K already knew about the money down on Second Street. He had a few cats he rocked with down there, but the potential for that spot was unlimited.
“Yo, call my cellphone so I can have your number and lock it in. You won’t be dealing with Dark after today. Give me about 20 minutes and I’ll call you when I’m pulling up,” K said handing G his cellphone number.
“Good looking out on the hook up too. I’ve been waiting for a chance like this.”
“Just keep it funky with a niggah and we gonna shine like 50 carats of clear blue stones on everybody. That’s my word.”
After K dropped off G’d-up at his crib he called Mattie.
“Hey daddy. Where you at? “ Mattie answered.
“I’m on my way to the crib. I need you to fix me something to eat,” he said talking in code.
Mattie knew exactly what he was talking about because K had put her up on game a long time ago.
“What you want me to fix for you? A steak (ounce) a burger (2 and a quarter ounce) or barbeque ribs and macaroni and cheese (four and half ounces)?”
“Them barbeque ribs and macaroni and cheese, is what’s really good?”
“Alright, I’ll start on it right away. I got something to tell you when you get here.”
“I’m on my way.”
K pulled in the complex ten minutes later and Mattie had the big 8 waiting for him when he came through the door. She was almost done unpacking and shit was everywhere.
“Good looking out baby. I’m taking all this work up otta here before we go to bed. Where is your sister?”
“That dude took her to go get some trees. I told her we had to talk or I was gonna send her ass back to N.Y.”
Mattie could see the expression on K’s face and knew he was getting frustrated.
“You know what I went through in Amityville and I’m not trying to relive that nightmare again,” she quickly added.
“And I dam sure aint. What did you want to tell me?” K said changing the subject.
“I’ve got an interview tomorrow.”
“Already?Dam girl, you aint bullshittin. That’s what’s up though. Where?”
K could see her expression change and could see that he might not like what was coming next.
“I saw a billboard for a club when we were on our way in town and called the number. They want me to come in for an audition tomorrow.
“Audition? What kind of- oh….”
It didn’t take long for K to figure out what kind of club Mattie was talking about. He was about to protest, but quickly remembered how she had told him about her last experience, being in another state with him, and left with nothing after he got locked up. As much as he wasn’t feeling the idea, he had to respect the fact she was covering her tracks. He could look in her eyes and see the fear of possibly reliving the experience. But he could also see the determination as a go getter which was another characteristic he admired about her.
“Aight. We’ll talk more about it later. Let me go and handle this BI.”
Mattie could tell it was bothering him more than he let on, but hoped that things wouldn’t change. Things were definitely going to change in the near future, but not in the way that either of them had expected.
Things began to move quickly and within six weeks K had managed to crank up four spots and employ 17 workers around town. Mattie had gotten hired on at the spot because of her skills and beauty, and soon became a main attraction at the club. The first few weeks in PA had been sweet. K had done exactly what he said and let Mattie hook up the condo. From the furniture to the flat screens, and computers, to the fully stocked bar. It definitely had every outward appearance of home. The first weeks Mattie only worked at the club a few days a week. So on the weekends while Reebie was out learning the town with her new friend in the Lexus, K and Mattie would blaze blunts and sip mixed drinks on the balcony and talk about their goals and aspirations for the future.
Mattie wanted desperately to get her life together and reclaim her son Miguel, which she’d had at a very young and confusing time in her life. She’d also speak about her hopes to own rental property and a huge ranch with lots of land and horses in Montana. She had actually begun the process to enroll in college before the incident in the strip club in N.Y.
K had plans to own a bunch of everything. They would talk and laugh for hours and screw like rabbits for hours after that. The fact that they were one in the same, could dream together, and actually believed that they could achieve their goals, made their relationship that much better. But it wasn’t long before Mattie’s popularity at the club grew, and the owner began to schedule her to work more days out of the week. It was great for Mattie, but it left K with a lot of free time on his hands after he handled his business.
He had gone to her job to hang out and have a couple of drinks in the beginning believing that it was no big deal watching her dance, But he soon realized that it affected him more than he thought it would. Watching her dance for other men brought about feelings and emotions that he didn’t care to deal with. But he saw how much bread she was caking and wasn’t willing to knock her hustle because of his feelings.
So it wasn’t long before K was hanging at some of the local spots and bars where some of the people he dealt with hung out. After he had run through some more of the local cuties, he began to want to do something different. His conscience was starting to get the better of him as he watched some of the young kids in the community that he was destroying. Just like today as he cruised past the park on Tillman Street between 6th and 7th. The park was full of young kids playing on swings and sliding boards as their mothers watched from the benches. K cruised by slowly in the Suburban that he had traded the Cadillac in for. He had become a familiar face in the hood, so a lot of the people in the park recognized him. A few people that he knew waved and smiled and it was at that moment that he made the decision to do something to make a difference.
K pulled up to the curb of the Allentown Youth Center five minutes later and exited the truck. He went through the entrance where two young boys were standing talking about the newest play station game. Inside the front doors was a wide open carpeted area, with six pool and ping — pong tables. Only six kids occupied this area engaged in recreation. Towards the far end of the building K saw a flight of steps that lead up to a second level. He could hear the sound of bouncing balls and the rubber soles of sneakers screeching on wood floors. After he headed up the stairs, the sound of male voices yelling competitively could be heard. When K reached the top of the stairs there were a few different groups of kids balling, but nowhere near as much as it should have been in a youth center of this size.
He walked over to the bleachers and took a seat. He watched the future as they ran up and down the courts without a care in the world. He wondered at what point would lives full of such young innocence, take a dramatic turn that would lead them to make the kind of choices he did. Then it hit him almost immediately. He remembered when that time had come for him like it was yesterday. K knew how easily the wrong kinds of influences and wanting for things that family couldn’t provide could lead an individual to take the next available option. For him that had been the streets.
His thoughts were interrupted by a female voice.
“No disrespect, but you look a little old to be hanging out in here,” she said.
K turned and was awestruck by a vision of beauty that smiled back at him. She looked like she had just walked off the screen of the popular show on Spanish television called Caliente’. She stood five feet tall and weighed about 130 pounds, which was proportioned properly in all the right places. Her catlike green eyes smiled when she did. Her olive — tan complexion was a perfect contrast to her shoulder length Jet black straight hair. Her hip hugger jeans gripped her Dominican assets to perfection.
“Nah, my bad. I mean — I’m sorry,” K said trying to catch himself, realizing that he was staring.
She saw that he was struggling and helped him out.
“I’m Liza — Liza Montez,” she said extending her hand. “I’m the Youth Center Coordinator.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Kevin Johnson.”
