Chapter Nine
Take a Picture 1986
“OK, now turn to your right ... yes, just like that. Now smile,” the photographer spoke in between snapshots of Brooklyn.
Inside the large studio located on Fourth and South Streets in South Philadelphia were Brooklyn, the photographer, his assistant, and another model, who was in the back preparing for her shoot. For the first time she was without a chaperone, since her agent was out of town this particular weekend.
Brooklyn had been featured in a few local magazines as well as one national magazine called House of Couture, in which she’d participated in a full six-page spread. She had also been invited to New York Fashion Week to walk the runway alongside two other models signed to the same agency. School, which she had since given up on, was the last thing on her mind. Modeling was all she could eat, sleep, or breathe at that point.
“OK, let’s change for look two,” the photographer said, calling for a break.
Brooklyn had been shooting for an hour straight and needed a break. She’d never realized how hard modeling was. When she entered the dressing room, Tania looked over at her.
“I’m Tania,” she said, reaching her hand out to shake Brooklyn’s. Tania was a few years older than Brooklyn and had been modeling for four years.
“Hi. I’m Brooklyn.”
“You’re doing good. Looks like you’re a natural. Mesa is your agent, right?”
“Yes.” Brooklyn was quickly changing into her next outfit as Tania sat looking into the mirror.
“Well, just a word of advice ... don’t let temptations ruin you.”
Brooklyn looked over at her. “What do you mean by that?”
“I mean everything that can turn your life upside down. Men, drugs, and money, they will all ruin you if you allow them to.”
“Well, thanks. But that won’t happen to me,” she said, confident she could handle herself in any situation.
“We all say that, Brooklyn, but the truth is, you are no match for sin. It’ll make you think that it could change things for the better and end up turning your world upside down.”
Though Brooklyn was a complete stranger, Tania felt compelled to speak a few words of wisdom. She reminded her of herself and the days before she wasn’t an addict or suffering from an eating disorder as she tried to keep up with the younger females in the industry. She also knew that a hard head made a soft behind and hoped that Brooklyn would heed her warnings and avoid making some of the same mistakes that she did.
“Well, thanks again,” Brooklyn said as she put on her shoes, “but I’ll be OK. I’m sure of that.” She gave a forced smile as she turned to walk out of the room, annoyed that a woman she didn’t know from a can of paint was trying to tell her what to do. She believed that she would be able to manage anything thrown her way, and regardless of how naïve she appeared, she knew how to take care of herself, or at least she thought she did.
Once back on set, she began posing and smiling for the camera.
A few minutes into shooting, Sincere walked into the studio. Brooklyn had been there a little longer than expected, and it was just like him to become so impatient that he had to come inside to find out what the holdup was.
For a few weeks prior to this shoot Sincere had made sure to drop her off and pick her up on shoots or shows, claiming that he wanted to make sure that she arrived to and from safely. But Brooklyn knew that he had a much more sinister reason for hanging around. Sincere was definitely jealous of the attention she was receiving, and felt threatened by the photographers and other men who sometimes hung around the studios and events.
As Sincere stood off to the side, Brooklyn continued taking cues from the photographer, adding a sexy flair for Sincere to enjoy, but he didn’t seem entertained. After a few more frames, the shoot was a wrap, and she ran over to Sincere to hug him.
“Go get dressed, so we can go,” he said as he pushed her away.
“What’s your problem?” she asked, not sure what the attitude was about.
“I got some place to be. Now hurry up. I’ll be outside.” He turned to walk toward the door.
Brooklyn stood there for a moment knowing that the look on her face would just embarrass her even more had the others occupying the room noticed. After a few seconds and deep breaths, she turned around and walked through the studio to gather her things. She threw her things into the bag without even folding or organizing them, anxious to see what was going on with Sincere and trying to avoid pissing him off any more.
“Remember what I said. If you don’t believe me now, soon you will,” Tania said as Brooklyn headed out of the room.
Brooklyn walked out of the studio and made it over to Sincere’s car. As soon as she sat down, he reached over and smacked her, knocking her sunglasses off her face. She grabbed her cheek, which immediately started throbbing.
“Are you fucking him?” he yelled.
“Who are you talking about, Sincere?” she cried. She wasn’t positive who he was referring to, but she knew she’d been faithful to him.
“That nigga in there taking the pictures,” he screamed as he held onto the steering wheel with his left hand, keeping his right hand free, waiting for her to say the wrong thing so he could smack her again.
“No, Sincere. Why would you think that? I don’t even know him.”
“I saw you trying to be all sexy and shit. You think I didn’t notice you showing off for that nigga?”
“I was being sexy for you, Sincere. That had nothing to do with him, or the photos for that matter.”
“I must really look like an asshole, huh?” he yelled. He turned the car on and pulled out of the parking spot.
Sincere didn’t really trust any woman because most of the women he’d encountered were either gold diggers just interested in his money, or liars who couldn’t tell the truth if their life depended on it. Always feeling like they’d do anything to keep money coming in, he didn’t see Brooklyn as the exception.
As they sat silent on the drive to her house, Brooklyn grabbed her compact mirror from her pocketbook and looked at her face, which had since turned red.
As soon as they pulled up, she reached for the door handle to exit, but Sincere grabbed hold of her left arm. “You’re staying with me tonight, so go get some things and hurry up back out here.”
She wanted to run in, lock the door, and hope that he wouldn’t kick the door down to get inside, but she knew that would only make the situation worse. Normally, when he got this angry, he’d end up apologizing before the night was over. She just had to do everything he wanted her to do to keep him calm.
She didn’t respond as he loosened the grip on her forearm, but nodded her head before getting out of the car. She wiped her face before unlocking the door, hoping to remove any sign of her tears.
The boys were sprawled out across the living room floor watching TV but quickly turned their attention to Brooklyn once she entered the room.
“Where’s Mommy at?” she asked as she stood in the doorway.
“She’s upstairs asleep. Are you staying home tonight?” Kevin asked.
“No, not tonight. I just came to get a few things and to make sure you two were OK. Did you eat? I figured she’d be drunk or missing in action.”
“Yeah, we ate,” he replied.
“OK. Well, call me at Sincere’s if you need me.” She headed toward the door.
Brooklyn hated leaving them so much, but being with Sincere and modeling took up pretty much all of her time. Her mother, who was rarely home on the evenings that she was out with Sincere, was often unaware of her whereabouts. Brooklyn always checked on her brothers but never had to explain anything to her mother. Before walking out of the door, she promised them that she’d stay home the following week.
After arriving at Sincere’s house, she headed for the stairs.
“Go get cleaned up. I’ll be up in a minute.”
She was in no mood to have sex, but she was aware that if he wanted it she really didn’t have a choice. She had so many things on her mind and wondered how things had gotten so messed up. There was a time when he worshiped the ground that she walked on, but now he’d knock her down any chance he got.
She turned to look at him, before taking another step, wishing he could be the man she fell in love with, but he had already turned and headed toward the kitchen. She hurried upstairs and jumped in the shower, hoping that he’d get so wrapped up in what he was doing, he’d forget all about having sex.
Unfortunately for her, he was in the room waiting when she came out of the bathroom. She instantly felt nauseous, knowing she would get no enjoyment out of it. She sat on the edge of the bed and slowly slid under the covers.
As soon as his hand touched her leg, she said the one thing she thought would turn him off.
“Sincere, I’m pregnant.”
He stopped in his tracks, a deer-caught-in-headlights look on his face. She braced herself for what was next. Quietly, he got out of the bed and walked out of the room, slamming the bedroom door behind him. She exhaled as she turned on her side, closing her eyes, and soon fell asleep.