“Go out there and handle that. I’m going to help Trista.”
“Alright. I’m coming,” I tell Drew.
After kissing her again, I head to the door to check the waxer. As soon as I walk out, my cell vibrates in my pocket. It’s an unknown 863 number.Florida.I quickly answer because Angela had Kadean’s pre-trial hearing this morning.
“This is Xai.”
“You have a collect call from an inmate in Polk County Jail, Kadean Watts. To accept the call, press zero,” the automated voice says. I press the button and the robotic voice keeps going about blocking and the recording of the call and I press zero again. Finally, the call connects.
“Xai, I get it but you gotta get me out of here,” he grunts.
I hear the anger in his voice. Before saying the wrong thing to him, I take a moment to get my words in order.
“I talked to Angela and she told me about Dutch. He finally sh?—”
“Man, I already know what you ’bout to say. I ain’t trying to hear that right now.”
“But you’re gonna have to, Kadean. Not listening got you right where you are and it’s got you on my line asking for help again.”
“Don’t act like you don’t owe me. Nigga, my whole has been fucked up ’cause of what you did,” he spits. Normally, that would set me off and have me doing whatever needed to get his ass out of shit, but not right now. Adora words ring in my head, influencing my response.
“What happened to Mom was fucked up on so many levels. That shit should have never been taken to the crib, never. But you know how hard I worked to keep it away from her. Shit, no one on our block would sell to her. I made sure of that but you know she got it anyway. You know ’cause you saw her. You might have only been eleven but you know what was going on. Just like me, you had to grow up fast, but unlike me, you had an older brother. Because I felt guilty about what happened, shit I still do, I’ve done everything I can to keep you out of jail. But it has never been enough. You keep doing the shit you want to do, listening to and running around with clown ass niggas who don’t want or have shit. You are in this shit because you decided to hop in a truck with Dutch and drive it instead of coming to the job I gave you. The same nigga who turned on you.
I love you Kadean and I will help you any way I can but I will not put what I’ve worked hard for in jeopardy for you. I got Angela for you and she’s going to do what she can to help you but that’s where I draw the line. You are a grown ass man, with a baby on the way, and you’ve got to get your life together. Maybe this time away is what you need.”
“So you want me to be in jail?” he huffs.
“I never wanted you there but you have been trying to go for years.”
“That’s some bullshit,” he says, then the call ends.He hung up.
“Shit,” I utter.
This is so fucked up. As much as I want him to learn from his mistakes and get his life together, I truly don’t want him locked.Jail ain’t the place for nobody but here we are and I am trying to process this. I just hope Angela can get him the least time possible.
It takes me a minute but I shake my convo with Kadean off then trek to the washing bays. Both cars are at the wax stage. I walk over to Drew and the machine and check it. Drew is right. The wax is too thick and sprays out too slowly. The temperature is off and I can’t have that on opening day.
“The thermostat is on the back but the thing is locked,” Drew says.
And fuck!The key is in my office at the old location. Fuck!
“I’ll get the key,” I tell him, then rush back to the building.I don’t need this shit right now.
The moment I enter the lobby and Adora sees my face, she rushes to me. “Is it that bad?’ she asks, reading me as always.
“We can’t get the temperature up for the waxer. The thermostat is locked and the key is at my other office.”
“I’ll get it. Just tell me where,” she volunteers.
“Nah, love. I’ll go.”
“And what if there’s something else? You need to be here. The doors open soon and customers have already been calling. You can’t leave. I’ll go and take your car, just tell me where the key is.”
“Love, I can go,” I insist.
“But I’m not going to let you. Where is the key?”
Relenting, I say, “A’ight. A’ight. My office keys are in my glove box. Once you get to my office, you can’t miss the key to the thermostat. It’s in the glass bowl on my desk.”
