A Losing Game

"The Score - Part I"

            While most of his extended family lived in New York, Don Don was raised on the eastside streets of Calhoun Heights by his mother, his grandmother, and his six older sisters. Without a steady father figure in his life, he turned to the streets for male guidance and learned how to make money selling drugs by Escobar. His family knew what he did for a living but didn't interfere because he took care of them. The love of his life, Angelique, also knew what he did but her past with him was very complicated. In her past life, she was known as Antwan and Don Don was her worst nightmare in high school.

            Five years after dropping out of high school, Don Don was in a club on a humid summer night when he saw a beautiful woman who looked familiar. He knew that he knew her but couldn't remember where from. As she was leaving with a friend, he approached her outside of the club and was surprised when she got an attitude with him. He had absolutely no idea who she was or why she was so angry with him.

            "Whatever I did," he said while looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry."

            She stared at him in silence for a few seconds and reminded him, "Ou frape mwen konsa difisil, mwen pedi yon dan."

            "You lost a tooth because of me?" He thought about what she'd said in Haitian Creole and suddenly, his eyes widened. "Antwan?"

            "The name is Angelique, you bum! Fuck you, Donovan!" She quickly turned to walk away from him and catch up with her friend who had walked away.

            "Yo, hold up. Wait." He gently grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn back to face him. "Antw...Angelique, is that really you?"

            She pushed her hair out of her face and replied, "Like you fucking care."

            "I know it won't mean shit but I really am sorry. I'm not gonna lie and act like I'm a different nigga now. And I'm not gonna stand here and act like I'm not lookin' at the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on in my life. I saw you inside and you took my breath away."

            "I swear you sound like every fuck boy into girls like me when we're not noticeable. Just leave me alone, Donovan."

            "One ride."

            "What?"

            "Take a ride with me and if I can't convince you to give me a chance, I'll give you a thousand dollars and a ride home."

            She gave him a look and asked, "Boy, you've lost your mind."

            "Three thousand dollars good enough?" He pulled a roll of money from his back pocket and showed it to her.

            Her demeanor changed and she warned him, "I carry mace and a switchblade on me so don't even think about trying anything."

            "I swear on my Grann I won't hurt you. I would never put my hands on an angel. Had I known you were one back in high school, I would've loved on you instead of doin' what I did."

            With her hand in her tote bag holding onto her switchblade, Angelique followed him to his car. He opened the door for her and closed it once she was inside. She reached over and unlocked his door for him and he smiled while climbing in. During their hours-long drive around the city, he explained to her his attraction to her femininity during their high school years fueled his anger towards her; that he was really fighting the attraction. In return, he listened to all of the hurt he caused her. By the time he was dropping her off at home, they were on each other like two lovers and neither understood in that moment. He did keep his word and paid her the three thousand dollars.