All human wisdom is contained in these two words: Wait and hope.
Luca’s gaze rescanned the sentence and shook his head in contempt.
I’m done waiting, the only hope is succeeding.He thought.
A low groan escaped Kentrell as he rolled onto his side, his arm flopped across the mattress followed by a yawn.
“Narah!” He yelled with his eyes closed. “Get me some fuckin’ water.”
His eyelids fluttered before he opened them. His brain caught up with reality as his pupils adjusted to being opened. Luca almost smiled; it was time.
“It’s about time yo funky ass woke up.” Roy’s voice sounded off from behind Kentrell.
Kentrell didn’t react to Roy’s voice, his gaze was fixated on his brother. They had a silent stare off; unspoken words, years of resentment sat between them. Kentrell’s eyes were lit by something colder than anger. It was bitterness without origin,an inherited grudge that he nursed since a kid. His jaw flexed as he continued to stare at Luca like he was beneath him. He’d rather die before even thinking about pleading for his life.
Luca stared with a different weight on his shoulders. He had tried, tried through their young years to mend what he didn’t understand with Kentrell. He didn’t care about being half-brothers with him, Luca still offered loyalty, even if it meant staying out of Kentrell’s way. Every attempt had been met with cold dismissal.
He remembered extending a hand with small things when they became young adults, only for it to be slapped away. The ache in Luca’s chest right now was exhaustion. He loathed this day but told himself it was coming sooner than expected. A sick thought hit Luca, he whispered it out in disbelief.
“You named the twins Cain and Abel.” Luca’s jaw ticked. He shut his book and set it on the arm of the chair. “Which one of us is Cain?” Luca’s eyes burned with accusation.
“Abel was a bitch ass nigga, kissing ass… always acting like he had God’s favor… That’s you, mutha fucka! I’m Cain.” Kentrell laughed manically.
Luca shook his head and smirked coldly at Kentrell.
“They were two brothers. Same blood. Same household with the same God watching them.” Luca’s raspy voice broke through his whispers, surprising Kentrell momentarily.
“We ain’t got the same blood?—”
“This nigga stupid,” Roy cut Kentrell off, shaking his head.
Luca shook his head at Roy. He had a final point to make. It didn’t matter if Kentrell got it or not.
“One brother gave what he could… the other brother gives too, but one offering gets favored. Instead of the other brother looking inwardly and asking why his own heart wasn’t right.” Luca eyes darkened, his hand landed on top of his gun. “Cain turns on his brother.”
“I ain’t running, and I ain’t fenna beg your hoe ass.” Kentrell sat up in bed, his comforter slid down his body.
“I don’t expect you to, but let me finish…brother,” Luca whispered gravely.
Kentrell scoffed. He reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. He placed one between his lips and sparked it, the gesture and the smell of it reminded Luca of La’Nova.
“It was never Abel’s fault. He didn’t take anything. He didn’t steal approval from God. He just showed up as he was…” Luca inhaled the smoke that drifted his way. He imagined La’Nova chain smoking her fears away.
“You see.” Luca leaned forward. “Cain let comparison rot him. He let envy control him. Instead of fixing himself, he chose to destroy the one closest to him.”
The air thickened in the spacious room. The rays from the sun started to peek through Kentrell’s dark gray curtains.
“I spent years trying to figure out what I did to make you look at me like this,” Luca admitted with no shame nor emotion evident in his voice. “At first I tried to dim myself. Tried to stand steps behind you so you could lead as a big brother… I even tried to earn something that was supposed to be ours by default…We could have done this shit together.” Luca shook his head.
“You just had to let your bitch ass daddy Lennox pimp your mind out…. I would never bleed just so a nigga like you could feel whole. I was never your enemy until you forced me to be.” Luca stopped talking and picked up his gun, taking the safety off.
“You laughed when I went to prison… but I told you when we were young, I’d kill you. I promised it to myself.” He aimed the gun at Kentrell.
“A man like me don’t break fuckin’ promises,brother.” Luca’s smile reached his eyes.
Kentrell laughed demonically. He laughed hard until tears slipped out his eyes. He inhaled the cigarette smoke, swallowed it down, trying to trap it in his lungs.
“The fuck is so funny?” Roy grilled him.
