ICY

three.

Never before, have you seen such magnificense
in the black princess, yesss
Flow's phenom, I'm the bomb-diggy
Ask Biggie, keep a dedicated squad wit me
Call us the Gabbana girl
We dangerous, bitches pay a fee just to hang
with us
Trust, niggaz lust
Without a bank account, I doubt we could
swing that route

Lil Kim 'drugs' blasted through the two bedroom apartment, as me and Jesenia sat on the leather love seat, counting the dirty one dollar bills that spilled over the duffle bags beneath our feet. They smelled of sweat, however we glared at the money as if we had just hit a gold mine.

"Bitch, I should've been doing this from the start!" Jesenia smiled, placing a rubber band over the stack in her hand, "I ain't gotta fuck a nigga for this"

I laughed, continuing to feel the money on my finger tips as I counted my five thousandth dollar.

A month had passed, and after relocating to Atlantic City the three of us started dancing at a strip club named Daisy's. I went by Icy, and after a few drinks my debut to the stage left me leaving with stacks. Jesenia and Lucky were just as paid, and we were living it up in Jersey so far. We stayed low, and none of us made contact with any of the girls back home. I can't lie, I missed Melrose. But Lucky wasn't taking the chances of anyone getting caught up - at least until things died down.

"Tell me about it" I agreed.

I continued to count the last few dollars in the bag, when suddenly Lucky came strolling into the apartment, her hands overflowing with designer bags. Dressed to kill, I smirked at the confidence in her walk as she strutted to the other side of the room and sat her bags down.

"What?" She asked, removing her Chanel sunglasses despite it being the beginning of winter.

"You are feeling yourself ma ma" Jesenia laughed.

"Shouldn't I be?" Lucky smirked, spinning so we could see her outfit.

"Well, we're supposed to be laying low.. remember?" I said raising my eyebrow.

"Girl, ain't no Philly cops coming all the way to A.C to look for three hoes" she flagged me, next walking into the kitchen.

I scoffed, grabbing my duffle bag and taking it into the back room. It was going on six, and I was due at the club at ten. I began to clean my room, and as I did I quietly sung the song that played in my head.

"Yane yori takai koinobori
(Carp streamers fly high above the roof)

Ooki magoi wa otoosan
(The Black one is the father)

Chiisai higio wa kodomo tachi
(The red ones are the children)

Omoshirosou ni oyolderu
(All swimming happily in the air)"

My mind placed images of the faint memory I had of my mother's face, as she clapped her hands excitedly - our voices in sync with the melody of the nursery rhyme. As I got older, it became harder to retain the image of her, her round shaped face and slanted eyes, long curved eyelashes that one could only dream of. Saku was her name - "remembrance of the divine".

I continued to sing as I cleaned, until Jesenia came strolling into the room, loudly speaking on her new iPhone.

"Yeah, I don't have to be at work until a few hours. We can chill" she shrugged, smiling at herself in the mirror on the wall, "Okay, I'll send you the address. Bye"

She squealed as the call ended, and I envied the fact that she could feel joy in entertaining men. I on the other hand only saw them as one thing, revenue. Actually two. Monsters.