None of the events or evil words spat by the girl on the bus or her daughter was relevant to the small come up she’d stolen from Star’s purse. She couldn’t wait to guzzle the prescription down and go into a comatose state. When she saw Banko flashing his lights for her to hurry up, she lightly jogged toward where he was sitting at the gas station. She knew Banko was impatient and would ride out on her without warning. Damn, I do smell like hot shit on a stick. The more she ran, the more her atrocious body odor smacked her back in the face.
“Thanks for looking out. That was my daughter and her friend back there giving me a hard time.” Bonnie opened the car door ready to jump in.
“Whoa, hold the fuck up. Spray down with this Lysol then air out for a minute. I can’t have that funk hitting me in the face or stinking up my car.” Banko held the can he’d just purchased out of the gas station out the window toward her. “You’re dressed in the same rags I saw you in yesterday but looking even worse.”
Although Bonnie’s being flushed red with embarrassment, she didn’t contest his request. She sprayed down from head to toe then spun around in circles before repeating the same routine. When Banko gave her the okay, she slid in the back seat on top of the newspaper he’d laid out feeling like a maggot. Running her dirty fingers against the plush leather, she understood why he was treating her as such. Nonetheless, she felt good just sitting in such a nice car.
“I’ll drop you off near the freeway. I ain’t going all the way to ya hood.” Banko looked over his shoulder, then threw the car into reverse.
“That’s cool but I was looking to cop some pills. If you ain’t got none on you, you can drop me off in the projects.”
Banko laughed, truly amused by the fiend. “Ay, I have niggas to run errands for me; I don’t run them myself. This ain’t no damn taxi service. You can either ride to the freeway or jump out now. It makes me no difference.” He slammed on the brakes. Before Bonnie had a chance to answer, his phone rang and he answered. “Yo, what up, sis?”
“Dang, Grandma, this chicken is on point.” Jerome stuffed his mouth with the greasy fried chicken his grandmother had just served on his plate.
“I don’t think you can even taste it. It’s going down your throat faster than your taste buds can absorb the flavor.” She wiped her hands on her flower-patterned apron. “But by the look of your bones, you needed a good home-cooked meal.”
“Yeah, I did. That no-good woman of mine don’t cook.” He laughed, taking another huge bite.
Jerome hadn’t seen his grandmother in eleven years. He kept in contact with her by phone at least once a month when disability checks paid out, which was planned because he knew she’d send a few dollars through Western Union. Jerome always thought he was scheming her with his sweet voice; but Georgia Mae knew her grandson was banned from the Sojourner Truth Homes and chose to help because of her good heart. Georgia Mae might’ve kept a closed lip, but she always kept her eyes and ears open. Banko wasn’t a force to be reckoned with, so she never spoke wiser to her grandson.
“Have you been out to my mother’s grave?” Jerome broke the silence in between chews. His intentions weren’t good. He knew she always got sentimental when it came to her only daughter who’d lost her battle to drugs already.
“Not this week, but if God allows me to make it after church this Sunday I will. One of the church members will probably take me if I bake them a pound cake.” She smiled widely. “You oughta go with me. It would be nice to pay some respects.”
“Naw, Grandma, maybe some other time. I’m sure my old lady will have me locked down by then. But I’m glad I was able to come out and see you.”
The words sounded good coming out of his mouth and they sounded even better to Georgia Mae. He was the only grandchild she had and since her daughter was gone, she’d never have anymore. She wanted family at her old age and now that Jerome was back in her living room, her heart ached for him to stay.
“Are you sure you can’t stay longer? I’d love for us to play bingo, checkers, or even watch some television game shows.” She smiled, hoping he’d be warmed enough to change his mind or slow down from gobbling. It didn’t work though. “You can even tell me about those beautiful grandbabies of mine I’ll never see. I swear I’d spoil ’em rotten.” Speaking about Savannah and Samantha, she often wondered if they resembled her daughter and if they even were aware they had a great-grandmother.
“Unfortunately, Grandma, I’ve gotta go. But I promise to try to come back sooner. Maybe in a few weeks. And I’ll try bringing you some pictures of them to put up,” Jerome lied through his teeth. Instead of him trying to make Georgia Mae happy in her old age, he was secretly plotting ways in his mind to get over on her. Grandmother or not, he needed his fix.
“I’m sorry to hear that you must go, sweetheart. But hopefully, if it’s God’s will, you can make it by in those few weeks with pictures of those girls. I pray for all of you all the time, you and all your kids.” Her voice drifted off.
“Well maybe you should pray louder. I don’t think He hears you,” Jerome joked, wiping his mouth. The mood in the room was taking a turn, but it was time for him to steal and run anyhow. His stomach was full, which meant he was hungrier for a high. “I’m gonna take a leak real quick and then I’ve gotta be heading back home.” He wasn’t trying to have her flip the emotional script back on him. Jerome didn’t have too much of an emotional connect to his mother since she was dead and gone, but Georgia Mae was something different. Although he used her for money, he loved her for having his back.
“Make yourself back at home.” She sat back, happy to have life in her home. “It’s in the same place you left it eleven years ago.”
Jerome flew up the stairs and relieved himself. He hadn’t used the bathroom since leaving home, plus he’d gulped down a few glass of fruit punch Kool-Aid that his granny had whipped up. He found himself getting depressed that he couldn’t be the grandson Georgia Mae truly wanted and deserved. Staring in the mirror, he was angry at himself for being such a failure. Had he not gotten addicted to drugs eleven years ago, none of this would’ve ever happened.
Jerome had been running from facing his reality since Banko ran him from out of his first baby momma’s house; but all of his pity and guilt came rushing back now that he was back in the projects. He hadn’t heard from or seen Patrice in years and when it came to the son they shared, Jerome Jr., he wasn’t sure he’d recognize him if they crossed paths. For all he knew, his son could’ve been the one who tossed him on his ass when he was begging for credit. Of course he’d heard from his grandmother than his son had dropped his name and was only going by Rello. And the more he stared at his deteriorated reflection, the more he wished he could erase his whole existence.
Despite Jerome feeling low, he still was thirsty for a high. Tiptoeing into his grandmother’s room, he swiped every piece of jewelry that was in her nightstand along with the few dollars he found in her dresser drawer. Jerome fought the urge to steal the nineteen-inch flat-screen TV that was muted on a movie, but couldn’t help himself. After unplugging it and securing the cord so he could make a quick dash, Jerome flew down the stairs and out the door of his grandmother’s house with no remorse.
“Jerome! Come back here. Don’t you do this to me,” Georgia Mae shouted from the couch then jumped up. By the time she made it to her front door, Jerome was halfway across the parking lot. “Please come back here and make this right. I’ll forgive you if you just come back. Don’t make me disown you, Jerome.”
At eight-two, Georgia Mae was too old to be upset. Her heart was pounding but more so broken that her grandson had done her foul. When she finally walked up the stairs to see what else he’d stolen, her heart sank even further realizing her wedding ring and the watch her job had given her when she retired were gone. Georgia Mae was hurt to say the least. Her husband was dead and gone; and she’d worked long and hard to receive the token of appreciation she’d never see again. Because of that, she never wanted to see J
erome again either.
“Hey, I don’t care where you’re at; make your way back to the PJ’s. Rello is here and I think you two need to talk. Furthermore, he’s setting the girl up to meet him here now.” Patrice was panting trying to get the words out. She knew if the girl was as thirsty as Rello made her sound she’d be there quick as she could.
“Say word, I’m on the way. Don’t let him or that little tramp leave before I get there.” Banko made an immediate U-turn uncaring about oncoming traffic. “Good look on trying to make this right, sis. I appreciate you.” He hung up.
Bonnie slid to the other side of the back seat but Banko didn’t care. His only concern was making sure the drug connection he had in Dominik was fixed and continued to go strong. He floored the Challenger to eighty miles per hour so he could possibly beat the ol’ girl there.
“Is everything okay? You’re driving like an animal.” Bonnie strapped on her seat belt afraid.
“Yeah, it’s all good.” He swerved through traffic like a beast. “You wanna hop out? You’re more than welcome to, but I ain’t stopping ’til I reach the projects.”
“I thought you said you weren’t going there.” Bonnie questioned him like she had a position.
“Ay, I’ve got business to handle but that’s none of yours. Again, you can hop out if you wanna but either way shut the fuck up,” Banko commanded, continuing to swerve through traffic determined not to be slowed down.
Bonnie kept her mouth closed and her hands gripping the seat belt for dear life. Cars almost collided with them, drivers honked and curse at his recklessness, and Banko shouted back like he had the right.
Chapter 14
“Get ya ass up and onto the porch to wait. Your uncle is on the way.” Patrice strutted into the living room. “Ain’t no little sack chasing heifer gonna come between the only two men in my life. Banko supports us and is trying to teach you how to do the same. I don’t plan on missing a beat with the way I live.”
Rello got up and followed his mother onto the porch. Normally he would’ve been trying to get dressed in the best rags he could find and spraying down with cheap cologne, but none of that mattered now that the truth was about to be exposed. He’d crawled back to his mom with his tail between his legs; therefore, he didn’t have a choice but to face the girl he’d blinded with lies.
“Here, you might as well take a sip of Henn Dogg. It’s about to get real and you might need the liquid courage to hold your nuts high when that girl arrives.” Patrice handed him a cup of Hennessy, then poured herself a cup as well. “Pussy is a powerful thing but you should know that by now. That girl has caused so much trouble just by having your head wide open.” Patrice and Banko had been up all night going over Rello’s wrongs and how he needed to make them right. She couldn’t wait to see the girl her son was so hot over. I just might smack the shit out of her myself.
Rello did as her mother told him, but quicker than she’d suggested. He hated the feeling of letting her down, being compared to his father, and not adding up to the man Banko was. The liquor was a welcome respite from the stress and drama on his plate. He guzzled it down quicker and quicker, thinking it would immediately wash away all his self-pity. All he wanted to do was be the boss, call the shots, and delegate his own crew of li’l runners. He’d failed miserably and couldn’t stand the feeling of simply being himself.
“Jack me off harder, girl. We’ll be pulling up in a few and I need my dick to have spit by then.” The cab driver patted Star on her thigh. He might’ve wanted her to jerk him harder and faster, but he was already having a hard enough time keeping his composure.
“I’m doing the best I can under the circumstances. You better use your imagination.” Star rolled her eyes.
“We can always pull into a back alley so you can throw that fat ass on me real quick.” He glanced over at Star with lust in his eyes. The cab driver was feeling lucky, especially already having his penis slobbed on earlier in the day.
“Nope, I can’t make your dreams come true right now because I’m in a rush. But I’ll take your number and maybe if the price is right we can make something happen later.” She was repulsed by the taxi driver but attracted by what she could gain by using him. If a hand job got me a free ride, ain’t no telling what else I can get him to do. He can be my personal chauffeur until I come up on a car. The more she thought about ways to use the cab driver, the harder she gripped his manhood. In a matter of moments, he squirted all over his clothes but Star moved out the way just in time.
When it was all said and done, Star sat in the passenger seat of the cab with butterflies swarming in her stomach over Rello. She could feel the cab driver still staring at her, but she zoned him out and passed him her number for pacification. As a distraction for herself, she pulled out her compact mirror to examine the damage from Bonnie and if the bag of ice she’d used from the gas station helped the swelling. Since there was nothing she could do, she didn’t sweat telling Rello the truth and even some of the reasons why she moved. Putting on a thicker coat of makeup than usual, she chose to leave well enough alone.
I know he’s gonna be sweating me once I throw this head and pussy game on him. He’ll be over me all day and night. I’ma have to beg his ass to go. Star didn’t doubt her sack chasing or sex skills. She was assuming Rello was giving her another chance since he’d reached out. She hadn’t given the pills or cough syrup another thought. The closer they got to the entrance of the projects, the more her heart started to flutter. Sliding the compact mirror back into her purse, she noticed the bottle of cough syrup was missing and shrieked.
“What the hell? Are you okay?” The cab driver looked over at her with a shocked and weird expression. He didn’t know what to think of his passenger’s sudden explosion.
“Yes, yes. I’m sorry about that. Keep going please,” Star apologized, then waved him back to driving. He’d completely stopped because of her erratic behavior.
Star tore her purse up and even dumped everything from inside out; but still didn’t find the cough syrup. She wanted to scream again but couldn’t alarm the taxi driver. Star was infuriated. There wasn’t a thought that doubted her ability to keep up with things. She knew she hadn’t lost it. The first person she called to see if they’d fess up to stealing it was Tanisha though she knew it was Bonnie all along. Once she clarified just that by a pissed Tanisha, Star vowed to be on her mother’s head. I’m jumping on her on sight. I’ve had enough of her trifling ways. There’s just some things you don’t do, and that’s steal from your child.
Jerome ran through the front entrance of the Sojourner Truth Homes with the television he’d stolen from his grandmother gripped tightly. In spite of him being desperate for a high, he couldn’t chance stopping to sell it to anyone in the projects because he was fearful they’d heard Georgia Mae shouting. He wanted to turn around and unbreak her heart when he heard her crying out for him not to steal from her; but Jerome was too deep into his addiction.
He was confident, however, that selling it in the hood he’d made his home with Bonnie in had a buyer for sure. Out of breath, he slowed down his pace to gather himself. Usually he wouldn’t be sluggish when running from doing a crime, but the fried chicken was weighing heavy on his stomach. Right when he was getting ready to take back off full force, he looked up shocked like he seen a ghost. Losing his grip on the television, it crashed into the pavement and shattered instantly. “Oh shit.” He shook, with nothing but fear in his soul for the worst.
Banko didn’t want to answer his ringing phone but had no choice. He knew the connect wanted to know what the status was on getting his cash, product, or the girl delivered to his doorstep. “Yo, D, what’s good?” He didn’t use his full name because Bonnie was riding in the back seat.
“Banko, please tell me you’ve fixed the problem. Please tell me I can relay the message to my wife that you’ve found a resolution,” Dominik spoke calmly, enunciating every syllable. His patience had run thin. The more he sat in his lavish Chicago
home drinking fine wine, the more he felt disrespected and wanted revenge on all parties involved. He had more than enough money coming through the door to be put at risk over a thug from Detroit.
“I’m tying the mess up now. You can expect a call from me within the next hour. Trust my word. I’ve never failed you before.” Banko knew what Dominik was thinking even though he hadn’t said the words. They were both criminals in their own way, so silence was sometimes the only way they knew how to communicate.
“One time is always too many in my book. I’ll be waiting for your call.” Dominik ended the call.
“I swear to God, if I fall, everyone will fall.” Banko threw his phone into the windshield. He was on the brink of losing control and couldn’t stand it. His whole existence was based on him having complete and utter control. Dominik had already informed him that one false move could end up with him being cut off, so just the mere thought of being downgraded had Banko infuriated.
Bonnie sat in the back seat confused as to what was going on. Whatever the case was, she could tell Banko was scrambling to keep the other person on the line happy. She tried hanging on to his every word, but was too busy trying to hold on to her life. The Challenger was coasting on two wheels. Then it abruptly stopped.
Girls From Da Hood 10 Page 37