by LadyJ
Moe got out of the casual clothes she had on for Meek’s court hearing and sat down on her bed to think for a while before she made a move. She took the ten thousand dollars she had folded and stuffed in her bra out, and shoved inside one of the pillow cases on the bed. She laid back and just reminisced about how she and Meek would lay around in bed all day getting high and cracking jokes as they watched the game on the weekends. Those were some of the best times they’d shared together. She softly whimpered as she hugged her pillows tightly. After a while of letting it all out, Moe sat up on the bed and reached for the half brick of powered cocaine. She opened up the closet door and pulled out Meek’s scale. She began to weigh and separate the powder into small glass tubes. She carefully placed each filled tube into a small MK purse and got dressed. Moe put on her jeans, t-shirt, a hoodie, and sneakers and pull one of Meek’s fitted caps over her long ponytail. Before she left her bedroom, she opened up her draw and grabbed the little chrome .22 Meek had brought just for her. She threw the strap of her MK purse over her shoulder and was on her way to claim her post for the night.
Arriving in the Fountain Heights projects just after night fell; she parked her car at a nearby convenience store and hopped out. As she made her way up into the hood she by passed all kind of men whispering at her trying to run game. Moe had already heard every sad pick up line before and every guy around there knew that she belonged to Meek. She ignored them while looking for a spot to post up on the corner. Moe found the perfect spot. She kicked back and waited for the fiends to start walking around like zombies searching for a hit. She spotted a fiend coming her way so she slowly slid her small .22 out of her bag, and put it in the front pocket of her hoodie sweatshirt and flipped the hood over her head.
“Yo, my man what you looking for.” She said as the fiend got closer to her. “I got that good pure shit for you. The best and the city.” Moe reached into her MK bag and pulled out one single vile of dope and dangled it in front of the man’s face. She snatched it back when the fiend tried to reach for it. “You trying to cop or what?” She asked.
“How much?” The dirty fiend began to dig around in the dingy slacks he was wearing.
“A hunnid.” She stated. He pulled the wrinkled up bills out of his pocket and slapped them in the palm of her hand. Moe quickly counted the money up then slid him the vial of dope. She stopped everyone who appeared to be a crackhead on the strip.
She had the best positon on the block; every fiend had to walk past her in order to get to the lil niggas on the other end of the street. Moe played her position well into the night. She checked her phone for the time periodically to see just how long she had been out there. Her cell rang and it was Roshel. “Hey boo. What’s going on?” She answered as she took off walking down the block to the corner store to get herself something to drink.
“Haven’t seen you all day. How was court? Did they let him go?” Ro asked.
“Hell no girl. I can’t even lie Ro, I’ve been tripping out all day long. I miss him so much. I gotta get him home.” She whined while entering the store. On the inside, the thuggish looking fellow at the counter shot her a cold glare as she surfed the coolers for her favorite can of soda. “Da fuck is this lame ass clown looking at?” She said once she noticed the unwanted attention she was receiving.
“Who that, Moe?” Ro, asked being nosey as always.
“I don’t know this clown. Some nigga in to the store,” she replied.
“What store are you at?”
“At a corner store in Fountain Heights.”
“What the hell? What are you doing out there in the projects at this time a night, Moe?” Roshel asked as if she was Moenisha’s mother. “You know them fools crazy out there, girl?”
“Look, I didn’t give a fuck about these people. I’m out here grinding trying to get this money up to get my boo out. I got a few more plays to make to get rid of what I got left, then I’m done for tonight. I’ll be back tomorrow though. Hell, and the next day, and the next day after that until I get what I need.” Moe explained.
“And how much is that?” Roshel inquired.
“Two hundred and fifty g’s Ro.” She paused and paid the clerk for her soda and headed out the door and back to her post on the block.
“Two hundred and fifty grand, Moe? Are you serious? That’s a lot of damn money. How the hell you gone make that by yourself?” Roshel asked.
“I’m not doing it alone. Nino and Trent got my back, they just not out here with me right now,” she said as she reached her spot on the corner.
“Well, come get me. I can watch your back.” Roshel said as if she could protect Moe from harm.
“And what you gon’ do, silly?” She shared a laugh with her friend.
“Hell, I don’t know. Roll over their asses with my chair.” Roshel joked and Moe giggled into the phone. She smiled widely as the image of Roshel trampling someone with her wheelchair surfaced in her head. All of a sudden Moe felt the sharp tip of a knife on the back of her neck and became very quiet. “Moe, are you there?” Roshel asked.
“Hang up the phone.” The mystery man standing behind her whispered into her ear.
“Umm, Ro, I’ma hit you right back.” She ended her call and slid her cell inside the pocket of her hoodie. She put her hand on her gun and waited to see what he had to say to her. “Yo, what’s good? What’s this all about?” she asked as she remained still.
“I been watching you catching plays on my block all day. I know you got yourself a stupid knot of money by now. Give it up, bitch!” She felt his warm breath mixed with a sprinkle of spit on the back of her neck. “Now! Hurry up!” He demanded.
“Okay, okay, just chill, I got you.” Moe said slowly.
She swiftly pulled her gun, turned, and placed it to the temple of his head, making the knife fall to the ground. “Oh, you again?” she said, noticing it was the same guy mugging her in the store. “Fuck nigga this my block. You ain’t heard? Moenisha and Meek run all this shit.” She cocked back and put her finger on the trigger. “Now you give it up, bitch!” She held out her other hand and collected the cash the guy had in his pocket. “This all you got?” she asked once he handed her the thirty dollars he had. “You need to be ashamed of your damn self. Now move something or get moved, nigga.” She held her gun on him while he slowly backed away.
Moe held no fear as she fled the projects that night. She had handled herself like a boss and she knew Meek would’ve been proud.
Twelve
Her heart pounded on the inside of her chest and the tears swelled up in the corners of her eyes. She ran to the top of the stairs and opened up her arms to receive the best gift of all. Meek was finally being released and Moe couldn’t hide her excitement as she squeezed her man tightly. Her emotions were all over the place. Meek scooped her up off of her feet and carried her down the stairs. He was just as happy to see her as she was to see him. He placed her down on her feet then leaned over and kissed her softly.
“I missed you, baby,” she said, staring up into his eyes. She gently rubbed the side of his face with the back of her hand.
“I missed you too, love,” Meek said sweetly.
“I’ve been waiting out here all morning for them to release you.” It was two weeks after Meek’s bail hearing. Trent, Nino and Moe had put in some long hours to come up with the bond money they needed to get him out. “I’m so happy to see you.” Moe jumped up in his arms again and laid her head on his shoulder. She silently cried as she thought about how rough the last few weeks without him had been and he still had the fifteen years hanging over his head. “I got something for you.” She leaped from his arms and winked her eye as she climbed into the front seat of the car. “Get in.”
Meek walked around the car and hopped in the driver’s seat. Moe started the car, turned the AC on, and rolled the tinted windows up. She rubbed her hand down Meek’s chest. He was wearing the same black t-shirt and jean shorts from the last time she had seen him. “Let’s go home, baby.”
Meek pulled away from the police station and almost ran the red light as Moe played with his dick though the hole in his shorts. She pulled it out, licked her thick juicy lips, and then wrapped them around the head of his penis. Meek moaned as he tried to keep his eyes on the road ahead. Moe sucked the hell out of Meek and he came before they could even reach the house.
“I see you must have really missed a nigg,.” Meek said while trying to readjust his pants.
“Damn right I did.” Moe flipped down the sun visor, checked her hair, and applied some more lip gloss to her lips.
Meek swooped up on his block and could see the cars lining the side of the street in front of their building. “Ohhh shit! The whole crew here.” He pulled up and hopped out, excited to see everyone.
“WELCOME HOME!” They all yelled when Meek and Moe entered their home.
Roshel and Carmen had decorated the place nicely for Meek’s homecoming. Trent and Nino both stood to their feet to salute Meek as he walked in.
“My nigga,” Trent handled him a bottle of peach Croc, “welcome home, my boy.”
“Aye! Roll that shit up.” Nino chimed in tossing a fat bag of bud and pack of cigars to Carman on the other side of the room.
“Yeah, roll up and let a nigga hit that shit. This may be the last time before I sign myself into rehab.” Meek said.
“REHAB?” They all stopped what they were doing in looked at Meek for an answer.
“Yes, rehab. I have to have some kind of defense. I told them mother fuckers I was a user and that shit was for my personal use only,” he explained.
“You think they gone believe that?” Roshel asked.
“Hell, I don’t know, sis. All I can do is throw it to the wall and hope that it sticks. They still might jam me up but my lawyer thinks it’s worth a try.” He said and they all resumed with what they were doing.
“Bae, why don’t you go get changed and I’ll fix your plate.” Moe said.
Meek stepped into his bed room to see Moe had everything all laid out on the bed for him. She had a fresh pair of kicks, and a nice new outfit laying on the bed along with his icy watch and necklace. She even had him a fresh pair of boxers and socks folded up beside his clothes. “Look at my baby.” Meek smiled as he picked the shoes up from the floor and examined them. “She know she got a nigga back.” He quickly got dressed and returned to the party to kick it with is crew. When he returned to the gathering Moe had his plate fixed, and siting on the table. “You cooked all this bae?” Meek asked taking a seat. The collard greens, yams, mac-n-cheese and homemade dressing smelled delicious and he couldn’t wait to dig in.
“Carmen and Ro helped.” Moe said. “Enjoy.” She sat across from him and watched him as he ate. It was like she was afraid to take her eyes off of him as if he would disappear.
“Yo, Moe, get over here. You need to hear this.” Nino yelled over to her at the dinner table, and she hurried over to join them all crowded around the coffee table.
Trent was setting out a plan for them to shake back and recover from the big loss they had taken getting Meek out of jail. He assigned each of them a block and Carmen had agreed to work their spot since it seem to be slower than being out on the block hustling. They had it all together. “Now look,” Trent pulled two keys from a duffle he had underneath the table, “this is all we have left. We gone split this up in 4s, grind it out then me and Nino gone shoot back down there and grab some more. But we gone be depending on this money for the re-up. So Ima’ need y’all to be careful out there. Moe, we defiantly don’t want another episode like you had last week, so watch yourself.” Trent finished and began to divide the dope into 4s.
“What y’all over her discussing.” Meek asked, joining them at the coffee table. “And what happened last week?”
Moe looked at him, scared to say anything about her nearly being robbed on the block in which he never knew she was on.
“Moe, you didn’t tell him?” Trent said looking at Moe.
“Ooohhh.” Nino said.
“So ain’t nobody gon tell me what’s going on?” Meek asked standing over them.
“Bae, I been working the blocks for the past two weeks.” She twisted her face up, closed her eyes, and waited for him to go in on her.
“Moe, don’t tell me that. You know how I feel about you being out there like that.” He turned around and faced his little brother. “And y’all let her do the shit. Fuck wrong with y’all?” He snapped.
“Man you know how yo girl is. We couldn’t stop her if we tried, bro.” Nino replied.
“Come on Meek, don’t trip.” Trent said. “She did a good job out there. Hell, if it wasn’t for her busting up the block, you would’ve sat in that bitch for another week or so. We needed her. You needed her.” He explained.
Meek looked down on at Moe with a disappointed expression on his face.
“Baby, please don’t be mad at me. I used to help you all the time back in the day,” she said.
“Yeah, that was back in the day, Moe. Why you think I stopped you from hanging out on the block with me?” He asked then answered his own question. “I did that to protect you. I can’t have you out there taking chances like that. I’m already facing fifteen, and if something happens to you, a nigga a lose it round this bitch.” He turned around and looked at Trent. “Moe out. I’ll take her post.” He sat down and pulled up a chair. “What y’all need me to do?”
“Not shit!” Moe answered.
“Meek, we just need you to sit back and chill and let us get this money.” Trent rubbed his fingers together as if he had a hand full of dollar bills. “You just got home, and with the time you facing you know the folks will be keeping a close eye on you until trial. You really want to get into some more shit right now? We don’t need you taking any more chances.”
“FUCK!” Meek shouted. “Man, pass me the L.” Was his only reply because he knew they were right. He sat back in his chair and remained quiet while he listened to them finish up their little meeting. When they had it all figured out, Moe escorted everyone to the door, then returned to the living room and flopped down in Meek’s lap. She tried to give him a kiss but he stubbornly turned his head away.
“So you mad?” she asked, grabbing his chin and making him face her again.
“Moe, don’t play with me. You know I’m pissed,” he said. “You know damn well you don’t need to be out there, and if Trent’s ass had any sense he wouldn’t want his baby mama out there fucking around in the trap.”
“Why not, baby? What’s the big deal Meek? It ain’t like I never done it before,” Moe said.
“That’s not the point, baby, and you know it. We got all kind of beef out here, and the last thing I need is for you and Carmen to get wrapped up in it.” He removed her from his lap and stormed off to the bedroom. He laid down on the bed and Moe followed him and jumped right in bed next to him. She rolled herself up on top of his chest and looked him in his eyes.
“I love you, Dameeko Brown.” She smiled and kissed him gently on his lips.
“I love yo ass too, Moe. That’s exactly why I don’t want your ass out there on no fucking block. Then in the projects?” He was so upset he couldn’t even complete his statement.
“Baby, I am only doing this for you and me.” Moe rolled off of him and opened up the nightstand draw. She pulled out the five thousand dollars she had stuffed away. She figured he would need to have some money in his pocket when he came home. “Here,” She held the money out and gave it him, “this is all we have left.” She said reclaiming her spot on his chest. “Then what we gon do? Remember? If we don’t hustle we don’t eat.” She stated.
“Let me figure that out. If I need you, I’ll let you know. But you not going out there and that’s that.” He said sternly.
“But…” Moe started.
“But nothing Moenisha!” Meek shouted.
“Meek, just calm down and listen to me.” She locked eyes with home. “We have five thousand dollars and a half a key o
f coke to our names. We ain’t never been down this bad. There’s bills that still has to be paid around here and we gotta eat. This shit don’t stop just because we slipped up. I have to get us up out of this hole; you have to let me help you baby. We’re a team. Whatever you lack, I’ll make up. We are in this together. And if all fails, I’ll just go out and get a job.”
“A job?” Doing what Moe?” Meek asked. Moe had never had a job a day in her life.
“I don’t know bae. I’ll figure that out when the time comes.”
Thirteen
“This is where you’ll be. The clients must receive a scalp examination prior to shampooing.” The Head stylist showed Moe around her new work space. She had walked past the shop and seen the help wanted sign in the front window a week ago and applied for the Shampoo Tech position they had available. They were down to the last of their money, and the money she had made off the half of key, all belonged to Trent and it was almost the end of the month so she knew she had to do something. Meek was her king and as his Queen she felt the need to protect him anyway she could. She couldn’t have her man getting into any more trouble before he even stared his trial.
“Are you familiar with this kind of work?” The stylist asked.
“Yes.” Moe lied with a straight face. She figured it shouldn’t be so hard to shampoo a couple of heads. What could possibly go wrong? She thought. She tied her smock around her neck and waist and got to work. By the end of the day, Moe had managed to break two nails and her feet were aching to the bones. She walked inside of her home and stripped her clothes off at the bathroom door.
“Moe!” Meek yelled from the bedroom.