Trife Life To Lavish (A King Production Presents...) (8 page)

"I don't have time to wait. Plus, you already
put the plug in about my mom. You need to seize
the opportunity while you got it."

"I don't know, Tierra. This might not be the
right time."

"Just do it!" Tierra said, firmly. "It ain't gon'
neva seem like the right time when you hittin' a
nigga up for some bread."

Nichelle went ahead and amped herself up
as she got up from the couch and headed towards
their bedroom.

Carmelo was lying on the bed with his
hands folded behind his head, watching ESPN on
the plasma television. He seemed so content, that
Nichelle was reluctant to disturb him, but she knew
that she would never hear the end of it from Tierra.
"Hey baby, do you have a minute?"

"What's up?" Carmelo asked, not taking his
eyes off the TV.

"Baby, something came up. Umm... an
emergency, and I really need your help."

Only then did Carmelo's eyes divert from the TV and to Nichelle. "Are you a'ight, baby?"

She could see his eyes were full of concern.
"No, it's not me. I'm fine. It's Tierra, well actually,
Tierra's mother."

"What about her?" he questioned, nonchalantly.

"I don't know if I mentioned this to you, but
Tierra's mom has been real sick."

"Nah, you ain't said nothing." Carmelo was
now back to watching ESPN, clearly uninterested
at what Nichelle was saying.

"Yeah, she's been real bad off. That's what
got Tierra smoking and stressed out."

"Un-hun."

"The medical bills have been really pilling
up and it's taken a really bad toll on their family,"
Nichelle continued, trying her best to plead her
friend's fraudulent case. "I was hoping that maybe
you could loan Tierra two thousand dollars to go
towards paying off the bills."

Carmelo calmly picked up the remote control
and turned off the TV. He then lifted up from the
bed and met Nichelle's eyes with a sturdy stare. "I
come home for a minute tryna get a little peace
before I have to go hit the streets, and you hit me
wit' this? Tierra put you up to this bullshit, didn't
she?"

"What are you talking about? I told you her
mother's been sick and I wanted to help them
out, that's all. You know we grew up in the same projects, and they were always there for me, so I
wanted to return the favor."

"I can't believe you looking me straight in
the face and lying for that triflin' trick!" Carmelo
stood up from the bed and walked away.

"Carmelo, where are you going?" she asked,
feeling stupid as she followed behind him.

"Tierra, I need for you to get yo' shit and go!"

Tierra looked at Nichelle with a baffled
expression, and then at Carmelo.

"Carmelo, what is wrong with you?" Nichelle
knew she should've followed her first instincts,
and talked to Carmelo about the money later when
Tierra was gone.

"Yeah, Carmelo, what is wrong wit' you?"
Tierra asked, with an attitude."

"Because your triflin' ass is nothing but a bad
influence on Nichelle."

"Excuse me!" Tierra stood up with anger
jumping out her eyes.

"You heard me. How the fuck you gon' have
my girl asking me for money to give to you? You
ain't her pimp."

"Carmelo, stop! I told you that money was
for Tierra's sick mother."

"Yo, if I was one of those niggas that beat
women, I would smack the shit out of you for
straight lying to me for this silly ass broad. This
chick's mama ain't sick, and if she is, don't they got shit called Medicaid? Get the fuck outta here
wit' that bullshit! What the fuck ya think I am, a
lollipop? Because yah definitely tryna play a nigga
like a sucka."

Nichelle had never seen Carmelo so angry
at her before, and she didn't know what to say, so
she remained silent. But of course that didn't stop
Tierra from running off at the mouth.

"My mother is sick, and just because she
lives in the projects don't mean she on Medicaid.
Nichelle was only tryna help a sister out, just like I
have done for her on many occasions. Who do you
think was holding it down for her before you came
along? It was me!"

"Yeah, and you always tryna dangle that
shit over Nichelle's head. You the worse type of
friend, `cause real friends don't throw that shit up
in your face every time they want something. They
do it outta love, and keep it movin'. If yo' triflin'
ass so hard up for cash, go get a motherfuckin'
job. And one that requires more out of you than
spreading your legs, `cause you ain't getting no
fuckin' handouts from me."

"Carmelo, that's enough!" Nichelle hated to
see two people that were so important in her life
going at it. She was caught between her best friend
and her man, and hated every second of it.

"Don't worry about it, Nichelle. I was just
leaving!" Tierra said, grabbing her purse. She brushed past Carmelo, wanting to spit in his face,
but figured that action alone would break his "no
beat on women" rule.

"I'm sorry, Tierra. I'll call you later on."

Tierra strolled past Nichelle not saying a
word, and left, slamming the door shut.

"Carmelo, I can't believe you said all that
cruel shit to her."

"Please, I know tricks like her. She's a snake.
One day you gon' see that shit for yourself, and
remember I warned you."

"Yo, where's homegirl at? For the last few
weeks, every time I see you in the streets, she was
posted up right next to you," Renny inquired, as he
jumped in the passenger side of Radric's Range.

"I had to cut that bitch off."

"Why, what happened?"

"The whore tried to rob me for some money
and drugs."

"Word? Why did she try to rob you? Wasn't
you hitting her off?"

"Yeah, I was giving her a little something here
and there. Then she came to me with some sad story.
You know how ho's do. Talking about she need two
stacks. I was like, a'ight shortie, I got you right after you suck my dick," Radric said, laughing about the
shit. "Then after she finished, I tossed her a couple
bucks, and when she thought I was in the shower,
I caught her going through my pockets, tryna steal
from me. Can you believe that broad?"

"Hell yeah, I can believe her! You was fuckin'
homegirl on the regular. You couldn't hit her off
wit' two stacks?"

"That ain't the point. It's any money, and I
decide how I'ma spend it. These ho's in the streets
need to recognize that their pussy is replaceable."

"Nigga, you crazy!"

As Radric drove over the Brooklyn Bridge,
entering Manhattan, Renny was disappointed that
Radric had cut off Tierra... for his own selfish
reasons. She was his only connection to Nichelle.
With her out of the picture, he had no way of
knowing what moves she was making.

"What's up with your cousin, Arnez? He still
going to hook you up wit' that new product?" Radric
asked, kicking the images of Nichelle out of Renny'
s head.

"Supposed to be. He in Atlanta right now,
but he'll be back in Philly in a few weeks, and I'ma
meet him up there to test the shit out."

"Cool. I wanna roll wit' you when you do that."

"No problem. When I know for sure when
I'm breaking out, I'll let you know."

"That works. So what, you've decided to stick around a little bit longer?"

`Damn, motherfucker! You tryna get me to
bounce already?"

"Renny, man, you know I like having you
here, but I'm just surprised you staying. Originally
you said you were coming for a couple of weeks to
check on some shit you had set up. Those couple
of weeks is turning into a couple of months, that's
all. Don't you got peoples in ATL?"

"Besides my cousin, I ain't got nobody
keeping me there. But right now, not only is there
a drought in ATL, it's hot as a motherfucker. Feds
locking up people left and right."

"Ooooh, so that's why you focusing on setting
up shop here."

"I always handled business this way, but
yeah, that's why I'm doing more, and ain't in no
rush to bounce. But when shit cools down, I'll go
back. Shit, you can ball all sorts of outrageous in
ATL. But right now, that shit ain't a good look."

"So what happened down there?"

"Man, this chick Coco... have you ever met
Coco?" Renny asked, not recalling if Radric had
ever been around when he was handling business
with one of his main connects.

"Nah, who that?"

"Coco is this Hershey chocolate bad ass bitch.
She got a sister named Chanel, and for a minute,
they were running shit heavy."

"Yo, I've heard of them. They twins, right?"

"Yep, that's them." Both men grinned. "Well,
the Feds picked up Coco a few months ago, and
were supposed to have locked up some of her
workers too."

"What about her sister?"

"Last I heard, Chanel was still out. But they all
are laying low, including Arnez. He been in Philly
a lot handling some shit, so I don't know if he
tryna set up shop there because of the shit poppin'
off in ATL, or what."

"I feel you. Just don't bring that heat over
here to Queens. Shit, we got a drought this way
too," Radric chuckled, turning off the bridge.

"Man, I know. That same `Operation Dry
Spell' them motherfuckers had going on in Philly
because of that large cocaine bust in the Caribbean
on its way to the US, is expanding every fuckin'
where. Quality cocaine is so scarce right now.
Niggas stretching that shit out so fuckin' much, it's
losing all the purity."

"Damn straight! That's why I'm tryna break bread
wit' this new connect. I heard he got that gold."

"Who the fuck is that?"

"You know, that nigga, Marley's birthday
party we hittin' up next Friday."

"Oh shit, I forgot all about that party. I thought
he was just some nigga you was cool wit'. He got
that prime coke?"

"Not him, but the nigga he get his drugs
from. He supposed to introduce me to him at his
birthday party."

"That's a party I think I might need to
attend."

"Nigga, I told you to roll."

"Yeah, but I thought it was some regular
merrymaking bullshit. Getting a connect to some
prime product. . .that's a whole `notha party in itself.
So it's next Friday?"

"Yep, I'm heading to this spot now to get my suit."

"Suit, what the fuck, it's some baller, dress
up shit?"

"Yeah, nigga, so pull out the arsenal."

"I'ma pull out more than that. If Arnez come
through wit' his shit and this new connect work out,
hell, the drought might be over before it really fuckin'
started. And that's the type of news that keeps my
dick hard, besides some fresh new, untapped pussy."
Renny smiled, laying back in his seat, and feeling like
luck was leaning in his favor.

Many wonder if it's true that innocent children
will have to suffer for the sins of their parents. If
that was a proven fact, maybe more people would
think twice about the path they take in life. I mean
knowing that your little boy or girl, and even your
unborn child, would have to carry the burden
of your sins would motivate you to live your life
differently... or maybe not.