The Perplexed Procurer

6

'Sweetness' Adoni Smith

Because of the trauma done to her womb, Toni had to be real careful as she grew along with our baby. We had went to my family's doctor, an Indian woman who had been caring for me since I could remember. She examined Toni, giving us all the information we needed to be successful the entire term of this pregnancy.

But, when she went to physically look between Toni's legs, she had made a face of concern. After pulling damned near her entire hand from my woman's womb, she wrote some cursive on the paper and handed it to me.

"You're not afraid are you? I don't need you pulling out on me," I looked over towards Toni who had her head on the window of our family's vehicle—a '96 Range Rover.

"I am, Adoni," she admitted, tears flowing down her face. We had went to the pharmacy and unfortunately ran into a brick wall with her assigned medication. I was thinking of so many different ways to obtain the prescription which was only available in specific regions of the country.

We needed that shit now.

"You don't have to be, don't I always come through? I promise you, that medicine will be in your hands tonight," I promised. There was never a promise I broke.

I decided to keep the news away from GranMa, but when I went to drop Toni off my Ma had already felt our dampened energy. Toni kissed her cheek and ran into the home she had grown accustomed to, I sighed and stayed outside with Ma.

"What's wrong, Sweetness?" She grabbed my face, examining me. She let me go and nodded her head, coming up with her own answer.

"I didn't know it would be this hard," I said quietly on the verge of tears. Taking a deep breath, I jiggled my keys in my hand under the summer sun. I had on a linen two piece that showcased the curves of my breasts and the shreds in my abdomen. When I wasn't feeling my best, I dressed to impress. I was always told if you looked good, you feel good, if you feel good, you do good. I needed that right now for me and Toni. So I put on my finest linen, ready to turn a trick or a whore if I had to. All I knew was I was getting that medicine today.

"It's as hard as you make it, and I know you know how to make things easy, pimp. I understand you're in love, but don't lose yourself. You can't introduce a woman to some game just to be the one losing in the end, you're the head, act like it. You lose your cool, the entire operation fails. You'll figure it out, okay? With ya sharp ass!" She tapped my bottom making me chuckle, I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her on her forehead.

She sighed into my embrace, telling me Toni would be good and sending me on my way. Ma always knew what to say.

I left the Range by Ma in case Toni needed to make a move, instead I took a cab to my downtown brothel that I had no interest in anymore. Thoughts of my family consumed me now, I was too young of a pimp to be out the game and I knew it wasn't fair but Toni was all to blame.

I felt my cheeks redden in anger and I began to practice the breathing techniques Minnie taught me. I hopped out of the cab, leaving a nice sized bag of coke in the man's breasts pocket as my fare. If you weren't my employee, I didn't pay in cash. Cash was blood ties, but once that coke was gone, nobody could tie anything back to me.

Heading towards the back of the building, I used my key, chuckling when the two security guards had their Mac 10's ready to fill a motherfucker up. They immediately apologized, I understood knowing that hadn't had a visit from me in a few months.