Authors: Nikki Turner
"WHY ME?!?"
After Yarni boo-hooed a while, reality sank in. Where was she to go now? She knew she wasn't going to ask her family for any type of assistance. She was too ashamed to after she had moved out from her mother's house and in with Des. She had vowed at that very moment that other than moral support, she would never ask anything else from her family. She would learn to take care of herself, but where would she start?
Somehow she managed to drive herself to her favorite aunt, Andrea's house. Andrea was a small featured, cocoa-colored woman with very thin eyebrows and long eyelashes. She wore finger waves gelled neatly across her entire head. Before she could ring the doorbell, she reflected on something Andrea had taught her years ago. The Bible said that if two come together and agree on something,, whatever they ask for will come to pass, but Yarni needed confirmation. Yarni asked God to give her the will and the strength to be there for Des and to love him unconditionally. To be with Des always, even through incarceration. She prayed for some of the tension to lessen between her and Joyce. She knew that the only breakthrough and miracle would come from God.
Andrea had already heard the verdict on the evening news.
Yarni explained to Andrea in detail the performance Joyce put on as they were leaving the courthouse. To Andrea's surprise, Yarni wasn't really concerned with Joyce's actions. Her focus was on Des and his well-being. Andrea tried to comfort her by sitting beside Yarni on the loveseat and placing her arms around her asking her, "Baby, would you rather have 12 people convict him or six people carry him?" That was not comforting to Yarni at all.
"Auntie, no disrespect but somebody dying and someone going to jail is two totally different things. In jail, everything is stripped from you. Your freedom, your self-respect, and your loved ones are all taken away. Yeah, you can still see them and touch them, but at the same time you watch them get conditioned. You watch them get bitter. You watch and hear of your loved ones getting disrespected by some egotistical, control freak, toy cop, who probably doesn't have any authority at home, so they come to work and abuse what little authority they have. I'm sorry, Auntie," Yarni said shaking her head as she continued, "There is just no comparison." Andrea said, "right," as Yarni continued.
"Then we get stripped of our rights as well. We have to be searched when we visit. We can't wear this. We can't wear that.
They can search our cars at any given time if it's on their prem-ises. Does prison actually corrupt our people to be more scrupu-lous? What is the fear now?"
Aunt Andrea couldn't get a word in.
"The way I see it is, one day you're living a regular everyday life and the next day you're in prison being treated like an animal. Locked in a cell 23 hours a day, then they wonder why when you're released you act like an animal" Yarni raged.
Yarni thought about all these things and just began to pray.
She had always prayed every night, but now she really pulled out her Bible and started to read it. Her mother had always instilled prayer in her life. Yarni had been through a lot of things and she knew that she would or was to be faced with some unknown obstacles that had yet to be revealed to her, and ultimately, God would be the only one who would carry her through. She knew that God would be with Des no matter what the outcome was. Andrea kneeled in front of the sofa with Yarni.
She left her aunt Andrea's house feeling a lot better.
As Yarni approached the apartment, she could see from the street that the door was cracked open. As she approached the door, she realized it was off the hinges. She automatically thought the police had been there, but for what reason? Des was already in jail. She walked into the apartment. The living room furniture was gone. There was only a broken frame on the floor with a painting of Des and Yarni that Des had gotten to hang over the fireplace. She walked to the eat-in kitchen and the table was gone. There was only one bar stool pulled up to the counter with one-watermelon placemat. She stepped into the dining room - cleaned out! She proceeded to the bedroom--nothing left! Only Yarni's clothes were hanging up in the closet and her jewelry box. There was a note attached to the jewelry box with duck tape. Written on a brown paper bag with a black magic marker in big bold letters was. "YOU WILL NOT BE FUCKING
NO OTHER NIGGA ON MY SON'S SHIT".
She couldn't believe Joyce was behind all of this. Yarni screamed out, "That dirty bitch!" She broke down crying hysterically.
BACK IN DA DAY
REFLECT BACK 2-YEARS:
Yarni was 17 years old when Des got locked up.
She met him when she was only 15, a sophomore at Henrico High School.
One Friday night, back in the day, her girlfriend Melanie spent the night at her house. Yarni was on punishment because she had gotten a Saturday morning detention for arriving late to Mrs.
Walden's class one too many times, so she and Melanie couldn't go to Skate Land or anywhere else for that matter. It was a sure gift that she could have company at all, especially company as resourceful as Melanie.
Melanie was bright skinned with dirty blonde hair. She was a little overweight for her 5'2 height. She had big pop hazel eyes.nBeing the baby of seven brothers made her quick on her feet. She loved staying the weekends over Yarni's house because there was a loving mother and always a refrigerator full of food.
Plus, there was peace and quiet away from the crack infested, brick bungalow style projects she lived in. Yarni's house was a mansion filled with all the latest technology. They even had a guest room, although she never slept there. She'd always bunk in Yarni's room.
Melanie loved Yarni's large bedroom. It was the perfect girl's living quarters. The comforter set was a maize, bright orange and hot pink print with a white wood bedroom suit. The large rug on top of the hardwood floors was a maize print to match the comfort set. She even had a hot pink telephone. The lighting in the room was hot pink and orange disco lights. The walls were covered with posters out of "Right On" and "Fresh" magazines. One wall had a bulletin board filled with pictures of her family and all of her friends from school at dances and games. Yarni had her own desk and walk-in closet filled from top to bottom with clothes, belts, boots and shoes. But most importantly, Yarni's room had her own television, VCR, and all the latest books and tapes on her bookshelf.
Melanie had stolen her older brother's phone book, a book with the numbers for all the "big boys" who were major players in the drug game. Most were pager numbers, so they couldn't call those numbers since it was after 11pm and Yarni's mother, Gloria, had taken her phone line out of her room as part of her punishment. So, they had to sneak and use Gloria's line. No one called Gloria's line after 11pm. Melanie and Yarni continued to make calls and either got no answer or the "big boy" was not at home. It was midnight by this time, and they had called all the numbers in the book except one. That number belonged to Des, A.K.A. Ghetto Super Star, big time drug dealer and a treacherous killer.
Melanie had been skeptical about calling the number because she knew Des would not take a phone prank lightly. He had a notorious reputation according to Melanie's older brother, as well as everybody else in the hood. Des was not to be played with in any type of way. Melanie didn't know him personally, but there were stories all over town of his heartless acts. Maybe it was just a rumor that he had killed a boy over a Blow Pop one time. It was also said he'd killed a man for telling his mother to
"kiss his ass" because she pulled into a parking space that he had been waiting on. Nobody would dare testify against him because his whole family, including his mother, were gangsters.
Nobody messed with anybody who was dear to him. His workers would even steal from their own mother to keep from being short on any of his money.
Des was the worst kind of dope man to deal with. Rumor was, and this rumor was close to the truth, that he was a cold-blooded killer, cunning, and very intelligent. He was charismat-ic and a master of head games. With his business-oriented mind, he had goals and things he wanted to accomplish in life outside of the drug-game. He had book sense--common sense--and street sense!!! Very rarely would you find a street hustler with all three of these traits. When you do, all hell can, and will, break loose. Which it did.
Melanie took all these things into consideration and decided, being the thrill seeker that she was, that they were going to call Des anyway. Hell, it was Friday night and he probably wouldn't be available anyway. She picked up the phone and hung it up, then picked up the phone and dialed. The phone rang twice. She hung up before anyone picked up, and then burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Yarni asked.
"I am about to call this guy," she said.
"Call him then. Don't keep hanging up," Yarni demanded as Melanie followed her orders, a male voice answered.
"Hello," the receiving voice said.
"Hello, can I speak to Des?" Melanie said.
"How did you get this number?" The male voice inquired.
"Des gave it to me," Melanie responded in a casual tone.
"Well, this is Des and I don't know who this is playing games, and I know you are playing because nobody would or should be calling here for me. Now tell me why you insist on lying?"
Melanie bucked her big pop eyes. She wasn't expecting Des to even be there. She was totally caught off guard. So, she just tensed up. She had to think quickly.
"Des, this is Melanie, Baby Joe's little sister from around
"The 233."
"Okay," said Des, "Is something wrong with Baby Joe?" sounding sincere.
"No," replied Melanie.
"Then what other reason would you be calling my family's home?"
She immediately came back with "My friend, who lives in the county, seen you come through 233 and is dying to meet you."
Yarni immediately hit Melanie. Melanie got up off the bed with the telephone in her hand, speaking into the receiver with her hand around the mouthpiece of the phone. Melanie was good on her feet.
"Every since she saw you, she's been calling me asking who you were. She's very fly. Not to be disrespectful in any kind of way, but she looks better than any of the girls I've ever seen you with. She has real long black hair with copper streaks and ain't got no bumps on her face. She got a real big butt!" Yarni's eyes got big as Melanie continued. "She ain't no yuk mouth chick either. She got pretty white teeth, and bout 5'5. I ain't gay or nothing, but she bad, Des."
Yarni was struggling with Melanie to try and hang up the phone. Melanie couldn't believe she still had Des on the phone listening. So she guarded the telephone with her all. She would not dare hang up on Des anyway.
"I told her that you already had a girlfriend and that you wouldn't be interested in her, but would you at least say hi to her please?"
"Where is she?" Des asked.
"She's right in the other room."
"Put her on the phone," Des demanded, but laughing to himself. I can't believe these little girls are playing on my phone, but I am gonna go ahead and play along with them.
Melanie called out, "Yaarrrnnieee", as if she wasn't standing right there. Melanie extended her hand out handing Yarni the phone. Yarni shook her head no, but Melanie begged and pleaded with her on her knees until Yarni took the phone and softly said, "Hello."
She was sweating from tussling with Melanie to hang up the phone, and tried very hard to catch her breath. She was also a little scared that Gloria might wake up, hear them, and come into her room to hang up the phone. Or even worse, pick up the phone and embarrass her in front of the king of all the big boys.
Des went along, pulling on the jay he was rolling before the phone rung: "Hello, how are you?"
"I'm well, thank you." She said.
"Where in the county do you live?" he asked just making casual conversation.
"Richmond Hills." He automatically knew that she must come from a good respectable family. Richmond Hills was an upscale elite community. There were only a handful of black families living there. She didn't want to tell him that she lived in Richmond Hills because she didn't want him to think that she was the stuck-up type. At the same time, she didn't want to lie.
That was something that he could easily find out. They chit-chatted for about 15 minutes. Des couldn't believe how well spoken, confident and mature Yarni was. He wanted to see who the person was behind the voice.
Des' pager went off. "Give me your number so I can call you right back, because I gotta go take care of something." Des said.
I can't give him my number. He cannot call back here this time of night. My mother would flip the hell out. I can't tell him I'm on punishment, and I don't want my mother to tell him either because then he'll really think I am a little girl. Think quick Yarni, Umm... Umm... think!
"I need to take a shower and get myself together, so how about I just call you back?" Yarni tried to save her underaged self.
"That's cool So, just ring me back in about thirty minutes." Des was very persistent. He knew he would be in the house for the night because he had been out gambling for 3 days consecutively. He didn't really have anything else to do and he was in a good mood. Most of the time he had no time to be at home to kick it on the phone with a female. This would be different for him.