Chapter 1

Chapter 1Summer 2001 I just turned twenty years old when I first laid eyes on the man, I thought was going to be my husband. We were both visiting our mutual friend Kela. His name was Brandon Hawkins, he was twenty-six years old and I thought he was the sexiest man on earth. Brandon had sandy brown hair, gray eyes that could look through your soul. He had big broad shoulders, his body was muscular, and his left arm was all tatted up. Brandon wasn’t like the guys I was used to seeing in Kela’s neighborhood in Garfield. When I first met him, he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was wearing a tight white tee, fitted jeans with snake skin cowboy boots. Brandon had a thick southern accent when he spoke, he was a country boy. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him, I watched his every single move. Kela seen how hard I was staring at Brandon. She knew when I was interested in a man. Kela nodded at me and winked, she was going to make sure I got what I wanted. “Brandon, this is my best friend Leah, Leah this is Brandon,” Kela said, introducing us. “Nice to meet you Leah,” Brandon stood up to kiss my hand. “Nice to meet you as well, I like your accent. Where are you from?” “Athens, Alabama ma’am,” Brandon answered. “You really are a country boy,” I chuckled a little. “What’s a country boy like you doing hanging with Kela?” “Business,” Brandon answered, smiling at Kela. Right there and then I should have pumped my breaks. I knew Kela had her hands in all types of s**t. She also bragged how good she was at making deals and running businesses. At the time, Kela was running her own prostitution ring. For a twenty-year-old Kela was doing well with her criminal activity. When Brandon said he was doing business with Kela, I assumed he was buying p***y from one of her girls. “You’re one of her clients?” I asked directly. Brandon smiled, revealing his gorgeous pearly white teeth. He leaned back in the recliner chair and lit his cigarette. I sat across from him on the love seat staring at him, waiting for an answer. Kela went into the kitchen to make a phone call. “I bring some girls to work for her and I get a percentage of the profits,” Brandon finally answered. “You’re like a recruiter for prostitutes,” I said. Brandon laughed a little, “Yeah, you can say that. It’s good money.” He was right; Kela was bringing in five thousand a night with the girls she had working for her. Kela operated her business in her grandparents’ house they left her in Garfield. Kela was making easy and quick money. I wanted in. “You don’t strike me as the type of guy who would be into this sort of thing.” “Well Miss. Leah, you don’t know me at all,” Brandon said. “I want to get to know you,” I flirted. “Snow, are you giving Brandon a hard time?” Kela asked, entering the living room. “Not at all,” Brandon answered, not taking his eyes off me. “Brandon and I are going on a date,” I smiled at Kela. I took the initiative to move things forward. I knew by the way he was staring at me, he wanted me just as bad as I wanted him. “Where are we going Brandon?” “Ummm…. I…. where ever you want to go,” Brandon answered, laughing. “You work fast b***h,” Kela giggled. “What can I say, when I see something I like I go for it,” I said, licking my lips at Brandon. I wanted him, and I was going to make sure I have him. I was the type of woman who got whatever I wanted at any cost. Brandon was different from the men I usually dated. He had a cool demeanor and sweet personality to him. I would have him wrapped around my finger in no time. Kela poured us some cheap bitter tasting gin in a glass. She and Brandon were discussing their game plan to get more women on the stroll. I was intrigued listening to them discuss business. Brandon assured Kela that the two girls coming from Alabama would make them lots of money. The young women who worked for Kela were all pretty, all different races, and were between the ages 18 to 26. Kela had the girls on a tight leash and didn’t tolerate any non-sense from any of the women. Kela had a no drug policy with her girls, only thing they could use was weed and that’s when they were not working. I never asked Kela how and why she got involved with the s*x selling business and she never explained it to me. She just told me that she was in it to make a better living for herself and to get out of Pittsburgh. I went with her a few times to pick up other girls from different states who wanted to work for her. Kela didn’t mistreat the girls but if she felt as though they were slacking or trying her, she would make sure the girls felt her wrath. All the talk about money and traveling made me want to be a part of their organization. I could help the girls look more appealing to customers with large pockets full of money. I got offers all the time from rich men wanting to pay me for s*x, imagine what I could do for Kela’s whores. I was tired and frustrated working as CNA anyways, dealing with old miserable people in a home didn’t pay enough for the life I wanted to live. I only became a nurse because it was the easiest job a young woman my age could get, and the classes wasn’t hard to pass. I wasn’t in the healthcare field because I cared about people, it was about the money I could make. “I think you should let me on your team, I could look after the girls when you’re not around,” I blurted out. Kela and Brandon were both staring at me like I was crazy. I knew they were not going to take me serious, especially Kela. Kela shook her head no and reminded me that I couldn’t fight and that I wouldn’t be able to handle the girl’s attitudes if one of them tried me the wrong way. “I love you Snow but I’m not taking any risk losing money,” Kela said, putting out her cigarette. “You know damn well you can’t fight. Would if you have to slap one of these bitches to keep them in line? Or if a customer gets out of line?” “I know how to shoot a gun, I don’t need to fight when pointing a gun at someone,” I answered. “Who taught a pretty little thing like you how to shoot?” Brandon asked, impress that I was willing to shoot someone if I had to. “My dad, god rest his soul,” I answered, turning back to face Kela. “Give me one shot and if I mess up, I’ll pay you every cent you lost.” “What you think?” Kela asked, looking over at Brandon. Brandon sat up straight in the chair; his eyes were burning straight through me. I wasn’t taking no for an answer. I was going to be a part of this fast money business. “I think we should give her a chance,” Brandon said. “Let’s see what she can bring to the table. Kela shrugged her shoulders and agreed with him. Just like that I was now in on the pimping business. Kela explained to me that I would be there to make sure none of the girls tried to cheat her out of any money. Make sure that the girls were safe, and they had what they needed. I could handle that, at least that’s what I believed in the beginning. In my mind I thought things were going to be all sweet. I hated the drive to go visit my mom at SCI Muncy. It was a constant reminder that she was never coming home. I hated watching her being in shackles as she enters the visiting room. A large correction guard undid my mom’s handcuffs and pointed her into my direction. My mom smiled as she quickly made her way to embrace me. “Pretty girl, how are you?” My mom asked, holding my hands. My mom was still beautiful even after being locked up in a steel cage for three years. She still found a way to keep up her appearance while behind bars. “I’m good mom, how are you doing? Ya look good,” I said, kissing her on the cheek. “I’m alive that’s all I can ask for,” she replied. “Have you heard from Luke? Did he write you?” “Yeah, I just received his letter, he’s doing fine. When are you going to go see him again?” “Sometime next week, I have to spend time with TreShawn this weekend,” I said. “I talked to him last night, he such a sweet boy. He reminds me of how Luke used to be at his age.” My mom’s eyes began to water up as she talked about my son and my brother. “He’s a good boy.” I knew how much mom wanted me to be a better mom to TreShawn, but I wasn’t ready and to be honest I don’t think I would ever be ready. My mom always told me that I had a chance to do better than she did with my brother and me. Despite my mom being a drug dealer, she was the best mom a child could ask for, she still is. My mom was PTO president at our schools, soccer mom, and made sure she was at every special major event me and my brother ever had. I wish I was more like my mom when it came to being a parent. My mom tried her hardest when we were younger to shield us from her and my dad selling drugs. I didn’t realize that they were drug dealers until I was thirteen years old; I snuck into their lab, which was our shed in the back of our house. My parents explain to me what they did and how they didn’t want me to live the life they lived. It was too late for that, I wanted to be just like them. “You have to bring him next time you come see me,” my mom said, wiping tears from her face. “Leah, you have to step up to the plate girl.” “I know mom and I will,” I lied. “I’m going to step up, but I have to get my life together first.” “You better Leah, I don’t want you throwing away your life and end up in a place like this. How’s working at the nursing home going?” “Good, working my ass off trying to care for those crazy ass old people,” I laughed. “That’s what I like to hear,” my mom smiled. “You don’t know how much I wish I could be out there wiping grumpy senior citizen asses. It beats being in this place.” “I met someone mom and I really like him,” I said, changing the subject. I wanted to give my mom some good news to take her mind off being in prison for once. I couldn’t stand when she started to get sad during our visits. “What’s his name and how cute is he?” “Brandon, and he is very, very cute,” I giggled. “White or Black?” “He’s a country white boy from Athens, Alabama,” I answered. “I guess your Aunt Yolanda was wrong, once you go black you sometimes do go back,” my mom burst out laughing. “Aunt Yolanda, also said once you go white you know you been ate right,” I giggled. “What does he do for a living?” My mom asked, still laughing. “He’s an entrepreneur,” I answered. He was an entrepreneur, maybe not a legal or legit one but Brandon was a businessman. “Your daddy was a businessman, just be careful on what type of business he does Leah,” my mom said, her smile fading away from her face. “Yes ma’am.” “Times up, visitation is now over!” A prison guard yelled. My mom wrapped her arms tightly around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. This was the part of visiting my mom, leaving her behind these walls. I would do anything to have my mom by my side and in my life full time again. My mom wiped the tears that was falling from my face and kissed me again. “It’s ok baby, I’m fine,” she said, holding my hands. “I love you pretty girl.” “Love you more mama,” I whimpered, squeezing her hands. I didn’t want to let her go. “Bring my grandbaby next time,” she said, slowly walking away from me. The guard placed the shackles around my mom’s hands and feet, then escorted her out of the visiting room. She turned to look at me one more time before blowing me a kiss and waving goodbye.