Terror Firsthand #26: Shady Business in Chi Town

 ©Terror Firsthand is a fictional blog series that was created in 2024. It is for entertainment purposes only, and I wrote it from the top of my head. Photos are reenactments and dramatization. The following story is for mature audiences only. Please, do not try any thing dangerous at home. 

Warning: extreme terror

Terror Firsthand: Shady Business in Chi Town 

Big Ski woke up at the crack of dawn like he did before I asked him if I could go with him to the hoe house that day. He didn't cook breakfast this time. He just grabbed a bottle of Rose and started drinking it first thing in the morning, something I don't do anymore. Drinking first thing in the morning is extremely dangerous and usually leads to criminal activity. Drinking in the evening is much safer, I learned.

After he gulped the whole bottle of Rose down, he said something that I didn't expect him to say. 

"You know what, I can't believe I'm telling you this, but I'm tired of pimping." He said. 

"What!? Really? So you're going to let all 891 women go?" I asked him. 

"No I didn't say that. I'm going to sell the business to Marc and get out. I'm going to start a gang instead. I think I want to go harder." Said Big Ski. 

"I can't believe you're talking like that. That doesn't sound like the pimp I know." I replied.

"Yeah. My decision is already made. Marc wants the whole entire stable, and he has the money. He's selling the gym." Said Big Ski with authority in his voice.

"How much is he buying the stable for?" I asked.

"1 million dollars." He said.

"Oh wow, that's alot of money." I replied. 

"Yeah I think I'm going to open up a clothing store and be a full time Crip." He said.

"That sounds boring. No disrespect." I said.

"And I'm going to buy you a Botanica and a cannabis store." He said.

"No disrespect Daddy Ski, but I don't want a Botanica anymore. I don't want a cannabis store either." I said, with a sad look on my face.

"Well we'll have a million dollars. What the f*ck do you want?" He asked me, looking confused. 

"Tipsy Hustle did all that and he still was k'd. I can't live with the agony." I said. 

"You're not Tipsy Hustle. You have nothing to worry about. You're with me and this is Chicago baby, not Los Angeles. You don't have to go back over there if you don't want to. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He said, sounding irritated.

"Yeah right. You did all that to me at the hoe house. How the f*ck am I supposed to trust you?! Those hoes ain't letting you go either. Even if you sell the business. I saw how clingy those women are. They know you're Big Daddy Ski with all the money and they are not going to back down." I replied, sounding more sad by the minute. 

"Look. You don't worry about that. You don't want to run a business? Fine. I'll just give you money to shop at someone else's business then. Okay?" He said.

"Never mind, I'll go head and run the cannabis store. What's all this talk about being Crip? What's the purpose of that?" I asked.

"Because I have to be tougher than these niggas. That's why. They love to beef with me over my stable. I have one of the largest running stables in America. Those hoes come from all walks of life." Big Ski stated.

"Oh. So if you become a Crip do you think that they'll respect you?" I asked.

"Yes they will. They not going to have a f*cking choice. Now go get ready to make that music video and get on your grind. Put a f*cking blue bandana on why don't you. Get to work. And then go shopping by yourself. You don't need these grimy ass hoes. They're not your friends." He said, while handing me another stack of dirty ass money that I accepted. 

He kissed me on the cheek and left to go do some shady ass business with Marcus Goldman. I took the money and then went to a studio to record the fu*king video. I was so hungover from the night before. I started watching a hood vlog on YouTube after the shoot but I didn't learn anything. The only thing I learned is that people are still fake, and that I need to stay out of their hood! 

After I finished filming the Crip music video at the studio, I sat in the penthouse with the blue bandana on. Big Ski came back an hour later with a blue bandana wrapped around his fu*king head. He stopped sounding like a pimp and started sounding more like a Crip. He was talking regular and started changing B's into C's. 

"So how did business go with Marcus Goldman?" I asked.

"It went fine. He brought the stable." He said. Then he pulled out 1 million dollars in hard cold cash.

"It's all for me and you baby." He said. 

"Why didn't you just be in my video?" I asked.

"I'm sorry. You want me to be in your video? Maybe next time. I just stopped by to check on you. I'm about to go buy this cannabis store. How bout you name it?" He asked. Nigga started looking like a shady business dealer.

"Ummm. How about La Botanica Marijuana." I said, while laughing.

"La Botanica Marijuana it is!" He said. "The grand opening is going to be next week. And you were right. The clothing store is boring. I'll just stick to the weed. I'll put your merch in there. I'll sell your CDs, DVDS, and books to the customers." 

"Um okay thanks but I hope they don't start hating. I'm still scared about all the rappers dying and going to prison and s*it." I said, with real terror in my heart.

"Like I said, they not going to hate on you baby you're with me. I promise. You my bottom bi*ch. Okay?" Said Big Ski. 

"Nigga I don't look like the bottom b*tch type. I'm La Negra Reina, not La Negra Puta." I said.

"Ok. You're my Negra Reina then." He said. Then he got down on one knee and pulled out a small box. 

He looked like he was about to pop the question but I knew that couldn't be the case.

He handed me the box and I opened it. Inside it was a key. 

"I already brought the La Botanica Marijuana tienda for you. Let me go show you where it is." He said. I hopped in the Tesla with him and drove to a shady looking building. It was about a hundred niggas standing outside wearing all white with blue bandanas on. I was the only female in sight.

"I'm scared!" I said.

"Just get out of the car and act normal. Let's go in. Those niggas are just waiting on me to cut the ribbon, that's all." Said Big Ski. 

"But I thought you said the grand opening was next week?" I asked.

"That's when I'll be naming the store. The weed is already in there. And they are ready to buy. You're asking too many questions. Just do as Daddy Ski say girl. You'll be alright." Said Big Ski. 

I'm surprised none of his little prostitutes from the hoe house were out there standing around. That's good. I knew that they would be around nagging him eventually though. 

He was wearing all white, and so was I. I couldn't believe there were so many Crips in Chicago. It felt like Los Angeles all over again. I didn't want to compare the two cities but I had no choice. 

When I first walked inside, there were cameras and lights everywhere. I felt like a local celebrity almost, but I knew I was just a regular rapper. 

"Sit down and talk to the press while I handle these niggas orders." Said Big Ski.

I stood up and started talking to one of the reporters.

"Hi how are you?" I asked.

"I'm fine. So why are you here in a dispensary with Big Ski?" Ask the journalist with no name.

"First of all what is your name? Y'all asking me questions and s*it and I don't even know y'all."  I said.

"My name is Tiffany Gonzalez." Said the female reporter.

"And my name is Johnathan Johnson." Said the other man.

"I'm in a dispensary with Big Ski because I am part owner of this shop now." I replied.

"So how do you feel about the Tipsy Hustle situation?" Asked Tiffany.

"I feel like that's what happens when you are a Crip. You either die or go to jail. That's life." I responded.

"So whose side are you on? The victim or the shooter?" Asked Johnathan.

"The only side I'm on is Crip. I can't be picking and choosing. No one was a wanna be Crip in that situation. They were both real." I said, sounding irritated. 

I just wanted all those cameras out of my face. I wasn't prepared for all that. It's not like I was warned. 

"So how long have you been a Crip for and what side do you think you're going to end up on?" Asked Tiffany.

"I've been a Crip for over a decade. I haven't been active for the last 6 years. Basically I was only active for about 5 years. I'm from the East Coast, what do you expect? And why y'all bringing up old stuff? I'm going to end up on the Crip side! Like I just said!" I answered.

"Do you have schizophrenia?" Johnathan asked.

"No, I have never been diagnosed with full blown schizophrenia and I'm tired of clearing up the same questions for y'all. I've said all of this to the public before. Why isn't anyone listening to me?" I asked. 

"But you do hear voices right?" Asked Tiffany.

"Yes I do and it don't matter what they say. Mind y'all business." I said, and got up from the interview and walked over to Big Ski.

"Yo I can't take this. I don't like those kind of press people. Please get them out of here!" I said.

"Baby they just wanna know why all those Crips out there for the grand opening that's all." Said Big Ski.

Then one of the reporters walked over to me and started pointing a camera in my face. I grabbed a blue folder that was laying on the register and blocked my face. I hurried up and rushed out of the store and they followed me all the way to the car. I got inside and drove away and went back to the penthouse, leaving Big Ski there with them.

Soon I pulled up, I thought the coast was clear. There was no one in sight. Soon I got out of the Tesla, reporters started trying to follow me into the penthouse, while asking me stupid questions. I grabbed my messenger bag, and hid my face while walking into the door.

"Is it true that you've been arrested over 10 times?"

"How many people did you violently assault?" 

"How many Crips do you really know?" 

"Are you planning on harming yourself or someone else?" 

"Are you hearing voices right now?" 

"Have you ever been in a relationship with a female?" 

"Are you going to keep accepting money from Big Ski's illegal operation?" 

I couldn't believe it. All of that because Big Ski became a millionaire. It was so stupid. The answer to those questions are yes, 0, none, no, yes, hell f*cking no, and I don't know. 

"Get off my property!" I yelled to the nosey reporters. 

"But this is not your property! It belongs to someone else!" I heard one of them say, as I rushed inside the penthouse and slammed the f*cking door. 

Walking into the penthouse 

I wanted to get out of that penthouse. I no longer felt safe. I knew Big Ski was coming back soon, and I knew he would complain if I up and leave without saying anything, so I just sat at the table crying. I couldn't believe that his illegal operation had attracted so much attention. He acted like he didn't even care. He didn't even tell them to f*ck off.

A few minutes later, I received a phone call. It was the penthouse landlord. 

"I want you two out of this penthouse in 24 hours! I know about your little sleezy operation! I want you two out! I won't accept your dirty money!" Said the landlord, whose name was Jesús.

"What does that have to do you with you!?" I asked, crying even harder.

"I don't want any negative attention! I want you out! So call your little pimp and tell him to find you somewhere else to live! And who told you that you could leave a dog in the house!? You should be lucky I didn't call animal control! No pets!" He screamed, and then slammed the phone down. 

I immediately started packing and then I started looking for another place to stay. It was obvious that the place needed to be owned, not rented, to avoid further landlord problems. I didn't find one. I called Big Ski, but he didn't answer. I assumed he was busy. I sat around realizing that Big Ski didn't want me anymore because I ran out of the store. I drove back up there with Big C and walked in. He was talking to another woman, and I even saw him kiss her on the cheek. She was light skin and a lot younger than me. 

"Big Ski, what's up?" I said.

"Can't you see I'm in the middle of something? If you want to work, get to work! I know you know how to use a cash register don't you?! And if I catch you stealing, you know that's going to end ugly!" He said. "Make a decision La Negra Reina. Do you want to work here or not!?" 

"Yes Daddy Ski. I'll work here." I replied. Then I went to the cash register and started taking orders.

"Great! If you don't work you don't eat!" He yelled. 

Big Ski had so many women, that his attitude changed up alot. I thought he was with me, but obviously I was on my own. I knew that the stack he had given me was going to run out, and I needed a place to live. 

Big Ski left the building with the young light skin girl, who had two friends sitting outside in a blue Lamborghini and they had long hair and blue bandanas tied around their heads, and they had on a bunch of iced out jewelry and Goyard, and I didn't even get to tell him that I was evicted. I put Big C in the back in the office area. There were cameras all over the place. I wanted to take my blue bandana off, because I was embarrassed by those stank looking hoes in the Lambo. That's when I received a text from Big Ski.

Don't take that bandana off either. He said in the message. 

I didn't reply. I did not want to be around that phoney nigga anymore. I just wanted to be rich and glamorous too at that point. I knew he was playing the living daylights out of me, but he was the only source of money I had. I didn't want to be needy.

Big Ski lied to me. He was just drunk! He was not tired of pimping by a long shot. I don't even know if he really sold the hoe house to Marcus Goldman or not. I don't even know where he really got the million dollars. He could've been lying about that too, just like he lied about not knowing Marcus Goldman at first. 

There was a list of company rules right by the register that I started reading. I then learned that the dispensary would be open for 24 hours a day.

"What the f*ck! I'm going to have to run this place by myself or he is going to replace me!" I said. 

I knew right then and there that it wasn't going to work out. I would still have no freedom. When would I be able to rest? What if someone came in and robbed the place? He said I would be safe, but with a shiesty nigga like Big Ski, you never kno, and if he eventually hired guards with attitudes anything like the ones at the hoe house, I knew that they wouldn't like me either. 

Big Ski had too many women. I'm sure they wanted my spot. I'm sure they would rather be working at the cannabis dispensary instead of the hoe house, and I knew that if I made one wrong move, I would be fired - or worse- he would put me back in there. I didn't want neither of that to happen. I wanted to meet some more men, so I could become more independent, but I knew they wouldn't have the same amount of money or power as Big Ski. 

Back inside La Botanica Marijuana tienda in Chi Town