A Trillion to One

by Chenell Parker

  “Where are we going?” Amore asked while changing the subject.

  “I need to pick up some money and we’re going back home. We’ll probably be inside the entire weekend bagging up all that shit that you have to cook,” Viper replied. He’d gone to reup the day before and he had a lot of work to do before he could start distributing his product.

  “I’m hungry,” Amore said.

  “We’ll grab something to eat before we go back inside,” Viper replied.

  “I feel weird Vaughn. Like, something is not right,” Amore said.

  “Come on Amore. Don’t start with that dumb shit bruh. Damn man. Every time you say that, I have a fucked up day,” Viper replied with a frown.

  “I be right though. The last time I said that, Logan got robbed and you would have too if I wouldn’t have called you to come inside. That sixth sense ain’t no joke,” Amore noted

  She remembered having that same eerie feeling the night that she met Viper and Ms. Ruby. When she told her cousins, they brushed her off because she was always saying the same thing. They were scared to admit that Amore was always right whenever she had those feelings.

  “Yeah, I know. You’re my four leaf clover. That’s why I never leave home without you,” Viper said as he leaned over the seat and kissed her.

  Once he picked up all of his money from various places, Viper stopped to get Amore something to eat. They went back home and she ate as he got everything ready for them to get to work. Ms. Ruby was at a physical therapy session and then she was going to bingo at the senior citizen center that she frequented. Once Amore finished cooking up everything, she was ready for a break.

  “I’ll be right back. I’m going to the mail room,” Amore said as she grabbed his keys and left the apartment.

  Both her cousins had told her that they wrote her a letter and she wanted to get them. As soon as Amore opened the door to the mailroom, she spotted Ciara standing there reading over her mail. She looked shocked when she saw Amore and the smile that she plastered on her face was anything but genuine.

  “Hey girl. What’s been up?” Ciara asked.

  “Shit, I should be asking you that. You’ve been acting kind of distant lately. What’s good?” Amore asked.

  “It’s nothing personal Amore but Logan thinks it’s for the best,” Ciara replied.

  “What’s for the best?” Amore questioned.

  “He thinks we need to chill out from hanging for a while. Viper got in his ear and he went off on me. Nigga said I’m fucking up his money and his business. I guess your man got in his feelings when he got busted with his side bitch that last time. He got Logan thinking that I was trying to be messy and shit,” Ciara replied.

  “It’s all good Ciara. Maybe us falling back from each other really is for the best. I never had friends for a reason. I hate bitches who pillow talk with their nigga and tell all my business anyway,” Amore snapped.

  “What are you talking about Amore? I never told Logan anything about you,” Ciara swore.

  “Yeah, I hear you,” Amore said as she grabbed her mail and walked away. She got on the elevator and made sure the door was closed before Ciara could try to get on with her. When she got on their floor, she spotted Logan coming out of his apartment.

  “What’s good Amore?” Logan spoke.

  “You told your girl to move around, so you need to do the same. We don’t have to be friends just because you do business with Vaughn,” Amore noted.

  “Huh? What are you talking about girl? I never told Ciara no shit like that. You already know that it’s all love with us,” Logan replied.

  “Yeah, okay,” Amore said with an attitude.

  “You shouldn’t even want to be friends with a bitch like that anyway,” Logan said as she walked into her house and slammed the door. Amore didn’t know what he meant by that and she really didn’t care. Ciara was his girl, so she couldn’t have been all that bad.

  “What’s wrong?” Viper asked when he saw the scowl that was on Amore’s face.

  “Nothing. Come on and let’s get this shit done,” Amore replied as she sat next to him and grabbed a few bags.

  Viper wanted to snap on her but he had more important things to do. Amore was in a foul mood and he didn’t have time to be fighting with her all night. They started weighing and bagging up his dope and about three hours later, they were done. Amore grabbed the duffle bag and put everything inside, right as Viper answered his phone. Amore sat down and read the letters from her cousins as she tuned out his conversation.

  “Yeah, I’m home. Come through,” Viper said before he ended the call.

  “Who was that?” Amore asked.

  “Nobody that you know. I just sold half of this shit already. Light me up something to smoke baby. And I want you in the room when that nigga gets here,” Viper said as he got up from the sofa. He didn’t want another nigga all up in her face, so she needed to disappear.

  Viper took some of the drugs that they’d just bagged up and put them on the table. Amore finished reading her letters before she got up to grab his lighter. A few minutes later, she heard what sounded like knocking outside of their apartment door. She was just about to tell Viper that his guest had arrived but she never got the chance. Their apartment door came crashing down in a matter of seconds, right before armed policemen rushed into their house.

  “Get down! On the floor now! Hands where we can see them!” the officers yelled as they pointed their weapons at Viper and Amore.

  “Ahh!” Amore screamed when one of the officers grabbed her by her arm and slammed her onto the floor.

  “The fuck man! You don’t have to handle her like that!” Viper yelled out angrily before he was slammed right next to her.

  “Who else is in the house?” one of the men yelled out. When they didn’t answer, a few of the officers walked through the house with their guns leading the way. Amore was happy that Ms. Ruby wasn’t home. They would have given her a massive heart attack if she was.

  “We’re all clear!” someone shouted from the back of the house.

  “Damn. I see our tip wasn’t bogus this time around. They got enough shit in here to make sure they don’t see daylight for a very long time,” one of the officers said excitedly. Amore started crying, but Viper didn’t show an ounce of fear.

  “Look at me, baby. You know I got you, right?” Viper said while looking at Amore.

  “Yeah,” she sniffled and nodded.

  “Don’t say shit Amore. You hear me? Not without a lawyer. Don’t open your mouth to say anything other than asking for your attorney. I got you, baby. You don’t have nothing to worry about,” Viper assured her as they were cuffed and read their rights.

  A nigga that he’d known and trusted since they were kids had set him up and he was livid. There was no other way to explain the police barging into their home the way they did. Dude was supposed to be on his way to buy something but the police showed up instead. Yeah, it was definitely a set up and Viper wanted his rat ass dead.

  Amore wanted to believe what he’d said but she just couldn’t. Besides Ms. Ruby, he didn’t have any other family that he could rely on. He had lots of friends, so maybe he could count on one of them to handle business and get them out. When they were led out of the house, Amore was so ashamed to see Ciara, Logan and all of their neighbors out front watching as everything went down.

  “What do you need me to do fam?” Logan asked as he looked over at Viper.

  “Look out for my grandma bruh. I’ll call you as soon as I can make a phone call,” Viper promised.

  “I’m scared Vaughn,” Amore whispered as they walked away. It felt like she was going from one prison to another and she was terrified. At least she knew what she was getting with Viper. She didn’t know what awaited her now.

  “Don’t be scared baby. I got you,” Viper assured her as they were led out of the building.

  The first person he saw was Bum, the nigga who he went to elementary school with and made the mistake of trusti
ng. He was definitely living up to his name but it was all good. Bum looked like he was confused about what he was seeing, but Viper wasn’t buying into the act. He smiled at Bum but it was anything but friendly. That nigga was bold as fuck to even show up there knowing what he had done. It was all good with Viper, though. All he had to do was say the word and his connect, Skip, would make sure that Bum was never a problem for anyone else.

  “No matter what happens, promise that you’ll wait for me, Amore,” Viper pleaded as he looked over at her. He knew without a doubt that he was going to get time but Amore was a first-time offender.

  “I promise.” Amore nodded and sniffled.

  “I love you, baby, and remember what I said Amore. They’re gonna try to break you, but do exactly what I told you to do. You want a lawyer and that’s all that you need to say,” Viper instructed before he was placed into the car.

  He was absolutely right about that and they did try to break Amore. She thought that they would leave her alone once she asked for a lawyer but they taunted her in that interrogation room all night. They were asking where Viper got his dope from and who all he sold it to. Amore knew all there was to know about what he did but she didn’t say a thing. Viper let her in on everything pertaining to his business, but she didn’t open her mouth. When they saw that she was dozing off and not talking like they wanted her to, Amore was led into the holding cell with about five other women. She sat on the bench and made herself as comfortable as she could. After a while, she drifted off to sleep, not knowing what was going to happen to her.

  When she woke up a few hours later, Amore was in the cell all by herself. She thought she heard someone calling her name but she was probably just dreaming.

  “Walters!” a tall, heavy female guard yelled as she unlocked the cage where Amore was at.

  “Yeah, that’s me,” Amore said as she stood up and stretched.

  “No shit. You’re the only one in here. Let’s go. Your attorney is here to see you,” she replied as she roughly grabbed Amore’s arm and pulled her down the hall.

  “I can walk. Don’t be trying to manhandle me,” Amore snapped as she jerked away.

  “Try that shit again and I’ll mace your pretty ass,” the guard snarled as she grabbed her arm again. She opened the door to the same room that Amore had been in when she first got there and shoved her inside.

  “Hi Amore. My name is David Bradshaw and I’ve been retained to represent you,” the man said as he extended his hand.

  “Hi. When do I get out of here?” Amore asked as she shook his hand.

  “One thing I won’t ever do and that’s lie to you,” her attorney assured her.

  “What does that mean?” Amore questioned.

  “You and Vaughn got caught with a lot of dope and money, but that’s not even the worst part of it all. Vaughn tried to take the blame to get you off the hook but that’s not likely to happen,” Mr. Bradshaw revealed.

  “Why not?” Amore asked.

  “Apparently, y’all have been under surveillance for the past few weeks. They know that you’re not as innocent as he’s trying to make it seem,” Mr. Bradshaw noted.

  “They obviously weren’t watching us too hard. If they were, they would know all the answers to the questions that they keep asking me,” Amore said in aggravation.

  “I honestly believe that someone else was watching and reporting back to the police. That’s how most people get caught,” Mr. Bradshaw said.

  Just then, Amore thought about whomever it was that Viper was talking to before the police broke down their door. Viper told her that it was someone that she didn’t know but he was obviously responsible for what happened. She hated when Viper let people come to their house but he had to learn that lesson the hard way.

  “Just tell me what’s up. I already know that it’s bad,” Amore sighed.

  “This is your first offense, so I’m gonna try my best to get you off. Some of these judges like to make an example out of people but I’m hoping that this is not one of those times. Vaughn has a few charges for drug possession already, so it might not be that easy to do for him. Hopefully, we can get you a slap on the wrist since you’ve never been down this road before,” Mr. Bradshaw said.

  It took another month before Amore finally got into court and a slap is exactly what she got. It wasn’t on the wrist though. It was a slap right to her face when the judge sentenced her to five years and gave Vaughn eight. Amore was sick, mentally and physically, when she was led out of the court room. The attorney assured her that he was going to appeal their sentences and continue the fight. Amore heard him but she wasn’t holding her breath. Once again, she had no faith in a system that continuously let her down since she was a child.

  “I ’m gonna miss you, boo. You better make sure you call me and answer the phone whenever I call you,” Stacy said as she gave Amore a tight hug.

  After spending a little over two years in jail, Amore was released to a halfway house to finish out the rest of her newly obtained three year sentence. Her attorney did all that he could but getting her off completely was almost impossible. In the end, her sentence was converted from five years to three and Viper was given five. He wrote Amore all the time but she never responded to any of his letters. She was so happy to be rid of him, even if she did have to go to jail to do it.

  Thankfully, Ms. Ruby was in an assisted living facility. With the help of Stacy, she had come to see Amore a few times and that made both women happy. Ms. Ruby looked great and she was getting around even better and no longer needed a cane. She loved the facility that she lived in because it allowed her to be independent but also receive help if she needed it. She was heartbroken when she learned what happened to Amore but she was happy to know that she was okay. Sadly, when she got back home the night that everything happened, the neighbors had already ransacked the house and taken most of their belongings.

  “You know I can never forget about you,” Amore assured Stacy as she hugged her just as tight.

  Stacy was a Godsend and Amore was happy to have met her. She was the counselor at the halfway house and she liked Amore immediately after meeting her. Amore reminded Stacy of herself in so many ways. Stacy had been through a lot in her forty years but she pushed through just like Amore did. She grew up in a house with a drug addicted mother but she had older siblings to rely on. Amore was even stronger than she was because she had to do it all alone. Stacy became a mother at only fifteen years old and that made things even harder. Her son was her motivation and just what she needed to do something with her life. Thanks to Stacy, Amore had a job as a waitress in a nearby restaurant and she was second on the list to receive a government funded apartment. While locked up, Amore obtained her GED and she couldn’t be happier. Stacy tried encouraging her to go to college, but school just wasn’t Amore’s thing.

  Her first few months in jail were rough but she made it through. She was the new girl so, of course, all the other inmates wanted to try her. Amore remembered something her uncle told her when she was young and being bullied in school. He told her to find the strongest one in the group and beat her ass in front of all the others. While in jail, that was exactly what Amore had done. She got the supposed leader of the clique and beat the dog shit out of her. When everyone saw that, they left Amore alone and she did the rest of her time in peace. Skip was so grateful to them for keeping it real that he made sure to put money on their books every month. He knew that if Viper or Amore had said anything, he would have gone down right with them. To show his appreciation, he made Bum a distant memory and made sure that they were straight.

  “I’m gonna stay on top of things to make sure you get your apartment too. I’m sure you don’t want to be staying with your cousin forever,” Stacy said.

  “I do want my own place but I don’t mind. Chanell is like my sister,” Amore noted as she packed the last of her belongings.

  Chanell had been home for a while and she and AJ had an apartment together. They assured her that she could s
tay there as long as she wanted to and Amore appreciated them. Dallas had been released too, but she had just gone back in about six months ago. They were happy that she was locked up in New Orleans so that they would be able to visit her. She was scheduled to be released in a few more months and she too would be living with Chanell. Amore was hoping to be gone by then though. She was saving up her paychecks and tips just for when the time came. Stacy helped her out with some clothes but she still needed more. She even purchased Amore a phone as a welcome home gift and she appreciated her help.

  “Come on, so you can get out of this hell hole. And we’re going out the minute you have some free time. My nephew is always promoting parties at different clubs. And don’t worry about clothes or nothing else. I’ll take care of it,” Stacy assured her.

  “Shit, just say the word and I’m there,” Amore replied.

  She and Stacy gathered all of her belongings and made two trips carrying everything to the front. When Chanell and AJ pulled up, Amore was too excited to see them. Chanell came to visit her every week but it was different now. Amore was happy that she would finally be able to leave with her.

  “Cousin! I’m so fucking happy right now!” Chanell screamed as she ran up and hugged Amore. It felt like a family reunion, but Dallas was the only one missing.

  “The fuck is all this junk?” AJ joked as he pointed to the three milk crates that Amore had sitting on the ground.

  “Don’t play nigga. That’s my prized possessions,” Amore said as she walked over and gave him a hug. Stacy had met Chanell and AJ before, so she spoke to them both before helping them load Amore’s belongings into the car.