had only seen me twice before the rape occurred.
What type of man had forced-sex with any female, especially one
they don’t know, and while she was on her period? That thought alone had me going insane. To me, he had nothing to lose by his actions. Johnnie was
charged with strong-arm rape. The next couple of days were absolutely crazy.
The first telephone call I received was from Shawty Lo. I know Johnnie had him call me, but what Johnnie didn’t know was that I already knew Lo. I use to date a friend of his that went by the name, Po Slim. Even though Slim and I were no longer together, he still wanted to see me succeed.
It was funny how I had first met Slim. I was walking through the
mall in the West End. It was about a year after my release. Summer of 2006, he noticed me walking in the mall. He had an appetite for tall women. Slim
was very persistent. He kicked it and I had no problem speaking to him.
We walked together and we talked about my struggle. And to say
the very least, he was amazed by my hunger. Tied to the streets himself, he did not appreciate crimes committed against women and children. Shawty Lo knew what the deal was, but he was stuck in the middle, trying to patch things
up. True enough, Johnnie was dead-ass wrong.
However, there was a conflict of interest. Johnnie had Lo’s career in
the palm of his hands. If Johnnie went to jail that meant everybody associated with him would lose. I felt some sort of compassion toward this. I had a similar story with Phaedra and I knew where he was coming from. Lo begged for Johnnie’s life and was willing to agree to whatever demands I had if I would drop all charges. Shawty Lo made the first offer.
Okay now things were getting difficult. The next call came from Fabo, I already knew him too before D4L, back when he was down with Raheem the Dream. They were talking numbers, big numbers for my silence. The first song I ever made was with Fabo. He was my partner. He said, “You got your man!” Basically letting me know that whatever I wanted Johnnie would adhere to. He also didn’t hesitate to inform me of my risk of becoming a target. On another note my rap career was in the palm of my hands. It was strictly up to me. I thought about Fabo’s words. True enough, but Fabo didn’t know about my past. I knew that I would be receiving another call, so I went
to Wal-Mart, and purchased a mini-tape recorder.
Moments after I opened the recorder, and figured out how to work
it, the phone rang. The Caller ID read, Johnnie ‘Hitt AftA Hitt.’ I pressed record and let the phone ring a couple more times before answering the call. I was trying to get my thoughts together. Then the call dropped before I had
a chance to answer it. I pressed record again before dialing the number back.
Johnnie signed his life away during this taped telephone conversa-
tion. He apologized for raping me. He admitted to removing my tampon, but didn’t look at it because he didn’t want to see the blood. He told me he couldn’t help himself because I was red with tattoos and he has a thing for girls like that. Johnnie agreed to give me money, put me on his payroll, and push my career. Keep in mind this was all recorded. I still have the tape in my possession. I listen to it every time I want to be reminded of the enemy, and
how he comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
After the conversation with Johnnie, I played the tape back to make
sure I had it recorded, and I did. This was evidence I would need to prove that I wasn’t lying. The evidence I needed to prove that I wasn’t just another groupie trying to get money out of a celebrity. I called Phaedra to let her know that I had the tape, and that they were offering me money. I needed her guidance because I didn’t know what to do or how to handle this situation.
Phaedra never returned any of my calls.
I told the detective about the tape, and he asked me to bring it in. I also told him about the offers that were presented to me. He told me that that was the way these things go because these guys have money. They don’t understand the word ‘NO’ and they pay their way out of everything. This was not what I had planned. I was supposed to meet Johnnie, get a date for the
studio, and remix my song. How did things go south? I mean what happened?
All hell broke loose when my brother, Lee, found out. He was deal-
ing with a lot around this time. The death of our mother was still fresh. Everyday felt like she had just died the day before. Lee’s wife suddenly became ill. She was diagnosed with cancer. Then his only sibling and baby sister had
been raped by Johnnie.
What Johnnie did was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I tried
consoling Lee all I could, but he was inconsolable.
“This f#@%-pu**y-a**-ni**a raped my sister? My Sister! Oh I’m
finna kill this bi**h-a** ni**a!” Lee shouted.
Tears of anger streamed down his face. Lee held his 45 semi auto-
matic in his hand. He carefully loaded each bullet. I stared in awe because I’d never seen my brother like this before. Mother always said, “The difference
between my two children is night and day.”
Lee was always quiet, humble, and mild mannered. I, on the other
hand, seven years younger and always ready to get it poppin’. I mean I was rowdy. At that dreadful moment, it seemed as if my brother and I switched places. He was just as determined to kill Johnny as I was to kill Curtis. The
police were already involved.
I told Lee that if he killed this man then he would be the first suspect. My brother rose up like a giant and roared.
“SO…? I DON’T GIVE A F#@%! I’M A MAN! I’M NOT A
F#@%ING C-O-W-A-R-D!” My enraged brother shouted.
Then he sprinted toward the door. In my mind I already knew where
he was headed. Lee and I were very close. I had told him everything. He knew where Johnnie lived, and he knew exactly where Johnnie’s office was on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Diving across the living room floor, I wrapped both arms around his legs, tackling him. Then I begged him not to
throw his life away. I told him to think of my niece, Mya, his only daughter.
“If you go to prison, who’s gonna be here to protect her?” I asked.
Finally my words grabbed him, and he heeded. He stopped. This
giant of a man fell to the floor, and cried like a baby. I held him in my embrace. I was the closest touch he had to our mother. Together we cried and I promised that it would be okay. Just like our mother always told us, “There’s
more than one way to skin a cat.”
Looking back to that day, I still can’t for the life of me understand
what Johnnie was thinking. My best guess, he assumed I needed him more than he needed me. He knew my story all too well, knew I didn’t have many choices in life. I guess he thought that he could just rape me. Then I would
just let it go because I needed him on my team.
But I wasn’t going for that. I couldn’t. I didn’t have any say so about
what happened to me when I was five, but I was in control this time. Whether Johnnie understood it or not this was very personal for me, and he was in
violation. I wasn’t about to let this ride. No! F#@% that!
I was worried about a lot of things. I thought about the conversation I had with Fabo, and becoming a target. Remember, I’m from the streets and I know how people get down. Johnnie had a lot of young guys on his team basically sweating him or riding his coattail. They all wanted to make it. Rap was a way out of the hood for many people who had no other way out. Johnnie could make that happen for them, and I was sure that in return for that
favor they wouldn’t have a problem with getting rid of me.
The police weren’t willing to provide me any protection. My chil-
dren and I didn’t have anything or anywhere to go. I started weighing my options, again looking at my ch
ildren. I wanted to do what was best for them. Thirty thousand dollars seemed like a lot at the time, and it would be enough
to drastically change me and my children’s lives.
He had agreed to push my song, and make me the next hot artist, but I had already made up my mind. I didn’t want to work with Johnnie. I never even wanted to see him again. There was no way I was going to walk around everyday like nothing happened. I had to do that my entire life. Every family reunion, and graduation, I was good on that part of the game. I didn’t care who he was, and much less for what he had. I was sure I could have gotten more money from Johnnie in a civil suit after a criminal investigation, but the
risk of becoming a target was too great.
Not only was I a target, but Johnnie’s attorney had already threat-
ened to have my parole violated for extortion if they ever heard anything about the rape again. This was another reason I had needed Phaedra’s guidance, but she had completely rid herself of me. Her lifestyle had changed from the old days of being a crook. She just refused to help me. She gave me all the direction in the world when we had illegal dealings, but the rules of the game had changed. I wasn’t privy to the rule book anymore. So I did what I had to do. What I thought was best for my children and myself, I went with that. I met Johnnie at the Fulton County Library, signed an agreement not to
prosecute, and took the money.
I used that money to make moves. After relocating my family to an-
other home, I purchased a new vehicle, took my babies to the beach in Florida, and I also published my first book, ‘Life Beyond These Walls’, which I
had written while I was in prison.
Dr. Alveda King, a prolife activist, was instrumental in providing
me with some much necessary help along the way. I had pretty much given up on my rap career after that incident. I was too apprehensive and didn’t want to do music anymore. Johnnie not only raped me, but he had also snatched
my dream away from me.
The only thing I wanted to do now was share my story with young
women. I had experienced and survived just about every hurt known to the human being. I got on the telephone that day and called all over the city until I found a program for young women that would give me an opportunity to
volunteer my services.
When I first met Dr. Alveda King, the niece of slain civil rights
leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., she was counseling at a pregnancy crisis center for teen girls. I shared my life story with her, and she was completely
blown away.
Dr. King’s mission is to fight everyday for the lives of children. She
looked at me as child, a child that needed to be born again. She promised me the first day I met her that she was going to help me get my life on track, and she did. She immediately began my healing process by allowing me to help the young women in her center. I never knew that my life story could prove to be so rewarding. The day I visited with Dr. King in her office, changed the focus of my whole existence.
Chapter Eleven
Ultimate Betrayal
“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes
the fear of the Almighty.” Job 6:14(NIV)
Prior to this book, and over the last few years, my life had been a
constant struggle. Becoming one with me, myself, while forgiving I, proved to be a much harder task than I thought it would ever be. The process of reconciliation wore on me, and it almost took me out. Trying to suppress all of my bad memories was actually harder than remembering them. Dr. King kept her promise. She remained very active in my life. Helping me see past the pain, Dr. King gave me a newfound love for the misguided and mistreated children throughout the world. She singlehandedly guided me to
a safer place.
My first book signing for the book, ‘Life Beyond These Walls’, was
at the Martin Luther King center in Atlanta, GA. I chose that title because I knew that you could be locked behind mental walls in your mind, not just walls made of concrete. I felt so honored. Dr. King made one call and it was
done. She put me on a pedestal. She showed me that I had worth.
Ms. Lorna Murphy showed up in addition to other parole officers I
had over the course of my three years, Tammy Boone and Amy Roberts. My old boss from GDOT, Princess showed up and her boss, Rachel Brown, did as well. All of these people came out, and they showed their support. My cousin, Angie, and other people who not only believed in me, but knew I deserved a second chance, came out. I could never thank them enough. These were the people who truly helped me. Their belief in me along with my faith equaled
success.
Of course Phaedra never showed her face. I was disappointed, but
not at all surprised. In fact, the last time I spoke with Phaedra was when Johnny raped me in June of 2008. I often wondered about Phaedra, and how her life turned out. Every time that I would think of her, my brain would quickly remind me that she had gone on with her life. And I had to do the same thing. Phaedra wanted to leave the dirty deeds of our past in the past. That was understandable to me. I wouldn’t wish what I’d been through on
my worst enemy.
Sharing my story as a preventative method to keep young women
from making the same mistakes was a proven success. It took me almost
thirty-two years to realize that I was not a mistake, and that my life had true meaning. It had value. After almost thirty-two years, I found my purpose. There were countless counseling sessions, and being taught to think after the thought, I finally found peace within. I was now able to live my life as a normal adult. I was finally able to love my children, love my life, and not resent anything at all about life. Ever! This was my life now. I felt that I had finally
put all the negativity of my past behind me.
Then I caught the first episode of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ on
the Bravo Television Network. The episode I saw aired on November 28, 2010. It was always my presumption that Phaedra had moved on with her life, distancing herself from her criminal enterprise. I assumed she was now on the straight and narrow. So I was in a total state of shock when I learned that she married Apollo. Apollo was my criminal partner, our criminal partner. As I watched the show, I was about to die. I mean massive heart attack pains ran
through my left arm.
I knew damn well that I didn’t just see Everett driving them to and
from the hospital in Savannah, Georgia when she had the baby. Oh, and please don’t let me forget how Everett had everybody featured in the show from the federal halfway house, when the Rolls Royce picked him up for Phaedra and Apollo’s wedding. Hold up! Wait a minute…!
“Bi**h you sent a Rolls Royce to pick this man up from the halfway
house when my children and I lived in a shelter? What the hell?” I found
myself shouting at the television set.
Then I started wondering about my relationship with Phaedra after I was busted. Do you know how many times I called this broad? How many times I had reached out to her? No really. I don’t beg, and I don’t run behind anybody, but she should have reached out to me. Why was the entire gang there except me? I know for a fact that I had earned my stripes! Was this real,
man? I mean was this sh** actually happening?
Phaedra had not moved on with her life at all. She was still involved
with these people which meant she only distanced herself from me. But why only me…? After doing more research, I learned that while Everett Tripodis was in the halfway house, and before he got released from Federal prison, he worked as a paralegal for her law firm. Wait a minute! Now let me get this sh** straight. I’m sorry mama King for cursing, but please just give me this
moment.
Okay, so Phaedra was a slick bi**h. I knew this because she taught
me how to be smooth. Phaedra married Apollo so he couldn’t
testify against her, and of course, she masterminded getting his life on track upon his release from prison. She gave Everett, Apollo’s street brother, and our partner in crime, a job as a paralegal working for her law firm. She did nothing for my children, or me, but I had sacrificed and lost everything. Didn’t I fit into this
equation anywhere? What about me? Why didn’t she help me?
Check this out right. For those of you that feel like she doesn’t owe
me anything. I really could care less how you feel or what you think, but for the sake of argument let’s consider this for a moment. When she was the ringleader, we had made an agreement, an unwritten contract. The verbal agreement was, if I ever got caught, Phaedra would represent me.
Phaedra Parks didn’t do that! Nor did she even try! Phaedra Parks,
an attorney who studied law, could truly care less. She knew what was going to happen to me if I ever got caught. Once I was nabbed by the law, she sat back and did nothing. It was one of my hardest lessons in life. There was no
honor amongst thieves.
Then I started thinking again, like I always do! I began to play the
course of our relationship through my mind over and over again. Things started to finally make sense to me after that. I remembered when I first arrived in Clayton County Jail, when I was pregnant and Phaedra ignored all my calls. I remembered the conversation with Attorney Freeman. That was the only reason she showed up. I believe he forced her to because he didn’t want to be
involved, so she had no choice.
I remembered my Federal trial when she said it was a conflict of
interest. I remembered Everett’s lawyer telling Judge Evans that I was the mastermind. I was the fall guy for the entire operation. Phaedra was never ever my friend, and she had a plan for me the moment she met me. Once it dawned on me how I had been played, I cried helplessly. I hadn’t cried that much since the death of my mother. She even went to my mother’s funeral,
Lies of a Real Housewife: Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil Page 17
