FIVE
“I GOT TOO MUCH MOTION, I AIN’T GON’ RACE YA.” JOHNNY CINCO
The smell of hospitals made his stomach turn. It was almost as bad as the smell of blood, but that was something that he’d gotten used to over the years.
Jio checked the time on his Marcelle as his jaw ticked. He was trying his best to hold onto the little bit of patience he had left, but man, it was hard….
Finally, he saw his brother exit the rehab facility with a Gucci duffel bag hanging off his shoulder. In one hand were his discharge papers, and in the other was a cigarette that he’d been itching to light.
Jio honked the horn and hollered out the half-cracked window.
“Bro, let’s go. You don’t have time to hit that.” Jio hated cigarette smoke too. Slick looked like he wanted to fall out about not being able to smoke, but oh well. Jio had shit to do and they needed to get a move on.
He made his way to the truck, and after throwing his bag in the back seat, he hopped on the passenger side.
“What it do,” he greeted his brother with his usual saying.
“Not much. We gotta go.”
Jio’s truck rolled off the curb. He winded his tinted windows back up as the engine purred.
Slick felt free. The real challenge would begin now. Could he be strong enough not to touch what he now called poison? He’d drilled that word in his head, hoping it would force him to mentally not chase after a drug that could kill him easily.
Slick snorted softly. “Damn. No welcome home?”
Jio leaned back against the cream leather seats. “Nigga the welcome home is the two hundred K I spent for your ass to get in the program.”
His brother knew that he had to shut up after that comment which made his
other brother Salim laugh, but he needed to be careful back there.
His body was in dire pain, but thankfully, the gunshot wounds were healing, just not fast enough for his liking.
Two months in the hospital. Weeks in rehab so that he could learn how to walk long distances again without feeling dizzy.
The real challenge had been to learn how to sleep without reaching for pills.
Salim had witnessed firsthand what addiction did to families.
He had kids to live for, so as hard as it was, he fought through the pain as much as he could.
He knew that it wouldn’t be like this forever.
It was only a hurdle that he had to get over, but he would in due time.
For a minute, neither of them spoke.
Jersey blurred past the windows in gold lights and wet pavement as they headed back towards their own hood. Jio was in all black as usual, diamond studs flashing every time the streetlights hit him.
Untouchable was the word people used for Jio.
Slick looked over at him quietly. He seemed different but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He’d witnessed Jio navigate through many different seasons, which warranted all types of emotions.
He’d seen him hungry for more while being broke and trying to make it on his own.
Jio used to be violent to the point where he’d pull a couple of triggers without thinking twice.
He’d fucked bitches with him and popped bottles on yachts that cost more than all of their cribs put together.
But this version of him? It was new. Jio was calm, quiet, and rather controlled. Little did he know, his brother had reached another level. It may have seemed as if it happened overnight but that’s because he’d been grinding on the low and keeping to himself.
“I’m hungry.” Salim broke the silence.
“You need to eat.” Jio looked over at him and commented, “Rehab got your ass skinny.”
The truck went quiet again until Slick turned from staring out the window and said, “I’m done.”
Jio didn’t say nothing at first. “Done with what?”
“The game.”
Jio kept his eyes on the road and Slick kept going before he could lose the nerve.
“I can’t do this shit no more bruh. It’s too much temptation. I can’t keep fuckin’ up. I’m tired.” His voice dropped lower. “I’m done for real.”
Jio stayed quiet so long that it forced Slick to glance in his direction to pick up on his mood, but per usual, Jio’s facial expression was unreadable.
Slick rubbed his face. “I know how it sounds but…”
“Nah.” Jio stared ahead. “It’s cool. We’re going to find you something else to do.”
Jio was smiling on the inside but he kept his cool.
“Shit gon’ hurt a lil’ bit,” he admitted softly. “You my right hand but I’ll be alright.”
Salim didn’t say anything in the back seat.
Slick laughed weakly, “Man, shut the fuck up.”
Jio grinned because deep down this was exactly what he wanted.
Ever since Salim got shot, Jio had been moving pieces quietly.
He didn’t plan on giving him any more plays anyway, but if he could get Slick away from the game too, then this was perfect.
Jio had gradually been giving his most loyal members of the Mob more and more responsibilities.
He didn’t trust anyone but he had to start dividing up tasks to see who would fold and who would step up to the plate and prove themselves worthy.
He loved both of his brothers, but Slick tooting that powder made him a liability, especially once the streets found out.
A nigga’s weaknesses were always his girl, his kids, his family, and his money.
Those things would make any man fold. Although his brothers’ last name wasn’t Gotti, they were still made men, and that wasn’t something just any nigga with a gun and some dope could claim.
It was an accolade that had to be rightfully earned.
His brothers were some of the realest men he’d ever met and that’s because they’d been raised by his daddy too.
They were loyal to the code and Jio knew that eventually someone would try to use that against him.
So Jio played his role perfectly.
He sighed heavily and shook his head like a grieving husband.
“Damn, Slick.”
“Man, stop acting like somebody died.”
“You did,” Jio replied. “Old you gone.”
Slick stared at him. He didn’t expect that to hit him like that.
The truck grew quiet again before Slick cleared his throat.
“I still need money though.”
“You think Ima let you starve?”
“Nah, but,” he hesitated. “I need something else to do.”
Jio nodded slowly. “I got you.”
Slick looked over suspiciously. “Doing what though?”
“Something legal nigga. Give me a second to get it figured out, but you’ll be good regardless, you know that.
“Legal sound too close to broke.” Slick frowned, he didn’t like the way that sounded.
Salim burst out laughing. “Nah, facts son.”
“I’m serious!” Jio pressed.
“You can go back to school.”
“Nigga to do what?” School wasn’t his forte, the only thing he was ever good at was Math.
Jio shrugged. “Learn some shit. What are you interested in?” Jio wanted him to find something that he was passionate about. It was easier to be dedicated to a vision when it was your own.
“Money.”
“Besides money bro.”
Slick thought about it and, weirdly enough, he didn’t have an answer.
“That’s the problem with all of us though. Niggas get in the streets at fourteen and never figure out who they are outside of surviving.”
Slick looked out the window again.
“It’s all good though,” Jio continued. “Us three together are smarter than half the idiots running these companies. Go learn all you can about running a business. Salim, you should get your real estate license. We can tap into Construction and get them government contracts. Shit, Slick, you nice on the grill. Go to culinary school. I don’t know…
. Just learn something,” Jio reiterated.
Slick shook his head slowly.
“Jio, I never pictured myself in no classroom.”
“Shit I bet you didn’t see yourself in rehab either.”
His comment shut him up.
Jio leaned back in the seat. “I’ll pay for whatever.”
“You serious, aren’t you?” Salim questioned.
“Yeah, I am. We gotta spread out. Do some different shit.”
Emotion climbed up Slick’s throat unexpectedly. Nobody had ever given him permission to become something else. The streets only knew how to keep people trapped in one version of themselves forever.
Jio looked over casually. “I just need you to stay clean.”
Slick exhaled. “I’m going to try my hardest.”
“Nah,” Jio corrected calmly. “Do it. No excuses.”
The firmness in his tone made Slick nod.
“You not dying on me. We all we got.” The latter was a saying that his mama drilled in their heads as little boys.
Salim leaned forward to tell his brothers, “I love y’all ugly ass niggas.”
η
“Take it again please. Why does my head look so big?” Nina shook her head as she passed her phone back to Ephrem.
“Uh, because it is.” He hoped that she was joking because her head was big as fuck and she had to know that prior to asking him that question.
“You think so?” She turned her head to the side and observed it in the mirror in her living room.
“I gotta find you some female friends.” Ephrem was mainly interested in going to art exhibits, Broadway plays, and book signings. Accompanying Nina to a football game wasn’t his thing, but he was going because he was a good best friend.
“Oh please then you’ll be missing me more than ever.”
He didn’t protest.
“Yeah, whatever. I’m not taking another pic, so come on, this is the last one.”
She rolled her eyes before turning to the side and flashing a smile.
“Jio is going to get you,” he warned.
Nina was getting too comfortable playing with that man, but shit, he made her behave this way.
“I don’t care.”
She was proudly wearing Kobie’s jersey to the game tonight.
“Just don’t say that I didn’t tell you this wasn’t a good idea.”
“Come on, Roberto is waiting on us.”
“Oh my God, you got the man’s driver taking us to his game? NINAAAAA!” Ephrem was worried for real.
“How else are we supposed to get there?”
“The subway like every other fan? Or perhaps, we take the car that’s conveniently parked downstairs? I mean, we have a few options.”