Goon #2
Instead, she was reduced to facetime calls whenever Maxine visited. The service was spotty as hell, so she couldn’t even depend on those video calls. I could tell she missed her parents and with them getting older, I didn’t want too much time to past without her seeing them.
Shit, me included.
It had been a while since I went to visit them. I enjoyed being off the map with them. My grandmother was always humming while cooking mad food. It was just her and my grandfather, and she cooked like her kids were still home.
“I want to marry your sister,” I broke the silence.
Neither of us looked at each other. “I’m already knowing.”
“I want your blessing before I propose to her. I’m not the traditional type of nigga, but I need this from you.”
Menace snorted. “I don’t think I ever prepared myself for the day Bean would meet someone that could tie her down.”
“She’s the love of my life. Don’t know what I was doing before she came into my life.”
“Being a criminal.”
“Fuck up,” I laughed.
He laughed back. “I don’t even need to tell you that she’s not easy. You already knowing. We’re used to people giving up on us, so it feels nice when we have people that love us without trying to change us. You got my blessing to become a Caselli.”
“Menace stop fucking with me,” I bumped his shoulder and the nigga didn’t freak out.
“I want her happy always. You make her happy. I just hate that shit will become awkward when she has the baby.”
“What you mean?”
He pointed to his son. “He’s perfect. How do you compa—” I got up and headed back into the villa. “You know it’s true.” He hollered behind me.
I never thought I would be in a baby war with my future brother-in-law. Him and Stevie thought their baby pooped fucking gold, and he kind of did. Baby was rich before he even took his first breath.
I checked in with Inez before leaving to head back to my villa.
From Jamaica, we would be heading back to the states.
It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I knew it had to be done.
The Delgatos and Infernos already had left for Barbados, so all of the villas were empty, except for the one Forty was staying in.
He would remain here until Zoya made it back to arrange his surrender. I knew it couldn’t have been easy to know you had to step behind the wall. It was never easy when I went, but I had faith in my baby.
Recommendation: Listen to “Jamaica Love” by Busy Signal
As the jet was getting ready to land, the blue water underneath the thick clouds was beautiful. When the jet became lower, the greenery popped out, showing the homes below. The blue water and greenery worked together to make Jamaica beautiful.
To make home beautiful.
“Pumpkin, you’re crying,” Zoya reached up and wiped my face as I looked out the window.
This was my home.
It was what raised me and taught me the things I needed.
I had been taken away from it for years, and this was where my mind always went when I was in that cell.
I thought about my grandparents, the mango trees, and the lush greenery on their land.
The small shack of a home didn’t seem like much to those on the outside looking in, but it was everything to our family.
My grandfather worked hard to provide that home for his wife and children. That land was bought with his blood, sweat, and tears. They were able to live off their land because he was a hard worker and provided for his children.
I remember leaving here as a young kid and not wanting to leave them.
Moms held me as I tried to rip out her arms to get back to my grandfather’s truck.
It was an old green Buick truck that years of work had stripped the color of.
When he cranked it, you naturally coughed because of the smell of the engine and gas kicked up in your face, even when you were sitting inside.
Even back then, the truck was on its last leg, but that never stopped him from taking the hour drive to the airport to drop us off. Seeing us off was a priority, and pain at the same time.
As young as I was, I couldn’t understand why my mother was ripping me away from all I had ever known.
Why would she be that fucking cruel to separate us.
Now that I was grown and had my own seed on the way, I understood you did hard shit for your kids.
The sacrifices you made for your kids hurt you more than them.
I couldn’t imagine having to leave my baby and go back to a foreign country.
Leaving them behind in what I considered home, so I could give them a better life.
“Home,” my mom smiled as she looked out the window, holding Inez’s hand.
“Home,” I replied, taking my baby’s hand and kissing the back of it, as she tried to soothe me.
My mom used the back of her hand to pat her tears while we approached the runway. This wasn’t something small to her, this was her being able to see her parents. Her parents couldn’t just come visit when their child was sick.
She had lost her leg, and they couldn’t be there for her. In her head, she felt all hope was lost, that she would never be able to see her parents or home again. If I had anything to do with it, I was buying my family a home right on the beach.
In due time.
Soon as we landed, customs came onto the jet and made sure we were all good. The cars pulled up to the jet, while they unloaded our bags. Boobie held my face and kissed me on the lips.
“Pumpkin, we’re here… now I want to see your home,” she sealed her words with a kiss, and unbuckled her seat belt.
Khaos wasn’t one for emotions, but I knew he felt the shit, too. He remained quiet with his headphones on, but the minute he got the view I got, he felt the shit in his heart.
I had a van with wheelchair access booked to meet us, and a Jeep Wrangler for me and Boobie. Moms couldn’t make it up onto my grandparents’ property without me, so I had her and Inez staying at the resort with Khaos. Tomorrow, I would have him bring her.
Right now, I wanted this time with my baby. I wanted to show her why it was so important that I brought her here while carrying my child. I carried my mother down the steps of the jet, while she continued to apologize.
“Mommy, stop that shit… you are not a burden to any of us, okay?” I told her once I got her into her chair that Khaos had waiting.
If I could lift my baby before putting her through the mattress, it was nothing to carry my mother because it made her life easier. She was so used to feeling like a burden and I wanted her to stop that.
Boobie held her hand. “Told you. No one feels bad for you.”
My mother smiled as she tried to swat her. “I’m gonna get you.”
Zoya didn’t try to be someone she wasn’t around my mother. The slick shit she always said, she said right in front of her. Being as my mother was the queen of shade, she appreciated that her daughter-in-law had the same humor and banter.
“The resort has a room for you that is handicap accessible. Inez’s room is connected to yours.”
“Unless she tries to stick a fucking sugar cane in her arm,” Khaos said.
“Shut the fuck up, Kenneth. Always got something to say,” Inez snapped, and climbed into the van.
She sat in the front row, her leg shaking like ass on a Friday at Magic City. I knew it was risky even bringing her here, but this was my last-ditch effort to show her that she had family that loved her.
Melle was gone. He wasn’t coming back and she had to realize that no matter how much she tried to numb the pain, he would always be gone. It was a reality that we all had to live with, not just her.
Once all the luggage was loaded into the van, I leaned in and kissed my mother and Inez. Khaos dapped me up, as he sat in the row before my mother’s wheelchair was wheeled in. It was best he and Inez remained separated from each other.
“Now, both you kids behave yourselves,” Boobie said, and Khaos laughed while Inez didn’t find shit funny.
“Shut the fuck up.”
Zoya nearly came out of herself when she said those infamous words to her. “Who in the fuck you talking to? Just because you coming down from the jungle juic—”
I pulled her from trying to climb into the van, and sent them on their way. She was still popping her mouth, as the van was driving towards the exit gates.
“You heard what the fuck she said to me?”
“Uh huh.”
“And you not gonna defend me?”
“Sounds like you did that all on your own, Boobie.”
She pulled her arm away from me. “I see why Khaos is frustrated. Because she’s a junkie, she gets a free pass to say and do whatever she wants to people.”
I grabbed her hand back. “Stop pulling away from me.”
“Seriously, Gerald… that is not okay?”
“And it was when you said it to me?”
She paused, looking up at me. “Are you fucking another woman?”
“What, Zoya?”
“She fucking you good, huh? You have to be cheating on me!” she accused, trying to mush me, but I backed away from her.
“Stop being fucking crazy.”
I watched as she self-regulated. Her ass probably wanted to tell me to shut the fuck up again, but she stopped herself.
“I will tell you this… there won’t be too many excuses for her.
The way she was screaming at Mommy while going through withdrawals didn’t sit right with me.
We’re all trying to help her and she’s not even trying to help herself… now, we can go, Pumpkin.”
She swung her Chanel bag onto her shoulder and walked over to the Jeep. I held the door opened as she climbed in, and I put our smaller bags in the backseat. I had a surprise for her tonight and then we would check into the resort.
Recommendation: Listen to “You Remind Me (Remix)” by Mary J Blige.
Soon as we left the gates of the private airport, I put the top back.
Boobie had her hand out the window as we drove through town, getting caught in the local traffic.
We bypassed vendors on the side of the street selling their produce.
The music played between us, because neither of us rushed to speak.