Monday, May 3, 2010

The Lfe

Leo's stomach took up all of his lap. His hair, what was left of it was just a rim around the back of his head. It looked like the smile on a happy face. His tired eyes signed more poignantly than the sound that came out of his mouth.

"When I was nineteen, I came to New York from the south. I had never been in a big city before but I knew I could make it. I didn't use drugs and it look too dangerous to sell them. Besides, there was too much competition. I didn't think I wanted to fight it. I knew that the one thing I did know about was the ladies. I knew how to love them. You wouldn't believe it but I was one of the most successful pimps in New York. I has seventeen beautiful women on the street and each one of them loved me. I took good care of my ladies and they took good care of me. I used to go to the barber shop every day to get my hair trimmed.. I was down to my shoulders and I was very particular the way it looked. It was my trade mark.

Every two years or so, I would take all of my ladies to the Players Continenal Ball. Pimps from all of over the world came to the ball. Each on eof us would dress our ladies in the finest clothes, furs, and jewels. The men would have all their clothes tailor made by the best. Everybody tried to outshine everybody else. It was a great time. I had it all.

Then one day a new lady came to work for me. This beautiful young woman came from Philadelphia. She had lovely long red hair. Her eyes were green and she could see into my heart. Fool that I was, I opened my heart to her. My mistake. My downfall. No one can fool a lady. They know when your heart goes wandering. None of my ladies were jealous when they knew I loved them all but they all got jealous when they knew I loved just one.

My beautiful Maie knew that she had me and soon she was showing off to all the other ladies. It didn't take too much time before the ladies began to drift off. I was too much of a gentleman to threaten them or hurt them so I let them leave.

For awhile, I thought that I might settle down with my beautiful Marie. I had some money set aside. I even thought we might get married and have a baby or two. I was seriously in love. I started to talk to Marie about our future. By that time all my other ladies had found other careers or other people to love. When Marie saw that they were all gone and it was just us, she was very surprised. Hey Leo, she said, "I really liked being that best of all your ladies but I don't like to be your only lady. I guess I'll be moving out too."

With her gone, I was never the same again. I guess I can't take rejection. I just let myself fall apart. I went from one hustle to another, from one slide bid to another. I really thought I knew the ladies but I guess no one does."

Leo left the office. As he left, his bald head had just a little rim of hair. I looked like the grin on a smiley face. I saw him now and again and we would talk for awhile. Whenever I hear a real deep sigh, I remember Leo.

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