Hood Rich: The rise and fall of one of Brooklyn's Finest (10 page)

Everywhere I went with Gusto, we received VIP
treatment. Friday night we rolled out Long Island to
check out the Iguana. This was one of those high siddity clubs that played all kinds of music from hip-hop
to heavy metal. No thugs or hood rats. Everyone was
dressed fresh to death. Fly shoes, jewelry, hats, and
accessories. The parking lot was full of Benzes, Beamers, and Bentleys.
I followed Gusto as he walked past the line and gave
the doorman dap. He slid security a few twenties and
we walked in. At the bar I attempted to order a
smooth bitch.
“What’s that?” The bartender responded as if I was
talking about Chinese arithmetic.
“Never mind, just give me a double of Grey Goose
with a shot of Sloe Gin.”
Damn I missed the hood, I thought. Gusto sat next to
me and ordered a Rum and Coke. Some Asian chick
came over and sat next to me. I looked her up and
down, taking note of all the hair honey had hanging
down her back. She was built nice. Slim with a little
bit of titties, ass, and hips. Her face made the body
look even better. I locked eyes with her.
“Hey ma’, what you drinking?”
“Double shot of Patron, no ice.” She responded.
I beckoned for the bartender to get shorty her drink.
“So what’s your name?” I asked her.
“Lisa… what’s yours?” she asked.
“Rich… what’s good wit you. Why you at the club by
yourself?”
“The same reason why you left your girl or your baby
mom at home… so you can party!”
“Naw ma… you got me confused, I just came through
wit my man to have a few drinks, nothing major.”
“Well, I came to party.” She responded.
“That’s whats up.”
“So is we gone sit here and drink and talk all night?”
“I’m not really the dancing type ma’. I’m more of the
smoke a Dutch and fall back type nigga, you smell
me?”
I gave her a good looking over.
“Let me guess… you must be one of those Brooklyn
niggas right… figures.”
“Damn ma… it’s like that?”
“Yeah, y'all Brooklyn niggas is real disrespectful.”
“Naw, not me, I’m different, I chill regular. Where
you from?”
I thought to myself, she was a little aggressive to be
Asian. I heard they was mad submissive.
“I’m from Chinatown.” She responded.
“Maybe you can teach me Chinese.” I asked
“I don’t speak Chinese.”
“How you Chinese and don’t speak it.”
“I’m not Chinese.” She lashed at me.
“So why you live in Chinatown?”
“So why you live in Brooklyn?”
“Ha Ha you funny, so what are you?”
“I’m Thai.” She said.
“Well, you can teach me that then, right?”
“So what language you gone teach me?” She asked as
she finished her drink.
“I only know english so I guess I can teach you body
language.”
Lisa laughed, the corny lines always work I thought
to myself. I pulled out my Blackberry, keyed in her
name and passed it to her. She passed it back after entering her number. Gusto was talking to some spanish
chick. He tapped me on my shoulder.
“Yo… I’m bout to grab a champagne room, what you
waiting on sun, you already got shorty bagged. Don’t
waste your time on small talk, she a freak. She came
here by herself B. I’m telling you. Ask her if she wanna go upstairs after two more drinks.”
It took me two-seconds to consider what Gusto was
saying. I turned back to Lisa.
“Are you ready for your first lesson?”
“In what?”
“Popping bottles.”
I ordered a bottle of Moët.
“Y'all Brooklyn niggas swear y'all ball. What part of
Brooklyn you from?”
“Bushwick… Wilson Avenue.” I replied
“Mmmm… hmmm, so you a hustler?”
“I’ll tell you when we get upstairs in that private
room.”
“Hey are you trying to get me drunk?”
“Yeah… I’m trying to get us drunk… didn’t you come
here to party?”
“Yeah.” She said as I grabbed the bucket with Moët
and glasses and we headed up to a champagne room.
The champagne room was plush. It had a love seat
facing a one way mirror overlooking the dance floor.
We could see out, but the only thing everyone else
could see was their reflections. The couch was soft
and the light was dim.
Lisa was already tipsy before we got upstairs. The
Moët took her over the edge. I started out nibbling on
her neck. I reached up her short jean skirt and found
my way to her wet box. In less that a minute I had her
exactly where I wanted her. I pulled her panties off
and she turned around and straddled me. Lisa rode
me to 112‘s Peaches and Cream until I came inside of
her. It only took a few minutes as tight, wet, and
warm as she was. She got on her knees and sucked
me off until I was hard again. This time I bent her
over the love seat and punished her ass to Cam’ron’s
Suck it or not. After busting that second nut I was
feeling sober again. We drank some more Moët before
I looked down to the dance floor and saw Gusto back
at the bar. He smiled showing his platinum and diamond fronts when I came back to the bar.
“Sun, I know you popped!” Gusto blurted.
“Of course my nigga.” I said, disregarding the fact
that Lisa was next to me.
“See y'all Brooklyn niggas is some ignorant motherfuckers.” Lisa spat.
“Come on, we out.” Gusto said and we exited.
Just as we left the Iguana my Blackberry started ringing. It was Akira.
“Hello.”
“Hey baby.”
“What up?”
“Your wifey miss you, that’s what up. What time you
coming home?”
“I’m on my way now, I’m stopping at the Hot Bar,
you want something?”
“No, I just want my husband to hold me while I go to
sleep.”
“Aight baby, I got you. Give me like fifteen minutes
I’m on the Long Island Expressway.”
Traffic was crazy for it to be two in the morning.
There was an accident so you know that slowed everything up. I jumped off the e-way and took the
streets thanks to the navigation in my Range. Akira
was sitting on the stoop with Jocelyn when I pulled
up.
“Hey Baby.”

“Aint no what’s up baby, nigga I talked to you forty
minutes ago and you said you would be home in fifteen minutes. Every time you go somewhere with
Gusto it’s some bullshit.”
Rich smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
“Baby it was an accident on the Long Island Expressway, I had to take the streets, what do you want me to
do.”
I wanted to, but, I couldn’t stay mad at Rich. I passed
him the Dutch and he sat down between me and Jocelyn.
“You hungry?” I asked him.
“Naw, I’m tired though.”
After a few puffs, Rich got up and went in the house.
He headed upstairs straight to the shower. I looked at
Jocelyn and passed her the Dutch, she declined it.
“You not smoking? Never mind, anyway, you think
Rich fucking around on me?
Jocelyn shrugged her shoulders.
“Rich aint going nowhere girl.”
“I don’t know, but every time he come home, he getting right in the shower. I’m not feeling that. This
nigga put a lock code on his phone.”
Jocelyn laughed.
“Stop worrying.” She said.
I got off the stoop and went in the house. Rich was in
the bed watching The Wire. I took my clothes off and
got in the bed with him.
“I love you Rich.”
“I love you too.” He replied.
I climbed on top of him and pulled at the hole in his
boxers. I slid him inside of me so I could ride him.
Rich turned me over and hit it from the back. I
couldn’t get into it because I smelled a funny odor.
“Hold up, stop baby.” I said as I slid my finger down
inside myself.
I pulled my finger back up and I could see I had a
greenish yellow discharge. The smell was coming
from inside me. Tears poured down my face.
“What the fuck… Rich you burnt me.”
“Bitch, I aint burn you, you burnt me.”
Rich got up and went to the bathroom. I wanted to
spaz out, but I kept quiet. I didn’t want him to get
mad and leave. I knew I didn’t burn him cause I
hadn’t been having sex with anyone else since he
came home. When Rich came back in the room, he
went on.
“Probably from one of those crunchy ass niggas at
Club Wet.”
“Rich I been to the clinic twice since then, you the one
that went with us. Remember, it was me, you, and
Jocelyn.”
“Well, you know that shit don’t always pop up right
away all the time.”
I wasn’t stupid. I knew better but I kept my mouth
shut. We all went to the clinic again. Jocelyn was
clean surprisingly. I had Gonorrhea, but Rich had
Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The doctor treated me for
both though cause the Chlamydia would surely show
up soon enough. There was no question in my
mind… Rich was cheating. It was weird how the
nurses in the clinic knew Jocelyn on first name basis. I
guess she’s been there more than us.
Anyhow I was mad at Rich. I didn’t fuck him for
three weeks. It would have been for longer if it wasn’t
for him waking me up in the middle of the night by
eating me out. I gave in and let him back in. I couldn’t
help it. I love Rich and didn’t want him to have to get
his needs met by another bitch.

With business going well I turned my attention to
Akira. We just made up. She was mad at me for the
past three weeks for giving her Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. I blamed it on her and those dirty ass Club
Wet niggas, but deep down in my heart, I knew it was
me. Since I been hanging around Gusto I been fucking
so many broads I lost count. Every other night we
would hit a different spot. I would get home two or
three in the morning some nights.
I wanted to make it up to Akira. I wanted to make her
feel special given the fact that I had her on the back
burner for quite some time. I wanted to take her out
for her birthday. Too bad Shakita had already made
plans to take her to Atlantic City. It would just be
Shakita, Akira, and Jocelyn.
I had no choice but to let that go, because they were
trying to bond. Shakita was trying extra hard to make
up for those lost years. I couldn’t blame her. I would
just have to wait until the next day to take her out.

It was September 1st, 2005, my birthday. I had just
turned seventeen. My mom surprised me with a card.
I opened it up and it was New Jersey Transit bus tickets! I thought to myself… bus tickets though? When I
finished looking over the tickets I realized they were
to Atlantic City. I was ecstatic.
Jocelyn bought me a candies perfume set. It was perfect. Rich told me I had to wait until the next day to
get my big birthday surprise, although he did give me
a card with seventeen hundred dollar bills inside.
As we approached Atlantic City, there were huge
billboards advertising everything from Teena-Marie
live in concert to the Price is Right live taping. The
sky was beautiful. It was early in the afternoon. We
checked in our suite at the top of Caesar’s, then got
into our bikinis and hit the beach. It was my first time
at the beach. I had a ball. Jocelyn was scared to go in
the water but we still had fun.
After the beach, we ate at the buffet inside of Caesar’s.
The food was banging, I ate mostly seafood. We went
to the day spa and got our manicures, pedicures, and
facials. I felt like a queen. Next was the massage parlor. I received a massage from a Russian guy whose
name I could not pronounce. After an evening of
pampering we went back to the suite to get dressed.
We were all shitty sharp.
Jocelyn and I were armed with fake identification
cards to get into the forty-forty club. Once inside,we
had a ball. Amazingly Jocelyn was laid back. Any
other time she would be up on some niggas about a
dollar. She wasn’t drinking either.
That didn’t stop me, or my mom. We both shook our
asses like it was going out of style. This was the best
birthday I’d had in my life. One to remember. I
wished Rich was there to celebrate and share the
moment with me. We stepped out of the club around
three a.m.
Atlantic and Pacific Avenues were busy with nightlife. There was enough bright lights to deceive your
internal perception of time.
We were all tired and after hitting the boardwalk to
take in some fresh air, we were about to go back to
the suite. My mom had a headache so we were on a
detour to the convenience store on Atlantic Avenue to
get some Advil. Jocelyn was holding her mouth. I
turned to see if she was okay.
“You good?” I asked her.
“Yeah I’m good.” She replied before she threw up
right in front of the store.
“You okay?” My mom asked Jocelyn.
“Yeah… I think…”
Jocelyn threw up again, this time getting it on her
shoes. My mom went into the store and got her Advil
and some napkins and bottled water.
“Are you done?” I asked Jocelyn.
“Yeah, I’m okay, it’s my stomach, I’m…”
A car screeched to a halt almost jumping the curb.
Two niggas got out. My mom and Jocelyn both
dropped the paper towel, water, and Advil. I
screamed.

“Get the fuck in the car… bitch… get in the car. If you
run I’m gone shoot you… get in the car… you think
I’m playing… get…”
--bang, bang, bang, bang--
I stood there frozen. I watched helplessly as Akira
and Shakita fell to the ground. They tried to run he
shot them in the back of their heads. I stood there
holding my stomach crying.
My best friend was now gone. My world had come
tumbling apart. I spit up again, this time it was all on
my clothes.
“Yo, what the fuck is wrong wit you bitch? Get in the
car.”
I picked up the water bottle and got in the car. No
sooner that I sat down did an open hand slam into the
side of my face. Before the ringing stopped, a second
and third open hand struck me again.
“Bitch I told you… you can’t hide, you can’t run. I
told you if you ever leave me I would kill you…
didn’t I? Bitch you shot me.”
Another open hand swatted my face.
“Bitch, I’m not gone kill you, but I’m gone make you
wish you was dead.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry Black. I was scared, I’m sorry, I
make it up.”
Black grabbed me by my hair and continued slapping
me until I ran out of tears.
“I promise I wont never leave you again Black, I
promise, I’m sorry.”
We approached Black’s house and went inside. The
shooter was the guy driving the car. He and Black
went back outside to talk and then Black came in by
himself. I heard the car speed off. Black cracked his
knuckles and took his blazer off.
“Bitch, take everything off… everything.”
I started to undress as Black reached up to get his alligator skin belt off the mantle piece.
“Bitch you gone learn some motherfucking respect…
right here, right now.”
I didn’t run. I didn’t try to resist. I knew that would
make it worst. Black whipped me on my back and
legs until I had no more tears. He then took me in
front of the mirror so I could see the marks. After that
he made me get into the hot shower. The stings from
the water crashing down on my bruised skin hurt
worse than the whipping. He stood there in the
doorway grinning.
“I’m sorry Black, I’m sorry.” I cried.
“Yeah well… you gone be real sorry.”
“Black I promise, I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll
be a good ho. I’ll make more money than all your other bitches put together.”
I didn’t mean any of what I just said. I just wanted
Black to let me go out on the track so I could get out
of his sight… and run! After getting out the shower,
Black put Neosporin on my welts. He let me lay down
on the floor on top of a towel with no clothes in the
living room. That was my new bed he told me, a single towel. A half hour later, Black’s ho’s came through
the door. I was a spectacle. Coffee came to the front of
the pack.
“Hmm… this lazy bitch. Got ya ass whipped real
good. Must have been in a good mood, I’m surprised
he let ya dumb ass live. Are you hungry bitch? We
got some chicken wings. Stay right there though. I
aint trying to hear Black’s mouth, and I don’t think
your red ass can stand another whipping.
“Yeah I’m hungry.” I said.
Coffee bought some wings to me on a saucer once
she’d got settled. I sat there on the floor while everyone else sat at the table. Black came downstairs and
joined them. Black made sure to make an example of
me.
“Y'all see that bitch… y'all see those marks on her
back and legs… stand up bitch, so they can see the
marks… see. Let that be a fucking warning to the next
bitch that wanna get out of pocket. Ho’s don’t quit,
ho’s don’t get fired, ho’s don’t do anything unless I
tell them to.”
“Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom.” I whimpered.
Black looked at me and chuckled.
“Bitch you gone stay right there… somebody get this
bitch a bucket.”
My night was miserable. After peeing in a bucket I
felt like three-fifths of a human being. I felt like shit. I
was so exhausted I fell asleep without regard to everyone that was around me.
In the morning Black allowed me to wash and put
clothes on, however, I was not allowed to wear socks
or shoes. I was not allowed to sit or lay down except
on the floor. When it came time to hit the track, Black
had me standing next to him on the corner of Pacific
Avenue barefoot with shoes in my hands. He knew I
was going to run. He wasn’t pressed for me to make
money, he wanted to break me down.
I stood there next to him from eight o'clock in the
evening. It was now a little after midnight. I’d
watched ho’s, tricks, and pimps walk and drive up
and down Pacific Avenue for what seemed like forever. My feet were tired, my bladder was full and my
back was hurting. Out of nowhere, I heard my name
being called.
“Jocelyn!”