Get It Girls (16 page)

“Bitch, do you know who you fuckin with? Do you know who I’m with?”

Jessica gritted her teeth and spewed, “Like I give a fuck! I told y’all motherfuckers yesterday if I see you in my building it was gonna be on. Now it’s on, motherfucker!”

Jessica charged after him with the bat high in the air and yelled so loud she sounded like a banshee. She connected the bat to his other arm and he fell to the ground screaming in pain. She turned her attention to his partner and hit him with a brutal blow to his legs. The other boys had the sense to back far away from the bat wielding crazy woman. People from the surrounding buildings began to raise their windows and cheer loudly as Jessica warded off the local dealers.

Jessica had fire in her eyes and wasn’t backing down as she challenged the boys for more. “Come on, come get some more and see what happens.”

Tenants from her building began coming out one by one to show solidarity. The young boys weren’t backing down and began to surround her and were ready to make their move on her until one of the tenants from her building walked out and said loud enough for all to hear, “I got your back, sister.”

He then pulled out a huge pistol from his waistband and asked, “Now, which one of you want to be the first to get a bullet in their ass?”

Seeing the weapon stopped the boys in their tracks. They eyed the pistol with malice. The boys now knew they meant business.

“You got this one, but we’ll be back!” they threatened.

The man behind Jessica sneered. “If you do, I’m gonna be right here to put some of these bullets in your ass, so I’ll be waiting.”

The four boys then backed away and walked off down the block. The man patted Jessica on the shoulders and led her back toward the building, over to the group of people that had formed on the steps. They immediately began congratulating her for her bravery.

The man stuck out his hand and introduced himself. “Hi, my name is Cleveland. I’m the building’s superintendent. Pleased to meet you.”

Jessica smiled. “I’m Jessica. My mother lives in 3F and I just moved in yesterday.”

He smiled widely and said, “Oh, you Ms. Jones’ daughter. Welcome to the building.”

After things finally died down, Jessica and Cleveland sat on the stoop and spoke about the situation for nearly two hours.

“This neighborhood was a good neighborhood to live in and raise your kids. Everybody looked out for each other and respected the old folks.” Cleveland pulled off his hat, exposing his graying head of hair. “But, about three or four years ago that crack shit came out and changed everything.” He shook his head. “I knew all of them. I watched them all grow up right before my eyes from when they were little till now, and it changed all of them.” He shook his head again. “I seen a lot of people in my time get strung out on drugs—heroin, reefer, alcohol, everything. But, I ain’t ever seen a drug change so many and so fast.”

He looked Jessica in the eyes and confessed, “My own son got himself hooked on that damn drug and got his self mixed up in that game by selling it. He got his self killed just a year ago.” His shoulders deflated. “You see, Jessica, that is the Devil’s drug, and it will get you one way or another. It doesn’t discriminate, and if the drugs don’t get you, the lifestyle will. So it doesn’t matter if you smoke it or sell it, it will bring you down one way or another.”

Jessica listened and absorbed everything he had said.

He exhaled deeply and continued, “And now there you have it. Drugs are running rampant all over the place—on your street, in your building—and even the police can’t do anything because people are so afraid to do something about it and just let them be.”

Jessica became confused. “Why now? Why did you wait so long to do something about it? Why wait till now to take a stand?”

He stood to his feet and paused as if he was searching for the right words to tell her. He exhaled and admitted, “I guess it was because I was afraid.” He turned away from her so she didn’t see the shame on his face. “I survived the Vietnam War and saw a lot of killing, and I did plenty of it myself. If I didn’t die over there, I refuse to die where I was born and raised. Like I told you earlier, it works on both sides of the fence in that crack business, and it even changes the ones that sell it for the worst. Some of these same li’l boys I used to give change to and who use to call me Mr. Cleveland are the same ones I fear the most. Now they call me ‘old man’ and tell me to mind my business. They disrespect me by telling me that they will sell their drugs anywhere they want and if I try to stop them they will hurt me.”

He looked at Jessica, real serious, and ended it by saying, “And I believed them.” He shook his head. “When they first came in the building selling their stuff I would run them out of here by calling the police, but they must have known it was me, and one day, about six of them ran up on me and beat the living daylights out of me. The people in this building didn’t even come out and help; they didn’t even so much as call the police.” He sucked it in as he recalled the moment and said angrily, “So, I just said fuck it! If they didn’t care about me, I didn’t care about them and I just began to mind my own business like the rest of them. You live longer that way.”

Jessica understood. “Why did you come out and help me then?”

He tossed Jessica a sheepish grin and said, “I guess I’m stupid and a glutton for punishment.”

Jessica grinned back and thanked him just the same. Moments later her mother walked out the building and Jessica stood up immediately.

“Good morning, Ms. Jones,” Cleveland quickly said, as he tipped his hat toward her.

Jessica tried to hide the bat behind her and stammered, “Hey, Mama, are you on your way to work already?”

Her mother eyed the bat she had behind her and nodded toward Cleveland. “Good morning, Cleveland.” Ms. Jones turned around and looked back in the building and asked, “What happened? I didn’t see our morning guests huddled in the building.”

Cleveland gave her a faint smile. “I guess they took the day off.”

She looked her daughter in the eye. “Jessica, can I have a word with you?”

Cleveland got the hint to excuse himself and said, “Well, Jessica, it was nice meeting you, and you know where I am in case you need me.” He nodded to Ms. Jones again and walked into his apartment on the ground floor.

Her mother turned to face her and said shrewdly, “Jessica, I’m not stupid. I know that you are upset about your brother, and I really do know how you feel, but you cannot take your anger out on anyone just because they sell drugs. You just got home from prison and don’t want to put yourself in jeopardy and go back there. These people out here are not worth risking going back to prison for.”

“These boys have virtually taken this building hostage and locked people in their own homes, and I’m supposed to sit by and let them do that shit?”

“Watch your mouth, Jessica,” her mother warned.

“Sorry, Mama, but from the moment I got home they were trying to push that stuff on me and called me all kinds of names when I walked in the building.” Jessica paused for a moment to ensure she understood. “I was even walking up the stairs and saw a girl sucking a man’s penis and they barely even moved to let me by. All I could think of was if they can do that in front of me, what do they do in front of my mother? I just can’t sit by and take it.”

“Well, I been doing fine all these years without you being here, so what makes you think I can’t handle myself by now, Jessica?”

Jessica was unmoved. “Because, Mama, it’s only going to get worse before it gets better, and I’ll be damned if I sit by and let somebody put their hands on you if I have anything to do about it!”

For the first time, Ms. Jones realized that Jessica was no longer the innocent child who went away over six years ago.

**********

Jessica decided to give Vonda a visit because she needed a friendly ear to vent her frustration. When she arrived to her building she knocked on the door and a booming male voice answered, “Who the fuck is it?”

“It’s me, Jessica. I’m here to see Vonda.”

“Who is it?” the voice repeated as the footsteps grew louder.

“Jessica!” she said, only this time louder.

The door suddenly flew opened and Jessica looked upward into the man’s face. He was a fiercely huge, dark-skinned man with a Tootsie Roll pop in the side of his mouth. She immediately recognized him as Vonda’s youngest brother—Chubby.

He began to blink rapidly when suddenly his mean scowl turned into a smile. “Jessica, holy shit, is that you?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yes, Chubby, it’s me.”

He snatched her off her feet and swung her around the doorway like she was a rag doll. He put her down and stepped backwards to get better look at her and grabbed her tightly again. Vonda came to the door to see what the excitement was about and saw that it was her homegirl and smiled. He ushered her inside and locked the door behind him.

“Damn, Jessica, Vonda told me you got out a few days ago. What took you so long to come over and see a nigga?” He looked her up and down. “Damn, and you looking good too.”

Jessica was also amazed at how much Chubby had changed. “Forget about me, Chubby. Look at you. You look like you could play in the NFL, you’ve gotten so big. I remember when I was able to wrap my arms around you and now look at you—all big and sexy as ever.”

Chubby blushed and began rocking back and forth on his toes just as he did as a kid. “You know how it is Jesse, I got love for everybody.”

Vonda intervened. She knew that Chubby had big respect for Jessica and always wanted to look good in front of her for some reason. “Don’t even try playing the Mister Good Guy role, Chubby. Tell her what you really do. Tell her how you got these niggas out here shaking in their boots whenever they see you. Tell her how you take these dealers’ shit and turn around and sell it back to them. Tell her.”

Chubby leered at his sister for telling Jessica his business. He faced Jessica and waved his sister off. “Jesse, don’t listen to what she say. I don’t do that no more. I kicked the habit, and I’m not in those streets no more.” He stood erect. “I’m legit now, a businessman. I own a bar.”

Vonda rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Since when did you own a bar?”

“See?” Chubby said with sarcasm. “It’s a lot you don’t know. I was just coming to your room to tell you before Jessica knocked on the door to ask you did you want to run it for me.”

Vonda observed him for a moment. She knew that her parole officer was riding her about getting a job and knew that this would be a perfect opportunity. “Don’t be playing with me, Chubby, because I ain’t in the mood for your bullshit.”

“I ain’t bullshitting you, Vonda. You know I don’t play when it comes to my business. I’m on parole too, and I needed a business so my P.O. would back the fuck up off me. ”

Both Vonda and Jessica stared at him for a moment.

“Oh, shit, Jesse,” said Vonda. “He’s telling the truth because he ain’t rocking.” Ever since Chubby was little, whenever he would tell a lie, he would avoid eye contact and sway and rock back and forth.

“You serious, Chubby?”

He smiled, pulled out a set of keys, and held them up. “As a motherfuckin’ heart attack. The Starlight Bar on 127th Street and Lenox.” He turned his attention to Jessica. “Jessica, you just got out, you want a job too?”

Jessica smiled, shook her head and said, “My Chubby Wubby,” and gave him a big hug.

When the three of them walked into Vonda’s room Jessica looked around and immediately grew emotional. It was exactly as it was when she was last there back in the day, and most importantly, when they were still young and innocent. She walked around the room in silence as she touched the posters on the walls, then the sparkling disco ball that hung from the ceiling. She then walked over to Vonda’s dresser and that’s when she saw the photographs of the four of them the night of the prom at her parents’ house with their dates. She suddenly thought of Kenny and thought about what could’ve been and put her head down.

“You ok?” asked Vonda.

Jessica nodded quickly. “I was just thinking about all the good times we had together in this room.” Jessica smiled. “Even the bad times with all the arguments and fights we had with Tiny. I wish we could go back there.”

Vonda and Chubby smiled as they thought back. Vonda watched her closely. “Jessica, I know you. What’s wrong?”

She looked at Vonda and then at Chubby and admitted, “It’s my brother.” She looked them both in the eyes and continued. “I found him yesterday and he looked real bad.”

Chubby put his head down as Vonda went over to her and put her arms around her as Jessica began to break down and cry.

“I cleaned him up and even convinced him to enter one of those programs, which I was going to take him into this morning. I even convinced my mother to let him stay over even after she said he was no good and that I was fooling myself.” Jessica paused and wiped her eyes. “We went to sleep and my mother woke me up in the morning and he was gone, along with all the money I had in my pocket.”

Chubby quickly reached in his pocket and pulled a stack of money and offered it all to her. Jessica quickly declined the money, waving it off.

Vonda said to Chubby, “No, Chubby, she don’t need your money. She got plenty.” She went to her closet and pulled out a shoebox and placed it on the bed. She pulled out a thick white envelope with Jessica’s name written on it and handed it to her. She started to decline and but Vonda said, “One for all and all for one. Now it’s too damn hard out here to walk around Harlem with no money, so either take this or get on welfare and cash in your food stamps for seven dollars cash for every ten-dollar stamp. Your choice.”

Jessica stared at Vonda’s smiling face and then lowered her head. “What about Lynn and Tiny

Vonda frowned, “Them bitches got their money the first day we got out without missing a beat. Tiny already burned her cash and be hitting me up nearly every day cause she still on that shit. Lynn went back to being Lynn and all she does is buy clothes and get her hair and nails done trying to impress everybody, male and female, if you know what I mean. But at least she found a job and she’s working at Macy’s full-time now. So she’s doing ok.” She handed the envelope to Jessica and she accepted it. “What you need to do is find yourself an apartment like I’m about to do.”