Diamonds and Pearl (8 page)

“I don't know.” Pearl bit her bottom lip. She had a project due the next morning, and she hadn't even started it. Then there was also her father to consider. Big Stone frowned on Pearl going out on school nights.

“What do you mean
you don't know
?” Sheila asked in disbelief. “Pearl, these ain't some high school boys I'm taking you to hang out with; these are grown men with grown paper. And Boom's whole crew is fine as hell!”

“It ain't that, Sheila. My dad is supposed to be coming back from his trip, and you know how that dude is when it comes to me hanging out on weekdays,” Pearl explained. “Marisa, you should be worried too, since they're together.”

Marisa's dad, Tito, and Big Stone had known each other as long as Pearl and Marisa had. They'd actually met because of them. Both of their daughters were enrolled in the same junior high school, and with both of their dads being so heavily involved in their daughters' educations, they would often see each other at school functions and on field trips. Eventually they developed a friendship. Tito was a square, working at a brokerage firm downtown, but he was from the hood, so it didn't take him long to figure out what Big Stone did for a living. Tito didn't condone it, but he didn't judge Stone for it either. So long as Stone's relationship with the streets didn't overlap his relationship with Tito and his family, they were good. Tito had even helped Big Stone with some investments when he wanted to legitimize some of his holdings.

“Yeah, but they're not coming back anytime soon. My mom is supposed to be picking my dad up from their airport around midnight,” Marisa informed her.

“See, that'll be more than enough time for us to go in, have a quick drink, and get you guys back home before your parents find out. Stop acting like that, Pearl,” Sheila urged. “If it'll make you feel better, look at this little outing as a prequel to your bash.”

Pearl felt like she was under a hot lamp at the police station, with three sets of eyes pinned to her, waiting to see which way she would decide. Pearl knew that if her father came home and found her missing, he'd shit a brick right before he killed her. Still, peer pressure was a muthafucka. “Okay, one drink and then we're gone.”

*   *   *

By the end of the period, they had their plan all mapped out. They would meet at about nine thirty, hit the party for an hour or so, then leave. Marisa wanted to meet in front of Pearl's building, but Pearl quickly shot that idea down. She didn't want anybody to see her, especially her father's pet watchdog, Knowledge. He was always skulking somewhere in the shadows, watching, especially when her father was away from home. Knowledge was the only man he trusted enough to watch over his family when he wasn't around. To avoid getting busted, the girls would meet on 125th Street and head to the party from there.

When lunch period was over, the girls headed to their respective classes. Sheila and Marisa had fifth-period algebra together, so they headed up to the fourth floor while Pearl and Ruby walked downstairs to the first. They didn't have class together, but their classes were on the same floor that period, so they always walked together. As usual, Pearl was slow, dragging down the stairs while she spoke to people she knew. By the time they'd made it downstairs, everyone was in their classes and the halls were empty, except for Kate and three of her home girls. They were posted up at the end of the hall near where Pearl's next class was. It seemed that Pearl had underestimated Kate's level of stupidity. Never one to run from a fight, Pearl started in their direction.

“I knew they weren't gonna let it go. I just knew it,” Ruby said nervously, walking beside Pearl. She would fight if she had to, but it was always her very last resort.

“Just be cool, Ruby. None of us want trouble in school. I got this under control,” Pearl said in a very calm tone.

For once, Ruby thought Pearl would take the high road and avoid confrontation. That thought died when she saw Pearl take the combination lock from the strap of her knapsack and loop it over her middle finger.

Kate started toward Pearl, two of the three girls behind her while the other one manned the end of the hall to watch for security or teachers. To Kate, the confrontation with Pearl was no different than any other time they'd butted heads, except this time it had happened on the big stage: the North Cafeteria. The fact that the black girl had slighted her in front of all those people didn't go unnoticed by Kate's crew, and they had been on her for the remainder of the period about what she was going to do about it. If she didn't handle it, she would look weak. Fighting in school was a risky idea, but catching Pearl between classes was her best chance to act without having to worry about her friends getting in it.

They were mere feet away now, both combatants' eyes locked on each other. “What's up now, bi—” Kate never got a chance to finish her sentence.

Pearl's fist shot out like a missile, hitting Kate square in the mouth, busting her lip, and knocking one of her bottom teeth out.

Seeing their leader broken and bloodied gave the other girls pause, and it cost them. Taking full advantage of the situation, Pearl tore into another one of them with the lock. It was the thick girl from earlier who Pearl had referred to as chubby. Her chin was stronger than Kate's, so it took a few good pops in the face to steal the fight from her. Pearl was whipping on the bigger girl when she felt a flash of needlelike fire. The third girl had a fistful of her hair, trying to rip it from the roots, and with her free hand she was trying to reach around and scratch Pearl's face. Pearl was about to redirect her attention to the third girl and give her the business, but Ruby beat her to the punch.

Ruby brought the thick math book she was carrying down across the back of the third girl's head like the hammer of judgment. The first blow dazed her, but the second swing put her on her ass. The remaining girl, who had been playing lookout, saw what was happening and wanted no part of it, so she took off and left her friends to the savage beating being placed upon them by Pearl and Ruby. By the time security showed up, all they found at the scene were the three wounded girls and a mess of blood to clean off the walls.

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

When Big Stone had first purchased the three-story dilapidated building smack in the middle of Harlem, everyone told him that it was a bad investment. The building was damn near falling in on itself, and to make matters worse, it was located on a block infested with drug addicts. If you'd asked the opinions of ten people, nine of them would've told you that he had completely wasted his money. That was why it was fortunate that Big Stone never gave too much of a damn about the opinions of other people. They could only see the present, but Big Stone had his eyes on the future. With this in mind, he purchased the building and, six months later, purchased two more like it in other high-risk Harlem neighborhoods. Just over a decade later Big Stone's properties were worth more than ten times what he had paid for them. He was always a few steps ahead of everyone else, which was why he was the boss.

Pearl opened the front door on the main floor of the brownstone and descended the three stairs into what her father referred to as the receiving room. Aside from the massive bookshelf, which covered an entire wall, the room wasn't much to look at. It was sparsely furnished with a sofa, love seat, and two recliners. Big Stone didn't allow many people into his home, and fewer still ever made it passed the sitting room, so there was no need to deck it out.

Pearl removed her shoes and crossed the sitting room into the living room, which was fully furnished, but even less inviting than the sitting room. The reason being that Big Stone had done that room in all white. Everything from the furniture to the carpet and even the entertainment system was devoid of color. Something about white soothed her father, and he would often sit in this room when he was deep in thought.

Off to the side, there was a small entryway that allowed access to the kitchen. Pearl could hear the water running, so she knew she wasn't alone. She doubted that her little brother had taken time from his busy schedule of menacing to do the dishes, so it had to be Sandra. Stealthily, Pearl crept to the entryway and peered inside.

A middle-aged woman hovered over the stainless-steel island, chopping onions on a wooden board and watching
Law and Order
on the small television mounted above the refrigerator. Her black hair was pulled back into a pony, and every so often she would pause her chopping to dab her eyes with the apron tied around her waist. Beneath the apron, she wore a simple white shirt and dark slacks, which hugged her enough for you to see that even at her age, she still had her curves. Sandra had been with the family for as long as Pearl could remember, and she was the only one besides her who could argue with Big Stone and keep all her teeth intact. She was a real spitfire who always spoke her mind, and some whispered that the only reason Big Stone hadn't fired her was because he was sleeping with her. Anyone with eyes could see there was something between them, but neither would ever admit it.

Seeing that Sandra was preoccupied with her cooking and her television show, Pearl tried to ease by the kitchen unnoticed, but she was unsuccessful.

“Hey, Pearl,” Sandra said without looking up from her cutting board.

Fuck!
Pearl cursed in her head. It always amazed her how Sandra seemed able to feel her presence when they were in proximity of each other. Pearl knew how she looked, and she wanted a chance to clean up before Sandra saw her and started asking a bunch of questions. “Hi,” she said flatly, and stepped into the kitchen.

“How was school?” Sandra asked.

“Long and boring.” Pearl perched herself onto one of the stools across from Sandra. “It almost seems like a waste of time to break my beauty sleep five days per week to go learn a bunch of stuff I'll probably never have any use for.”

“You don't know what you'll have a use for until you need to use it,” Sandra replied. “This is your last year, and in a little over a month you'll be all done with high school.”

“I know, but a month seems so far away.” Pearl sighed. “I wanna be done with it
now
.”

Sandra shook her head. “I swear, you young kids today have no patience at all. You want all the glory but aren't willing to put in the work. An education is important, Pearl, not just because there ain't much you can do without having at least a high school education, but more important, it'll add to your character.” Sandra wiped her hands on her apron. “Think about it like this: no man who's about something wants a girl who ain't about nothing. And if they do, it's just sex. Pearl, don't ever put yourself in a position where you have to depend on a man to take care of you. Some of these young girls got it twisted and think our pussies are our greatest weapons, but it's really our independence that will serve us best when all else fails.”

One of the things Pearl loved most about Sandra was her seemingly infinite wisdom. Pearl would often come to Sandra when she needed advice on something, and no matter what the topic was, she seemed to have some insight on it. Pearl felt comfortable talking to Sandra because she didn't treat her like a kid and, no matter what it was, Sandra would always keep Pearl's secrets. Over the years she had become Pearl's caretaker, confidant, and, when necessary, her disciplinarian. She did all this without ever once making Pearl feel like she was trying to take her mother's place. They were as thick as thieves, but it had always been like that.

Because Pearl's mother had died, she had been the only woman in Big Stone's life for many years, and anybody who had tried to get close to him, she had treated like an enemy. It had been the same when Sandra had come into the picture. Big Stone had introduced her as an old friend he was helping out by hiring her to keep the house and help her attend to his daughter, but from the moment Pearl saw the way they looked at each other, she knew it was far deeper than just a job situation. Pearl wasted no time digging into her bag of cruel and petty tricks to try to run Sandra off like she had the others, but what she would learn was that Sandra was
nothing
like the others.

Before becoming Big Stone's housekeeper, Sandra had been one of his street lieutenants. She first landed on his radar back when she was working as a drug mule, transporting his product from state to state. She'd taken a pinch over nine ounces of heroin on her way to DC. She was a nobody in the organization, and the police knew it. They really wanted Big Stone. Sandra could've snitched and been released, but she never uttered a word. In fact, she actually spent more than a year in Baltimore County Jail while fighting the case. When she came back to New York, Big Stone blessed her and brought her in off the streets. She had proven herself loyal, so he bumped her up from mule and gave her domain over three of his stash houses.

Sandra's new position put her in close proximity with Big Stone, and it didn't take long for their business relationship to evolve into something more intimate. Anyone who saw them together could tell they were sweet on each other, but they dared not go public with their indiscretions because they were both involved with other people. Big Stone was married to Pearl's mother, and Sandra had a long-time boyfriend who she shared a child with. Around the time Pearl was just a baby, Sandra found herself incarcerated a second time. She had been tried and convicted with manslaughter for the killing of her child's father. He had mistaken her face for a punching bag one time too many, and she'd shot him. The whole time Sandra did her bid, Big Stone made sure she and her son were taken care of, and he kept in constant contact.

When Sandra was released from prison, Big Stone was right there waiting for her. By then Pearl's mother had passed, and he was raising his little girl alone. He offered Sandra her old spot back, but she was done with the streets. Her last prison stint and being away from her son for more than five years had killed her taste for the fast life, and she was ready to square up. Big Stone saw an opportunity in this to kill two birds with one stone and offered her a position as governess to his daughter. This would allow him to have someone he trusted and respected watch over Pearl, as well as keep Sandra close to him.