Chapter 9
August
Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz featuring Too $hort’s “Couldn’t Be a Better Playa Than Me” pushed through my truck as I followed the pin Thiago dropped.
Sitting upright in the driver’s seat, I muted the radio.
Fingers curling around the steering wheel, I asked, “Is it wrong fo’ me wantin’ to knock her gotdamn head off fo’ makin’ moves without consultin’ wit’ me? ”
“Nope, but you gotta understand where Mona comes from. She showed a lot hours prior. There’s no telling where her mind’s at,” King offered, securing his gloves.
“Kingdon, what’s yo’ take?” I asked, two hours away from my destination.
“I’m with King. Hear her out before you go bat shit crazy.
I don’t know what caused her to spaz earlier, but I’m sure you do.
Think about the woman she was versus who she is now.
Sometimes, we can’t do everything for them.
They have to do it. Maybe she’s the perfect person to do what she’s doing to clear her name.
She knows her siblings and whoever else has her fucked up,” the calm, tipsy man spoke as my cell phone rang.
Seeing Tiberius’ name, I furrowed my eyebrows. Thiago was the one updating us. Immediately, I was fearful, slamming my forefinger on the answer choice.
“Talk to me,” I answered, wishing I could disrespect the speed limit more than I was doing.
Gunshots rang, causing my right eyelid to twitch. My foot mashed the pedal as every horrible thought came to mind about my buddies and girl.
“Bitch, I’on know where you found this gotdamn guh at but she ain’t shit to play wit’!” Tiberius laughed as tires skidded.
My heart relaxed, but my foot didn’t as I said, “What happened?”
“That motherfucka don’ ran through so many neighborhoods, hopped on the roof an’ shot off in motherfuckas’ houses.
She don’ shot up a vehicle at the red light.
Motherfuckas hopped out runnin’. Not na’an motherfucka shot back.
Who the fuck is Mona?” Tiberius asked as a lighter flickered in his background.
“She was a jackguh.”
As King and Kingdon stared at me, rapidly blinking, Tiberius and Thames hollered, “A fuckin’ what?”
“Y’all heard me.”
“My God. She’s one hellava jackguh. She got niggas runnin’ from her, man. My dumb ass brothers ain’t even hopped out the truck to fire not one gun. It’s all Mona. That motherfucka pressure. Ya hear me,” he praised.
“Yeah, I hear you.” I grinned, still needing to pray that she made it unscathed. We had a lot of shit to carry out before we left Georgia.
“Aye, I forgot to tell you, don’t worry ‘bout her gettin’ jammed up. X know we in the city handlin’ som’ shit. Thiago upped Mona’s truck description, so she protected,” he offered, causing me to shake my head and grit my teeth.
“At what cost?” I sighed heavily, dipping back into a time when shit became so sticky that too many people had to intervene.
“None.”
“How sho’ you is?” I asked, not wanting to be that far involved in the street life.
“One hunnid percent. It’s on us. We loyal to X, an’ when we need someone protected … she make sho’ that shit done. So, drive safely. Follow the pin drops. See you soon.”
I wished I could’ve pushed out a sigh of relief as I nodded. Instead, I exhaled frustration and said, “A’ight.”
Once the call ended, King yawned. “Y’all wake me when we get there.”
“A’ight,” Kingdon and I replied as he fired a blunt.
“On a lighter note, Aleana and I will keep Azaria while you and Mona are on y’all’s honeymoon,” Kingdon offered, causing King to smile and nod.
“Sound good,” I replied nonchalantly, pumping my fist.
“Whoa!” the twins hollered.
King’s bucked eyes were on me.
Kingdon stuck his head through the seats, looking at me curiously.
“What the fuck was that tone?” Kingdon inquired with the blunt idling between his fingers.
Resting my head on the headrest, I said, “Um, remember when Thiago was at my head ‘bout Marianne?”
“Um, yeah.” They nodded as I twiddled my fingers against the steering wheel.
“After we shook hands, the fucka smiled while mouthin’ that the shit wasn’t over. I been on pins an’ needles since that nigga said that shit. I’on trust Thiago. I never have,” I told them as the twins looked at each other.
“Why the hell are we just not knowing this?” King snarled as Kingdon agreed.
“I ain’t feel it shoulda been said ‘til nih. Thiago went out his way to reach out to X. I ain’t asked fo’ none of that kinda help. We all know females pull to Thiago ‘cause of his silly ass ways, power, an’ looks,” I answered, raking my nails through my beard.
“Bruh, are you thinking that he’s doing slick shit to get into Mona’s skin?” King inquired, cracking his knuckles.
“I’on know what I’m thinkin’, but I know what that nigga mouthed years ago.
I know he was very heated ‘bout me tellin’ the truth ‘bout not knowin’ the bitch who took his virginity was already knowin’ an’ bendin’ over to take this dick,” I offered, needing a clear head to see which angle Thiago was playing or if he was playing an angle.
“Right now, we can’t focus on that. When we land back in the city, we will keep our eyes on him. A’ight?” King offered, causing me to nod.
“Did you tell Mona about you and Thiago’s past with a female?” Kingdon inquired, putting the blunt to his lips.
“No.”
“Good. Don’t,” the twins said while Kingdon slid into the backseat.
“I wasn’t gon’ say shit.”
“Good.” They replied as King looked at me.
“Where are you taking Mona for y’all’s honeymoon?” he asked, causing me to smile. The fucka knew how to take me from the dark abyss of my many thoughts.
“She thinks Hawaii, but I paid for a week in Tahiti,” I answered, loving the thought of seeing Mona’s eyes sparkle when she saw our bungalow over crisp water.
“Big moneyyyyy!” The twins hooted, bouncing in the seats.
“I thought you was sleepy, big back.” I chuckled, cutting my eye at him.
“I am, but I feel this truck finna be filled with conversations that’s thicker than a Snicker,” he said seriously as I relaxed in the seat.
I feel that too. Kingdon ain’t never let us be in silence in peace. He don’t know how to keep the mood light. He gon’ run right into som’ shit I ain’t up fo’ thinkin’ or talkin’ ‘bout.
“You fully prepared for August Junior’s first day of college?” Kingdon inquired while the good-good wafted around my truck.
“Fuck no. My boy gon’ be out of state. I do, but I don’t like it.
I ain’t never been away from him that long.
It’s gon’ be hard. I’mma pop up twice a month.
Need to make sho’ he gucci,” I offered, hating that I couldn’t be the parent to tell his child to choose a closer school.
I couldn’t stunt his growth because of my attachment to him.
He deserved to see the world and enjoy being a college student at his first-choice school.
“I’m proud of you, August. You took teen parenthood and ate it up. You are a great father, even with all that yelling you do with Azaria. Aug Junior and Azaria have the best father, hands down,” Kingdon admitted, patting my shoulder.
“Yep,” King agreed, mushing my head. “What are you going to do to Mona’s parents?”
“I ain’t thought that far, but I’mma take it Hell,” I confessed, causing them to laugh.
“You wouldn’t be August if you didn’t,” King replied.
“Do you think TT will opt to live in another living facility?” Kingdon asked.
“And there’s the thicker than a Snicker,” King said, sitting upright, staring at me.
Shaking my head, I smiled. “Nope. She gon’ stay wit’ me. I’ve had years to learn how to care fo’ her. If my plate gets full, I’mma pull in help like I said I was gon’ do. She gon’ be fine.”
“But say if she does opt to live in an assisted living facility, how will you handle that?” Kingdon inquired, causing me to sigh sharply.
“I’mma respect her wishes an’ go back to our regular show of me showin’ up every day to see an’ care fo’ her,” I confessed, heart breaking at the thought of Momma living under a facility’s roof instead of mine.
“Azaria will wear her ass out.” King chortled, causing us to howl in laughter.
“Shid, TT already popped those thighs before we left. That’s why Azaria was hollering while running to Kingsley,” Kingdon offered as I was proud of Momma stepping in and whooping some ass.
Grinning, I rushed to call her. On the fifth ring, she groggily said, “August, you, my nephews, them worrisome ass Quad Ts, an’ our Mona better be safe nih.”
“We is. I’m callin’ to be messy ‘bout you poppin’ Azaria?” I chuckled, causing the foolies to laugh harder than the sweet lady on the phone.
“She thought she could pinch my lip an’ pull my hair.
She got me fucked up. I’m blind, not defenseless.
Soon as she ran to Kingsley, I made my way to them an’ snatched her ass back in my presence.
Allathat sneaky shit gon’ stay gettin’ her ass popped.
She light-footed as hell, Son. You need to buy her tap shoes or put a bell ‘round her neck so I can know exactly where her ass at,” Momma yawned.
“She hate necklaces but love bracelets. I’ll make her a few bell bracelets when we get back home.” I chuckled.
“Okay.” She yawned again.
“What you wanna do today?”
“Rest. I danced, got high, an’ drank mo’ than my fair share of liquor. Y’all asses know y’all can party like y’all’s family. Those fuckas know they could throw a party an’ have you not wantin’ to leave,” she voiced, causing King to look in the back seat.
“Um, Momma, you do know they don’t throw parties like that, right?” I asked, praying Momma wasn’t experiencing dementia or Alzheimer’s.