Page 5 of My Brother's Keeper
Scooter paced the floor back and forth in front of me and his stripper bitch. “One of you is lying. She said you never gave it to her, and you said you did.”
I did, but I didn’t think the nigga was going to go bat shit crazy and kidnap me. After that night, Scooter was caught the next morning. Once I found out what his sentence was, I figured the nigga would forget after five years, but who knew he was getting out early. Kareem aimed his gun at me. “Better speak up, corny nigga in a fucking turtle suit. I’m—”
“Scooter!” the stripper bitch shouted. “It’s obvious he doesn’t have it. Why go back to jail over something like this? Wherever the money was coming from wasn’t meant for you to have.”
I pointed to her. “What she said.”
I knew that Kareem’s patience was running thin, and so were my nerves. I was still cruising off the liquor I had at the party, and I knew the longer I sat here, the sicker I would begin to feel. Kareem wanted to be able to take care of his brother, and I understood. However, it wasn’t me who was trying to make the moves I should have been making for me and my brothers; yet Xavier was using his basketball skills to pave the way for us, and every time it crossed my mind, I felt like shit.
I stood up, walking toward him, then stopped when the barrel didn’t move, yet seemed like it was coming closer toward mychest. I held my hands up, “I-I ended up losing it. That’s why she never got it,” I said as I slowly stepped back.
Kareem’s eyes narrowed in. I could tell they were mixed with anger and confusion. At this moment, I was willing to do whatever I could to get this nigga off my back. “Nigga what if I could offer you something that would probably put more money in your pocket if you do it right?”
He stopped pacing and looked at me. “Fuck are you talking aboutMison?Huh? Or is that the fucking liquor because the whole city knows you’re a fucking drunk.”
I didn’t know whether it was the way he said it or what he said, but it stung. I swallowed my pride to keep my shit together. “I’m talking about my boy. He has a cold ass studio. He knows people who know people, you get me. What if we can get you in the studio and get you out there? All I got to do is talk to him.”
His stripper bitch stood. “Scooter, you always wanted to be in the studio. Think about it, you can put all your feelings on tracks as you always dreamed of.”
Kareem placed the fist he gripped the gun with to the side of his head. “Respectfully, Flex, shut the fuck up!” he barked. “The more you talk, the more you make me want to shoot your dizzy, pole pussy ass.”
He focused his attention back on me. “Your friend gonna be down or what?”
I knew I was blowing smoke up his ass because Beans wasn’t that easy to convince, but I didn’t give a fuck, I just needed to get out of here. “Yes!”
He stared at me long and hard, then a smile eased on his face. “You hang with them Zoo niggas don’t you?” he asked.
I swallowed deeply because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to answer. “Yeah.”
He nodded slowly. “So, you know that nigga Dio?”
Fuck!The last thing I needed was to get someone else involved in this shit. “Why?”
He laughed. “’Cause I’m the nigga with the gun asking.”
Instead of answering his question, I rushed his ass, slamming him into that stank ass pole. Kareem and I began tussling. The more my body swung around the tiny space, the sicker I felt. However, I wasn’t leaving this muhfucka in a body bag. Gunshots rang out, causing us to stop.
The stripper bitch aimed the gun at both of us, “Get out! She shouted.
“Flex put that shit down!” he barked at her.
“No! You want to go back to jail? Huh? It’s clear we don’t have any fucking money!” she shouted.
Kareem laughed. “Maybe y’all don’t, but he knows what it is,” he pointed at me. “I gave you something worth a lot of money, and somehow, I ended up in jail, and you didn’t. Either I get myshit!Or I’m going to make that call, and it’s going to be you behind bars, not me, because I’m not going back. Better ask them Zoo bitches to help you,” he gritted.
What did he mean by make that call?I said nothing; instead, I hauled ass out the door. I rushed out of the complex and down the street.How the fuck did I end up like this?When I reached the street, the wind howled loudly as if it were giving off its last screams for its remaining demonic hour.
I thought I saw lights approaching, but I didn’t know if it was the delusions of the alcohol or God coming for me. He knew I had begged him so many times to take me, but he had yet to answer my request; had he gotten tired of me begging, and was he coming? I didn’t know because before I knew it, everything went dark.
It was my last day in Lake Hill before I headed back to school. My parents were on their yearly trip out of the country. This year, they chose Rome. Daddy pulled some strings, allowing me to take my courses online while they were away. Instead of having a nanny, I stayed home with the triplets.
They just turned seven but acted like they were going on twenty-one. It felt good to watch them, but after a while, breaking up the fights was a bit much. Two boys and a girl, and they were exactly alike. Brice, Brennon, and Alice were spoiled rotten, but I loved them to death. I had just finished packing my things when the door to my room opened. I turned to see one of the trio standing there sadly.
Where are you going?Brennon signed.
I have to go back to school, but I will be back. I promise.I responded as I walked over to him and gave him a tight hug.
Brennon was the youngest of the triplets by twenty-five minutes. My mother said that with him being in there as long ashe was, some of his abilities were affected, and one of them was his hearing. Brennon was the only one who was deaf. Once my parents realized it, we all learned ASL to better accommodate his needs. While the other two learned along with him.
