4. Love
LOVE
Monday ain’t coming fast enough for me. Since Lauren told me about Baby’s case, I’ve been waiting anxiously to see her.
Since my dad died in a car crash almost four years ago, she ain’t been right in the head. She forgets where she’s at sometimes, other times she doesn’t recognize us, which is why I chose to move her into my crib.
It seems like I’m the only person tryna help her either, because other people don’t wanna be bothered. Besides my dad’s sister, Delia, my mama got cut off completely from his side of the family. As soon as his ass was lowered into the ground, they treated us like we ain’t even exist.
She’s the reason I quit selling weed and went back to school to get my degree. I had to step up and do what needed to be done. My brother, Valentine, was supposed to be looking after her, being the oldest, but he could barely take care of himself.
Ever since we were young, I had to play the big brother role.
We may be identical twins, but we couldn’t be more goddamn different.
He rocked dreads while I got my hair styled in a brush cut.
We got the same skin complexion, with the same birth mark on the back of our arms. But Valentine was unreliable and hot headed.
Those two things just don’t fucking match.
We ain’t been close for about three years now. I think he resented me for getting out the drug game while he’s still knee deep in it. I wanted better for myself, but he the type of nigga that don’t see nothing wrong with the shit he does.
I eyed Baby’s file in the corner of my desk for the 5th time in ten minutes. It’s nothing in there I ain’t seen already, so I know it’s just me torturing myself at this point.
Since it’s Friday, I decided to leave work and go home to change, before meeting up with Messiah.
That’s my brother from another, been down with me since the sandbox.
He left the streets at the same time I did, but unlike me, he was dragged right back into the bullshit.
His brother got murked by gang members, so he was hellbent on getting revenge.
On another note, God was on my side today because Lauren ass was nowhere around.
Whatever she got going on, I’m glad it’s keeping her occupied and outta my face.
I had my suspicions about this bitch being unstable.
I should’ve realized it sooner, especially after she hid under my desk claiming she tryna surprise me.
If that ain’t deranged bitch behavior, I don’t know what was.
It took me fifteen minutes to pull up to the crib. When I graduated from college, the first thing I did was buy this house. It ain’t nothing special, just 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a car garage. However, the shit was sold to me dirt cheap, so a nigga ain’t have no complaints.
I walked in and the first thing I saw was Valentine spread out on my couch, with his feet hanging off the edge. He spends more time over here than he does at his own shit. Him and his girlfriend, Princess, probably going through it again.
They moved in together almost two years ago, and their relationship is the most toxic I’d ever seen. She caught him cheating multiple times, even called me for advice once or twice. But it ain’t nothing I can tell her, that she doesn’t already know.
“Sorry ass nigga,” I muttered out in passing.
My words were drowned out by his loud ass snoring. This is what he’s doing when he’s supposed to be watching mama.
“Ma,” I called, opening her bedroom door slowly, before peaking my head in.
“Why you let him go to sleep? He supposed to be keeping an eye on you.” She was sitting in her favorite chair, feet propped on the foot stool, watching TV. This seems to be one of those times where she acting like herself.
“Boy, get the hell out my room. I’m a grown ass woman. Let the boy sleep, he probably had a long night.” She narrowed her eyes, as if daring me to wake him up. She always babying his big ass. In her mind, Valentine can’t do no wrong.
Sucking my teeth, I closed the door and walked to the kitchen. I glared in his direction, mad as hell she told me to leave him alone.
I figured since I wasn’t that hungry, I could eat some cereal right quick before I showered. I grabbed a bowl and poured the milk in first.
I know, I know. But it’s a bad habit I can’t break.
Then, I went at my cereal on top of the refrigerator. I started pouring it in the bowl, and immediately got pissed off.
Ain’t shit come out but air and crumbs.
My excitement quickly turned to anger. With the box in my left hand, I picked up the bowl with my right. Taking long strides towards the living room, I dumped the milk all over his big ass head. I know this crackhead muthafucka the one who ate my shit because mama don’t even eat cereal.
He jumped up, gasping for air like I drowned him.
“What the hell, man. Why you pour shit on me?” he shouted, blinking rapidly, before wiping his eyes.
I was mad as fuck, my mouth watering for shit I can’t even have.
“’You ate my frosted flakes, muthafucka!” I snapped, looking at him with heat in my eyes. “You ain’t even bother to leave a corner, ugly ass nigga.”
He sucked his teeth. “We got the same face. If I’m ugly, then you ugly too!”
He threw his hand up in dismissal. “Them shits wasn’t even all that good. You tripping over some stank ass cereal.”
When he bent down to put his shoes on, I used the opportunity to hit his ass in the back of the head with the fucking box. I dove over the couch, and tackled him to the floor. I was tired of him messing with my shit.
We were going at it, tussling hard, until mama came in.
“What the hell is going on in here?” she pointed at me. “Love, let your brother legs go!”
She wanted me to let his legs go, but he tryna put me in a headlock and she ain’t say shit to him. He jumped back at the sound of her voice, releasing his arms from around my neck.
“Mama, he the one in the wrong.” I put both hands on my hips, breathing in and out deeply. “He ate my cereal. You ain’t gone say nothing to him?”
Valentine sat back on the couch with his elbows on his knees. He tried to seem unaffected, but by the rise and fall of his chest, I knew he was just as tired as I was.
“Boy, you in here about to kill your brother over some cereal?” Her gaze hardened, eyes turning to slits. “Apologize.”
I cast a glance in Valentine’s direction to see the smirking. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I opened my mouth to say sorry to his ass.
“Nah, ma. Can’t do that,” I said strongly, turning to him. Get the fuck out my crib, V.”
I might’ve been petty, but he felt like he could do whatever he wanted to in my house because she let him.
“When I come out the shower, you better be gone,” I warned, then turned my back to walk away. “Or it’s finna be World War II around this muthafucka!”
I ignored mama calling my name. I’m sick of this bullshit.
I’m the only one around here who gives a damn about her, and she cares about is Valentine.
I blamed her for his behavior. All that babying she doing gone be his downfall in the end, and he better hope I’m around to pick up the pieces when he falls.
I’m so mad, I stayed under the sprayer of the shower until the hot water turned cold.
I know Messiah gone curse my ass out for showing up late, but he’ll understand when I tell him this.
Anybody who knows me personally, knows it takes a lot to get me angry.
When it happens though, it ain’t much that can calm me down.
So, imagine my surprise when I find myself breathing a little easier thinking about Baby. The thought of seeing her in two days got my dick hard and stiff, despite being under this cold ass water.
It ain’t take me but a minute to get dressed in my Jordan sweatsuit, Jordan socks and slides, before heading out.
Valentine dipped like I knew he would, and I’m glad I ain’t have to beat his ass again. Mama was in the kitchen when I walked pass, but I ain’t even bother telling her I was leaving. I was still upset about how she handled the situation.
One the way to the restaurant, I thought about what he could want. Since I been out the game, Messiah ain’t been meeting with me so late like this. So, I’m a little suspicious about what this is.
I spotted his black charger in the parking lot and swerved my Lexus right in the space next to his. As soon as I opened the door to the restaurant, I saw his ugly ass sitting at our usual table. We were at a BBQ joint on 10th street. This used to be our hang out spot back in the day.
“Million-dollar man with the plan!” I blurted out, holding my arms in the air.
“Sup, my nigga,” he replied, a grin on his face.
His hands were clenched in front of him. It ain’t a lot in this world that can rattle Messiah and knock him off his square, but right now, he looked spooked. I sighed, running my hands over my face, before I sat up in the booth.
“What you got yourself into, Siah?”
Whatever the situation was, he knows he fucked up, because he did nothing but hang his head.
“Alright, so look…,” he huffed out a breath and relayed the events of what happened. As I’m listening to him, I can’t believe what the fuck I’m hearing. I can always count on Messiah to get himself in deep shit, but this time, I don’t know if he can climb out of this one by himself.