The front of the building was busy with activity as the block boys settled into their usual formations, one group making sales and the other serving as lookouts. No real security. I couldn’t say that I expected much. Enzo and I stepped out at the same time and walked up to the entrance, ignoring the stares along the way. My father taught me early on that it wasn’t how you pulled up when you had a whole crew with you that let niggas know what time it was. It was the kind of statement your presence made when you were small in numbers that showed power. And by the way heads turned when we moved, I knew he was right.
As we approached the lobby door, a guy stepped out from the group. “What’s good? Who y’all here to see?” he asked like he was the spokesperson for the building.
I hated to be questioned, but I had an understanding that we were unfamiliar faces in their hood, so the alert was warranted.
“We here to see Koric,” Enzo replied evenly. “He around?”
The nigga looked us up and down like he could somehow measure the reason for our visit by what we had on.
“Who y’all?”
I heard Enzo sigh before he pulled his gun and pointed it at dude’s head. “Look, 50 Cent. If ya name ain’t Koric, then miss me wit’ the twenty-one questions, my nigga.”
Ol’ boy’s facial expression went from hard to sheer fear in a matter of seconds. I didn’t bother reaching for my gun. Instead, my eyes scanned the group, checking for any movements. Everybody looked either confused or shocked. It was clear that they didn’t know whether to reach for a gun, if they had one, and risk their peoples’ brains painting the lobby door or take their chances.Their hesitance will be their downfall somewhere down the line,I thought.
Before anyone could decide what to do, a tall, brown skinned nigga who resembled KJ walked out with a Glock pointed in our direction. “Fuck is going on out here?” he snapped.
I couldn’t take a nigga serious in a hoodie, pajama pants, and a pair of constructs. Clearly, someone had alerted him, and he came downstairs in what he had on. I shook my head and ran my hand over my waves.
“Koric?”
“Who’s asking?”
“Y’all niggas ‘bout to blow me wit’ that shit,” Enzo said. Next to Pryce, his patience was thin as hell. “We asking. And I don’t even know why. You look just like KJ.”
His lip curled up in a frown. “How you know my nephew?”
“That’s what we came here to chop it up about. We gon’ do that with or without guns? Either way is fine with me,” I said, talking to Koric but still keeping my eye on the crowd at the same time. I had to see everything moving.
“Take the burner from my mans’ head first.”
Out the corner of my eye, I could see Enzo drop his arm and hold his gun at his side. Koric did the same.
“Let’s go to the street before I pop one of these lil’ niggas,” Enzo suggested.
“We can talk right on the sidewalk.” Koric put his hand out as if to tell us to walk ahead of him.
“Fuck we look like, one of ya hoes? We ain’t walking ahead of you. And bring this nigga if you don’t feel safe.” He pointed at the guy who still looked shook up from the gun being put to his head.
We all managed to get to the sidewalk without incident, and Koric told his mans to step back a few feet to give us privacy.
“So, wassup?”
“Well, first, I’m Aura, and this is my cousin, Enzo.”
“Yeah, and?”
“You hostile than a bitch, ain’t you?”
“Man, y’all niggas pulled up in my hood and put a gun to my mans’ head then mention my nephew. Yes, I’m hostile, as any other nigga in my position would be. The fuck.”
He had a point, so I didn’t argue.
“Look, nigga, we’re here about our nephew, Cortez,” Enzo cut in. “He’s best friends with KJ. Recently, they got into some trouble at school for selling weed that you gave them. We’re here simply to get an understanding. Under no circumstances are you to give that shit to our nephew. I really don’t even understand why you gave it to KJ, but I don’t wanna overstep, so I’m just gonna speak on the strength of mine.”
Koric’s posture stiffened. “First off, nigga, I don’t like yo’ tone. Second, I didn’t give your nephew shit. And as far as KJ, that’s family, so that’s none of y’all concern.”
“You know what? I changed my mind. I am gonna overstep.” Enzo stepped forward so that he was in Koric’s face. “Don’t give that shit to my nephew or your nephew. They good kids, and we can’t teach them to be good men by giving them weed to sell or use. And if you don’t know who I am, let me make it clear. Enzo Sullivan. Thyri is my woman, so KJ is my family. You can takeheed to this courtesy call, or we can handle any discrepancies right here.”
