Chapter 14 #2
When I hung up on Luna, I told myself that was the last time I was hitting her line.
I was low-keyboard tired of her acting like she didn’t know shit and no bullshit the guarded shit was getting old.
I mean fuck it we all had guarded moments, but damn.
Shorty was like a brick wall that was tuck pointed to the fucking gods.
I didn’t have time for that shit at all.
As soon as I looked up from my phone my eyes landed on the lil’ nigga who the streets said shot my cousin.
I wasn’t one of those niggas who broadcasted my moves, I did shit on the low and asked questions later.
Her nigga said he had it, and I had talked to him earlier this week.
I told him I’d handle old boy’s transportation and that all he needed to do was give me a destination.
The number one rule on a hit was to never brag on that shit, because a nigga felt comfortable it was always somebody like me lurking in the shadows.
I lived to catch dumb ass niggas lacking and this young one standing outside of the corner store was no different.
Old boy better have been lucky that I didn’t ram his ass with my car outside of the store.
I swear I had half a mind to do it, but dead niggas didn’t spill their guts.
I watched him all the way until he looked like he wasn’t going anywhere.
He just stood there soliciting the people driving by with his lil’ dime bags of weed.
I questioned how a nigga could go around claiming a drive by then be on foot like nothing transpired.
That was some dumb shit. Who would I not be if I didn’t teach him a lesson on it?
After watching his every move, I pulled away from where I was parked to the corner where he was.
I stopped in front of him, and immediately he approached my car even though he couldn’t see who was in the car because my windows were tinted. By the time I raised the windows down for him it was too late because I had my gun raised and aimed directly at his head.
“Get yo’ bitch ass in the car. If you even think about running I’ma put yo ass on page three of the paper and channel seven of the news.”
Immediately he threw his hands up in surrender. “I…I don’t know anything, big homie.”
“Did I ask you what you knew? I told you to get your muffin head ass in this car. Now hurry the fuck up before I end this shit for you right now.”
He didn’t say another word, instead he got his bitch ass in the car.
The moment he sat down I whacked him across the head twice with the butt of the gun.
When he was out cold I pulled off from the curb toward the location that Namari had sent me.
I wasn’t worried about him waking up or anything because it wasn’t a long ride and I wouldn’t hesitate to blow his fucking face off.
The ride was smooth and before I knew it I was pulling into a garage on the upper part of the east side. After that things seemed to happen fast. Namari had two big burly niggas pulled old boy out of my front seat and carried him toward the back of the shop, while Namari met me at my door.
“You beat that nigga’s ass or something?” he asked with pure amusement in his face.
“Had to get his ass to sleep somehow.” I got out of the car and we headed toward the back where they had taken old boy.
“Anybody see you grab him?”
“Shit I don’t know, nor do I care. We agreed on a message, right?”
Namari laughed and right when he was about to respond a voice behind us sounded.
“He’s ready, boss.”
Our conversation died and I moved toward the back of the room so I could watch things unfold rather than be a part of them.
I wasn't running this show and I was cool with that. Namari seemed more than capable of handling this on his own. I was just here because for as long as I could remember I was my sister and my cousin’s protector.
That wasn't something I planned to stop anytime soon.
If anything I'd oversee this because they were still my blood regardless of who they were messing with.
“Yeen have to kidnap me for answers, lord.” The young nigga spit from his mouth and looked directly at me.
I shrugged.
“Don't focus on him, nigga. Pay attention to me.” Namari stepped in his vision.
The boy laughed. “You're right. What's good, God?” He now spoke in a cocky tone.
“I heard you took the shots.” Namari wasn't fazed by the boy’s tone.
“Maybe I did, maybe I did—”
“Aye big Earl come take this niggas middle finger. I don't really have time for the smug shit.”
Of course, by then old boy's eyes grew as big as saucers. Before he could catch himself, he screamed. “You think you put fear in me? I'm hard body.”
Namari laughed. “Nah, yeen gotta fear me.”
Seconds later, who is soon to be Big Earl walked over with a pair of gardening shears.
Old boy didn't know what awaited him until he felt his finger being forced between the two sharp edges.
Then, before he could protest, Earl squeezed down on the handles and his finger dropped right from his hand and an agony filled yell filled the space.
“Damn, nine to go. Now, do you want to keep that smug tone or answer my fucking questions.”
The niggas eyes must have danced around the room at least five times, where he nodded his head.
“Good. Now go ahead.” Namari folded his hands across his chest.
“I didn't shoot, I just drove my uncle Req and this other nigga around. They told me it would be quick and we would just be hitting a block, but when he saw her in your whip, he lost it. The hit was only supposed to be on you.”
“Why me?” Namari questioned.
“At first Unc wanted to cop from you. Then this nigga came into the bar talking real greasy about taking your place after you died. He said he knew the ins and outs of your operation and would cut the work price if Req’s crew helped him knock you off.”
Namari nodded his head. “And you don't know the nigga’s name.”
“No, but he was in the car that night during the shooting. He looks like a gargoyle with starter locs. He put the idea in the air and they just ran with it. Old girl wasn't even a part of anything, but Unc said she played him to the left and had to learn.”
To say the build was an understatement. He sold his whole fucking crew out for a peaceful death. Now that was fucked up and the exact reason why I didn't run with anybody in these streets. I was solo for a reason. niggas couldn't be trusted; they would fold to save their own asses in a minute.
I didn't plan on telling my sister, or anybody for that matter, that I had decided to go see her there.
It wasn't that I was embarrassed or anything but I felt like this was something that I should have been worked through.
It shouldn't have been weighing so heavy on me, especially in my adult years. After we left from Namari’s spot, I went straight to the office for my first session or whatever they called it.
“How are you this evening, Mr. Jacobs?”
“I’on know, Doc, you tell me. Am I supposed to give you the rundown of my life or something?”
“If you want to share whatever you're comfortable sharing.”
I nodded. Then a silence enveloped us. “My sister said I don't know how to be alone. I'm inclined to believe her. I always find myself tangled up in fucked up situations when it comes to women.”
She nodded.
“I lowkey feel like this stems from the fact that my moms didn't care enough to stick around when I was a youngin’.”
She pursed her lips. “How old were you when she left?”
“Probably seven or eight when I watched her load up her suitcase and other belongings in the back of a yellow taxicab. I never saw her again after that.”
She nodded, then scribbled something down on the clipboard in front of her.
“Do you think my problems stem from her, too?”
“Do you?” She answered a question with a question.
“I told you I did. It's like I keep finding myself thinking about all of it.”
“Do you and your sister have a good relationship?” She looked at me for an answer.
“Of course, that's my heart.”
“So, you value her opinion?”
“Yeah, she's who I talk to about all of this.” I responded confused by her line of questioning.
“Then why come here?”
“Because I thought I should. Plus she said, I have too many situations that keep arising from my issues with attachment.”
She nodded her head. “Issues like what?”
“For starters, I got a baby on the way by a broad that I used to think I loved.”
“Used to?”
“Yeah, used to. She left me and then thought that she could just come back into my life.”
Again, the doctor nodded. “So, she abandoned you?” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
Once again, the doctor was nodding that big ass head of hers. It wasn't big in an unattractive way. It was big in a smart type of knowledge field way. “Just like your mother.”
Now it was my turn to nod. Maybe therapy wasn't that bad, but after two uninterrupted hours of having somebody pick through my brain, a nigga was tired. All that talking and no fucking had me ready to fuck a throat up. I also told my therapist that I’d cool it on the bitches, but at this point, Doc needed to realize that Rome wasn't built in a day.
Namari
Before I left the spot earlier, I watched Earl and Jackson dispose of old boy's body.
Just like all the others, they burned him in an industrial sized pit that I kept in the back.
Then I went about my day. I also needed to talk to my brother about what I knew.
I already knew what he'd say, but that ship had sailed.
I was on demon time and nothing could take me from that.
None of his lectures would work this time, no matter what he said.
“So what do you plan to do with all the information that you've come across?” he asked.
“I want everybody's life who was present in that car.”
My brother nodded. “And how do you plan to do that without causing a beef in the streets?”