The Perplexed Procurer

10

'Sweetness' Adoni Smith

"Some whore and druggy stopped me walking to the store today, Doni," Minnie, who was now 10 years young told me with an impersonal look on her face.

As she grew, I could see Toni all throughout her, and I knew I would have to place a few bodies in the ground behind my girls. She stood just below my shoulders, soaring for her age, though you could still see the innocence in her being. I swore to Toni to keep it like that for as long as I could, even after she turned 18. Minnesota was my baby forever, and there wasn't a soul on earth that could get me to feel or think otherwise.

"Tell me you're lying to me, baby," I said with a grin, hoping it was false, knowing it wasn't. Rage sat in my stomach, I didn't know if the two were undercover jakes, or two stupid motherfuckers I would have to do away with.

"I wish I was, Doni! What am I supposed to tell Tasha and Kim? They've probably already told their parents about the run-in just now."

Fuck those privileged kids whose parents felt as if they were better than me because they sat their stupid asses through a white man's institution. It didn't matter to me how the next man got his paper, especially because my house was paid in full. I never had a bill to be missed, even when I fell off for those few months. So like I said, fuck those people.

But what actually came out was, "Minnie, baby, Tasha and Kim were just as confused as you I'm sure. You didn't say shit to those two strangers, did you?"

"No, Doni. I know better, I just don't want it to become a habit."

"That won't ever happen, baby. What store they caught you at?" At this point, I was on fire thinking about it. She told me what store it was, and I refrained from widening my eyes. No crack head or whore would be caught around my part of town, I knew it had to be undercovers. Never would I allow my girls to see me how they saw me a few years ago, but it would be handled.

Pronto.

After placing a knot of cash in her hands, she kissed my cheek, told me she loved, and left me in my office. With our kids growing up, Toni had renovations every other year felt like. Minnie was 10 now, Page was seven, and June was four fixing to be five in a month.

"Sweetness," she purred into the intercom. I don't know what prayer we had ran into, but things have been beautiful for a minute now. With the babies growing up, all three healthy and happy, Ma progressing and moving around, and my wife and I happily in love, I had no complaints.

Business was business, but I had put so much fear into the hearts of my audience that I no longer had to leave my house for shit to be copacetic. I now had trusted, white collar workers accounting and handling my small affairs. At the end of the day, wasn't shit sweet but my name, I still trusted no one and wouldn't hesitate to have their heads on a platter.

"Yes, dear?" I answered back flirtatiously. Getting up to my sure my office door was locked, I sat back down in my office chair and unbuttoned my pants to free myself.

"Why did Adonis tell his teacher her private areas smell?"

My eyes nearly bucked from my head thinking about the little boy's mouth. On weekends I would take him to the brothel in Houston or downtown. What better way to get the game? I showed him the ropes his five year old mind could comprehend, keeping it at an appropriate level so Toni wouldn't trip.