Hood Rich: The rise and fall of one of Brooklyn's Finest

by Corie Allen

  I rode up there on the Long Island Railroad and had about 45 minutes before the next train was heading back to the city. I looked up from the train stop to see if there was any stores. There was a strip mall and a gas station. I walked down to McDonald’s. I figured I’d catch a bite to eat and burn some time, killing two birds with one stone. Besides, I would have been bored to death sitting at the train stop, which consisted of a single bench and a billboard advertising mutual funds. I walked into the McDonald’s and stood in line. I focused on the same menu that I had seen in every other McDonald’s I’d ever been in.

  Out the corner of my eyes I had noticed a beautiful light caramel brown chick with a beautiful body. Just my cup of tea. She stood there doing the same thing I had just done: stare at the menu. My eyes started at the crown of her head. She had straight silky hair and beautiful almond shaped eyes. She had perfect D-cup breasts and a healthy round backside. Perfectly smooth skin and wide hips complemented a baby doll face. She was dressed fresh to death in a form fitting cream Lauren dress. Her feet donned a pair of brown soft leather moccasins. The only jewelry she wore was a pair of small diamond earrings and a braided fabric anklet. I stood in awe of her beauty. She definitely was not a city chick or a hood chick, because they had “hoods” in the suburbs too. She just appeared to be high siddity. Everything about her was right: the face, the body, the lay. She just had it going on. In fact, she made Shakita look like trash. As I stood there gawking at Mrs. Long Island I was interrupted.

  “Welcome to McDonald’s, can I take your order?”

  Iyani

  I felt eyes watching me as I stood there looking at the menu in McDonald’s. I stole a peek out the corner of my eyes. I was used to the attention though, and I did have on a fitted dress that was hugging my body. I guess I couldn’t be mad at him. The fact that he was cute helped too. He was shorter than me, maybe five foot six or so, compared to me being five foot nine. That wasn’t a problem obviously because I couldn’t resist his big round hazel puppy dog eyes. He was nicely built on top of that. I was just waiting for him to come at me.

  I ordered a fruit and yogurt parfait and stood beside him as he waited for his quarter pounder with cheese with no onions to be made. I watched his eyes dance across my curves until he spoke.

  “What up ma... you pretty as shit.”

  I smiled even though I wanted to frown at that lame ass line he just tried to use on me. Instead I simply sucked my teeth and shook my head.

  “Was that supposed to be a compliment?” I asked him.

  “Yeah.” He replied.

  “I mean... I never seen a piece of shit that was pretty, have you?”

  He was smiling at me.

  “You know what I mean, wit’ your sexy ass, what time you want me to call you tonight?”

  I blushed as I looked into his eyes. His comeback was good but I had to keep it sassy.

  “So now my ass is sexy, and who said I was giving you my phone number?”

  I wanted to make him sweat.

  “Aight, I’ll settle for your name first, and then we can work on the minor details like when we gone get together. My name is Rich, what’s yours?”

  I turned my eyes away from him and on to the cashier who was standing idle watching us.

  “My policy against talking to strangers is strict.” I said as I was hoping that he didn’t take that comment as rejection, because I did want to talk to him. “You know my name now ma’, so I’m not a stranger, I’m an acquaintance.”

  “I was just playing, my name is Iyani.” I said. “That’s a pretty name.” Rich replied.

  “Thank you, are you from around here?” I asked, hoping that he wasn’t.

  “No.” He responded.

  “Mineola?”

  “No.”

  “Good, where you from?” I was relieved, I hate locals. “Brooklyn.”

  “So what you doing out here?”

  “Waiting on my train.”

  “So what you going home to your girl?” I had to ask, I assumed that he would have one.

  “Home... yes, girl... no.”

  “So where you live in Brooklyn?”

  “Bushwick.” He responded.

  “You smoke?” I asked.

  “No doubt.”

  “Aight, we can blow while you wait for your train.” I didn’t believe I was doing this shit. I aint know dude from a can of paint, but here I was flirting, and about to let this dude jump in the whip, and about to smoke wit’ him. I guess I needed the company bad. I hadn’t been out the house since my dad got booked, and my best friend Vita wouldn’t be back from Cali for a day or two. We normally smoked together, but she had spent the summer with her dad on the west coast. I led the way out of the McDonald’s and hit the unlock button on my key fob. I was driving my dads brand new BMW 760Li. I noticed Rich stopped dead in his tracks looking the wheel up and down. We slid out the parking lot and down to the train stop. I parked facing the tracks. I went into my pocketbook to get my Dutchmaster and the rest of a jar of Hydro that I was smoking earlier. I opened the door and cracked the dutch. I put one of my legs out of the door and cracked the dutch. I let the tobacco from the dutch fall to the ground. My dress rode up and revealed more of my thighs. I felt Rich eyeballing my legs. I pulled my leg back in and closed the door. I rolled the Dutch and lit it with my Zippo. There was an uneasy silence as I took the first puff. After I took the second puff, I passed it to Rich. I looked into his eyes and thought to myself, damn I’m tripping. I’m sitting here smoking with this dude I Don’t even know, and I know how I get when I smoke.

  “So how old are you Rich?”

  “I’m seventeen, how old are you?” He said.

  I busted out in laughter. Partly out of shock, and partly because I felt silly. I was there smoking with this dude that was a couple of years younger than I was. He didn’t seem that young though.

  “Damn, you is a baby. I can work with that though. I’m nineteen, I got you by a couple.”

  Even though he was young, I decided I would still talk to him. He passed the dutch back to me and I took puffs.

  “Let me see your phone Rich.”

  Rich passed his phone to me and watched as I entered my number and called my phone. I did that so I would have his number too. Fair exchange... no robbery, I thought to myself. I passed him his phone back. I took a few puffs and passed the dutch back to Rich.

  The car was fogged with weed smoke, and both our minds were fogged with T-H-C. Rich passed the dutch back to me with his right have, and I grabbed it with my left. Rich reached over and placed his left hand on my thigh. I felt a warm sensation throughout my body. I put my right hand on top of his.

  “Don’t start nothing you cant finish!” I said to Rich as I felt myself getting hot. I made eye contact with him, but he paid my plea no attention. He slid his hand up my short fitted dress and found his way to my thong which he pulled to the side to enter my wet hole. I breathed deeply and licked my lips before I protested. “Damn boy... you getting me started...”

  I yearned for more, but I didn’t want to let go. It had been more than six months since I had been touched by a man. I spent the last six months mostly to myself. Rich was a stranger fifteen minutes ago, but I was way overdue. I needed to get this itch scratched. He kept probing me with his fingers. My mouth told him to chill, but my body said keep going as I rocked my hips against his fingers. I was almost at the edge. I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand back. I climbed over to Rich’s lap and pressed the button to let his seat back. Once it was reclined all the way, I took off my shoes and got on top of him. I unzipped his pants and pulled him out. He slipped into me with a little bit of me pushing down my one hundred forty pound frame onto him.

  I looked into his hazel eyes the entire time I rode him until I erupted in orgasm. I locked up like a vise-grip causing him to explode inside of me like a cannon. I laid on his chest until I caught my breath. I turned around to open the glove compartment to get some tissue. Rich held out his ha
nd to stop me.

  Naw... that’s gone stick.” Rich said, as I got up. “Is that better?” I asked him after I licked my sticky juices off of him.

  “Damn ma’, you gone tease me like that?”

  I smiled. It was already bad enough I let him smash on the first day. I wasn’t about to give him some head too. I was thinking I already gave him to much. “You don’t get all that this time. Don’t worry, you gone get the whole treatment.”

  I cracked the window and let in the fresh air as he fixed his pants. We had both lost track of time. I could see the train approaching from the horizon.

  “So when you want me to call you?” Rich asked as he opened the door to get out.

  “Just call me, it Don’t matter.” I said as I slipped my shoes back on.

  “How about next month?” He said sarcastically. “How about I put this moccasin up your ass... you better call me tomorrow.” I said as I pinched him on the arm and watched him close the door.

  We said our goodbyes and I watched him get on the train. It felt good to finally get laid, but I was wondering if I had just put myself out there and just got smutted. I didn’t really care though because I needed the release, but at the same time I was attracted to him. I was praying that he didn’t burn me, cause I did let him smash raw. At least I had his phone number. I would cuss him out if he didn’t call by tomorrow.

  Zeke

  Me and my man Rich had Wilson Avenue poppin'. We had stepped it up to nine ounces a day on the strip. We had crazy traffic and mad attention. Money was flowing. Everybody was happy: Rich, Wiz, Dave, Xavier, and me of course. It was so good I had just copped a ‘03 LeSabre. I was floating on deuces wit a crazy system.

  Rich called me to pick him up from the Long Island Railroad station in Jamaica. I stopped at Irving Park to pick up Wiz and Dave. By the time I got to the train station, Rich was already sitting on a newspaper dispenser. He jumped in and we headed to the Hot Bar to get some drinks. Rich had his usual Smooth Bitch and some snow crabs. I had a vodka and sloe gin as did Wiz and Dave.I sat directly next to Rich as he played the “Boxxi” game on the mega-touch screen. I felt somebody close behind me. I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around. It was the nigga Fats from Central Avenue.

  Fats ran Central Avenue and Evergreen Avenue. He was one of those wanna be ballers. At thirty five years old, he had been flipping the same four and a half since he was old enough to hustle. Fats was a neighborhood fixture though, and no one ever imposed on his strip without being swiftly checked. Fats rested his hand on my shoulder.

  “Hey youngin’... you need to move them workers off Wilson Avenue. Y'all too close to my strip. You stepping on my toes.”

  I looked at Rich and he looked back at me before I responded.

  “I’m gone holla at Manny and see what’s up, aight.” Fats smirked and retorted.

  “Do whatever you gotta do, but make sure you move them workers. Make sure they stay off Wilson Avenue. I’m being courteous out of respect for Manny... and only out of respect for Manny.

  Fats turned away just as quickly as he came in. all sorts of thoughts raced through my mind. I looked to Rich and he beckoned for me to follow him out the bar. We left Wiz and Dave and went to sit in my car. There was silence until I turned over the ignition. As soon as the the car started I was ramming.

  “That’s some nut ass shit yo... fuck that nigga. Who the fuck he think he is telling me to move the workers off the Avenue. It’s whatever wit me yo!”

  I was ready to ride and I know my suns was too. I knew Fats and them was older than us and more experienced, and had way more guns, but fuck it. Rich looked at me and shook his head no. He wasn’t with that.

  “Yo, this shit aint that simple. We gotta be smart about this.” I shook my head in agreement.

  “But we cant just let that shit ride though... and we cant just wait for him to do something to us, you feel me.”

  “Well... if we pull the workers off the Avenue... that’s gone show weakness and we gone lose money and the strip. We could leave the workers out there and call Fats bluff... and prepare for war. Or... let’s go over Shakita’s crib. Manny should be calling soon. As a matter of fact chirp Xavier and tell him to stay on point and watch out for them Central Avenue niggas.”

  We pulled around Decatur Street to Shakita’s house and played Need for Speed with the twins until Shakita got back in the house. After Rich explained the situation to her she sat down and put her hands over her face.

  “Manny already called me today.” she said and then continued.

  “Y'all cant go to war with Fats, I mean, you can, but then you not gone make no money, its gone get hot as shit around here, and some of these soldiers gone die.”

  Rich sighed and sat down before he responded to Shakita.

  “So what you saying, cause I’m not bowing down to Fats.”

  “That’s what I’m saying, fuck that fat ass nigga.” I said while looking directly at Shakita.

  “Aight look, Fats is just fishing... his strip is loosing money. He Don’t want it wit Manny, but he gone try you cause Manny locked up. He's waiting to see if those workers move. Don’t move 'em. Make an example out of the first Central Ave nigga that step foot over this side of Wilson Ave. Then set Fats up to go through some shit wit some Brownsville and some Bed-Stuy niggas. He can't fight two wars, come at y'all, and make money at the same time. If you keep them beefing at Fats, the problem will cancel itself out... you dig me.”

  Rich got up and hugged Shakita. She did have some good advice. When I left out to get in the car, Rich stayed back for a few minutes before he came out. We rounded up all the workers and put them all out on Decatur and Wilson Ave. We waited and waited for somebody from Central Ave to cross Wilson Ave. An hour later we spotted two niggas coming across Wilson Ave wit hoodies on. They ran up on Xavier and Dave and put gun to their heads. One of them backed up slightly before he spoke.

  “Y'all know what it is... run all that shit!”

  The other one patted down all the workers as his partner waived his pistol back and forth between the workers.

  “Matter fact everybody lay it down... lay it the fuck down. If you look up, I’m gone push ya top back.” The other one continued to go through all the workers pockets.

  “Y'all gone stay the fuck up off Wilson Ave.... y'all feeling me... or we running down on y'all every day and every night.”

  Xavier, Dave, and Wiz were all laid down on the sidewalk with the rest of the workers as the two hooded niggas turned around to make their' escape. Me and Rich were sitting on the stoop a few houses from the corner. We ran down Decatur Street as fast as we could and caught the hooded pair in the middle of the Street. We pulled our pistols in unison and emptied our clip into their backs as they tried to flee. They were laid out in blood, face down on the yellow line on Wilson Ave. Their pockets was full of crack and money from the workers and the stash we had out there. We decided to let them keep it. Too bad they didn’t live to spend it!

  Everyone ran separate ways. Me, Rich, and Wiz went to my house on Irving to get ready for part two. We waited until three in the morning for the cops to clear off Wilson Ave. Crime scene was still out there. All the workers were off the streets. Wiz left solo to steal Fats' candy apple red '64 Impala. If anybody could pull it off it would be Wiz. He was the best car thief in the hood, plus it was a old school without alarms or GPS chips. Wiz was back in less than ten minutes. Me and Rich hopped in the Impala and headed to Pitkin Ave in Brownsville. We were all masked up. The was two workers out sitting on the stoop. We let off shots in their direction, but we only aimed at legs. I hit one of them in the calf. We were careful not to kill the messengers. Next stop was Tompkins Projects in BedStuy. We showered the corner with bullets, but those little niggas was ready. They shot back at us. Nobody got hit though, and we were gone as fast as we came. Wiz parked the Impala in the same exact spot he found it in. We ran up to the Wilson Ave and took the L train to Union Square. We stayed at the Union Square Inn
on 14th Street and 3rd Avenue.

  In the morning Rich got up, took the guns and left. Me and Wiz fell back…

  Rich

  I thought about Iyani while I was riding on the Long Island Railroad. After I handled my business on the bike trail, I called Iyani's cell phone.

  “... Hello.”

  “... what's up, you busy?” I asked her in a nonchalant tone.

  “... Naw what's up?” She responded.

  “... Nothing I’m in your neighborhood.”

  “... Stop playing, where?”

  “... At the train stop.”

  “... Aight, stay right there, I’m only around the corner.”

  Iyani sounded enthusiastic to hear from me. A few minutes later she showed it with a huge ear to ear smile. I was just as mesmerized by the silver 760Li as I was by Iyani.

  I had a deep affection for cars. Even though I had the money, I didn’t actually own a car. Without a license it didn’t make sense to buy one only to get pulled over and get towed. Fuck it, I figured I'd get it soon enough.

  Iyani lived less than five minutes from the train stop in a dark red brick mini mansion. All of the lawns on the block were perfectly manicured and as green as any lawn could get. There was another car in the driveway, a brand new Mercedes Benz S550. I looked at Iyani.

  “Who you live here with?”

  “Nobody.” She responded.

  “So whose car is that?” I asked.

  “My dad's.”

  “Is he here?”

  “Naw, he locked up.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  “It's cool.”

  “So this your dad house?”

  “Yeah, one of 'em.”

  We got out of the car, and Iyani gave me a tour of the six bedroom mini mansion, complete with a pool in the backyard, and a home theater. Marble floors, plush white carpet.... Iyani was living nice. Damn, her dad must have been caked up. I began to wonder what her dad did for a living, but I decided not to ask. Iyani showed me up to her suite, which was complete with it's own bathroom and alcove. I was outdone. She cut on the television and we kicked back on the bed. She rolled on top of me and kissed me on my neck. I grabbed Iyani's ass and kissed her in the mouth. I reached for her hand and she stopped me. “Chill my period came on last night.”