𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐊𝐇𝐈

13. | B U T T E R F L I E S

Stoni flipped the page of her book and then wrote some notes with her pen in her composition book. She was supposed to be reading a section of the chapter that most interested her so that she could present that section to the class. When she got into Julliard she didn't think she'd actually be doing a lot of book work - - she thought she'd be focusing more so on dance technique but they expected their students to learn both - - dance technique as well as the background and literary research.

She was up to the challenge though and highly focused; this was her one and only opportunity so she wanted to do well in all her classes and excel especially when her patron - - Carter - - was paying for her tuition. The last thing Stoni wanted to do was not use the money he gave her to its full potential and show that she was grateful - - she couldn't mess up, no she wouldn't allow herself to.

She looked up to her window in the small cramped room that was really a storage room but because of her limited income, she took it anyway. Out the window she saw an out of place Rolls Royce sitting at the edge of the curb near her section of the public housing building that she lived in as a tenant in Mrs. Reyes's apartment with Mrs. Reyes's nineteen year old son, Carlito Reyes.

As Stoni peeled back the blinds she stared and wondered what the hell an all white Rolls Royce was doing pulling up in Spanish Harlem like it belonged. She saw people crowding around to see, mostly kids that were outside playing and guys from the neighborhood who were outside hustling. Balls stopped bouncing, people whispered to one another, and some even stood with their mouths wide opened.

"Oh my God," Stoni held her hand over her mouth when she saw one long leg emerge from the car as the door was held by a big man wearing all black and then came the other leg.

All she could see at that point was the person's long suit pant clad legs and the custom made shoes on his feet that probably cost more than her tuition. Then she saw more, the back of the person who got out wearing a pea coat to fight the cold that was coming on because winter was basically in early swing now. She watched as his breath could be seen in the air as he ended a call on his phone and slipped it into his pockets with his genuine leather gloved hands.

Hands down, this nigga was a sharp ass mothafucka in every sense of the word - - his style of dress was impeccable as was his demeanor without even hearing him speak two words. Then she saw the car door close behind him and him point to the window of her building as he stepped up on the curb.

"Oh my God," Stoni repeated, "That's Papi," she couldn't believe she was seeing him so unexpectedly again and no where in their phone conversations did he say he would be coming back anytime soon. She knew he was a very busy man so she didn't really think twice about it but it seemed that he had put her on his agenda. Stoni quickly opened the window in the living room and stuck her head out of it, "Papi!" She hollered down to him as she watched people crowding around Carter like a celebrity and Carter speaking with them, dapping them up, whatever they wanted.

"Papi!" He looked up knowing that she always called him that and saw Stoni in the window waving at him like a little kid with a smile on her pretty baby face.

"Aye ma!" Carter hollered up to her.

"What are you doing here!?"

"Come down hea'," he said and gestured with his hand waving her down excitedly as people looked at her and then him and others eagerly wanted to see the man himself up close. Some people were even going so far as to snap pictures; Carter was often revered by the hood - - all of the hoods - - because he gave back to them. He always gave back to up and coming artists and participated in art shows, exhibits, and even performing arts events because he had a thing for art and artists.