39. Four
Four
“So, you and the other Bible Thumper, huh?” Bradon asked with a chuckle. He took a pull of his blunt, blew the smoke from his nose, and shook his head. I looked over at him but didn’t say anything. “Yeah, I know, so ain’t no reason to deny it.”
“Who told you?” I went back to looking at his books.
I did this shit quarterly, and even though it wasn’t needed because I had full access, I decided to come to his house to see him.
Uncle Bradon had been moving differently over the last few weeks.
Quiet, not checking in, and his location was turned off more than it was on.
Even though he was a grown-ass man and didn’t need to do shit but live his life, it still had me checking in.
Laying eyes on him was the only way I could see what was really going on.
“You did,” he answered with a grunt. “The house, the location to your office, the way you started moving a few months back. It was all intentional, like you were planning for something or someone. Then, the whole blacking out thing. That shit doesn’t just happen to you.
Something had to be going on, something serious. ”
I nodded, not needing to say anything because it was true. I’d made my decision about Cori, and that was it. I closed the program I was using, sat back, and crossed my arms. “Is that a problem?” I asked. “The fact that I’m pursuing her.”
“Nah,” he denied with a shake of his head.
“I like the look on you. The way you move now ain’t just you focusing on Robert’s bitch ass.
It’s a reason I suggested you go to therapy.
I mean yeah, I should’ve put your ass in it when you first came to live with me.
That’s on me, but I’m glad you’re going now.
” Uncle Bradon stood. The grays in his hair and beard were a constant reminder that he wouldn’t be around forever.
“She has a son.”
Uncle Bradon shrugged, then ashed his blunt.
“I’m good with kids, let me play grandpa to somebody since your stubborn ass cousin won't have a kid.” He smirked.
“I gotta fight Nadine over Deuce, and you know Focus damn parents be fussing and shit when it comes to One’s baby.
Six gotta step it up. I got too much damn money to be just sitting here waiting for her to pop out a Seven or Forty-Two. ”
“Six said she ain’t ready,” I chuckled. Uncle Bradon was worse than some women when it came to wanting to be a grandfather.
We saw how much he spoiled Six; there was no doubt in any of our minds that he would go overboard with another kid around here.
One and Nine having kids were enough for us.
“And how the fuck did you come up with a Forty-Two?”
Uncle Bradon chuckled then shrugged. “It’s only so many damn numbers y’all can use, and I know my daughter, she gonna try and be different. No single digits for her.”
“You ain’t ever lied,” I replied with a nod. “But I’ll bring her and Judah by soon.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said, standing. “As a matter of fact, Judah has a karate match that I’m about to pull up on. You want to slide through with me, or you got plans?” My brows went up, and Uncle Bradon waved me off as he went to the door.
“I got something to do, but another time.”
“You sure?” I asked following him out of the office. When he moved, I noticed scratches and bite marks on his neck. “You good, Unc?”
“I’m surviving,” he answered with a nod. He looked over his shoulder at me. “And no, before you ask, I don’t want to talk about it. I’m good. Old age is just a bitch sometimes.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m good, nephew,” he said, sighing. “Now take your ass outta here so I can go about my business.”
I stood there, debating if I was going to take his word for it. Uncle Bradon wasn’t known to lie, and I had to go with that thought even though something was bothering me about the whole thing. I wiped my hand over my mouth, then nodded. “Alright.”
We dapped each other up, and I headed to the front door.
“Ay Four?” he called. I turned around to face him. “You been doing therapy, right? Not skipping sessions?”
“Yes, sir,” I answered. “I been to every damn one, putting in the work.”
“Then yeah, I want to meet this other Bible Thumper and her son. I gotta see the woman that makes you smile like that.”
“Yes, sir,” I said. I approached him, pulled him into a hug, and kissed the side of his head. “Thanks, Unc; you ain’t have to do the shit you did, but you did. For that, I’m always going to be thankful.”
“It was my job, nephew,” he said, returning my hug and patted my back. “Now get your sappy ass outta here. Go spend time with your family.”
“Yes, sir,” I chuckled and stepped back. “Catch you later.”
“I’ll be here.”
I parked my car in the parking lot, then looked around.
Judah asked me this morning to come to his match tonight.
Without even hesitating, I said yes. If he wanted me there, then I’d move mountains to make it happen.
I got out of my car, locked the doors, and headed into the building.
I looked around for the two people I was here for.
Instead of finding Cori and Judah, I noticed Psalms was being held back by Wednesday.
He was trying like hell to calm her down.
Judah stood next to her, a mug on his face and his fist balled up.
A man stood in front of them, dressed in a karate Gi, with a smug look on his face.
It was something about this nigga that rubbed me the wrong way.
I crossed the room, only stopping when I was close enough to Wednesday.
“The fuck is going on?” I asked, looking at Psalms. She was seething; the little bit of control she had snapped when she saw me. Her hand went to a slit in her skirt, and for a second, I saw the flash of something metal.
“Get Judah out of here so I can show my entire black ass,” she said, looking from me to her nephew.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her. I put Judah behind me. He was so mad I could feel him shaking.
“This muthafucka…” Psalms stopped talking, laughed, and shook her head. “This muthafucka…”
I looked at Wednesday for some answers.
“I don’t know, I just walked in and saw her pacing. I seen her like this before; it wasn’t good.” He glanced down at Judah. “What happened, big man?”
I looked over Judah to see him watching us. His brown eyes were filled with anger and sadness. I hated seeing my boy like this. I knelt, getting eye level with him. “What happened?”
“GiGi’s hurt,” Judah quickly answered. “We were being taught a new move, a kick. He pulled GiGi into the ring and kicked her.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at the instructor. “Four, he kicked her hard. She was crying.”
“Where is she?” I asked, looking around. I got here early, so the dojo was basically empty.
“In the back with mama,” he answered, pointing to the back door.
“She was crying so hard and saying her side hurt. He sent her to the back because she wouldn’t stop crying.
Mama and Auntie Bug came back from getting something out of the car and heard her crying from the back.
Mama asked what was wrong, and he said GiGi was fine. But I told Mama what happened.”
“Judah, that wasn’t your place,” the instructor said.
I’d completely forgotten about him until he spoke.
I looked over my shoulder to see him standing there glaring at Judah.
Psalms let out a humorless laugh. “Discipline and correction are needed in karate. I know your other Sensei has told you this before, and if he hasn’t, then I will be the one to teach you. ”
It was something in his eyes, that cockiness as well as the way he spoke.
This nigga wasn’t right; I don’t care what anyone else thought.
I stood, placed Judah behind me, and shook my head.
“Ain’t no reason for a grown ass man to ever hit a little girl,” I told him.
I could feel my anger starting to get the best of me, but I was holding strong.
“I kicked her,” he smugly replied. “And it wasn’t even that hard. I pulled my kick.”
“I’m not going to pull mine,” Psalms said from beside me. I glanced over to see Wednesday had finally calmed her down. They stood side by side, both with angry expressions. “As a matter of fact, the only thing that I’m going to pull slowly is my knife from your jugular as I kill you.”
“You could try,” he chuckled. “Just know, I won't hesitate to defend myself by any means necessary.”
“Good,” Corinthians said from behind me. I didn’t hear her come from the back or her approach us. Her eyes were locked on the Sensei. The front door opened, and I looked up to see the rest of the DeCortes walk in. “That means it’ll be more fun for me.”
“Oh, hell, the Ghetto Power Rangers are at it,” Krude sighed. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him lock the door and start pulling the blinds. “I don’t even know what happened, nor do I care. Ex, call a clean-up crew.”
“Judah, you and Deuce go to the back and sit with GiGi until her daddy gets here,” Corinthians said, watching the Sensei. This dumb ass nigga stood there, cocky as fuck, like his life wasn’t in danger. His focus was on Corinthians, like he was excited by the fact that she was angry.
Judah and Deuce ran to the back. Corinthians waited for the door to close before she shook her head.
I knew that relaxed demeanor, the way her eyes lost their sparkle, and that snapped something in me.
There was no way my woman, my future wife, was ever going to kill a nigga while I was next to her.
“Cori?” I called out, and she slowly turned her head to look at me. “I got it baby.”
“Oh hell, The Incredible Hulk is about to do his Hulk Smash shit,” I heard Krude mumble. “I’m too tired for this shit. Somebody kill this nigga so that we can go. I’m hungry.”
“I thought you were tired?” Judge asked him.
“I’m both, Harlot.”