Token About That Life

By DIMITRA KITTLES

It's 1994, and Jersey girl Token has had an appetite for greed. She's been in love with the finer things in life since the tender age of sixteen. While other teens were enjoying Sweet Sixteen parties and first boyfriends, Token's first love was money, and she was a pro at finding w

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kittles Cove Presents
• Release date: Aug 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088241943

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Shape Description automatically generated with low confidence

Run!

That was the only word I could yell out. I was slow to warn Zori and Kamori as I flew out of Joyce Leslie’s, heading north on JFK. Toting three outfits, two pair of shoes, and a few accessories, I flew directly past security as paying customers looked on in disbelief. Some were cheering; others were shaking their heads in disappointment. We didn’t look like your ordinary thieves, but we were! Every day after school, we would hit at least one apparel store, determined to get our gear up, and usually, this wouldn’t be a hassle, but today was different. I should have known some shit was flakey when I saw the short Korean woman with the shoulder-length bob looking my way, but I was too busy trying to grip this new acid-wash jean suit that hung nearby. Besides, if Cheeks and Kim took some responsibility sometimes, I wouldn’t be stuck playing lookout.

Zori (Cheeks) (a short round light-skinned African American female with a hint of Caucasian in her blood), Kamori (Kim) (African American female who is tall and thin, pecan tan with hazel eyes), and lastly, standing five foot three 145lbs chocolate dream is I, Token (TK) one hundred percent African American, were besties who grew up on Lexington Avenue and attended public school together. Although raised in separate households, we shared a common bond: the need to fly. Our families had their struggles, but none of us was considered poor. Well, not by America’s standards. By all means, we appreciated our parents’ earnest efforts, but it just wasn’t enough. My grandma used to say, Enough is enough, and too much is good for nothing. Shiiiit! I don’t know who made that shit up, but too much is never enough.

Lexington Avenue wasn’t considered The Burbs of Jersey City, New Jersey, but to those who lived on the block, it was close enough. From spacious homes built in different designs and an array of colors to tall buildings stacked with families on top of one another, we were as close to mid-suburbia as we were going to get. However, to know Lexington was to love Lexington. On any given day, you could roll through and feel our vibe. And if you had a legit or illicit vision, we made it happen! Some teachers taught us, pastors prayed for us, lawyers defended us, deli owners fed us, and hustlers protected us. It sounds wild, but it was the truth.

I CONSIDERED MYSELF IN THE CLEAR when I reached the doctor’s office. I looked around but didn’t see either Kim or Cheeks trailing behind. Thank God we were all clear on the rules: if we ever found ourselves in a situation like this, we were to make it to Kim’s apartment. So, when I got on the block, I went directly to Kim’s building.

Kim’s mom worked damn near 24/7, which left her and her siblings to be latchkey kids. I rang the bell and then spoke into the intercom, asking Kyann, Kim’s youngest sibling, to buzz me in. Once I entered the door, I channeled through the tiny halls until I came to Door 14. I rang the bell and then joined the apartment. Kyann’s little hands waved from side to side like a tour guide gesturing me to have a seat. As I sat waiting for Kim to walk in, I noticed how disciplined Kim’s siblings were. Their mom was single, but you could tell she handled her business. Kayla, the thirteen-year-old, turned on the 27 Magnavox that sat on the stand a couple of feet before the sofa and pretended not to look while Arnold from Different Strokes made his audience double over in laughter. After about thirty minutes, Kim’s key could finally be heard in the door. She walked in with a frustrated look but didn’t say a word; she swiftly walked toward the television, shut it off, and motioned me to follow her into her bedroom.

You alright? I asked but already knew the answer. Out of the three of us, Kim hated to be shaken up.

Yeah, I’m good, she said, sitting on the bottom bunk bed draped with beautiful sunflower bedding.

I began to take out the goods I copped.

Where’s Cheeks? I asked.

She’s coming. She stopped to talk to Moe down on the corner, she said. Token. We can’t go back there.

She looked at me with all seriousness; nothing else could be said.

By the time senior year rolled around, we were hitting shit Big Willie style. Kim had chilled out altogether because her mother had taken ill, leaving her to be the caregiver of her siblings. Today was a big day in the hood—the day of the M.L.K. parade! A day when everyone from everywhere came out flossing and shining in the newest shit. However, Cheeks and I already knew what to expect because most of Jersey City was our client. Gone were the days of petty shoplifting; we were boosting and taking orders. The money flowed in, and our appearance on the scene became increasingly popular. But not as popular as this one particular guy...

As we made our way to Jackson Avenue, I watched G with much admiration. I admired him because I watched him go from ashy to classy. He was a commonplace that evolved into a hood celebrity almost overnight. But he was brilliant, which made him different from the norm.

What’s up, he said as he posted next to the nearby mailbox.

I spoke but kept it simple, while Cheeks’ hot ass, on the other hand, wanted to be all in his face. I said nothing; I just stepped back and gave them their space. Besides, in my mind, I already had what she wished to get. He didn’t know it yet.

The representation from everywhere was bananas. I took a mental snapshot of all the potential clientele and started working on Plan B. I knew it wouldn’t be long before my grandparents began demanding answers to all the new products. I was running out of room to house; therefore, I needed to get started on the backup plan. Meanwhile, Cheeks was being all extra. I just wanted to snatch her ass by the hair and tell her it didn’t take all that, but I left it alone. Instead, I dazed off thinking of G. In my mind, I had a love affair with him. The average chick wouldn’t understand him, but I did. I knew why he was a man of few words. I knew why he moved in silence. I knew why his neck and wrist didn’t display all of the money he was getting. He was wise. Way too smart to get caught up in the fanfare that came with hustling. He wasn’t just a drug dealer but a businessman and entrepreneur. By zoning areas and planning the next corner to monopolize, he was a mastermind of this shit. And I was impressed. He was taking me to school and didn’t even know it. Our hustle was different, but the grind was the same.

I had another plan by the time we reached the parade's end. It’s amazing how someone’s presence can influence you. It was time for us to step our game up. I called Cheeks over to let her know it was time to roll. She was looking crazy, but she complied. We reached Bramhall Avenue, and there G stood. I stopped dead in my tracks. It had to be noticeable. We looked at one another, but he was too busy yapping on his cell phone to pay me attention.

I had so much I wanted to say to him, but this wasn’t the time. I was sure the opportunity would present itself again, and it would be then that I’d jump on it with both feet.

The school had become a bore. When the clock struck noon, we were out. That would be when we would jump on the PATH train and head to New York. Between Macy’s and A&S Plaza, we were monopolizing the Boosting game. We were something else. We would walk in with our long leather trenches on and start filling up our girdles with extensive requests. Cheeks had gotten an alarm tag remover and went to work. My job was to bring the goods to the dressing room, where she would remove the sensors and stash the goods for us to load up later. It was becoming toxic. No matter how bad it was for us, we needed it. It seemed like the higher the price tag, the higher we felt.

Today was the big day. It was time for Plan B. One Friday night, we decided to rent out a suite at the Palace Hotel, but sex was the furthest from our minds. We were hosting a shopping party. No formal invite was needed in the hood; word spread like wildfire. If you had the dough, then you were invited. The room was tight work. Although it was designed for more of a romantic rendezvous, we had no intentions of that. It was time to cake off. Before arriving at the hotel, I spoke with the concierge and requested several must-haves that would exceed our client's expectations. Once the hotel’s chattel arrived at the room, Cheeks and I rearranged the furniture to our specifications. We then spread all the goods on the bed according to brand, took one of the many hanging racks, and began changing clothes to display them better.

Regarding the shelving, we moved the books and all the other propaganda that would usually be for tourist enjoyment. We had no interest in that; we were very familiar with Jersey City, so no introduction was needed. So, we tossed all that shit. The shelves would now house our colorful array of designer purses. After an hour of setting up the room, we were ready to open shop for our peeps that had started to arrive. Shit was crazy. I saw people from all over the city. I was familiar with some faces and others I had never seen before, but I carefully scanned the room, determined to memorize every face. Thank God we employed my little sister Reign and Zori’s two cousins, Tiffany and Tori because we wouldn’t have ever been