The Downfall of a Hustler. G Money
said, “Sir, what are the numbers to play?”
“Let me get 1717, 1010, $1 straight and $1 straight box and three jumbo bucks, that’s it.”
“Okay, your total is $34. Here you go, sir. Thank you, come again.”
Sevyn approached the gas pump and began pumping his gas. When he was finished, he jumped back on the highway, thinking to himself, Today is my day. Imma hit the lottery today. When Sevyn made it close to Tracy’s neighborhood, he flipped open his cellphone and dialed Tracy’s number. After the third ring, Tracy answered the phone, singing and reciting the words to Trina’s song, “Da Baddest Bitch.”
Sevyn burst out laughing and said, “You wish.”
“You know what, Sevyn, fuck you.”
“Baby girl, I know you wish you could. But anyway, I’m on the way to pick you up, so we can go check the dude Rich out. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
“Okay, fo sho. I’m ’bout to get dressed now.”
“Twenty minutes later, Sevyn pulled and hit the horn. Tracy’s front door flew open.
“Sevyn, she coming,” Tracy’s fourteen-year-old son, Ny’quan, shouted. Seconds later, Tracy came out the house, and Sevyn’s mouth dropped. Sevyn thought to himself, Damn, Tracy’s sexy as hell. He never really looked at Tracy like that, but for some reason, her pretty round ass is sitting right in her Christian Dior jeans, and he was noticing it. She jumped in and closed the door.
“So wazzup, Fresh? How you feeling?”
“I’m feeling like I look. Good girl, what you expect?” he laughed.
“I guess. Hey, Sevyn, let’s go get something to eat. Where you want to go?”
“Red Lobster.”
“You got Red Lobster money?”
“Nope, but you do.”
Fifteen minutes later, the two pulled up to Red Lobster and went inside. The waiter asked how many seats, and Tracy said two. The waiter said, “Okay, right this way.” When they were seated, the waiter said, “Someone will be with you shortly to take your order.” While they waited on the waiter to come take their order, Sevyn began to ask Tracy about the shawty from the cookout.
“Aye, Tracy.”
“Wazzup, Sevyn?”
“You remember the shawty from the cookout with the hazel eyes?”
“Yeah, the one who left you standing on the curb.”
“You know what, Tracy, go to hell.”
“Whatever! But anyway, what about her?”
“I caught her riding up my street and hollered at her.”
“Yeah, right.”
“For real, we going on a date tonight at 8:00 p.m.”
“Be careful. It’s something about that girl that just don’t sit right with me.”
“What makes you feel that way? You don’t even know her.”
“You right, I don’t know her, but I’ve been in her presence a few times and I get fucked-up vibes when I’m around her. Even filing about her says gold digger money-hungry bitch.”
Sevyn thought, Maybe Tracy is jealous. And just before Sevyn opened his mouth, Tracy spoke. “And I’m not jealous,” as if she was reading Sevyn’s mind. “Sevyn, have I ever told you anything wrong?”
“No!”
“Okay! You then. You can just thank me later.”
After talking for some time over a nice meal, they wrapped things up at Red Lobster and headed out. They made an exit out of Red Lobster’s park, heading up White Bluff Road. They noticed an accident ahead and had to make a detour. As they approached exit 5, they made a sharp right onto Bay Street, the main street that leads to the projects. Sevyn’s eyes got big. They saw drug dealers and crackheads everywhere.
“Tracy, do you see apartment 456?”
“Hold up, slow down, 452, 454, 456—there it is to the right.”
They parked and jumped out, and Sevyn and Tracy saw li’l kids playing in dirt with no shoes on. One kid even ran up to Sevyn and asked for a dollar.
“Here you go, li’l man.”
“Thank you.”
Sevyn knocked on the door four times and then took a step back. A voice from behind the door said, “Who is it?”
“It’s me Sevyn. Rich is expecting me. Is he here?”
“Hold up.” After two minutes of waiting, the door finally opened. “Come in,” the short stocky man said. “Have a seat. He’ll b-b-b-b-be right with you shortly.” The man stuttered so bad Sevyn and Tracy wanted to burst out laughing, but they heard someone come in through the back door. When they turned around, they saw a tall, slim-built black kat, about six feet and four inches, walk in Tom Ford from head to toe with waves in his head that will make a bitch seasick. He had a mouth full of gold teeth, a Rolex watch, and a gold chain. Everything about him said drug dealer.
“Yo, wazzup, Sevyn? I see you brought a guest with you.”
“Yeah, this is my best friend Tracy.”
“Fo sho. Wazzup, Tracy? I’m Rich, nice to meet you both. I see y’all met my cousin Stutter Box. Wazzup, Stutter Box?”
“Wazzup, R-R-R-R-Rich. What’s g-g-g-good?”
“Man, you gon’ have to learn sign language with all that stuttering.”
“F-F-F-F-Fuck you, Rich.”
“Say, Sevyn, I sent my li’l homies to come holla at ya because I have a job for you.”
“What kind of job? And how much does it pay?”
“The job pays $25,000. But being that I paid you $5,000 up front, I only owe you $20,000.”
“So what’s the job?”
“I heard you are pretty good at writing books and telling stories.”
“Fo sho. I’m one of the best to ever do it.”
“So I need you to tell my story, that’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yeah, that’s it. I’m starting a publishing company and I really want you to be a part of it. I’m publishing books for the up and coming authors. I think this would be a good opportunity for you and me. So what do you say?”
“I’m all in, let’s do it.”
“I just came home from doing a federal prison bid, and I’m trying to get my life back on the right track. So I’ll take you back to the beginning where it all started at. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
Chapter 3
It was the fall of ’95.October eighth, to be exact.
“Daddy, can you buy us a bike?”
“You know Daddy got y’all.”
“We want a big bike, not li’l cheap bike like last time.”
“You know what, Rich, them girls got you wrapped around their fingers.”
“Anything for my baby girls.”
While Rich was in the room bagging up cocaine, his phone started ringing. “Auntie Donna, bring me my phone.” Rich flipped open his phone and said hello.
“Hey, Rich, this Tina.”
“Wazzup, cousin?”
“Kareem