Through the Looking Glass #2
Pooh smiled. “My nephew knows better than to get in dick and pussy shit. And I know you and Rick are at odds at this moment, but hearing you’ve been ducked off in the Hundred Acre Wood will invite way more problems than I’m ready to deal with.
Them niggas in them towers could never catch me slippin’, but they ain’t got shit on my progeny.”
I tilted my head, a smile growing on my face. “You’re scared of him?”
“You’re not?” he chuckled.
I shrugged. “I’m not scared of anything. Not really. In the moment, sure, but overall, I… don’t think I care enough.”
That sympathy that loved to flash in Pooh’s eyes appeared again. But he couldn’t say anything, since Pilar came back into the room bearing gifts.
“I’m so sorry about that. I had to make sure my nieces and nephews got my gifts, and they all wanted to thank me. Don’t think I left you out, Wynter Snow! The big one is from me.”
She pushed two gift bags into my hands and sat back, so I knew she wanted me to open them in front of her.
Smiling, I opened the Coach bag first, my eyes lighting up when I lifted out sneakers she had that I’d been eyeing.
“Now you have your own pair!” she squealed, barely staying in her seat.
I placed the shoes back in the bag and leaned over to hug her. “Thank you, seriously.”
“Of course. Merry Christmas, now open Pooh’s!”
Pilar placed her gift for me on the floor, clearing my lap. The other gift was a small and narrow black box. I took the top off, revealing a velvet box.
“Pilar’s a better gift giver than me, actually going out and buying shit. But she’s always telling me they don’t make good jewelry anymore, so I figured I could lace you with that.”
I opened the box and my eyes flew to Pooh. He couldn’t have been serious.
This was the second conversation we’d ever had in life.
Sure, the bracelet wasn’t new. It couldn’t have been. Slipping it over my fingers, I lifted it up, noting it wasn’t hollow at all, but solid. Eighteen karat, if I had to guess, though I couldn’t be sure, since it was white gold.
Intricate designs were etched around the whole thing, the bracelet cut into sections, held together by links. On the underside, the 18k stamp confirmed my original assessment, accompanied by an inscription I couldn’t make out.
“I prefer yellow gold, but this would be gorgeous on you! Let me put it on!” Pilar took the bracelet from me and clasped it on my right wrist.
It was a perfect fit.
My eyes stung as I met Pooh’s gaze. He was the most confusing person I’d ever met. I thought he’d be callous, or perverted, or mean. At the very least, rude.
“Merry Christmas, cari?a.” He nodded to me, then took a sip of his drink.
“Let me show you what he got me. The PG stuff at least.” Pilar winked, and pulled me out of the room, giggling.
It was surreal.
A runaway thought tried to form, but I shushed it away.
I couldn’t stay there. Eventually, I’d have to go back to my life.
Better just enjoy the interlude for what it was.
It was another week before Tyree came to take me home. He looked pale and sickly, and was in desperate need of a haircut, but still cracked a joke as we piled into a car I’d never seen.
Pilar was too distraught to see me off, but I gave her my number and promised her we’d stay in touch. Pooh nodded at me, told Tyree he’d text him, and stayed in his roundabout driveway until we cleared the mansion and was back on the road.
“So, what have I missed? Pooh already told me mums the word on where I’ve been.”
“Man,” Tyree sighed, turning down the car radio. “Set, Nut, and Ricky are over the whole Birch, bro. Be lucky you been out the way, because shit been sticky until literally last night.”
“What about Foe Dub?”
Tyree cracked a smile. “You know everything always copacetic with the bros. Check this out.” Tyree rolled up his sleeve and turned his arm to me.
Right there, on his forearm, was a blue rose, big as hell.
“Shut up! Tyree, you’re like twelve! I know your granny went upside your head!” Amazed, I grabbed his arm with both hands to get a better look.
It wasn’t a backyard tattoo that I’d seen on others. The line work was precise, the colors bold on his caramel skin. His sleeve slipped down, so I pushed it back up. Above the rose, was FOE in script.
“I’m fifteen,” he defended, though he was still cheesing. “And my granny don’t know. You see I got on long sleeves! Besides, we all got it. Shit, we earned it, the work we put in. Everybody but Shad.”
I gave him back his arm and sat back in my seat. “Even Fredo and Rico?”
“Nah, they didn’t get ‘em either. But that’s ‘cause they don’t want no tattoos when they go off to the Army or whatever. That don’t mean they not stamped though. All you need to know is shit should be smooth sailing, as long as you stay out them towers.”
“Trust me, I’m never going back,” I assured him.
“Good. Ain’t nothing there for you.”
“How’s Auty?”
Tyree winced, then tried to smile again, but I’d seen it. I’d seen the hesitation.
“I’m not gon’ lie, she been better. I think… I think something happened, Wyn. Rico got shot and–”
“Rico WHAT!?” I screamed, digging my fingernails into the seat and the passenger door.
Tyree cursed under his breath, but it barely registered over my shallow breaths.
Rico. My Rico was shot.
What the hell?
“Wyn. Wyn! Look at me. Breathe, mamas. He’s all right. He’s good. Shit, he ain’t even have to stay in the hospital. I got the flu before Christmas and was laid up worse than him. We all a little worse for wear, but he’s good.”
My eyesight cleared and Tyree was palming both sides of my head trying to soothe me.
“Why wouldn’t you lead with that?” I asked breathlessly, yanking out of his hold. Gathering my bearings, I saw he’d pulled over in some neighborhood a few minutes from Raleigh Park.
“You ain’t let me finish… look, I’ma tell you some shit, but you can’t freak out, aight? Shit’s good now. Remember that.”
Not trusting my voice, I nodded twice and hugged myself.
Based on Tyree’s exasperated sigh, I knew he didn’t believe me. But clearly it was something he thought I needed to know.
“I didn’t… I got arrested after getting you to Pooh. Them niggas held me all weekend with no phone call, no nothing. I couldn’t get out until Monday afternoon, and by then, my cousins and Turk had got Autumn. But… they ain’t exactly get to her right away. The details are sketch,
but I’m thinking they got to her Saturday night, since Rico was in the hospital all that Sunday getting stitched up, and then Nan and Granny got me from holding Monday. But I’on know. The way Fredo and Rico been damn near bloodthirsty, I just think something happened.”
“Oh fuck. I knew we should have gone back. I knew it! Oh, fuck.” I bent down, pulling my head between my knees.
I’d never forgive myself. It was all my fault. I knew I should have just stayed home. I had no business being at that party, let alone dragging Auty with me.
“You won’t know for sure until you talk to her–”
“Talk?!” I laughed, snapping outright to gape at Tyree. “Why would she ever wanna talk to me? She probably thinks I left her. Or that I brought her there on purpose. Why wouldn’t she? Oh God.”
“I know y’all be bickering, but that’s your sister. Your twin. Haze know you’d never be on no slimy shit like that. Y’all just gotta talk.” With that, he started the car back up and drove the rest of the way to my house.
“What happened to Kilo’s sister Chyna?” I asked as we turned onto my street.
“Still in them Towers, scared of her own shadow,” he chuckled.
“You guys didn’t get her either?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at the car in front of my house.
“Should we?”
“She’s the one who invited me to the party. She’s not innocent.”
“Shit. Aight. But foreal, you go straight into your house, Wyn. Soon as I stop this car.”
Saliva pooled in my mouth as he zoomed passed the car parked in front of my house, to pull onto my neighbor’s curb.
We both hopped out immediately, my eyes lasered in on my front door, wide open.
Go straight in. Don’t look–
“WYNTER!”
My body froze without my permission. My stomach dropped as I turned toward my sister.
She’d lost weight. Her desolate eyes had dark circles around them, and her hair was a bird’s nest on top of her head.
I glanced behind her, at Turk. One hand was around her shoulder, the other in a cast and sling.
He met my gaze, bushy eyebrows pulled downward. I’d never seen Turk angry, the smoldering look rooting me in the spot.
He moved Autumn behind him and began walking toward me. “Where the fuck you been at, Wyn?” he thundered.
Wood hitting wood distracted me, and Rico and Fredo came barrelling down Pops’ front porch.
“Go in the fuckin’ house, Wyn!” Tyree barked in my ear. He pushed me toward the door, but as soon as I caught my footing, my feet were again stuck to the ground.
Rico’s eyes were void of anything. He glanced at Tyree before meeting my gaze again.
His eyes were flat like this the last time we had it out, and yet it was all wrong. Even then, I knew there were emotions. Deep down, but still there.
There was nothing now. Complete emptiness.
My chest cracked.
Just as Turk grabbed my shoulder and shook.
“You hear me talkin’ to you?! The fuck you been, Wyn? Huh? Answer me!”
“You’re hurting me,” I whimpered, but he only squeezed harder.
Until Tyree pulled him off of me and stood in front of me.
“Oh, that’s rich,” Auty snorted. Fredo made it to her, and she curled into his side.
“She not the enemy–”
“Bullshit! That bitch ruined my fuckin’ life!” Auty roared, lunging for me. Fredo wrapped his arms around her waist, but even he had a hard time pulling her back.
“Where she been, Ty-Ty?” Rico asked.
“Rick,” Tyree sighed. I’d seen and heard them go back and forth numerous times, but I didn’t think Tyree was capable and really lying to his cousin.
Rico smirked and glanced over his shoulder, before rushing Tyree.
They dissolved into fists immediately. From one side of my front lawn to the other, they fought, each hit from each boy connecting.