by Lady Onyxx
After doing hours of investigation Sonnet was once again hit with a dose of reality. Tyler had stolen this man’s identity. She shoved a stick of gum in her mouth to help kill her urge to vomit. Every dime she had to her name was given to a complete stranger.
“What the fuck was I thinking? Who the hell was I fucking?” she sobbed. She couldn’t believe that she had been played. Not only didn’t she know Tyler’s real name, she had no idea where he lived or even any of his friends. She tried her best to think back to the night at the club to see if she could remember anyone he was hanging with that night. But the truth was he was rolling solo.
“I done slipped big time. How the hell did I miss that shit?”
Sonnet sat silently weeping as she looked around her room at the beautiful décor, her massive shoe and boot collection, and clothes with the tags still on them. None of that meant shit without any money in the bank. True enough she could probably hit a few licks to tide her over till the next loser came along to help her build her money back up. However it was going to be rough without Kenterris in her corner.
“Fuck you Tyler! Or whatever the hell your name is!” She screamed as she smashed one of her perfume decanters onto the marble floor. “What am I gon’ do now?”
Meanwhile in the Dominican Republic
“Hello! Kenterris it’s me man, Rayquan!”
“What up nigga! Did you make a clean break?” Kenterris asked, judging by the excitement in Rayquan’s voice he had.
“Hell yeah! I did exactly what I said I was gon’ do when I called you. After that bitch gave me ALL her money, do you hear me man ALL of her money, I hurried up and got me a ticket for the DP. Man it’s some fine ass hoes over here! I wasn’t expecting the bitch to cave in that quick but them checks had her ass wide open.”
“Damn fool you in The Dominican Republic?” Kenterris laughed and put Rayquan on hold. He paged his secretary and told her to hold all calls until further notice. That bitch Sonnet had finally got what was coming to her and he didn’t want to miss one grimy detail. After biting the tip off of one of his Cuban cigars he lit it up and put Rayquan on speakerphone.
“Say baby can I get a refill?”
“Man, what the hell are you doing?”
“Nigga I gotta thank you again! My ass laid up! I’m poolside getting turnt up! If you ever need somebody to pull off another one of them gigs I’m ya’ man….. Damn her ass is fat!”
“I don’t think I’ll be needing anything like that ever again.” Kenterris lounged back in his executive chair and puffed his cigar with complete satisfaction.
“Alright I’m just saying… and you did say I could keep the whole twenty grand right?”
“Yep, think of it as payment for a job well done. Yo’ crazy ass better be trying to save some of that loot to hold you over ‘till you get a job. Don’t blow all that shit then come back looking at me. This ain’t no revolving door.”
“Man you ain’t talking ‘bout shit! As long as I was holed up in my mommas basement? I’m ‘bout to have me some real fun!”
“Well while you havin’ fun I hope you dropped all my shit off at the house.”
“Nigga I told you followed the plan to a tee. I stopped by your house and dropped off all your clothes and jewelry with the maid just like you said. On the real, yo’ ass almost came up short on a few of them watches though.” Rayquan joked before taking another swig of his Mama Juana. “Aye sweetheart lemme get an order of that yaroa.”
“Whatever fool, you know I would have tracked you down. Anyway I just wanna thank you again for hooking a brotha up, I really appreciate it. Now finish telling me how you reeled her dumb ass in.”
Chapter 24 – Fallin’
Three months later
“Eviction notice!” Sonnet yelled as she stared at the pink slip of paper in her hand. ”I told these bastards I was gon’ try to get them the money. Damn they can’t even work with a bitch. I’m calling that damn leasing office and cussing that hoe clean out.”
“I’m sorry Miss Banks, but you were warned thirty days ago that if you didn’t respond to the first two notices that we would pursue legal action. We have been more than lenient with you.”
“I’m trying to get the money damn! Y’all can’t even work with me?”
“I’m sorry, but there is nothing else we can do.”
“No this trick didn’t just hang up on me.”
As much as Sonnet wanted to complain she had nobody to blame but herself. When she found out that she had been scammed she did nothing to prevent her current situation. As a matter of fact she hurried it along by opting to stay in her $3,600 a month condo instead of seeking a smaller dwelling with less expensive rent. She refused to apply for public assistance and working was not an option. She figured that she had made it this long without punching a clock, why should she start now?
Not only hadn’t she spoken to Aintee Maven or Aviare in months, they didn’t have a dime to contribute if she did. Things had gotten so bad that she had to resort to selling off most of her bags and shoes on Ebay. Even still it wasn’t enough to cover the rent for the current month. The little money she did make was just enough to cover the utilities and cable, put some food in the fridge, and a few trips to the salon. She insisted on keeping up her hair, brows, and lashes considering she was auditioning for her next baller. Plus she had to keep up appearances.
Everybody seemed to have disappeared when she needed them. She would kill to be back with Kenterris right about now. So far she had spoken to no one about her situation. She and Lexi had drifted apart since their last conversation and she didn’t dare let that bitch Cheron know what was going on. She had to figure out a way to get on her feet without any help from them.
As the days passed by Sonnet’s situation became bleaker with each passing moment. Not only had the Lexus been repossessed, she could get any of her usuals to fall through. The dudes that would normally be there in a heartbeat either weren’t sweating her at the moment or had been snatched up by their other females.
The competition was stiff and if she didn’t keep her hand in the game she was bound to fall short, hell she already had. No one could have told her a year ago that she would be broke as hell and with no way of getting her hands on any loot. She couldn’t even roll up in her usual spots where all the niggas hung because she didn’t want to be seen pulling up in a cab. And for that matter it wasn’t like she actually had fare.
“This is some bullshit if I’ve ever seen it. I got to calm my ass down and think this thing through. I know with enough persuasion Kenterris will bring his ass over here and help me. That nigga ain’t forgot how good I worked this pussy on him.” Sonnet ranted as she finished up her bowl of cereal.
She stood in the bay window of her apartment and watched the children walking to school as well as her neighbors leaving for work. The maintenance men were manicuring the lawn and the scent of fresh cut grass was in the air.
“It’s a beautiful day today. You wanna go for a walk Gucci?” she asked the pooch who was bouncing at her feet. “Ok go get your leash, momma gon’ take you out. That’s right lemme get my ass out of here and clear my head so I can think.”
Once she and Gucci were on their way she looked around at how beautiful the upscale neighborhood really was. She had never taken the time to pay attention before because she was always in a car. And when she did let Gucci out it was only in the small area where the dumpsters were kept, most of the time she paid one of the neighbor’s kids to walk her.
“To hell with it imma swallow my pride and call this nigga.”
She scanned her phone for Kenterris’ number and dialed it. He hadn’t spoken to her in months but she had to do whatever she could to try and get him back. Based on the time he should
have just been arriving at work.
“Hello.”
“Hello? Kenterris?” Sonnet stopped walking and stood there in shock. She couldn’t believe he answered and quite frankly she had no idea what she was going to say.
“Who else would it be?” he responded sarcastically.
“I’m just glad to hear your voice. How have you been?” Sonnet replied nervously.
“I’m great! Couldn’t be better. And what about you? How are you doing?” Kenterris asked knowing full well that she had hit rock bottom and that was the reason for the call.
“I’m good…. listen baby I’ve been thinking about us. I miss you. I need to see you.”
Kenterris chucked “Oh really? You wanna see me? What happen to that baller you told me you had?”
“You know I was just talking shit cause I was mad about the time you been giving Cheron. My feelings were hurt that’s all. That nigga wasn’t nobody to me. I been kicked his ass to the curb. He wasn’t you… and you know he wasn’t laying the dick like you…” Sonnet cooed hoping to soften him up a bit.
“That’s not how I heard it. If memory serves me correctly you told me the dick wasn’t shit, I paid for another nigga’s baby to be aborted, and me and my fat bitch could kiss your ass.”
“Baby you know I was just playing… like I said I was just mad. I don’t ever want any bad blood between us.”
“Oh it ain’t… everything is all good,” Kenterris smiled and nodded. “Me and my WOMAN ‘bout to live happily ever after. Bye Sonnet.”
“Damn that felt good!” Kenterris thought as he hung up the phone then deleted Sonnet’s number.
“Ain’t this some shit? Well fuck you then nigga! I don’t need you! I don’t need nobody!” she screamed and rolled her eyes at the people walking by staring. “What the hell y’all looking at?” Come on let’s go home Gucci.”
Once Sonnet bent the corner on her street she was met with chaos. There was a crowd forming in front of her condo. When she got closer she realized that her belongings were being thrown in the street.
“What the hell is going on!” She yelled as she attempted to shoo away the gawkers that had started to congregate. “What the fuck are y’all staring at? Get out of here!”
She was torn between trying to stop the men who were cleaning out her home and trying to stop the spectators who were now actually looking through her belongings. Her entire life was about to be put out on the street and there was nothing she could do about it.
“Imma kill that bitch in the leasing office,” she raged and stormed towards the entrance, only to be met by two police officers.
“I’m sorry ma’am but you cannot enter the premises.” They handed her the court’s order of eviction and blocked the entry, only stepping aside when the movers needed to exit with another load.
Sonnet fell to her knees sobbing as she watched her sofa, love seat, then her bed being tossed on the lawn. She thought she would die from embarrassment. She was completely mortified.
“Get away!” She frantically shooed away people who were now pulling up their cars and loading their trunks.
When it was all said and done everything she owned was tossed outside like garbage. She had no other choice but to call someone for help.
“Lemme call Lexi. I know she’ll come and get me.”
“Hello.”
“Hey girl it’s me. Imma need you to pick me up I got put out?” Sonnet cringed with each word that passed through her lips but what choice did she have? She was sitting outside on a pile of clothes without a dime to her name.
“Put out? What the hell you talking about girl?” Lexi hadn’t heard from Sonnet in months. It was just like her to call when she needed something. “I don’t have the car, Darius has it. How did you get put out?”
“That bitch ass Tyler ran off with my loot!”
“Tyler? You mean that ballin’ nigga you was screwing? What you mean he ran off with yo’ loot?”
“Girl the nigga was running a scam the whole time. He stole somebody’s identity. I don’t even know what his real name is. I fucked around and gave him all the money I had in the world. I was trying to get my loot built back up before it came to this but I haven’t had any luck. Look, I’m sitting outside with my shit. I don’t have time to chit chat, you coming to get me or what?” Sonnet was fuming. She was trying to reach out to Lexi for help and here she was asking for a damn explanation.
Lexi sat with her hand covering her mouth. She could not believe what she was hearing.
“Damn girl so you gave all yo money to a complete stranger? What the hell was you thinking? You didn’t stop to check the niggas credentials at all?”
“Look I said I fucked up ok? I need a ride, and see if you can find somebody with a truck for my shit. Oh yea, Imma need to crash with you for a while.”
Lexi was immediately put off with the demanding tone in Sonnet’s voice. Granted she was in a bind but this wasn’t the first time she had called her with some bullshit. Before she knew it she was flooded with memories of each time she was in trouble and Sonnet was nowhere to be found. And quiet as it was kept; she felt some kind of way about letting her up in the house with her man.
Darius was staying over almost every night. The last thing she needed was Sonnet all up his face, walking around the house half naked. Hell if she did it to Cheron what would make her any better? There was a time when she wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but she had finally had enough of Sonnet’s bullshit. She was just going to have to get one of her many niggas she bragged about to help her out this time.
“I’m sorry girl, but like I said Darius got the car. And I really don’t have room…..” she was about to finish when Sonnet cut her off.
“Ugh! So you still with that nigga? And he got your car? You know what never mind. I don’t why I even called you.”
And that was it, without even a goodbye she hung up in Lexi’s face. She had no other choice but to call Cheron. She had a sinking feeling that if she messed this call up there would be nowhere else to turn.
“Hey Cheron it’s me.”
Chapter 25 – That’s What Friends Are For
Despite their differences Cheron jumped into action when Sonnet called.
“Oh my God! Honey I’m on the way, just stay put!”
When she arrived she jumped out of her car and gave Sonnet a huge hug. The tears fell freely from Cheron’s eyes as she looked around at all of Sonnet’s belonging strewn about.
“Sweetie, why didn’t you call me before things got to this point? You know I would have been there for you?”
“I know you would have,” Sonnet sniffled. “I was just too ashamed to admit I needed help.”
“We all need help sometimes. You know we like family. Come on and get in the car, you can put Gucci in the back seat.”
After Sonnet sat in the car for a few moments to gather her wits and thank Cheron for coming they got out and began stuffing the vehicle with as much as it would hold. Once the car couldn’t hold anymore they got back in to wait for Cheron’s brother Larry. She had already called him when she was on the way to tell him to bring his pickup truck with the trailer attached.
When the sun went down that evening Sonnet had a place to lay her head.
“I really appreciate this Cheron, more than you know. And thanks for not judging me. I know that was some stupid shit I did.”
“Girl we all have done something in life we regret. I just hope that you have finally learned your lesson. Now I know this isn’t how you are used to living but I will try my best to make you feel comfortable. Just make yourself at home. And feel free to help yourself to anything you see in the refrigerator. I have some
leftover Spaghetti and garlic bread from yesterday if you want some.”
“Yes! That sounds delicious.” Sonnet was beyond excited to finally take a hot shower and eat a good home cooked meal. This had been a horrible day and she was completely drained.
After wolfing down two plates of spaghetti Sonnet hopped in the shower then made her way to the den. Cheron had made the couch up for her as well as placed one of the phone extensions in the room. There was a 42-inch flat screen as well as extra pillows and blankets.
“What the hell I look like sleeping on the couch? Damn since she invited me in I was hoping she had a guest room with a bed,” Sonnet grumbled to herself as she slid under the comforter.
“You ok in here? Let me know if you need anything,” Cheron asked before turning in for the night.
“Nah I’m good, thanks.”
Sonnet woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon and fresh coffee. Lord knows she couldn’t wait to dig into a nice breakfast. Since she had fell on hard times all she was eating were graham crackers and cold cereal for breakfast.
“Good morning, I was just about to come and get you. Breakfast is ready if you want some.” Cheron greeted Sonnet as she stepped out of the bathroom.
“Damn it smells good. Lemme let Gucci out and I’ll be right there.”
When Sonnet settled at the kitchen table she was met by a colorful fruit salad and fresh squeezed orange juice.
“Help yourself to the fruit salad. Bacon and eggs are coming up.” Cheron smiled and handed her friend a glass for her juice. “So, how did you sleep?”
“Like a baby, I must have been exhausted cause I was knocked out as soon as my head hit the pillow,” Sonnet replied as she proceeded make herself a bowl of fruit.
“I can only image, after all you been through I’m surprised that you stayed up as late as you did. Here you go.” Cheron placed a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and a croissant in front of Sonnet. “You want grape jam or blackberry preserves for your croissant?”
“I’ll take the grape jam. This smells delicious!” Sonnet couldn’t wait to dig into the hot plate of food. Cheron offered her seconds and she didn’t decline.
