“What was my cousin like?”
Her question came from far-left field, and Heavy caught it, even though she tried interfering.
“I didn’t really know the adult him since I was away at school. Just what I saw when I used to have social media. Every time I watched his stories on Instagram, he was turned up somewhere or joking with the people from the block.”
Cyren chuckled, thinking back to the time she watched one of his stories, and he was racing one of the friendly neighborhood dopeheads in the street. Dre didn’t have a chance.
“That nigga was a clown for sure.” Heavy grinned, shaking his head.
He had too many stories to count. Dre didn’t care who you were or where you were at; he’d roast you right on the spot. He couldn’t be the person you sat by at a funeral. He’d get the entire row stared at or escorted out for laughing.
“He used to crack jokes on me all the time when I came home. Always made sure I was good, though.”
Cyren remembered the first time Dre hit her up when she was a freshman and wired her a couple hundred dollars through Walmart. Every few months, Dre would call to ask how her grades were looking and whether she was enjoying college life. He never had plans to attend, but he loved seeing his little cousin chase after her dreams. It was nothing to line her pockets.
“Yeah,” Heavy agreed in a mumble. “That’s just how he was. Always making sure people felt their best around him, even if he did get on their nerves.”
Cyren chuckled under her breath. She could listen to him talk all day.
Heavy had ventured off, giving her more details. “He was really just a stand-up dude who loved life.”
Out of the loop and out of the way, Cyren wasn’t privy to the life Dre or Heavy lived. She’d hear bits and pieces from Gabi,who had more than a few friends back home. Cyren couldn’t picture that version of him. Not of Heavy either, but she wasn’t naïve. He had street nigga written all over him. Literally. It was woven in intricate ink along his chiseled arms.
“Same with my mama. Her and Dre were more like mother and son, rather than auntie and nephew,” Cyren said.
She’d FaceTime her mama on a random weekday, and she and Dre would be out running the streets together. He was considered Nicole’s first baby after Nia became a mother, and she didn’t play about him. People naturally gravitated to them both. They could go anywhere, and somehow someone knew them. And if they didn’t know them, it felt like it by the time they left.
“Aye. No lie... yo’ mama had us into some wild shit one year for their birthday,” Heavy stated, chuckling.
“I don’t even want to know,” she said, laughing. “I can only imagine. Dang.”
Her dejected tone put him on alert. “What’s wrong?”
“I wish I had gotten up earlier today so I could have at least gotten her a cake or something.”
A wave of sadness washed over her but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Scooting out of her seat, Cyren grabbed her purse.
“Ooh. I have to use the restroom. Be right back,” she rushed off, but quickly pivoted, making Heavy squint with amusement.
“Don’t leave me,” she asserted, pointing her French-tipped index finger his way.
Heavy smirked. “That was never in my plans, sweetheart.”
Satisfied with his answer, she scurried off to the back of the lounge where the restroom sign hung from the ceiling. Heavy kept his eyes trained in her direction, and they stayed there even as he made a quick phone call. He hadn’t looked at his phone allevening for a reason. The tons of notifications were ignored as he dialed the one person he knew would answer.
“Nun, un. Don’t be calling my phone now. You ain’t seen me blowing that bitch down?”
Heavy smirked, always amused by her feistiness. “Man, shut up. I been busy. You at Big Dre’s?”
“Where else I’ma be?”
“I need you to do me a favor right quick.”
He ignored the suck of her teeth.
“What the hell is right quick, man? I just rolled a fresh blunt, and here you go wanting something. You better be lucky I love your waterhead ass.”
Heavy smirked and ran down what he needed. In his mind, it was simple, but of course, it was last-minute, so he was pushing it. Just as he was finishing up the call, Cyren eased out of the bathroom, fluffing her hair and rubbing her glossed lips. Heavy had watched her walk away from him earlier, and gotdamn! The view from the front was even better. He forgot he was even on the phone.
