She was not relieved or even appreciative.
“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” She came around the car fast and got in my face and her whole energy had changed into something I wasn’t expecting. “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO HIM? ARE YOU CRAZY?”
I looked at her. “He was beating yo ass a second ago. I was just coming to get the nigga to stop.”
“THAT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” She was already pulling her phone out. “I’m calling the police! You just jumped on my nigga for no reason! I got the whole thing on camera from inside the car!”
I looked at her standing there with her phone pointed at me, lip still bleeding from what he had done to her not three minutes ago. This hoe must had a concussion or some shit, she defending the same man who had just put his hands on her face. I felt something that wasn’t anger, but it wasn’t really disbelief either, it was somewhere in the middle of both.
I didn’t say anything else to her. I just looked at this muthafucka like she’s lost her mind. And my eye contact put visible fear in her.
I walked back to my car, got in, and pulled out of that gas station lot while she was still screaming behind me. Her nigga was still getting himself up off the concrete. I ain’t have time for this dumb ass shit today. She was recording, still yelling, andshowing her ass as I merged onto the street and kept moving.
My phone rang not even a minute later.
It was my lil brother Melo.
I cleared my throat and let out a long breath before answering. I needed it to sound normal, because today was all about my baby brothers. Not the weird ass couple at the gas station.
“What’s good bro.”
“Nigga where you at? We been ready. Mazi been outside for twenty minutes already acting like we gone miss something. You gone follow us there still, right?”
“Tell him to sit his impatient ass down. I’m on my way.” I checked my mirrors out of habit and switched lanes. “Y’all eat already?”
“Yeah we ate. You good? You sound like something happened.”
“I’m good. Just traffic. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
I hung up, drove and let the morning move past my windows and didn’t think about what just happened because thinking about it wasn’t going to change shit. I would do it again tomorrow under the same circumstances.
Some things you just couldn’t walk past.
I wasn’t built that way and never had been. Even if that dumb ass hoe was ungrateful, she still ain’t deserve to be beat on by no nigga.
Before I made it to my brothers, I got a call from my uncle, Legal. My adrenaline was still rushing and I didn’t want it to be shown in this call. Legal was my father’s best friend. His real name is Jermaine, but he went on to be a big attorney and the streets named him Legal. All he cared about was muthafuckas doing the right thing. Legal really did make a difference in this community. He was a good guy and made sure to keep my father memory alive. He loved us and looked out for us like his own and was around for all our milestones.
“Aye Unc, what’s good?” I answered, trying to sound calm.
“Today the big day. Are y’all on the road yet? I called Mazi and he ain’t answer. Melo phone on DND like his lil ass the president or something. I’m trying to remind them to keep me updated. What’s wrong with you? Why you answering like that?” He asked, he already knew that I was trying to cover some shit up.
“Nothing Unc, I’m just running late and don’t want the boys to be behind. I’m almost to the crib to meet them now. I’ll have them to call when they get to a straight shot on the road.” I lied. I had to. There was no way I was about to tell Legal that I’d just done some illegal shit at the gas station that could have gotten me in trouble.
“You sure? If so, just have them hit me up. I’m proud of you too Xavier. Your father would be so happy to see how you stepped up for those boys and yo mama. No good deed goes unnoticed, I’ll tell you that.”
“I appreciate it. It’s my job so it’s no way I could have slacked on that. Yo best friend checked out on me and left me to fill some heavy ass shoes. I’ll take that up with him later though.” I halfway joked before ending the call with my uncle.
Not even five minutes later, I was pulling up to my moms crib and the boys were standing outside leaning against Melo’s old school Monte Carlo. The dude begged me for that car since he was thirteen. For their seventeenth birthday I got it for him, and I got Mazi a bmw 328i that I’d gotten a good ass deal for on marketplace. They both had older cars and was happy for what they were. It didn’t take much to please them, and I was thankful.
I got out the car and they both had their brows scrunched up.
“Y’all ready or not?”
“Don’t come here with all that playing man. We been ready.” They said in sync without even trying. I laughed, walked past them and jogged into the house.
My moms was in her room sleep. I walked over to the side of her bed and kissed her forehead. I took two hundred dollars out my wallet and placed it on her nightstand just in case she needed a bill paid or something. I looked at her for a second and just prayed that soon I could retire her. She’s been working herself like a slave since I was a kid just to provide the best life for us. She deserved better. Although I didn’t have money to spare, and other obligations, my moms could have the shirt off my back.
“I love you Ma. For everything.” I whispered as I left her room, and went outside to my knucklehead ass brothers. We had a college to go see. Damn I was so fuckin proud of this moment.
