Authors: Kiki Swinson
“Did you get with my lawyer, so y’all can go and see them people for me?” he asked, ignoring my comment.
“No, I haven’t seen those people yet. But I talked to your lawyer a couple of days ago about getting together with them in the next day or so. But since this mess has happened, I don’t think I’m gon’ be up for that.”
“But you have to,” Ricky said desperately. “The clock is still ticking.”
“Look, Ricky, I just got shot twice, if you haven’t heard. And right now, I’m laying in the damn hospital. Now I know the clock is ticking because you’re reminding me of it every time I talk to you. But at this very moment, it’s all about me and my health. So that bullshit you talking about is gon’ have to wait until after I recover.”
“Okay, hold up. I understand about all that. But the deal is on the table now. So if we drag our feet with this thing, they gon’ snatch it away from me.”
“That’s not my problem, Ricky.”
“Oh yes the fuck it is! Remember, I’m in this hellhole because of you and your big-mouth-ass cousin.”
“Nah, nigga, you’re in there for them murder hits. So stop trying to blame everyone else for your fuck-ups. Everybody knows what type of nigga you are. Even I know it. That’s why I’m gon’ look out for myself first. Fuck all that other shit you talking about.”
“Well, just remember what I said is gon’ happen if you try to front on me.”
“Ricky, I don’t care about your little threats. They don’t scare me. Right now, you’re talking to a chick who could care less about what happens. Shit, I just got shot and almost came close to dying. So what could you possibly do to me?”
“Put you out of your misery,” he so coldly said.
“Well, then, do it, you piece of shit! Acting like you a gangsta or something. You ain’t shit!”
“Oh, I’ma show you.”
“Well, good, soldier. And now you ain’t got to call me no more. ’Cause if you do, I’m going to get all the numbers you used to call me from, blocked.”
“Fuck you! You gold-digging bitch! I’m gon’ have your muthafucking head, you hoe! So you better watch your back when you leave the hospital, ‘cause I’ma getcha!”
“Well, let me tell you this before you have somebody take me out,” I began to say sarcastically, “I just want you to know that while you was fucking Sunshine behind my back, I was fucking your home boy Russ.”
“You what!?” Ricky yelled at the top of his lungs.
“Yeah, nigga. I was fucking your big-dick friend right in our bed, when you used to leave me to go out of town.”
“Yo, you’re a nasty hoe! And you talking like that shit is cute,” he yelled once again.
“Don’t get mad ’cause his dick is bigger and better than yours. And as a matter of fact, because his dick was so good, he knocked me up with it.”
“He did what?” Ricky screamed.
“You heard me, nigga.”
“Nah, I ain’t hear ya’. So tell me again.”
“I said, he knocked me up,” I repeated. “I’m pregnant with his baby and I’m going to have it, too,” I lied, using this ammunition to fuel his anger.
“Oh bitch, you ain’t keeping that! I can promise you that.”
“And what you gon’ do?”
“You’ll see.”
“Shut the fuck up! ’Cause you ain’t gon’ do a damn thing but keep running your mouth. And you gon’ do that with somebody else because I’m about to hang up on your clown ass. And if you try to call this phone back, you ain’t going to get through, ‘cause as soon as I hang up on you I’m going to take the phone right back off the hook, so it’s going to be busy.”
“I ain’t gon’ call your trifling ass back. I’m gon’ get close to you another way...” Ricky said, and before he could get another word in, I gave him the dial tone.
Now as upset as he had just got me, I couldn’t believe that it didn’t make me cry. I honestly didn’t harbor any feelings of hurt. My heart felt so empty and cold. And right now, nothing would better soothe me than some get back. Yeah, I want to jump on the fast track to revenge. I want to see that bastard suffer really badly. And since Russ is number one on my list of niggas to get, Ricky has now just been added. So now he better watch his back. But for now, I guess I’m gon’ have to settle for the fact that he’s going to rot in prison for the rest of his fucked-up life because I’ll die first before I help him rat Papi out! It’s just not going to happen.
Back at the Jail
“Ay yo, Bossman,” I called out to him when I saw him sitting at one of the card tables in the corner of the cell block by himself.
“What’s good, dawg?” he replied and then stood up to give me the proper hand shake.
When he sat back down, I took a seat on the bench in front of him and said, “I need a job done.”
“Whatcha need?” Bossman asked.
“I need somebody clipped.”
“When you want it done?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Who you want popped?”
“My wife.”
“Goddamn, dawg! Your wife! What’s up with that?” Bossman asked me and then he laughed.
“Yo dawg, that bitch just told me that she fucked my right hand man in our bed when I was gone out of town. And now she’s pregnant by him and she’s gon’ keep it.”
“Nah, man, she ain’t told you no shit like that.”
“Yes, she did. And when she was telling me that garbage, she started laughing like the shit was funny.”
“Yo man,” Bossman said as he shook his head in disbelief. “If my girl was to ever come out her mouth to tell me some shit like that, I’ll probably be banging one of these niggas heads up against the bars in here.”
“You know what, man? The way shit is ringing in my mind right now, I’m real close to doing something like that. But it ain’t these nigga’s heads in here that I want. It’s that hoe and that tadpole in her fucking stomach.”
“Yo Ricky, I’m telling you right now, my peoples gon’ charge you double ’cause she’s pregnant.”
“Man, I don’t care about that. Money is not an issue with me. But that hoe is, especially if she’s still breathing past 72 hours.”
“Well, if you’re trying to get her done before then, then my peoples ain’t gon’ be able to help. They gon’ need at least a week if you want shit done proper.”
“What’s today?”
“Tuesday.”
“So, you saying your peoples can have her taken care of by Sunday?” I asked because I wanted assurance.
“Most def.”
“So, what’s the fee?”
“Ten grand.”
“Goddamn, nigga! Whatcha trying to do to me?” I said with frustration. “I know you can do me a little better that that! So sho’ me some love.”
“C’mon, dawg. You know that’s the going rate.”
“Yeah. But, me and you peoples, though.”
“A’ight listen,” Bossman said, as he scratched his head, “If you can get me seventy-five large, I’ll make the call.”
“A’ight. Let’s do it,” I told him and nodded my head, ’cause I know it’s a done deal. And I also know shit is gon’ go nice and smooth. I just wish I could be out there to see that hoe squirming like a fucking snake when they put a slug in her head. Boy, would that make my day.
“So, when you think you can get me that dough?” Bossman asked.
“By tomorrow night.”
“Good. So let me get on the horn and let my man Ty know something is about to come through. And then, after the dough changes hands, he gon’ get his crew suited up. So now all you got to do is tell me where she lives at.”
“Nah. That won’t be a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because her house is kind of hot right now from that nigga named Mark who got killed outside her front door.”
“So, where you want her done at?”
“She’s in the hospital now. So have one of your boys follow her and do it then.”
“When is she getting out?”
“In a day or two.”
“Well, that’s not gon’ happen. I told you they gon’ need at least a week to scope out shit. So when they hit her, it’s gon’ be a wrap. Nothing more.”
“A’ight! Check it out! She owns a hair salon off Newtown Road, and sometimes she stays late. So that’ll be the perfect spot.”
“Well, a’ight. Then it’s done. So, I’ma pass all this information on and give you the word when the show is over.”
“Sounds good,” I assured him. And then when I got up from the bench to leave he said, “Yo dawg, that rocket, is blazing through here. And my plate, is almost clean. Niggas is loving it.”
I acknowledged his reference to the heroin I had sent to me in jail, and how the supply is now low due to its popularity. I sat back down and said, “I know. ‘Cause when Bivens pulled me out of the block last night, she told me some nigga in A-block had just OD’d right before her shift started.”
“Yeah, I heard some of the cats in here talking about it. They said that nigga’s eye rolled to the back of his head.”
“That shit must’ve bust his heart wide open.”
“That’s what I said when I heard them talking about it.”
“Yo! If that shit keeps popping them like that, it ain’t gon’ be nobody left in this joint to make money from.”
Bossman laughed at my comment, so I said, “We might have to turn the volume down on that piece.”
“Nah, man. Leave it just like it is.”
“Yo dawg, you must be trying to wear a couple of murder beefs. ’Cause if we don’t put a lid on this shit, mu’fucka’s gon’ be ‘round here telling them crackers where they got it from.”
“Nah. It ain’t gon’ get that bad,” Bossman said, trying to convince me. But I wasn’t buying that shit, for real. I know what the consequences gon’ be if niggas keep falling out ‘round here.
And this nigga right here knows it too. But he don’t care. All he cares about is all that dough we coming off with. But since I’m the HNIC, the Head Nigga In Charge, I’m gon’ have to dilute it. And that’s just how it’s gon’ be.
Pieces of the Pie
Nikki was here bright and early to scoop me up from the hospital. And trust me, I was ready to go. Now Syncere was waiting on us to come outside, so he could drive us back to Nikki’s apartment. After he and the nurse helped me into the front seat of his truck, Nikki hopped in the back and we were off.
From the back seat Nikki started switching the radio stations with the wireless remote. But Syncere wasn’t in the mood for any music. He wanted to talk about the night of the shooting.
“Nikki told me the police came by the hospital to talk to you.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding my head.
“So, what were they talking about?” he continued.
“They just wanted me to tell them what I saw. So I did.”
“Did you tell them what them niggas said?”
“Yeah.”
“And what did they say?”
“They didn’t say anything. All they did was write everything I said down on their little notepad.”
“Well, did they say who might’ve shot y’all?”
“No. They seemed like they was as clueless as I was.”
“Did they show you some pictures or throw any names around?”
“Nope,” I said nonchalantly.
“Well, did they say they were gonna get back in touch with you, so y’all can talk again?”
“Yeah. They said they was going to call me in a few days. And they gave me their cards, too, just in case I think of something that I didn’t tell ’em.” I switched up the conversation asking him, “Do you know who shot us?”
“No. But I’m about to find out.”
“Well, do you have an idea? I mean, did Mark have beef with somebody? Or owed a nigga some money or something?”
“Nah. It wasn’t none of that.”
“Well, was he a stick-up kid?”
Syncere looked at me like I was losing my damn mind and said, “Kira, please don’t ever disrespect me or my man by asking me something like that,” he began saying, “It’s not that type of party with us. Ain’t none of the cats in my crew cowboys or Indians. We are legit businessmen and that’s it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Everything’s all love. That’s why I’m putting you up at Nikki’s crib. So you ain’t got to worry about nothing.”
“Yeah, girl, Syncere filled up my refrigerator with a whole bunch of groceries. He even got us some brand new DVDs to watch and we got spending money just in case we want to order out.”
“Ahh...that was nice,” I said, being phony as hell. I mean come on...what this nigga think, I’m some kind of Reebok chick? Shit, I can cop my own self some groceries and a couple of DVDs. But what he can do is hit me off with some pain and suffering money. ‘Cause I could definitely use it.
“Yes, girl,” Nikki interjected, “That’s my boo!”
“I know that’s right,” I replied, disgusted as all get out and then I turned my head to look out the window.
“Mark’s funeral is this Friday,” Syncere spoke again.
“It is?” I turned my focus back into his direction.
“Yeah. So do you want to go?”
“Of course. But where is it going to be?”
“Some church his moms belong to back in New Jersey.”
“What time?”
“She told me it’s going to start at two o’clock.”
“So, what time you planning on leaving here?”
“I’ma leave VA about 6 o’clock in the morning, so I can get an early start on that heavy traffic we’re going to run into.”
“A’ight. Well, I’ll be ready,” I told him. And then I called out to Nikki and said, “Nikki, are you going, too?”
“Yep. I’m going.”
“Good. I’m glad. ‘Cause I’m gon’ sho’ need you by my side with this one.”
“Trust me, I’m going to be with you every step of the way,” she assured me.
***
Arriving at Nikki’s apartment is when I realized that we had reached our final destination. Inside, Nikki had everything arranged for me. Her guest room was equipped with everything I could possibly need. Shit, I am not going to have to get up for nothing. So I’m down for that. But what I ain’t down for is how Syncere tried to carry me. I mean, does he have the slightest idea of who the hell I am? ’Cause, if he doesn’t, then I need to bring him up to speed about who my husband is and about how much property and dough we used to have before all that shit went down. He also needs to know that I’m the one who’s feeling disrespected, not him. So when I get my chance, I will shed some light on this situation.
Meanwhile, as I was going through my emotional roller coaster, Nikki was sending Syncere on his way. After he left, she found her way back to see me in the guest room.