Free Hustlin' by L. Divine

already exhausted enough as it is, and I have a lot of work on my plate. “I start working at Netta’s tomorrow after school and then Rah’s taking me to my mom’s for the weekend.”
    â€œWhat’s up with your mom? How come lil Lynn never has us over? She acts like she ain’t my sis no more.”
    I live with four of my mom’s six brothers and truth be told, I don’t think of her as their sister either. My mom only comes over on Christmas Eve and Mother’s Day, just like everyone else who wants to stay on Mama’s good side.
    â€œI have a feeling she’ll be coming over here before she’ll invite anyone over her house. You know my mom likes her privacy.”
    â€œAnd her men,” Bryan says, sounding like my dad, but I know Bryan doesn’t have any venom behind his words.
    â€œJust one man, and he’s cool—a real gentleman. You could learn a thing or two from him.” Speaking of which, my mom better get over here soon for her reading or Mama will find a way to my mom’s house in Inglewood.
    â€œWhatever. If he ain’t big pimping, that nigga can’t teach me shit. I got my swagger tight, you feel me, girl?”
    What is it with dudes and their swaggers? If I hear one more brotha talk about their pimp stroll or gangster lean, I’m going to scream.
    â€œNo, I don’t.” I gather my backpack and jacket from the dining room table, ready for my morning walk to the bus stop. Leaving through the back door is inconvenient because I have to fight my way out the back gate, which has been broken ever since I can remember. But it beats having to look into Esmeralda’s evil eyes any day.
    â€œI know you feel me Jayd. I can respect your frontin’, even if there’s no future in it. Don’t forget about me tonight, Jayd. And maybe I’ll even come by the shop and give you some work. All it takes is one steady client to get the ball rolling.” Bryan turns on the faucet to get the hot water running. It takes a minute for the hot water heater to warm up.
    â€œThat’ll be cool, if Netta lets me. Right now, I’m strictly the helper—but we’ll see, since you’re family and all.” I can remember from my mom’s own spirit journal entries that Netta doesn’t like traffic in her shop, unlike other salons I know of. Mickey had an incident in her old salon and couldn’t go back because of all the drama she and her man created there one day. I already know Netta’s not having nothing like that in her space.
    â€œBet, Jayd. Now get on before I’m late for the van. My boy Carlos got a sweet deal on Christmas baskets and them ugly-ass Cabbage Patch Kid dolls. We’re going to sell them in the back of the alley behind Miracle Market. You should come and check us out. You might see something you like.” Knockoff Cabbage Patch Kid dolls and Christmas baskets out the back of a van. That’s the best hustle I’ve seen since my Uncle Junior, the oldest of Mama and Daddy’s children who also lives in the den with two other uncles, was selling DSL routers and tube socks in the same spot last year.
    These brothas around here always got something going. That’s why I love my hood. I can find everything I need within walking distance if I’m not too picky or particular about where it came from. So what if the router’s not in a box and the socks are two sizes too big? If it works, I’m happy to stay ignorant about the origin.
    â€œI’ll check y’all out after school. Maybe I can pick up something for Mickey’s baby.” It’ll be nice to have a baby to shop for again. Ever since my little cousin Nailah was born eight years ago, there hasn’t been another baby girl around to pamper. My mom, Mama, and I all love to shower little girls with gifts. If Rah’s daughter were around more, I’d probably do the same thing for her. And with the