Page 4 of My Brother's Keeper
I nodded slowly, “He’s ok. We’re still hoping for the best, even four years later. You know I hated you at one point for taking Keith in because of what Kareem did, but I can’t judge you for his actions.”
The look in Bishop’s eyes said he didn’t want me to bring it up. I tried not to. I’ve been holding it in for years, but something about me saying it now seemed right. That night is one I will never forget. To come into the house and see my father tied up, beaten, and damn near to death is horrifying. To be faced with the intruder, only for them to threaten your family's life, while fear settled in your bones. That night, a lot was taken from me, not just the way my life would change after, but something that meant so much to me, I was willing to die for it. It was something that had been passed down for generations, and it was deliberately snatched from my neck.
While my father was in the hospital from his injuries, we tried asking questions, but before we could get any answers, he had a stroke. It’s a feeling I never want to experience ever again. It wasn’t until after the arrest that my mother and I found out who it was. There had been so many questions about why it happened and the reasons behind it, but because Kareem wasn’t talking and my father was no longer verbal, everything had been based on assumptions.
My father was in his prime. Set to be the Dean of TSU to do something he’d worked so hard to accomplish, but after that incident, it never happened. I think the Merciers were behind it. However, they have so much power in the city that no one would even utter a fucking word.
Since then, I’ve been trying to remain positive, hoping somehow my daddy snapped back, but deep down, I knew it would never happen. I didn’t say anything more to Bishop as I left the building. It was already sad enough that my family dynamics had changed, but to go through all this shit alone was even sadder. Symphony, the girl who used to have it all, merely had nothing but bad memories and a loveless bed.
MALI
“Man, what the fuck are we doing here?” I muttered to Scooter as we pulled up to the end of Fern Street in Lake Hill Manor. The houses that blessed the block were nice and massive.
The money he offered me to make this move with him made me second-guess whether this was the right decision. Then I thought about my brothers who needed things, and this was a way I could provide. As I sat in the driver’s seat, I pulled a bottle from my coat pocket, quickly removed the top, and took a swig.
Scooter slid a pair of gloves on his hands as he turned to glance at me. “Nigga what the fuck. You can’t be the driver getting drunk and shit.”
My eyes rolled his way as I took another swig. “I’m straight.” I smiled.
“You stay here. If anything looks funny, honk once,” he gritted.
“Scooter, these rich folk are going to lock your ass up. Why are we here?”
He punched the dashboard. “Nigga, let me worry about that. I told you I would break you off. This shit isn’t for me, it’s for mybrother. That little nigga at home hungry right fucking now. Whatever I have to do to make sure he’s good, I will, so until you can understand what the fuck I’m going through, shut your bitch ass up!” he barked.
I began laughing. “You better cool your ass down because as much as you’re barking like a dog. Nigga you need me. Just hurry the fuck up!” I shot back.
I watched him get out, jog a few houses up, and into one of the driveways, disappearing. I glanced at my bottle and took another swig. For every swig I took, it was for every inch of regret I had trying to help this nigga. I began thinking about my brothers. If I got locked up, would they resort to the same shit to survive?
I sat back in the seat as I tapped at the steering wheel. Headlights beamed in my rearview mirror, making me sit up. It crept up slowly and stopped in the middle of the street. I slid my hoodie on, pulling at the strings to cover my face. My fingertips traced the horn as the saliva in my throat thickened, and I scooted down in the seat.
The giggles that echoed with the night’s quietness caused me to ease my head back toward the dark-tinted car and look. When I saw Symphony get out, I wondered where she was coming from. Symphony, the girl everyone wanted but no one had the pleasure of getting. The girl who had my eye since high school, but never noticed me there. The rich, spoiled, soft girl.
The car drove past me as she pranced, disappearing up the driveway. I got so lost in an old high school crush that I didn’t realize she had gone up the same driveway that Scooter had.
“Shit!”
I panicked, trying to decide whether to honk or get Scooter. Could I be the hero of the night? I thought. I hopped out of the car and rushed up the block and up the driveway until I reached the house. When I stood in front of the house thatscreamed Symphony was beyond my tax bracket, I knew being the hero would be just that and nothing more.
The sounds of screams bellowed from the door. I moved quickly, rushing to the window to see someone lying on the floor and Scooter with his mask on, gritting something to her, and running off. Symphony nervously ran to the guy on the floor while grabbing her phone. Suddenly, Scooter dashed past me, running down the driveway. “Nigga I told you to stay in the car!” he shouted.
We both hauled ass back up the street to the car. Damn near out of breath, he turned to me as he aimed his gun, “I should shoot your ass. I told you to honk!”
“Nigga you know whose house that was. Huh? Fuck did you go in there for?” I shouted back.
“Business. If the nigga does what’s being asked, everything will be fine, and we will be rich. If not, I got a little security,” he said as he opened his hand to a nice-sized Sapphire necklace.
I didn’t know what to think. I stared at it long and hard. “Nigga you stealing?” I muttered.
“It’s called security. Now drive!” he yelled.
I spotted the lights coming up the small hill, and I sped off. His breathing decreased as he focused his attention out the window. I didn’t know if Scooter had been able to accomplish whatever it was, he set forth on doing, but what I did know was that after today, I wasn’t fucking with this nigga anymore. When I pulled up to the location, where he asked me to drop him off. He turned to me. “If anything happens to me. I want you to take this and cash it in. Take the money to my shorty,” he mumbled.
I could tell he wasn’t sure what was next for him. I held the expensive ass necklace in my hand as Scooter disappeared into the night. As I drove, I began to think about Symphony standing there. Was this hers? I didn’t know what to do, butwhat I did know was that guilt instantly started to weigh on me.
“Wake the fuck upnigga!” I heard Scooter’s voice dead in my ear.
My head was spinning, my body ached, and I was bleeding. I didn’t know what the hell happened. Last, I remember, I was at a fucking party and somehow, I’m sitting in someone’s living room with a funky ass stripper pole in front of me. When I glanced over, the same girl who stripped at Foe’s party was sitting next to me.
