Chapter 50 #3
“I wanted to show him how the dollies go crack,” Malayna said, handing her dad the brown legs to the dolls and then hopping in his lap.
Cairo and Nate shared an expression and silently agreed that they were responsible for the type of hell these two would raise together.
“Let’s not crack the dolls,” Nate spoke, trying to muffle his laughter. “Aight, C4, let me hear it.”
While Cairo fished his phone from his pocket and balanced his son on his lap, Nate pulled his out and hit record.
Cairo navigated to his business email Kamilla set up and found the email. He read it silently to curb any disappointment he could find.
“Nah, Azul,” Nate jeered holding the camera. “Read that shit louder.”
Cairo stopped his silent read and grinned, reading the email he received from the desk of Kamilla M. Palmer, A&R of El Jefe records.
“What your baby send you?” Nate continued to hype his friend up.
“Dear Cairo Hendrix,” he started as Kairo-Palmer’s head popped up from his chest.
“That’s me,” Kairo-Palmer chimed, pointing to himself.
“You right. That’s us, blue,” Cairo kissed him on top of his head and continued reading.
“On behalf of Julius and Daysha Gallalucci, President and CEO of El Jefe Records, it pleases me to welcome you aboard as our partnered producer. We are deeply excited for our years of partnership ahead and the magic to be created. As agreed upon in your contract. you have a team of interns, assistants, and engineers. We are thrilled to partner with you through desired charitable organizations and community giveback events. Upon signature, a member of our team will provide a separate email. In it, you will find an attached letter with your code to your assigned studio, numbers to your assigned staff, and my direct line. Steal the moon, Kamilla P.”
“That’s Mommy,” baby Kairo commented happily.
“Yeah, Mommy is Daddy’s boss at home and at work,” he laughed.
“How you feel, gang?” Nate asked from behind the camera.
Cairo stared at the screen for a long moment before pinching the bridge of his nose and clearing his throat. “Like none of this shit was in vain. My suffering, my sacrifice wasn’t for nothing. I feel blessed.”
Kairo-Palmer reached up and wiped his dads cheek. “God loves you.”
Cairo squeezed him. “I know.”
“How you know?” his son challenged.
“He gave me you and mommy. Uncle Nate, Auntie D, and Malanya,” Cairo explained. “He also gave me another chance to get it right. You know what that means?”
“Kinda.”
“It means that daddy got it wrong a lot. I didn’t always do the right thing.
But I kept working to get better and because of grace, I got another chance.
You won’t get it now but later, you’ll see that you can have faith and the right idea, but God’s grace surpasses everything else.
Even if you fall, what do you do, blue?”
“I get back up and keep runnin’.”
“Yeah, that’s my boy. You and your cousin go play and make sure she stays out of people’s business,” Cairo directed, watching his twin hop off his lap and direct his cousin back to the playroom.
Nate and Cairo sat in silence, taking in this moment.
“Thank you, bro. I couldn’t have gotten here without you. ”
“I told you once and I’ll tell you again because your head is bad. I got you— forever. We locked in, and blood won’t change that. I’m proud of you, man, for holding your head.”
Cairo stood up and hugged Nate. Releasing him, Nate tapped him in the chest. “Aight you too swole for this shit. What charity you thinking about setting up?”
“You know those apartments Tiny used to stay in?”
“Yeah. You buying them?”
Cairo nodded. “That’s the plan, tear it down, build a school of the arts. Fund through donors and shit. If these young niggas can learn how to shoot, they can learn music, film, writing all of that. I swear if we had something like that, we’d probably be sitting here with more than a GED.”
“I still can’t believe you made me do that,” Nate spoke with laughter.
“I didn’t make you do shit. I told you I was getting my GED to pass the time, and you said, ‘your ugly ass can’t be the only one learning something’,” Cairo half-mocked him. “Turns out, you weren’t slow like they said. You was just bad as fuck.”
“I was smart and more focused on runnin’ the streets because I didn’t have a parent at home to give a damn about me,” Nate huffed. “Now look at us. Fathers. Women who love us so hard they’d cuss us out at twelve and make us come eat at two. Then tell us to fix our faces.”
Cairo laughed. “I should’ve never let K get so close to Dania. You know she’s talking back and telling me what to do and how to do it?”
“Nigga, you like it,” Nate cheerfully commented.
“Nah, nigga. I love that shit. Can’t get enough of her bossy ass.”
“I can tell. You know what you gotta do right?”
Cairo nodded. “Hit up Fredo, immediately. Enough time has passed and I’m not waiting another five years to make it known she’s mine. See, I grew up.”
“Barely,” Nate toyed. “Get to your lady, Kairo and Malayna are going to be passed out in a few minutes.”
“‘Preciate it.”