What's Really Hood! (25 page)

“Yup. Some things never change,” Nina responded drily before turning her phone off.

Three minutes later, Michelle was making a U-turn in the middle of the strip. She was oblivious to the traffic she was holding
up. She pulled her dark green Land Rover next to the Porsche, then rolled the passenger window down. “I thought you was ready?
Let’s roll! Why you just sitting there?”

“Park the car. I got something for you to check out.”

Michelle did as she was told, backing up and sliding
in the spot behind the Porsche. “I hope what you got for me to check out has something to do with this piece of expensive
machinery right here.” She was sweatin’ the Porsche.

Just as she walked up onto the porch, Nick and his boy were coming from the backyard. “Yo, shorty. Your door is fixed,” ol’
boy said as he set the toolbox down and dusted his hands off. “So what was stolen?”

“Just my hard-earned cash.”

“How much?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Oh, it’s like that?”

“Yeah, it’s like that.” They remained staring at each other. In the meantime Michelle decided to interrupt the staring contest
by introducing herself to Nick.

“Well, can I finally get a name and a number? I’m Reese.”

“If you have something to write with,” Nina snapped but then caught herself. Shit, the nigga had just helped her. “I’m on
my way to take care of something.”

“That something requires a baseball bat? What, you got a game today?” Reese asked.

“Oh, so you got jokes!” Nina snapped. “But to answer your questions, yes it’s gonna require a bat and no I don’t have a game,”
Nina said as she eased off the front porch and headed to the Land Rover.

“Damn, shorty. It’s goin’ down like that?” He was becoming more intrigued by the minute. She ignored him as he watched her
get into the Rover. He then pulled out his keys, opened the trunk, placed the toolbox inside
and threw the keys back to Nick. He came around to the passenger side of the Rover and said, “You gonna give up a name and
number?”

“I told you to get your pen and paper.”

“I don’t need a pen and paper. That’s how niggas get in trouble.”

Nina gazed in his eyes before deciding he was serious. “Nina, 609-396-3732.”

“Nina,” he repeated. “Aiight then. You gonna be safe or what?”

“Oh, I’ma be fine. One.” She rolled her window up. Michelle started up her ride and they pulled off.

Reese jumped into the Porsche and said to Nick, “Yo, son, follow them sistas. I need to know what shorty into.”

“Who the fuck was that?” Michelle pressed. Nina was in deep thought.

“You heard him. His name is Reese. I know just as much as you.”

“I ain’t talking about him. I’m talking about that nigga he was rollin’ with. Where did you find them?”

“You was talking to the nigga. They was just out on the block; ride down Stuyvesant first.” Nina was trying to focus on the
business at hand.

Michelle, not being slow, knew what time it was. “Shit, Nina. Foreal, foreal, if Derrick got your loot we ain’t gonna find
him today. Right now he holed up somewhere suckin’ on that almighty glass dick.”

“I don’t give a fuck! That means we are gonna roll up into every hole until I find his punk crack-smoking ass.
He can’t smoke up thirty-five thousand dollars in one day. Even the biggest of feens can’t do that.”

Michelle shrugged as if to say, “I ain’t sure about that.”

Michelle pulled up on the corner of Hoffman and Stuyvesant. They looked around. Nina rolled her window down. “Yo, Father Master
Divine, you seen my brother?”

“What up, Ni?” he said, looking like a walking skeleton. “Naw, I ain’t seen him. I need to get downtown. You got a coupla
dollars?”

“I got you as soon as you find my brother for me. I’ll spot you a twenty.”

“Go through Roger Gardens,” he wasted no time snitching. “He was over there earlier. He got jumped and robbed.”

Michelle skidded off before he could say another word.

“You hear that shit!” Nina screamed. “The nigga gonna rob me, then turn around and get robbed! I swear I’ma kill his ass!”

“That’s fucked up. Find him and then let’s go after the niggas who robbed him! Fuck them feens!” Michelle was amped up. That’s
why she was Nina’s roadie. She was always down for whatever. Three minutes later, they were rolling through Roger Gardens.
Michelle didn’t even notice Reese and Nick a few cars behind them as she parked the car.

Nina rolled her window down when she saw Rob, another feen. “Rob, where my brother at?”

“Who dat?” Rob had the biggest, ashiest nigga lips you ever saw.

“It’s me, Nina, nigga. Where my brother at?”

“That nigga out east. He spending with Horace and them over on Tyler. I got some checks for you. You want them now?”

“Nah, get at me tomorrow.”

“Hold up.” Rob was trying to bum-rush the Land Rover.

Michelle put the car in gear and headed for Highway 29, the quickest way to the east side of town. As she was driving and
changing lanes, she thought she saw that Porsche rolling behind her but nixed it off when it dropped back. They pulled up
on Tyler Street, creep-in’ along, trying to spot Derrick. The strip was busy as usual and Horace’s porch was full of niggas
as usual.

“What you need, Nina?” a hustler named Shawn asked her.

“My brother. Tell Derrick to come here.”

“Yo, Tone! Tell Derrick his sister is out here!” he yelled. He turned back to Nina. “That’s all you need, ma?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Thanks.”

Ten minutes passed and still no Derrick. “If that nigga snuck out the back door, I’ma fuck his ass up, watch!”
Tap. Tap.
Nina turned and Reese was tapping on her window.

“Yo, shorty, who you waitin’ on?” He was dead in her face.

“What? Are you following me?” She couldn’t mask her surprise.

“Yeah. I’m trying to make sure you gonna be aiight.”

“I’m cool. This is family business, and thanks. But I suggest you go back to your car before you get jacked.”

Reese lifted up the front of his jacket and revealed a shining Glock. “Holla if you need me. If anything, I’ll be doin’ the
jackin’.” He headed back for his Porsche and both of the ladies started giggling.

“Damn, M, I’m starting to like this nigga,” Nina said as she watched him go back to his ride.

Five minutes later Derrick came out of the house. He looked smoked out as he peeked up and down the block, obviously paranoid
and geeking. When he stepped off the porch Nina grabbed her bat and jumped out of the car. “Yo, D, come here.” Michelle jumped
out of her side, snuggling with her two boys, Smith & Wesson, in her hand. She leaned up against the front of her ride watching
Nina’s back.

“Ni, what you doin’ out here?” He looked as if he had two black eyes.

“You thought I was gone, didn’t you? I’m looking for you, nigga, where my money, D?”

“What money? I ain’t got your money.”

Swooosh!
You could hear the bat slice the air as she hit him on the backs of his legs, causing him to fall. “AAAGggg! Nina! What the
fuck is your problem?” Derrick screamed out, obviously shocked and in pain.

Swoosh!
She hit him on the legs again. “Where my money, Derrick?”

“Aw shit, y’all! D gettin’ his ass whipped by his sister!
A fuckin’ girl, y’all!” Tone yelled as everybody started laughing and began gathering around.

“Ouch! You see that shit, Nick? Shorty ain’t no joke,” Reese said, enjoying the show.

“I see her. Yo, what the fuck son do? That’s her man?”

“I don’t know. He’s a pussy if he is!”

“Where my money, D?”
Smack!
She came down on the backs of his legs again.

“Oowww! Damn, Nina. You broke my leg! Stop it! What the fuck is the matter with you? Fuck! Somebody call an ambulance!” He
was squeezing both legs while groaning in pain.

Nina began digging around in his pockets and socks and pulled off his sneakers. All three spots he had wads of money. The
more money she pulled out, the madder she got. She threw the money to Michelle.

“You punk-ass nigga!” She began stomping him and kicking him in the face. When she went to pick up her bat, he pulled her
legs out from under her, causing her to slip and fall. She then sent her foot smashing into his nuts.

“Uuugg ooooweeee, damn!” His screams echoed into the air. He grabbed his nuts with both hands as he rolled around on the ground.
All the spectators began to groan, as the fellas felt his pain.

She crawled over to the bat, stood up and began swinging. “Where is the rest of my money, D? Who robbed you? I want my money!”
She kept hitting him and he kept screaming out in pain.

“Yo, ma, you gonna kill him.” Horace came out on his porch. Just then, the po-po was coming up the street, yelling on the
horn to break it up. Their lazy asses wouldn’t even get out of the car.

“Let’s roll, Nina.” Michelle jumped in the Rover and cranked it up. “Come on, Nina,” she yelled out the window. “He ain’t
got no more loot on him.”

Nina grabbed her bat and kicked D in the face one more time, causing the crowd to moan, “Oww!” She jumped in the Rover and
Michelle pulled off. Nina began to cry as she counted the few dollars that were left of her hard-earned stash.

“Fuck!” she screamed out like a madwoman. “All my hard-earned money, Michelle. Why niggas don’t want to see a sista progress?
And this nigga ’sposed to be family. I can’t take this shit no more, M. I feel like I’m about to lose it. I got to get the
fuck away from here. But how the fuck can I? I get one step forward then get pulled ten steps backward. What part of the fuckin’
game is this? This is the third time that I almost reached my goal only to have a major setback.” She put her hands in her
face and cried some more. Michelle was silent as her best friend released her frustrations.

When they pulled up in front of Nina’s, Nick and Reese pulled up behind them. Nina hurriedly dried her tears.

Reese came up to the passenger side of the Rover. “Yo, ma, that was really gangsta back there. You aiight? You need anything?”

“No. What’s up? Why you still following me?”

“Just wanted to make sure you was aiight. Can I hit you up later?”

Nina nodded her head yes.

“Bet. I’m out.”

N
ina sat Jatana down on the chair while straightening out her clothes for the umpteenth time.
I don’t see how mothers go through this shit with more than one child
, Nina thought to herself as she looked around at all the kids running around like wild Indians, ignoring the threats of their
mommas.

Supreme stood quietly admiring his baby mama’s fat ass as she fixed his daughter’s clothes. Nina was bent over and right now
he would give anything to hit that the way he used to. He was grateful that they were on good terms. Not as good as he wanted
because he still had mad feelings for her. She had made it clear from the gate that she wasn’t doing time with her own daddy,
definitely not her baby daddy.

When she stood up, Jatana saw him and screamed out, “Daddy!” She wiggled out of her chair and ran to him.

He scooped her up and gave her a big hug and kiss. “Hey, baby. How are you? Can Daddy have another kiss?” She gave him a kiss
and kept on hugging his neck.

Nina sat quietly as she watched the exchange between her daughter and the man she used to love. She had wasted no time burying
those feelings as soon as he came to prison. She knew it was no sense in frontin’ because she was not cut out for playing
the role of a prisoner’s wife.

As soon as Supreme sat down he asked, “So to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?” He had the right to be sarcastic because
his moms or sister was the one who brought Jatana down to see him almost every other weekend. He could count the times on
one hand that Nina had brought her down.

“How you doin’, Supreme?” she asked, ignoring his sarcasm.

“Better than some, worse than others, but I’m here. How are you, Nina? You look good.”

“Thanks. You look good too.”

“So what’s up?”

“Where do you want me to start?”

“Oh. You came down here just to use me to vent?”

“You said I could do that whenever I needed to. You forgot all about that, huh?”

Supreme just stared at her. His mind drifted to how badly he wanted to tap that ass. He finally said, “So what’s on yo’ mind?”

Nina let out a long sigh. “I feel like I’m suffocating. I can’t stand this city. The air stinks; it’s too crowded, too noisy.
All I hear at night are screams, sirens, gunshots, car chasings, niggas out on the block. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Then move, Nina. It ain’t like you can’t find a place somewhere else.”

“My punk-ass brother broke into the house and took all my money, so now I’m damn near back at square one.”

“What?”

“He broke into my shit and smoked up almost every dime.”

“Damn. I know you handled that nigga. If you didn’t, just say the word, Nina. He taking food outta my daughter’s mouth. I
knew I should have wet his ass up when I had the chance.”

“I’ve got to move, fast. Fuck everybody! It’s all ’bout me and my kids. I need you to hook me up with something big. I’m moving
South.”

“South where? South Trenton? South Jersey? South Philly? Where the fuck is south?”

“Down South, Supreme. I’m going to Atlanta or Charlotte.”

“For how long?”

“What you mean for how long, Supreme? I’m going to live. Have you been listening to anything I’ve just said? I’m relocating.”

“Not with my daughter you’re not!”

“What the fuck you mean your daughter? She’s mines too!”

“You can go down South but leave my daughter right here.”

“Supreme, I—”

“Nina!” he interrupted her. “I’m not asking you, I’m
telling you.” He hugged his daughter and blew on her cheek.

“Daddy,” she giggled.

Nina could only stare at him in disbelief. She was so heated she couldn’t create enough spit to form a word. Her silence to
Supreme meant that she had conceded to his demand. “Supreme,” Nina managed to say through gritted teeth. “As long as you are
locked up, I have the final say-so concerning the welfare of our child. Now when you get out, we can talk and work something
out. Do
you
understand me?”