Chapter 8
It’d been two nights of studio sessions Erys sat in on and Tone wasn’t completely wrong.
His nephew had grown but it wasn’t musically.
It was mumble rap about drugs, guns, bitches, and hoes.
No gang affiliation, no real missions completed because Big Rod didn’t play that shit with the Trae Ways.
There was no mobbing, no riding, and currently, no beefs.
Just this overgrown wanna be in the booth wasting money.
“You a fuckin’ liar,” Erys spoke to Tone over the beat playing. “You said he grew. He grew up and out, but he damn sure didn’t grow in this. This is a waste of time and money.”
Tone bobbed his head before pointing to a side door. Erys started out of the door, finally out of the mediocre skills. His ears welcomed the silence. Tone joined him and huffed.
“I owe his momma and him, quite frankly,” Tone shared.
“So what is this, some debt? Nigga, this is torture. Two nights,” Erys said, holding up two fingers.
“Two nights, I’ve listened to him rap the stories you told him like they’re his.
That young nigga don’t know nothing about shoot outs, fighting for respect, or scarred knuckles.
You need to pivot before you end up broke. ”
Tone palmed his face. “I don’t know what else to do. He ain’t that bright, him going to college is out of the question. All he does is this and play video games all day.”
“Don’t discount the video games. You got to tap into who he is at his core, man. This ain’t it. I could really be doing something else right now,” Erys grumbled.
“Like staring at Remedy and your pops play cards or something?” Tone toyed.
“Like fucking sleeping,” Erys fired back, like his sleep schedule was actually normal.
“Yeah, you don’t sleep,” Tone replied, as YN3Dub stepped out into the hallway with a silly grin on his face.
“Y’all don’t want no wings? I need some motivation,” he said to the men. “Wild Flame is lit as fuck tonight too.”
He held out his phone and showed Tone and Erys the JoyChat. That flash of red getting Erys’ attention. She was back in the club. Nothing about that sat right with him.
“You right, nephew, it’s lit,” Tone spoke. “Erys, you driving. I’m faded.”
“I got the right mind to let you two go without me but I don’t want the county call,” Erys grunted, walking away to the exit.
He fired up his truck upon approaching, grabbing the Waynesville Nursing sweatshirt she left behind off the front seat and folding it up neatly, he placed it in the center console.
Tone and his nephew hopped in a clash of noise.
“I’m about to kill this session when we get back. Big booty strippers always get me in the mood,” YN3Dub jeered. “Unc, you think I’ma get them to come to my kickback next week for the video shoot?”
“How you shooting a video with no song?” Erys asked. “Can’t be none of that shit you played me.”
The joy on the young man’s face fell. “Fuck you mean by that?”
“I mean you rapping about nothing at all. Blocks you never shot up, wars you never fought. We did all that shit. You got a different story to tell. This gangsta rap shit you got is empty and lame and I’m not putting you in front of MB with that.
So have some real conversations with yourself about who you are and what you want out this shit.
Playing gangsta don’t get you nothing but regret or pushing up daffodils,” Erys said.
“Niggas don’t play about fake ass stories from young niggas that never did nothing.
You ain’t never laid a nigga out. Never lit a block up, never had heat where ya momma laid her head at.
That’s real shit. That’s shit we had to deal with so figure that shit out.
And change that dumbass name. What the fuck is your name? ”
Tone’s nephew looked at Erys in the rearview mirror. “Jamani. My momma calls me Dootie.”
“Leave that shit for your momma,” Erys said. “We’re calling you Jay moving forward.”
Erys had given him something to muse over that calmed the loudness he entered the truck with.
Wild Flame, Erys entered and took a seat in the same booth he had nights ago.
The perfect seat to see all the exits and her.
How she spun around that pole had to be an art.
An art that pissed him off. Not because she was making her money but because she was back here putting on a show for niggas who didn’t see her.
He groaned trying to shake that off of him but like the weight she wore, he had all these dumbass feelings he didn’t know what he should do with.
Grief, lust, attraction, sadness, anxiousness, anger, control and the most prevalent one, annoyance.
Erys watched Remedy smack a patron’s hand away from her ass and continued her dance.
Another spin, another clap of the heels, and another grab of her ass.
Erys, coming out of himself, moved from the booth across the club. In a swift move the drunk patron was yanked from his seat, punched and slammed into the floor. The only thing keeping him from blacking out was the shout of his name.
“Erys!” Remedy bellowed, annoyance of her own.
He stood, finding her climbing off of the stage. Within reach to grab her, he did and began marching her toward where he remembered the dressing room.
“Let me go,” Remedy grunted, being pulled into the empty dressing room. “What is wrong with you!”
“Fuck you here for? I thought you were fired,” he stated, looking down at her.
She glared back up at him. “I need money. I need a job where I can work at night and be available for Ernie during the day.”
“There’s a diner on Piedmont with a help wanted sign on the door,” he quipped, still holding her arm. “You begged for this job back?”
“The diner won’t hire me, if you must know. And what I did to get my job back isn’t your business,” she shot back, pulling herself away from him.
“Got damn it, I told you if you came back here on that bullshit, I was kicking your ass to the curb and you weren’t dancing here again. I got a nigga with two teeth missin’!” MackLem bellowed, rushing into the dressing room with his fists balled up. “I should beat your ass for that shit.”
Erys turned around, using his body as a shield. “We’re having a conversation.”
“You that big nigga from the first time. What type a shit you two got going on?” MackLem questioned, his tone cooling when he came face-to-face with Erys.
“We’re having a conversation,” Erys stated again, flexing his jaw.
“Don’t call me begging in three days because you need your job back, Remedy. The answer is fuck no, you ain’t worth the trouble. And I’m docking your tips. All of them,” MackLem fussed, turning to stomp away.
Erys waited until he was gone to turn back and look at her. “Why you begging that nigga for a job? Where’s the money I left?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, I left it where you put it because I told you, I don’t need you.”
He palmed his face, attempting to get a handle on what was happening. The constant ringing of his phone tugged at his attention.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“Hi, Mr. Moore. This is Anna, from Piedmont Assisted Living. We have a situation,” the nasally voice on the other end of the line spoke.
“What the fuck is the situation?” he asked, forehead creased.
“Your father. He roamed out of his room and when one of our staff members tried to redirect him, he got violent. Beating them with a cane and telling them, “I’ll leave yo ass stankin’”.
We won’t press charges on him, but you need to come pick him up immediately.
We will give you a full refund as well.”
Erys vigorously rubbed his eyebrow. “Aight. We’re on the way.”
He hung up and looked at Remedy who’d already taken her heels off and was pulling her sweats over her legs. “We got to go.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. Thanks but no thanks,” she quipped.
“It’s Ernie. The home kicked him out,” Erys blew.
“Didn’t I tell your ass they weren’t equipped to handle him? Didn’t I tell you? Why didn’t you lead with that?” Remedy shot back, hurrying up. Erys grabbed her bag and trailed her out the club, directing her to his truck.
“I can drive myself,” she semi-protested.
“You should be the last person on the road,” he stated, opening the passenger side door. Within seconds they were speeding toward the nursing home to retrieve Ernie.
“How are we going to do this?” Erys asked. “I can’t do it without you and I was ignorant to believe I could.”
Remedy sighed. “I don’t know. I know his house is falling apart and I might not have a house by next week.”
“Y’all will stay with me.”
“W-what?” Remedy asked. “No.”
“Yes,” he answered. “It’s big and you don’t have to worry about sacrificing so he can thrive. I got him insurance so at some point, there’ll be an aide and-”
“I’ll be back on my ass. Okay, I’ll figure it out,” she muttered, cutting him off.
“No, you’ll stay. Where he goes, you go; where you go, he goes. I can clearly see he doesn’t do well without you so this is just what we’re going to have to do until we can’t,” he shared his plan. “There’s enough space for us not to be on each other’s nerves.”
A weary look flashed across her face.
“This is for Ernie. When he goes, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. I’m a man of my word, Remedy, I won’t leave you out on your ass,” he finalized.
“You got this all worked out. This is for Ernie. Whatever he needs. Even if that means being in a house with you,” she rebutted.
“Even if I gotta be subjected to the smart ass mouth. It’s for Ernie.” Erys held his fist out for a bump.
“Don’t get carried away, Franklin. I don’t like you.”
Erys stroked the short hairs of his goatee to temper the smile threatening to form over his lips. “Heard.”
They didn’t even have him waiting in the lobby for them to arrive. Ernie was outside on a bench, holding his weapon of choice across his lap and his face still held a scowl. Remedy hopped out before the truck could come to a full stop.
“Ernie, you okay?” she asked, checking him.
“I was looking for you and the muhfucka stopped me so I beat his ass. Telling me you not real, Cherie. I know you’re real. They fucking with me. I told you I didn’t want to be in this place,” he shared, cutting his eyes at her. “Why you leave me here?”
“I’m sorry. Do you want to go home?” Remedy soothed him.
“Yes. Don’t leave me again,” he stated, as he placed his cane in the correct position.
“I won’t leave you again,” she assured, squatting down. “Would you mind if we stay at Erys’ until the house gets finished?”
Ernie’s eyes lit up. “You saw it.”
“I did. You let it fall apart, Ernie,” she crooned.
“Been waiting on you to come home. You know I can’t do shit without you,” Ernie shared.
Erys’ watched on, seeing how much his mother’s detachment broke him. He also saw how Remedy lived up to her name. This was, without question, undoing him.
“Yeah, I know. Come on, let’s get you home and in a nice bed,” she offered, reaching for his hand.
Remedy helped him in the car while Erys’ loaded everything back up. Once Ernie was secure, Remedy started to help, earning her a grunt from Erys.
“Get in. I got this. Figure out where we’re stopping to get you something to eat.”
“I don’t need to eat, I’m fine,” she replied.
“Remedy, I haven’t slept in two days. Figure it out or I’ll figure it out and I’ll force feed you.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Force feeding and water boarding gotta have the same technique, I’m sure. Figure it out.”
She huffed, pulled the door open, climbed in and shut it.
Erys allowed the smile to float over his lips. “The woman listens.”