Page 2 of My Brother's Keeper
It rested on my tongue before I swallowed. The cool liquor coursed through me, then turned hot. I then took another swig before my father opened my door and watched me. I was waiting for him to scream, to yell, to slap me around, but instead he walked over, sat next to me, and took the bottle from my hand. He said nothing as he, too, drank from the bottle.
If this is what I needed to forget even for a moment, so be it.
I surveyed the thick crowd, trying to spot Xavier or Mison. We were all together at one point, but somehow we got separated. The further I stepped into the crowd, the more I realized I knew nobody around me. My costume bumped into those who were dancing as I tried to find my brothers or someone from the Zoo. By the time I reached the front of the club, I saw Xavier standing there with a group of people. They had to be from TSU because none of them, from what I could tell, looked like they were from around here.
When I reached him, I tapped his shoulder, causing him to look at me. I didn’t want to talk with his friends around, so I signed instead.Where is Mison? I don’t see him.
Xavier shrugged.Last I saw him, he was with Monfua.
His head peeked over the crowd, then back at me. I shook my head because, knowing him, his mouth was wrapped around a fucking bottle. Xavier turned back toward his friends, as if I wasn’t still standing there. I noticed a girl who stood awkwardly behind them. She seemed out of place, nervous, and quiet. Iknew some of the people my brother hung around with, and they weren’t quiet. They were loud and most often wild.
She was dressed as a black cat. High ponytail, black nose paint with whiskers, cat ears with a black body suit, one that showed every curve she had. The moment we locked eyes, I pulled mine away. Before I could get another quick peek at her, I spotted Foe, who dashed past me. Xavier’s head snapped his way, and so did mine. We glanced at each other and took off through the thick crowd.
“What the fuck are we running for?” he shouted.
Chevy said we needed to keep our heads on a swivel, so if one Zoo boy took off, we all did. Move first, ask questions later.
My voice and words vibrated as I ran. “Sh-shi-shh-shit. I-do-ddd-don’t,” I paused to let my brain catch up. “Know!”
By the time we got toward the back, the guys were fighting. Dio was pounding on somebody while Zu had body slammed someone else. Diamond was throwing hands, along with Foe and Chev, had a nigga against the wall, choking his ass out. Beans towered over someone, but I couldn’t see what he was doing. The Zoo was going to work while Bishop tried to break shit up.
Xavier and I pushed and shoved our way further through the crowd when we spotted Monfua pointing toward the side door. We rushed in that direction until we were outside. That’s when we saw a car take off around the block. When I turned around, I saw all the guys, but Mali was nowhere in sight. Chevy turned to all of us,“Shit!”
Monfua stepped up to him, “I told you.”
“Monfua, I want to know every fucking thing. I got another hour before I need to get home to my sons. The Zoo, right the fuck now!” Chevy shouted.
Zu looked at Xavier and me. “I’m not judging, siblings aren’t easy to deal with, but you niggas need to speak up. Right now, isn’t the time to be at a loss for words.”
Siblings weren’t easy to deal with. Mali’s drinking had always gotten him into shit. At first, Xavier would step in to get him out of things, then he went off to college, so that left me to pick up the slack and a nigga was tired. In my mind, the only way for him to learn was to fall, but somebody taking my brother was the last thing I expected.
Moments later, the girls came outside. “What’s going on?” Zaria asked Chevy.
He looked her up and down, “Fuck!” he barked. He pointed at us, “You niggas are fucking up my mating time. Come on, Z,” he finished, taking her hand, leading her toward his bike.
We all jogged around and hopped on our bikes. People began coming outside to watch as we revved up. That pretty black cat I saw inside, only moments before the chaos, gazed at me before I slid my helmet on and took off.
***
As soon as we pulled up to the Zoo, Zay, I lost it as he spun quickly, pointing at Chevy. “Nigga you got us up in here for the fuck what? My fucking brother got snatched up, and instead of looking for him, you want to have a fucking kumbaya moment.”
Chevy moved toward him, “So you care now the nigga been snatched up? What about all those times the nigga was drunk? Huh? What about the time he’s fucked up before and got you into some shit?” he gritted as he turned toward everyone. “You know everyone wants to be the fucking hero until it’s time toput that shit on,then it’s me y’all running too. If you don’t know anything else about me, know that I don’t just move. I need to know what thefuckI’m getting myself into. Now, since you got that mouth, tell me what his ass done got into?”
I could see Zay’s jaw tighten as he took in what Chevy was saying. We knew he was right. Mison had gotten himself intoso much shit over the years I’d lost count. The day he put that fucking bottle to his lips, his life changed. I remembered there were so many times Xavier had to go pick him up from bars because he was drunk off his ass or jumped in fights that he had started because of his liquid courage. It had gotten so bad that when Xavier got his scholarship, he ran just to get away.
It's like he hated our father for his habit, even though his was the same. I could only imagine what the hell he had gotten himself into this time.
I walked over to Xavier.We’re going to find him. Let’s just listen to what Chev has to say.I signed.
Chevy looked at me. “Speak. I told you we are family and we don’t judge. This,” he pointed around. “Is your safe space. If you’ve got a problem, see me. I got you. I want to know what we’re looking at?” Chevy asked.
Monfua stepped up, but Harvey jumped in, “I saw him talking to some guy named Scooter a couple of weeks ago, and whoever snatched him had on a Michael Myers costume,” she said.
Everyone’s head spun her way. “What the fuck. Why you ain’t say shit?!” Xavier snapped at her.
Foe stepped up, holding his arm out. “Nah, I need you to ease up, nigga.”
Harvey looked at us all. “Shit, I didn’t know what the hell to think. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have even known he got snatched the fuck up.”
