by Sa'id Salaam
“Bout to go get a cut.” He announced. Cameisha looked at his relatively fresh hair cut and nodded.
“Ok baby.” She replied. It was slightly odd but she knew he wasn’t about to go see a chick, not after that. Plus it was only 7 am.
Trigga remember his son when he rushed through the living room and saw him sleeping soundly. The thought of making the introduction before leaving crossed his mind but he shrugged it off. The way she was batting her eye she was probably sleep already. Besides, she a bright girl. She’d figure it out.
Chapter 28
Cameisha woke up again not long after Trigga left and hopped in the shower. She washed away what she could of what Trigga left in her. She enjoyed sex without condoms but could do without the box full of semen.
“I’m way too young to be thuggin like this.” Cameisha sang as she breezed naked through the living room into the kitchen.
She sang, danced and shimmied as she fixed herself some breakfast. As she cracked eggs into a bowl, she suddenly felt like she was being watched. A little boy snicker caught her ear and she spun around.
“Oh my God!” Meisha screamed when she saw the elated child staring back at him. Lil Trigga couldn’t be more happy at his first strip show. Meisha scrambled to cover her breast and crotch with her hands. She ran past and covered her ass on the way to her room and grabbed her phone.
“I assume you met my son?” Trigga laughed when he took his girls frantic call.
“Yup, gave his lil ass and a table dance too, so you owe me twenty bucks.”
“I’m getting off cheap cuz you worth the world to me.” He said sincerely. A dense silence filled the space following the comment.
“I love you too Trigga.” Meisha pushed pass her smile.
“Too? I ain’t even said nothing.” Trigga replied.
“Yeah you did nigga. Admit it. You love me.” She insisted.
“Hey, I’m at the barbershop. I gotta go…but you right, I do.” He admitted and clicked off the line.
“Hey lil Trigga… can’t believe they actually named you that.” She smiled then grumbled under her breath.
“Heyyyyy!” Lil Trigga replied with another giggle. “You my daddy girlfriend?”
“I sure am Mr. Man. You got a problem with that?” She asked reaching for his sides.
“Nooo.” The child giggled and squirmed from being tickled.
“Ok, since you seen me naked it’s my turn.” Meisha said, leading him to the bathroom. “After your bath we going shopping.”
“Ummm ok.” Lil Trigga said reluctantly. He didn’t like baths but the promise of shopping won him over.
“Boy what happened to you?” She demanded when she lifted his shirt over his head. The welts and bruises had her hot already but the answer pushed her over the edge.
“My mama be beating me.” He replied with a scowl. He had identical marks on his legs and backside as well. Cameisha put him in the tub and ran for her phone.
“Jack get dressed. I’m on my way.”
****
“Who got the best cut up in this joint?” The first customer of the day asked as he walked into the empty shop.
Mark had just flipped the sign on the door when the man came in. It was as if he was laying on them to open for business.
“Can’t nare nigga on the east side see me with a pair of clippers.” Dirty D announced. The claim wasn’t exactly true but since it was his shop, Mark didn’t challenge him on it.
“You the man D.” Mark said marking the target.
“Let’s see what you talking ‘bout then.” The customer challenged and plopped down into his chair.
Dirty D put the cape around the customer’s neck and jacked his chair up. He inspected the man’s wavy hair and determined he didn’t need much cutting. Being the trash that he was, he decided he would stall him in the chair for a while then charge him full price.
“So anyway, Mark” The barber said picking up on the conversation they were having before they opened. “My nephew was damn near crying bout that lil bread.”
“That’s bad business D. That dude blessing you with 90 something percent blow and you killing them white boys with the cut.” Mark said shaking his head.
“That nigga ain’t the only nigga in the city with good coke! Oh here he go now.” Dirty D said seeing Troy’s number on his vibrating phone. “Fuck you keep calling me for?...un huh….that’s what’s up. Get it like the Red Cross then!”
“What he talkin bout.” Mark asked when his boss hung up.
“Talkin bout 'dis my last chance to pay or he gone send Trigga at me. Like he the only one got triggers. That’s my big sister lil boy, he ain’t gone do shit.”
“The sister that just died? The funeral tomorrow big sister?” Mark asked incredulously. “That crossing niggas out shit gone catch up with you.”
“No cross, no crown. Fuck em. Ain’t that right shawty?” Dirty D asked his patron.
“No cross, no crown.” The man repeated with a dry chuckle.
“Twenty bucks.” The barber announced brushing the loose hairs away and removing the apron.
“Damn shawty, you owe me seven bands and you sweating me about a funky ass dub?" The customer frowned as he stood and face him.
“Owe you? Who the fuck is you?” Dirty D demanded. He balled up his big fist as if this was a fist fight. It wasn’t. He should have pulled a gun because this was a gun fight.
“I’m Trigga from the Red Cross.” He replied pulling a 45 caliber pistol from his pants.
Dirty D opened his mouth to say something but whatever it was would have to be translated by a mind reader because Trigga blew his brains out the back of his head and on to the mirror. The man dropped so fast that the second round shot Trigga’s reflection.
Trigga lowered the cannon and turned to face Mark. He squinted at him looking for traces of snitch but couldn’t see any.
“Would you like your money? It’s in the safe.” Mark replied calmly. He felt no fear because either it was his day to die or it wasn’t.
“Actually, yes.” He decided. Trigga initially planned to write the debt off since he was dead and all. He followed Mark into the office and aimed the gun at the back of his head as he turned the knobs.
“Here you go.” Mark said stepping to the side. The first thing Trigga saw was a pistol and appreciated that the man hadn’t tried him.
Trigga counted out the seventy two hundred dollars he was owed and handed the rest to Mark.
“Sup with them white boys yall fuck with? They fuck with you?”
“The long way.” Mark cheered. He would love to have that plug. The way they were spending and moving up in weight it was a gold mine.
“Use his phone and holla at Troy.” Trigga nodded towards the corpse then turned to leave.
“Hold up.” Mark said stopping him. He went to the computer and deftly removed its hard drive. On it was a crystal clear recording of Trigga’s first murder.
“Good looking shawty. You just saved a buck an ounce!”
****
Jackie knew her friend well enough to hear the anger in her tone. She quickly traded her around the house gear for jeans, sneakers and a pistol. When Cameisha arrived, she was waiting in the living room cocked, locked and ready to rock.
“Where’s Aqua?” She demanded as she rushed in with the little boy by the hand. The poor fellows feet barely touched the ground.
“Where else?” Jackie sighed to her back as she passed. Obviously it was a rhetorical question because she was heading upstairs anyway.
Aqua still hadn’t spoke much since the murder. She looked to the door as Cameisha came in and settled her eyes on the boy. Her expression softened from blank to a smirk but still no words came.
“Aqua, I need you to watch him.” She blurted, turned and left.
“You coming back?” Lil Trigga whined like a child who has been left and neglected. First by daddy going to jail, then mama going to the club and now grandma chasing cars.
&nbs
p; “Of course I am baby. I just gotta handle something real quick then we going shopping.” Meisha purred and gave him a soothing hug that calmed him. “Now take care of auntie Aqua til I get back.”
“You strapped?” Cameisha asked feeling foolish for asking when she heard it herself.
“Where we headed?” Jackie asked ignoring the obvious. Of course she was strapped. This is Jack!
“Westside.” She replied as if that were an answer. Her foot steady pressed on the gas pedal pushing the car over 100 miles per hour.
The rest of the ride was made in silence as they both contemplated the violence to come. She wasn’t exactly sure of the address since Trigga had only pointed at his complex when he gave her a tour of his Westside Atlanta. When she found those same apartments, she whipped in and began her search. When they came across a pack of hood rats she pulled over and parked. The ghetto girls were dressed loud, smoking loud and talking even louder.
“I was like un uh! Hole up nigga. Let me see yo dick first. I ain’t finna let no lil dick nigga fuck me.” Sharika vowed as she recounted her most recent one night stand. She knew all about his dick but good thing no one asked his name because she didn’t get it.
“Ooh, I hate lil dick niggas!” One of her cronies squawked. All faces twisted into mean mugs when the two strangers marched towards them.
“A-yo who’s Sharika.” Cameisha demanded.
“I ain’t fuck yo man.” Sharika shouted, telling on herself. She had fucked so many women’s men and husbands she just assumed that’s why the angry girl was here.
“Well, actually you have but that’s not why I’m here.” Meisha replied walking up on her. When she got in range it was bombs away.
“First bitch, take one step and I’ma kill yo ass.” Jackie swore and whipped out a burner. The girls were loyal but no one wants to get shot.
Sharika ate the two piece like a snack and fired off with a biscuit that popped Meisha in the mouth. The girl was a hoe but this hoe could fight.
“That’s what I’m talking ‘bout.” Meisha smiled with a bloody mouth. “Let’s get it.”
Get it they did. The two girls traded punches like an M.M.A. bout. Cameisha ignored all of her training and fought from sheer rage. They were both taking a beating and bloody.
“Beat that bitch ass. Fuck her up. Kick her. Bite her.” Sharkia’s friends coached at gunpoint.
“Play time’s over.” Cameisha announced and rushed in. She barely ducked under a haymaker that would have put her down for a nap had it connected. She dipped low and scooped Sharika into the air, and then slammed her on her big ass hairdo.
“Dayum!” The crowd grimaced from the move.
The blow knocked Sharika out but Meisha climbed on and beat her anyway. She pulled the heavy studded belt from her waist and pummeled her about her face and body. Beat her so badly it actually woke her up. Sharika curled up into a ball to deflect the blows. Ironically, that’s the same way her kids did when she beat them.
“A-yo Meisha, let’s push.” Jackie urged. She didn’t give a fuck about the girl but a crowd was starting to gather. The only sounds to be heard was that of the whip ass she whipped her, like 12 minutes a slave.
Jackie walked over to guide her away while holding her friend at bay with the pistol. It was time to go since she didn’t have enough bullets for all of them.
“Bitch!” Cameisha spat spitting blood into her face. Jackie put her in the passenger side and came around to pull off.
“So you gonna tell me what that was about?” Jackie asked when she pulled into the driveway of the complex
“Yo, that bitch beat my son. I mean Trigga’s son.”
“You mean your son.” Jackie laughed. “Go fix your face so we can go shopping.”
Cameisha, Jackie and Lil Trigga went and tore the toy store a new one. Whatever the boy showed interest in went into the shopping cart. They stuffed his little belly and took him home where Big Trigga was waiting.
“Sup yall…fuck happened to your face?” Trigga frowned as his son jumped into his arms.
“Met your B.M.” She smiled with puffy lips.
“My bad shawty.” He said sympathetically. “I should have warned you ‘bout her. Shawty fight like a nigga.”
“She ain’t the only one.” Meisha replied. Her man still had no idea how trained to go his woman was.
“I want ca..ca… her to be my mommy.” Lil Trigga demanded. He couldn’t pronounce Cameisha but mommy, he knew.
“We’ll see shawty.” Trigga said embarrassed. Embarrassed because he was thinking the same thing.
Chapter 29
Troy was a mess at the double funeral for his mother and baby brother. He didn’t rant and rave like his grandmother and aunts. They were having a hollering contest to see who loved them the most. Tomorrow they would do the same when they put Dirty D in the dirt where he belonged.
Trigga and Cameisha were nearby but too engrossed in their own thoughts to be helpful. Both had money on their minds while their minds were on money. Both where selling a lot of dope and stacking paper.
The freshman crop at school came with a thirst for drugs and lots of cash. Self, Bad Ass and Dasia were doing good numbers at the apartment and Jackie had the school on smash. She would only occupy her dorm room a few hours a day to handle sales. Most of her nights were spent with Ralph or occasionally at the house with the girls. Aqua was still a mute, hermit, basket case.
Keith kept a side eye glance on Rickey during the funeral. The tears he shed were real because killing the woman and teen was really fucked up.
Trigga cast an occasional glance at his brother trying to make sense of recent events. First, there was the ten grand he had to spend at the same time Cameisha’s friend had ten grand stolen. Even now he had a bunch of cash but he wasn’t selling anything. And where was his mother? She and Troy’s mother had been tight so why isn’t she here?
“You skrate shawty?” Keith finally asked Rickey. His only concern was whether or not he would be able to keep his mouth shut.
“Huh? Oh yeah. It’s just….man why you have to do that?” Rickey moaned. “Fuck!”
The outburst didn’t get much attention. It was a double funeral for two well-known and well-loved people. Keith noticed though and made up his mine.
“Me too Shawty. I hate that that happened.” Keith lied. “Say, let’s take a ride over to the east side. Got this lil hoe out there with some fiyah head.”
“Fiyah head?” Rickey repeated. Some fiyah head sure beat going out to the graveyard. “That would help.”
“Of course it would. Let’s ride.”
When the church part of the service ended everyone went to their cars to follow the twin hearses to the cemetery. Keith turned left instead of right and headed for the highway. He pushed the car lighter in and lit a blunt when it popped back out.
The blunt was passed to Rickey and he took a deep pull. He leaned back into the seat to let the smoke marinate in his system. He opened his eyes when he finally exhaled and noticed they were heading west instead of eat where the fiyah head was. He saw the murderous intentions in Keith’s face and knew he was leading him to slaughter.
“Stop and get some drank, on me.” Rickey suggested. He knew his cheap friend couldn’t pass up free drank and everyone knows a drank goes great with some fiyah head.
Keith put the blinkers on and exited the highway at the first exit. He pulled into the first liquor store he found and extended his palm. Rickey laced him with a couple of twenties and told him to get whatever he wanted.
Greed propelled him into the store where he intended to get the cheapest liquor he could find and keep the change. He bought a whole fifth of ‘fight-yo-mama’ brand gin for three dollars and another buck on orange juice. Since the liquor store advocated drinking and driving, they sold him two paper cups for a nickel each. He only needed one cup though because when Keith returned to the car, it was empty.
Rickey took off on foot the second Keith entered the store. He w
asn’t familiar with the area but ran as fast and as far as he could to put distance between himself and his murder. It was night fall when he called the only person he thought could help him.
****
“Triggaaaa!” Cameisha sang cheerfully when she took his call. The smile was short lived when he spoke.
“Look Meisha. I need to ask you something and don’t lie to me.” He demanded.
“Ok baby.” She replied meekly. Usually when a person comes at you like that they already know the truth so lying is futile. She wracked her brain as to what lie she could have told him since she pretty much kept it one hundred with him. Make that 98 because of the deception about the connect. Low and behold that’s what it was about.
“That time your girl had them ten bands stolen, what else happened?”
Cameisha let out a sigh and mumbled the rest of the story. “They killed her boyfriend Steven, unarmed in the tub.”
“I’m finna text you an address. Get your friend and put it in the GPS and get out here.”
“Now?” Cameisha whined. She had already taken a hot bath and settled down behind a good book.
“Yes now!” Trigga shouted at his woman for the first time. He didn’t like the sound of it anymore than she did and softened his tone. “Yes right now. Hurry, it’s important.”
“Yes now!” Cameisha mocked to herself as she got dressed. She complained but complied like a good woman should.
His tone suggested it was a less than formal affair so she dressed down in a pair of jeans. Had he used that low seductive tone she would have slipped on a short skirt without panties.
Cameisha got to the house and found Aqua in the same place doing the same thing. The TV was on but the sound muted. No matter since she wasn’t paying attention to it anyway.
“Come on ma we gotta go somewhere.” She advised and guided her to her feet. Aqua didn’t put up any resistance but didn’t respond either. Depression had reduced her to a sheep. If something didn’t change soon she could be stuck in that state. What good would she be to that baby taking shape in her womb? She practically had to dress the languid girl before leading her to the car.
