“Hope you reconsider,” he dryly stated before following his partner out the door. As soon as the door closed behind them, Heaven placed the two cards together and tore them up. There was no way that she was going to allow the police—or anyone else—to assist her in her pursuit of justice. This was something she intended to do on her own.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Shell, how much is that?” Sonya asked as she separated the stack of bills she possessed in her hand according to their value.
“So far, it’s nineteen grand, plus I still got all of this left,” Shell replied, holding up a monstrous knot consisting of hundreds, fifties, and twenties.
For the past two weeks, it had been all business for Sonya and Shell. Ever since Heaven had regained consciousness and said what she had, they had gone back and had been hugging the block like no other. As of lately, they hadn’t seen much of Le Le since her boyfriend had come home from prison. Both Sonya and Shell understood and were happy for their homegirl. They encouraged Le Le to spend quality time with her man while they held the block down and assured her that it would be there for her when she came back. It was Shell and Le Le who were actually the closest out of the three, but the incident with Heaven and Earth had drawn Shell and Sonya closer together in Le Le’s absence.
“Shit startin’ to pick back up since we been back out there, right?” Shell said in reference to the money flow on their block.
“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing,” Sonya replied. “Just two weeks ago, we couldn’t even make a thousand dollars between the two of us. Now look.”
“I know that block shit is crazy. Now, I see what Heaven and Earth had to go through when they first got this bitch jumping the way it was when we first came around here,” Shell said.
“I miss them,” Sonya sighed.
“Me too, mami,” Shell retorted in a similar tone.
“Damn, I can’t believe Earth is gone,” Sonya added.
Her eyes began to become mystified at the thought of the loss. It was Earth who had brought Sonya into the circle. Sonya was originally from New Brunswick, and since Earth’s hometown of Plainfield was not that far, the two had traveled in the same circle before Earth had gone to prison. They had bumped heads at the Amboy movie theater, the rink out in Bergenfield, Echo Lanes bowling alley in Mountainside, and even the Jamaican Club out in Plainfield, which led to their acquaintance back in the day. Actually, after an intense evening/early morning in the Reggae Club, partygoers would spill over into The Diner on Park Avenue in Plainfield. This was where you would find the hottest chicks and the brothers with the hottest whips posted up. This was also where you would go if you were trying to find someone to get your freak on with. That particular night, Sonya had been drinking heavily and smoking weed, and a group of dudes were there who intended to take full advantage of her condition, as they had in the past with others like her.
Despite having ridden up to The Diner with two of her girlfriends at the time, Sonya was left alone and found herself in a position that she was not coherently aware of or could get out of. That is, until Earth came to her rescue. Receiving backlash and practically being called every name in the book by the disappointed dudes, Earth successfully took Sonya up out of harm’s way, returning her back to her so-called friends, but not before she smacked one of them and punched another in the face for their neglect and abandonment of their girl.
Weeks later, Sonya had tracked Earth down and thanked her for having her back after the incident was told to her. That day led to the two of them hanging out together for the remainder of the day. Before the day was out, they had found themselves up in a motel with Sonya embraced up in Earth’s arms. That was the first and last time that Sonya had ever been with another woman and believed that would forever be Earth’s and her secret as long as she lived. Shortly after, Earth had gone to prison, and when she came home, she bumped into Sonya down in Atlantic City at The Taj Mahal. After catching up, Sonya found herself joining the team that Earth told her about where she was one of the leaders. It had been on ever since.
“Sonya, you a’ight?” Shell asked, seeing the distraught state Sonya was now in. She couldn’t have imagined the real reason behind Sonya’s emotions.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Sonya, replied. “I just can’t wait for Heaven to come home, that’s all.”
“Me neither. This week’s taken long as hell to end, and any other time, shit be flying; but don’t worry, six days from now she’ll be back with us.”
“What do you think she’s going do?” asked Sonya. “I mean, do you think she already knows or thinks she knows who did that shit?”
“If she do, she ain’t sayin’. I guess we just have to see when she gets here.”
“Who do you think it was?” Sonya asked, having her own suspicions.
“Really, it could be any muthafuckin’ body, if you think about it,” Shell replied.
“Look at all the shit we been in lately,” she reminded Sonya as she began to run it down. “That nigga, what’s his name? Twan, from Remsen with that shit that happened with Le Le. Them niggas could’ve found out who was behind that and got at ’em. Or how ’bout those two niggas that came around here that day we were shootin’ dice? You remember the nigga you cut in the face, and we were shootin’ at? Then that shit that kicked off up in Dolce’s over that stripper bitch Earth use to mess with. That was that nigga Mustafa from up Elizabeth, and you know how they get down out there. And before that shit happened at Dolce’s that day, I was up here baggin’ up some of the work with Heaven and Earth, and they was talking about some nigga Black Rock that was telling Heaven at the club something about some nigga from South Trenton. They was sayin’ how they had to find out who he was before he found them first. I should’ve asked what they was talking about, but you know how Earth used to act when it comes to a bitch being nosy.”
Shell laughed at the thought of her fallen boss’s temper. “Besides, that’s the day Earth beat Le Le’s ass, so after that, that shit went right out my mind ’cause I wasn’t tryin’a be next.”
“I feel you, girl, but out of all that shit, it gotta be one of them, or—” Sonya paused as if she had just discovered something.
“What if it wasn’t none of them?”
Shell shot her a puzzled look. “Who else could it have been?” she asked.
“I don’t know what made me think of this, but what about that chick from Plainfield Earth had been dealing with the past few weeks?”
“Who? The pretty, light-skinned one?” asked Shell, aware of whom Sonya was referring to.
“Yeah, what’s the bitch name? Melissa, right?” Sonya shot back. “I mean, come on, Shell, don’t it seem mighty strange that Earth start going back out there to Plainfield after all these years, and then, all of a sudden, this shit happens? Think about it. Not to be judging no chicks but as pretty as that red bitch was, she had to have a man or a girl, so what if some jealous ma’fucka forced her to tell him or her where to find or where to check? They probably found out she was cheating on them,” Sonya rested.
“Wow,” she expressed.
She was surprised by Sonya’s theory, but at the same time, impressed. It had never dawned on her to entertain such a thought. But it did make sense to Shell. Sonya’s assumption marinated inside her brain. “You know what, ma, you just might be on to something here,” Shell added, becoming more convinced.
“I swear to God if that shit is true, I’ma go out to Plainfield and personally push that bitch myself,” Sonya barked. She actually wanted it to be true because she needed someone to blame for the death of her partner in crime, and Melissa seemed like an eligible candidate.
“You know I’m with you all the way, mamá, but before we do anything or go flying off the handle half cocked, we gots to holla at Heaven and run it past her. See what she thinks, feel me?”
Sonya remained silent, and Shell knew what that meant.
“Sonya, you hear me? We got to holla at Heaven first,” Shell repeat
ed. “Just six more days and we can see what’s really good. Promise me you’ll be cool ’til then.”
“Uh-huh,” Sonya mumbled.
“Sonya, don’t give me that. Let me hear you promise,” Shell insisted. She wasn’t convinced that Sonya was adhering to what she had said. After a long pause and hard stare, not to mention that Shell wasn’t taking no for an answer, Sonya replied.
“Okay, I promise.”
“That’s my girl,” Shell said relieved. “Now let’s finish counting up this ’fetti so we can get out there and make some more,” she added.
“You’re right, let’s do this,” Sonya replied picking up the stack of bills she was once in the midst of counting, but rather having money on her mind at the moment, vengeance was the case.
Chapter Twenty-Two
At 7:30 in the morning, downtown Plainfield businesses were still asleep, at least for another two hours. All accept Melissa’s favorite dining spot that she frequented every day at this time before she went off to her own nine-to-five in Newark. This had been her routine for years, even before she started working for Bank of America three years ago. Although she loved breakfast, she hated to cook it, so instead, she enjoyed the tasteful cooking at the hands of her favorite morning eatery. Despite this being her favorite, Melissa sat with a blank stare as she had for the past few days at the end table in Bill’s Luncheon, waiting for the scrambled cheese and eggs, home fries, and wheat toast with a side of beef sausage. Ever since her lover’s untimely demise, Melissa hadn’t been the same. Just a week ago, she and Earth had been as happy as two lovebirds; now, her happiness had been replaced with sadness and pain. She had been an emotional wreck since the news, crying herself to sleep until her eyes became sore, and the first couple of days she had called out from work and buried herself in her own sorrow, restricting herself to her bedroom. She knew she couldn’t go on like that and survive. Besides, she was sure that Earth would want her to be strong, remembering how she expressed to her how if she was going to be her ride-or-die chick, she had to be tough. Within days, Melissa had pulled herself together for Earth’s sake and got back on track.
A smile appeared across Melissa’s face as an image of Earth lying in her queen-sized bed with hands behind her head watching her lotion up after she had just finished showering flashed in her mind. She remembered how she asked Earth, “Do she like what you see?” And how her reply was, “Yeah, but I’d like it even better if you brought it closer to me.” The thought of the passionate kiss the two had shared after that comment was a breathtaking thought. The way Earth pressed her lips gently up against Melissa’s full, luscious ones melted her heart as Earth’s tongue parted them. Melissa’s head slightly slanted at the imaginary hand she envisioned being Earth palming the side of her face the way she always did, drawing her in closer to deepen their kiss.
Melissa could feel Earth reaching between her legs and inserting her two fingers slowly inside her. Her sex moistened at the thought. She inhaled as Earth’s fingers toyed with her clit, then slid deep within the crevices of her wetness. Earth’s kiss grew stronger, and the rhythm of her fingers increased. Melissa felt herself building up as she gyrated her hips into Earth’s hand. The words, “make my pussy come,” echoing in her ear through their lip-lock sent Melissa’s body into overdrive. Her moans grew louder, and her pussy became wetter. She had reached her peak. The refreshing and pleasurable feeling was all too ready to escape, and Melissa welcomed it. She longed for the feeling, but her chain of thoughts was broken at the sound of the plate hitting the table. Standing over her was the waitress with her food. She stared up with an embarrassed expression written all over her face, hoping it hadn’t told the truth of her thoughts. The waitress flashed an unknowingly smile and backpedaled away from the table before saying, “Enjoy.”
Melissa looked around to see if anyone else might have been paying her any attention as she revisited one of her and her deceased lover’s sexual encounters. She was thankful everyone seemed to be engulfed in their own meals and conversations. Melissa wasted no time cutting into her breakfast.
She couldn’t help but notice the dampness of her panties. She shook her head and smiled.
Even in her death, Earth was still able to get her wet, she chuckled. She knew she had to scarf her breakfast down and double back home to change her thong and suit pants she was sure her juices had soiled. As she quickly ate, her meal was interrupted by the conversation taking place behind her. She was not particularly one to concern herself about another’s business, but hearing the familiar name drew her immediate attention and interest.
“That bitch had it coming to her anyway,” the female’s voice behind her responded.
“Yeah, she had the game fucked up,” another female voice joined in her best ghetto tone.
“I guess that night at The Diner, she didn’t know who she was fuckin’ with.”
“Well, she a dead bitch now,” the first voice started.
Hearing Earth’s name and the mentioning of the incident she remembered transpiring at The Diner when she and Earth had gone up there for something to eat that evening made Melissa aware of who the three females were that were engrossed in the conversation. Her heart almost skipped a beat. Could it be? She couldn’t believe sitting right behind her were the ones who had taken her lover away from her, or at least had something to do with it. Her mind went into overdrive. She knew the females Earth had beef with that night from the infamous hood rat crew from East Sixth Street, so figured the killers had to be some guys from the notorious drug block. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. During the report of the shooting, Melissa recalled the news saying someone had witnessed two motorcycles carrying two masked men each leaving the scene. Sixth Street was known for its bike riders, as well as legendary for both toting and busting their guns. To say she was speeding would be an understatement of how Melissa felt at that moment. She was by far not a gangster, but the only thing on her mind now was payback. She knew Heaven was still in the hospital, but her crew was still functioning. Melissa made a mental note before the day ended she would make a trip out to New Brunswick, but first she had two phone calls to make; one to her supervisor letting her know she needed to utilize one other personal day, and the second one to her younger cousin Mia who could assist her in her personal business. Having lost her appetite long ago, Melissa placed her normal ten dollars on the table, stood up leaving her unfinished breakfast, and exited Bill’s Luncheon.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Melissa sat on edge as she watched her younger cousin in awe loading up the two semiautomatic handguns. After she placed the call and met up with Mia at her Sandford Avenue apartment to fill her in on the situation and its details, Melissa was not surprised by her young thuggish family member’s reaction. Although she knew Mia’s main reason for agreeing to go through with what she intended to do was on the strength of the love she had for her, a portion of it also was out of the respect she had for Earth. Being a young gay female herself, not to mention an upcoming female hustler in the city of Plainfield, Mia was instantly drawn to Earth when Melissa had introduce the two. There was nothing remotely close to the attraction being sexual. Mia considered herself to be a good judge of character and dealt with people and situations based on vibe, and she had gotten nothing but good ones and had only heard good things from the streets, which confirmed her vibe when it came to Earth. Since then, the two had been keeping connected, unbeknownst to Melissa. There was no way her older cousin could have known that she held Earth in the highest regards and looked at her as a mentor not only as a female playing a man’s game, but also the game of life. Earth had schooled her on so much and dropped so many drinks on her that her mind became intoxicated each time she thought back on them. As she loaded her twin Connors, all Mia could think about was the opportunity her cousin had just given her to pay damages to her fallen street sensei. After fully loading the four clips, Mia popped one in each weapon, switched on the safety, placed them back on the
coffee table, then picked up the unlit blunt and lit it. She took a deep drag of the exotic substance.
“You want some?” Mia extended her hand as she exhaled the smoke.
“You know I don’t smoke,” Melissa declined. “What I want is for you to put some clothes on so we can go handle this ’fore I change my mind,” she then said.
“Ain’t no turning back now, cuz,” Mia spoke, taking another hit of the weed.
“We ridin’ today,” she stated becoming amped at the thought. Melissa noticed the excitement in her cousin’s light brown eyes as she stood there in a wife beater and boy shorts. Just a year ago, her cousin was attending Morgan State University in Maryland on a full basketball scholarship. Now, here it was, the long, natural, panther-tone tresses she once wore were replaced by a brush cut, her smooth caramel skin she used to envy and admire now appeared hardened and masculine. Even her shoulders had broadened. Her arms were more toned and her C-cups seemed to be a B size now. At five foot ten, dressed in men’s wear, her younger cousin could easily be mistaken for a handsome man. Where had the college student gone? Melissa wondered, because what stood before her now was a street grade, one who had majored in gangsterism. As Mia disappeared into her bedroom and reappeared with her putting on work gear, Melissa could not resist the smile she now had plastered across her face at how much Mia resembled her baby Earth.
“What?” Mia asked, already knowing.
“Nothing,” Melissa answered. “I’ll be in the car.”
“Right behind you, cuz.”
East Sixth Street Park was operating full throttle on its evening routine schedule. Once the day care center across the street from the recreational playground had closed for the day, and as the night fell, it was business as usual. The park was legendary for its basketball games back in the day thanks to one of the blocks’ fallen soldiers by the name of Gee Gee Brown who ruled the courts turf and had NBA potential had he not met with an early demise. Games played on the court could be compared to the Rucker games in New York. In memory of his name and ball handle skills, a friend of his by the name of Jabar had kept his legacy alive by starting what turned into the annual highlight at the end of each summer called The Gee Gee Brown Tournament. But on this particular evening, it was not the season of summer, rather the first sign of spring, and the players’ heavy breathing up and down the court, performing crossovers, making layups, and jumpers were not participants of The Gee Gee Brown Tournament. They were hustlers. While they competitively engrossed themselves in a full-court game, others watched and cheered from the sidelines, some indulged in drug sale activities, and a few heads nodded to the echoing sound of hip hop blaring out of a parked car. Others stood around having conversations and doing their own thing.
Heaven and Earth Page 11
