Prologue #2
The repast was packed with groups of people from the inside to the Parking lot.
We rented out a recreational center in the back of my Mother's complex.
She had cooked so much food that she wanted to stay at the house.
This was also the same exact community that my brother and I had been born and raised in.
I stood in the large recreation room by the double doors.
Dressed in an all-black suit with black Prada shades matching my Prada dress shoes.
My hand stayed glued to my .38 tucked in my waistline.
I observed as my family moved around the room.
There were a lot of sad faces, and some were happy to see each other.
Moments like this were a mix of emotions, one of the only times that my family got together nowadays.
The kids ran around smiling and chasing each other with not a care in the world.
Ashanti stood beside me wearing an all-black Prada dress and heels matching my fly; she was looking good from head to toe.
I knew I hit the jackpot when I met her.
She was everything a nigga ever wanted in a woman: secure, classy, and she stood on business when it came to me.
She had an amazing personality, and her beauty was top-tier.
When I first met her, she was going through a breakup with some clown nigga she had a baby with. I wasn’t studying who he was; she was mine. I knew my position, and I played it well, respectfully.
“You good, Baby?” Ashanti looked at me and asked.
“I’m Gucci love.” I winked my eyes, giving her a quick grin to show her that I was good and she could relax.
Ashanti was just like me; we were twins in a sense, so she was just as overprotective of my well-being as I was over hers.
When I first met her, that shit low-key scared a nigga, she had definitely caught me off guard with the way she moved.
She was different from what I was used to; her energy was addictive, and I couldn’t get enough of her.
The thing about her that had me loving her so hard was the way she cared about me so much.
She was a breath of fresh air during my time of mourning.
She has been by my side since I got the call and hasn’t moved since.
This shit was something that I wouldn’t wish on anyone, and I can’t lie, a couple of times I thought about blowing my brains out; it was Ashanti who kept me grounded.
Seeing my family in a casket, wearing all black, and reading an obituary was something that I never would have wanted to imagine for myself.
I was taking this shit hard. I had to keep my emotions in check; I had a family who was now going through it that I knew I needed to be strong for.
My Nephew Asir approached us with his 21-year-old girlfriend, Parish.
She was definitely a bitch that I didn’t trust. I had been telling my Brother for a year that he and his baby's mother needed to file charges on her grown ass. It was something about her sneaky ass that I couldn’t shake.
I made sure to keep a close eye on her. Ashanti already had the young girls on standby if need be.
Depending on her intentions, I wouldn’t hesitate to smoke the old bitch myself.
“What’s good, Unc.”’Asir spoke as we embraced.
He was wearing all black with a dash of red.
He had a picture of himself with his father and my father airbrushed on the back of his shirt.
Seeing it was a hard reality, I never wanted.
But that shit was mad dope; the artist Juan had done his big one, and the whole family had been complimenting his artwork since the funeral.
“I can’t call it. Just making sure everything is everything.”
“How’s grandma been holding up?” Asir asked.
“She’s doing better with eating more, but she’s still not sleeping through the night.
I’ll give it another week to see how she’s coping.
” I shared. My mother has been taking the deaths of my brother and her husband harder than I had realized, and the entire family was worried about her health. “What’s good with your brother?“
“I’ve been keeping him out of the way. He’s been having his moments. Lately, he’s been really quiet, hasn’t really been saying much, but for the most part, he hasn’t gotten into any trouble, so that’s a good sign.” Asir filled me in.
“Just keep your eyes on him. I got some friends looking out for him, but I want to be cautious. Especially until this shit dies down. I don’t know these niggas we got beef with-
Bullets started spraying everywhere.
Takka. Takka. Takka.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Everyone flew to the floor to get out of the way of the fire. I quickly reached for my .38 while desperately avoiding getting hit by a bullet, and Asir did the same, but I knew that these little ass guns were no match for the big shit them niggas were clutching. It sounded like a big ass Draco.
Takka Takka Takka.
It was most definitely some big ass Draco’s. I knew that we were out numbered when it came to the artillery.
Bullets were tearing through everything, people were screaming, running, and busting back.
It felt like the Wild Wild West and as if it was never going to end.
Whoever these niggas were that my brother had beef with wanted an eye for an eye.
I don’t know what was more ruthless, shooting up a gender reveal or a repast, but I was going to do whatever was needed to protect my family as best as I could.
The reality of the casualties was a big bullet to swallow as the bullets died down, and I stared in disbelief at my Nephew, Asir, and his girlfriend, Parish, both lying lifeless with their eyes wide open.
I ran out of the building with my hand squeezing the trigger, squeezing the trigger on my gun until it was empty.
I stood in the middle of the street helplessly watching the all-black-tinted, all-around Yukon Denali disappear.
The sounds of screaming pierced my ears, allowing reality to set in.
I ran back inside the recreational center, watching as everyone stood in disbelief.
Tears stained their faces as they stood over the bodies of my nephew and his girlfriend, Parish.
The screams wouldn’t stop. I was in a state of shock and disbelief.
I made my way to the center and froze in place, seeing Ashanti's body sprawled out on the floor where we were standing before the shots were fired. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Fear of confirmation of what I already knew stopped me from getting closer. I took a deep breath, keeping my composure; all eyes were on me as I slowly approached the love of my life. I sat before her body on the floor, lifting her into my arms. Using my hands, I brushed the hair from her face. Her body jerked as she tried to speak, and she coughed as blood slowly crept down the side of her mouth. I covered her lips with my fingers. I knew all she wanted to say. “I love you too, Ma. I’m right here.”
She smiled at me before taking her last breath. A single tear fell from her eyes before she closed them for good. The love of my life was gone forever.