,” she said grabbing his dick.
“Ma, you’re crazy,” CJ chucked.
Tamika slid down and took him into her mouth. Within a minute CJ’s dick went from a boy to a man. Tamika slurped the lollipop until she was rewarded with its cream.