Page 6 of Read the Room

My grandmother sucked her teeth. “What makes you think she’s going to move out after the year if it’s your damn building? All her leeching ass is going to do is stay her ass there.”

“Ma, she doesn’t know that I own the damn building. Hell, she doesn’t know about half the shit that I have going on.” My top lip turned up. “Mama Bee, you raised me better than that.”

I called her Ma most of the time, but when I was serious about something, it was Mama Bee.

I owned a small apartment complex with fifty units. I purchased the land for a different purpose, but after I sat down with my financial advisor, he suggested building a small apartment building of some kind. A lot of my dirty money was easily cleaned because I had several cash businesses as well as solid investments that had great returns. My bachelor's degree in accounting and business management helped me a lot with my businesses. When I decided that I wanted to build the apartments, I asked my best friend Sully to go in with me.

It took almost two years for them to be built. The land that I purchased was out in the Ballantyne area that was not too far from a new hospital that was built. The healthcare network was looking for complexes that would go under contract with them for units that would be used by traveling nurses. While we were in the building stages, they came to us with a contract offer for twenty apartments for three years. Our contract lawyer reviewed the contract, and after a few modifications, the contract was signed, and they paid the rent upfront for three years.

“Well, I’m happy you listened to at least that,” Ma said, followed by a scoff. “Even though I don’t like the heifer, I’m happy you’re not doing her dirty.”

Our conversation stopped when one of the kids came over. Our eyes went to Jedi. He was a cool lil dude.

“Excuse me, Grammie Bee. I gotta pee.”

“Okay, baby. I’m gonna put the baby down and take you.” She got up to put the baby in her arms down in the bassinet.

“You being a good boy, Jedi?” I asked him. I was about to grab him up to tickle him, but I remembered that he had to pee. His little ass would not pee on me.

He hopped around on his feet. “I’m a good boy. I read the room.”

He never said it in past tense, always in the present.

I chortled when Mama Bee said, “Oh, Lord.Come on, baby. Let me get you in this bathroom.”

One day, when I came over, Jedi was being bad. It was clear that he didn’t have any male figures in his life. Yeah, my dad wasn’t around, but I always had a male figure around from coaches, teachers, professors, and Geo. I sat lil homie down and told him that he needed to learn how to read the room to know when and how he should behave. If all of the kids were playing, then the room said he could play too, but if all the kids were napping, then the room said he needed to nap as well. After a few more lessons from me, that was always his answer when I asked if he was good.I read the room.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see it was my right hand.

“What’s up, Sully?”

“We got a problem. Meet me in one.”

He didn’t give me a chance to say shit before he hung up the line. That was Sullivan Carson, though. He hated talking on the phone. If you weren’t his wife, Simone, then he would not be on the phone any longer than required.

“Lo, I pee in the big boy potty! I did it like a big boy.” Jedi ran out to me with his hand out for a dap.

I nodded then said, “That’s what’s up. You wash your hands?”

After he looked at me like I tried to play him, I dapped him with a chuckle.

“Mama Bee, I gotta head out. You need anything before I go?” I asked her after she sat down. I loved this woman with every fiber of my being.

She smiled softly. “No, baby. I got everything I need here. I want you to stay dangerous, so you stay safe.”

“You know that’s how I live my life.”

Ever since she found out I was in these streets, that was her mantra to me. She didn’t agree with what I did, but she also acknowledged that I was grown. I would always do what I needed to do to make sure my people ate well.

I pulled up to the motorcycle dealership that Sully and I owned. Fifty percent of the businesses I owned were co-owned by Sully. We also both had separate sole-proprietor businesses. I walked into Sully’s office where he sat behind his desk, and Joey sat in the seat across from the desk.

“What it do, Joey? You staying dangerous out here?”

“You already know what’s up,” Joey responded.

We dapped each other up. Joey was a cool dude that had been down with us for about four years. When he first got down with us, he was only seventeen. I didn’t want that drug shit for him, so I made him our watchman and ears to the streets.

I sat in the open seat across from Sully. “What it do? Who we gotta fuck up?”

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