3. Royce “Turk” Atkins #2
“Her ass.” Nigga tryna act hard but Brina got him wrapped around her finger, and has for the past four years. They been through heavy shit, shit I couldn’t fathom, but they finally getting it right. He told me last week they having twins, and I haven’t seen my nigga smile that big in a long time.
“She got me taking pics every day to track her stomach. She threw a book at my head ‘cause I told her she couldn’t have none of my gumbo since it was spicy.”
“Bet yo ass caved, though.”
When he’s silent, I cackle loudly.
“Nigga, fuck you. And you ain't distract me from shit. Foe Dub meeting Sunday morning, muthafucka. And you better be on yo best behavior for this surprise dinner Brina’s throwing for my birthday.”
I pull up to G-Pops house and turn off my car. “If it’s a surprise nigga how the fuck you find out?”
“Deuce asked me if I wanted my gift in the morning or if you should bring it to my surprise party.”
I look at the house I grew up in and smirk. My son is no better than Nut. “I’m weak. I’m finna get yo godson now. Chill out on my sis, nigga. Give her whatever she wants.”
“Tell my young nigga to call me. Stay dangerous nigga.”
I end the call and get out, scanning my surroundings.
Over the years, the neighborhood declined greatly.
When my G-Pops first got this house, it was quiet, completely different from the Tree Streets and the Birch.
But then the neighborhood kids wanted in on the gang shit that began to plague the city, and the Parkside Crips were born.
They’re not as big as the other gangs in South Kenton, but their set is in Raleigh Park, and they’re why this neighborhood gets dicey at night.
It’s part of the reason I wanted to move Autumn’s parents out of their house next door.
G-Pops is as stubborn as they come, so he not going nowhere, and definitely not moving cause some lil niggas he watched grow up wanna play gangbanging.
Before I can knock on the door it’s snatched open and I’m face to face with my sister Rian. Her face screws up at me so much I’m sure it’s permanent by now, and her scowl deepens when I smile down at her.
Her and her twin Rain hate me, and they can’t stand that I stopped giving a fuck a long time ago.
“Waddup, sis? You got a lil something,” I point to under my nose and she scoffs.
“Rich, coming from a fucking drug dealer. Get out my way, Turkey.” She spits my name out like it’s acid on her tongue, and tries to shove me out the way, only I don’t budge.
“Now you know you the only one be touching drugs in this family.”
“You’re right,” she smiles, and I know she’s gonna say something to cut me down. “My bad. I forgot, you’re actually a killer. Do you ever see Ma’s face in your dreams?”
“Bitch–”
Before I can wrap my hands around her throat and choke her ass out, G-Pops appears at the door, staring down his oldest grandchild. “Rian Ashley. Apologize.”
Rian rolls her eyes where G-Pops can’t see, mumbles a sorry and shoves her way down the steps. Bitch got her license suspended so she gotta take the bus everywhere. G-Pops knows not to ask me to give her no rides.
“She don’t mean it, Turkey.”
“Yeah she does,” I say, us both looking at Rian’s retreating form down the street. “Rain in there?”
“No. Come on in. I made biscuits and gravy.”
We shuffle inside the house and I see Deuce at the table doing his homework. Music coming from the back lets me know Rian and Rain’s kids are here, too. For all the bullshit they throw at me, their kids love their Uncle Turk, which I know grinds their gears even more.
My son looks up and smiles before hopping off the chair and running toward me. I did a lot of dirt, caught hella bodies, made dumb ass decisions. But the one thing I got right was my son Royce Taylor Atkins Jr. My boy is everything to me, and I thank God every day for Autumn and twice for Deuce.
“Daddy!”
I throw my young bull in the air and kiss the side of his head.
“How’s your day? You been good for G-Pops?”
Deuce nods, hazel eyes twinkling under the low lights. My boy got his eyes from his mama, but he’s still my twin, even down to the smirk. “Yup. He was helping me with my homework.”
“Deuce ate already, too,” G-Pops yells from the kitchen.
“Fasho. Make my plate to go and make another one for Pay.”
“You’re taking me home?” Deuce eyes light up as he hugs me again. “I can show you my new toys!”
“Yup. Go pack up while I talk to G-Pops.”
I set my son down so he can do what I ask and walk into the kitchen. G-Pops is closing the styrofoam lid on the second plate and stacking it so he can put them in bags. There’s three, and I know the third is for Deuce. My boy eats like a grown man.
“You gone tell me the truth or we gone keep skating around it?” G-Pops keeps his eyes on the bag and plates like he’s performing heart surgery.
Leroy Atkins got the opportunity of a lifetime from being sent up north for school like so many other Black people from his time.
He and my mama weren’t close at all when she was a kid.
Nigga was plucked by the CIA straight out of college and was an undercover agent under COINTELPRO.
He got sent to Kenton on assignment and while he was helping dismantle the Black Panther Party from the inside, he met my granny and got her pregnant.
He completed his mission and got reassigned out of state.
She went to jail and gave birth to my mama.
Eventually he’d heard about my sisters’ dad and bought this house so he could help my mama out while phasing out of the CIA, but really, me and my niggas were closest to G-Pops.
Rian and Rain used him for the free childcare, and Renelle tolerated him because of me.
“What you mean, old man?”
G-Pops smirks and turns around to lean on his counter. We have the same mahogany colored skin, same as my mama and sisters. We have the same smile, and the same personality. So he knows when I’m bullshitting.
“I never got in your personal business because I was too busy chasing after your crip-loving sisters. You came in this house at twenty-one to tell me you and Autumn Shaw were having a baby, even though she eats more pussy than you and you just barely got from under Tiny. And I still ain’t said shit.
And despite the back and forth you both do a great job coparenting my great-grand.
But just when I think you’ve settled down, you throw another curveball. ”
“What–”
“You taking down Autumn and Patience, son?”
My mind flashes to that crazy ass night during Autumn’s birthday weekend. If I close my eyes, I can still hear Pay gasping as she came on my dick. My shit roars to life, and I have to think about nuns and pimple popping videos before G-Pops catches on.
I clear my throat. “Huh?”
G-Pops shakes his head. I don’t like lying to him, but shit, I can’t really tell him nothing because I don’t know myself. Does it count if it was only once?
“If you can huh you can hear, but since you acting dumb, I’ll rephrase. Are you the father of Patience’s baby?” He folds his arms and narrows his eyes at me, and the words bubble up in my mouth.
“You wilding, Pops.” I play it off, since he is wilding, but the truth is, I don’t know. Not for sure, anyway. I know Pay had been wanting a kid, so for all I know, they could have gotten inseminated. Patience has blocked me on everything, and Autumn refuses to spill, hence why her ass is blocked.
G-Pops’ glare turns heated, but I remain steadfast.