Chapter 2 Ketai Kingston
The sound of my engine purring relaxed me.
I merged onto the interstate and pressed the pedal to the floor.
I dodged in and out of traffic like laws or speed limits weren’t a thing.
Some people honked their horns at me because of how close I was cutting it every time I switched lanes. I chuckled without a care in the world.
My music stopped blasting when a call from my sister came through.
“Yes, Katana?” I answered, already annoyed.
The girl had been on my phone, irritating me all day about my mama’s surprise birthday party.
She was acting like she couldn’t make any decisions without me, so I was stuck with helping her choose cutlery, decorations, and the menu, like I gave a damn about any of it.
I just wanted to fund it, but no. Tana was determined to involve me.
“Unt unh. Don’t be answering the phone like I’m getting on your nerves or something,” she replied after sucking her teeth.
“Um, you are. You are literally getting on my nerves. What you want now? I’m already on the way.”
She chuckled. “Okay, good. I just wanted to make sure you were still coming.”
I shook my head, cutting off a Honda that looked like it was one putt-putt away from giving out.
I saw the girl in the driver’s seat flick me off through my tint, causing me to chuckle.
I was a menace behind the damn wheel, so I jumped in front of her and slowed completely down.
When she tried to get over into the left lane, I hopped over and did the same thing.
This was pure entertainment to me and made driving that much more fun.
“Tai, are you even listening to me?”
“Nah, I ain’t,” I replied honestly.
“You get on my damn nerves. I said I found this floor decal I want to order for the party.”
I shrugged as if she could see me. “Okay, order it then, girl. Why you bothering me for real?”
“’Cause I miss you.”
I finally eased up on the girl with the fucked-up Honda and shot off like a rocket. “You a I miss you lie. Yo’ ass wants something.”
I only made it about half a mile down the road when I heard sirens behind me. I huffed a breath and slowly eased onto the shoulder. I flopped back in my seat, already knowing what time it was. I rolled the window down as the state trooper strolled toward my car with a smug grin.
“Good evening, Mr. Kingston.” He greeted me by name without needing any identification.
I glanced to the right and saw it was Officer Striker. I couldn’t even say how many times this man had pulled me over. You’d think he was the only trooper in the damn city. I knew for a fact he loved it whenever my car came up on his speed radar. It was a guaranteed payday every time.
I sighed. “Can you hurry this up and write me the damn ticket?”
He chuckled. “You don’t get tired of paying speeding tickets?”
“You don’t get tired of writing them?” I replied smartly.
“Not when the name Kingston is on them.” He thumped his fist on the top of my car. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Don’t do that shit again!” I yelled out.
He never asked for my license or registration because these cops knew me by name. All of my paperwork was official and up-to-date. The only thing they could ever do was write me a ticket, and since I was having my way, I just paid them off. It was like rinse and repeat at this point.
“Who the hell were you talking to?” Katana asked.
I forgot her ass was on the phone because she’d gotten so quiet, with her nosy ass. “I know you were listening. You don’t know how to mind your own business.”
“You are my big brother. Therefore, you are my business. Yo’ ass needs to stop driving like a maniac.”
I allowed my eyes to drift closed. “And yo’ ass needs to stop calling me to waste my time. You don’t got a man you can sit on the phone with?” I teased her.
“Fuck you, Tai. You always actin’ like you don’t want to be bothered by me, but let me go missing on your ass. You be blowing my phone up like you my man.”
I chuckled. “’Cause you don’t get to ignore me. I do the ignoring in this siblinghood. Hell wrong with you.”
I heard the scraping off Striker’s boots sliding across the rocks and opened my eyes. He was standing there with a ticket in his hand. I snatched it from him. “Took you long enough. See you same time next month,” I joked.
I didn’t wait around for him to respond as I peeled away, being sure to kick up as much dust as I could on his bitch ass.
That nigga was getting fat off all the tickets he was writing me.
Katana cackled on the other end of the phone.
“You need to stop talking to them people crazy ’fore they haul your ass downtown. ”
“Shit, a nigga can’t go to jail for having a smart mouth.”
She scoffed. “Boy, you forgot this America. A nigga can go to jail for breathing. Be for real. They just like the fact that you got money. They rather get it out of you that way than to lock your Black ass up.”
I knew she was right. Even the judge had said as much the last time I was there. Other than loving to push my foreign engine to the maximum speed, I really was a law-abiding citizen. It was more beneficial for them to keep me on the streets and pull me over every opportunity they got.
“Anyways, I ordered the decal. This party is going to be so cute. You’re sure Mama doesn’t know, right?”
“She doesn’t have a clue. She thinks I’m taking her to the spa.”
“I mean, you’re still doing that, right?”
I nodded as if she could see me before responding. “Yeah, she’s going to spend the day getting pampered before her party, so make sure you book all the appointments.”
Katana clapped her hands together excitedly. “Right! I’m going to do that tomorrow. I’m excited like this party is for me. Hurry up and get here so we can start on this balloon arch.”
“Man, I don’t understand why you couldn’t just hire a party decorator to do it.” I mugged her as if she was sitting in the car with me. Katana never respected my time. Instead of delegating this shit off to someone qualified, she wanted to drag me along for the hell of it.
“Because sibling bonding time, duh.”
See what I mean! “Whatever you say. Do you need me to stop anywhere? Because I’m almost there.”
It was like I could hear the gears in her mind spinning. “Well, since you asked. I have a whole list. Thank ya!”
I mentally cursed myself for even asking.
Katana was the neediest sister to ever exist. Even worse was that she knew, after I talked shit, I would always do whatever she was requesting of me.
She was only three years younger than me at twenty-seven and swore she was the boss of somebody.
After our father passed away a few years ago, I stepped up to make sure she and my mother never lacked anything.
When I was in high school, I had no clue what I would do with my life.
I ended up going for my real estate license when I graduated on a whim and started making bank.
Now that I was in the wholesale market, I was getting paid more to do less work.
And you gotta know my girls were reaping the benefits.
“You added the flyer to Eventbuzz, right?” she asked me.
“Yes, Katana. The family has already started rsvp’ing, so can you please relax?” I heard my phone ping and looked down to see the list Katana sent me. “Why Mama need condoms for her party?” I asked with a frown on my lips. What the fuck?
My sister chuckled. “Oh, no, boo, those are for me.”
“Bye, man.” I hung up that phone so damn fast she never got a chance to say anything else. I tossed my phone in the passenger seat, even though I saw Tana calling me back. She had better tread lightly before I took my ass home, and she’d be forced to put that balloon arch together on her own.
Twinski : Okay, okay my bad mr. grumpy pants. That wasn’t funny. Forget the condoms but get everything else please. Thank you! Love you favorite brother!
“Only brother,” I mumbled. I honestly couldn’t wait for this party business to be over so I could go back to my regularly scheduled program.
I should’ve been on my way to a little bar for some wings and a few shots of whiskey.
It was a week away, so I would be free from the grasp of Katana’s planning and micromanaging.
“One week, Tai. One week.” I encouraged myself to push through because my mama was worth it.
After losing my father, she was always a little sad these days. Celebrating herself with the people she loved most was going to lift her spirits. And that was why I pulled into the Walmart parking lot, ready to check everything off Katana’s list.