A Hustler's Wife (25 page)

He pleaded, "oh, please, don't kill me." He whined and begged like a little girl.

"Just please, pleeeeaaassse," he said struggling, looking for a way out of the tub, but there wasn't any. With the gun in his mouth, they finally shot him right there in the bathtub of his own house. If that wasn't enough, they went outside and put him in his newly purchased trash barrel, buck naked, with two concrete cinder blocks at the bottom, and tossed him into the Lake Anna River.

It just so happened that two little girls were missing in that area and they were last seen playing near the river. Search teams were dispatched to the Lake Anna River, and divers found the barrel with the number, 5509, Bengee's address on it. They could tell the barrel was recently dropped in the river. The color wasn't completely gone. It was extremely heavy. They called in the bulldozer to bring it up. They were expecting to find the little girls in it, but to no disappointment, it was Bengee. The little girls were found unharmed. They had wondered off in the woods.

Yarni was at Gloria's house playing spades with her mother, Sam and Cara when there was a knock at the door. Gloria looked out of the window. It was the police. She automatically put up her guards and was in fear for her daughter. Taking precaution, she went into the kitchen and told Yarni to hide because she didn't understand why the police would be at her house.

Gloria answered the door, cracking it only enough so she could peep through.

"Yes, what is it?" Gloria said with a stank attitude.

"Is Yarnise Pitman here?" The officer took his hat off and asked.

"No, but I am her mother. Is there something that I can do for you?" Gloria asked in a hostile tone.

The officer was very hesitant, "Well, we're here to inform Yarnise Pitman that Benjamen Whales is dead and we need her to come downtown to identify the body. She's listed as his next of kin," he stated.

Gloria simply said with no emotion at all, "I will let her know when I see her," and she slammed the door right in his face.

After she was sure the police was gone, Gloria went into the room that Yarni was hiding in and broke the news to Yarni. Yarni's response was, "I knew that this day would be coming." Gloria, Cara and Sam accompanied Yarni to identify body. It wasn't as easy as Yarni had expected it to be. She never cried, but the remorse was all over her face. Even with all the rotten things that Bengee had done to her, she still loved him. When she saw that he'd been killed in such a brutal way, she began to have a little compassion in her heart. She felt a little guilty because she remembered the Bible said you can speak life or death into somebody's life, and she had wished death on Bengee.

She called his mother, who'd never been a mother to him.

The mother's simple response was, "You've always been his family as far as I am concerned, so now the ball is in your court.

Whatever arrangements you decide upon, is how he is going to be put away. If it's up to me, the state will just handle it." Yarni thought to herself, that the best way to get back at him would be to just leave him there for the state to bury, and not even be acknowledged with funeral services. That would be the best revenge ever, but Yarni's heart wasn't like that. She immediately thought about all the generous things and pleasant words he'd ever said to her and put the negative out of her mind and heart for just a minute. She simply told herself that it was nothing personal with her; its just Bengee got caught up and couldn't survive "the game." Most can't, most won't, and most don't.

On that note, she called Scott's Funeral home on Brookland Park Boulevard, and started making the funeral arrangements.

The next day, she purchased him a suit from Franco's. Cara suggested that she just go to Cavalier on Broad Street and get him a suit, but Yarni refused to because Bengee went to Francos's when he was living, and this was his final appearance. At the last minute, Yarni decided to do a closed casket funeral. She drew the conclusion that Bengee wouldn't want to be remembered with all the make up the funeral home was forced to put on him to cover all the bruises. Yarni wasn't sure what type of turnout Bengee would have for his funeral. He'd turned into such a nasty nigga. She flooded the funeral home with flowers, as he'd done for her the two and half years that they were together.

The turnout of the funeral was enormous. No one would ever be able to tell that he wasn't a well-liked guy. All the towns and surrounding counties drug dealers showed up. Although it was a funeral, it was a fashion show, a car show and a circus.

People rented stretch limousines to roll up in. Most people were there to be nosy. All the girls that he messed with were there falling over the casket, including Darchelle, who was being absolutely as dramatic as possible. Of course, the stripper broads showed up wearing as little as possible. Joyce was there to demonstrate her support and to be there for Yarni on behalf of Des. The Columbians sent flowers and a representative to show their respects. The news crews appeared there to do a story on the life and death of the city's kingpin. The Feds were there as well, taking photos of everybody that showed up.

After the burial, Yarni rented the Marriott Grand Ball Room and had a big party for him. She had Gloria cater the party, and it was far better than any of the parties he'd ever had for himself.

Throughout the whole proceedings Yarni never shed one tear.

After Joyce witnessed exactly how nicely Yarni had put Bengee away, she developed a great deal of respect for Yarni.

She admired her for the lady that she'd grown up to be. Yarni and Joyce became loyal friends from that moment on. Joyce had her heart set on Yarni becoming her daughter-in-law. If Yarni could show such compassion for Bengee after he left her for dead, Joyce was secure that her son was in good hands with Yarni.

The day after the funeral, Yarni went to check her P.O. Box.

It was mostly junk mail, catalogs and three very important letters. One was from the governor expunging her criminal record.

One was her check from the insurance company for Bengee's life insurance policy. She had a $100,000 policy on him, but since the cause of death was murder, it was considered accidental and it paid double. The final was from a law firm offering her a job as a paralegal/ negotiator for personal injury cases.

She sped home and displayed the letter on the refrigerator so that Gloria could see it. Once settled at home, she called the law firm to accept the position. She also stopped off to pay the funeral home the money she owed them, as well as pay her mother the money she had loaned her to bury Bengee and the money from the kidnapping, which Bengee had never paid. He only kept leaving messages telling Yarni he was on the way to bring the money, but never did. Her mother never stressed her to repay the money, but Yarni felt obligated. She visited Bengee's mother and gave her $2,000. She really didn't deserve that, but that's what kind of heart Yarni had. She gave Cara some money to help towards the down payment of a new car because Cara drove a hoopty. She bought Zurri's kids new beds and gave her some money as well. She invested a great deal of the money, and the remainder of the money she saved, to put down on a condo for herself. There was no way that she could get either of Bengee's houses due to the fact he'd brought them under an alias. The util-ities were only in his name. She didn't want the furniture. It was too much of a reminder of Bengee and that whole chapter of her life. She gave his mother some of it, and sold the rest.

A week later, she found out that the police raided a house over Southside near Belle Meade for illegal cable. They found the guy Tank in the house. Tank was high as gas. He was locked up for about six months. He bragged, while in jail, on how he'd stolen so much from Bengee and how he had kidnapped Yarni.

A few guys stabbed him up, but he still survived. Des heard and ordered Slim, who was on the streets by this time, to kill Tank.

When Slim saw exactly how Tank was living, he felt that he wouldn't put Tank out of his misery. Tank was experiencing a part of death on Earth. Tank's self esteem had been stripped from him. He had been a big time drug dealer, and was now a junkie, who goes around begging to wash people's cars. Tank eventually overdosed anyway.

Taking everything into consideration, Gloria and Joyce gave Yarni a "Waiting To Exhale Party".

Before Yarni started her new job, she used some of the money to take a vacation. She wanted to go somewhere very different from the tropical places she'd been going to. She wanted to experience a different type of vacation. She decided to go to the Galapagos Islands. The islands put her in a totally contrast mindset. These islands are located 600 miles from the mainland.

They are volcanic islands and range from dense rain forests to stark, and barren terrain.

The islands were fascinating. Yarni did a seven-day cruise visiting two islands a day. Her main purpose was to see the rare flora and fauna: tortoises weighing nearly 600lbs, marine igua-nas, frigate birds, boobies, penguins and sea lions. She watched the sea lions swim near the divers. She adored the huge sunflowers. She wished she could've spent more time on the islands, but the time visitors can spend on the islands was regulated by the government. Yarni was truly not a nature person, but she absolutely was able to appreciate this vacation. She was ready to start a new chapter in her life.

THE JUMPSUIT

Yarni gave Cara a ride up to McGeorge Toyota to pick up her
car.
Whenever they were together they always laughed and joked. They were "tell-it-like-it-was friends," as her and Zurri were also. There was a difference between Cara and Zurri's friendship with Yarni. Although Cara and Yarni hung out more than she and Zurri, she always felt closer to Zurri.

Yarni said, "I can't believe that Bengee's been dead for a year."

"I know time flies right?" said Cara. "Do you remember when Bengee flew us to New York? Didn't we have the best time?"

"We sure did," Yarni responded slowly.

"Yarni, you miss Bengee don't you?"

"Honestly?" Asked Yarni.

"Nah, tell me a lie, yeah honestly!" joked Cara. When Yarni still didn't respond. Cara questioned, "Did I touch a soft spot? I am sorry if I did." Yarni didn't respond. They both were silent for a minute.

Cara asked Yarni sympathetically, "Yarni, what are you thinking about?"

"How come everybody I love has to be taken away from me under the hands of another man? I mean my father, Des, my grandmother, Castro and now Bengee. I mean Bengee was out of my life before he died, but I am mainly speaking on Des. I love him so much, and it seems like they're never going to let him go. Am I supposed to be lonely forever? Then it seems as though when I meet somebody else, they aren't worthy, and I'm the last person to figure that shit out. Why?" Yarni continued,

"Do you think somebody could've put a root on me so I won't have a companion?"

Cara responded, "Yeah, you definitely had a lot going on in your head. I don't think it's nothing against you per say, no offense you promise?"

Yarni responded, "No offense taken, so give it to me real." Cara went on, "As far as Des, I think he was on his way to jail when you met him. The police wanted him long before you even came into the picture. The reality of it is, Des was notorious. He did a lot of blatant things, and he covered up his madness well. Des was a real 'gangsta'. He moved in silence and violence. So, police could never catch him slipping. So, they played dirty with him, and you just happened to be the love of his life. Yarni, it's just a part of the game. As far as Bengee, he just started getting money out of control and it went to his head, and the way he was living, the streets weren't going to tolerate it much longer anyway. I'm just glad you left when you left."

"Yeah, you're right," agreed Yarni.

Cara told Yarni, "Well, at least they can't hold Des forever." Yarni pulled in the parking lot at McGeorge Toyota; Cara noticed that her car was parked out in the visitor spot.

"Yarni, by the time I pay for my car. I should be on my way; I'll call you later." She shut the door and Yarni pulled off.

Yarni was running into the Lucky's convenient store to play some numbers, when her cell phone rang. It was Cara.

"Hey girl, what's up?" Cara said.

"What ya need?" Yarni asked, as she passed the lotto card to the clerk in the store. A man spoke to Yarni, she gave him a fake smile.

"Damn baby, you walked right in front of me," the man said.

"Excuse me, I didn't notice you standing there," Yarni said apologetic.

"That's because you're too busy on the phone." He added.

"That's why you can't pay attention." She shot him a look, then she spoke into the phone, "Now, what were you saying, Cara?"

"Who was that?" Cara inquired.

"Some rude ass nigga," Yarni said as she walked out of the store, holding the phone to her ear. As she was pulling off, here comes Mr. Rude running over to her car. Yarni blows into the phone as she sees him racing to the car.

"Should I roll over this joker or what?" Cara laughs as Yarni breaks and rolls down her window.

"You walked right out of the store, paid the lady and forgot your lotto tickets. I told you that phone really got your attention."

"Why thank you, Mr. Attentive," Yarni said in a sarcastic way.