pimp a bitch class. "Are your parents still together, D? Ace asked.. Divine answered “No!” Wondering what did his parents being together had to do with Ace schooling him on pimping. Ace continued on "okay well look I’m going to try to give you an example the difference between a woman and a hoe. A woman wants good things, she wants her man to love her and do nice things for her and she wants to spend quality time and all that other squared out shit. A hoe ain’t into all that, her main focus is to get that money, she don’t have time to sit around trying to fall in love with a nigga, she is in love with the money. Divine interrupted Ace in a firm voice. "Look if pimping is your thing then it’s your thing but I am not trying to be no damn pimp man no disrespect but that’s not me and I’m not you, I just came over here to ask you a few questions and you’re trying to school me on how to be a pimp" Ace chuckled pouring himself another drink. "Okay D, but one day that advice might come in handy, hell you don’t even know what it is you want to do, so as soon as you get that all figured out come check me and I’ll try to help you the best way I can". Divine looked down at his watch and noticed he had ten minutes to get home. Damn I gotta go but I am going to think about my plan and I will come back another day to talk to you about it.” Divine walked out of the door and headed home thinking about everything the old g was saying to him. When Divine got in his mom was already preparing dinner so he went ahead and started on his homework and followed his normal routine, did his chores and took his shower. Sitting at the table Divine’s mom stared at him without saying a word she just looked at her son praying to herself that he wouldn’t be anything like his father who had walked out on her and never showed his face since. “Are
you okay Divine?” his mother asked. Divine looked at his mom’s face and could tell she had something on her mind. “I’m fine just thinking about this test I have for tomorrow in my math class”. Divine didn’t have a test coming up but he knew he couldn’t sit in his mother’s face under her roof and tell her what he really was thinking about. Happy to hear her son was focused on schoolwork she smiled “well don’t worry yourself too much just study hard and I’m sure you’ll pass”. She kissed him on the forehead as she walked towards the sink to start on the dishes, Divine told his mother good night and went into his room to get ready for his day ahead of him and to focus on his plans of getting money. The next day Divine let Quan and Jb know where he went yesterday “y’all know I didn’t go straight home yesterday” he said cheesing, “where you went on a coochie chase?” Quan asked as he laughed out Divine punched Quan in the shoulder “nigga you know I don’t chase no coochie, coochie chase me, naw remember that old nigga I told y’all about, the one from the stair case? He asked to see if Jb and Quan remembered the man from his crazy ass story. They both nodded their heads letting him know they did. “Well I went to go talk to him yesterday about how to get it and keep it and this nigga sitting up in the crib trying to school me on how to be a pimp and on top of that he had titties and ass everywhere and I do mean everywhere. But I told him that’s not me, that’s not my thing”. Quan couldn’t believe Divine turned that offer down. “Let me get this straight that nigga a pimp and he had a crib full of titties and ass and tried to get you to be a pimp and you turned him down. nigga is you crazy?, Hell he probably would have started you out with two of his best girls right then and there and you talking bout naw, nigga where he stay at hell I’ll pimp a
hoe, and love it too. You get to tell them what to do all day every day and get paid for it, you dumb as hell". Quan said as he bragged on about how he would be the best pimp in the world. Divine made it clear pimping just wasn’t his thing. “ I ain’t being no pimp and neither are you come on that’s for them old niggas shit we can do anything we want and we going to get this money and we not going to half step with it. We are going to get in the game the drug game”. Quan and Jb stared at him with confusion. Divine continued on “we not going to come into the game owing anybody shit y’all hear me? We going to walk into this shit with our own” Divine was very precise with his decision “and just where the hell are we going to get the money to do all that?” Quan asked wondering how they were going to get into the game without any money. Divine looked at Quan and Jb without a blink in his eye. “Well if it means saving our allowance or sacrificing a pair of fresh kicks then so be it”. Just then, Jb came up with an idea “yo! We can sell candy” “what!” asked Quan “ how the hell do you figure selling candy will get us in the drug game” Quan starts laughing refusing to take Jb serious. Annoyed by Quan’s laughter Jb interrupts. “Well if you let me finish I’ll tell you. Y’all know how my grand mom’s works up in that store downtown well they be having everything up in there and I can make up something to see if she could get us some boxes of candy to sell. So whatever we make we can put into our lil bank. I will tell her we are trying to start our own basketball team in the park but we need money to get the shirts. You know I’m about to game the hell outta grandma” Jb said putting his hand up to get a high five from Divine and Quan. “We’ll see nigga, we’ll see” Quan said with a giggle, he patted Jb on the back, he wasn’t really with
the selling candy thing but he had no other choice. he knew he couldn’t get the money from his mother hell she had six other children in the house, including him and the only time that household saw any money is on the 1st or the 15th or if mom’s got lucky with the numbers. Divine wasn’t completely feeling Jb’s idea but he figured it was worth a try. “So Jb see if your grandmother is going to buy your story about our fake ass basketball team and we’ll meet up tomorrow after school same place same time” said Divine as he gave Jb a pound. The three of them walked away from the park that night with a different look in their eyes, the look of Motivation, and deep down each one knew the other’s reason for wanting to go through with this plan, so no one complained and no one backed out each one was down. Later that night Jb waited til after dinnertime to ask his grandmother about the candy, he never really asked her for anything so she figured it was one of his friends putting him up to it. “What do you and your friends need all that candy for?” She asked with her hand on her hip. Not sure if she would believe his reason for needed a few boxes of candy but he knew he would get clowned if he showed up at the park tomorrow without any good news. “Well we’ve been playing ball down at the park and we thought it would be cool if we started our own little team and got matching outfits and some other things”. Jb said with slight hesitation. Seeing the look on her grandson’s face his grandmother smiled with pride, agreed to help him, and said. “Well that sounds like a plan, I’ll see what I can do, I tell you what I’ll get the candy for you guys on one condition”. Jb wasn’t sure what the condition was so he asked. “What’s that?” she smiled and replied. “Every Sunday after church you boys come down and help out and who
knows I may be able to talk some of my fellow church goers into buying some candy as well. Jb knew he couldn’t tell his grandmother no and still expect her to get the candy but he knew telling her yes without talking to the other first was going to cause some drama. “We’ll do it,” he said even though he knew when Divine and Quan found out they were going to be upset. Jb’s grandmother hugged him and said, “Then it’s settled every Friday I will get you guy’s six boxes of candy each. Jb walked into his room trying to add up the amount of boxes multiplied by the three of them. “Wow that’s a lot of candy,” he thought to himself, as he got ready for the next day. Jb’s grandmother was happy to know that her grandson was trying to do something positive other than stand on the corner all day like some of the kids she passed by on her way to and from work. The next day Quan and Divine were eager to hear what Jb’s grandmother had to say, little did they know they were in for a big surprise. Jb walked up with a big Kool-Aid smile on his face. “Okay I got some good news and I got some bad news which one do y’all want to hear first?” he asked as Divine and Quan eagerly waited to hear what his grandmother had to say. “Let me guess grand mom’s told you no!” said Quan as he
sucked his teeth, “Nope” replied Jb “what’s up Jb what she say” asked Divine, “well grandma bought the basketball story and she’ll get us the candy but we have to help out down at the church every Sunday”. Quan and Divine responded at the same time “WHAT! What you mean we? Nigga you asked her that was your bright idea”. Said Quan as he stomped his feet with anger. “Yeah and it’s going to help all three of us!” Jb said as he tried to convince Quan and Divine helping grandma would be worth it. Uninterested by helping out at church Quan starts to flip out. “All that
mess you was talking yesterday” Quan shakes his head as he begins to imitate Jb. “I’m about to game the hell outta grandma. Looks like grandma gamed the hell outta you and us too” Divine and Jb bust out in laughter. “Damn Jb she got us” said Divine. “OH well did she say how much candy she would get for us?” asked Quan. “Six boxes each and in each box is about fifty pieces of candy,” replied Jb. The three of them sat on the bench and tried to calculate their future earnings. Divine pulled out a pen and said “ok let’s add this shit up six boxes multiplied by three gives us eighteen, multiplied by fifty gives us nine hundred, nine hundred multiplied by one dollar gives us?” Divine stopped to look over his mathematics making sure what he was looking at on paper was correct.
“Way more than what my mom’s sends me” said Jb with the look of money in his eyes. Looking at the total on paper and knowing that was his only way to get money and a few things for himself; Quan agreed. “Yo! Jb it’s all good, for that right there I’ll help out at the church”. Said Quan, as he high fived Jb. So that was it, their plan was to sell candy, save allowances, make sacrifices whatever it took to get them started. each one wrote down a list of neighborhoods that they figured would be good places to sell their candy at, and on Sunday’s they would go down and help Jb’s grandmother clean up after church and sell candy to them old ladies too. “Yo Quan you think your mom’s will let you stay the night out? Asked Divine, he wanted to make sure their candy-selling plan started smooth. He wanted them to get an early start. Quan wasn’t sure his mother had any plans; he knew if she did, he would be stuck in the house. “I don’t know, why” asked Quan “duh,” replied Divine “because today is Friday, which means when Jb’s grandmother get’s home she’s
going to have the candy, and if we’re already at his house we can get up and start early on our candy runs”. Quan agreed and decided to check with his mother about him spending the night out. As he walked towards the front door to his building, he signaled them to wait for him. “Hold up let me run to the house and ask my mom’s, hopefully she’ll be in a good mood, and let a nigga have a night out”. Quan says as he heads to his building while Divine and Jb wait at the park for him. Divine looks at his watch “ damn I need to go in the house and call my mom’s and ask if I can chill at your house, which I’m sure she’ll say yes I ain’t got shit else to do, I hope that nigga, Quan mom’s say it’s alright she be tripping”. Divine said as he wondered if Quan would be able to get out the house. “Damn she mean like that”? Asked Jb. Divine looked over at Jb realizing he never been in Quan’s house, he tells him about the time he saw for himself how Quan’s mother be tripping. “That’s right you ain’t never met his mom’s, well she’s not mean like that but he’s the oldest and she be getting on him and shit about everything. A while back, I had stopped over there to meet him before school and he was talking bout he wasn’t going because he had to baby-sit for his mom’s she had an appointment down town. Feeling bad for Quan, Jb says “damn she couldn’t get no babysitter, that’s gotta suck sitting in the house stuck with some bad ass kids. Just then Quan walks up, “what y’all niggas out here?” he asked as he peeped Jb and Divine laughing “Talking about you nigga, we thought mom dukes was going to say hell no you can’t go” Divine said as he imitated Quan’s mother voice. “naw not this time she gave a nigga a get outta jail free card, I told her we were helping Jb grandmother out this weekend at the church so I don’t have to be back til Sunday by seven”
Quan said happy as hell that his mother allowed him to get out of the house and live a little. “Damn and she fell for that, I hope she don’t be calling my grandmother phone all night” Jb said as he hoped Quan’s mother wouldn’t make it her business to get proof of Quan’s little story. “Naw she cool she know your grandmother and she respect her she wouldn’t do no shit like that” Quan said assuring Jb he had nothing to worry about. They headed to Divine’s building. “Y’all coming up stairs?” Divine asked as he started to head up to his apartment. Quan and Jb nodded their head yes, as they walked into the building and got on the elevator. As they were coming onto the floor, “yo is this the stair case right here?” Quan asked looking around as if he was hoping to see some more action taken place. “Damn you still thinking about that shit I told you?” asked Divine as he responded to Quan’s question. “Yeah that’s the staircase but come on so I can call my mom before she leaves work”. Divine calls his mom and gets her permission to stay out for the weekend at Jb’s house while Quan and Jb look around the living room. “Yo! This crib is banging as hell if I ain’t come through the building I would not think we were in the projects. Says Jb as he admired the way Divine house was hooked up. Divine appreciates the compliment and tells Jb a little about his mother. “My mom’s is into all that fashion shit, the latest this, the latest that, she does her thing, we alright. Yo, y’all ready. Let me grab my stuff and we can be out”. They head out the door before they get to the elevator they notice an older man walking towards Divine’s door. “May I help you with something? Divine asks as he turns away from the direction of the elevator, looking at the man as if he seen him somewhere before. He couldn’t match the face with a place, just then the
older man asked him if a woman by the name of Denise lived there. “No woman by the name of Denise lives at this apartment”. Said Divine as he headed back towards the elevator, Quan and Jb didn’t really know why Divine lied to the man about his mother living there but they figured he had his reasons. The older man walked down the stairs as Divine, Jb and Quan got on the elevator. “Who the fuck was that dude?” asked Quan, “and why did you tell him your mom didn’t live there?"Jb and Quan both wanted answers. Divine looked a little upset and replied, “Something did not seem right with that nigga and since I’m not going to be home for a couple of days, I don’t need any nigga lurking around and shit. I mean my moms can handle herself but I don’t trust niggas I don’t know”. They headed to Jb’s building to put their plan in motion.
Let the Hustle Begin chapter 2
It was Saturday morning; the smell of breakfast woke the boy’s right up, Quan hadn’t smelled cooking like that in a long time, his mother was too busy running the streets to make breakfast. “Damn Jb your grand mom’s up making breakfast”. Said Quan, he enjoyed the aroma in the house. “Yep, and I’m about to go get some too” said Jb while he stretched. As they got up to get themselves together, they noticed eighteen boxes of candy on the floor. “grand moms wasn’t playing at all, you see all that damn candy” said Divine as his eyes lit up looking at all the different candy boxes on the bedroom floor, just then Jb’s grandmother walked in with a cheery voice. “Good morning guys, I made you some breakfast so you can get ready for your first day at selling all this candy”, they each said thank you as they grabbed their toothbrushes and wash cloths. Jb’s grandmother reminded them of their holy obligation as she headed out of the room. “I want to see y’all down at the church around 3 p.m.”. Her words stopped them dead in their tracks. “Damn” they whispered Jb knew he had to say something before their silence made his grandmother change her mind. “We’ll be there,” he yelled from the room as Divine and Quan snickered. Everyone was Dressed and ready to go; they grabbed up some boxes and headed out of the door stopping at every hair salon, playground, train station, bus stop anywhere they knew they could get a buck for a candy bar. By then end of the night that had got rid of six boxes and they were shocked their first day went so good. “Damn six down an
d twelve more to go” said Divine as he applauded their progress. “Nobody said selling candy would make you this tired my
feet hurt,” said Quan as he looked down at his sneakers. Mentally prepared to sell some more candy Divine says, “We still got tomorrow before church” the three of them headed back to Jb’s apartment to get ready for tomorrow.
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Sunday morning was here, there was no smell of breakfast cooking because Jb’s grandmother had left out for early service.so everyone was on they own for breakfast. Once that was outta the way they grabbed their boxes of candy and headed out the door. “I know we are not going to go to the same places we went yesterday,” asked Quan, he wasn’t too intrigued by the thought of all that walking around. “No we’re going to Whiteyville,” said Divine “Whiteyville?” Jb wanted to know where exactly was Whiteyville, because he had never heard of that place before; Whiteyville was the term for the white neighborhood and Divine knew going there would most likely get all the candy sold and maybe even at a higher price depending on the buyer. Divine looked down at the boxes of candy and smiled. “Yeah, Whiteyville we’re going out there to see if we can get this done quicker, you know we find enough fat people out there we just might get lucky” said Divine as he joke on how much money they would make if they saw the right fat people. They all began to laugh as Divine continued on with his reasons for wanting to go to Whiteyville. Looking down at his sneakers and knowing he wasn’t prepared for any long walks Quan stops Divine and asks, “Well how are we getting there? I know we are not walking” Divine looks at Quan amused that he would even think they were going to walk all the way there. “Hell no we not walking we’re taking the train, well actually we’re
Divine's Justice Page 2