for a long time after that day. But she still had a jones for the crack, so she needed money. One afternoon, she went to Mr. Charlie and asked him for a favor.
“Can I borrow twenty dollars?” she asked, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She was thirsting to get high, and it was obvious.
Charlie gave it to her, no questions asked. “You don’t have to pay me back, either.” He put the money in her palm and held it for a couple extra moments. “You’re like a daughter to me.”
“Thanks, Mr. Charlie,” Jada said, smiling innocently. She went right away and copped upstairs. After she got her drugs she scurried out into the hallway; her next stop would be Shante’s apartment. But as she was coming out of Lucas’s apartment, she ran smack into Mr. Charlie.
“Oh. Hi,” Jada stammered. She didn’t know what he was doing on that floor, since he lived two floors down. But she was stunned and embarrassed that he had seen her coming out of there. Everybody in the hood knew that that was the drug spot. So Jada knew she was busted.
But to her surprise, he said, “I figured you’d be up here. Don’t be out here like one of these fiends, Jada. Don’t be smoking in the staircase and shit. Come downstairs and smoke at my place, where it’s safe.”
To say that Jada was shocked was an understatement. Her heart beat rapidly, and she was momentarily at a loss for words. So she silently followed him back to his apartment, and stood awkwardly in the living room once inside. Charlie shut the door and locked it, and he gestured toward his sofa. Jada sat down, and cleared her throat.
“I’m not about to smoke weed,” she began.
Charlie nodded. “I know what you’re smoking. Go ‘head. I won’t judge you.” Charlie went into the kitchen, leaving Jada alone. She sat there on his sofa, and smoked her woolah. Charlie let her have her space, and she sat and got high. When she was done, she felt slightly awkward.
“Umm,” Jada played with her hair, and barely met Charlie’s gaze. “Idon’t do this all the time, so I don’t have a problem. Thank you for not saying nothing to my mother. If it gets out of hand, I’ll stop—”
“Listen,” Charlie interrupted. “Everybody has their vices. Who am I to judge you for yours? But since I don’t wanna see your mother hurt, I’m trying to keep you from getting in trouble. You can’t be out there getting high off that shit in the stairways. Shante’s house is hot. Lucas’s dumb ass is up there every day, and the cops been looking at him for a while now. All your mother needs is to hear that you got arrested in a drug spot. If you wanna get high, you come here. I’d rather you do it where you’re safe.”
Jada nodded, grateful for his understanding. After that it was her routine. Jada was there every day, and Charlie let her handle her business. She would go home after school, and do what she had to do around the house in order to keep Edna quiet. Then she would go outside and cop, then head to Mr. Charlie’s apartment and smoke her woolahs. Soon the woolahs turned into straight crack pipes.
He never smoked with her, just watched her get high and go through her changes. Jada would bug out, talk to herself, sing, whatever the crack told her to do. Then she would come down and compose herself enough to go home.
Charlie was still seeing Jada’s mother throughout this period of time. He would come by every now and then, like usual. But he never let on that he knew her daughter was developing a very powerful addiction. And Edna never knew the secret between Charlie and Jada. And, as twisted as it was, Jada was grateful to Mr. Charlie for that. He kept her secrets.
5
SUGAR DADDY
1992
Charlie Harmon sat in his armchair, Al Green smoothly crooning “Let’s Stay Together” in the background, and he stared at seventeen-year-old Jada hungrily. He’d watched her get high for the thousandth time, and he knew she was twisted. He could tell by her
“Can I borrow twenty dollars?” she asked, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. She was thirsting to get high, and it was obvious.
Charlie gave it to her, no questions asked. “You don’t have to pay me back, either.” He put the money in her palm and held it for a couple extra moments. “You’re like a daughter to me.”
“Thanks, Mr. Charlie,” Jada said, smiling innocently. She went right away and copped upstairs. After she got her drugs she scurried out into the hallway; her next stop would be Shante’s apartment. But as she was coming out of Lucas’s apartment, she ran smack into Mr. Charlie.
“Oh. Hi,” Jada stammered. She didn’t know what he was doing on that floor, since he lived two floors down. But she was stunned and embarrassed that he had seen her coming out of there. Everybody in the hood knew that that was the drug spot. So Jada knew she was busted.
But to her surprise, he said, “I figured you’d be up here. Don’t be out here like one of these fiends, Jada. Don’t be smoking in the staircase and shit. Come downstairs and smoke at my place, where it’s safe.”
To say that Jada was shocked was an understatement. Her heart beat rapidly, and she was momentarily at a loss for words. So she silently followed him back to his apartment, and stood awkwardly in the living room once inside. Charlie shut the door and locked it, and he gestured toward his sofa. Jada sat down, and cleared her throat.
“I’m not about to smoke weed,” she began.
Charlie nodded. “I know what you’re smoking. Go ‘head. I won’t judge you.” Charlie went into the kitchen, leaving Jada alone. She sat there on his sofa, and smoked her woolah. Charlie let her have her space, and she sat and got high. When she was done, she felt slightly awkward.
“Umm,” Jada played with her hair, and barely met Charlie’s gaze. “Idon’t do this all the time, so I don’t have a problem. Thank you for not saying nothing to my mother. If it gets out of hand, I’ll stop—”
“Listen,” Charlie interrupted. “Everybody has their vices. Who am I to judge you for yours? But since I don’t wanna see your mother hurt, I’m trying to keep you from getting in trouble. You can’t be out there getting high off that shit in the stairways. Shante’s house is hot. Lucas’s dumb ass is up there every day, and the cops been looking at him for a while now. All your mother needs is to hear that you got arrested in a drug spot. If you wanna get high, you come here. I’d rather you do it where you’re safe.”
Jada nodded, grateful for his understanding. After that it was her routine. Jada was there every day, and Charlie let her handle her business. She would go home after school, and do what she had to do around the house in order to keep Edna quiet. Then she would go outside and cop, then head to Mr. Charlie’s apartment and smoke her woolahs. Soon the woolahs turned into straight crack pipes.
He never smoked with her, just watched her get high and go through her changes. Jada would bug out, talk to herself, sing, whatever the crack told her to do. Then she would come down and compose herself enough to go home.
Charlie was still seeing Jada’s mother throughout this period of time. He would come by every now and then, like usual. But he never let on that he knew her daughter was developing a very powerful addiction. And Edna never knew the secret between Charlie and Jada. And, as twisted as it was, Jada was grateful to Mr. Charlie for that. He kept her secrets.
5
SUGAR DADDY
1992
Charlie Harmon sat in his armchair, Al Green smoothly crooning “Let’s Stay Together” in the background, and he stared at seventeen-year-old Jada hungrily. He’d watched her get high for the thousandth time, and he knew she was twisted. He could tell by her