Resurrection

by Treasure Hernandez

  Chapter Four

  Malek sat in the limo along with Jamaica’s Joe’s baby mother and their two young sons while on the way to the funeral services. Malek supported Joe’s family during this devastating time. Sobs and lost hopes filled the air, and it broke Malek’s heart to see Jamaica Joe’s young sons, smiling and playing, not grasping that their father was gone forever.

  Just the day before, Malek had found out Joe had a baby mother and kids. Joe always preached to Malek about keeping family and business completely separate. Obviously, Joe used to practice what he preached, because Malek had no idea that he had a family.

  Although Malek didn’t know about Joe’s family, Joe made sure that his wife always knew who to reach out to and what to say in the event of his untimely death or imprisonment.

  Malek made a mental note to remember and utilize the game that Joe had given him during their relationship. A chill went through his body as he saw Joe’s grieving woman sobbing while sitting across from him.

  Kim, Jamaica Joe’s woman, kept whispering while quietly crying into a handkerchief, “He’s gone, he’s gone.”

  Malek rested his hand on her shoulder and assured her that he would retaliate against the man that killed her man. She kept asking Malek what went on that night and he told her everything, leaving out the mysterious woman, not wanting to throw dirt on Joe’s name. She had enough worries; Malek didn’t want to reveal that Joe was cheating on her in the process.

  “Everything is going to be all right,” Malek said confidently. He looked through the window and noticed that they had reached the church. His heart dropped when he saw the pallbearers unloading Joe’s casket from the hearse. The death of Jamaica Joe had the whole city in mourning. The city had just lost one of its elite, and all of the hood legends, crackheads, workers, and community were in attendance to pay their final respects to Flint’s fallen boss.

  Joe had taken a page out of Mob boss John Gotti’s life. Like Gotti, Joe would always throw neighborhood barbecues, give turkeys on Thanksgiving, gifts on Christmas, not to mention fireworks on the Fourth of July for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. And although the citizens knew that he was a dangerous drug dealer, they all loved him. Because of his constant benevolence, they always overlooked his misdeeds.

  Malek and Joe’s family stepped out the limo onto and the packed sidewalk, where people crowded the streets outside of New Jerusalem Church. They walked into the church to say their final good-byes.

  Malek took a deep breath. He patted his waist to make sure his gun was in place before he entered the church. He saw firsthand what could happen when you put your guard down, and he vowed to himself to never get caught slipping again. I’m never taking any more bullets again. That’s my word. I’m going to body a nigga before they body me, Malek thought as he felt the tenderness in his shoulder from the gunshot wound.

  Malek knew that Joe’s funeral was littered with undercover cops and federal agents who likely wanted to question him, but he didn’t care at that point, because everything was about Joe. And with the way he was feeling, he knew that he would probably go to jail for murdering a cop with his bare hands if they were to be disrespectful and approach him at Joe’s funeral.

  The walk to Joe’s casket seemed like it was three miles long to Malek. He looked down at Joe’s body and was at a loss for thoughts and words. Seeing a man that was so powerful lying in a casket taught him a lesson—nobody was untouchable.

  After the service, Malek sat with the family at Joe’s estate just outside Flint, in the suburb of Grand Blanc. Malek never knew that Joe had a spot in Grand Blanc. He knew about Joe’s spot in Flint, but never knew that he also rested in Grand Blanc. With Joe being dead, Malek figured that it didn’t matter anymore who knew where Joe lived. See, Joe was a certified gangsta from the old school, and he knew that once a player in the game was either murdered or locked up, the player’s family would be off-limits to his enemies at that point.

  Only there to show moral support for Joe’s family, Malek was quiet and to himself. He stared out of the living room window, thinking about how Joe took him under his wing. Joe showed him how to be a thinking man and to always plan his moves. That’s why Malek was already thinking about getting to Sweets. Retaliation was a must for him.

  All of Joe’s henchmen and former workers were scattered around the room, grieving in sorrow. Malek felt someone gently rest a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Kim.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey. How you holding up?” Malek asked as he faced her.

  “I can’t believe he’s gone. He was just talking about leaving here for good. He promised me that once he got you situated and prepared you to take over the empire, he was gone.”

  Malek dropped his head, as a wave of guilt overcame him.

  Kim gently lifted his head with her index finger and stared him in the eyes. “It’s not your fault,” she said. “Joe was his own man and made his own decisions.” She grabbed Malek’s hands. “Look around this room, Malek. You got an army that’s willing to do whatever you say. You have power by default. You are in charge now. But with this game comes death, jail, and sorrow. Don’t let this game swallow you. Get out! Get out now, before it’s too late.”

  Kim’s eyes teared up. She saw firsthand how the game altered Joe’s mind, so that even though he had enough money to leave the game, he didn’t. She witnessed how the allure of the game kept him in the streets, which ultimately led to his premature demise. She felt obligated to warn Malek of the flip side of the game; the cons of the drug game. Malek reminded her so much of Joe, and she saw the same glare in Malek’s eyes that once was in Joe’s.

  Kim reached in her bosom and pulled out a small key and a small piece of paper that had a safety deposit box number on it. “Malek, I’m supposed to hand this key to you. But it rips at me to do it because it’s like me signing your death certificate.”

  “Whatchu talking about? Ain’t nobody bringing death to me!” Malek said defiantly.

  Kim shook her head. She knew that Malek had that gangsta ego, which was one of the worst kind. “Malek, listen, just tell me you don’t want this key because you’re about to get out of the game and you won’t need it.”

  Malek smirked. He looked down at the ground and then at Kim.

  “Kim, I’m supposed to be in the NBA right now. But I fucked that up and I didn’t make it. And in the process, I let my agent down, I let my fans down, I let my coaches down. And you wouldn’t believe how I let my moms down. But you know what? There isn’t anybody that I let down more than myself! So for me to walk away from you right now and not take that key, a key that Joe wanted me to have, then you know what? I would be letting Joe down and proving how much of a fuck-up and a failure I am.”

  “Malek, I hear you. And you know, you’re about to make tears come to my eyes. You were gonna be the number one pick in the NBA and now you’re about to be the number one hustler in Flint. But what you’re missing is that you could be number one in whatever you put your mind to. Start a business and you’ll be bigger than Bill Gates. Go to law school and you’ll be bigger than Johnnie Cochran. And that’s because you got something special in you just like Joe had. Don’t follow in Joe’s footsteps and waste that special gift that God put in you.”

  Malek paused as if he were in deep thought, and he did take in every word that Kim had said. But he felt that she didn’t really understand him and that she never would, nor would anyone else. He moved forward and embraced her, and he whispered in her ear and told her to be strong. As he hugged her, he simultaneously took hold of her hand and the key that was his.

  “I’ll be smarter,” he said to her.

  She nodded her head, knowing that she was handing him death.

  About a week after Jamaica Joe’s funeral, Malek walked into the First of America Bank, the place where Joe kept his safety deposit box. It had been two weeks since he’d been shot, and he was ninety percent healed from his wounds. Malek wondered what was in the safe deposit
box and why Joe had told Kim to give the key to Malek if something ever happened to him. It seemed like he knew he was going to die early, Malek thought as he walked up to the male teller.

  “Hello, how may I help you?” the man asked with a cheesy smile.

  “I would like to go into my safety deposit box,” Malek said as he slid the teller the card with the box number.

  “Follow me,” the man said as he made his way to the back of the bank. Malek followed the teller into the spacious vault.

  The teller stuck his master key in the safety box and began to head out of the vault. “Ring the bell when you are ready to exit,” he said before closing the vault behind him.

  Malek slowly walked to the box and entered his key. He slowly turned it and pulled out the large steel box from the wall. He took the heavy box over to the table in the middle of the room.

  Malek didn’t know what to expect as he stared at the box. He took a deep breath and opened it up. His eyes lit up as the neatly placed Benjamin Franklins lined up in stacks. He flipped through the money, all hundred-dollar bills. “Oh my God,” he whispered.

  A note with Malek’s name on it was in an envelope under one of the money stacks. Malek picked it up and opened it.

  Malek,

  If you’re reading this, that means I’m gone. Every hustler’s reign eventually comes to an end. The lifestyle that we live doesn’t come with any guarantees or pension plans. It’s hard for a man to express his feelings to another man. It’s just our nature. But I wanted to let you know that I love you like a younger brother. I see myself in you, and I want you to remember all the things that I taught you.

  I don’t want to tell you what to do or anything, but my greed probably is the reason why I’m not alive anymore. Get your money and get out of the game, Malek. If you stay too long, you will end up like me or in somebody’s jail cell. Start you a family and enjoy the good things in life.

  I left you one million dollars to secure your well-being. I am the one who turned you out to the streets; I feel it’s only right to give you this. I put the poison in your hands and cursed you with a hustler’s mentality. I never seen a hustler as smart or as disciplined as you. I created a monster. I can’t tell you what to do with it, but please be smart. Remember to keep business and personal completely separated. Take care of yourself, Malek.

  One,

  “Jamaica” Joe Holland

  Malek took a deep breath and put the letter in his pocket. He wasn’t ready to leave the game alone so soon. He had to admit that he didn’t expect to be reading a note like that from Joe, but it was what it was. Nobody knew what it was like to be destined for the NBA and then to have that pulled from under you. Nobody understood what it was like to have things at your beck and call from the age of 12 simply because you can play ball. It was like a drug to Malek, a drug that only a handful of human beings ever experienced. Malek had experienced it, and he got addicted to it.

  He wanted to feel that high again. He didn’t want to fuck the beauty queen and not climax. He wanted to fuck the beauty queen and nut all over her ass. And he hadn’t nutted yet. As far as he was concerned, he wouldn’t bust that nut until he had totally dominated the drug game in the same way he’d dominated the game of basketball.

  Yeah, Malek knew that he had unfinished business, like murdering Sweets on Joe’s behalf, and also making more money than Joe had ever imagined. He was going to learn from Joe’s mistakes and become bigger and better than him. It was Malek’s time.

  Chapter Five

  Malek had never seen so much money in his entire life. One million dollars lay scattered across his bed. He was giddy on the inside. When Malek had seen all of the cash inside of the safe deposit box, he almost came on himself at the sight of so much dough. He had to make three trips back to the bank in order to retrieve all of the cash. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, so each time he came back to the safe deposit box, he only carried a medium-size duffle bag with him to put the cash inside. He had been making money hustling, but Jamaica Joe had been “getting it,” and the evidence of Joe’s success in the game was right in front of him.

  Malek had more than enough money to cop from Fredro. He was about to hit the streets hard, and no one, not even Sweets, was going to stop his rise to the top.

  He counted the money for hours, verifying repeatedly that all of it was there. It wasn’t a task for him. The money felt good in his hands. He knew that he couldn’t act on his impulse to splurge frivolously. He was about to turn the one million into an empire and make his mentor proud. And without a doubt, Malek knew that he had to get back at Sweets, but he didn’t want to move on him just yet. He first wanted to get his paper stacked as high as he could stack it, and then he wanted to catch Sweets sleeping.

  Halleigh was silent as she lay across the bed in just her panty and bra set. She couldn’t believe the riches that were scattered around her, but she was glad that Malek trusted her around his money.

  Malek loved Halleigh’s body and was always turned on by her. He regretted it regularly that he had never sexed her like they had planned on doing on the night that she was raped.

  Truth be told, he wasn’t that pressed to hit it now. See, the way he figured things, getting pussy wasn’t a problem for him. He had a string of chicks that he had ran up in, and he could add to that list at his will. But the reason he hadn’t been that pressed to hit it was because, ever since Halleigh had been raped, he looked at her as being defiled. Sort of like a bird with a broken wing, or a Mercedes that had been wrecked. And then on top of that, Halleigh had been a whore who got paid to get fucked.

  Malek never let Halleigh in on his thoughts about why he was more than willing to be patient. He wanted to come across as if he was being patient for her sake, while he was really being patient because he was trying to come to grips with the fact that her pussy was no longer special. She could have been infected with some type of disease, and on top of that, he was trying to figure out how he could make her his top bitch after she had basically been the whole hood’s bottom bitch.

  Fuck it! he thought as he took off his LRG jeans and his shirt and lay next to Halleigh on the bed along with all of the money. Without warning, he began kissing on her.

  Halleigh loved the way Malek kissed her, and she loved the way his tongue felt in her mouth. She began to kiss him more passionately.

  Malek slid his left hand onto Halleigh’s pussy and began to rub on it through her panties.

  “Emmmmhhh,” Halleigh sighed with pleasure.

  Malek was actually surprised that she hadn’t tried to push him away or move his hand from her crotch like she normally had done. She usually ran a line on him that she wasn’t ready to go there with him. Malek never pressured her, yet he never could understand how she would push him away as if she was a virgin, even though she had been with more dudes than Heather Hunter.

  “I want you,” Malek seductively whispered into Halleigh’s ear as he kissed on her earlobe.

  Halleigh didn’t respond, so Malek took that as his cue to continue. He slid her panties off and quickly undid her bra, leaving her completely naked. He thought about going down on her, but then he decided against it. He just wanted to get to it before she changed her mind.

  Malek was definitely turned on, and that was evident by the way his dick was standing at attention. He quickly slid off of his boxers and his shirt and stood there looking at Halleigh with nothing on but his Jesus piece dangling from his neck. Malek had a habit of always fucking in his Air Force Ones or his Timbs, but he usually did that with chicks he didn’t respect. So he didn’t fuck her with his sneakers on.

  Malek spread Halleigh’s legs apart and slowly slid his dick into her pussy, which was soaking wet and throbbing at this point. Malek was kind of surprised that Halleigh’s walls gripped his dick so tightly. He was expecting her to be as loose as a Ziploc garbage bag.

  “Damn, baby, your pussy feel so good,” he said as he began to pump his dick in and out of her. />
  Halleigh tried her hardest not to tense up and think about the brutal rape that she had endured. She wanted to relax, and she hoped that Malek would truly enjoy her more than any other chick that he had ever been with.

  “You really like it?”

  Malek nodded his head up and down and continued pumping. Halleigh felt so good, she knew that Malek was gonna make her cum. Without warning, tears began to stream down her face.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Malek asked.

  “Nothing,” Halleigh replied as she wiped her tears away. “I just can’t believe how much I love you and how good you’re making me feel right now. I never felt this close to anybody before.”

  “I’m not going nowhere, baby,” Malek said. “You trust me?” he asked as he pumped his dick harder and harder.

  “Yes! Yes! Baby, I trust you,” Halleigh replied as she began to gyrate her hips and contract her walls on Malek.

  Malek had never had a chick contract her muscles the way Halleigh was doing. “Wow, baby, you’re gonna make me cum! Oh shit! Your pussy feels good!”

  Hearing Malek say those words to her was enough to make Halleigh explode.

  “Oh, baby,” Halleigh screamed. “I’m cumming!” She wrapped her legs around Malek and urged him to do it harder.

  Malek followed her orders and pumped her so hard that he thought he was going to break the bed. Within thirty seconds, he pulled out and came.

  “Whoa!” Halleigh said. “Malek, I never came so hard before! I feel dizzy!” She began laughing.

  Malek laughed and told her how good he felt. He then went to retrieve a towel so that he could wipe off Halleigh’s stomach.

  Halleigh and Malek lay on the bed holding each other. Neither of them said a word, but both of them were thinking the same thing. They were thinking just how good life could have been had their lives never taken such a crazy turn.