Chapter 4 #3
Soon as I stepped out my whip, the heat from the sun wrapped around me, and the smell of food hit right after it mixed with smoke and whatever cologne niggas had on walkin’ past. A couple people looked over when they saw me, and I caught a few nods as I made my way down the strip.
By the time I pushed the door open to the shop, the noise inside hit me at the same time. Clippers was buzzin’, and music played loud through the speakers. Women talked on one side, and niggas joked loud as hell on the other.
The shop was split how it always was, with barbers on one side lined up with chairs full, and the salon side on the other with dryers goin’ and stylists movin’ around like they was runnin’ shit. It wasn’t just a barbershop. It was everything in one.
Soon as I stepped in, one of the niggas I always cracked on looked up and saw me. “Aww shit, look who walked in.”
I smirked, already knowin’ what time it was. “Yep. You niggas finally got some life in this bitch. I heard this shit be dry when I ain’t here.”
A couple niggas laughed, and one of ’em shook his head. “Man, shut the fuck up. You always got somethin’ to say.”
“I be tellin’ the truth,” I shot back, dappin’ him up anyway.
I moved through the shop like I always did, speakin’ to a few people before I spotted Blaqson sittin’ in one of the chairs.
“Look at this nigga,” I said, walkin’ over and dappin’ him up. “You been sittin’ here all day and still ain’t got no cut?”
“I ain’t need one,” he replied, leanin’ back like he ain’t care.
“Yeah a’ight,” I said, sittin’ in my chair while my barber got ready. “Nigga, you just like bein’ seen.”
While I was gettin’ situated, Terry walked past, and her hips moved just enough to pull attention without her even tryin’.
I looked over at her. “Aye, Tee… you still got these niggas stressin’ you out or you finally got some peace?”
She rolled her eyes but smirked anyway. “Boy, shut up.”
“Aye, I’m serious,” I said, pointin’ at her. “That bitch ass nigga ain’t came back in here on no nut shit, right?”
“Nigga, no,” she said, shakin’ her head.
Blaqson laughed. “Nigga, you knocked her baby daddy the fuck out. Why the fuck would he come back in here?”
I nodded. “At least he know what come with playin’ crazy.”
Then I pointed at Terry again, serious this time. “Tell that nigga I’mma kill him next time.”
“Renza, shut up,” she said, walkin’ off, still smilin’.
I leaned back in the chair and let my barber do his thing while I kept talkin’ shit with whoever was close enough to hear me. That was just how it went every time I stepped in here. Niggas expected it.
Halfway through my cut, I glanced across the shop and saw a lil’ boy sittin’ in the chair cryin’ while the barber tried to line him up.
I shook my head. “Aye, lil’ nigga, you gon’ have to tighten up. Ain’t nobody finna respect you cryin’ over a haircut.”
A few people laughed, and the kid sniffed, tryna get himself together.
“Hold still so he can make you look decent,” I added. “You in here actin’ like he cuttin’ yo’ arm off.”
That got a couple more laughs, and the kid finally calmed down enough for the barber to finish.
By the time I got out the chair, my cut was clean, my waves was sittin’ right, and I already felt better than I did when I walked in.
I dapped my barber up, spoke to a few more people, then stepped back outside, the heat hittin’ me as soon as I opened the door.
Soon as I got back in my whip, I grabbed my phone and texted Reni.
You need to be at the crib and dressed by 7. You rollin’ with me tonight.
She hit me back quick.
I gotta work, baby. I’m not sure if I can be home by 7, but I still wanna see you.
I smirked and typed back.
Take off. I’ll pay whatever you miss
Hmm… okay
I set my phone down after that, relit the blunt and brought it back to my lips. I pulled off, already movin’ on to the next stop with the rest of my day lined up how I wanted it.
After movin’ around all day, I met up with Blaqson and my potna Sadee, and we stayed out longer than we probably should’ve, ridin’ through the island, stoppin’ at a few spots, checkin’ on people and talkin’ shit the way we always did.
It wasn’t nothin’ planned about it. That’s just how we moved when we linked up.
One stop turned into two, then into a whole run across Trill-Land before I even realized how late it was gettin’.
By the time we finally went our separate ways, the sky had already started droppin’ into that early night glow, and the streets had that energy where everything picked up instead of slowin’ down.
Lights from the stores and food spots lined the strip with music drifting out into the air, and people was still outside like the day wasn’t nowhere near over.
Soon as I got back in my whip, my phone lit up with Reni’s name across the screen, and I already knew what time it was before I even opened it. I glanced at the time and saw 6:50 p.m., and that ten minute window I had left made me sit back for a second before I unlocked my phone.
I typed back quick and kept it simple, lettin’ her know I was on my way and that I was stoppin’ at Auntie Rue’s Sugar House real quick to grab some cookies before I came to get her.
I ain’t think nothin’ else of it after that.
In my head, I was about to be in and out, talk my shit with Auntie Rue for a minute, grab what I needed, and keep it pushin’.
Soon as I pulled up to the shop, everything looked normal from the outside. The lights was on with the smell of fresh baked cookies still in the air even before I stepped in.
It was one of them places that had been here longer than most of the buildins around it, and people respected it the same way they respected Auntie Rue. She was in her sixties but cooler than a fan.
I pushed the door open, already halfway ready to say somethin’ slick to her before she could say it to me, but the second I stepped inside, I caught the tone of what was goin’ on, and that shit ain’t sit right with me at all.
Auntie Rue was on the other side of the counter, goin’ back and forth with her overgrown ass nephew Melo.
The way he was talkin’ to her made my whole mood switch before I even moved another step.
He was standin’ too close with his voice raised like he forgot who he was talkin’ to.
Auntie Rue wasn’t backin’ down from him either, even though she had no business havin’ to stand there like that in her own shop.
Melo was a twenty-seven-year old ass bum. I had heard about him takin’ money before; lil’ shit here and there that Auntie Rue tried to brush off or handle quietly, but seein’ him standin’ in front of her like that, talkin’ reckless, had me already movin’ before I even thought about it.
“You been stealin’ from me, and I’m sick of it!” She was sayin’, her voice tight, but she wasn’t yellin’ just to yell. She was standin’ on what the fuck she knew.
“I ain’t took shit,” he shot back, loud and disrespectful, like he ain’t grow up under her.
I stepped closer, not sayin’ nothin’ at first, but just watchin’ how he carried himself, and the more I looked at it, the more I ain’t like it. It wasn’t just the words. It was the way he leaned into her space and moved like he ain’t have no type of respect for who she was.
“Aye,” I said, my voice cuttin’ through that shit without me raisin’ it.
He barely glanced at me, like I wasn’t even here, and that told me I was most likely gon’ have to get active.
“Aye,” I repeated, and this time I ain’t move my eyes off him.
Auntie Rue kept talkin’, still pressin’ him about the money. And instead of steppin’ away like he should’ve, he got frustrated and pushed her back like she was in his way.
She stumbled back into one of the racks behind her, and trays of cookies dropped from the impact, hittin’ the floor in a mess that shouldn’t have never happened.
I ain’t even remember closin’ the distance between us…
Next thing I knew, I had my hand fisted in his shirt, draggin’ his dumb ass over the counter like he ain’t weigh shit. When his feet hit the ground on my side, I let him go just long enough for him to realize where he was before I slapped the fuck outta him and dropped him right at my feet.
“What the fuck wrong with you?” I asked, my voice low, but it carried enough that he heard every bit of it.
He tried to push himself up, probably off instinct more than anything, and I stepped into it and kicked him in his face before he could even get halfway there.
“Nigga, is you cool?” I asked, lookin’ down at him. “That’s yo’ auntie you just knocked down.”
His lip split open on impact, and I could see it already bleedin’ and swellin’, but I ain’t feel no type of way about it. If anything, I felt myself gettin’ more irritated the longer I stood here lookin’ at him.
“Nigga, it’s bad enough you almost thirty, workin’ in a fuckin’ bakery, and you stealin’ too?” I went on. “Then you put yo’ hands on yo’ auntie? What type of dick you smokin’?”
He looked up at me, his eyes flickin’ around like he was thinkin’ about sayin’ somethin’, but he knew better. He knew he wasn’t built to stand in front of me, especially after I slid his ass over that counter.
I stepped back just enough to give him space to get up, but I stayed right here, watchin’ him.
“Get up,” I said. “And get the fuck out.”
“I ain’t leavin’ without my shit,” he muttered, tryna gather himself, but his pride was already gone. He ain’t have it no more.
“You gon’ leave with what I tell you to leave with, nigga,” I replied, lookin’ at him straight. “And right now, that’s just you and that ass whoopin’ you just got.”
Auntie Rue was standin’ off to the side, breathin’ heavily with one hand braced against the counter while she waved the other toward the door.
“Melo, just get the hell out,” she said, her voice tired.
He looked between us for a second, then finally turned and walked out without sayin’ another word.
I watched him go, makin’ sure he actually left before I turned my attention back to her.
“You a’ight?” I asked, already movin’ toward her.
“I’m fine,” she said, even though I could hear the strain in it.
I shook my head. “Nah, you need to start keepin’ somethin’ on you. Next time that nigga put his hands on you, you need to let one off in his ass.”
She looked at me like I was crazy, but she smiled anyway. “Lawd.”
I let out a laugh, then looked around at the mess and started helpin’ her pick everything back up.
We spent the next hour cleanin’ the place up, gettin’ the trays back right, and throwin’ out what couldn’t be saved. By the time we was done, it almost looked like nothin’ happened.
“Ain’t no way I just worked a whole shift in here,” I said, wipin’ my hands off. “You owe me some free cookies for this.”
She laughed, that real laugh that came from deep. “Boy, you always tryna get somethin’.”
She walked over and handed me a box of cookies that was still warm, then leaned up and kissed my cheek. “Thank you, baby.”
I nodded. “I’ll be back in a few days, and I better not see that nigga in here.”
“You won’t,” she replied.
I stepped out after that, got back in my whip, and reached for my phone, already thinkin’ about headin’ to Reni.
Soon as I saw the time, I knew I fucked up. It was past eight.
I rubbed my hand over my face, already knowin’ she been sittin’ there waitin’, and I ain’t said nothin’ since that last text.
“Damn,” I muttered, startin’ the car and pullin’ off.
I made it to her crib quicker than I should’ve, but I wasn’t thinkin’ about that. When I got to her door, I used the spare key. I noticed the top lock wasn’t locked, and I was grateful. I stepped inside and found her exactly where I knew she was gon’ be.
She was sittin’ on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand, already in her night clothes, and the look she gave me when I walked in told me I was late in more ways than one.
“I left my phone in the car,” I said, walkin’ in and settin’ the cookies down. “I got caught up helpin’ Auntie Rue and lost track of time.”
She ain’t say shit.
“Why you ain’t dressed?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“I’m not goin’ nowhere with you,” she replied, her voice calm, but that shit felt colder than her yellin’ ever did.
I nodded once. “A’ight. I get that. But come on, just roll with me. Pluto want you over there. Everybody over there chillin’.”
“I don’t care about none of that, Renza,” she said, takin’ another sip. “If you wanna go, then go. I’m stayin’ here.”
I stood still for a second, then walked over and sat down, runnin’ my hand down my face.
“I had to put hands and feet on Auntie Rue’s retarded ass nephew,” I said, lookin’ at her. “That’s why I’m late, baby.”
“It don’t matter,” she replied.
She wasn’t loud or goin’ off like she normally would. She wasn’t even lookin’ at me like she wanted to argue. She just ain’t care, it seemed like.
My phone buzzed in my hand, and when I looked down, it was Pluto.
Y’all still comin?
I stared at the message for a second, then typed back.
Nah. She not feelin’ good.
Oh… I hope she feel better.
Appreciate it
I replied real simple, knowin’ damn well I wasn’t bein’ real about the situation.
I locked my phone and set it down, leanin’ back into the couch while I looked over at Reni.
She kept her eyes on her glass, and once again, I ain’t have nothin’ to say that was gon’ fix it.