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“And next time, bring Duke big country ass up here. Tell that nigga he can come see me.”

“For sure, I got you. Love you, boy.”

“Love you too.” We hung up the phones, and I left out of the visitation area.

I had a love hate relationship with coming up here, because I hated to see my brother in jail, but I always felt okay once I left because I saw he was holding his own.

At the end of the day, no matter the avenue an Essex man travels, he is going to find his way. Even locked up like an animal, we will always prevail.

Chapter 8

Latoya

The clock struck 4:30, and I hurried out of my apron and out the store before it could turn 4:31. I didn’t eat a good breakfast this morning because it was one of those days when grief had taken a toll on me. I saw a picture of me and my baby brother pop up on Facebook memories, and the shit had me so down that I skipped breakfast and only took care of my hygiene before leaving out of the door. That’s why my ponytail was messy, and I didn’t have a baby hair swooped down to save my life. Now I felt a little better and was at least about to try and eat even if it was a hot dog and a bag of chips.

The corner store next door sat in between the hair store and a car wash where men hung out all day, most of them without cars. I hated going to this store because there was always someone out there trying the same tired ass lines that never got them any play with me.

When I crossed the street, one of the gangstas with his pants damn near past his ass cheeks smiled at me, flashing his grill while holding a Gatorade in his hand and two packs of regular swishers.

He held the door open for me to go inside, and I stepped past him, standing in the threshold.

“Come on in, baby, and wipe that nasty look off your face. Smile.”

“I would if I had a reason to. Thanks.” I tried to keep it short but polite because I’d been around for plenty of women being attacked because men couldn’t take rejection.

I went to the chip rack and grabbed a bag of barbecue chips along with a bottle of water to wash them down.

“Do you need a bag?”

“Yeah, I do.”

He loaded my items up, and I paid with Apple Pay before I headed out of the store.

I stopped completely in my tracks when I saw Michael ass standing near one of the pumps, serving a feign with his arm that wasn’t in a sling.

“Michael,” I called his name, and he turned around, cursing under his breath because he knew he’d been caught. I walked up to him, shaking my head as he rubbed the back of his head.

“If you are going to be dumb and sell drugs, the least you could do is try and be slicker about it. Don’t you know the cops are always busting the carwash weekly trying to lock people up.

“Yeah, I know, I’m not dumb, sis. That was the only product I brought up here. I’m clean now. Just had to make some money to grab something for the fam to eat later.”

Michael and Damon’s mama, Angel, always put more pressure on her boys than she should have. She got all those stamps and didn’t make groceries, so it was up to them to make sure they had food on the table. I remember my mama had to feed Damon and Michael plenty of days when they couldn’t make a way. It was sad to see and even sadder that Michael was falling into the same trap his brother did. He will eventually be locked up too if he doesn’t get out of this fucked up cycle of selling drugs.

“You on break now or you off? I was going to come in there and holler at you when I first came this way, but Pak ugly ass be tripping about niggas coming in his store.”

“And that is because some dummies ran in there and took a whole rack of bundles last Labor Day. I don’t blame him for not wanting hooligans in his store.”

“Damn, sis, so you are calling me a hooligan.” I playfully pushed him.

“You know that’s not the case, Michael, but let me get back to the store to eat my breakfast slash lunch in the breakroom.”

“Breakfast and lunch. Don’t tell me that's those chips.”

“It is, to be honest.”

“And you out here fussing at me about shit. Man, come around the corner to the chicken spot and let me get you a six dollar combo. That’s the least I can do for you, big sis.”

“With your drug money? I think not. I’m good with these chips.” I started walking away.