by Jacob Spears
“No thanks is needed, Jefe.”
“Any time a man does what he did, many thanks are needed.”
“And what, may I ask, did he do?”
“I am afraid I have already spoken too much, Señorita China. Please have him call me at his earliest convenience.”
With that, the line went dead.
China put down the phone and then headed to the room that Smooth had just stepped out into from the private bathroom.
“Jefe just called,” China informed him.
“What did he want?”
“To see if you made it back safely.”
Smooth shook his head, smiled, and then climbed on to the bed.
“He also said that he wanted to thank you. What is he thanking you for?”
Smooth walked across the room where he closed the door. After securing the door, he relayed to her the events leading up to Brazen’s death. While Smooth and China talked about his trip to New York, Monica sat in the living room bored out of her mind. To entertain herself, she picked up Smooth’s phone and began playing with it.
Chapter 8
Smooth sat in the driver’s seat of China’s truck waiting for her to exit the shoe store. Buying shoes had become a habit for China—an expensive one. He was glad that she was able to shop whenever she wanted to. Only months earlier, they had to carefully monitor their spending. Smooth smiled as she entered the truck.
“What?” China asked, returning the smile.
“I was just thinking back to when life wasn’t so good for us.”
“And when was that?”
“Shit, before we got this money,” he answered.
“No, no, no, boo. Life has always been good for me. I’ve always had Roxy and you and Ga Ga. Money hasn’t made my life better because I’m sure that if I was miserable before it, I’d still be miserable with it. I may be a little happier now that we got it, but it’s not the root of my happiness,” she said.
“Only you would look at things that way. That’s why I love you so much. I got a beautiful, smart, loving woman. What more can I ask for?”
“Not much,” China smiled.
“Where to, Miss Daisy?”
“Miss Daisy, my ass, boy. You mean Miss Oprah!”
“We haven’t talked about our plans in a long time,” Smooth said, turning serious.
“No need to.”
“Come again?”
“Look, we always talked about our plans in hopes of getting a lot of money. Now that we got the money, what’s the point in talking about old plans?”
“Well, maybe we need to discuss new plans to keep the money.”
“Okay, what do you have in mind?” China asked.
“Nothing yet. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. What would you like to do with all the money we got?”
“Nothing.”
“Explain, please.”
“I’m sure there’s something I’d like to do with some of the money, but not all of it,” China smiled, as she said this.
“Can you be serious? We need to figure out a way to keep the money coming in.”
“Can we please talk about this some other time? I hate when you get all serious on me.”
“I don’t want to be one of those people who had it and lost it all because he didn’t know what to do with it. We need to make some plans. That’s all I’m saying!”
“Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Okay, we will!” China stated emphatically.
“When?” Smooth showed no signs of letting up.
“You better be glad I love you,” China said through clenched teeth.
“Sure am,” he continued driving.
“Where are we going?” China asked, seeing that they weren’t heading home.
“To your mom’s house.”
“I don’t feel like it, baby,” she whined.
“Make sure you tell her that once we get there. I told her we’d come by when you were in the store. By the way, when was the last time you picked up something nice for her?”
“The same time you picked up something for your mother.”
In all the time Smooth had been hustling, he never once bought his mother anything. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t deserve anything—not even the air she breathed. Smooth was only seven years old when his mom had first gone to prison for three counts of child abuse. The abuse had started long before he was seven, but had gotten so bad that it could not be ignored any longer. Smooth’s teacher had reported the abuse after he entered the classroom with a black eye and a small gash on his head. After being examined, it was revealed that Smooth had numerous cigarette burn marks on his body. It was even clear that someone had placed a hot iron right in the middle of the boy’s back. When asked who had done it, he never said a word. He was much more afraid of his mother than he was of the adults who were questioning him.
Smooth and his two younger siblings were removed from his mother’s care and given to his aunt, who was just as abusive to them as their mother was. However, their aunt’s abuse was verbal.
After serving her sentence, his mother petitioned the court to regain custody of her three kids who she loved more than her own self. After completing all of the court’s stipulations, she received custody. Two weeks later, she hit Smooth in the back with a bullwhip because he’d come in the house two minutes later than when she told him to. At 12 years old now, he had enough and decided to fight back. That was a mistake on his part. His mother beat him within inches of his life. The last time he had spoken to her was at her sentencing. Smooth read from a letter he’d written to her. When he’d finished, there wasn’t a single dry eye in the courtroom. As the bailiff led her away, he screamed out, “I hate you!” The courtroom erupted in applause. Smooth had never seen his mother since and only rarely did he think about her.
“If my mother cared for me only half as much as Ga Ga cares for you, I’d make sure she always had money on her books. Then again, if she cared, she wouldn’t be in there for beating me damn near to death.”
“I didn’t meant anything by it, baby.”
“I’m sure you didn’t.”
For the rest of the ride, they both remained silent.
* * *
More than a month had passed since Smooth first attempted to talk with China about their future plans, yet they still had not had the conversation.
China was content with the way things were going, and she didn’t want to jinx it by talking about anything else.
They’d finally run out of the weed they had gotten from Boss’ warehouse, which suited China just fine. The cocaine they were now moving was more to her liking. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t figure out how Jefe had come up so quickly. He had made it back to the top just as quickly as he had fallen. He wasn’t exactly on top, but he was almost there. To show his appreciation to Smooth and China, he made a deal with them that would guarantee they pay no more than $10,000 a kilo. The only stipulation was that they had to purchase no less than 30 kilos a month. If they ever failed to do so, the deal would be broken.
China had even taken a more active role in getting rid of the product. She wanted to be present for every deal Smooth made and she’d even made deals on her own. On more than one occasion, Smooth had tried to put his foot down, only to have it picked up by China. He hated to admit it, but she was far better than he was at their trade.
They both sat on the couch watching Belly for the millionth time when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” China jumped to her feet.
Without waiting for an answer, she opened the door. Standing on the other side was Monica, with what looked like enough suitcases to fill a small boutique.
It was obvious that she’d been crying a lot.
China pulled her friend into her arms.
“Get her stuff,” she ordered Smooth.
Obediently, he got up from the couch.
“Talk to me,” China told her friend, as she pulled out a chai
r for her at the kitchen table.
“There goes my night,” Smooth mumbled to himself.
He turned off the movie and then headed to the bedroom where he grabbed his books.
“Can y’all take that to the room?” he asked as he came into the kitchen.
After they walked off, Smooth sat down at the table and spread out his books. As he did so, he noticed what he thought were Monica’s tears, and for the first time wondered what was wrong with her.
Monica’s mom had been into a horrible car accident and was now in the hospital hooked up to life support. The doctor said that she was completely braindead.
Monica had fallen to the ground after hearing the news, only to be picked up by Duwan, her mother’s boyfriend of almost 10 years.
It was Duwan who provided food and shelter for her and her siblings when her mother couldn’t find a job. Even though she was the only one that wasn’t Duwan’s biological child, he never made her feel like she wasn’t. She had grown to love him, as she would’ve loved her real father.
As he held her tightly, he promised that they’d get through the ordeal together as a family.
“You have to pick up where your mom left off, Monica.”
“I will,” she answered in between sobs.
“You will.”
“Yes, sir.”
Duwan’s next words were lost to Monica. She couldn’t think of anything besides the bulge that was pressing against her body. Feeling uncomfortable, she tried to break free from his embrace, only to be held tighter.
“Stop Duwan, please!”
“I’ve watched you grow from a little girl to a young lady to a grown woman, and I’ve wanted you for so long. I even fantasized about you while I did it with your mother, just wondering what it would be like if it were you that my cock was sliding in and out of. Can you feel it?” he asked, as he pressed up against her even harder.
“Please don’t do this.”
“Tonight my fantasies will come true. No more sneaking looks at you or smelling your underwear.”
He placed his face in the crook of Monica’s neck and then licked on her. She squirmed trying to break free.
As she tried to break free, there was a knock at the door. He signaled for Monica to be quiet.
“Who is it?” she screamed out.
“It’s Donna.”
Donica—or Donna, which is what everyone called her—was Monica’s mother’s friend.
“You better not say a word of this to her.” Duwan put on his best sad face and opened the door.
Monica used the time that Duwan and Donna talked to pack up all of her belongings and call a taxi.
When the taxi arrived, she’d given the driver China’s address and cried whole way there.
* * *
After listening and consoling her friend as best she could, China looked at her watch.
“I got to go take care of something. If you need anything, let Smooth know. I’ll be back in about an hour,” China said on her way out.
“Where you going?” Smooth asked, noticing that China had picked up her keys and cell phone.
“To the store. I got to get a few feminine products for Monica.”
“Grab me ice cream.”
Knowing that he’d decline, China asked, “You want to come with me?”
Smooth only shook his head.
“See you when I get back.” She kissed him and walked out.
On the way to Duwan’s house, China checked and re-checked the magazine in her small Beretta several times. She always knew the day would come when Duwan would finally hit on Monica. Had it not been for Donna arriving when she did, he would’ve violated her friend in the worst way. She turned on the interior light, applied some lip-gloss, and then stepped out.
“Hi D, is Monica here?” China asked, as she stepped past him and entered the house, not waiting for an answer.
“No. She ... um ... she ... um ... just went to the store I think. She said she’d be right back. Why don’t you have a seat and wait on her.”
China was already sitting.
“Duwan took a seat opposite her.
“Where’s Marvin and Marlin?” China asked, referring to Monica’s little twin brothers.
“They’re at my mother’s house.
“So you’re all alone?” China inquired, biting her bottom lip.
“Just me and you,” Duwan said, stepping closer to China.
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
“Yeah? Why is that?” Duwan rubbed his crotch.
“Come to the room. Let me show you.”
He walked behind China slapping her lightly on the ass. China had always disliked being around Duwan. The way he licked his lips whenever Monica walked by him indicated to China that sooner or later the day would come when he’d make his move.
In the room, China turned around to see Duwan unbuttoning his pants.
“What are you doing?” she pointed at his hands.
“I’m undressing for you ... for us. For that good stuff you got there, girl.”
“I’m going to do all of that for you. You just lay on the bed,” China ordered.
Duwan rushed over to the bed to do as he was told.
“Lay on your stomach. I want to give you a massage.”
Duwan rolled over.
China climbed onto the bed and straddled his back. Feeling the weight of China on his back made him smile. She removed the gun from her clutch bag.
“You ready for this?” China asked.
He nodded his head.
China placed the pillow over his head; and before he had the opportunity to say anything about it, she fired a round into his head.
She climbed off the bed and then picked up the pillow to inspect her work. Not satisfied, she walked into the kitchen and came back with a filet knife she had seen Monica’s mom use quite often. She placed the knife at Duwan’s neck and yanked upward as hard as she could. Now satisfied, she walked over to the drawer, and using her shirt, she pulled out a pair of socks.
Dropping the knife in the sock, she walked out.
On her way back home, China stopped at the store to buy a few things.
* * *
“What are you studying?” Monica asked Smooth.
“Something you don’t know anything about,” Smooth responded.
“I know a lot more than you know I do.”
“Yeah, well I don’t think you know anything about this.”
“Well, if I don’t, you can teach me,” Monica said, as she pulled out a chair.
She looked so pitiful, so Smooth allowed her to stay seated.
“Okay, welcome to the world of investments. Would you like to talk about stocks and bonds or CDs? Maybe you’d like to talk about commodities?”
Smooth tried to make it all sound like uninteresting stuff.
“Let’s start with the stocks,” Monica said.
“You just don’t give up, do you?”
“I actually know this stuff.”
“Right.”
“For real! See this chart right here? You’re actually following the wrong stock.”
“And what makes you say that?” Smooth asked.
“What most likely caught your attention with this stock right here is the fact that it rose so quickly after its initial public offering.”
“If you don’t sell quickly, you’ll lose money.”
“How do you know that?”
“It’s all public hype. Most investors don’t do their own research on companies they invest in. Look at this,” Monica said, picking up one of the papers lying on the table.
“The company sells jewelry for dogs. How many dogs do you see wearing jewelry?”
She was right again.
“So the company was made to sound good to investors and it did. But just as quickly as people bought into it, they buy out. So the faster you sell, the more you’ll save. Trust me.”
Smooth had never taken the time to sit and talk with Monica, but he w
as glad that he did so now.
“Okay, Ms. Guru,” he smiled. “Tell me, what should I be looking for if I want to invest some money?”
“Honestly, what you should be looking for is a good stockbroker. But if you’re hell bent on trying this thing yourself, I suggest you start off slow and get the feel of it.”
“Then?”
“You always want to look at types of companies first, not the company itself.”
“Explain that.”
“Okay, you have retailers that sell grocery. That’s the type of company. Now look for which retail grocery store is outselling its competition. If it’s appealing to you, you look into why it’s doing better than the others are. That’s the reason why you should invest or not invest.”
“Wow. You just impressed the shit out of me. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“You never gave me a chance to impress you. And like I said, I know a lot more than you think I do,” Monica replied, looking at Smooth with puffy eyes.
“Why haven’t you invested some money and made a killing?”
“And just where do you think I’m going to get the money from?” she asked.
“Good question.”
“I see the way you and my girl got it going on up in here, and I tell myself that I’ll have this and so much more. I just got to get my start.”
Smooth was about to say something until China came through the door.
“Took you long enough!” he said, taking the bag from her hand.
“We’ll finish this little chat some other time.”
Smooth walked to the room eating his ice cream.
Shortly after Smooth entered the room, China came in behind him. “I’m glad y’all getting along.”
“Why wouldn’t we be?” he asked.
“Why haven’t y’all been getting along,” China returned with a question of her own.
“I can see that she got some shit going on, so I decided to take it easy on her.”
“That was nice of you,” China said, as she began removing her clothes to take a shower.
“You want to tell me what’s going on now?”
“Monica’s mom was in a terrible accident and now ...”
