by Edwina Fort
Chuckling, he nodded as he settled down in one of the chairs. “Yeah, you looked good in the ring, son. I was proud of you."
I had to hold my head down to hide the huge-ass grin on my face. Having Lyon not only call me son but say he was proud of me was a hell of a compliment.
“What’s been going on with you?”
I shook my head. “Man…where do I even begin?”
He chuckled as a knowing look came over his face. “Hey, I don’t have nothing to do today. Start at the beginning.”
And so I did. I told him about how hard life got for me after G pulled me from under his tutelage. I told him how I immersed myself into boxing, trying to escape my reality. Told him about the headaches that forced me to retire and about meeting Angel, getting married, and finding out that I was going to be a father.
“What??? Lil Willie is going to be somebody’s daddy???”
“Come on, Lyon man! Don’t nobody call me that no mo’. It’s Hitta.” I grinned. “Hard Hitta to be mo’ precise.”
He held his head back and barked with laughter. “Boy, I’ll call you Hard Hitta the day you knock me on my butt…till then, you’ll be lil Willie to me.”
I shook my head, I guess I’ll be lil Willie then, ‘cause trying to knock this dude on his ass was an impossibility. It just can’t be done. So, I went on and finished telling him about the things that’s been going on with me, including losing Angel and getting a visit from the Preacher. Once I started, I was surprised at how the words just poured from me. I guess I’d been needing someone to talk to. I was still talking as the sun started to set in the sky.
At some point, one of his daughters came down with two plates of food that his wife had sent us. I was so engrossed in what I was telling him, I ate without even paying attention to what the f**k I was eating. I don’t think I’d ever talked to nobody like this…not even Rome. The whole time he listened, nodding from time to time. And when the words finally stopped, he looked at me and asked one question that threw me for a loop, ‘cause I really didn’t have the answer.
“So, what do you want to do now?”
I opened my mouth to answer him but shut it when I realized I had no clue. “I was hoping that you was going to tell me.”
He chuckled, “Me? How can I tell you, a grown man what step to take next?”
Well, sh*t, I guess he had a point, but damn, I had hoped he would be able to tell me something.
“What you think I should do next?”
He put his hand on his chest. “Oh, you want my opinion?”
Grinning, I nodded. “Do you think I would have sat here and told you all this sh—” I caught myself before cursing, “stuff if I didn't want yo’ opinion?”
He chuckled again. “All right, smart ass. I’m guessing you here because of what the Preacher said to you.”
I nodded. “You’d be guessing right.”
He sat back in his chair and exhaled. “If you want me to train you, son, you have to understand a few things in the beginning. Learning how to physically fight is only about thirty percent of what takes place here. If you accept this, you must be ready to kill the man you were before you walked through those doors today. Life as you knew it is over. There is a point where you won’t be able to unsee what I’m going to show you. So, you must be absolutely positive that this is what you want to do.”
“Man, I’m ready to do it. I don’t care what it takes. I just—I need to get my girl back. I can make it without her, you know?”
He nodded, “Yeah I do. But if you doing this just to get your wife back, you’re going to fail.”
I frowned. “What you mean? Why else should I be doing this?”
He sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he thought of how best to explain this topic to me.
“Little brotha, there is a force that has made it its mission to destroy everything that is light, your Angel, your child, my NuriYah, my children, everything that causes someone’s heart to fill with hope, everything that is love. Its darkness spreads like cancer and it won’t be satisfied till everything and everybody is filled with it. There are some out there who are light and if not protected, this darkness will destroy them forever.
We…” he gestured between me and him, “were created to fight that evil. You see, its darkness don’t affect us like the innocent ones because our hands are already covered in blood. We were created to war. We fight so that the innocent ones can live the best possible life they can in this dark place. We fight for repentance, in hope that when we go and it’s time for us to face our Maker, our good will outweigh all the bad that we’ve done. We fight to become better men.”
“But if you’re doing this for any other reason than making a connection with your power, that darkness will defeat you, because you have a weakness. When you know that no matter what, you will stand for the Ancient of Days,” he looked me square in the eye, “no-matter-what, then you have no weakness because there is nothing standing between you and your power.”
He sat back in his chair, shaking his head. “Man, this thing is so much bigger than you and me. And you need to know walking into this that it ain’t gon’ be easy. Becoming a warrior for the Most High means being obedient to his Word, no matter what.”
For the first time, I saw the sadness that was in him. I’d missed it when we first started talking because I was too wrapped up in my own, but there was something going on with him.
“Everything alright?”
He shook his head. “It’s just that. For this walk, I had to do the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life.”
“What?”
His gaze came to mine and I may have been imagining it, but it looked as if there were tears in his eyes.
“I had to watch my son walk away, not knowing if I’ll ever see him again. The only information I have is that it was the will of the Ancient of Days and I have to be alright with that. I comfort my grieving wife every night, telling her that everything is going to be alright.”
Wow! I remember lil Dawid, a miniature version of Lyon. The kid had to be like five or six when I was coming here, but he was the business. He was just a shawty and was taking down grown-ass men. He was so raw that he could never train with us or the other boys that were older than him ‘cause he would kick our asses, no questions asked. The only way the kid could get even a little work out was to train with his father’s men.
“But the truth is,” Lyon continued, “I don’t know if my boy is going to make it. I don’t know if he will survive whatever journey the Heavenly Father has seen fit to take him on. I just have to have faith and continue to be obedient to what it is I’ve been told to do.”
“What have you been told to do?”
He didn’t speak right away. Instead, he turned his head and looked at his hands that were more scarred than mine.
“My orders are to prepare the warriors that He sends my way for the coming battle. And it don’t matter what I’ve lost, I have to carry them out, no matter what.”
The last of his words were spoken so low I barely heard them. His pain was real. Although my wife and unborn son were still here in the city, I understood the feeling of loss.
Reaching over, I put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear about yo’ boy, but I know he gon’ be alright, ‘cause the best warrior I know trained him to be. If God is merciful, I pray to be for my boy what you are for yours. I would be honored if you will train me to be the man that the Ancient of Days want me to be so that I too can be obedient and answer my call and raise my son to do the same.”
He reached up and grasped my hand in his. “You sure?”
I nodded. “I ain’t been mo’ sure about nothing like I am about this.”
He grinned. “Alright, little brotha, let’s do this.”
“Hey, daddy.” My hand froze on the key that I was using to open the gym door; I turned to see Shantell strutting towards me. I exhaled, in no mood for her bullsh*t. Shaking my head, I thought about what Lyon told
me right before I left his place.
“Hey, little brotha, be careful of spiritual attacks. They increase when the enemy knows he’s close to losing a soul. Stay watchful, he’ll use whoever he can to try and keep you from crossing over.” If ever there was a servant of the devil, it’s definitely Shantell’s ass. Don’t know what I ever saw in her.
“What you doing here?” I grumbled when she came to a stop right the f**k on me. Crowding my space like a mutha f**ka.
She licked her glossy lips in a way that said she would rather be licking something else as she ran her hand through her long blonde hair, making sure to show me her nails that no doubt cost a grip to get done.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought to stop by and check on you.” She purred her words in a way that used to make my d*ck hard, but now, it just irritated the f**k out of me.
I lifted an eyebrow as I turned the key and opened the door. “At 10 o’clock at night?”
She giggled as she ran her hand up my arm, following me into the empty gym. There was no way I was going to be sleeping at my house that no longer felt like a home without Angel and Jessie. So here I am, back on the f**king couch in my office.
Tomorrow, I was going to begin my training at the Lyon’s Den and Lyon told me to try and get some rest because I was going to need it. Sh*t… I was screwed. Thanks to Angel, I couldn’t sleep without feeling her weight on my back. So now, I was going to have a night of tossing and turning, only to get my ass handed to me tomorrow ‘cause I was too tired to keep up.
“Don’t you miss me?”
Damn, just that quick I forgot her ass was even here.
“Naw, I’m good. Happily married.” I stopped at the counter and picked up the pile of mail that was left for me.
“If you happy, why you here?”
I didn’t respond to her as I looked through my mail. But then she walked behind me and rubbed her hand up my stomach to my chest.
“Mmmmm, I sure missed you.”
Turning, I frowned down at her. “What the f**k you doing?”
“Come on, daddy, tell me you don’t want to have a little fun. Things got to be pretty boring in the bed with little miss goody-two-shoes. Tell me you don’t miss your nasty Shanny.”
I chuckled. If this sh*t wasn’t so pathetic, I would be hollering laughing right now.
“Naw, nasty, I’m good with my wife. Move around.”
A look of shock crossed her face before anger. “That’s bullsh*t, Hitta and you know it! She can’t make you happy like I can. Just look, one little hiccup and she goes running. I’ve stuck by your side—”
“What you say?” I asked narrowing my eyes at her.
“I’ve stuck by yo—”
“Before that.”
Realizing she’d f**ked up, she took a step back. I turned to face her fully.
“You said one little hiccup and Angel went running. What you know about it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know nothing about it. I just—”
“How you know Angel gone?”
I took another step towards her. This b*tch is the reason Angel left me. Somehow, this sneaky ‘ho been spying on me or some sh*t. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how and the hell Angel found out something that only my men knew. I know damn well neither of them would have betrayed me.
“Everybody knows.”
“Bullsh*t! What the f**k did you tell her?”
She started to shake her head, but I reached out and grabbed her by the throat. Her eyes widened as she clutched the front of my shirt. One twist of the wrist and snaky ass was dead.
“What the f**k did you say to her?” I growled.
She closed her eyes and groaned and I realized the b*tch was turned on. “Please, Hitta, just fu--”
The door to the gym opened. “Unc, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Carmen said, rushing in toward me. The look on her face said she was 10 degrees past pissed with me.
I let Shantell’s neck go. “Get the f**k out of my face. You disgust me!”
She backed up, looking at me with crazy eyes as she rubbed her neck. “That’s okay. I’m going to make you see that you really love me and not her!” And then she turned and ran out the door.
“Uh uh!” Carmen screeched giving her the stank eyes as she hurried past her and out the door. “What that crazy b*tch want?” she yelled at me, gesturing toward Shantell’s retreating back.
I shrugged. “Carmen, I ain’t in the mood to hear yo’ mouth.”
“Too bad! I talked to Angel. What is wrong with you? You gon make her leave you—”
"Carmen!" I yelled. Her lips snapped shut. I'’ve never yelled at her before. “Unc f**ked up! I know it! Just—” I shook my head, trying hard to hold onto my sh*t and not lose it.
“Just yell at me tomorrow, okay?”
She swallowed, for the first time seeing how bad this sh*t was messing me up. And then she nodded before locking the door.
“Yeah, alright. You want to watch yo’ fight with Brasco the Russian fiasco?”
I wanted to tell her to go away and just leave me to wallow in my misery alone, but it would just be a waste of time. Now that she knew I was hurt, there will be no getting rid of her.
"Yeah, you go ahead and queue it. I need to holla at Maddox real quick.” She nodded and headed to my office. I pulled out my phone. I didn’t like the look in Shantell’s eyes when she left.
Lannox refused to tell me where he’d taken Angel and Jessie, claiming he’s doing it to save my marriage. Over the last 10 years, I’d learned to trust his words. I don’t know how he knows the stuff that he does, but he does…
He assured me he was keeping a close eye on them, so I ain’t really sweating it. I need to get my sh*t together if I ever stood a chance at getting her back. And by me not knowing where they are, I won’t be tempted to go and try and talk her into coming back home.
However, we had a little problem with Shantell. I don’t know how much she knows or how the hell she got a hold of the information that she did. But by the week's end, I needed answers to my questions. And I needed Lannox to double down his watch on my family because something in that crazy-ass girl’s parting words ain’t sitting well with me.
Chapter 26
Full Circle
And we know that all matters work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Angel
Do you guys believe in fate? Like… do you ever wonder why certain things play out the way that they do in our lives? I mean… some things that happen can’t be coincidence because they’re clearly by design. And the design is too intricate for our brains as human beings to comprehend fully. I’ve always believed in God, but the events that will happen in my life over the next couple of months will seal my belief and cause me to not only believe, but to open that bible my Greatie got me and act on those beliefs.
I know you guys are wondering what the heck am I going on about, but just hear me out for a moment and then, I’m going to come back and ask you those questions again. Greatie plucked me up from life as I knew it and plopped me down in the midst of complete strangers. But how did she know that these strangers were going to be food for my soul? These strangers would show me a way of life I never knew existed, but would realize I’ve been being prepared for it since the first day my Greatie showed up to visit me when I was only a baby.
Over the last couple of months, I learned a lot from the Hathaways. Not only are they an awesome and amazingly loving family, they are also a very spiritual family. I watched them all gather and pray with Noach each time he left the house to go on the road and watched Brooklyn pray with her children each morning and every night. I can now bear witness to the saying that the family that prays together, stays together. From them, I learned the power of prayer.
But it was Butta Baby Larou, a.k.a NuriYah who taught me how to love my husband. It was her who showed me the
vital responsibilities a woman who is married to a warrior of the Ancient of Days carried. Shantell poked at me and said I was not cut out to handle a man like Hitta and believe it or not, she was right. I wasn’t ready to handle a man like Hitta, but after spending time with Butta Baby, I was going to be ready. Settle back in your seats and I’ll tell you just how this miracle occurred.
You see, Brooklyn was right that day in the community garden when she said NuriYah and I had a lot in common. We were both married to men that ran and owned a gym, and rare plants, herbs, flowers, and seeds were both of our passion, but due to recent unfortunate events, we’d both lost said passion.
That day in the garden, we started discussing her greenhouse and the things she grew in it quite have half-heartedly at first, but Brooklyn didn’t give up. She kept prying till NuriYah invited us back to her place to have lunch and take a tour of her famous greenhouse.
I really wasn’t in the mood and I could tell Butta Baby wasn’t either, but Brooklyn hit us both with the guilt trip, complaining that she’d been shut in the house for two months and that being around NuriYah’s plants was just the thing to help her feel refreshed. So, we both caved and pretended to be happy.
Now, when we got to the Lyon’s Den and walked through the doors, I felt like I was hit with a new wind. I inhaled sharply and closed my eyes for a brief moment as it washed over me. The feeling that hit me was the same one I got when I took that first sip of Greatie’s tea. When I opened my eyes, both Butta and Brooklyn were watching me with knowing grins on their faces.
“Wow! What was that?” I gasped, the sudden rush causing me to feel a little lightheaded.
The grin on Butta’s face grew. “I love to see people experience that for the first time. Welcome to the Lyon’s Den, sis.” Then she took my hand and pulled me through the gym that was bustling with activity.
“I can’t wait for you to see their home, it’s like a jungle,” Brooklyn said as we walked up several flights of stairs.
