Halo #2
“Greek you have to stop this for real. We are family and we have a business together that will not operate correctly with so much tension.” Auntie said when she faced him.
“Don’t know what you are talking about auntie. All I did was call out the man for not being real.” He responded leaned back in the chair with his arms folded.
“Oh please, you’re my nephew and I have known you your whole life. Since you were a baby, you have never liked Thaddeus, and it’s gotten worst when you all came to live with us after…you know.”
We all got quiet because of what her last sentence represented.
“You may not ever like him Greek, but you talk a lot about respect. Yet you never show it to him, and he continues to show it to you.”
Greek ran his hands down his braids then that leg started shaking. He did that anytime he knew he was wrong or guilty of something. Thaddeus came back into the room and walked towards us.
“You can get him back on the call. But the minute he talks all gentle then we out.” Greek told him. That was as close to an apology as he was getting.
Thaddues nodded and opened the laptop again. In seconds, Keanu was back on the screen.
“We got off to the wrong start and that’s my fault. I was speaking to you like you are not the best in the game. I am sorry for that.”
Greek looked at Thaddeus and smirked because he was right.
“What I need is something my security team can’t do because they are legit. The truth is, I do not want competitors, but I know I can’t kill them all. However, there is one who I need, all of them dead and the leader, Fred Burts.”
We were back following him as he talked with the information in the portfolio.
“Who’s this?” Golden asked when he turned the phot over of a woman.
She was pretty, twenty-five, short hair that stopped under her cheek a sleeve tattoo on her right arm.
“That’s Fred’s daughter, Zita. I want her to be unharmed and brought to me please.
You asked for honesty, so I’ll give you that.
Zita is beautiful and I want her for myself.
I offered her father a deal. We go into business together in exchange for me having her.
He shot me down and now is a big competitor.
Fred is an arrogant asshole, so is his cousins and the world will be better off. ”
“I need to holla at my brothers real quick.” Greek announced.
We got up and followed him into his office. Greek closed the door and started right away.
“I’on like him.”
“I’m on the fence.” I added.
“We don’t do this line of work for muthafuckas we like. He wants his competitor out the way. I say we take it.” Golden argued,
“Point. We don’t go into this for likes. But shouldn’t we also go with our gut? I mean, he wants the daughter delivered to him.” I argued back.
“And? Fuck that skins and bones looking bitch. That ain’t our business, her daddy should have took the deal.”
Greek and I had to chuckle at Golden’s words.
“A’ight bro, you got some valid points. The only thing I don’t like about Keanu is his friendship with Thaddeus. They are too chummy, you see how Thaddeus got mad when I hung up on him.”
“Let me ask you this Greek. Are you trying to piss Thaddeus off or do you really think we should walk away from this job? Mind you, we are looking at nice money apiece if we take it.” I questioned him only because I wanted him to be sure and not base his answer off trying to get a reaction from Thaddeus.
Greek started messing with his Rubik cube and that leg started shaking. “If it comes out that the nigga ain’t shit then I get to kill him.”
It was so funny how he had his way of admitting that someone else was right. I just chuckled and agreed.
“Bet.” I told him.
We went back out to Thaddues and our auntie and told them we had a deal. Keanu then went over everything he knew about Fred and his empire. Our next move was to scope Fred out in person so we could learn his routine.
Keanu did not have a time on when he wanted it done. All he said was he did not want it to look like he was involved. But we told him that it would be done in one month.
**
“Sup Mama, hey dad. I got both of y’all new flowers. Mama, I got you this bear that I saw in the Hallmark store. The glasses and cooking apron it has on remind me so much of you.
When you used to be in the kitchen cooking and focused. Greek would be in there with you, and I used to like watching. I think you knew I watched just so I could taste the food before Golden.” I smiled at the memory.
Today I came to visit my parents in their graveyard mausoleum we had them buried in. Now, we never got their bodies from the plane crash because it exploded in flames before it hit the water. So, the funeral was more of a memorial ceremony.
There were so many people from all over who came. Many loved our parents, respected, and there were lots of tears at the service. I sat down on the bench after I placed their flowers and mama’s bear next to their stones.
When me and my brothers were kids, we would visit them together. Now that we are grown, we like to come at separate times. Unless it was their birthday or a holiday. I think it was because we each started to process their deaths differently.
“Dad, when I come back, I’ll have something for you next. I’ve been good, as good as I can be but even if I wanted to come here and lie to you I can’t.
For one, mama, you would have known I was lying. Dad, one look from you and I would tell you the truth. For two, I know y’all know anyways because of your point of view.” I blew out of my mouth hard then sat back against the wall.
“I feel myself getting worse and I’m drowning. What I’m about to say will make me sound like shit. But when you both died, the first thing on my young mind at the time was you finding out my secrets. I still never said it all out loud…I just can’t.” I dropped my head and tears fell.
“It feels like every set of eyes on me sees me for filth. My brothers get fed up, we argue over them being fed up because I do not act the way they do in certain areas.” I lifted my head up and looked at my parents’ stones. Their pictures were on them, and it made me feel warm.
“I have set in seven different therapists offices. Women, men, older, younger, mothers, and fathers. I tried all kinds of therapist from different religions as well. All I do is sit and waste time.
It’s like I do not know where to begin to admit certain things. I’m exhausted from carrying this. Sometimes I close my eyes, and I do not want them to open anymore. But my brothers, I can’t put them through that.”
I wiped my face and a small smile came across my face.
“I met this chick, Story, and she’s cool.
When she looks at me, I swear she sees me and I am perfect in her eyes.
It’s my vanity talking but I swear she looks at me like I make her proud.
And we don’t even know each other.” I started laughing as I continued.
“We like the same movies y’all, it’s crazy. And the way I slept next to her, shit. Sleep hasn’t hit me that good since I was nine. My brothers, auntie Imani and Thaddeus, look at me like they can’t figure me out.
Story doesn’t and I like that, I wanna hold on to that.
I just gotta keep my ‘fucked upside’ hidden.
It almost came out on our first night. Help me with that mama and dad.
Please. I love y’all and I’ll be back next week.
” I stood up, kissed my hand, and touched both of their stones.
Even though I got more emotional than I wanted, I felt a little better when I left.
The sun was blazing and I regretted wearing all black. I had on jeans with a black fitted shirt sleeve t-shirt and black Jordan’s. Some of my braids were up high and the rest was down. My black bandana was tired around my forehead like I like.
I only wore my silver thin white-gold link chain with diamond studs in my ear. When I got inside my Mustang after I started, I cranked the air conditioner up. As I drove, I played music while on the freeway for ten miles.
“Hey Halo! Sorry I missed you the last time you were here.” Regan spoke to me when I walked inside Braid Masters.
“Sup. It’s all good, your sister took care of me.”
“I heard and I’m glad she did.”
As she talked, I looked behind her and saw everyone but who I was looking for.
“She’s off today. Is there a problem with your hair?”
“Naw, my hair good. I was just looking for her. You think you could give me her number?”
“I could but why…. Ohhhh.” She smiled then took her phone out.
When she went to her contacts, I took my phone out too and put her number in.
“Good lookin’ Regan. Catch you later.” I left the shop.
“Stone! What up!”
“What up doe Stone!”
So many people knew us even if we didn’t know them. Me and my brothers had a reputation, some were based on truths, and some were based off urban legends. We never bothered to clear anything up. If no one was disrespecting our name, then we did not care.
Based on how people looked when we came around, we knew who feared us and who felt that if they did not bother us then we wouldn’t bother them.
I chugged the deuces up to the dudes who spoke to me from across the street at the barber shop. There were a few of them outside shooting dice and Richie were the grill selling barbeque. Before I got into my ride I jogged across the street and went to him.
“How can I help you, Stone?”
I looked at what he was grilling then I saw his sides too. It smelled off the chain and Richie was clean and organized when he cooked.
“Let me get two lunch orders. Barbeque leg quarters with that bomb barbecue sauce on it. Marconi and cheese, four mini seasoned corn on the cob and those green beans with the meat in them.”
“Coming right on up!” He started making my orders and he was extra generous with the portions.
“Mind if I add on two free slices of my carrot cake. I know many hear carrot cakes and don’t like them. I swear you’ll love mine with a butter cream icing.”
“Gone and add it, good lookin’ out man.” I handed him a hundred-dollar bill.