The Legend of Johnny Hustle: The Come Up

by Zach Tate

  “Can’t have no attachments in the game, cuz,” Yoda warned. “Them little crumb snatchers will be running that daddy hustle on you for sho. Don’t start getting sloppy. If you get pinched, they still gone eat if you there or not. I hope you know what you doing.”

  My heart was still warm then. “Yoda, I got to do something.”

  “No beef with dat. Just stay focused and be ready to walk away if you have to. Attachments in this game is a wicked monkey to have on your back.”

  We settled in Yoda’s room. My jaw was hurting from the blow I received earlier. That blow was a reminder that I wanted to do too much, too soon. Yoda pulled out all the cash we took in the bar. It came up to $2,050. He handed me $1,000 while I ate. I should have seen Proverb that day, but I had something else to do. Yoda was in for the day. After my food was done, I grabbed my things and went out on another mission.

  $$$

  I cut the corner of 43rd and Seventh and the strangest thing happened to me. As I was walking downtown towards 42nd Street, I realized that people were being scammed all around me. With my new senses, I could tell the difference between the robbers and the detectives, the drug dealers from the scam artists, and who was a hustler or a square. It wasn’t that the action of each group stuck out, it was my new street smarts kicking in.

  During my trek down 42nd Street, I was fascinated by the transactions of the hustlers. I was caught into the criminal hype when I felt my feet leave the ground.

  “What the fuc—” I yelled out, but it was too late.

  “You think this thing gonna be easy?” Black Justice the gorilla asked. His breath smelled like death.

  “Yeah, go home square. You ain’t ready for this,” his partner, Green Eyes added.

  The two hustlers and crime partners of Money Russ had me hemmed up at the entrance of a movie theater. Black Justice was literally growling like a Pit-bull. He was disgusting. Just plain foul. I wanted to run away, but his massive hand had my collar.

  The emeralds in Green Eyes’ head stared at my pockets. His hand slipped in and out so quickly, I didn’t know he had my cash until he started counting it.

  “You lucky I follow the hustler’s code,” he said as he was fumbling through my bills. Then he shoved the cash into my shirt pocket. “You in a no-win situation down here, square. Go home or call the challenge off.”

  I was silent. Black Justice released my collar. The hustler’s code meant nothing to him. Once Green Eyes was blending away, he reached for my coil of bills.

  “What?” he yelled, getting the attention of on-lookers while he helped himself to $300 of my cash. He put his corroded mouth too close to my lips. “Grrrr,” he growled. Then as quickly as he appeared, his massive body disappeared.

  I wanted to throw up. I was visibly shaken and had to wave off an offer of help from a square passing by. I was furious, but there was no way I was going back to being a square. I wanted Money’s Russ’ crown more than ever. I pulled myself together. Ready to reach where I was going in the first place.

  As I waited to cross the street to the bus terminal on Eighth Avenue, a long, white, stretch limousine pulled up. The chauffeur opened the back door, revealing an elegant woman wearing a peach straw hat. She exited the car on the traffic side of the street. A large white tote bag, a pocketbook, and a white plastic shopping bag was in one hand when she walked away from the vehicle. After abusing her driver and refusing his help, she clumsily handled her bags. She tipped the driver, removed a small pouch of more cash, and then carelessly dropped the pouch on top of her tote bag.

  Immediately I scanned the entire strip. The lady was a bloody carcass in a land of starving hyenas. My quick scan revealed one hustler on the far corner, plotting. Dot, Money Russ’ wife was exiting the Port Authority. I said a silent prayer hoping Dot wouldn’t see her. No police were in sight.

  I raced across the traffic on Eighth Avenue. I passed the rows of yellow cabs in a line. As I slid through the doors of the terminal, I immediately thought about the punch in the jaw I received earlier when I tried to pick a pocket without Yoda being there. Go get that paper, the hustler inside ordered.

  By the time I was just inches away from the woman and the entrance to the bus terminal, I called it off. During my dash, Dot saw me, and her radar was locked onto the vic. Suddenly the woman spun towards me and almost knocked me over.

  “Would you please watch where you’re going,” she said snobbishly. She looked me over with disapproval. Then she looked over my shoulder, realized her ride was gone, and then turned her back on me without apologizing. Her disrespect, Dot moving in closer and the sight of the pouch bouncing at the top of her tote bag, changed my mind.

  The rude woman stepped onto the escalator. Dot was two paces behind me. My pace quickened until I was being lifted up the moving steps. While smiling at a disappointed Dot, my hand swiftly reached out to her bag. My boxing skills were being put to good use. I didn’t know I could move that fast. I looked around for witnesses while pushing the pouch in my waistband. I was busted. An elderly Black woman who boarded the escalators saw what I did. I was caught red handed, and wondered if she was going to turn me in.

  Dot smiled, celebrating my unprofessionalism until the witness spoke. “I saw what you did,” she said, matter-of-factly with a sinister tone. She looked over her shoulder. When she was sure no one could hear, she said “But for twenty-five dollars, I ain’t seen nothing.”

  I laughed to Dot’s discontent. Just as Yoda warned, “Everybody would hustle you if you didn’t hustle them first.” I thought of a hustle to double cross granny, but decided not to. I reached into my pocket, removed $30.00 and handed it over to her.

  The escalators reached the top landing and Marcy and Elexus were standing at the Minnesota Strip. After making eye contact, the quick left I made into the bathroom was enough to lose Dot and signal to the queers. I rushed into a private stall to remove the pouch from my waist. I could hear Marcy and Elexus outside the stall plotting while making all of the male occupants uncomfortable.

  “Eureka,” I pronounced when I opened the pouch and a stack of fifties and a few hundreds stared back at me. In the small pockets of the Dior pouch, rested three platinum, and two gold, credit cards. I didn’t know how Yoda split the difference with the queers, but I had plans of my own. I did a quick count of the cash and found $4,980. In an effort to get rid of the evidence, I stepped out of the stall and handed the pouch to Marcy and Elexus.

  “Three platinum’s, two gold’s, and all the ID,” I mimicked Yoda. “Make that four large, and get me at least two weeks supply of clothes for a twelve and a six year old girl. I need some sporting wear for me from the GAP. Give Yoda the three large, and I’ll see you tonight at his place for everything.”

  “Oh no, she just didn’t say close to four large?” came from Elexus.

  Marcy butted in, “Let me see the cards so we can know how to work these coins right.” They opened the pouch, saw the cards, and the identification. After snapping his fingers and doing two twirls, Marcy said, “Yes. Yes—yes, this is over fifty gee’s worth, if we do it right. How long you had these? They got to be clear. If the limit is ran up, then you have to take our word for it. Ask Yoda, we girls lie, but we sure don’t cheat.”

  “I just got them and the vic may not know it’s gone until she get on the bus and reach California or somewhere.”

  “Oh, we gots tah go,” said Marcy while pulling Elexus out of the bus terminal.

  I had close to $6,000 in my pocket. Two of that was going to Yoda to show my dedication, and the other four was going to Proverb. I had a huge grin on my face when I stepped into the store. When he smiled back at me I asked, “Proverb, what’s the word?”

  “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich,” he shook my hand. “What you got for me homey?” I dropped $4,000 on the counter. “Wow, you blowing up in Mid, kid. That’s six, and that’s in a few days. You should be in the hustler’s book of world records. I’ll let
the family know the flavor savior.” He put a big grin over his oriental face, put his two fingers up to his heart then said, “Peace out, gee.”

  My head shook in disbelief. I pictured Proverb first coming to this country, and instead of taking a course on the language, they probably dropped him off in the ‘hood.

  My phone call to Yoda’s penthouse was met with apprehension. He couldn’t figure out what I was up to. Reluctantly he gave me the okay to head up on the service elevator. I was bursting at the seams with anticipation and worry. I didn’t know what type of reaction he was going to have when I handed him the money, so I gave a slight knock at his door.

  “What’s happening, cuz, you left something?” I handed him the money. He waved me in to have a seat, and counted out $2,000. “You been holding out on me, cuz?” he asked with suspicious eyes.

  “Nope,” I replied with a silly grin on my face.

  “So where this paper come from and why you sitting there with that silly ass grin on your face?”

  “I caught a vic.”

  “You caught a vic? You mean to tell me you left here when you said you was going to your room, just so you could go practice on your own? Foolio, you crazy or something?”

  My explanation was fast and detailed on how I got the money. Yoda looked down at the two stacks in his hands and then back up at me. He handed me one of the stacks. “You did good.”

  “That’s all for you. I took my cut already. Plus the queers got some more for you from the cards,” I said with pride beaming all over my face.

  “Well, well, well,” Yoda mumbled while rubbing his chin. Cuz, you a natural, but let me tell you what happens with us naturals.” His beady eyes were intense. “You did all these hustles without the law or somebody trying to kill you. That’s unnatural, and at this rate you gonna get cocky. Let this be your warning. Never believe you can’t be out hustled. As soon as you do, you’ll be assed out of everything you learned.” He rubbed the hair on his chin then clapped his hands. “Okay then, I see you ready to leave this petty stuff alone. Tomorrow be up real early ‘cause today is graduation day. Tomorrow you start the real schooling.”

  $$$

  I exited the elevator after seeing Yoda and there was a crowd in front of my room door. The scent of perfume, mold, and cleaning fluid revealed Suki, Marcy, and Elexus arguing.

  “He no here!” Suki yelled at the queers.

  Marcy and Elexus looked like they were ready to let their masculine sides out to play with Suki’s small frame. How they knew where I was staying was beyond me, but Midtown held no secrets. Their hands were filled with bags of clothes from the GAP.

  “What’s the problem?’ I asked, instantly bringing silence to the feud.

  Suki looked at me in a state of wonder. Then she looked at the queers and back at me wanting to know what we all had in common.

  “Madam Butterfly, there he go now,” Elexus said to Suki. “Can we pa-leazzz drop this off?” he started snapping his fingers, “and get—out—of—here?” he rolled his eyes at Suki.

  “Here’s your things, Johnny,” Marcy said, fed up. “I need to know if they fit or not, and if you plan on sending us to get more for your daughters.”

  “I don’t have any daughters,” I corrected while turning the key to my room.

  Marcy stopped short with a quizzical look on his face. “Oh, so whatever then. You just let us know.”

  “Can we come on already?” came from Elexus.

  I felt the tension in the air. Suki didn’t move from her spot. I exited the room, walked across the hall, and knocked for Keiki and Mimi.

  “Who is it?” asked Keiki.

  “Johnny. Open the door.”

  The door flew open and Keiki looked up at the strange figures that surrounded me. “Daddy's home,” came from little Mimi.

  Marcy looked at me and saw a liar. I grabbed all the bags, handed them to Keiki, and told her to try on all the clothes. She slammed the door shut, and in five minutes was back wearing the new outfits.

  “Is it Christmas, Daddy? There ain’t no snow on the floor?” Mimi asked.

  I wanted to correct her about calling me her father, why bother? I started blushing. I handed Keiki $20.00, and told her to give the queers the sizes for her and her sister. At the same time I was making sure she had enough cosmetics, and then the two girls rushed out. They started kissing and hugging on me. I felt like a loving father, and I’m sure they felt like appreciated daughters for the first time in their lives.

  The crowd dispersed. The queers went to pay Yoda, and Suki was in the hallway with me. Once she saw that things were all business with the queers and me, her demeanor changed. I smiled and she turned her back to me. I walked behind her and snatched her around with force.

  “Where you going?”

  Before she had a chance to respond, I scooped her little body up and carried her to my room. Hastily, I unbuttoned her white blouse while she protested. I removed her black mini skirt, exposing a set of black underwear.

  “Me work, Johnny,” she whispered, fighting and giving in at the same time.

  In an effort to quiet her down, I sunk my tongue deep into her mouth. Then I worked it down the nape of her neck until she came to life.

  Foreign moans of erotic passion filled my room while I licked her body from start to finish line. I bent her over at the waist, and while her palms were flat on the mattress, I entered her. Deep, then shallow, I sunk myself into her until her tightness enveloped my stiffness, welcoming it with heat. After a flurry of deep, intense strokes, I climaxed.

  Suki’s soft body laid submissively on the warm bed. I programmed the television to an X-rated movie. The erotic moans of the two women on the screen in the sixty-nine position created background music. I lightly planted wet kisses all over Suki’s flesh.

  Swiftly, I eased her small frame in front of the television. I eased behind her. I placed her feet on the mattress, and opened her wet vaginal lips. With my moist fingers, I guided her fingers to play with her wet clitoris while she watched the pornographic images on the screen. In a hot instant, Suki burst with pleasure.

  Her foreign moans gave a jolt to my desires. I was erect again and reclined in the bed. She mounted me with her pale, fragile back facing me. Cautiously she guided my love shaft into her folds. Her small hands grabbed my ankles and we slowly pleasured our bodies, exploding in unison. There was no leaving for her that time. Once her breathing slowed, Suki was asleep.

  6

  Making Proof

  I was wide awake at the crack of dawn. To my surprise Suki was gone, but there was a note typed on hotel stationary that read:

  Johnny, you kind man. That you do with little girl touch hart. I have husbin, but I luv you too. You understand. I never have man do things to me you do. I have husbin, but he never touch me again. I yours, luv, Suki.

  The letter triggered shame. To type the letter meant Suki left my room, not only once, but twice—I was slipping.

  After reading the letter, I got a call from Yoda. He told me to throw on my newest threads. I quickly got dressed in the suit, tie, and glasses that Marcy and Elexus picked up for me, then I headed up to Yoda’s place.

  Looking better than most executives of major corporations looked, Yoda answered the door wearing an expensive suit.

  He looked at me, nodded at my outfit, then said, “Have a seat” with a tone that indicated something was seriously wrong. He made a steeple with his fingers. “I’ve been thinking about you long and hard. Marcy and Elexus told me how you came off with the plastic. I was honored that you donated the funds to me. The number that I received showed me that you dead serious about this life of ours.” He stood, rested his hands on top of his lounge chair, and said, “I started you off at the bottom so that you could learn every aspect of the game and appreciate it. In life, and in legitimate business, people have to know that you know every aspect of what you doing from the bottom up. That’s what separates the good from the greatest. This whole week we gonna hustle ha
rd, not ‘cause we want to, but because a hustler has to. It’s what gives men like us meaning. Every man should have some meaning. So listen cuz; if you in to win, be ready to move. If not, bow out gracefully now, ‘cause I need you to have a heart of steel to make your stroll sense real. You ready or what?” I jumped to attention and was headed out the door before Yoda had a chance to slow me down.

  By the time we got to the pavement, I had already scoped out potential victims. Yoda slowed me down. He walked me over to the diner while preaching the importance of a balanced breakfast. He ordered food for four, instead of meals for two. He then piled all the food onto one plate and told me to do the same. By the time half of our meals were finished, he was ready to go. But before leaving, he intricately pulled a roach from his pocket. He then complained to the management, we walked out full without paying a dime. Just like a true hustler.

  Yoda walked me over to the center of Times Square again. “Today we gonna make some major moves. It’s Wednesday. A lot of people get paid, or looking forward to it, but the first mark we gonna get is gonna have the paper to afford it.” Yoda tapped me on the chin. “Look at me and listen; there are seven elements to a good con. You better record this in your memory banks.” His eyes narrowed. “Number one: is that it’s too good to be true. Number two, the mark got to feel that they ain’t got nothing to lose out the deal. Three, you got to pull the mark out of his element. Four, you got to make sure you express to the mark that they got to act now ‘cause it’s a once in a life time opportunity. Five, you need an outside man, a fake, a shill that’s gonna come along and be an expert to give advice to the mark. Six and seven, you and your shill got to drag the vic into giving up what you need, and express how giving up that money is legal and ain’t no consequences as long as they keep their mouth shut.”