The Hustler's Daughter {DC Bookdiva Publications}

by Pinky Dior

“I’m sorry,” Mercedes apologized. She didn’t know who she bumped into.

  “You better watch where you going next time bitch.” India barked.

  “Or else what?” Mercedes nose flared up as India tried to get in her face. She tried to keep her cool, but with India it was impossible.

  “India, this is not the place or time for this-definitely not at my son’s funeral.” Cassandra stood in between them as they exchanged cold glares of anger.

  “I’ll see you around puta.” India looked Mercedes up and down and walked away with her group of friends. Mercedes turned to Chino’s mother and apologized, “I’m sorry…” Cassandra cut her off.

  “No, it isn’t your fault. India just doesn’t know how to act, bringing that damn nonsense up in here.” She shook her head from side to side.

  “Alright Mercedes, take care.”

  They hugged each other and Cassandra stared Mercedes in her eyes. Mercedes felt like she wanted to say something, but the words never left her mouth. Cassandra wanted to tell Mercedes the truth badly, but she couldn’t.

  “Goodbye Mercedes.”

  Cassandra turned on her heels and rushed out of the funeral home. Mercedes didn’t know Cassandra that well, but she knew something was up. Mercedes walked back inside for one last talk with her love. She approached the casket and wished she could see him one last time. She figured his casket was closed because his body was charred in the explosion. She hovered over the casket. She placed both hands on the edge and started crying.

  “I love you Chino and so does your baby that I’m carrying. Mercedes rubbed her belly as she cried. She had not told anyone yet that she was pregnant with Chino’s child. She wished that Chino would be able to see his daughter or son grow up. Mercedes didn’t want to bring her child into this world without a father, but she was happy she had a life to remind her of Chino. Mercedes said one last thing before turning and walking away.

  “Love you forever Chino.”

  Moving Forward

  Weeks after laying Chino to rest, Mercedes walked down the cold Harlem streets. Her parents gave her time alone since she was so distraught. The cold whipped through her body, but she pulled her jacket closer to her trying to keep warm. She spent an hour at Chino’s gravesite and placed flowers on his tombstone. A tear crept down her cheek and onto her jacket. She was tired of wiping her tears away. The tears were a mixture of sadness for losing him and excitement for the new life growing inside of her.

  The cold air coupled with the grief caused her stomach to ache. She dipped into a store to get some water and an Advil. She rubbed her belly as the water coated her throat. She remembered how she felt when she went to the doctor and found out that she was nine weeks pregnant. So much had happened in a short period of time.

  The one thing that she pondered was how she would tell her parents. She knew this was exactly what they didn’t want for their daughter. Nevertheless, it was happening and she knew they would be very upset. She was keeping her baby, but no one-not even her friends would know.

  As she walked and thought about her life without Chino, she looked up and noticed a group of girls approaching her. She rolled her eyes as she recognized them to be India and her clique, the Queen Bee’s. Mercedes knew for a fact that they were going to fuck with her just because she was alone and without her friends. Mercedes stopped in her tracks when she saw India with a mischievous smirk on her face.

  “Excuse me?” Mercedes said with an attitude.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “You’re in my way, so I advise that you move.” Mercedes retorted.

  “No I’m not going nowhere!” India yelled. “If it wasn’t for you, Chino would still be alive.” Mercedes looked at India and didn’t know what the hell she was talking about. She waved her hand in her face and said,

  “Bitch please you’re just jealous because he didn’t want to be with your no class having ass any way.” Mercedes rolled her eyes.

  “India, don’t let that bitch talk to you like that.” One of girls from India’s crew said as she sucked on a lollipop.

  India pushed Mercedes. It was enough to move her off of her feet, but not enough to do any harm. She wanted Mercedes to make the first move.

  Mercedes looked back and laughed, “Don’t fucking do it to yourself bitch, I’m preg…” India pushed her again, it was harder this time. Pregnant or not, Mercedes knew if she walked away or decided to hit India back they were going to jump her.

  Mercedes put her guard up her and started throwing blows at India. India began slapping Mercedes and Mercedes grabbed her by her hair as they fell to the ground. She hopped on top of her and started punching her in the face. India was desperately trying to block the blows. Despite the size difference, Mercedes still had the upper hand.

  Mercedes was putting in work and inflicting serious damage. One of the girls had to pull Mercedes by the hair to get her off India. That act allowed India to gain an advantage and like wolves, they all surrounded Mercedes. They were kicking her in her face and stomach. Mercedes was only concerned about her baby and was trying to block the stomach blows.

  “My baby…my baby…” She screamed to anyone that could help her from the painful torture they were inflicting.

  “Hey! Stop that!” An older woman yelled; she had become a witness to the drama.

  India and her girls scattered down the street and disappeared around the block. The damage had already been done. The woman helped Mercedes to her feet. She doubled over in pain and began to cry. Her cries increased when she looked down and saw a trail of crimson dripping down her legs onto the concrete. She was bleeding and possibly losing her only memento of Chino. She began to get dizzy and immediately fainted.

  “Somebody please call an ambulance!” The lady shouted as she held Mercedes in her arms.

  xxxxxxxxxx

  Mercedes sat on the hospital bed waiting for Emilio to pick her up. She felt that he was the only one she could trust at this time. Her parents could never know what was going on. She would have to tell them eventually, but not now.

  Mercedes hopped down from the hospital bed and limped into the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror and slowly brought her hands up to her face and touched it. She was still gorgeous, but the bruises made her look like she was a hood rat. She lifted her dress and observed the bruises from her waist down. India and her girls would pay for the pain they caused, inside and out.

  Several minutes later she heard a knock at the door. Mercedes was already back in bed and watching TV. She looked up and saw Emilio at the door holding a bouquet of red roses and a get well card. A smile crept across her face and she motioned for him to come in. Emilio slowly walked in and handed her the flowers and the card.

  Mercedes smelled the roses and placed them on the bed. She opened the card and it read ‘I hope you feel better’-Love Emilio.

  “Thank you Emilio.”

  She got down from the bed and stood in front of him. Emilio caressed her face and smiled. Mercedes felt chills from his fingertips and blushed.

  “You’re welcome, anything for you princess.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Despite some bruises, you still look gorgeous.”

  Mercedes pulled back and smiled. She was happy that he asked no questions. She was anxious to leave the hospital and they walked out to the car. Emilio opened her door like a gentleman should. ‘He is such a nice gentleman.’

  Mercedes thought to herself as she got into the car. She clutched her red roses and card. They rode in silence until Emilio turned up the radio. A smile appeared across her face as she thought about Chino.

  “I see you invested in a radio.” Mercedes let out a light chuckle.

  “Yeah,” Emilio smiled. “The other one was broken, so I just bought a new one.” Mercedes nodded and turned her head to look out the window.

  As she sat in the car, the song “In Love with a Thug” by Jim Jones came on. Tears fell silently from her eyes. It brought back the painful memories of when
they she used to be in Chino’s car listening to this song with him. They pulled up in front of her house and she took a deep breath. She noticed her father wasn’t home, but her mother’s car was parked in their garage.

  “Thanks for the ride Emilio, I really appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” he said. Mercedes opened the car door and got out. She slid her key into the door and her mother was sitting on the couch. She tried to avoid her mother and prevent her from seeing her face, but it was too late.

  “Oh my God Mercedes!” Maria screamed. She jumped up and rushed over to her. “What happened to your face?” Her mother caressed her face, noticing the bruising and scratches that were present. Mercedes burst into tears. She had lost Chino and the baby in a matter of weeks and had no one to talk about it with. Her emotions were overwhelming and she finally had a release. Maria wrapped her arms around her daughter as she cried into her arms.

  “My baby…they killed my baby…” That’s all that Mercedes could say as she cried in her mother’s arms. ‘Baby?...Your baby?’ Maria said to herself with a perplexed expression on her face.

  “You were pregnant, Mercedes?” Maria astonishingly asked. She had no idea and felt that she should have paid more attention to her daughter.

  “Yes Ma…I’m so sorry.” Mercedes pulled her mother closer to her and hugged her. She buried her face in her chest. “I’m so sorry Ma…I know…I’m sorry…I should…”

  “Mercedes, what happened?” Maria whispered in her ear and pulled back from the embrace. She grabbed both of her shoulders and stared into her eyes.

  “Chino’s ex-girlfriend India...Her and her girls jumped me when they saw me. I was a little over two months pregnant. I’m sorry, Ma …”

  “Damn, Mercedes.” Maria shook her head. “That’s exactly why your father didn’t want you to go to a public school.” She continued shaking her head as she spoke.

  “Are you okay Honey?” Maria asked in a worried tone. “How do you feel?” Mercedes shrugged her shoulders, “I’m hurt…I mean I know I’m only sixteen but, after Chino died Ma I was excited at the opportunity to have his baby. I would have had a piece of him with me; it would still feel as if he’s alive you know?” Mercedes looked up at her mother and stared her in the eyes.

  “Are you mad Ma?”

  “I can’t judge you. What mother wants a pregnant sixteen year-old? It’s definitely not ideal, but it happened and we just need to get through it together. I had you at eighteen and that’s still young, you know. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I did. I just want you to be happy. As you get older, you’ll find the man to make you happy. You will fall in love with him. You will know him when you see him. ”

  Mercedes was happy that she was able to share this with her mother. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  “Your secret is safe with me.” Maria reached over to embrace her closely.

  “You promise you won’t tell Daddy?” Mercedes asked. Don walked through the door at that moment.

  “Tell me what?” He asked.

  He surprised them by interrupting their bonding session. They pulled back from their embrace as if they had seen a ghost.

  “What the hell happened to your face?” Maria forgot about her daughter’s face, she ran over to Don to explain.

  “Some girls jumped her. She’s fine though.” Don rushed over to Mercedes and caressed her face. He began examining her bruises.

  “What girls jumped you?” Don asked. He clutched his gun that he wore in his waistband.

  “Some girls from school, they’re jealous of me.”

  “See, that’s why I didn’t want you going to a public school.”

  His teeth gritted, he spoke in an angry and regretful tone. “You’re gorgeous and bitches are always gon’ hate.”

  “I know Daddy, but I didn’t know it would happen.” Mercedes began to regret convincing her father to allow her to attend a public school.

  “You don’t need to apologize. If they were niggas, they would be six feet deep before you blinked. Nobody fucks around with the Carters, NOBODY!” Don barked.

  Maria flinched at his angry and vengeful tone.

  “You’re going to a private school, no questions asked. Your cousin Sean goes there and my sister Brenda said that school is good and there’s no drama there. So that’s where you’re going on Monday.”

  Mercedes looked at her mother with pleading eyes. Her mother’s eyes responded with an ‘it’s out of my hands look.’ Mercedes got the message and simply said,

  “Okay Daddy.”

  “Give your Daddy a hug.” Don smiled and pulled his daughter into his warm embrace. “You’re still gorgeous Mercedes.”

  “Thanks Daddy.” Mercedes smiled.

  “Alright ladies, let’s go.” Don said retrieving his car keys from his pocket.

  “Where are we going?” They both said in unison.

  “It’s a surprise for your mother; a present for my appreciation to the most beautiful wife in the world, for our sixteenth anniversary.” ‘He never forgets.’ Maria said to herself, she smiled while looking at Don behind her oversized Chanel shades. Mercedes and Maria were still anxious to know what it was.

  “Close your eyes.” Don said before arriving at the destination. He parked the car and walked over to the passenger side. He opened the door for his wife and helped her get to her feet.

  Don slipped a key into his wife’s hand and whispered in her ear, “Open your eyes.” When she did, she screamed “Oh my God! Oh my God!” Maria jumped up and down in elation; her eyes were watering with tears of joy. They were standing in front of a pink building that read Carter’s Beauty Salon. Although Maria was a little skeptical about the name of the salon, she was ecstatic. She could always change the name if she wanted. She turned around and kissed her husband passionately. Mercedes playfully rolled her eyes at her parents as they kissed.

  “Thank you Baby, I love you.” Maria cooed.

  “You deserve the world, and I know you always wanted your own salon. Go ahead and open it.” With her hands quivering, she finally got the key into the hole and turned the knob. Once they were inside, Maria and Mercedes both wore wide grins. It was decorated lavishly just like their home. She knew that no other shop would have shit on her salon, for the taste was exquisite and so upscale. The Carters were expanding their empire and they felt invincible. The only question was how long would it last.

  2 Years Later…

  18th Birthday

  Mercedes never felt more alive than on the morning of her 18th birthday. She woke up with a smile on her face and thanked God that she made it this far. She thought of Chino and her unborn child that were taken from her. During the last two years, Mercedes coped with their deaths and became a responsible young woman. After changing schools and graduating, most of her time was spent working at her mother’s salon. She worked as the receptionist. The relationship between her and her father strengthened over time. Reminiscing about the past few years, Mercedes got up and walked over to her bureau and pulled out the dresser drawer. She grabbed the sonogram picture of her unborn baby. Tears fell onto her hands as she fingered her only photo of the baby. She regretted not telling Chino about her pregnancy, but she wanted it to be a surprise.

  Every night they would enter her dreams and she would dream about life with them as a family. Soon she would be awakened and reliving the moment she found out Chino was dead. Her dreams would turn into a nightmare and she would break out into sweats in the middle of the night. Sometimes she would start yelling out his name and it only brought tears to her eyes.

  Her thoughts were soon disrupted by a knock at the door. She tossed the picture back into her drawer and saw her mother entering the door with a birthday cake.

  “Happy Birthday Mercedes.” Maria sang.

  “Thanks, Ma.” Mercedes smiled as her mother held the cake in front of her singing the birthday song.

  “Make a wish.” Maria said. Mercedes closed her e
yes to make her wish.

  “Are you excited? It’s your eighteenth birthday!”

  “Yeah, I know.” Mercedes smiled. “It feels good knowing that I’m alive and so is the rest of the Carter family.”

  “You got that right.”

  Don walked in just in time to greet his daughter. He grinned with pride.

  “Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.”

  “Thank you Daddy.” Mercedes kissed him on the cheek.

  “You’re welcome. Make sure you’re ready for later. I’ll be home to give you your gift. It’s a surprise.

  “Aight, I got some business to handle so I’ll see you ladies later.”

  Don kissed his wife on the cheek and Mercedes on the forehead. He then disappeared down the hall to begin his day.

  “Alright Mercedes, let’s get ready to go to the mall. Daddy left me the Black Card.” She winked at Mercedes as she waved the card around in the air.

  Later that night, Mercedes was looking as beautiful as ever. She was getting dressed for her night out with her parents to celebrate her birthday. As she entered the white limo which her father left, she pondered where she was going. Her mother was running late and her father was still handling business. She noticed a dock as she looked out of the window with boats floating on water. Her father stood dressed in a suit with a huge smile on his face. She had no clue what was going on.

  “What the fuck is this?” She mumbled. The driver exited the car and walked around to the passenger side door. He graciously opened the door for her.

  “Hey, Daddy.” Mercedes smiled, as she greeted her father with a hug.

  “Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.”

  Don hugged his daughter and gave a signal to one of the men at the dock. As soon as he did, they removed a cloth revealing a huge yacht. “And it’s all yours.” “What?” Mercedes blurted out with a baffled look on her face. “What do you mean it’s all mine?” She was a little puzzled.

  “That’s your own private yacht.” Don assured her. “It’s yours; I brought it just for you.”