From Sinner to Saint

by Jones, Janice

  Treecie’s boyfriend, Tevin, had been visiting when the police and Tevin’s ex-girlfriend came to Treecie’s home with an arrest warrant for Tevin. While Treecie watched television in the living room and the children played in the back bedroom, Tevin was in the basement making crack cocaine.

  Treecie opened the door at the insistence of the police officer’s knock, and the first thing she saw as she looked beyond the officers was Caryn, Tevin’s ex, sitting in her car directly in front of Treecie’s home.

  “I know that heffa did not roll up to my house like she a welcome visitor. I just know she didn’t.” She immediately disregarded the officers standing on her porch, along with anything they had to say, setting her sights on getting to the woman who had nerve enough to show up at her home, with police escorts, no less. Needless to say, there was bad blood between the two females.

  Treecie approached Caryn’s vehicle, tongue ablaze. “Did you forget your address, wench? ’Cause if you did, I’m here to set you straight. You don’t live here, so you better get going before I let loose and act a fool out here in front of these police officers.”

  “Ma’am, I need you to go back inside of your house,” said the officer who followed Treecie to the car.

  “I am not afraid of you. I am here to make sure that your boyfriend is arrested for putting his filthy hands on me. So, unless you want to join him in jail, I suggest you get away from my car, stupid,” Caryn shot back boldly, feeling brave because of the officer’s presence. She and Treecie had exchanged unpleasant words before over Tevin, but never had Caryn been so courageous.

  Her new bravado only served to infuriate Treecie. Before the officer who followed had a chance to stop her, Treecie pulled Caryn from the car and the two started fighting. The police officer immediately got between the scuffling women. When he looked to the porch to summon his partner’s assistance, he discovered that he was no longer there. He assumed correctly that he had gone inside the house, where he found Tevin with his stash.

  Tevin was arrested and charged with assault and battery on his baby’s mama, the initial reason for the police visit, and possession with intent to distribute drugs. Treecie was also arrested and charged with assault on Tevin’s baby’s mama, and conspiracy in the drug-related charges against Tevin. The children were taken into protective custody, where Trina was able to retrieve them after several hours.

  After posting bond on the criminal charges, Treecie was released the following day, but was unable to get her kids back until she saw a judge two days later. During the hearing, she convinced the judge she was unaware of Tevin’s activities in her basement. Treecie told the judge she would never approve of such behavior while her children were home. The family court judge gave Treecie the benefit of the doubt and returned the children to her, pending the outcome of the criminal charges.

  In the criminal case, the conspiracy charge was dropped and Treecie was eventually given six months probation on the assault charges. Tevin was sentenced to a much harsher punishment, and Treecie never saw him again.

  Shortly after Treecie’s brush with the law, Taraija’s dad sought and won physical custody of his daughter. Marcus used every negative aspect of Treecie’s life against her in family court. The facts of Treecie’s life were his weapons. His attorney told the court that fact one: all three children had different fathers, one unknown. Fact two: Treecie had no actual job to speak of and no education. Fact three: there was always a constant barrage of men in and out of her home and around his client’s daughter. Fact four: the child’s mother was now a convicted criminal. Treecie tried denying the validity of Marcus’s claim, but proved less successful in family court than she had been in the initial protective custody hearing. These four truths were all the ammunition Marcus needed to gain full custody of his daughter.

  When Taraija left to live with her dad, Antonyo took it especially hard. The two were very close.

  This was life for Antonyo, minimal stability on the part of his dad and aunt, and minimal quality time spent with his overworked mother. School was not challenging enough, offering only a part-time distraction, and Antonyo had seen and heard too much about the mean streets to even consider taking the route to thug-dom. Still in his early teens, young Antonyo waded in limbo, bored, confused, and in search of a beginning to his identity.

  Leave it to Aunt Treecie to help him discover where his true talents lay. . . .

  Chapter 2

  Antonyo was a very handsome boy. His female classmates and all the young girls in his neighborhood all agreed that he was the cutest boy in both places. He stood tall for his thirteen years, almost six feet. His skin was deep brown and flawless, something else unusual. Most boys his age were plagued by acne. He wore his hair cut short and tapered close to his head. Antonyo possessed the most expressive big brown eyes and a million-watt smile.

  Antonyo had yet to realize the power he carried as a result of his physical beauty. The genuine cluelessness he wore like cologne only fueled the underdeveloped desires of the adolescent groupies in school and around the neighborhood. His naïve demeanor kept him approachable and down to earth. Even at his tender age, he garnered a great deal of attention—attention he was oblivious to.

  Treecie recognized her nephew’s potential and talents and insisted that he take full advantage of his capability. Treecie took it upon herself to clue Antonyo in to his magnetism during one of his visits to her home.

  “Yo, Tony! Auntie need to holler at you for a second. You know that cow Jasmine that be trying to hang around here?” Treecie asked him as they sat on the sofa watching television. Antonyo nodded his head, acknowledging that he knew her.

  “Well, she been asking about you like she want to get with you. Now, that girl is too old for you, and she nasty. She done already slept with all the boys around here her own age, so I guess she trying to find her some fresh meat.”

  This bit of news excited Antonyo to no end. He thought Jasmine was very pretty. He really enjoyed seeing her when she would come over to hang out with his aunt and watch music videos on television. She always got up and danced around the living room, imitating the moves she saw the females performing on the screen. In his opinion, Jasmine was fabulous.

  “How old is she, Auntie?” he inquired innocently.

  “She sixteen, why? You want to holler at her?”

  “If she likes me, why not?”

  “Uh-oh! Look at my nephew trying to be a young pimp. Look, li’l man, if you do get with that tramp, make sure she gives you some of the McDonald’s money she making. Since she the one interested in you, make her take care of you. Know what I mean?”

  Antonyo stared at his aunt, baffled. Though his knowledge of women was limited and secondhand, he was sure it was supposed to be the other way around. In his estimation, the man should take care of the woman.

  “Auntie, I thought the guy was supposed to lace the girl. I don’t see you running around giving guys no money.”

  “And you never will. However, nephew, you got it. You have something special that make these young chicken heads want to fight over you, throw themselves at you. You might not realize it yet ’cause you still young, but Auntie Treecie gon’ school you on the fine art of pimping.”

  That day, the lessons began.

  Three days later, Treecie arranged a date between thirteen-year-old Antonyo and sixteen-year-old Jasmine. They met at Treecie’s house, where she set up a romantic scenario in her basement. She made a small dinner of fried chicken, boxed macaroni and cheese, a tossed salad, and 7-Up soda. The pop looked like champagne in the plastic cups. Treecie covered a card table with clear plastic plates, utensils, and a cheap floral tablecloth.

  Antonyo neglected to inform Trina he would be experiencing his first date this evening. She was working again. Antonyo only told her he would hang out at his aunt’s house until she got off work, and asked her to pick him up on her way home.

  Antonyo arrived at Treecie’s before Jasmine. After inspecting his aunt’s handiwork,
he found himself truly impressed with his aunt’s decorative work and choice of foods. Armed with the ammunition Treecie had given him in the form of information about women, Jasmine in particular, he was sure he was ready to win her over with his charm.

  When Jasmine arrived, Antonyo greeted her at the door with a slight kiss on the cheek. He took her by the hand and led her into the house. “Auntie, Jasmine is here. Please come and say hello.”

  “You look nice, Tony,” Jasmine said as they waited for Treecie to come from the back room, where she and her children were watching television.

  “Thank you. So do you. You smell very nice, too,” he replied as he gave her a small peck on the lips.

  Treecie caught this action just as she stepped into the living room. “All right. All right. Don’t be freaking each other all up in my living room. Y’all can take that mess in the basement.” She gave them both a hug then ushered the two kids downstairs.

  In the basement, Antonyo turned on the charm. He held Jasmine’s hand and led her to the chair, pulled it out for her, and helped her into her seat. After settling himself into his own chair, he started small talk while he prepared each of their plates. He played the part of the perfect gentleman, just as his aunt had taught him.

  “How was school today, Jasmine?” he asked his date as they ate.

  “Don’t know. I’m not really in school right now.”

  “Why not?” Antonyo asked innocently.

  “I got kicked out about a month ago for cussing out my English teacher. I just never bothered to get back in,” she said nonchalantly.

  “Does your mother know you don’t go to school? My mother would kick my butt if I stayed out of school a month.”

  “Well, my mother doesn’t really care what I do. As long as I go to work and give her some money from time to time for her beer, she straight.” Jasmine laughed lightly. “Besides, school is no big deal to me anymore. I’ve already completed up through the tenth grade. How much more can they teach me?” She shrugged her shoulders casually and went back to eating her meal.

  Antonyo thought about not being in school, being free to do whatever he wanted all day long. He then pondered the beat-down his mother would give him and realized those thoughts were too costly.

  Trina may not have been too strict on him in other areas, but she was adamant about school. She was determined that her son receive a high school diploma, even if it meant beating him through every class, every year until he graduated. As a matter of fact, any whippings he ever received were a result of something he did or did not do in school. He would skip a class or two on occasion, but he made sure it was never enough to warrant his teachers having to call his mother.

  They finished the rest of their meal mostly in silence, with the exception of Antonyo making the small talk his auntie had told him to make. Antonyo removed the used dishes from the table and took them upstairs to the trash. He returned and made a big show of clearing the table of the plastic cloth and wiping it clean. This was not part of the game he learned from Aunt Treecie, though. It was a lesson he had acquired from his mom. He was great at keeping their home clean.

  Jasmine was very impressed with the actions of this young boy. “Can I help you do something?” she asked.

  “No. You are my guest. It’s my job to serve you today,” he smoothly replied.

  Once he completed the minor cleaning, Antonyo escorted Jasmine to Treecie’s beat-up sofa nestled in the basement area designated as the den. When they were comfortably seated, he located the remote control and turned on the television.

  “Is there something you want to see on TV, or would you prefer to watch a DVD?” he asked.

  “What movies do you have?”

  “I need to go upstairs and check in my aunt’s room. I’ll be right back.” Antonyo went to Treecie’s room to inquire about her movie collection. “Aunt Treecie, she wants to watch a movie. What should we watch?”

  Treecie got up from the bed and went to her closet, where she pulled out a box containing a vast array of movies. She had just the title in mind that would play into her scheme of teaching her nephew to mack a young girl. As she rummaged through the box, she hoped she had not misplaced or loaned out the particular movie she had in mind. She searched the box, thrilled when she was able to locate her prey.

  True Romance, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who was known for his violent, action-packed thrillers, had just enough sex to stir the youngsters’ libidos. Treecie owned the unrated version, which was a little raunchier than the normal R rating shown in movie theaters.

  Trina usually forbade Antonyo to watch R-rated movies. She would allow him to see only those that she watched first and deemed not too bad. True Romance was one of those on the prohibited list after she had borrowed and viewed Treecie’s copy. It was also one that Antonyo was dying to see, simply because it was forbidden. Auntie Treecie was never as strict as his mother. She always treated him as a young man, not a little boy. Almost everything was cool with his aunt.

  “Thanks, Auntie. This is the bomb.” Antonyo snatched the DVD and bolted for the basement. He was so anxious to see the movie that he nearly forgot Jasmine was down there.

  Treecie halted Antonyo’s hasty retreat. “Wait, boy. Don’t forget what we talked about. That trick gon’ probably want to get cozy after watching Clarence and Alabama doing their thing, but don’t give in. Not tonight. Just let her kiss you and show you how to do that. Then flip the script on her. Tell her you really like her, but you’re not ready to go any further with her because you don’t want to rush her.”

  “But I do really like her, Aunt Treecie,” he stated openly and honestly.

  “Yeah, okay, whatever. But you still want her to kick out some of that cash. Now, do what I said. Hold off a day or two before you let Jasmine sleep with you.”

  Tony took in what his aunt said, deciding to follow her lead. He went back to the basement and started the movie.

  Just after the first sex scene, Jasmine started massaging Antonyo’s thigh. He, however, was totally into the movie. He barely noticed her hand gestures until she actually became a little bolder. Startled, he gave her his full attention. Jasmine smiled, pleased at his reaction, but downplayed her intentions.

  “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” she asked slyly.

  “Uh, no. I kind of liked it,” Antonyo replied naïvely.

  “Good. I’m really glad to hear that.” The two continued to play touchy-feely. She kissed him seductively and he responded in kind. When the kiss ended, Jasmine was impressed.

  “Okay, Tony. You can really kiss. It is not that often I find a boy I like to kiss, but you’re different.”

  Antonyo smiled. His young ego swelled by leaps and bounds. He now began to really believe what his aunt had told him about having “it.” He also remembered she said to play it cool and not let on that he knew Jasmine was all in to him.

  “Thank you, Jasmine. I enjoyed kissing you too,” he replied coyly. The two continued to kiss for a few more moments.

  Even in his excitement, Antonyo somehow managed to hold on to his composure, remembering that he was supposed to be in control of the situation, not let it control him. Though his mind was thoroughly clouded, he had sufficient enough poise to interject his mack and put his and Treecie’s plan into motion.

  “Jasmine, hold up. I’m still a virgin,” Antonyo announced, then shyly added, “I don’t know if I’m ready to have sex yet. But if I were ready, I would definitely want it to be with you. I think you are so special.”

  Jasmine stared, stunned by Antonyo’s words. She took a good look at Antonyo, overwhelmed with the spoken words of her young paramour. Nobody, not even her own mother, had called her special before.

  “Wow! Thank you, Tony. That was so sweet. I respect your not wanting to rush your first time, and I am happy that you want it to be with me.” She was smiling from ear to ear, cheesing as if Antonyo had proposed marriage.

  Antonyo eyed Jasmine in amazement. Aunt Treecie
was right. Jasmine ate his words like chocolate.

  “Well, sweetie, I think you should get ready to go,” Antonyo told Jasmine. “My mother will be here soon to pick me up. Tomorrow her schedule is the same, so maybe you could come to my house. We would be completely alone. Perhaps then I will have more courage and things can go as far as you want them to. I really do want to be with someone as pretty as you.” He gave Jasmine one last kiss then escorted her, hand in hand, to the front door.

  They walked out the front door just as Trina stepped on the porch. Seeing his mother startled Antonyo. He immediately snatched his hand from Jasmine’s and addressed his mom with a kiss as she approached the door.

  “Hi, Mama,” he said tensely.

  Trina received her son’s kiss with apprehension. She then started with the questions. “Who is this young lady, Antonyo?”

  Jasmine answered for him. “Hello, ma’am. My name is Jasmine. I’m Tony’s new girlfriend.”

  Trina stared at Jasmine like she suddenly turned into an alien creature from another planet. She rolled her eyes away from the female, directing her venomous stare on her child. “Antonyo, you need to tell this . . . young lady that you are too young to have a girlfriend. You might also want to inform her that even if I did let you date at thirteen, she looks to be too old for you.”

  Again, Trina stared sneeringly at Jasmine. She eyed the girl from head to toe with pure nastiness, then sarcastically added, “Now that you have told her all of this, you can say good-bye to your friend and make your way back into this house.” Trina walked into her sister’s house without another word or a backward glance.

  Antonyo was thoroughly embarrassed as he tried to apologize for his mother’s behavior, hoping she had not ruined his chances with Jasmine. “I am so sorry about the way my mother acted, Jasmine. I had no idea she would behave so mean toward you.”