Edward walked out of the bathroom and stared at his mother for a moment before responding.
“Ma, I’m not going back to school,” he said in a decisive tone.
His arms were defiantly folded across his chest. His mother stared at him and felt sympathy.
Chapter 04
Six months passed since Edward was expelled from high school. His parents decided that the expulsion and the teacher had left him traumatized. They figured they would give him some time to get re-focused before enrolling him back into school.
Edward had no intention of returning back to school however. He started hanging around the park on Madison Avenue and smoking weed with some of the resident dealers. Edward’s parents still gave him a sizeable allowance, so scoring weed and enjoying the New York City streets became a full time hobby. Edward started growing dreadlocks shortly after his pot smoking began. The new look made him even more ruggedly handsome.
One afternoon as he walked down east 27th Street on his way to the park, a very tall, black and big-butt hooker called out to him.
“Damn! You one fine brother… I think I could just fuck you for free!”
Edward glanced in her direction, wondering if she was talking to him. The hooker seductively sashayed over to where Edward stood waiting for the light to change. She put on her most fuck-me expression, before she asked, “Honey, you going out?”
“Going out where, ma’am?” Edward asked, looking at her strangely.
“Damn! You fine and innocent too… I’m cookie, and boy oh boy, I’d love to take you home and train you just right,” the hooker laughed, grabbing Edward’s hand.
Suddenly out of nowhere came a smooth, masculine voice.
“How’d you like to be run over by a muthafuckin’ train, bitch? Get your skyscraper ass back on the track before I stomp a mud-hole in that ass!”
The threatening remarks came from a tall, light-skinned, well-dressed man walking toward Edward. When the prostitute saw him coming she almost pissed on herself and immediately started to cop a plea.
“No! Daddy, please don’t. Pretty Ricky, can’t you see…? I was only asking dude for a date, I wasn’t—”
The well dressed man hauled off and slapped Cookie, cutting off her words. The assault came hard and swift and left the scantily clad woman sprawled on the floor. Ricky reached down and assisted his property to her feet. The pimp gently dusted her off and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Now get back to work, sexy, before I get mad,” he said, slapping her ass.
Cookie blushed at her pimp’s apparent show of affection. Quickly forgetting how she got on the ground,. This was all part of the pimp game.
“Ok, daddy, I’m gone. I’ll see you later.”
Before going back on the ho’ stroll, Cookie reach down in her panties and pulled out a plastic bag filled with money and handed it to Ricky.
“Here’s some trap money, daddy. Lemme go make you rich. Later baby,” Cookie said, skipping into the streets like she was happiest woman in the world.
“Pimp hard, baby. Pimp hard,” Pretty Ricky said.
“What up, pimpin’?” someone shouted.
“What’s good, Silky,” Pretty Ricky said to a nattily dressed man.
He appeared out of nowhere and witnessed the show. From the hugs and laughs between them, Silky was obviously one of Ricky’s peers. He was a veteran midtown pimp. They both slapped each other five then looked at Edward.
“Hey, young player, I heard what my bitch said to you. It seems like she wanted to choose you, baby,” Pretty Ricky said and the two pimps laughed.
“Choose me for what, sir? I don’t understand…”
The men expressed their amusement, loudly laughing before directing their attention back to Edward.
“Young player, my name is Ricky and this my man Silky. What’s your name?”
“It’s Edward Wingate, sir.”
The men again started to laugh at Edward’s politeness, but quickly they got serious again. Silky spoke, “Edward Wingate, huh? It appears you have a gift with women. An old-time player once told me, if you ever find a young stud with the gift, it’s your obligation to school him to the science of Pimpology. I mean we think you have the gift. So, what’s up, baby boy, you down to enroll in the midtown academy of Pimpology?”
Edward stared dumbfounded at the two handsome, well-dressed men. He admired the jewelry adorning their necks, wrists and fingers. His mind was busy thinking about what the men were offering him. A young girl came out of a car that pulled up next to the curb. Looking no more than sixteen, she jumped out of the front seat, adjusting her mini skirt.
“Hey, daddy, damn you hard to find,” the girl said, walking up to Silky.
She caught sight of Edward and a smile creased her lips from ear to ear. Catching herself, she handed Silky a roll of bills and kissed him on the cheek. Silky immediately started counting the money.
“Daddy, I was wondering if I could come off the track early tonight. My period just came down, and I’m having some killer cramps. Plus ain’t nobody trying to buy no bloody pussy,” the young girl said, smiling at her attempt at humor.
She noticed the serious screw on Silky’s face and that changed her look right away. Silky brushed off his silk shirt and looked coldly into the young girl’s eyes.
“Leave the track! Bitch, I ain’t hear no roosters crowing, and don’t give me that lame ass excuse about your bloody ass cup. As far as I can see your mouth ain’t bleeding. But if you want we can change that right quick,” Silky said, walking closer to his worker.
“No, daddy, no it’s cool. I’ll be sucking tonight ‘til I get lockjaw. Don’t hit me, daddy. Everything’s cool.”
She ran across the street to continue getting Silky’s money right. All the while she kept looking back at Edward.
Edward was smiling from ear to ear. He was fascinated by what he’d seen of the life. In ten minutes, everything became clear to him. It was like an epiphany and now he knew what he was going to do with his life. Edward Wingate wanted to become a pimp.
The next couple of weeks Edward practically lived on the whore stroll between 26th and 27th streets. Pretty Ricky and Silky took him under their wings and taught him the game. Edward caught on fast, and the women were in love with the swagger of the new kid on the block.
Edward met dozens of women with legitimate jobs by hanging on the strip and in the park. He had sex with some of them and they enjoyed spending their money on Edward. They bought him clothes and lots of expensive gifts, but none sold their body for him. He was still not a practicing pimp yet. His mentors often teased him about him getting lunch money from these squares and constantly reminded him that, “There was no better money than ho’ money.” Rick and Silky would enjoy flashing their fat knots of cash in his face while laughing at him.
One night, Edward arrived early on the stroll. He decided to swing by the park and score some weed then meet up with his mentors. He walked through the park but didn’t see his regular dealer, Jamaican Steve. Edward was about to leave when he saw a familiar face.
“Miss Branch is that you?”
Edward’s ex-science teacher looked up and smiled on seeing her favorite ex-student.
“What’s up, Edward? Damn you look good. What have you been up to?”
“I’m just doing my thing, Miss Branch. What have you been doing with yourself?”
Miss Branch stood up and hugged Edward then she spoke, “Well, after I got fired, I’ve been looking for work ever since. The Department of Education has me on their black list. I can’t get a job teaching anywhere.”
Bells instantly went off in Edward’s head. He smiled at the very beautiful woman. Her hair dyed blond and her soft brown eyes greeted him.
“If you’re not doing anything right now… How about we getting something to eat and talking?”
Miss Branch looked at Edward suspiciously and asked, “Talk about what, cutie?”
Edward gave her his award-winning smile b
efore saying, “Talk about gainful employment and building your assets with those assets. Let’s roll, baby doll.”
Miss Branch took to prostitution like spider to a web. She was born to fuck for that paper. In a New York minute, Edward Wingate was transformed to Ed Lover, junior pimp.
Ed’s new moneymaker turned out to be not only a freak, who couldn’t get enough dick, she also loved to eat pussy. Before he knew it, Miss Branch’s experienced tongue acquired Ed three new thoroughbred for his whores’ stable. In a matter of weeks, Ed Lover became one of the hottest Macks on the circuit. His success brought on jealousy. His Pimpology instructors started noticing their trap money getting lighter and attributed this to their student’s sudden rise.
“This little nigga really think he’s the fucking man, Silky.”
“Word, I’ve been checking out his movements. This cat’s on a real paper chase.”
Strutting down Madison Avenue, Ricky and Silky were discussing their endangered monetary units.
“Listen, baby boy, one thing for certain and two things for sure—when my money gets funny and my change gets strange, big poppa gets emotional. I think it’s time young blood gets demoted real decent like,” Ricky said.
“Indeed,” Silky smiled, while co-signing Ricky’s thoughts.
The two pimps walked upstairs to one of the hotel rooms they used as a hangout while their ladies were hard at work. Edward was already there sipping lemonade while smoking marijuana. Ricky handed a small package to Edward.
“What’s this, baby,” Ed Lover asked Ricky.
Ricky looked at Silky then he glanced back at Edward who was examining the small package.
“Cocaine, young stud… All the players get mellow from time to time,” Ricky answered and showed Edward a dollar bill filled with powdered coke.
He gave Silky a straw and the veteran pimp took a hit. Inhaling the white powder, the pimp eased his head back and sighed.
“Your turn Lover,” he said, handing the straw to Edward.
Ed Lover looked at the bill then at his mentors. He hesitated momentarily, but took the bill. He did not want to act like a square in front of these two men who he looked up to. Ed took his first hit of cocaine, and he loved it. The plan worked just as Ricky and Silky hoped it would. In less than two weeks, they had Ed Lover sniffing coke day and night.
“Baby, you got to get your shit together,” Miss Branch said.
She was now known as Princess. The former schoolteacher, turned bottom-ho, was up in the hotel room trying to talk some sense into her man, Ed Lover. Her former science student turned pimp had developed a studious addiction to cocaine. It rendered him totally inept at the life. The habit proved difficult to shake and made Edward a failure.
Lately Ed Lover had started to neglect his ladies, his hygiene, resulting in his grades to fall-off and spilled over to his appearance. These were areas that were most crucial to his aura. Ed Lover’s lack of efforts was becoming detrimental to his earning potential. He was doing nothing to ensure his survival. After losing four girls out of his stable, Ed Lover started seeing that he was not in control.
Two of them chose to roll with Silky and two others were busted. They were released and ran back to their small country towns. His world was falling down around him.
“You just up in this room sniffing that shit!” Princess angrily shouted.
The high walls of cocaine haze prevented Ed Lover from seeing her or hear what Princess was doing in a last ditch attempt at saving him. It was difficult for him to give up snorting. She stayed by his side, and tried to keep his declining business afloat. Even a dedicated, well-trained bottom ho’ needed the education, reeducation and constant instructions from her pimp.
“I can’t keep making excuses for you, Ed. These bitches need to see their daddy dressing up and on point. They need to know you’re still emotionally strong and on top of your pimp game. Otherwise I’m afraid all these other pimps out there with game will pull them all away from you, Ed.”
Chapter 05
“Bitch, is this all the money you made last night?” Ed Lover raised his hand to reprimand his one and only whore, but decided against it.
Ever since Ed Lover, formerly Edward Wingate, had been strung out on powder cocaine, his stable of women workers had been downsized to one aging, lazy and nearly toothless employee. Princess was still his bottom ho and tried to keep Ed’s business intact, but his love for cocaine outweighed his love for the game. Eventually she too went freelance on him. Seated in a raggedy hotel room in midtown Manhattan, Ed Lover counted his dwindling bankroll.
“Two hundred dollars, that’s all you made for an entire night on the track?” Ed said, scolding his worker.
“I’m sorry, daddy, but tricks for some unknown reason weren’t coming through tonight. It was crazy hot out there,” his ho’ replied.
Ed Lover watched his sole surviving whore getting busy, trying to cuddle up in bed next to him.
“Bitch what you doing? Go wash your ass before you get in this bed. You done fucked all night and sucked a bunch of dicks. Go neutralize that funk.”
His final ho’ looked at her decaying pimp with disgust all over her face. Ed Lover was turning into a real disgrace, and she started hatching her plan to leave him like the rest.
Coco came out of the shower and she crawled into bed with Ed. Wanting loving from her pimp, she snuggled next to him. Unluckily for her, Ed had been sniffing coke all night and his sex drive had diminished. Disgusted, she rolled over and closed her eyes.
The following night was Friday and the track was jumping. Ed dragged himself out of the hotel and limped to the stroll in order to see what was what. Most of his colleagues were out in furs, minks, flossing jewelry and getting their Mack on.
They all seemed to be staring at Ed and snickering at his raggedy appearance. Ed saw how Princess and the rest of his rouge ex-workers were running up to cars. They were hustling hard for other pimps. After locating his only source of income and giving her a five a.m. curfew, Ed went back to his room and his habit. About seven in the morning, Ed lover was awakened by a knocking on the door.
“Bitch, where’s your key?” he shouted at the door.
Angrily Edward got up, stomping to the door, and opening it. It wasn’t his ho at the door. To Ed’s surprise it was Princess standing outside his door. Even though she had deserted his stable, he smiled when he saw her.
“Hey, Princess, what a pleasant surprise this is. Please enter, Miss Branch,” he gladly welcomed.
She entered the dirty, foul-smelling room, and a frown immediately appeared.
“I’m not staying, Ed. I just wanted to pull your coat to that grimy, scandalous bitch you got. She picked a trick’s pocket, and scored almost five grand from him. She was supposed to bring that trap money straight up here to you. But I can see she didn’t. Ed, I’m telling you, you better find that ho before she spends all your dough.”
Miss Branch looked at Ed to see his response to her news. She saw evil in his eyes. He didn’t say a word, Ed threw on his worn out fox fur coat, and walked out the room. He searched for days but came up empty. Every time he went by one of the ho’s hangouts, he would just missed her.
Everyone he spoke to told him she was spending money like there was no tomorrow. Finally, he ran into her on 47th Street. She was coming out of a jewelry store admiring a diamond ring she just bought. She was into her new purchase, and didn’t notice her pimp walking toward her. When she looked up and saw Ed she damn near pissed her drawers.
“Hey, Lover, I was just—”
The words got stuck as Ed lover’s punch sent her flying into an alleyway used for garbage disposal. She tried to get up but staggered back from the blow.
“Baby, wait a minute let me explain,” she screamed.
Ed was out of his mind with rage, and got carried away with the punishment. For about five minutes, Ed punched, kicked and stomped Coco in and out of consciousness. When he finished the assault, she was almost unrecognizable.<
br />
Ed beat his only ho so badly not because she ran off with his money, whores run off every day. Most people believe Ed was really angry and frustrated with himself for letting an addiction ruin his livelihood. He just took it out on the next available person. Ed Lover’s problem with his addiction was not his only concern.
A crowd gathered at the entrance to the alley. On seeing the condition the victim was in, a passerby ran to get a police officer. Ed was arrested for first degree assault and held without bail. He was taken to Rikers Island where he conferred with his court appointed lawyer.
“Three years, I have to do three years for beating up my property,” Ed fumed at his Jewish mouthpiece.
“Mr. Wingate, you beat Miss Sanders to a pulp, and she is pressing charges. There are dozens of witnesses that will testify they were present during the assault. Please, sir when you go to court, don’t refer to Miss Sanders as your property, for your own good.”
Ed Lover’s hand was forced, either cop out to three years, or face ten years if he went to trial and blew. Ed made a decision.
At Downstate Correctional Facility, Edward received his state identification number and was issued his greens. He was classified and designated to be incarcerated at Elmira Correctional Facility in upstate New York. Ed arrived at the facility and was an instant attraction. Several inmates serving long stretches fell in love when they saw the new, handsome inmate. Ed felt eyes following him as he walked to his cell. The situation made him nervous.
The first year in the facility was rough. He was constantly involved in fights with other inmates for disrespecting him about his looks. He went to the hole and was in segregation for six weeks, on three different occasions. When Ed was released the third time, he was smelling bad and decided to take a shower before chow. He got into the shower room and heard footsteps entering the outer hall area. When he turned around, he saw three unfamiliar inmates smiling behind him.
“Fuck or fight baby! What’s it gonna be?” one of the men demanded, grabbing his crotch.
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