Oblique put his hands up in mock surrender.
“Listen, I don’t know why you left and I don’t want to know. I’m just glad to see you back.”
And that was why I really checked for him. He knew how to mind his business and not believe the rumors.
I already heard how Sony was telling people he made me run away. I would let him have that because that shit was beneath me to defend because eventually the truth would come out.
“Oblique, you hear about some young niggas running up in my house fucking with my pops?”
Oblique looked at me and paused.
“Young niggas? Are you sure?” he questioned.
I hesitated for a moment as if I was now questioning myself.
I nodded, knowing what my family had told me.
“Now you know nobody is stupid enough to touch your family, Shaks. Here or not, they all know you’re not the one tocross unless they have a death wish,” Oblique said. That much was true, so who decided to try it?
Something about my pops’ story wasn’t adding up to me. So, either someone felt brave enough to go into my father’s house or it wasn’t what my father said.
I knew if I asked, my dad wasn’t going to tell me, which was why he told me that bullshit story anyway. And that made me wonder if it was someone we knew.
“Why? Something happened with your pops?” he asked, looking at me, waiting for a response. I thought about telling him but decided against it because sooner or later, the truth would be revealed.
“Nah, I was just checking. Wanted to make sure nobody was messing with them. And you know my old man isn’t gonna tell me.”
“Unc stubborn like fuck!” Oblique said, and we laughed together, even though he wasn’t lying. My pops always told me that I was hardheaded, like with me not giving up until I found out what happened that night, but he was just the same. So, where the hell did he think I got it from!
“So, you back here now, for good?” he asked, looking at me. I nodded.
“That’s what I’m talking about. So, you trying to join me here? You know I could do with your help,” Oblique said, smiling at me. I chuckled.
“That’s why I came to see you,” I nervously said, rubbing a hand across the back of my neck. “Do you?—?”
“You don’t even have to ask, Shaks. You will always be a brother to me. Besides, I just got a custom order on a Harley I think you would be great with. Come, let me show you,” he said, leading me outside to his warehouse.
Oblique and I spent a few hours going over some things before he gave me a few jobs he wanted me to do. Before Ileft three years ago, I was just starting to work on my craft customizing motorcycles, so I was grateful that he was trusting me with these big ass jobs. It seemed I came back at the right time because with me handling those jobs, it left him the time to deal with Orlando’s merchandise. Oblique knew that I wanted nothing to do with Orlando or Viper’s shit, and he respected that.
At some point, I looked at my phone to see that my sister had made it back home.
“I’m glad to see you came home at a reasonable hour after leaving out so early this morning,” I spoke to her through the camera. I roared laughing when this damn girl jumped ten feet in the air and grabbed her chest.
“Is that you, God?” she questioned, looking around before she finally located the camera.
“Girl, I sound like God to you?” I snapped. Kairi looked at the camera and fell out laughing before shrugging.
“I don’t know. Who really knows God’s voice?”
I smacked my mouth, making her giggle. She lifted a finger and pointed directly at me.
“Uh, but who said you could install this?” she sassed.
“I did. And y’all better not take it down.”
“Kairi! Who the hell you talking to?” I heard Pops shout before he appeared on the camera.
“Shakur. He’s watching me through the camera,” she pointed at me. Snitch ass.
