After the pushups and breakfast, Kareem showered. Before he drove Dre home, he called to his Aunt Renee’s house to speak to his older cousin Rhonda. Renee told him that she was at work and she gave him the number. He called Rhonda’s job to let her know that he would be up to her job as soon as he dropped Dre off. He then called Marquis and told him to be ready to hit the mall in a half-hour and to bring that Social Security number.
***
King of Prussia Mall seemed like a long ride on the Schuylkill Expressway, but it was definitely worth the trip. The mall had Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, and Bloomingdale’s, all serving as magnets to the upscale mall. It was designed to attract the wealthy and Kareem was headed there and ready to play. It was a step up from Cheltenham Mall, but he was ready.
After Kareem had parked, they both headed to the Nextel store where his cousin Rhonda worked. It was a slow day and she was in the store alone.
Rhonda was a hard working young lady and was the first in her family generation to graduate from high school. She sported a short hairstyle, full lips and bubbly brown eyes. At one point, she played with the idea of going into the military, but procrastinated. And understandably so. She was like a mother to her siblings. Her mother Renee was addicted to drugs and surprisingly maintained a job, but she was not a mother. Nevertheless at twenty, Rhonda held the house down.
“Excuse me miss, you’re so beautiful from behind. Turn around and let me see if you’re just as attractive from the front,” Kareem said to Rhonda, disguising his voice.
Wrathfully, Rhoda turned around and was shocked at what was said to her. She tossed her hands on her hips, and told Kareem, “Boy, you almost warranted a back slap.” She was confused by Kareem being at the mall. “What are you doing here? But before you answer, please never use that line to get a girl. I was sickened.”
“Maybe you were, but I could catch with that line, cuz. I am shopping for a cell phone. Can you help a brother out?”
“Nextel has a rigorous application process and you will have a hard time getting a phone without a big deposit. You may want to get a prepaid phone or try T-Mobile.”
“How about this? My friend Marquis has a solution to this process.”
Marquis then pulled out the letter from Social Security. “Are you asking me to commit fraud?”
“Come on. Please. I’ll explain this new behavior later. But we both need cell phones.”
“I could lose my job, Kareem.”
“Pretty please with cherries on top.” He pouted his lips like a three-year-old begging for an ice cream cone.
“Boy, this better not backfire and leave black smoke all
over my face. And if you get approved for more than two lines, I want a new phone, as well.”
Marquis completed the application and she processed it just as she would any customer. While committing the nefarious act, she was glad that she was at the store alone while her co- worker was on lunch break.
Kareem and Marquis strolled through the store to select the phone they wanted in the event that they were approved. Kareem thought that he could use this Social Security number anywhere and open instant credit accounts at department stores. Between his shoebox savings, the stolen credit cards, and instant credit he could be rich. Or at least, hood rich. With that thought, Rhonda summoned Kareem and Marquis to her station.
“You can celebrate quietly. You’ve been approved for five lines, Mr. Shepley,” Rhonda told them with a big smile on her face.
“No joke, we’re approved,” Marquis said. He had felt great that it had worked.
“I don’t play. Pick out your phones so that I can get you out of here before Sheila gets back from lunch.”
Rhonda programmed the three phones and showed them how to operate them. She told Kareem to call her, because she had to talk to the future attorney about his association to Marquis.
Kareem and Marquis left the Nextel store and decided to shop around the mall with the other credit cards they had. Kareem went to Armani Exchange and bought $300 worth of garments. Kareem bought so much because many of the kids at his school wore the label and he wanted it to be clear that his family could afford the threads. The two of them shopped until their hands were full with bags from Versace, Hugo Boss, Timberland, and Nordstrom. Before they left the mall, though, they made one last stop.
The two of them went into the Neiman’s men’s department and all hell was going to break loose if Kareem could not get anything. He picked out expensive Prada pants and a Gucci belt. At the counter, he was told that the elite emporium only catered to customers with a Neiman’s account or American Express and not the Visa card that he attempted to hand to the clerk. It turned out that Marquis had a silver American Express with the word platinum written across the top. He added a Gucci suit to the purchase and the clerk processed the card. It declined.
The clerk told them that they could pay with an alternative method. The bill was $1,874 and Kareem was not parting with that much cash.
“Sir, could you hold these things. I will have to have my dad pick them up later,” Marquis said. He has seen his mother make that move in the past to get something that she wanted off the sales floor.
“Sure, no problem. You two have a nice day,” the clerk said.
They left the store and both of them feared arrest. They had never been in that situation. Rather than leave the mall, Kareem headed back to the Nextel store. He walked in and found Rhonda with a customer. He patiently waited and when she became free he asked her why would his card decline.
“It means that you’re over your limit and by the looks of all these bags, you are. But it could be something else. Let me get the card and see if it declines here.” Marquis handed Rhonda the card and she looked at it. “You two have to be kidding. Whose fucking card is this, Kareem. This is going too far, and I don’t know much.”
“Look, Rhonda, we will talk later. I’ll pay you. But just find out why the card declined if it’s platinum.”
Rhonda grabbed a $19.99 car charger and rang it up. “You’re still driving your dad’s car?” she asked as she swiped the card.
“Yup, so I do need this charger.”
“You have to buy it. The card declined,” she said and pulled a book with all of the store merchant numbers in it. She called merchant services and identified the store and then the transaction. She pulled the phone from her ear and said, “Sir, I need to verify your identity. It seems there have been excessive purchases and they want to assure that it’s you.”
Marquis mouthed, “I don’t have one,” and dug into his pocket. He handed her the envelop that the card came in.
Into the phone Rhonda said, “I have his ID, do you need something from it?” After a pause she read the address from the envelop. She then said, “Run it again, ma’am. Is that all? Thank you.” Rhonda ran the card again and the transaction was approved. She said, “It seems that they just had to verify that the card holder was out buying the mall up.”
On that note, Kareem and Marquis left the mall in good spirits. They had learned a few lessons and bought a lot of things.
As Kareem pulled out of the mall parking lot, he asked Marquis, “What do you call two teenage boys that go into people’s mailboxes and steal their mail.”
Marquis had no idea where the loaded question was headed, but he said, “Mail theft. Federal jail time.”
“Nope mailbox shopping!”
Kareem sat back and fancied how his career as a white- collar criminal could flourish. What if his family found out? Would they label him a pariah? He planned to take care of them, too. Everyone would eat. This wasn’t too much for a fifteen-year-old. Marquis could not believe that he was involved with the sick plot, which did not involve knives or drawn guns or feeding drugs to his community.
Chapter 21
Over the next week, the two of them went mailbox shopping every day. That was their full-time job. Each day they meticulously mapped out areas to mailbox shop. Were they burglars? Or d
id that require entry into a home? Neither larcenist cared; their concern was getting paid. Undoubtedly, they would, and they could not believe how easy it was to get paid.
It was a prismatic Saturday morning and Kareem awoke with a lot of things on his mind. He had thought about the First Union plot. He surmised that they may catch onto his scheme and start to track him. Kareem grabbed a phone book out of his vestibule and started calling other local banks to get the bank’s policy on opening new accounts.
“PNC Bank. Chelten Avenue. May I help you?” a masculine-voiced woman said on the other end of the line.
“Yes, I’d like to find out about opening a bank account for students in high school.”
“Sure, let me connect you.”
Kareem listened to the elevator-hold music and it drained him. Just as he was about to hang up, a bubbly woman answered and announced her name, Carla Spellman. She asked if she could help him.
“Yes ma’am. I am interested in coming in and opening up an account. I am only 16. Can you help me?”
“Sure, we have the perfect account. It’s the Student Plus Savings. Would you like me to assist you with opening an account?”
“Well, I need to ask my grandmother to bring me up there today.”
“What’s your name?” the banker asked.
“Donnell,” Kareem said after very little thought.
“Well, Donnell. Banking has changed. I can open your account over the telephone.”
There was a silence on Kareem’s end. He thought, so I don’t even have to come into the branch. “But how will I deposit my money?”
“More questions, Donnell. After I take all of your information, I’ll give you an account number. And then you’ll have 30 days to make a deposit.”
“Oh, I see.” The great American banking system. Kareem did not believe his ears, but he answered a series of questions and gave up a bit of phony information. He had no idea PNC was so predictable.
“Your account number is 12583561. We will be mailing a signature card to you to fill out and return to the address contained in the package. Also be on the lookout for a debit card and checkbook.”
Did she just say debit card and checkbook? “I’ll be waiting and be sure to follow all instructions. Thanks, Mrs. Spellman.” Kareem hung up the phone and immediately called Marquis. Marquis answered his cell phone on the first ring and Kareem immediately went in. He told him everything that transpired with PNC Bank and then gave him the 1-800 number for the bank so that he could also open an account over the phone.
“Word, I am going to call them as soon as I brush my teeth,” Marquis said.
“Brush your teeth? Man, I am your homie, your confidant. There’s no need to lie to me. I smell a shitty man running all through your mouth through the phone.”
“You should smell an electrician soldering braces onto your crooked teeth. I hope you’re getting braces with this money you’re getting.”
They both fell out in laughter and then Marquis had a news flash of his own.
“Yo chill, Reem. I gotta tell you, dawg.”
“What’s good?” Kareem asked. He had transformed back into serious mode.
“I fucked this little chicken head last night, and when I was creeping out, her mom caught me and sucked me off.”
“Get the fuck outta here, cuz.”
“Real shit, man. I couldn’t believe how she just came at me like, ‘You gone give my daughter some of that good wood, but not me. Go out and then come around back, I’mma meet you at the back door.’ You know I did that shit.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. What’s that number?”
“You’re wild as shit,” Marquis said laughing. “But here’s the highlight better than AI dunking over Shaq. The mom works at Penn DOT.”
Kareem thought for a second, and then said, “Don’t tell me she has access to give up IDs?”
“You better know it, and can give us people’s socials and shit.”
Kareem danced around, and sang, “We’re in the money. We’re in the money.” Then it hit him. “What’s the cost? I know this jeopardizes her job.”
“Well, I’mma keep poppin’ her—” “Whoa, you popped her?”
“Naw, but I am going too. And we get them for $100 a pop. But she wants us to buy 5 at a time, so we’re not there frequently.”
“Five? Man I ain’t walking around with five IDs.”
“We can hide them. Matter-of-fact, that’s your job to figure out where. I gotta go, mom-dukes is calling me.”
Chapter 22
After another week of mailbox shopping Kareem and Marquis had been making a mark on the Philadelphia banking system. They had opened accounts at multiple banks and used many people’s credit cards. Their stash of money was piling up and their clothing was becoming more expensive and street- couture.
Kareem hadn’t seen his brother in two weeks so he decided to give him a call to touch base. Dre answered and Kareem asked what he was up too.
“Nothing. Chillen. About to catch the bus and go down Norf to Aunt Renee’s.”
Kareem knew Dre’s true intentions and wondered how far did his brother think he would get selling drugs. Aunt Renee had already told Kareem that Dre sold drugs, because despite her drug habit, she and Kareem was tight.
“Oh, aiight. Want me to grab you.”
“Yeah, I gotta get dressed.”
“Hit my cell when you’re ready.”
“Cell? Where the hell you get a cell? This shit has to stop. What’s the number?” Dre asked. He had started to feel that he was missing something by not living with Jean-Mary.
Kareem gave him the number and they disconnected. He then contemplated what he planned to do that day. He had 15 credit cards and six stolen check books that he had to play with. But he also had to open up an account at a bank. He had been opening up a new account every day. It was reckless and greedy, but he didn’t care. He decided that he would treat himself to a day spa and get the whole nine-yards: massage, facial, manicure, pedicure. He was Mr. GQ Magazine.
Before he headed out, he decided to call Cathy from the First Union Bank and see what she had going on. He retrieved her business card and called her cell phone.
“May I speak to Cathy?” he asked in his sexiest voice. I am becoming a complete fraud, he thought.
“This is she, may I ask who’s calling?” she politely asked. “This is her fantasy come true, Eric.”
“Who is?” she asked. He told her who he was, and she smiled. “O, hey boy.”
“Boy? There’s no boy here. Young man, baby. Accompany me to dinner and let me show you.”
“I can’t pick you up,” she replied. “And don’t you have a curfew?”
Kareem thought that she had a condescending underpinning to her questions. He chuckled inside. Who is she kidding? He had no desire to get into his conceited bag, so he resorted to, “ I’ll just need an address to pick you up at six. And please be dressed for something nice.”
“Friday’s nice?”
“Nicer,” he said, and looked over at a Philadelphia Magazine.
***
By two p.m. Kareem had a woman massaging his back at Impressions Spa. He lay naked in the middle of the table and her hands dug into places that he had no idea existed. She explored his seven body centers and massaged his sources of energy for spiritual or psychic powers. After an hour he was done. He was ushered in a cotton robe to another room for a rosemary facial, micro-derma-abrasion and seaweed body wrap. Removing the body wrap, with the rosemary still on his face, he was taken to another room for his first manicure. He thought the whole day was feminine, but knew that it signified high style. That was what he wanted, too.
The finale of the treatment was a pedicure. That was pleasant and he read the Philadelphia Magazine. He searched for the restaurants labeled Best in Philly by the magazine’s food and dining records. He had learned a lot and planned to buy back issues to be well connected to Philadelphia’s high life.
After receiving his serv
ices, he charged $185 to a Brian Gramery’s Visa and an additional $185 for a tip. As he left the spa, he asked the receptionist to direct him to one of the best restaurants in the city. She suggested Le Bec-Fin, but they were reserved for the week. She then directed him to The Bronze, and made him reservations. He then drove to King of Prussia mall.
***
Kareem pulled into the Neiman’s valet parking area and handed his keys to the valet. He entered the store in the men’s department, and was met by Roy Landers. Roy was an effeminate associate who had looked like he knew his way around high-end fashion.
He told Roy that he was going on a date with a woman older than him and he wanted to impress her. Roy knew exactly what to do. Twenty minutes later, Roy sold Kareem an army- green Prada suit. The 38R was a perfect fit. Roy topped the suit with a black Prada button-up that had a wrinkle effect. The look was completed with a belt with a sizable buckle and three- quarter boots both by Dolce & Gabbana.
Kareem passed Roy an American Express card bearing the name: Scott Dallucci.
“Scott Dallucci, huh? Who are you kidding?” Roy said and exposed Kareem as a fraud.
Inside Kareem panicked, but Roy had no idea. “Listen, it’s my step-dad’s card. My mom likes white dudes.”
“No need to lie. I won’t tell the police. But it will cost you.”
“Man, I don’t roll like that. I’d rather go to jail than allow a man to suck me off.”
Roy chuckled. “You’re confused. I don’t want to suck you off.”
“Well what do you want because I will go to hell before I suck a dick. You got me fucked up.”
“I want that Prada rain coat over there. Get that and we’re even. And you can come again.”
“Oh,” Kareem said and smiled. “Ring that shit up then.”
Kareem grabbed the rain coat and the purchase total was $5,343.09. Kareem could not believe the total. Roy handed Kareem a receipt and his business card and jotted his cell phone number on the back.
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