She looked at him with tears still falling from her eyes and shook her head no. Duke respected her decision, he still gave her a couple bags just so she wouldn’t double back, but he went back inside the house and made it clear that they were not to serve Sherry anymore and his word was bond. He was going to help her one way or another, voluntarily or involuntarily.
Duke was in deep thought and whenever he got like that, he went home. He knew it was time for him to get out of the city and go to the big house for a few days. His mother was his peace, his pastor, the right to his wrong, and the one person that can calm his storm, she was real.
He took the ride and pulled up in the driveway with his music blasting, he knew his mother hated that. He laughed when he saw her walk on the porch with her hands on her hips.
“Turn that music down, boy! You not out west!”
No matter how much his mother was saved, the westside still popped out from time to time. She used to be deep in the streets just like his father, after he was killed, she left the hood and never returned, not even to visit family. She said it was cursed and she prayed for the day when Duke would follow suit.
“What’s up, old lady?” he laughed, making his way into her awaiting arms.
“Old? Boy, I’m thirty-nine and fine!”
“Yeah ok,” Duke shot back before kissing her cheek.
Sabrina was indeed one of those fine mothers that would give younger women a run for their money. She could easily be a stand in for Halle Berry in a movie.
“I’m glad you’re here, I need the living room changed around.”
“Ma, didn’t I just do that in May?”
“You sure did, but Fall is approaching, and I need a new look! Don’t complain, just do as I ask, boy. You hungry?”
“Nah, I’m good,” he fell back on the couch.
“Ok you’re not hungry…What’s wrong?”
He knew he couldn’t hide shit from his mother if he wanted to.
“I have a female that I fuck with, I mean mess with heavy, and her OG is an addict.”
“Ok.”
“Hold up, you mess with someone heavy, and I haven’t met her?” She felt his head with the back of her hand as he chuckled and dodged her touch.
“We not getting married, Ma, but she cool. Anyway, her OG is out there bad, and I want to help her.”
Sabrina nodded her head because she understood, “I know your heart, Son, but that’s a big task you’re trying to take on.”
“I already know and if it was anyone else, I wouldn’t care, but Ms. Sherry don’t belong in the streets, Ma. I can tell.”
“Sherry?” she repeated in a low tone.
“Yeah, Diamond’s mother.”
Sabrina slightly smiled at the sound of Diamond’s name, “Little Diamond.”
“You know her?”
“I know Sherry and she always said she was going to name her daughter Diamond. Sherry and I were tight back in the day until we got with rivals. Rich wasn’t really a rival of your father’s, but Stone was and you know how loyalty runs.”
She stared at the coffee table like she was holding a conversation with it instead of him.
“She was beautiful, I mean bad! Funny, smart, and could cook her ass off. Everyone loved her cooking.”
“What happened?”
“Life. But I swear I think that nigga Stone did it to her because he wanted her, he loved him some Sherry and she wanted Rich.”
