Still Hood

by K'wan

  As always, Billy was the backbone, going to prenatal appointments and being there for Reese, but it was in Yoshi that she found the strength and inspiration to overcome. Yoshi had been beaten and raped by the same circle of men that had run a train on Reese, and she had been left for dead in a gutter. Her body had been broken, but her spirit held fast and she made a full recovery. Reese figured that Yoshi’s hell was harsher than her own, but if she could overcome, then so could Reese. Though it took some time, she was finally able to connect with her newborn daughter and appreciate her for the blessing that she was.

  “What’s good, Mommy.” Reese held the little girl to her bosom. Before she could even situate Alexis, her phone rang. “Yeah,” she answered with an attitude.

  “Why you always gotta answer your phone like a hood rat? What if I had been somebody calling you about a job?” Billy started in.

  “First of all, bitch, I pay this damn bill. Second of all, who the hell is gonna be calling me for a job at four in the damn afternoon?” Reese shot back. Both the girls bust out laughing. “What’s up, Billy Jean?”

  “Still over here with my team. You still coming through?” Billy asked.

  Reese adjusted her grip on Alexis, “Yeah, I’m waiting for my mother to come through so she can sit with Alexis. I would’ve asked Sharon, but that little bitch is feeling herself.”

  “Y’all go at it like an old married couple,” Billy said.

  “Cause the little bitch think she grown. I be trying to tell ol’ girl what time it is so she don’t end up pregnant too fucking early, but the little bitch thinks she got it figured out. I had to slap the shit out of that lil ho a little while ago.”

  “No, y’all wasn’t fighting in ya mama’s house?” Billy disputed.

  “You got that damn right. She came out her face all crazy, so I hit her wit the Iron Palm.”

  “Reese, you sick,” Billy laughed. “So when is ya moms coming?”

  Reese glanced at the wall clock. “Shit, she was supposed to be here already. I don’t know where the fuck she at.”

  “Tell you what, why don’t we just run the baby over to my mom’s? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind watching Alex,” Billy offered.

  “Nah, I ain’t trying to impose on ya moms like that. She does enough for me and Alexis as it is.”

  “Reese, knock it off. You know that my mother loves that baby girl of yours. Besides, since I moved out I know she gets lonely being home alone. Tell you what, since I got the whip just stay there and I’ll come through and scoop you. Come downstairs in like twenty minutes.”

  “A’ight, I’ll see you in twenty.”

  Chapter 9

  AFTER LEAVING MONIQUE TO THE LOCALS ON her stoop, Dena made her way to her building, where Nate, Spooky, and Shannon were passing a blunt around and gossiping like women. From the look on their faces, they were all high as kites.

  “Y’all look higher than all outside.” Dena stood in front of the trio.

  “Please believe it,” Shannon smirked. “I thought you was going to the movies or something?”

  “Nah, I changed that plan.” Dena lied. “I’m bout to throw something on and head uptown. The boy, Stacks Green, is shooting a video, so you know me and my girls gotta be on the scene.” She flipped her hair.

  Shannon shook his head. “Y’all chicks is off the hook. You gonna roll all the way uptown to stand around a video shoot?”

  “Hell yeah. It’s a nice day, so you know the block is gonna be packed. I’m trying to catch a balla!”

  “You better watch that, Dena. You see what happened to the boy, Roots, for fucking with my lil sister.”

  “Yeah, you be thinking you somebody’s daddy,” she said playfully. “Let me hit that.” Dena reached for the blunt.

  “Man, you better get your little ass outta here with that.” Shannon snatched the blunt out of her reach. “I ain’t trying to have Mommy catch you out here smoking wit us, D.”

  “Shannon, stop acting like that, you know I puff,” Dena protested.

  “Yeah, but not wit me. You’re still my little sister, recognize?”

  “Hating ass,” Dena pouted, and stormed into the building, switching harder than she had to for the benefit of the older men. Spooky snuck a glance at her onion, but Nate turned away. Shannon tended to be very sensitive when it came to his little sister.

  “Your little sister is something else.” Nate shook his head.

  Shannon coughed and spat on the ground. “Her fucking ass thinks she grown. Talking about she trying to catch a balla. I’m gonna fuck around and kill Dena.”

  “You know she’s right,” Spooky spoke up.

  “Fuck is you talking about?” Shannon glared at him.

  “The video shoot. You know how many hos is gonna come out the woodwork trying to steal fifteen minutes of fame? I say we mount up and roll uptown.”

  “Dawg, I ain’t really trying to roll uptown to gawk at no hos. Plus, my money funny cause these fucking fiends acting like they ain’t getting high today,” Nate said.

  “Big bro, you know there’s more than one way to snatch a dollar.” Spooky flashed the butt of his gun. “Lets go see them monkey niggaz we been laying on in L.G.”

  WHEN DENA CAME INTO HER apartment she stepped on a doll head and almost busted her ass. She kicked the head and walked into the living room where several other toys were scattered around. Her twin niece and nephew were standing in front of the television watching videos. Sean mimicked along with the rapper, while Shauna sang the pop hook. They looked like a ghetto Sonny and Cher, dancing stiffly in front of the television. All Dena could do was shake her head.

  “Y’all stay in front of the TV,” she said, startling them.

  “Hey, Auntie!” Shauna ran to Dena and jumped into her arms.

  “What’s going on, Mama?” Dena hoisted the five-year-old.

  “We doing a video!” the little girl said excitedly.

  “I’m doing the video and she’s one of my video hoochies,” Sean said defiantly.

  “You better watch your mouth. Let your mother hear you talking like that and she’s gonna beat your ass,” Dena said, pointing her finger at him.

  “She ain’t even here,” Shauna informed her.

  Dena gave the little girl a serious look. “Nadine left y’all in here by yourselves?”

  “Yep, she said she was going to the store to get us some sandwiches, but she been gone for a while.”

  “Don’t worry about it, I’m gonna stay with y’all until she comes back.” Dena placed her niece on the floor and headed towards her bedroom.

  Unlocking the door, she slammed it shut behind her and tossed her purse on her queen-size bed. Nadine was always doing stupid shit. Dena knew damn well Nadine didn’t just run to the store, because she had just come out of it, getting a loose cigarette. Knowing her sister, she was probably off at the weed spot or running her mouth around the corner. God forbid if something had happened to the twins in that house; Dena was surely going to jail for murdering Nadine.

  Pushing her ignorant sister from her mind, she focused on a more pressing issue, Lazy. After pulling a no-show he had the nerve to be blowing her jack up. Dena was angry, hurt, and embarrassed by the stunt Lazy had pulled, and this time his sweet tongue and fantastic dick weren’t going to get him out of it. If he wasn’t going to act right, it would be nothing for her to find someone who would. “Fuck him,” she said, walking over to her closet.

  Dena had more clothes than she knew what to do with, but only enough closet space to hang some of them up. The rest of her stuff was stuffed into plastic bags or Rubbermaid containers. The apartment was crowded enough with her mother and siblings, but if Nadine kept popping out kids the house would soon be overrun. One more reason she needed to get a place of her own.

  Picking out an outfit for the night was simple enough. Dena wanted to be fly, without looking like she was trying to get fly. There would be enough hood rats out in their Sunday best, so subtlety was better. After picking o
ut the proper attire, she dipped in the bathroom for a quick shower. Just as she was stepping out to dry off the bathroom door burst open.

  “Shit, I gotta pee,” Nadine said, dropping her pants and plopping down on the toilet.

  “Damn, you can’t knock?” Dena shouted, covering herself with the towel.

  “Girl, stop acting like I ain’t seen your ass naked before. I used to change your nasty-ass Pampers. Oh, that nigga Lazy been calling here all afternoon. I thought you and Lazy was going to the movies?”

  “Fuck him,” Dena said, stepping out of the shower. “Niggaz ain’t shit.”

  Nadine wiped herself and pulled her pants up. “You just figure that out? Shit, I could’ve told you the boy was loose and saved you the heartache. Street niggaz like Lazy ain’t shit!”

  “And who made you the authority?” Dena said heatedly.

  “Them two no-good baby daddies of mine, that’s who. They was both fine and promised the world, but at the end of the day I was just another hit—which is cool, cause I handles my business with or without a nigga.”

  Dena frowned at her. “Nadine, as much bullshit as you got in your life, I know you ain’t coming down on me like you got all the answers?”

  Nadine took a loose cigarette from her bra and lit it. “I might not have all the answers, but I sure as hell ain’t got no delusions about some nigga rolling through here and sweeping me off my feet. What you should’ve done was went and got you one of them square niggaz that actually wanna do something other than run the streets and lay their dicks on the crap table. You need to listen to what I’m telling you, Dena, on the real.”

  “Nadine, you need to miss me with that. Every nigga you ever fucked with was either a drug dealer or a fucking bum, so you can’t tell me nothing about my man!”

  Dena tried to step past her sister but Nadine blocked her path. “What, you mad cause I’m giving you the lowdown on ya lil man? You better suck that shit up and take it for what it is, D. All these niggaz is the same at the end of the day. Dena, niggaz Lazy’s age ain’t bringing nothing to the table but a hyperactive dick and a bunch of drama. They roll from one pussy to the next, leaving broken hearts and unclaimed kids in their wake.”

  “Speaking of kids, why the hell did you leave the twins in here by themselves?” Dena asked, trying to change the subject. Nadine’s words were striking a little too close to home for her.

  “First of all, Bay was supposed to be up here with them, and I’ma kick his little ass when he decides to pop back up. And second of all, I just went to get some smoke from up the block. It’s not like I dipped out and went to the club. As a matter of fact, why the fuck am I explaining myself to you about my kids’? You better check yourself and remember who the big sister is and who the little one is.”

  “Some fucking example you’re setting.” Dena stepped past her.

  “Don’t let your mouth write a check your ass can’t cash!” Nadine screamed, but Dena had already slammed her bedroom door.

  LAFAYETTE GARDENS WAS A HOUSING project in Brooklyn that was much like any other projects. It boasted neatly rowed buildings, manicured lawns, and brightly painted signs welcoming you. This was on the exterior. Within the confines of the projects, crime and poverty festered and the strong preyed on the weak. The unspoken law of the Gardens was that, if you weren’t from L.G., you stayed out of L.G. Luckily, laws meant nothing to the three desperados sitting in the idling minivan.

  “There that nigga go, right there,” Shannon said from the driver’s seat.

  “Who? Son with the shine on?” Nate asked, picking a slender kid out of a group standing in front of the building closest to Classon Avenue.

  “Yeah, them niggaz is shining real nice. They must’ve heard about the video shoot, too,” Spooky said in a sinister tone. “I know a Russian uptown that’ll give us a fair price for them chains. You think that’s platinum or white gold?”

  “Its about to be history,” Shannon said, pulling a shotgun off the floor, which had the stock sawed off for stealth. “Nate, get ya old ass up front and keep the car running. Spook, you ready to mash on these niggaz?”

  “All day, baby,” Spooky said, before checking to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber of his P89. As silent as the grave, the two robbers slid out of the car and entered the projects.

  “WHAT UP, WHAT UP?” RONNY said as he slapped the palms of his peoples who were assembled in front of the building. Dressed in a white Sean John sweat suit and a pair of white-on-white Airs, he looked more like a rapper than a criminal. Ronny was an up-and-coming ghetto star in Brooklyn, clocking decent paper selling weed and coke in the projects. He was better known for his skill with the ladies than his skills with a pistol, but the crew of wolves he hung around with balanced the scales.

  “Ron, what da deal?” A soldier named Blick saluted him. Blick was a man of slight build with a quick temper. He was Ronny’s right-hand man.

  “You got these niggaz on they job?” Ronny asked Blick.

  “You know that. Dooly is almost finished with the pack he’s pumping across the way, and I told Rene to hit him with another one when he’s finished. Mike is around here somewhere, too. He’s gonna hold it down while we shoot up top.”

  “That’s what I like to hear, kid. Yo, I ain’t trying to be out there all night, son. We just gonna go check the scene and see if we can slide something, then we’re back to the block, smell me?”

  “I got you, Ron. I know how yo ass don’t like to be off the block for too long,” Blick teased him.

  “Fuck the dumb shit, kid. I don’t trust nobody to watch my paper but me. Speaking of paper, you got that on you?”

  “Yeah.” Blick patted the Gucci pouch that was secured to his waist. “Ron, you sure it’s a good idea to be rolling with this dough on us like that?”

  “Normally no; but I figure, since we’re going uptown we might as well go see fam and them to get some more work. Don’t trip though, I got that heat in the car in case a nigga wanna break fool.”

  “Yo, one of y’all know how to get to Bedford Ave?” Spooky asked, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

  “You damn sure can’t get there rolling through L.G., son,” Blick said.

  “My fault, money, a nigga just a little lost, that’s all. Ain’t no need to poke ya chest out,” Spooky said, matching his tone.

  “My dude, you must not know where the fuck you at.” Ronny piped in.

  “Oh, we know just where we at.” Shannon appeared to the rear of them with the shotgun leveled. “Yeah, talk that tough shit now.” He pointed the barrel at Blick, who was frozen with fear.

  “Yo, my dude, be easy with that!” Ronny eyed the shotgun.

  “Fuck that easy shit, you know what it is!” Spooky pressed the P89 to Ronny’s forehead. “Come up off ya shine and that cake.”

  “Son, y’all think y’all can just roll in my projects and rob me? On some real shit—” Ronny didn’t get another word out before Shannon slammed the butt of the shotgun into the back of his head. His afternoon erupted into a burst of stars and colors, and the pretty boy collapsed to the ground.

  Pulling the slide back on the shotgun, Shannon pointed it directly at Ronny’s face. “Nigga, you ain’t no fucking gangsta. Run yo shit before I let you hold something.”

  Ronny could feel the blood leaking from the back of his head onto his sweatshirt. “A’ight, man, just chill,” he said, while removing his chain and watch.

  “You too, ya ugly muthafucka.” Spooky pointed the gun at Blick.

  “A’ight fam, you got this one.” Piece by piece, Blick removed his jewelry. Though he was complying with the robbers he was also storing their faces into his memory bank. There was no way in the hell that he was gonna get robbed in his own hood and not strike back.

  “What’s in the pouch?” Shannon asked Blick, but still had his gun trained on Ronny, who was unscrewing his diamond earrings.

  “Nothing, man, a few bags of smoke and my ID,” Blick lied.

  “
Set it out,” Shannon demanded. Blick just glared at him. “Boy, you ain’t heard what I said?”

  Blick cursed himself. If he let them take the pouch they’d be shot on the re-up. “Man, I can’t let you take this.”

  “What?” Shannon pointed the shotgun at him. “Yo—” Shannon’s words were cut off by a thunderous sound. Blick’s thigh exploded, spraying Shannon and Ronny with blood. Spooky stood over both the men, holding a smoking gun.

  “Nigga, this shit is nonnegotiable!” Spooky barked. He reached down and ripped the pouch from Blick’s waist. After a quick glace inside, a broad smile spread across his lips. “Looks like we came up on some real ballers.”

  “Nigga, you shot me!” Blick shouted, as if Spooky didn’t know what he had done.

  “You’ll live. Be glad I ain’t split ya fucking cabbage.” Spooky reached down and ripped the diamond earring from Blick’s left ear, bloodying him further. “Good looking out, fellas,” Spooky said, before jogging from the projects with Shannon on his heels, laughing hysterically.

  Chapter 10

  “THAT WAS SOME REAL CHICKEN-HEAD SHIT YOU pulled last night,” Sugar said to Roxy, licking the edge of the blunt to seal it.

  “That ho shouldn’t have bucked. I can’t believe that bitch was acting all crazy over a fucking T-shirt.”

  Sugar just looked at her. “Roxy, I ain’t even about to go there with you on that one. You just make sure you hold your composure at the video shoot.”

  “Please, you acting like I don’t know how to carry myself. I’m a fucking lady!” Roxy said, crossing her legs in a masculine way. “Damn, that reminds me. I gotta call Charlie and see if he got some of that piff.” Roxy reached over and took the white cordless phone of its base.

  “Roxy, what the fuck are you doing?” Sugar looked over at her.

  “Sugar, I ain’t gonna be on that long.”