LIGHTER WAR PART II
Considering the fact that I had a whirlwind of problems circulating through my mind, I felt really good. The car ride to Pretty's house was proving to be just as quiet as I had hoped. The silence would allow me to concentrate on my future endeavors. I needed to enjoy the cipher at Pretty's. This was first and foremost. Then I needed to re-up from Smoked. Smoked never left his apartment so I didn't need to worry about what time I got there. Sometime tomorrow I needed to meet with Conflict, in secrecy, because I was trying like hell to avoid having myself knocked out.
The way I meticulously and continuously re-evaluate my life is a trait I have had since I was a kid. When I was ten years old I had a paper route and I made a decent amount of money. The route was located in a senior citizens complex, which allowed me to have two hundred customers. Every two weeks I received a payment, in tips, of two hundred dollars from the customers. I didn't think that was enough, even though it was more than anyone else was making at my age. I knew that there had to be a way to bleed more money out of the equation. I thought about nothing else for three days. Finally, I came up with my plan. My profit was based off biweekly payments. I realized that if every customer was giving me a dollar tip, every two weeks, there was a good shot that most would give me a dollar tip every week. The next week I sent out flyers to all of my customers that told stated I would need to collect the bill every week. The next week a little better than half the customers gave the full dollar tip, and the rest gave me fifty cents. The plan had worked and I had increased my cash flow from two hundred dollars to three hundred dollars. That was when I first got the taste for making money anyway possible. Some might say that what I did was dishonest, but, as the saying goes, " it ain't a crime, if you don't get caught".
This was how I started to hustle. I never looked at this as illegal or wrong. I looked at it as making money. I wanted to make as much money as I possibly could. I think Wu- Tang Clan said it best when they sang "C.R.E.A.M.". Cash definitely ruled everything around me, and it always would.
My analyzing of everything would prove beneficial in all aspects of my life. In terms of salesmanship, I was constantly contemplating ways to make more money. That's what initially led me to selling hydro, instead of regular nuggets. There was more money to be made. I was always aware of what was most popular on the streets, and I tried to feed the flow. I never needed to write anything down, because the information never left my head long enough to be forgotten. The only time I forgot that people owed me money was after they had already paid me.
I also over analyzed my "ladies". That's why I currently have problems with all three of them .I was constantly thinking of things I could do for them. Everybody knows that if you do every nice thing that crosses your mind for a lady, then you are a really nice guy. Really nice guys are single and lonely. I never wanted to be either of the two. You might not understand, because you might be a poser. But, if it is that you just aren't fully schooled in the ways of a player, I am glad I got to help you. But, if you don't know, you never will. Players aren't made, they are born.
Anyway, we finally arrived at Pretty's crib and I had brought a new lighter and a new c.d. The lighter was obviously a "bic", and the c.d. was "Dead Prez".
As the introductions were made, ovations given and the bowl was packed, I loaded the c.d.
I took the first hit and explained that "Dead Prez" was a modern day cross between Public Enemy and N.W.A. They could have been old school rappers because of their attention to lyrics about politics, but they were much too gangster. The c.d. bumped and the cipher ensued.
The lighter was passed from person to person. Each time I got the lighter, I increased the flame's potential, but passed it to Stutter. I was curious to see if Stutter would stay neutral and not adjust the flame, or pick a side.
Pretty and I watched intently. I think Stutter could feel our stares, and was starting to understand the principle factors behind the lighter war. Stutter was definitely a quick learner because I had never mentioned the war to anyone, but he seemed to understand the struggle immediately. After the first pass, and subsequent adjustments, Stutter did the unthinkable. Stutter turned the flame to the middle. I didn't know if it was his way of staying neutral, literally in the middle, or if he was fighting his own battle.
I could tell that I wasn't the only person who noticed Stutter's move. I caught Pretty's surprise when he got the lighter from Stutter. The positive side of this was that it was now a fact that Pretty accepted the war, and was consciously fighting. The negative side was that it was impossible for three people to fight a war. World War II wasn't the Allies v. the Axis v. the Others; this couldn't be a three-way battle either. This conflict, barring the millions killed, was very similar in my estimation. Only two could fight this war.
After the session ended, I put the bowl away and grabbed my coat. I collected my c.d. and lighter. Pretty wanted to catch a ride to the store and the three of us left immediately. It was actually the first time I had ever seen Pretty out of his apartment. He looked strange outdoors. Maybe it is just not meant for me to see him outside. That was the ridiculous thought as I pulled away from the curb.
Maybe seeing Pretty out of his element encouraged me to knuckle up and call Conflict, but something did. I called her and told her I would meet her at Palmieri's Restaurant. She seemed impressed that I was taking her to such an expensive place. I told her it was still a "formal" type conversation, but I wanted it to be in a nice establishment. We agreed to meet at ten.
My night was just about to get really complicated.
Poser's Dictionary
BLED- to play the cards of only one suit until the other person has no more of that suit
BROKEN TRUMP- when a person is out of one suit, and throw the trump card (Spades)
BIG JAKE- the big Joker, the highest and most powerful card in Spades
LITTLE JAKE- the little Joker, the second highest card in the deck during Spades
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