Chapter 11
“I’m about to kill this nigga,” Chello said while looking at a video of one his most loyal soldiers sliding stacks of cash from a counting table onto his lap.
“Today?”
“Damn right.”
“Nigga, we at his mother’s funeral,” Tyzir laughed as they sat there dressed to pay their respects also.
Funerals brought out weakness, crying, fake love, regret, Chello hated it all; however, he sat outside the huge church on Ogden and Millard.
“She was a beautiful soul that pushed out a bitch ass nigga. Let’s go.”
Rain drizzled lightly over the black cars lining the street while people mourned and made their way inside.
Chello adjusted the sleeves on the black fitted button up that was tucked in his Gucci slacks.
Dark shades covered his eyes like he was hiding from the world, but that was impossible, everyone knew Chello.
People walked up hugging and shaking his hand like it was his mother lying inside the church.
Inside, the organ played low, that sound always gave Chello an uneasy feeling, but he kept it moving up to the casket to pay his proper respect to the woman that had fed and prayed for him plenty of times.
She should have had mercy over her son because Chello was about to send him to glory right behind her.
Chello respected her deeply, that’s why he handled everything, the flowers down to the burial.
Even the repast that followed, nobody questioned it, that was what genuine people did.
Chello and Tyzir went through the entire burial process, being the shoulder that Rico needed while he watched his mother get lowered to her final resting place. Chello knew that feeling very well and he knew Rico was hurting, but he had yet to feel pain.
“You cool?” Chello asked as they stood there with Rico once the crowd dispersed.
Rico stood there staring at the fresh plot with swollen eyes from crying.
Completely unaware his funeral fit would double as his death outfit, too.
Chello’s eyes scanned the cemetery as cars pulled away.
He wondered how many bodies out there belonged to him, that was neither here nor there, no one was exempt when it came to his money and respect.
He just couldn’t believe Rico ended up on his radar, no one could’ve ever told him it would be so.
“I appreciate everything you did, Chello. I’m forever indebted.” His voice cracked.
That part almost sounded sad, almost.
Chello nodded calmly, “She raised you right. Come on, let’s go, you ride with us.”
Rico paused, slightly confused.
“Right now? My family waiting on me.”
“Yeah, right now,” Chello walked away because Rico knew better than not to follow.
Rico looked over at Tyzir then toward Chello. Tyzir saw it, he smelled it in the air, fear. Rico was laying it on thick too, the nigga was sweating in the rain.
Rico played it cool and followed, the rain picked up harder as they walked toward the car. Families grieved at different spots in the cemetery, life moved regular while death walked right past them quietly.
Tyzir hopped in the driver seat while Chello hopped in the passenger and Rico in the back like a kid. Rico kept rubbing his hands together nervously, but it was too late for that shit.
He finally spoke once they pulled off, “Everything good?”
Chello stared ahead, “you tell me,” he replied in a calm, almost hurt tone.
Rico was his brother, friends for over ten years, but those be the ones that fucked you over the fastest.
Rico swallowed hard, “I don’t know what that mean.”
Tyzir smiled faintly but kept his eyes on the road.
“You stole from me, for what, Rico?”
Rico froze, everything around froze, “It wasn’t like that, Chello. Everything I borrowed, I put back.”
“Borrowed? Don’t insult me, Rico. I would’ve given you the shirt off my back, all you had to do was ask.”
“My moms was sick, bro.”
“Nigga, I gave you money personally.”
Rico’s eyes watered instantly, “I was drowning, Chello. I’m a man, what I look like coming to beg from another man.”
“Nigga! I was yo fuckin’ brother! You should’ve came to me!”
Silence filled the car, emotions lingered because that part was true. Chello loved Rico, but betrayal, that he couldn’t forgive. Rico looked broken, not because he got caught, but because he knew what came next.
“Please, Chello.”
Chello stared out the window emotionless. Rain raced across the windshield as Tyzir came to a stop in an construction work lot.
Chello sighed soft, “I meant what I said.”
Rico looked up with hope in his eyes for half a second.
“You was my brother,” he continued.
Panic set in, real panic, Rico was scared as fuck; he reached for the door handle, but Chello had already put the child safety locks on.
“Chello, please.”
“Relax.”
The calmness in Chello’s voice somehow made it scarier for Rico like he was hearing Satan himself speak.
Rico looked at Chello desperately. Chello opened his door and climbed out, rain poured harder outside the car.
Tyzir stepped out, then Rico was dragged out last. Begging and crying, the same gangster Chello once trusted with his life was now bawling like a bitch.
Tyzir threw Rico to the ground as he pleaded for his life.
Chello stood beneath the rain watching him with hurt in his eyes.
Murder was a part of the game, but some hit harder than others and Chello felt that one in his chest.
“My kids, Chello, please.”
Chello paused, maybe he did have a heart, “You right, I can’t take you away from them.”
Rico finally exhaled.
“Tyzir, kill this muthafucka.”
Tyzir didn’t think or blink, the gunshot echoed off the metal surrounding them. Chello made a cross over his chest before walking away with the raindrops mixed with the teardrops falling from his eyes.
The car was silent when they got back inside. Chello was hurt, bad.
“Send five thousand to his baby mother every two weeks. Have somebody to come and get him and send him to the funeral home so we can prepare him for services next week.”
Tyzir looked at Chello like he was crazy, but he didn’t say a word, he just nodded and started making phone calls.