Hassan
“MR. EARL, I know you got some of that ‘shine somewhere around here.”
“Look at this pretty lil city boy coming back asking for some ‘shine. That shit will put hair on ya chest and make ya balls drop, youngen.”
Mr. Earl had been a lawyer and then judge in Beacon Grove for decades.
He’d finally retired because he got too bored to sit in the courthouse all day.
He’d been offered to work the circuit court and work his way up but he was more focused on staying within our county to ensure that someone else wasn’t put in a seat that was corrupt.
It wasn’t until his son expressed interest in taking over the bench that he retired.
Looking at him now, he seemed younger than he had the last time I saw him so it was clear life had been treating him well.
Hundreds of people were crowded in the park and downtown Beacon Grove for the annual Beacon Grove Day. It celebrated the official day that the town was founded by my ancestor David Beacon.
Sylvie and the kids had been stopped by some of their friends and I saw her folks and came by to pay my respect.
We’d already done the rounds of speaking to everyone and I was ready to sit my ass down.
This heat wasn’t playing today and I wasn’t about to be talking to all these folks when half of them just wanted to be nosy.
My people had circled Sisi and the kids but my granny started telling stories about me when I was a kid, like Sisi’s ass wasn’t right there for half of it, I knew it was my time to move on to another family tent.
When her grandfather and father waved me over I knew this was the time for them to have the talk that Sisi had been attempting to shield me from.
“I think I’m a few decades past that, sir.” I shook hands with both Mr. Montroses before taking the seat they’d pointed to. I eased down into the chair allowing the older Mr. Montrose to look me over so he could make his decision.
“Gone give him some, Tut.”
Mr. Earl bumped Sylvie’s daddy on the shoulder to give his approval.
Everyone in the Grove knew that Mr. Earl had the best moonshine out of all the bootleggers in Beacon Grove.
They were legendary for how easily their liquor could go down and then sneak up on you.
I’d been put on my ass plenty of times because of their ‘shine even though some of my family thought I was being disloyal to the family legacy. But shit, good ‘shine was good ‘shine.
Sisi’s daddy went by Tut ‘cause nobody was about to call him Earl the third and the name stuck. Nobody knew where it came from but apparently it was something Mr. Earl’s daddy had called him and no one bothered to change it.
When he got elected to the bench his nameplate even said Judge Tut Montrose because nobody called him by his first name.
Hell, I wondered how many people actually knew it.
“What you back here doing with, Sylvie?”
I almost choked on the sip of moonshine that I’d brought to my lips because my mind went to the deviant things I wanted to do with her. When her father and grandfather’s eyes narrowed I had to swallow the sip because I be damned if they thought I couldn’t handle my liquor.
“Building.”
“That was a good save. The way she walking around happier than she’s been in at least the last ten years I would say building ain’t all you doing.
Don’t play with my baby, Hassan. I don’t give a damn if you’re a Beacon we can have the firm pull all kinds of red tape to fuck up that hotel that people travel for miles to visit.
” Her daddy was glaring at me like he knew how I’d been taking his daughter down and I almost felt bad.
But I ain’t have guns drawn on me so I’m assuming because she had two kids already he wasn’t that pressed.
Hell, she might be carrying a third if granny was right.
I admired the fact that he was threatening me to my face over his baby. He didn’t know the goon he was dealing with but it was good to see them moving this way behind her.
“Understood. I’ve seen the remnants of the pain she has already endured and would never be the man to add to that.
Not because I’m running game but a man doesn’t damage his good thing when he finds it.
Part of the building I’m doing is working on us but also restoring the parts of her he should’ve felt blessed to have access to.
He was a fool not to, but that slip up is my come up.
I crushed on the girl Sisi was all those years ago and I admire the woman she is now.
I’m not a man to make stupid decisions and hurting her would be one of those. ”
Mr. Earl slapped Sisi’s daddy on the arm as he nodded.
“Told you he wasn’t on no bullshit, Tut.
Don’t no man take a girl and her babies out unless he’s serious.
” Mr. Earl was fully gray and Mr. Tut was still held on to some of his dark strands.
They favored, with Mr. Tut retaining the muscle of his youth whereas Mr. Earl had slimmed down some.
“Speaking of, you have kids, Hassan?” I knew Mr. Tut was trying to find some kinda issue with me. Not because he desired me to be a piece of shit but he wanted to take my measure to ensure his daughter was good.
A broad smile came over my face and nodded my head enthusiastically. “Two.”
I saw the look of surprise on their face because they were sure they knew everything about me. “Where is their mama? Hell, where are they? Does Sylvia know?” Mr. Earl was sitting up drilling me and I could see the attorney come out in him with how he was questioning me.
I nodded toward a tent not too far away from us. “She’s over there by your wife probably talking about me.”
Their heads snapped around when they saw I was nodding in the direction of Sylvia and her mama. Mr. Earl studied me again before he spoke up. “We know you ain’t claiming them kids already.”
“It’s a packaged deal and I’m more than willing to do so.
I understand that kids aren’t just fun and games.
Stuff is gonna get real and it has in some aspects already.
I’m willing to be a support to Sylvia while she balances their needs and to step in whenever she allows me to.
Again, I’m here playing for keeps.” Another sip of moonshine went down as they dissected my words.
“There go that boy that Jada Cunningham brought home. I swear something off with him.” Mr. Earl nodded and I turned to see Smoke strolling between the tents on the narrow path.
He seemed irritated to be around so many people but I was sure that look on his face would change as soon as his ass got back near Jada.
“He’s with Jada Cunningham daddy of course something is wrong with him.
” Mr. Tut was laughing because I was sure she’d been in front of him a time or two.
Jada was several years younger than me but her antics were legendary in Beacon Grove.
Everyone knew she would be a handful after a girl tried to bully her and she superglued the girl’s pigtails to her desk during nap time.
The girl had to have all her hair cut off and Jada had refused to apologize.
And this was when she was in kindergarten.
I gave Smoke a head nod from across the park and all I got back was a quirk of his brow.
I knew that nigga was probably trying not to spaz out because this type of crowd was hell for someone like us.
Well more him because he wasn’t used to it.
But it was the type of setting that could get you easily caught up.
“You know him?” I turned back and Mr. Earl was looking at me cautiously.
I stifled my laugh thinking of how many missions Smoke and I had done together but I kept my answer light. “Something like that.”
“Lord, that means you’re a killa too.” Mr. Tut rubbed the bridge of his nose and I sat there shocked by his words.
“Say what?” I was laughing but I had to remember who I was talking to. This town might wear a pious veneer but everyone around here had dirt.
Mr. Tut pointed at Smoke who by now had made his way to the Cunningham’s tent and pulled Jada onto his lap.
“That boy got that gleam in his eye. It’s the one that lets you know he is always about four seconds from snapping somebody’s neck. I seen enough of it to know that look. And again, he’s with that lil Cunningham girl. The whole bloodline is a little cuckoo.”
“Mr. And Mrs. Cunningham were teachers for years. JJ is the principal.” Standing up for the Cunninghams felt like it was part of my job since the family was so deeply integrated with my job.
I’d watched the backs of each of the Cunningham sisters at some point.
From being their shadow to staging crime scenes.
“And they can get down with the best of them too. Look at Sylvie. She’s a paralegal but will hop up from behind that desk in a second. Looks can be deceiving. Yours aren’t though. We can see it on you.”
I wanted to press and ask what he meant by that but was interrupted when a shadow came across Mr. Earl’s face.
My first instinct was to reach for my gun but I caught myself.
Not quickly enough since a knowing look and a nod of confirmation came from Mr. Earl.
Instead of confirming his silent accusation I turned and sighed at who was standing behind me.
This is about to get interesting.
“Y’all over here real tight with the replacement nigga. Damn shame you left and now you here for my leftovers. Couldn’t get her then but now you’re back after she’s washed up.”
Before her people could even protest one gun was on the table and the other was aimed at his gut. My hesitation had been wasted on him and I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
Dave’s ass had been wearing a smug grin on his face and I was happy to have been the person to wipe it off.