Winchester Publishing House
This book is a work of fiction. Any familiarity to real persons (living or dead), actual events, establishments, organizations and/or locales are intended to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity. All other names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, as are those fictionalized events and incidents that involve real persons and did not occur or are set in the future.
Copyright © 2011
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0509-4
Edited by Janelle Harris
Text formation by Montez Jordan Jr.
Cover design by Monique Hardy for MQ Designs
Photography by P.A. Greene
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, email [email protected].
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I thank God for making this a reality. Without Him, I’m nothing. God revealed my writing talent to me a few years back and I am truly blessed to be able to finally share it with the world.
Thanks to everyone who was instrumental in bringing this project to completion: Erica Dorsey, Nellie Chew, Dineesha Moon, Purcell Carter, Brian Henderson, Natalie Graham, Janelle Harris, Monique Hardy, Chawntay Willie, Tova, Danielle Tucker, Winchester Publishing House and Lightning Source. You all played an essential role and were a tremendous help throughout this whole process.
To my parents, Montez Sr., Janet, Pam and John, I am still striving to make you proud of me. You molded me into the man that I am today. I know I had you worried for a minute, but the hard work you put into raising me hasn’t been in vain. Thank you for not giving up on me.
To my friends and family, thank you for your love and support. Friendship is everything to me. I value you all in ways you could never imagine.
REST IN PEACE Grandma Nellie, Grandma Barbara, Juan-Juan, Money, Mikie, Weedy, Pimp, Juicy, Willie D, Flake, Diesal, Larry, Avon, Fat John, Bo-Bo, Rat, Chris Qs, Waynie, Dereck, Samont, Damo, Ginnie, Chew and so many others. You’re gone but definitely not forgotten, and you’ll always be in my heart.
ROO to the distinguished Omega Men of my fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. A special thanks to my dear brothers of Beta Chapter (second in the fold, but first to many) for standing behind me through all of my endeavors and being there when I really needed you. Friendship is truly essential to the soul.
To my beloved block, Winchester Apartments, this is for all of us: our fallen soldiers, those behind bars and those still standing. Our time is coming—let’s get it while we can. Stay true and SUCKER FREE!
This book is dedicated to my children M’kiyah, Messiah, and Montez III. You can do anything in this world as long as you stay focused and keep the faith. Daddy loves you!!!
CHAPTER 1
Another beautiful morning, Cho thought as he sat on the stoop watching the sun rise and counting his money. He’d only been out for about an hour and a half, and already he’d made a few thousand dollars. He knew he had no business being out on the street by himself, but he didn’t mind. As long as he had the 17 shot S&W nine millimeter that he never put down, he would allow his team to sleep until around 9:00.
He knew their routine and figured they would be recovering from the previous night. Smoking weed, drinking and poppin’ pills were the norm after they closed shop. But Cho opted to eat good and go home, leaving them niggas to do that other shit. He knew he had to get up the next morning. If he didn’t, then who would?
Morning money was important. That early rush consisted mostly of the working class getting their fix before they went to work. Doctors, lawyers, nurses, school teachers, construction workers, white, black, Chinese, young or old — people of all sorts got high. It was sad but it was the truth. They would come from all over Baltimore city. Some would even travel from the furthest counties of the surrounding area just to get that gate shot from Cho and his team. It was very hard to find good dope in Baltimore, but Cho and his crew kept a monster. They nicknamed it “the truth” after Beanie Sigel’s album. That’s what they were listening to while they were at the table making the testers and since the dope was so good, the shit stuck.
• • // • •
By the time Cho got up from the stoop and went to put the money up, the cloudless sky had turned orange with streaks of red and purple that started to vanish as the sun became brighter. There wasn’t a fiend in sight and looking at his watch, he knew he had a good 15 to 20 minutes to step off. He cautiously walked up the street looking for anything out of the ordinary. Cho knew every car that was in his neighborhood and was familiar with each resident’s routine. The slightest change caused him to raise an eyebrow. But today, everything was normal and to Cho’s satisfaction. He rounded the corner and sauntered to Sheila’s house, which sat right on the end of the adjacent street. Cho could see his whole operation from Sheila’s bedroom window.
He opened the door to Sheila’s house and stepped into dead silence. It was obvious that everyone was still asleep. Cho glanced at his watch again. 6:35 am. He heaved a sigh of frustration. Sheila had yet to get her kids ready for school. She had four children ranging in age from 3 to 13. They were very intelligent and Cho made sure that they always went to school.
He crept downstairs to deposit the money in a safe he kept in the basement, and then went straight to Sheila’s room. As he opened the door he knew what to expect. Sheila was lying there naked, as if she was in a deep sleep. The sunlight streaming through the window reflected off of her honey brown skin.
Sheila was very pretty, but age and childbirth had taken their toll on her body. She had a big ass and nice breasts, but they were countered by a gut, stretch marks and baby fat that she couldn’t seem to lose. Mentally, she was 31 years old going on 17. She never wanted to grow up and acted like she never planned to. She was an assistant at a nursing home in downtown Baltimore and made pretty good money. You couldn’t tell her anything — the bitch knew she was the shit.
Sheila’s children had three different fathers. One of them had been murdered, another was locked up and the third was too trifling to do anything for his son. She didn’t care though. She made sure her kids were well taken care of and didn’t have a want in the world. Between her, Cho and her family, her kids had everything.
That’s one of the reasons she was in love with Cho. He made sure her and her children were well taken care of. She had this fantasy that he was her man and the father of all of her children. She conveniently blocked out the fact that the nigga had a girl that he went home to every night.
The two met a few years back when she first moved around the way. Cho and his homeboys were at the top of the block when she and her sister pulled up in a U-haul truck. It was just them and all that furniture. Ol’ head, the dude who put Cho on, had taught him that in order to be successful, he had to take care of the neighborhood. Being respectable and helping people out whenever they needed it kept them from calling the law. “You don’t want any enemies in the ‘hood,” he warned him, so everything had to be love at all times. While everyone else continued to smoke, Cho and his boys Radi and Swervo went over to be of assistance.
“Damn, I wonder where these bitches from,” Radi asked out loud as they walked across the street.
“I don’t know but they fat as shit!” Swervo said, shaking his head.