Page 134 of Invisible Bars
Without hesitation, I pulled out my wallet, reached inside, grabbed a twenty—then paused, swapped it out, and handed him all the hundreds I had on me instead.Eight,to be exact.
With me being a billionaire, I didn’t carry much cash—especially not when I went to the hood. Nah, I didn’t look at all black niggas in the hood as thieves, but truth be told, the niggas who stayed in those parts were the boldest to rob a nigga in broad daylight. Butmostniggas, in that area anyway, knew better than to fuck with me. However, there were a couple of dumb muthafuckas. And if onedidrun up and actually managed to take something—before I tooktheirlife—all they’d get was a few hundred dollars and a fast pass to hell.
Lil B’s eyes widened like I’d handed him a second chance—I probably did. That kind of money could be life-changing for someone in his shoes—if used wisely.
“Don’t waste it on nonsense,” I advised. “Anddon’tlet me regret giving you this. Get you some food, a haircut, and something clean to wear. Not because of how people see you… but so you can see yourself again.”
“Damn, bro. You a real one… always have been, though. I—preciate you, man for real. I been trying to get on track. I swear. I just… I need a real shot. A job or something.”
I pondered on an idea.
“I actually could use someone over at one of my buildings. Janitorial stuff. Light maintenance. It ain’t the dream job, but it’s a paycheck. You good with that?”
Lil B looked like he might cry. “Hell yeah, I’m good with that! That’s better than anything I got right now.”
“Where you staying?”
“With my moms,” he answered, with a hint of shame.
“She’s still over on Myrtle and 3rd?”
“Yup.”
I nodded. “Cool. I’ll swing by probably… Tuesday, when I get off. I’m usually off no later than 6:00, unless I run into something unexpectedly. Make sure you’re there. We’ll talk more about the position then. But when I see you next time, I need you to come correct. Present yourself like you really want this shit—clean cut, clear-headed, and ready to work.”
“I do! I do, I swear! And I gotcha!”
I stared a second longer, then nodded again—slow and solid.
He pressed his hands together, not quite clapping, not quite praying.
“Thank you, man! You don’t know how much this means!”
I clapped him on the back. “I do. Believe me, I do.”
He stepped back, still holding the money like it might vanish.
I gave him a final nod and turned to head out.
The past doesn’t always let go easy, but sometimes, just sometimes, you can reach back and pull someone forward with you.
Chapter Nineteen
NAJI
Iwoke up from my nap with my cheek stuck to the pillow and my body feeling like I’d been in a brawl with gravity. I stretched, yawned, and then froze.
That familiar warmughbetween my thighs let me know Mother Nature had arrived—right on schedule, as always, loud, messy, and doing the absolute most.
I sat up fast and yanked the blanket back like I was checking for a crime scene.
“Shit, shit—fucking red wedding!” I muttered, my tics flaring with frustration.
My stomach cramped up just in time to slap me with the full experience.
“You disrespectful uterus!” I hissed, gripping my lower belly.
Thankfully, the sheets weren’t damaged—but I still stripped them anyway.
