ANOTHER KIND OF DIAMOND (32 page)

You are right! Some girls just disappear and you don’t hear from them ever again, understand? There are some girls I see and then I don’t see them no more and I ask about them and nobody says anything has happened to them but I keep worrying. It is all wired Carissa continued. Remember Wendy?

Ehen! The pretty tiny girl who is very popular at the club? She is really fun to be with. Rita said.

I know! But no one has seen her in months. There is a rumor that she is missing. I think she went on outside job too and not been seen since then. Carissa said.

I also had that Pam is down with Aids. Cindy added.

Really? Rita reacted. I now know why I’ve not been seeing her for a while. There is this other girl I know who is down with AIDS too. Come to think of it, I blame them for that! We all know the risk in this business, so how is someone gonna do it without a condom? I don’t get it.

What about the drugs! That is killing us too! Guys, sometimes you do stuff you don’t wanna do ‘cause you just don’t know what you do ‘cause you are high on drugs! I also heard that Mabel passed out in her room last week ‘cause she overdosed on some stuff.

Baby, sometimes it’s hard to do what we do with your two eyes wide open. You must spice up your mood or you shut down. Cindy started again. Babe we got to make some money! And the higher the risk on the job, the more the pay, understand? So some guys want girls to do all sorts of things including going without the condom and ready to pay more and girls go for it. I personality won’t take such a risk. No, I won’t for all the money in the world! So I say, watch your steps, you out there! Take it easy and slow it down! At the heat of it all, pause and remember what is really important and that is life. And baby we live but once.

Of what use is the money you are not gonna use anyways? The fucking dead don’t need any money was Carissa’s reaction.

I know! Cindy continued. That’s why we need extra care with the kind of job we do! There are lots of psycho out there these days, don’t forget that! Some wanna rape, others wanna kill. The serial killers all go for babes especially people like us. Some go internet just to brain wash girls and get them into all kinds of stuff. I think the whole thing is getting out of hand. I’ve heard very bad experiences especially in my days as a fresher on the job, but I keep strong and keep going. I remember this particular job I went for back in the days and the guy wanted nothing but a forced kind of thing, you know.

You mean like rape? Carissa asked.

Yeah! Cindy responded. That’s what he wanted. He didn’t want anything regular, understand? Yeah! He told me he was gonna get force-y. Can you imagine that! Anyways, I thought that was crazy ‘cause I’ve never heard such a wired thing in my entire life.

And what did you do? Carissa asked.

I refused. And when he tried to get mean my fingers went for my ‘Johnny’s’ number. I was screaming into his ears and he came banging on his door. That saved me.

Baby that was very close!

I know! What about this other wired dud that was married and still wanted stuff right in the presence of his wife. Not that I cared, understand? I was gonna get down with business, pick up my dough and scram but out of the blues a gun jumped into his wife’s hands and she is like , get out of my house ! I wasn’t even listening to her until the guy himself told me to leave and I walked away with nothing. Not even a cent.

Cindy! Don’t tell me you didn’t bolt the moment a gun showed up! Baby, I’ll run with all the energy I could afford ‘cause that’s one thing I hate in my life. That was risk taking in the extreme girl! Carissa said.

I understand! It was one breath taking moment, no doubt about that but Cindy doesn’t operate the way you think! Girl, I’m a hard core babe! I’ve been through so much on this planate that I don’t just get easily scared by shit any more. Anyways, don’t worry Carissa! You’ll get to the point where things like that don’t mean anything to you. Trust me! I have had guns pointed at me so many times that now it’s nothing but a toy, understand? Besides not all that carries gun shots. You have to watch them real good. Look them straight in the eyes and you’ll know who is gonna do it and who is not.

Look them straight in the eyes? Are you crazy? Carissa will be far gone as long as I still have my head on my shoulders. Look into their eyes? Babe I think you’ve been one hell of a lucky girl.

May Be! There was this other really crazy stuff that happened. I went for this job and the guy wanted me to get high with him and like I knew his plan I pretended we were on the same page, understand? Suddenly he took off his cloths and lo and behold there was nothing there. It was blank. I got real smart and bit it really fast. Yeah! I flew like a horning bird.

Are you serious? Carissa asked. When you think you’ve seen it all a brand new stuff drops from the damn blue sky. May be he was into the Sex Trans thing and it went sore. Now, he is neither he nor she but a soul in denial.

How did you figure! Carissa you are much more smart than you act you know. That was exactly what I thought and that must have been what happened. I even sensed it in a male’s voice with boobs and all that you know! And I’m like Jacob’s hand Esau’s voice. Yeah! Something about cheating, understand? I did a lot with the good books when I was in my tens but I lost all that when I got involved with some kind of crowd, get what I’m saying? Anyways, do not despair girls. Remember, every job has its share of risks, understand? Soldiers die at wars, Sailors at sea; Police men in line of duty, health care workers needle stick which could be even more deadly than a thousand bullets. Some girls even loss their lives in the hands of their husbands or boyfriends. There is this girl I know that turns up with black eyes every time, courtesy of her hussy, Cindy continued.

That makes sense! Rita begins. Besides, we are in this ‘cause there is nothing else out there for us.

I’m begging to think there is something else I can do. Carissa said with element of certainty.

Carissa remembers you tried out some jobs and couldn’t find any that earned you the kind of money you are making right now. I understand it’s a wired kind of job we do and that’s why I try to put away some money. In this business you got to use your senses, you know. Don’t spend it all in fashion and stuff but put something away like I do. I plan to buy me my own house, set me up a small business and quit for good. A fashion shop won’t be a bad idea at all. And I get out of this early, Rita said.

I want a change so soon or I’ll go nuts. I’m thinking of doing less of TV, movies, partying and guys stuff . I’m ready for rehab if that’s what it will take to kick my drug habit. The reason we are doing only the nonsense these days is because of these things; cause they rule our world by making us lazy. Rather than glue to TV and do stuff on my days off I’ll spend the time reading to see how I can catch up with lost times and go back to school! But first I must clean up!

Go back to school? Both girls reacted. Anyways, don’t blame anything on TV and stuff. Cindy continued. These things are like alcohol so, do it in moderation, that’s all. But if you allow that rule your world, don’t blame the hard working guys who make them happen, okay? They teach you, a lot too, understand? Besides, you have to be real about life. Tell me something, who is gonna take care of your shit while you are in school, eh? I mean you’ve got no support system, so who is gonna pay your bills. Rent, phone and all that shit. Besides how do you pay the school fees? Do you know what some of these schools charge for fees? Thousands in dollars girlfriend!

I’ll get financial aid.

That sucks babe! Rita added. Is like you don’t know what is happening, right? Listen, as soon as you are out of school and still struggling to even find the fucking job to pay back the damn fees, your phone rings and you go, hello, and is the damn collector babbling to your ears. Moreover, what are you gonna read without GED, eh? No college is gonna take you unless you have a high school diploma which I’m sure you don’t even have.

Listen, it’s all about what my Aunt says about self-discipline. And what that means is you organize and use your time. Baby, I’m gonna be using my mind more than my body now and I’m gonna figure how to do that! I’ll go get my GED and then go into nursing first then worry about Collectors later. If you borrow you pay back. That’s the deal and that’s what collectors stand for.

Ok! What kind of nursing are you gonna be reading? Cindy asked.

I’ll start with CNA.

That’s gonna hurt real bad babe! Back to school without support is the worst thing you’ll ever do to yourself. Rita said.

I figured already but I’m still gonna do it since it is the only way to make a descent leaving I know of. I’ve always loved kids and hope to rise some one day and I don’t see how I’m gonna do that doing this.

What do you mean? You have to learn to take pride in what you do Cindy stressed. And talking about sensible jobs, where do you find one these days, eh? Listen, what matters is you are able to take care of yourself and the kids when you have them. I even know some girls with kids who work at the club, Cindy said.

That’s their choice and I can choose too, Carissa insist. I’ll go back to school, stay there, finish, find me a decent job then have my kids. As long as man walks the earth, there will always be jobs for those who can do them. Study real hard; get the facts right, get the knowhow and you’ll find the job. When people need something done, they need someone who knows how to do it best.

Carissa, there are some girls with the damned college degree who works at Reckon too?

That’s there damned business, understand? Carissa continued reacting. They have better choices so if they choose this kind of job is because they like it and are enjoying it for some reasons only they can explain. In my own case I’m in it ‘cause I’ve no better choice right now but in reality the only future I can see for someone like me is one with a good education standing and a decent job.

Ok! You go for it! Cindy said. Take real action now and don’t end up like this girl I used to know who always talks shit to me about going back to school just like you are doing right now and never went anywhere. I heard she ended up in another club ‘cause she had to run away to escape her own lies.

Don’t worry! Carissa continued. I’ll do all it takes to do what I want and succeed in it.

Hope it works for you. For me, I’ll work harder on this job. Yeah! That’s what Cindy is gonna be doing. The outside job thing may be risky but that’s how to make it faster too. And know the fun part? I enjoy what I do so I’m not seeing myself quitting for any damn reasons. No way! Not in a million years!

I ain’t trying to stop you though! If that’s what you love doing go ahead! But Cindy, next time someone points a gun at you, bit it fast. May be if Tasha took the right action at the right time, she would still be here with us right now. The moment she sensed trouble, she should have taken off right away. Now she is gone and the money still lost. It doesn’t make much sense to me at all.

Is not Tasha’s fault that this happened? What I’ll say is she was brave ‘cause I would’ve done the same thing so I can’t blame her. Nobody takes what belongs to me, not even the threat of a bomb will stop me in situation like that, get what I’m saying? Anyways Tasha is gone and I think this is the time she needs us, understand? She can’t do anything anymore for herself and there is nobody out there that will do anything for her, so we gonna step in and take it up from where she stopped. We should start making plans right away on what we can do. Her body is in the morgue as we are talking and it doesn’t seem like any one is going to claim it for burial. How sad!

Wait a minute! Rita cut in, Carissa; do you know anyone anywhere that is her family?

She told me about how her mom abandoned her and a brother of hers and they never saw her again. Her brother latter died so I don’t think she has any one. She is just like me, which is why we got along so well.

She is like all of us! Rita said. What do you guys think we can do for her?

I’m thinking we should all go to the hospital and find out details on her burial plans. I know the government takes care of such unclaimed bodies but we still wanna make them know Tasha never lived and died like a lone old lady or a discarded animal, get what I’m saying? We gonna make our presence felt and make them know she is got somebody and we organize to attend her funeral in one piece. On that day, we shall be going there together and we are taking very expensive beautiful flowers with us. Beautiful and very expensive flowers to show them she did not die a poor girl. That babe made some money and she worked real hard for every single dine she got. Cindy said.

We could go buy very expensive dress and accessories too. Rita continued. the best we can find in the stores and take it to the hospital. That’s the materials she is gonna go to her grave with and that’s how she is gonna remember us. Tasha deserved it. She was strong, brave and did anything she could to make money ‘cause she was never scared of anything. Yeah, she was a very hard working girl in her own way; I don’t care what any other person thinks. The society still holds us as illegitimate, yet it can’t live without us. Everything you do that moves the world forward is important. All we need for all this to work is, give everyone their respect, make it all legit and you save lives. Tasha started on the street, survived the streets and built her life to this terminal point all by herself. Without help from anybody a girl single handedly built a life from the age of 10, what can be greater than that, eh? And you know the best part of it all, she taught herself everything she knew.