“This is Case, Germ, and Big Mel.” Maude was one of my most trusted soldiers in the crew. He was well-versed in the way I handled business, so the look of concern wasn’t lost on me.
“Which one of you niggas was responsible for the fight that broke out at the doc?” I questioned, taking a moment to observe each one of them. Case dropped his head, Germ remained still with his eyes locked on me, and the fat bastard, known as Big Mel, looked away as if he had better places to be.
“Am I boring you, mothafucka? You think this shit is a game or something?” My jaw flexed as I tried to calm my anger. it was something I had been trying to work on, but I still needed some work.
“Aye, Dreaux. Look, they all fucked up, but it’s my fault. I should have—” I held my hand to silence Maude. He wasn’t the person I wanted answers from any longer.
“I wasn’t talking to you. Ol’ boy over here huffin’ and puffin’, I want to hear what he has to say. Come on, Pillsbury Dough Boy. Tell me what the fuck I want to know.”
“Those dumb ass bitches were trying to play us like we were the help or some shit. I told the Ricardo, looking ass mothafucka, that I wasn’t doing their job for them, and they got mad.” Fat boy shrugged his shoulders even though they didn’tmove very far. My eyes shot over to Germ, and I noticed how uncomfortable he had become. I scratched the side of my beard, and then turned my attention back to Big Melvin or whatever his name was.
“Are you the boss?” I quizzed, placing my hand on the gun tucked in my pants.
“Huh?”
“Bitch, don’t ‘huh’ me. You heard what the fuck I said. Are you the mothafuckin boss around this bitch?” My nostrils flared as I stared at the dumb ass expression on his face.
“Naw, I’m not the boss, but?—”
“Ain’t no but! You were sent there to do a fucking job, so I’m trying to understand why the fuck I don’t have my product. Then I find out that you were out there trying to throw your weight around as if you weren’t sent there to do a fucking job. You’re a worker, you fat fuck. The only thing you were supposed to do was pick up my product and bring that shit back to my warehouse. I don’t know who the fuck you were feeling like, but you made a grave mistake.”
My gun was aimed at the middle of his head as the room fell silent.
“Aww, come on, man. I understand things may have gotten out of hand, but this is crazy.” Porky the pig had a lot of balls for trying to come at me as if I was the one in the wrong. Clearly, he needed to know who the fuck he was dealing with, and I was ready to show him.
“Ahh, fuck!” Philly cheesesteak Phillip dropped to his thick-ass knees as blood squirted from his thigh. His homies ran to his aid, while I stood back and watched him cry out in pain. I walked over to him with a smile on my face, then dropped down to his eye level with my gun still in my hand.
“Let this be a lesson you never forget. When it comes to my business, treat it like it’s more valuable than your life becauseit is. The only reason you get to live another day is that Maude has never made a mistake like this before, and I trust that this won’t ever happen again. As for you, you’re done. I don’t ever want to see your greasy potbellied ass around my blocks or my warehouse.”
“And please don’t get any ideas because I have several cops in my pocket, and they will snitch on you and deliver you right back to me before they ever cross me. I’ll get with Maude to make sure your medical bills are covered.” I walked away as Big Almond Joy pleaded his case. His words fell on deaf ears because my decision had already been made.
I stayed around to talk to a few other team members, then left to handle some business. Danae asked me to stop by the store to grab her some tampons and donuts before I made it home. I sent all three of my spoiled ass sisters a message to send me a list of what they wanted because once I came home, I wasn’t going back out.
I loved my sisters to death, but there were times when the burden of being their guardian got the best of me. When my father was killed, I knew I would have to step up for my mother while she grieved. The problem was that her grief never ended. For years, she drowned her sorrows in liquor with no concern or regard for her own family. At first, I thought that with time things would get better, but twelve years had passed, and nothing had changed.
I moved into my own place and brought my sisters with me, thinking she would come back for them when she got better, but that day never came. I had been taking care of my family for so long that it became second nature to me. Although I never saw myself as a father, Dana, Dominique, and Danae were proof that I had what it took to raise a child if I ever changed my mind.
We went through plenty of trial and errors over the years, but they trusted me to do right by them, and I tried my hardestto be what I thought they needed. My brother, Drayden, chose to stay behind with our mother because he wanted to help her. Over the years, I’ve watched him slowly lose hope, and as cold as it sounded, I was ready for him to see the light. She didn’t want help, and the sooner we all accepted that, the better off we would be.
It only took me fifteen minutes to get everything the girls requested. I was sure it was muscle memory because I had to come here so often over the years.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. This card has declined as well. Do you have any cash?” The cashier had a sympathetic look on her face as she addressed the woman in front of me. I was surprised because customer service workers weren’t always as kind.
“Umm, yes. Could you take these four things off? I only have $22.” The young woman spoke in a low tone as she started taking some things out of her bags. The little girl beside her cried as she took out some of her snacks.
“Momma, I want my cwackers!” My heart twisted at the sound of the little girl’s pleas. Her little voice broke my heart. She couldn’t have been more than four years old, and it reminded me of my sisters when they were young. My dad never told them no, and I carried on the same tradition after he passed away. Normally, I would have minded my business, but my conscience wouldn’t let me.
“Excuse me, miss. Can you ring her things up with mine?” The little girl turned to face me with tears covering her little cheeks. I wasn’t around many children outside my homie’s kids, but she instantly melted my heart.
“You don’t have to do that. I thought I had more money, but I made a mistake. It really isn’t a big deal.” When I looked into the face of the brown beauty standing in front of me, I felt stuck. I had been around plenty of bad bitches, but there was something special about her. Her face was perfectly round, and her skin wasflawless. Then it suddenly hit me that I had seen her before. Lil’ mama was the same girl from my cousin Chop’s baby shower. I had been so focused on the little girl, I hadn’t realized it was her.
“Naw, it’s all good. Shit happens. Besides, I won’t be able to sleep at night if I let baby girl go home without her snacks.” Lil’ baby smiled back at me, showing her little teeth. She shared very few similarities with her momma, but her skin tone was a little lighter. I could only assume she took after her father.
The cashier began to ring up my items and then gave me the final total. I handed her a hundred-dollar bill, then focused my attention on my items.
Danae called my phone, and I let it ring because I knew her ass only wanted to beg me for food. I would call her back once I got to the car and got settled.
“Here’s your receipt. Have a good evening.” The cashier handed me the receipts and the rest of my change. It surprised me that I hadn’t spent more than that, but I would count it as a win. Lil’ mama and baby girl grabbed their bags and walked ahead of me. She thanked me when I paid, but I recognized the pride within her. She reminded me of my mother. My mother never asked for help, even when she desperately needed it. For her daughter’s sake, I prayed she would grow out of that.
