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On Saturday, Kareem awoke and knew it was his big day. Today would make or break what he had been planning for days. He showered and shaved, and believed that his beard had grown. He wanted a beard to announce his manhood. And he was dressed for the part, too. There was no half-stepping when it came to $1,500. After he dressed, he joined Jean-Mary for breakfast. She looked at him in awe.
“Boy, why are you going to work in that shirt?”
“I’m not going to work. I was fired. I didn’t tell you?” he asked, just as shocked as her. “I’m going on “The Avenue” to look for a job,” Kareem responded matter-of-factly. He could not believe how freely he had just lied to the one person that he knew he could tell the truth. “I also want to buy a new sweat suit.”
“Um,” Jean-Mary responded sarcastically. “I don’t know if it’s wise to go out shopping when you’ve just lost your job.”
“No, I am going to use $50 from my savings to buy it from City Blue. On sale $50 bucks will be enough.”
Jean-Mary then stuck her hand down her shirt. She groped around her chest and pulled out a wad of money from her coffer, and said, “Here take this. Buy yourself something nice.”
“Granny, tell me that you paid the water bill.” Kareem said frantically.
“Of course. Do I need to explain where I got the cash from, father? After all, I am still the adult, sir.”
“Don’t mock me today. It’s not too late for a nursing home,” Kareem said jokingly. “But, yes, I’d like to know.”
“I re-mortgaged the house. That’s your whole $500 back, baby. And the whole house is about to be remodeled.”
“That’s decent,” Kareem said and hugged her. “This is like a dream come true. I was just dreaming about that.”
“Don’t get all mushy on me. Go enjoy yourself. Matter of fact, take the car.”
Take the car alone, he thought. She must be drinking.
“No problem. I’ll be careful and feed the meter. And I’ll wear my seat belt.” Kareem then swiftly left the house before she changed her mind.
Behind the wheel of the Lexus, Kareem drove to the bank and thought what he would do with the extra $500, which he had chucked up as a loss. Spending it would be out of line. He had to explain this new cash flow he anticipated, but in the meantime, he had other tasks in mind.
Kareem parked in the Cheltenham Mall parking lot and before getting out the car, he filled out two checks for $1,500 each. Certainly, he would draw suspicion if he deposited them both together, but just filling them out felt great.
Kareem entered the mall and strolled into Wachovia Bank. He sat in the bank’s waiting area, tapping his finger and praying that he would leave the bank with some money. Who was he praying, too? God certainly didn’t approve of his actions. Just then, Catherine Rose walked over to him and escorted him to her desk.
Catherine was a beautiful woman who looked twenty-five- ish. She had the face suitable for a Vogue Magazine cover. She went over the basic questions and he then handed her a school ID in the name of Eric Eagle. She typed away and Kareem stared at her uncontrollably. She was the epitome of beauty.
She had noticed his persistent stare and asked him, “What are you staring at, Eric?”
“Youth,” he responded boldly.
After a flattered smile, she responded, “Youth? Don’t do that.” She actually found him equally attractive.
“Don’t do what?” he asked coyly. You may have found the line corny, and a fake sense of attraction, but in truth, you know that you’re pretty.” Kareem had laid it on her. Had she been an ogress, he would have charmed her the same way. It was all a part of the con to get what he wanted.
“Thanks, Eric,” she said and wished that she was not at work so that she could enjoy the day with him. Especially with his large deposit and seeming intelligence.
Catherine handed Kareem his new account passbook and as she stood to deposit his check with the tellers, he asked, “Could you bring me $800 of that, please?”
“No!” she responded with a wicked look on her face. It was twisted with anger. Her evil stare quickly turned into a bright smile. “Sure. Small or large bills?”
He cracked a fond grin and then told her, “Large,” and gave her a sexy lick of the lips. He wanted her to indulge in the sexual undertone to his comment large. He hoped that she took the gesture as a sexual invitation.
Within minutes, Cathy returned with his cash in a standard bank envelop and handed it to him.
He asked, “Do I need to count this?”
She smirked and sat at her desk. “I am a banker, I wouldn’t trust me.”
“Point taken,” he said and counted the money. All new fresh bills and they smelled like it. He stuffed the money into his wallet and then stood.
“Listen, here is my card,” Cathy said and jotted a number on the back. “My cell phone number is on the back in case you have an emergency banking issue that needs to be resolved.” She handed him the card and their hands touched.
Cathy walked him to the door that led to the mall and held the door open for him. He walked through the door and he could not believe that he had just conned the hell out of Cathy. The problem was, she was actually very attractive and his type of woman. He wondered could he mix business with pleasure and made a note to run that by Marcus.
In the Cheltenham Mall with $1,100 in his pocket, Kareem contemplated what to treat himself too. He had earned it, although Cheltenham Mall was no longer on his list of hot places to shop after reading GQ. His mindset was changing and there was not much that anyone could do about it. He was a boy from the ghetto developing the mindset of a NY socialite. Very lethal for two reasons: (a) people would begin to call him stuck up; and, (b) he would be forced to commit crime to feed his addiction to living like a millionaire.
He did need fresh footwear, so he walked up to the Footlocker. He had the sales rep grab him a pair of wheat- colored Timberlands and black S. Carter Reeboks. At the counter, rather than use the cash that he had, he pulled out a credit card that he had purloined the day before. His hands were sweaty and he stared at the rep mysteriously as he handed him the card. The credit card was franked with the name David Darden. Kareem thought, Can I pass for a David Darden? Apparently, he could, because the register spat up a receipt and Kareem signed it: David Darden. He grabbed his bags and kindly strolled out the store with a powerful aura. He had done it again and loved it. He was OD-ing off adrenaline and decided to try it again.
Kareem strolled up the mall and bought a pretzel from Auntie Annie’s. Just a young man out shopping without his parents. He then entered City Blue and picked up two Rocawear sweat suits and a Sean John denim set with a matching T-shirt. He wanted to get in and out of the store and off the radar quickly. There was no time to browse or try things on. Just see something and get it and go. At the counter, Kareem handed Abdul, a Moroccan-American, his credit card. Abdul asked for an ID, and Kareem looked puzzled. For what? Just run my shit, bitch, Kareem thought. Don’t piss me off.
“I am in high school. I don’t have an ID, yet,” Kareem said and smiled. “My mom gave me this card.” It was a lie. A very white lie to compliment his white-collar crime.
“Oh ok,” Abdul said and swiped the card.
“He’s ok,” said a woman who was also of Moroccan descent. “He’s always in here.”
“Sign here for me,” Abdul said and handed Kareem the receipt.
Kareem gave him the receipt back and grabbed his bags. When he was outside of the store, Kareem looked at his watch and then rushed toward the exit. He was not pressed for time, but he wanted out of that mall. He was afraid of arrest, but that didn’t stop him from hopping in his car and heading to Walmart. He had purchased his personal things and now was time to buy something for the house.
Walmart was a mile up Cheltenham Avenue and Kareem sped there. He was a daredevil and prepared for the consequences. He parked in the lot and then headed into the store. He dashed directly to the electronics department. He looked at the TVs and then picked out a HDTV with a picture- in-picture feature.
Kareem had a store clerk radio the stock room to bring out his TV. They waited and Kareem paid for the TV. He liked Walmart because they had a machine that he had to swipe the card and did not have to physically hand the card to the clerk. His transaction was approved and the stock clerk wheeled Kareem’s TV to his car and loaded it. Kareem then hopped into the driver’s seat and pulled off.
Kareem drove to his house and could not believe his actions. Every time he looked into the rearview mirror, he was reminded of his thievery. To add insult to injury, he had all of his cash. So, I can keep my bread and buy whatever I want with the credit cards. This is the life. I have to add this money to my investment coffer, cause when the chips fall, I need to be up.
***
On his street, Kareem pulled up and all of the neighbors were out and shocked to see him pull up in the Lexis. It was a sight to see. He had the music slightly loud, and people did notice. Look at me bitch.
Kareem asked Troy to help him take the TV in the house. After they dropped the TV in the living room, Kareem gave Troy $5 and walked him to the door.
“What’s in the big box?” Jean-Mary asked and then raved, “You bought a new TV with your money?”
“Sure did. Why not? I needed one because that old black and white needs to go. Let me go and set it up, granny.”
Kareem jogged up the stairs with a big smile on his face. He was moving up. He looked at the box and called Marquis to describe his day. He wanted to hear about Marquis’, as well. The two were connected on the call and they could hear the energy and excitement in each other’s voices. They were developing a swag that would soon render them “acting Hollywood.”
“So, did you handle your business today?” Marquis asked. “No doubt. How about you?”
“Without question.”
“How much did you get back?”
“Twelve hundred!” Marquis said with joy.
“What? Tell me you did not get $1,200?” Kareem said incredulously.
“I did and I had the dude clerk eating out the palm of my hand.”
“You just lost me.”
“The dude that opened my account was more gay than the rainbow, but I played my part and had that fool thinking that I was attracted to him. Remember, do what you have too.”
“Yeah, I got you. I got $800, but the rep I had gave me her personal cell phone number. Do you think that I can bang her and rob her job?”
“Didn’t you see, Set It Off? Of course, you can hit that like Jada was hitting dude.”
“This is crazy. Did you use a credit card?”
“Yeah, that David Darden jawn. I got Tims, S. Carter’s and a 36-inch TV.”
“Damn, I should have used a card.”
“Yeah, that shit was sweet, too. They may ask for ID, though. I got lucky in City Blue.”
“Yeah, first day luck. We’re getting IDs from school Monday,” Marquis told him.
“Okay, cool. One more thing. G-mom let me use the Lexis by myself.”
“Say word.”
“Word. Word.”
“Man, maybe we can use that to go to the Sixers game tonight. They’re playing the Lakers.”
“Hold that thought. Let me work on her and I’ll let you know by five. This is going to be tricky, though.” “No biggie. We can always take the sub.” “Okay, cool. One.”
“Aiight, my dude. One.”
The two of them hung up the phone and Kareem was appalled that Marquis had $1,200. He had to top that. He was ready to play a game of who can get the most money. It was Saturday, so he went out and mowed the lawn and thought that he would use that as leverage to use the car to go to the game. He was morphing into a seasoned manipulator and this could be very bad. He walked across the lawn pulling up weeds when he had an epiphany. He walked out of the garden and called Andre.