Chapter 12
“I’m ready for you to come home. I know you’re probably tired of me saying it. I’m literally counting down the years until they free the realest. I can’t wait until you’re eligible for an appeal because we’re going to do everything we can to get you out.”
I was visiting with my big brother, and it was exactly what I needed to cheer me up.
The last couple of days were hard on me, as it was the anniversary of him being locked up.
I replayed that night in my head over a million times, trying to figure out what I could have done differently to change the outcome.
I had been living the same nightmare on repeat for years, but it was almost time for things to come back together.
“You don’t need to stress about it. Everything is gonna work out the way it’s supposed to.
I honestly haven’t thought much about it.
I’ve been too busy focusing on my music.
Being signed to a real label is a huge deal.
I still can’t believe this shit is really about to happen. I swear it feels like a dream.”
I beamed with pride while he spoke about his budding career.
Keynauri used to sit in his room for hours making beats and writing songs in his notebook.
When he told me they found a way for him to record music while he was in prison, I told him to give it everything he had.
He did exactly that, and his mixtapes started trending on local and mainstream radio stations.
He went to prison as Keynauri Joseph, and he would be leaving as Bankroll Keyz, the hottest new artist in the rap game.
I was excited for his reveal because I had been holding his identity for years. My girls loved his music, but I couldn’t say anything without exposing his secret. The world wasn’t ready for the type of hunger my brother produced inside of him.
“I’m ready for all of the exclusive parties. I never thought I would be the sister to a celebrity, and now I can use your name to get special treatment.”
“Man, watch out. You don’t need my clout to get anywhere. From what I heard, you’re already making a name for yourself on the club scene and social media.”
I gave him a side-eye because it felt like a lecture was on the horizon. East made his feelings about the situation known from the very beginning, and I was sure my brother shared his sentiments.
When Summyah approached me about doing club hostings, I was on the fence, but then I realized it was no different from what I already did.
My girls and I went out almost every other weekend and kicked it, so I didn’t see what the harm was for me to get paid for partying.
East didn’t say much about it at first, but once we made things official, he expressed his concerns.
In his mind, I needed to focus on school, and since money wasn’t an issue, he didn’t understand why I had to go to every event presented to me.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me. I’m not tryna tell you what to do with your life, but I won’t pretend to be excited about certain shit. I’m not out there to protect you, so I’m always concerned when you do things where your safety could be at risk.”
“Nauri, I go to the club all of the time, and nothing ever happens. I mean, there may be a few fights here and there, but it’s nothing security can’t stop.
All I do is show up, drink, and smoke hookah on somebody else’s dime and then take my ass home.
It doesn’t get any easier than that,” I explained.
It was the same speech I gave Essex when he approached me about the situation.
He kept going on and on about safety concerns, as if he wouldn’t air any club out on my behalf.
“I get it, and I’m tryna be understanding because you’re young and still living your life.
I guess my concern is that you can’t predict the unpredictable.
You aren’t only doing gigs locally. There might not be as many shootings at our hometown clubs, but you don’t know what could pop off while you’re in unfamiliar territory.
With East and Logic traveling back and forth for their business ventures, I can’t guarantee your safety at all times.
That shit keeps me up at night because I promise I’ll spazz out in this bitch if anything happens to you. ” Keynauri huffed.
I relaxed my shoulders and took a moment to regulate my breathing.
One thing I knew for sure was that my brother supported me.
His concerns weren’t completely unreasonable, but I didn’t want to live my life based on a hypothetical situation.
Tragedies happened everywhere, and staying in the house wouldn’t guarantee my safety.
“I hear you, and Logic hooked me up with a company that supplies bodyguards. The owner of the company is named Big Moe, and that nigga is huge. He has personally escorted me to a few hostings, and his team is thorough as hell. You don’t have anything to worry about, and if I felt as if I was unsafe, I wouldn’t hesitate to let you or your boneheaded friends know it.
I have a baby to make it home to, so safety is also my number one concern,” I assured him.
Keynauri stared at me for a while until his face finally softened.
His smile was infectious, and I could feel myself growing emotional.
No matter what he went through behind these walls, he made sure I was safe.
Even when I lived with our sorry ass auntie, Keynauri looked out for me.
There weren’t very many people in the world who loved me, but his love was something I never had to doubt or question.
“What are those grades looking like?”
I smirked, knowing I was really killing shit.
“I made the dean’s list last semester. I would be graduating this time next year.
I’ve been studying business administration, but I’m minoring in social media management.
Honestly, the money I’ve been getting for these hosting gigs made me realize how beneficial and lucrative social media is.
I’ve been making content of my daily life as a club host and a mommy, and it has blown up.
“I started a YouTube channel a few months ago, and I already have two hundred thousand followers. I’m literally making money in my sleep, and all I have to do is record the things I do in my normal, everyday life.”
“Oh, yeah? I think I’ve heard about people making money online. You know I don’t care for the camera shit, but my manager has already made it clear that once I’m free, I’ll have to start making appearances and establish myself online. I told her to hire someone else to do it.”
I chuckled at the frown etched on Nauri’s face.
My brother was one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen.
He possessed the same deep blue eyes as I did, but his skin was the color of mahogany and smooth like the richest chocolate.
The ladies in our city were crazy over him when we were young, so I could only imagine how things were gonna be when he came out as Bankroll Keyz.
It made me laugh sometimes because he was downright gorgeous, but he hated attention.
I wondered how things were gonna work when he got back into the real world.
“Well, if you need help with your content, I’m your girl. I can’t wait to make a post on my page, because if the bitches hated me before, they are definitely gonna choke when they realize I’m related to the infamous Keyz.”
Honestly, there was a part of me that didn’t want to share him.
Of course, I was proud of his accomplishments, but I selfishly wanted to have him to myself when he was released.
His team was already gearing up for him to tour and do all these shows and interviews.
All I wanted to do was crawl into my brother’s arms and fall asleep like I used to do.
I didn’t want Bankroll Keyz; I wanted Keynauri. My protector.
“I’m proud of you, L-boogie. Life fucked us up, but every time I see you growing and shining, it reminds me that all this was for a purpose.
You motivate me to go hard because I want to give you the life you deserve.
You and my niece deserve to live good lives, and I plan to make sure that happens.
Keyami might be my only child, but you’ll always be my first baby. I love you, baby girl.”
My bottom lip quivered because I knew the end of our visit was coming, and I wanted to prolong it as much as possible.
It wasn’t fair that our lives had been restricted to short phone calls and scheduled visits.
I didn’t think it was possible to hate Tone any more than I already did, but then I thought about everything my brother lost trying to protect his family.
“I love you, too. I wish I could break you out of this bitch, but instead, I’m gonna continue to count down the time until I get to hug you the way I want to.
I’m sure your boys will be planning to throw you a party to celebrate, but I want us to take a trip together.
Just you, me, and Noodle. I want some time to myself, where you don’t have to wear any other hats or titles besides being my brother. ”
“You know all you have to do is say the word, and it’s yours. When the time comes, I’ll let you plan the trip, and you can get the bread from East or Logic. Whatever you want, I’m down for it.”
I wiped the residual tears from my face and got up from my seat.
“I love you, Keynauri.”
“Love you too, Boogie.”
If his appeal went well, my brother would be home in no time, and it was enough to hold me over until the day came. We had been through a situation that would have broken most people, but we made it out on the other side. This bid wasn’t easy, but we were gonna get through it as a family.
Symphonee was with Granny Nessa, so I stopped by her house to pick up my baby. Visitation days were rough for me, and cuddling with my baby girl was exactly what I needed to make me feel better.
“Hey, baby. Don’t you look cute today,” Granny Nessa complimented.