A Hustler's Wife Read online

  "I'll call you at lunchtime, O.K?" she said as she hopped out of the car.

  Des was astonished with the words that came out of Yarni's mouth. He knew that she was a virgin. He'd never pressured her for sex. He figured it would happen in due time. Besides, he got pussy on the regular from the other chicks that he fucked with from time to time. Pussy was no problem. He was leader of the

  "233 Mob". He had broads throwing pussy his way, coming from the north, the south, the east, and the west. They all wanted him. He was a hot commodity on the streets. His relationship with Yarni wasn't based around sex.

  Des had his own selfish reasons. He knew that Gloria was from the old school and she had instilled principles into Yarni, unlike a lot of the last generation of moms. He knew that he had to make love to Yarni mentally before the physical, simply because he was fully aware that the mental love would always last longer than the physical. He knew what type of lifestyle he lived. He knew in his heart that he may have to do some jail time one day. He was totally knowledgeable of the fact that his freedom could be snatched from him at any given time. Des never wanted to lose Yarni, and in order to always make sure she was a part of his world, he couldn't dare base their relationship on sex. He based it on the mental first and foremost. He was always fair and played with principles with anything concerning her.

  Anything he gave her his word on, no matter what sidetracks and temptation the streets might've had going on, he kept his word with her. He very rarely lied to her. When he had to, he'd simply tell her he couldn't answer her because he didn't want to lie to her. He was a perfect gentleman. He was her best friend. They could communicate about anything from small things to major things. The only level he never communicated with her on was the drug game.

  Des never wanted to put Yarni in any situation where she would know anything that could make her an accessory, or that the police could question her on. If she ever was questioned about anything, she couldn't speak on it because she didn't know anything. He did instruct her about some vital rules. Never ever tell the police anything, and never indulge in any drugs ever. Always keep a close eye on your enemies.

  Des naturally spoiled her with material things as well with small intangible things. He'd take time out of his busy day to write Yarni letters and to go to Hallmark to read and select the appropriate card for her. Des cooked for Yarni, even though he wasn't a good cook. He practiced chivalry. The things he'd do for her were so astronomical. He'd fly her to New York to go school clothes shopping. At any given time, he'd take her to Georgetown to go shopping. He'd send her flowers, tulips, for no special reason, or rent a horse and buggie to take her on a ride. Anything he'd see on T.V., he'd naturally try to recreate for Yarni. Des sometimes laughed at himself when he looked at some of the things he'd do for Yarni. He simply told himself that

  "Gangstas Need Love Too!" He basically made himself a measuring cup for Yarni to use to measure other dudes she'd encounter, in case he ever got killed or had to go to jail. He hoped that Yarni would be able to do a bid with him, but at the same time, he knew in his heart that the reality was that Yarni was very young and had never been exposed to anything. He was wise to the fact that she'd most likely stray. He was familiar with the reality that there was a limited amount of "sho nuff real niggas" left. None of the rest of those jokers could offer her half of what he had. She may get with them on the physical side and get into their pockets but guess what? None will ever have a clue how to get into her heart.

  Three days before their six month anniversary, Des decided that he was going to take full responsibility for Yarni. He wanted to wake up to her every morning, and go to sleep beside her every night. He wanted to marry her. She was still underage. He knew for a fact that Gloria wasn't going for that, and there was no way around that, but he decided to try his hand with Gloria anyway, and went to talk to her. "Gloria, I am not going to talk in circles to you, or play any games. I love Yarni wholehearted-ly. I plan to spend the rest of my life with her. I want her to be my wife, to take on my name, and years from now, bare my children, but I need your permission to marry her." Gloria almost fainted. She was outraged, but she managed to keep her composure. She took a deep breath.

  "Des, have you lost your damn mind?"

  "No, I am serious. I love Yarni with all my heart."

  "Des, I truly have a great amount of respect for you and I love you as if you were my own son. At the same time, my first priority is Yarni. She has her whole life ahead of her. She has yet to experience any growing pains. I am fully aware that you and I both want the very best that life has to offer for Yarni. I don't feel it's in her best interest to marry. Christ sake, she's only 15, but when she turns 18, she will be free to make her own decisions. Gloria raised her voice. "Until then, I am not, and I won't sign anything giving consent for my 15 year old daughter to marry a grown man."

  Des decided that even though Gloria wouldn't agree to sign the papers so that they could get married, that still was not going to be a factor. Des decided at that moment that they were going to be married. He brought Yarni a three-carat engagement ring with a two-carat wedding band to match it. He brought himself a phat wedding band. They would wear them. He went to one of those computer places and had a marriage certificate drawn up. Both of them signed it, and that was their commitment on paper. He called his travel agent, to take care of the travel arrangements for their honeymoon. He knew if anyone could put this together in short notice she could. Des assumed complete responsibility for Yarni. He moved her in with him, and took full care of her. He made it clear to Yarni that she was not to go to anyone in her family for any type of favors. He'd provide her with everything she needed. The lovely thing about it was that he meant it from his heart.

  Gloria was outraged as well as heartbroken. She felt like everything she ever wanted for Yarni was gone out of the window. She was hearing advice from a lot of people.

  Funny how people always can voice their opinion about your child, when they don't even have their own children in check. They say Yarni is only 15, that she doesn't have any feelings. She may be 15, but she has her own mind and feelings. I don't want to forbid her from seeing him because she would sneak and see him. By no means would I want her to hide anything from me.

  Gloria couldn't sleep. She couldn't think straight. "Lord," she cried, I don't want to lose my daughter." Gloria realized that this situation was burdening her down. All she knew was to turn it over to the Lord. He'd work this out. Gloria stayed on her knees.

  Father up in heaven in the name of Jesus, I come to you tonight in prayer on bended knees, Father, with a broken heart, confused mind and filled with absolute emptiness. Lord, I have done the best I can to raise my child the best I know how. Lord, I ask you to forgive me for my mistakes while raising my child.

  Lord, I plead with you, not to allow my daughter's mistake to cause her a lifetime of suffering. Lord,, I release control of my child over to you Lord, I am leaning on you to show me how to be a blessing to my child. Grant me wisdom. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen

  Gloria concentrated on making her catering business a big success. She threw herself into it. She already had a limited, but elite group of clients who she catered for, and had a waiting list for clients who desired her to cater their functions with her gour-met cooking. She pulled her waiting list out, along with her phone and address book. She decided that right now, her business would be her prime focus. However, when her daughter needed her, she would be there for her too.

  On their anniversary, the travel agent had arranged for Des and Yarni to go to Sandals Beach in St. Lucia. St. Lucia was simply beautiful. Sandals Resort was the ultimate place for couples to go, offering a white sand beach and lush tropical gardens.

  Yarni could not believe this place. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

  Des sat on the terrace in the tropical color chair. Yarni came and stood right in front of him, wearing a red see through short nighty with some red high heels. Des looked her up and down a
s she posed and turned around. "You see something here you like?" She said to Des in a seductive tone. He smiled.

  "No doubt about it." Des replied.

  "Well convince me then," Yarni said, as she bent over and started tongue kissing him. He put his hand on her round tender butt. She put her hands on his hairy chest and started fondling his nipples, which was a sure turn on for Des. He took his other hand and put it under her nighty, and ran it up her leg. He played around her vagina until he found her clitoris, a spot nobody besides her had ever touched before. He gave her a breathtaking encounter, using only his fingers. She couldn't take it standing up, so she sat on his lap and while he reached around and continued to rotate using his two fingers on her clitoris then inside of her. She sat there, as she knew that she wasn't in control, feeling lost and wondering what to do. He made her feel amazing. She wanted to do something to reciprocate the feeling to her man. She felt his big erection and wanted him inside of her. She moved trying to position herself so she could sit on it.

  Des whispered in her ear, "Baby, let's go inside onto the bed. It may hurt more if you try to put it in like that the first time." He picked her up and took her to the bed. She was naked waiting as he laid on top of her kissing and sucking on her breasts. She felt good, but she wanted what she had been waiting on for the past 15 and a half years of her life. She wanted to know what all the hype about sex was and she wasn't afraid. So she reached between his legs and placed him right where he needed to be.

  He pushed a little, worked slowly and carefully into her tight, wet vagina. She tensed up. He stopped. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing, I just don't wanna hurt you," Des whispered.

  "No, please keep going," She said, but inside it was hurting awfully bad. She wanted to scream, but she didn't want to disappoint him.

  "Baby, you gotta relax." Des said softly as he blew in her ear.

  Relax shit, this shit fucking hurts....damn, and people be acting like this shit feels good, fighting over this and everything.

  Maybe I am missing something. I am trying to thug this shit out, but damn!!!

  Once he was finally inside, the pain immediately turned into pleasure, as she just laid there. She started to moan, "Oh, my God!" He stopped moving.

  "You want me stop?" he whispered.

  "No, please don't," Yarni replied, not meaning it.

  Then she started pumping back moving around trying to get with his rhythm. As soon as she started throwing it back to him.

  He started going fast. So badly wanting to scream, she held on and gripped his back. And then he stopped and collapsed on top of her, as he fell the ocean breeze came through the open bal-cony door.

  "What's wrong?"

  He snickered. "I just came, baby."

  "For real?" She was sore, tired and glad at the same. She wasn't sure, being a virgin, if she could even bring her man to an orgasm. Des held her in his arms Damn, had I known this shit was going to be like this...I would've did this shit a long time ago. She got some bomb ass pussy. I swear that shit is like wine.

  It can only get better with time. I hate for another nigga to get a hold of that. Ump, Ump, Ump, he'll have to die sho nuff.

  Now she wanted to learn to put it on him so he wouldn't stray and go anywhere else for sex. From that day on, she perfected her sex game because she knew that it surely played a major part into a man's head, heart and pocket. She didn't want anyone else to dare get the ultimate prize she had just got from Des. Most definitely, she wanted to be the last person he'd be with on a sexual, mental and emotional note.

  The rest of the vacation they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, making love on the ocean front terrace while the sun set. They took an invigorating shower in the natural waterfall. They used a hot bubbling whirlpool under the cool shade of a palm tree.

  They also went scuba diving, wind surfing as well as parasailing.

  Yarni had died and gone to heaven. She just didn't want anybody to revive her.

  When Yarni returned home to Richmond, of course, the haters were lurking to rain on her parade. It was all over town that Des had married Yarni. Her toxic girlfriends were all jealous.

  They started bringing up every notorious episode they could possibly dig up on Des.

  There was one girl, Weasa, who used to be Des' girlfriend back in high school. She was crazy about Des. She did everything sexually she could possibly think of. He still didn't want her, nor did he pay her any mind. She was outraged that she had degraded herself for all this time and he married this schoolgirl who wasn't even old enough to drive. The nerve! She knew that she couldn't fight Yarni as bad as she wanted to. Des would probably beat her unmercifully. She knew that much. She would still make Yarni insecure and have second thoughts. She would call the house, and wait for Yarni to answer the phone, then she would pick, "K-Mart got school paper on sale for 29 cents a pack." Weasa would blurt out trying to belittle Yarni as much as possible, just to remind Yarni that she was still a little girl.

  "I am young but I'm married to the man you desperately want," Yarni would retort.

  She would never tell Des any of those small things. She had been warned by her uncle, Stanka, about exactly what type of things Des had been known to do.

  Now Yarni's uncle Stanka, was her mother's only brother and he acted as a father, big brother, and uncle to Yarni. He spoiled her. He was a hustler, although he acted as though he worked.

  He wasn't big time, but he was no slouch either. Stanka was a well-respected old-timer, who pulled off a heist with Lloyd and vowed to watch over Yarni while Lloyd did time. They called him Stanka, because if anybody crossed him, he'd leave them somewhere stinking. Even though it was the late 80's, Stanka lived like he was still in the seventies, wearing a small black afro, pimp hats and walking with a cane. Standing six foot-five inches tall, brown skin and weighing 290 pounds, he drove a 1974 black Cadillac Coupe DeVille that was cleaner than any new Cadi. He was shot in his jaw back in the late seventies, so his mouth was twisted. When he spoke, he talked like he had a mouth full of shit, and he always had to spit after every other sentence.

  Stanka never sugar coated anything to Yarni as her mother Gloria and aunt Andrea would sometimes do. So he told her,

  "Watch yo self because Des is a loose cannon. He loves you, but will kill at the wink of an eye. So, just be mindful when you tell him things people say and do. Cuse me," as he spit. "It's like playing chess. The queen protects the king, you gotta protect him from as much nonsense as you can." He spit again.

  Yarni was conscious of the fact that he'd definitely jump the gun and do something crazy to anybody who was disrespectful to her. In Yarni's eyes it wasn't worth him doing anything crazy to jeopardize him getting in trouble and them being separated.

  Shortly after the "marriage," Yarni turned 16. Des bought her a red Sterling for her birthday with red BBS rims on it. Yarni really had her heart set on a 325 BMW, nevertheless, she was just as happy to have her own wheels. She had never heard of or seen a Sterling before. Des could tell that she was not impressed at all with the Sterling.

  "Look, Baby Girl, I can tell that you don't like it, but I am telling you that these Sterlings are what's happening. People down here just not feeling it just yet, but they will real soon."

  "No, Boo, I am just glad I got my own car. Thank you, baby." Yarni said with a big kiss.

  "Baby Girl, I want you to be happy."

  "And I am happy to have a car of my own."

  "I can see it all over your face. Just keep it for 30 days and if you still don't like it after that, then I'll get you the Beamer you want."

  When she realized that he only wanted her to be happy, and wanted her to feel comfortable in whatever she drove, she finally admitted to him that she really wanted the BMW, but she did keep her end of the bargain and drove it for the next thirty days.

  She put the For Sale sign in her window, and everywhere she went, everybody was inquiring about the Sterling. She was the only person in town who had one. A few week
s after she got it, she heard the song by CL Smooth and Pete Rock, "Reminisce" and they spoke on a Sterling. She ended up keeping it.

  Even though she was driving long before she ever had a per-mit, once she got her license, she started strip hopping--riding through all the projects and drug strips to show off her car.

  Especially when she was driving any of Des' cars, even though he told her do not take any of his cars through any public hous-ing or drug areas. She still drove it wherever she pleased.

  She rode down the streets with the brick two-story style buildings on both sides with the dirt-patched grass. Some of the concrete porches had people standing on them. The bus stop on one corner was filled with guys sitting on the designated bus bench, but when the bus pulled up, none of them got on because the bus stop was only a way around the "no loitering and no trespassing" signs that hung on the bricks of the end building. While another bunch hovered the pay phone, which people telephoned to the corner to see who was out there, and who had and was doing what. This all was a cover up for the cocaine slanging around the projects. As soon as a car rolled up, and if it was a car filled with females, the guys would holler out,

  "YO!!!!," anxious to know who the girls in the car were. Then there would be a couple of guys walking over to the cut or behind a building, with a crack head following to make the exchange, money for crack, hand to hand. There was some of the corner boys that accepted other forms of payment, which consists of food stamps, stolen goods, jewelry or a sexual favor for a little bit of flava (coke).

  Then there were the females who got their hustles on around the projects. Some chics got dressed in their Sunday's best coochie-cutter shorts just to walk up the street to catch the eye of one of the corner boy's major players. They didn't want crack, but they wanted these guys to fund their habits, which could have consisted of shopping, hair done, nails manicured, new sneakers or whatever may have been their fetish. Some wouldn't know anybody over in the projects, but would just hope to ride through and one of the guys would stop the vehicle. Or they would be one of the corner boy's girlfriends just riding through to see her man talking to a girl. Her tires will come to a screech-ing halt, and she hops out making a scene, not knowing that the girl he was talking to is a crack head. Subsequently, there would be other girls coming around the projects with intentions of meeting a friend of her friend's man, another corner boy, so she too could come up.