1985'
Houston, Texas
An Eleven year old Miyoko strolled down the stairs on her laptop as she made her way into the living room. She was out of school and had been hiding in her room from her parents after her incident at school. Her parents didn't get off from work until about an hour after she got out of school so it gave her time to prepare herself for any punishment coming her way.
"Little girl." Her mother Judy fussed. "You don't hear me calling you?" She mother questioned with her hand on her hip.
"I did but I was just finishing up something." Miyoko replied as she avoided eye contact continuing to looking at her Laptop. It was a bad habit of hers since she knew her mother hated that but she couldn't help the nervousness that ran through her body.
Judy snatched the laptop out of her hand. "Well when I call you down here you come immediately, understood?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Okay well." Judy looked at her watch checking the time. "You have about 10 minutes go get dressed me and your father are taking you out to dinner to discuss what happened at school."
"Is Kee coming with us?" The eleven year old asked referring to her oldest sister. Keena was her Seventeen- year-old sister who she adored. Now that Keena was older she wasn't really interested in doing anything with Miyoko anymore, she was older and didn't think hanging with her eleven year old sister was a good look for her especially in high school.
"No."
"Why?"
"Girl stop asking questions and go get ready." Judy rubbed her temple as Miyoko nodded her head. Miyoko turned around heading in the direction towards the stairs.
About ten minutes later she was dressed.
"Mi!" Miyoko quickly closed her room door after hearing her mother call for her not wanting to get in trouble running down the stairs.
"I'm here momma."
"Okay come on child your daddy already in the car." She grabbed her hand as they walked to the front door.
The drive to the restaurant was not long, they were seated as soon as they walked in due to the reservations Miyoko's dad Mike got for them.
"Okay young lady now it is time we hear your side of the story." Her father; Michael said taking a sip from his water.
Miyoko swallowed the lump in her throat getting ready to explain her side. Her father was always the scariest to her. He was really mean and didn't play any games, for some reason she always thought he liked Keena more than her.
"W-when it was lunch time I was on the line getting my lunch and this girl named Allison and her friends skipped in front of me and I tapped her telling her she skipped me and she told me 'I know' when she turned around. Being me I just left it alone but I could hear her and her friends laughing about something and I know they were talking about me."
"How do you know they were even conversing about you?"
"Michael, let her continue." Judy said taking a bite out of her steak.
"She was talking out loud about my hair and how I wanted to blend in with white people." Miyoko was the one black girl in her school who was born with natural blonde hair. She thought people in school would think it was pretty cool but that changed when people thought the opposite. She stood out to people and that's the first thing they thought about. Black girl from the hood who wanted to be White.
"Who the fuck cares? If you know you ain't tryna blend in with other people why you letting what other motherfuckers say offend you?" Michael spat, he was annoyed with the fact his daughter was letting what people said get to her. People were gonna talk regardless and acting out every time wouldn't fix it. Miyoko sat there swallowing her spit not bothering to say anything. Michael sighed looking at her and said, "Just continue."
"When I had got my lunch I was walking out and then the girl Allison came and purposely ran into me making the food spill all on me. Daddy I was so embarrassed and I don't know what came over me and I slapped her."
Mike shook his head. "Now you know better than to put your hands on someone else's child. We ain't teach you that shit. You should have walked away from the situation or told the teachers not retaliate by using your hands."
"But da—"
"No buts—no more television or laptop for a month. I'm done here and this conversation is over. Baby get the check and I'll meet y'all outside." He got up dusting his pants off before leaving the table.
"I didn't even get to eat, Mom." Miyoko pouted as she looked at her mom.
"Well just take it to go and next time just don't talk back to your father." Judy said while Miyoko did nothing but nod her head. "Just know I'm not mad at you or disagree with your actions." Judy got the waiters attention and paid for their food before she waited for Miyoko to get up before heading outside.
The only thing on Miyoko's mind is why didn't her mom stick up for her and say anything to her husband. She acted as if she wasn't a mother and couldn't disagree with her husbands actions on how to discipline their children. They were acting as if Miyoko was a troubled student where this was a regular—everyday thing. Miyoko went to school everyday and kept her grades up and the one time she defends herself against bullies it was her fault.
Driving back home Miyoko sat in the back looking out the window listening to her parents argue in front of her. It was painful to her ears to hear them going back and forth.
"You will not talk to my child like that Michael. You didn't even let her explain her fucking self before putting in your 2 fucking cents!" Judy felt the need to wait until they left the restaurant. She didn't want to act an ass out in public and spread her business in front of a whole bunch of white folks. She wasn't going to feed into the stereotype.
"Judy shut the fuck up no child of mine will be embarrassing me and acting like a fucking hoodlum outside of my house."
"Oh she's your child now?" She furrowed her eyebrows."Do you even hear yourself!" She yelled looking over at him. "The little girl obviously was trying to bully your daughter and tried to embarrass her. If anything I would of slapped her too. You wanted your daughter to just let everyone laugh at her? I thought you ain't raise no punk!"
"Of course you would of slapped her too. I forgot I'm married to a hood rat." Mike turned to look at her taking his eyes off the rode.
"Excuse me. A hood rat, Michael." Judy chuckled. "Did you forget you're still living in the hood—what? because we have a house it makes us better than those living In the project buildings? You or me ain't no better than those people."
Miyoko sat in the back as she covered her ears. She leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. She was tired of hearing them argue knowing she was the reason why. She got tired of hearing the muffle yells from them and she opened her eyes. A bright light flashed In her face as her eyes widened. Before she could say anything to stop the argument the car had flipped over. All that could be heard were the screams of all three of them.
1993.
Miyoko Monté Jennings
"Oh, suki suki now. If that aint one fine looking brotha over there." Juicy a girl Miyoko hung out with on a regular said as she turned to look at the guy. Juicy wasn't her real name, Giselle was but s everyone called her Juicy preferaby because of how soft, big and juicy her lips looked to everyone. She's been getting compliments on them since she was a younging. Miyoko scrunched her face up at the average looking guy, she had seen better.
"He's okay. I don't think he's allat." Miyoko chuckled as she popped the lollipop in her hand into her mouth. It was a Friday afternoon and she had nothing better to do so why not spend it with her friend at the Oval. It was a nice spot where you could get food and they even had a bar.
Juicy gave her a yeah right look. "Bitch look at him. I could just tell he got money." Juicy was already contemplating on what she was going to do and how she was gonna get him.
Miyoko eyed him debating if he was gonna be her next victim. Nobody knew what Miyoko did for a living except her older sister. Yeah she could of got any 9-5 job but that wasn't for her and the little minimum wage jobs weren't gone cut. This was her hustle and way of making things happen.
"Well, go talk to him." She suggested.
"As a matter of fact, I am." Juicy fixed the halter top she was wearing to make sure some of her cleavage was showing. Miyoko shook her head at her friend as she watched her from the benches. While Juicy did her Miyoko walked over to the bar to grab a drink.
"What can I get you?" The bartender asked eyeing Miyoko who paid no mind to him.
"Hm." She put her finger on her chin as if she was thinking. "Can I have a sex on the beach?" She said as the Bartender held a grin on his face.
"ID?" He asked. Miyoko wasn't worried about that because she was always prepared being that she would soon be going on twenty, since she was the age of eighteen she knew people who could make fake IDs for her. She went into her purse pulling out the ID before showing it to him. He nodded before going to get her drink.
She took a seat on the stool waiting for her drink. She knew what she doing. She could feel him staring at her but she didn't pay any mind to it yet. The bartender came back with her drink and she thanked him.
"Didn't your momma ever tell you it's actually rude to stare at people?" She turned the stool facing the guy who actually sat next to her.
"Yes she did but when it's someone as beautiful as you in sight I couldn't help but stare." Miyoko blushed acting like she was fazed by his corny ass.
"I like that haven't heard that one before." She lied.
"Miguel." He held his hand out as she shook it. "And you are?"
Miyoko smirked as she gave the first name that popped in her head. "Toni."
"So, Toni what's a girl like you doing on a Friday?"
"Absolutely nothing that's why we should do something." She picked up her drink twirling her tongue around the straw before taking a sip. Men were so easy to her they think cause they give you a few corny ass pickup lines and get a name out of you they automatically have access to your draws. She wasn't trying to play the hard to get act with them. She was gonna let them think she was on the same page as them when in reality she was just getting closer to them and the money.
"I'm staying at the hotel on Jefferson maybe you should stop by." He went into his jacket pocket holding a card out to her. She looked at it realizing it was his business card.
She got up from the stool before walking over to him and going to his ear. "Maybe I will." She whispered.
Miyoko rolled her eyes as she walked away from the bar. She went back to the benches and took a seat. Afterward, she reached in her pocket for her Nokia phone. There was a text message and she assumed it was from Juicy, she clicked on the message reading over it.
He wants to take me to his house. Juicy.
Let me guess your just going to say yes? Miyoko.
He has money, it's all about the moolah :) Juicy.
Be safe, homegirl. Miyoko
Miyoko didn't wait for Juicy to text her back she just blew out a raspberry and walked home.
******
Miyoko walked through the hotel searching for Miguel's hotel room. He probably thought he was going to have the time of his life but that was far from it. She checked her coat to make sure the pill was still in there. She had on a trench coat with nothing but a bra and panties on.
Finding the room she knocked on the door waiting for him to open it. A few seconds later she heard the door unlocking. Miguel opened the door without a shirt on biting his lip eyeing Miyoko. "Come In."
She walked in as he closed the door. She stood in the living room waiting for him. She looked in the kitchen seeing he had two cups set out for them.
He's making this so easy. She thought.
"You like tequila?"
"I like anything." He nodded before he walked in the kitchen with her following. She watched as he poured her drink then himself.
"You like strawberries?"
"Yeah." She said and watched as he walked to the refrigerator. Taking this as the only chance she quickly went in her coat taking the pill out opening it and watching it drop into his drink.
He placed the strawberries on the counter before picking up his drink taking a sip. Miyoko wasn't gonna drink the liquor because that wasn't what she was there for. The pill was gonna kick in soon so she had to hurry and get him to the bedroom.
"Forgot all this—where's the bedroom?"
"Oh like that." He raised an eyebrow as she nodded. Miyoko was a beautiful girl and she was making everything easier for him. Most of the times the woman he brung home played hard to get but with her she wanted to jump right into it and he had not problem with that.
"Just like that."
"Okay come on baby." He went to the bedroom. She followed him and closed the door before pushing him onto the bed. She untied her robe making it drop to the floor. She watched as he looked at her. She walked to the bed before climbing on top of him. She pulled him up by his shirt before grinding on his lower half.
"Damn Girl." He groaned moving his hands down to her ass. Miyoko pushed him back onto the bed as she noticed the uneasy expression on his face.
"Why the room look like it's spinning?"
"I don't know." Miyoko shrugged with an unsure look on her face. Deep down inside she was glad it didn't take too long got the pill to actually kick in. If it hadn't kicked in so soon she would've had to spend her time fore playing with him before it go too out of hand.
"Hold on get up real q-" he tried to get up before falling back on the bed closing his eyes.
Miyoko threw her head back laughing. "Thank you Jesus." She clasped her hands together before getting off of him. She went into his pants before searching for money. She pulled out some cash from his pockets. She counted the money and counted off 1000 dollars.
Walking to the drawer near the bed she opened it seeing his wallet. He had more money in there and she took it out along with his debit and credit cards.
"Why the hell do I still got these on." She took off the heels that were making her feet ache. She walked over to where her coat was picking it up placing the money and cards in the pockets.
"It was so nice doing busy with you, Miguel." She laughed picking up her heels turning off the lights walking out to the front. She opened the door and her eyes widened seeing a big black guy standing there.
"Who you and where boss at?" He looked at Miyoko suspiciously.
"Oh Miguel he's in the BACK." She kneed him in his penis before taking off running down the hall. She could hear him shouting after her but of course she wasn't going to stop. The hotel was about fifteen minutes from her house so Mercy just kept running until she made it towards her block.
She stopped running catching her breath. Lucky thing Track came in hand for her in high school. She walked up the porch to the house she and her sister had been living in.
"Shit." She cursed remembering she didn't take her keys with her and Keena was most likely sleep. She knocked on the door until she heard someone unlocking the door.
"Who the fuc-" Keena stopped seeing it was just her little sister. "Mi, what the fuck?"
"Surprise?"
"Do you know what time it is that you coming in here banging like you the damn police while Mina is trying to sleep." Keena referred to her ten year old daughter; Miyoko's niece.
"I forgot my key."
Keena folded her arms taking in her sisters appearance. "Don't tell me you was out doing what I think it is?"
"Where else could I have been? Stop acting like this is new to you and you don't know what I do—be happy I'm bringing some type of money home."
"And I'm not? I bust my ass everyday to make sure Mina has a meal but because you get money in the same day it makes you better than me?"
"I didn't say that—"
"Miyoko what happened to you being a lawyer or a Journalist? I remember when you had real goals, this is not what I expected from you. I thought you said you were gonna stop?"
"I am." She was serious about whatever it is you would call what she's doing. She knew the risk of drugging and stealing from men and she knew prison was not a place she wanted to end up.
Keena sighed. "How much did you get?"
She shrugged her shoulders going into both pockets pulling out the money and cards putting them on the dining room table.
"Damn, Mi this is at least five grand."
"Imagine what I make when I do three men a day." Miyoko spoke softly ashamed to even say that out loud.
"Look even though I don't want you doing this just be careful, please." Keena looked at her little sister.
"I love y'all and now I'm going to take a shower and head to bed."
"Okay goodnight."
"Night."
TO BE CONTINUED
Only the first chapter so it isn't as long but chapters will definitely be longer! I got some much planned for this book & I hope y'all enjoy it. Don't forget to Comment & Vote.