“The store should be up and running by tomorrow. I had a few of the boys move some things around until you’re able to get back out there. I’m going to go to the club and pick up and see how things are going there.”
Damn, I know I told her to get shit moving, but I wasn’t expecting her to really get in her bag in just a few hours.
“And no, I’m not rushing you back to the streets. Take your time. I got you,” she finished.
“Nah, I can get back out there tomorrow. I just needed some sleep.”
“You sure?” She looked at me. “For one, I need to do something to your hair.”
“I do need a wash and retwist. You feel like doing it tonight?”
“Nigga, I’ll be up all night with this hair.”
“I’ll make it worth it.” I licked my lips.
“Of course you would. Let’s eat, and I’ll start on your hair.”
“Damn,” I said, looking down at Tone’s body.
Hollow has personally called me and told me to come and see him before his funeral tomorrow. His mom didn’t want a wake, just a funeral.
“Can’t believe this shit,” I said.
“Take your time,” Hollow told me, before he walked out to give me space.
Tone looked good. Looking at him, you wouldn’t know he had taken a gunshot to his head. Hollow’s team did a great job.
“Nigga, I can’t believe you left me out here like this. We were supposed to get old and tell lies ‘round a fire pit, nigga. I want you to kno’ I got yo’ mama for life. It doesn’t matter what she needs in life or where she goes, I’ll always have her. I want you to take yo’ rest, nigga.” I touched his stiff hand.
The next day at the funeral, I watched everyone around me. I had gotten all my tears out when I spent time with him yesterday. Today, I wanted to just be here for his mama. The 239 Boyz were here to hold her up. The funeral was beautiful. Everything went well. His mama wanted everyone to meet at her house after the funeral to come and get anything out of the house we wanted. She was leaving to move to New York. Said she always wanted to be somewhere that was cold.
I didn’t go because I didn’t want my memory of Tone to be tainted. All I wanted was to send her off and make sure she was safe. She made sure to give me her number and I gave her mine. We held on to each other until they called her train for the final time.
“You hold your head up, boy. This was not your fault, and don’t you carry it as such. One thing I want to tell you is to get out while you can. I don’t want to come back to it being you or Reese. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. I love you, Whodie,” she said and hugged me for the final time.
I couldn’t believe a week had gone by since Tone died. After dropping her off at the train station, Adore had sent me a text and let me know that the paternity test had come in the mail. I was headed to one of the traps, but once she said that, I headed home. Adore was sitting on the balcony with a blunt and a glass in her hand. She had taken her ass to the liquor store.
I snatched the letter off the counter and ripped it open. All I saw was a bunch of numbers and letters. Adore got up and stood there waiting for me to say something.
“What the fuck am I supposed to be lookin’ for?” I asked.
Adore yanked the paper, looked, and then handed it back to me.
“So?”
“It’s zero percent.”
“Adore, the fuck that mean?”
“He’s not yours.”
“Whew shit! Why the fuck you ain’t just say that?”
“I just thought maybe you were ready to be a dad.”
