by Tysha
“Yes, Raequan will watch out for Prince. Hold my hand and follow me outside, so we can find out what happened to the lawyer you hired.”
Early the next morning, Shy sat in a small white room at the detention center with Edward Teague, Prince’s lawyer, waiting for the guard to return with Prince. Unfortunately for Prince, his lawyer was involved in a bad car accident yesterday morning, causing him to miss the arraignment. Edward was carried away from the accident with a fractured leg and was released from the hospital after receiving a cast. By that time it was late afternoon. He felt bad for not being able to represent his young client.
“You look worried and tense,” said Edward. “Don’t worry, we are going to get your family through this.”
“I pray that we do. I didn’t sleep at all last night for worrying about my baby,” said Shy as tears escaped her eyes. She swept them away as fast as she could when the door suddenly opened. The faint glimmer Prince held on to inside of him immediately lit up when he saw his mother. Since witnessing the death of his father, Prince had caused problems and given his mother heartache, but she never gave up on him. Prince loved his family more than anything but his mother was special to him. Their mother-son relationship was strong and unbreakable.
Shy rose to meet Prince halfway and embraced him with open arms.
“Are you okay, baby?” asked Shy.
“Yes, Mommy, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, ’cause you know I can take care of myself,” Prince replied with closed eyes and a heavy heart. He hated the fact that his lifestyle sometimes brought pain to his mother’s heart, but he saw no way out of the street hustle. It was in his blood.
Edward watched the touching scene between mother and son and his heart went out to them both. He too was caught up in the streets as a teenager, but being locked up when his father passed away from a stroke was enough to make him turn his life around. Understanding what was being shared between his clients, Edward sat quietly until Shy and Prince broke their embrace.
“Hello, Prince. My name is Edward Teague and your mother has retained me as your lawyer.”
“What’s up, man?”
Prince eyed his lawyer up and down, trying to size him up. Despite being draped in a tailored suit, Prince could tell the man had some street in him.
“Let’s sit down and get to business,” Edward said while pulling a chair out for Shy. “I need to hear everything about that day. And Prince?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t leave anything out. I want to know exactly what you did the day of your arrest, from the time you woke up to the exact minute you arrived here at the juvenile facility,” instructed Edward. “Everything you say will be kept in the strictest confidence.” Edward pulled a legal pad and ink pen from his mahogany-colored briefcase. “Before we begin, tell me if you’re comfortable talking with your mother in the room with us.”
“Yeah, it’s cool. My mom already knows the story,” replied Prince.
Prince went over every single minute with his lawyer and painted a very clear picture for Edward. It was evident to Shy and Edward that Prince was his own worst enemy. He had no involvement with the crime but he knew who did.
“You have to tell the judge the truth so we can get you out of here,” said Shy.
“No, I ain’t a snitch, Ma,” replied Prince.
“So you just willing do to someone else’s time for a crime you didn’t commit?” Shy asked in disbelief.
“Your mother is right,” interjected Edward. “If you are charged as an adult, this crime will follow you for the rest of your life. You are going on eighteen and facing felony status.”
“At least I will still have a life. Do you know what will happen to me in here and when I touch down on the street if I’m labeled as a snitch?”
“Prince, you have to think about your future. All this no snitching bullshit makes no sense,” cried Shy. His rationale angered Shy. Prince would have rather remained behind bars than tell the truth and be set free. “His father used to pound that ‘snitches get stitched’ bullshit all the time like it was some kind of gospel.”
“It is the gospel of the streets. I know because I used to be out there myself,” explained Edward. “I was in a similar situation when I was your age, so I understand where you’re coming from. Before you decided your fate, listen to what the prosecutor proposes. He will reduce the felony car theft charge to a simple joy ride if you agree to give them the other person involved and testify against him.”
“Hell no! Are you crazy, man? That’s a fucking death wish,” fumed Prince.
“Watch your mouth, boy,” snapped Shy. “Let the man finish.”
“Or you will have to serve six months behind bars and another six months on probation upon your release,” finished Edward.
Shy was scared for Prince. He wanted so much to be like his father that Prince made bad choices without intent. Their father/son mindsets were why Shy knew Prince was going to make the wrong decision, and she would not be able to get him out of the mess he was in.
“I’m good, man. Just let them crackers charge me as a juvie and I’ll do the six months. Shit, time in here is better than life six feet in the ground.” Prince tried to justify his decision but Shy knew it was a front.
“You sure that’s what you want to do? You can think on it for a while,” explained Edward.
“Prince, please think about this before you make a rash decision,” said Shy with tears staining her face.
“I’m sorry to put you through this, Ma, but I got to do my time,” responded Prince. “Please don’t cry.”
“But it’s not your time, baby; you will be doing somebody else’s,” reasoned Shy.
“I love you, Ma, and I’ll be home in six months.” Prince hung his head low for putting tears in his mother’s eyes. He did not know how to get her to understand the code of the streets. Being behind bars for six months for something he didn’t do was the last thing Prince wanted to do, but he was stuck and nothing his mother said could change that.
Shy reached out for her son and held him as tight as she could as he cried on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I’m so sorry. I love you,” declared Prince through tears.
“Shhh, I love you too, baby. You know Mommy got your back, no matter what.”
Chapter 13
You Know I Still Love You Girl
A month crept by slowly with Prince’s and Raequan’s absences being felt in the streets. Cherise was exhausted from trying to stay on top of her catering business and supplying her son’s hustlers with their street candy. Each day that passed was one less to count, but there was at least one more to get through. Cherise was the first to admit her many faults but eager to declare her greatest attributes; she was a natural-born hustler. It was bred inside of her to make a way out of no way. No matter what it took, Cherise got it done. Without her son to do some of the heavy lifting, all Cherise could do was hope that the next seven months would soar by at lightning speed. Raequan’s criminal record had netted him two month’s longer in jail than Prince.
The beginning of the month meant it was time for Cherise to make the two-hour drive south to visit B-Boy. With Raequan behind bars, Cherise would have to take the trip alone. The ride would give her plenty of time to work out a plan to stay on top of her game while Raequan was away. Before she could head down the highway, Cherise made a list of things to be done around the business while she was away. Cherise was happy she could depend on her assistant, Brianna to take care of things for her.
Brianna was a trustworthy employee. She helped Cherise out on a part-time basis during the school year and full time during the summer. Cherise paid Brianna well and often treated her to goodies from her lavish shopping sprees. Brianna was the only girl at her high school that carried authentic Coach and Dooney & Burke bags. Apple Bottom, Baby Phat, True Religion, and 7 were designer names that hung in Brianna’s closet. Brianna appreciated every paycheck and all of the gifts Cherise showered on her. Shoppi
ng relaxed Cherise, and being able to buy for a girl was fun for her. Raequan was her only child and picking out clothes for a boy offered little.
“Brianna, baby, it’s that time again. Are you going to be okay?” asked Cherise.
“Yes, ma’am. You know I got this,” Brianna smiled.
“I’m writing a list of things to be done while I’m gone. Everything is listed in order of importance but you’ll still have plenty of time to study for the SATs. Here are the keys, you know the code to the alarm, and you have my cell phone number. Make sure you have Jayden help you close up and tell him I’ll pay him when I get back,” Cherise said mindlessly. She paced the tile floor jotting down things for Brianna to do as she spoke.
“I’ll be fine, Miss Cherise, and I already spoke to Jayden about helping me close up. He can be a little overprotective sometimes so I didn’t have to ask him to come by, he volunteered. You have a safe trip and keep watch for the highway patrol. The last thing your lead foot needs is another speeding ticket. If you keep it up, you’re going to need a driver.”
Brianna and Cherise laughed together and joked about the police having Cherise’s license plate memorized. After going over things together, Cherise said good-bye to Brianna.
Until Bossy’s retirement from the game, Cherise paid her to prepare and warehouse her drug inventory. Cherise did not trust anyone else so she was forced to take care of her own business. There was plenty of room in the kitchen for Cherise to cook the drugs, and the secret trapdoor to the basement was a perfect place to house the work.
Cherise’s routine consisted of loud music, three various-sized aluminum pots, boxes of baking powder, and bricks of powder cocaine. She also dealt in heroin for her more financially stable clientele. The heroin was only one-fourth of her shipment and didn’t require the time and attention that cocaine did. Cherise only cooked the drugs after hours. She didn’t need anyone to discover what was really going on behind the doors of A Piece of Soul Catering.
Cherise sat in the visiting area, waiting to see B-Boy. He would want to know how and why she let his son get hemmed up on a car theft charge, like she could have done anything about it. The wait offered Cherise time to mentally prepare for that pointless argument. She watched a small child race toward a prisoner and thought back to when Raequan reacted the same way when his father appeared from behind the steel doors. B-Boy had spent all of his son’s life behind bars. With the exception of B-Boy being in the hole, Cherise made sure her son got to see his father at least once a month. At one point Cherise had packed up her life and moved to Mansfield for a number of years so father and son could spend quality time together. It was important to Cherise that Raequan got to know his dad. She was a product of an absent father and wanted to protect her son from that pain having known her own.
Four years into his sentence, B-Boy’s behavior earned him a tour of Ohio’s various prisons. During his time behind bars, B-Boy had been housed at six different correctional facilities before finally ending up back where he started, in Mansfield. Cherise had long moved her son back to Youngstown. It was a decision she always regretted. She wondered if making a life in a better city would have produced a son of greater character.
Following B-Boy was a task. Cherise looked forward to Raequan’s eighteenth birthday. He would be able to visit his father without her accompanying him.
“What’s up, Reese?” B-Boy offered dryly. His voice snapped Cherise from her daydream.
“Hi, it’s about time those slow-ass CO’s told you I was here,” Cherise complained about her forty-five-minute wait. She smiled up at her husband and stood to embrace him. After a quick hug, the two sat at a table in the corner for some measure of privacy.
“How’s my boy holding up behind big walls?”
“He’s his father’s son. You know he’s all right,” Cherise replied.
“Yeah, well, if his momma was on her job, he wouldn’t be locked down,” B-Boy snapped smartly.
“Don’t start that shit, nigga. You always running off about shit you know nothing about. I can’t teach him how to be a man, that’s his daddy’s job. You have no idea how hard it is for a woman to raise a boy, especially when his so-called father is locked up and never coming home,” Cherise said, irate.
“I know my son ain’t supposed to be sitting behind no damn bars,” B-Boy countered.
“Blame that on you, mutha fucka. Had you been on the street instead of providing free labor on this modern-day plantation, all our lives would be different.” Cherise felt steam blowing out of her ears.
“Yeah, I’d be beatin’ ya fuckin’ ass right now. You better watch how you talk to me,” B-Boy warned.
“Shit, nigga, you need me. You keep forgetting that little detail,” Cherise said matter-of-factly.
“Man, whatever.” B-Boy blew off Cherise’s painful reminder of his dependence on her.
They spent the next few minutes in silence. B-Boy knew Cherise had grown tired of their arrangement. He never expected it to last as long as it had. It was true Cherise had always been ride or die, but a wheel should have fallen off after riding on it for so long.
Cherise was amazed at how quick her mood had changed. Dealing with B-Boy was not usually such a chore when they sat face to face. It was the norm for him to press her buttons during their phone conversations but Cherise felt B-Boy was downright tripping. She had to wonder why.
“So, what up? We cool?” B-Boy attempted to break the tension.
“That depends. Are you done tripping on me?” Cherise asked.
“We good.” B-Boy smirked. “How’s the catering going for you lately? Have you had to hire new help?”
B-Boy couldn’t have cared less about the café or the catering services. All he wanted to know was if she was keeping up with drug sells and if she was continuing to supply the corner boys during Raequan’s absence.
“Business is good all the way around. With the economy the way it is, I’m not looking to hire anyone anytime soon. Maybe by the summer I’ll get somebody in there.” In other words, Cherise could hold everything down until Raequan’s release. “How are you holding up? Did you get the new underwear, books, and snacks I sent last week?”
“It came just in time. My stock of beaters was running low. Do you know how hard it is keeping whites white?” B-Boy and Cherise shared their first laugh since the visit began.
“Sorry I forgot the socks. I left two packs for you today.” Cherise smiled.
“If you don’t mind, I need new music to listen to and my phone card refilled,” B-Boy voiced.
Cherise got the message loud and clear. B-Boy was low on drugs, mostly cocaine. What Cherise brought for him would hold him off until her next visit. B-Boy would call her if the situation changed.
“Time is flying by. Let’s get in line for pictures before our times up,” B-Boy suggested.
“Good idea. How did you like Tysha’s book, Cheating in the next room? Wasn’t it good as hell.” Cherise wanted to change the subject.
“It was a beast. Dem joints ya girl be putting down be tight. When was the last time you hollered at her?” B-Boy asked, genuinely interested.
“Two weeks ago. She’s promoting her book and traveling right now. She just treated her sons to a vacation in Miami. You know they kicked it.” Cherise laughed.
“Tell her I said good lookin’ out and to keep ’em coming.”
“She said to look for a visit next month. She’ll be in Mansfield, meeting with author Brandi Johnson about some project,” Cherise said as she looked around at the other visitors.
“Dat’s what’s up. Your cuz is cool as hell.” B-Boy gave a nod of the head.
The two found any mundane topic to discuss while others were in earshot. Though B-Boy did enjoy reading some of his time away, he did not care to talk openly about it. He nodded to let Cherise know it was time to do her thing.
“I don’t feel well.” Cherise gagged and covered her mouth with one hand and placed the other over her stomach. “I think
I’m going to be sick.”
“You cool?” B-Boy rubbed her back.
“I’ll be right back,” Cherise said, running off to the bathroom.
After finding an empty stall, Cherise pulled on the string of dental floss stuck between her back teeth. She slowly pulled on the string and began to gag. The longer she pulled, the more her natural reflexes worked against her. Finally, it was over and Cherise held a balloon filled with cocaine out of her mouth. After rinsing the small package off, she wrapped a thin layer of toilet paper around the package and tucked it inside of her front jeans pocket. Cherise had gotten the idea from a movie. Sneaking drugs into the prison by way of her vagina was too predictable. She had to be more innovative with her risk taking.
Cherise emerged from the bathroom with a blank look on her face. The way she was acting made B-Boy nervous.
“You straight?” B-Boy inquired and hugged Cherise.
“Yeah, I’m good. I must’ve eaten something that didn’t agree with me. I feel much better now.” Cherise’s answer told B-Boy the package was in place for him to retrieve. He was able to do just that while they posed for pictures.
An hour later, Cherise was rounding the Lodi exit, headed toward the small outlet mall. Her anxiety level was sky high. Doing some serious shopping was therapeutic for her. Buying retail was more effective than popping a Xanax.
Chapter 14
What Family Love?
Jayden knew he needed a high SAT score if he wanted admittance in to a top HBCU. As a little boy Jayden dreamed of going off to college and never returning to his hometown. He’d mapped out his life a long time ago. First stop college. Nothing was going to keep him from his studies or block his five-point plan.
He found it hard to concentrate. Jayden was hurting on the inside. It seemed his entire world was falling apart. Prince was locked up and it was tearing Jayden up. The twins bond was undeniable. Right or wrong, the brothers always looked out for each other. Jayden missed his brother so much his heart ached. To make matter worse, one of the most important people in his life had been forbidden to associate with him. Quincy was more than just his first cousin, he was his best friend. Jayden felt he was being punished for crimes he did not commit.
