by Tysha
Shy sat laughing with Dwayne. It had been a long time since she was able to relax and she was going to enjoy her night. Dwayne was easy on the eye but not as handsome as Melvin. He measured up to be two inches shorter and didn’t possess those deep, dark eyes of her late husband. Despite the negatives, Shy decided to give him a chance. She caught herself comparing every man to Melvin. It was a habit she was trying to break. No matter how much time passed, Shy knew there was no substitute for the only love of her life.
“I see your girl is making her way back over here. I know she wants her seat back,” Dwayne recognized.
“Yeah, I enjoyed our conversation. It was nice meeting you,” Shy replied.
“Do you mind if I hit you up sometime? I know you have a cell.”
Shy hesitated before responding. Dwayne had just lost some points by the way he’d asked for her number. He sounded like Prince asking some hood rat for a casual date. There was too much going on in her life and Shy did not want another issue added to her to do list. She looked into Dwayne’s eyes and saw sincerity. He had approached her respectfully and had made no sexual innuendoes during their conversation. Shy smiled and finally ran off her number.
“Okay, I’m going to be in touch soon,” Dwayne promised with a wink and a smile.
Again, Shy’s level of interest dropped two points. The wink, smile combination put her off. She liked a little thug in her man. It was completely different from being a hood.
Shy turned around in her seat and swallowed the last of her drink. She felt like it was a gamble getting to know Dwayne so she would keep it casual. Her hope was that she wasn’t betting on a horse posing as a stallion.
Chapter 18
Mommy Taught Me How to Play the Game
Cherise found Raequan in a better mood than she expected. She was taken aback by his upbeat attitude and positive demeanor. His previous stays behind bars kept Raequan angry and defiant. Cherise knew her son and that whatever was behind his mindset, it was surely against the system.
“Have you been writing to your dad? I don’t want a lecture on my poor parenting skills just because he hasn’t heard from you,” Cherise fussed.
“Yeah, I hit ’em up. Everything was cool,” Raequan asked sarcastically. “I don’t even know why you still be dealing with dude.” Raequan turned up his nose. Since he was able to understand what was going on, Raequan wondered why his mother stayed loyal to his father. Raequan hated the way she allowed him to treat her. He was the one locked up, not her. As far as Raequan was concerned, B-Boy needed his mother, not the other way around.
“For now, but you know that door is forever revolving. I think that nigga keeps a list with ‘ways to fuck with Cherise’ scribbled at the top.” Cherise laughed but was dead serious.
“Don’t let him get away with dat shit, Ma. You need to let dat nigga go if he can’t respect you, Ma.” Raequan’s good mood blew out the other side of Cherise’s head along with his advice.
All of his life, it seemed his parents discussed their dysfunctional relationship with him. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Cherise spoke in one ear and B-Boy in the other. Raequan had watched his mother do things no son should ever see. Sharing the intimacies of a broken-down union with a product of that environment was a mistake of catastrophic proportions. Cherise and B-Boy set their son up to fail from the day he was born. They were so wrapped up in destroying each other’s lives that Raequan’s needs were overlooked. As a result, Raequan evolved into a straight-up menace. His mental and emotional defects were instilled deep inside of him.
“I’ve tried to get away from that deviant so many times that I don’t have the energy to try anymore,” Cherise said mindlessly. Raequan had heard it all before. He decided to change the subject.
“So anyway, are you good at the shop?” Raequan asked, uninterested in the answer. He was ready to end their visit before his mother totally ruined his day.
“No complaints. The books are good and business is holding strong. I do want to find a building to buy. I plan to rent out the place for parties, wedding receptions, and shit like that,” Cherise announced.
“Dat’s what up. You do you and keep things moving,” Raequan said. He was actually proud of his mother for thinking ahead. He knew if she’d let go of the past, she could be happy.
“You were in a good mood when I first got here. What’s up with that?” Cherise quizzed.
“I came up on a way to make my time slide by. All I gotta do is fuck wit’ dis dude’s head and make his time crawl like the snake he is,” Raequan explained.
“How’d you come by that?”
“A night supervisor got me up on it. He has a major issue with dude so he reached out to me.”
“How’d you get in good with the target?”
“We’ve been homies for life. It’s data snitchin’-ass nigga, Prince,” Raequan snarled.
“What did Prince do to piss the supervisor off?” Cherise was skeptical.
“You already know that dude hates Prince and his fam, especially his dad,” Raequan answered with venom in his voice.
“What’s the supervisor’s name?”
“He’s that dude that took Melvin out, Keith Roberts.”
“Roberts?” Cherise shouted.
“Yeah, he works the midnight shift and stays in his office so Prince not even up on him working here.”
“Raequan, get out of it,” Cherise demanded. “You don’t need to be dealing with him. He’s crazy and dangerous. That combination is like dynamite.”
“I’m already in, Ma. Prince’s broke arm was no accident,” Raequan confessed.
“What did you get for your trouble?” Cherise asked with attitude.
“A pizza from Bellaria and I watched Scarface on the flat screen in his office,” Raequan replied.
“Are you serious?” Cherise was surprised by her son and his arrogant attitude.
“Look, the unhappier Prince is, the more I get in return and the happier I’ll be,” Raequan reasoned.
“I understand making your time comfortable but this won’t end well. Roberts has something bigger on his mind. Prince watched that man kill his father. What could Roberts possibly gain from messing with that boy? Trust me, sooner or later, that nigga’s going to claim you owe him,” Cherise promised. She had a bad feeling about Raequan’s mission.
“It ain’t even that serious, Ma,” Raequan said dismissively.
“Rae, that man killed Melvin; why is he fuckin’ with Prince? If anything it should be the other way around,” Cherise fumed.
“That ain’t my problem. As long as Roberts got me, I’m in it to win it,” Raequan said with a shrug of the shoulders.
Cherise grew up on the streets. She knew if a man went up against another, he was ready for war. Melvin’s death had affected everyone who knew him. He’d done dirt when called for but Melvin was always fair. No man deserved to be shot dead in front of his child. Cherise took total offense to Roberts’s tactics. Her son had made a deal with the devil and Cherise had to get him out of it. If not, Cherise knew they were in for another tragedy.
Chapter 19
Wrong Is Wrong
Tara was so engrossed in her phone conversation that she didn’t hear Quincy walk into the kitchen. Quincy assumed his mother was gossiping with her best friend, Nyla. She was the only person he could think of who would participate in stomping on his aunt’s name. He was insulted by the malicious lies his own mother was spewing about her own sister.
“No, no, if I were you, there’s no way I’d allow my daughter to keep dating my nephew. I stand behind my statement. Shy failed one son and it’s just a matter of time before the other son follows suit,” Tara ranted.
Quincy’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He could not understand why his mother was saying such things. How could she even believe what she was saying? The longer he listened, the worse it got. Quincy wondered why his mother had nothing better to do than put her own sister down.
“Listen to me. My
sister has to be smoking, popping pills, or something. Her decision-making process is horrible. Shy has no one to blame but herself for the way Prince has turned out to be. He’s just like his dead daddy used to be: a hoodlum. Shy should’ve given Jayden to me after Melvin got himself killed. She never should have had another baby, either. All of her time and energy should’ve gone into saving Prince.” Tara went on and on with her slamming Shy.
Quincy could hear no more. He was devastated. That was enough.
“Ma!”
Tara jumped at the sound of her son’s voice. She spun around to find a look in Quincy’s eyes she had never seen before. Tara stood frozen. Her mouth tried to will itself to speak but she was speechless; unfortunately, it was five minutes too late. Tara never meant for Quincy to overhear her. It slipped her mind that he was home.
“Quincy, you scared me.” Tara exhaled and held her hand to her chest. She felt lightheaded and guilty.
“How could you talk about Aunt Shy and the twins like that? To say Princess shouldn’t even be here? Why, Ma? That was foul,” Quincy said, near tears.
“It’s complicated,” Tara offered as a weak apology.
He loved his cousins and admired his aunt. Prince and Jayden were like brothers to him. Not a soul on the earth could change how important the twins and Shy were to Quincy. Growing up, Quincy spent more time with Shy than his own mother. All he wanted was to be with his cousins and enjoy their company. The three of them were so close they felt like triplets.
Quincy had never disrespected his parents, especially not his mother. As he stood looking deep into her eyes, Quincy was on the verge of losing it. He needed to put space between him and his mother before the situation got out of hand.
“Let Dad know the coach called a mandatory second practice and our golf game will have to wait,” Quincy communicated to his mother. He was incensed by her behavior and ashamed to be her son.
Tara could hear the resentment in her child’s voice. She felt a permanent shift in their relationship. It was obvious his opinion of her was forever changed. Fear washed over Tara’s heart. The butterflies in her stomach caused her to be nauseated. Tara didn’t realize she was still holding the phone to her ear until it almost fell from her shoulder. Nyla sat on the line, listening to everything.
“Nyla, I’m going to call you back,” Tara said into the phone. Her eyes fixated on Quincy. He turned his back on her to leave.
“Wait, Quincy, don’t leave yet,” Tara begged. She tried to grab his shirt but Quincy stepped out of reach.
He picked up his pace and walked out the front door. Tara was left alone to ponder what had just transpired. She knew how much Quincy felt Shy and his cousins. At times, Tara thought Quincy viewed Shy as his mother and her as his aunt. Tara was jealous of Shy’s relationship with Quincy. She took it as a threat.
Playing basketball was therapy for both Quincy and Jayden. Problems were left on the court after the rush of the game. That day was different for Quincy. Tara’s berating words played in his head like a song with a catchy tune.
“Let’s go hit up IHOP,” Jayden suggested. “I’m starving.”
“So am I. My treat,” Quincy offered. “Grab Lawrence and Davis, too. Tell them we’ll meet there.” Quincy and Jayden sometimes hung out with the team’s point guard and power forward. The four had played ball together since their seventh grade year. Quincy could use Lawrence’s sense of humor. He was in desperate need of a sidesplitting laugh.
An hour and a half later, Quincy was at Jayden’s house helping to clean up. Jayden was tired from basketball practice and sleepy from eating multiple stacks of pancakes, but he wanted to knock out his chores before his mother got home. He didn’t want to deal with the repercussions if she came home to a dirty house. After scrubbing down the bathrooms, Jayden moved into Princess’s bedroom. He had to move her existing bedroom furniture to the basement. Her new canopy bed and dressers were scheduled for delivery the next day.
“Set it down while I move these containers out our way,” Jayden directed.
“I never realized how big it is down here. Aunt Shy should put a game room with a pool table down here,” Quincy suggested.
“I know, right? She says she’ll think about remodeling next summer. With college coming up for me, I don’t see it happening.”
Jayden moved the last crate from the space. He noticed a square piece of dry wall cut out of the wall. Jayden was astonished by the contents inside the wall.
“I don’t believe Prince! Q, look at this,” Jayden raged.
In all the time Prince had been gone, it never occurred to Jayden that his brother might have drugs and cash hidden in the house. Jayden was upset because Princess could have found them.
“Whoa! How much money do you think that is?” Quincy asked.
“It’s too much for it all to belong to Prince. This is crazy.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know but I can’t chance my mom finding it. Maybe Unc will come pick this stuff up and hold on to it for Prince.”
If anyone would know what to do, it was their Uncle C-Lok. It wouldn’t surprise Jayden if Prince had gotten the drugs from him anyway. C-Lok promised to pay for his nephews’ college educations since he was hustling so hard in the streets. Jayden and Quincy didn’t like how their uncle made his money but they were happy to know they could attend college without putting a strain on their parents’ finances.
Quincy pulled out his phone and pressed the button assigned to speed dial C-Lok. He answered after three short rings.
“What it do, nephew?”
“Hey, Unc, Jayden and I need you to come by Aunt Shy’s house.”
“What’s wrong with my sister?” C-Lok immediately became concerned. These types of calls from his nephew could only mean trouble. Though C-Lok was hard-pressed to imagine what type of trouble Quincy or Jayden could be in. Shy had calmed down immensely over the years but things happen.
“Here, I’m going to let Jayden explain.”
Quincy handed the phone to his cousin.
“What’s up, Unc?”
“You tell me, nephew. Is everything okay with ya momma?” C-Lok asked nervously.
“Yes, this isn’t about her. I moved some stuff around in the basement and stumbled on some stuff that must be my brother’s,” Jayden explained.
“Like what?” C-Lok was slow on picking up Jayden’s hints.
“A stack of money and—” Jayden began.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Please, say no more,” C-Lok cut Jayden off. He had to stop Jayden before he said too much over the phone. There were certain things not meant for electronic ears. C-Lok knew where Jayden was going without him verbalizing it. “I’ll be there within the hour. What time does Shy get home?”
“In about two hours,” Jayden replied.
“I’m on the way, nephew. One,” C-Lok said, ending the call.
“So, does he want us to bring it to him or is he coming to get it?” Quincy inquired.
“He’s on his way. You know he’s not going to let us ride with this stuff in our car.” Jayden smirked.
Jayden and Quincy looked at each other and laughed. They knew their only uncle was always there for them.
“Unc to the rescue,” they said simultaneously.
Chapter 20
Nothing Less, Nothing More
Shy was so excited she could hardly contain herself. The past six months were grueling but the difficult ordeal was finally over. Shy was so happy tears were streaming down her face.
Prince emerged into the freedom light feeling like a king. You can’t keep a natural-born hustler tied down like an animal and take for granted that upon his release, he won’t be rabid. Prince was a natural-born hustler and ready to hit the streets like a beast. In due time, the old heads would recognize him as the son of a legend known as Legend.
“Prince!” Shy screamed and ran into her son’s open arms.
“Hi, Mommy!” Prince was just as excited to return
his mother’s affections.
“My baby’s home.” Shy began to cry. She was floating on air. Her arms were wrapped so tightly around Prince’s neck he couldn’t breathe.
“You’re going to choke me to death, Ma. I missed you to but don’t kill me before I get a hot shower and a home-cooked meal,” Prince joked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, baby. Come on so I can get you home. I have all of your favorites cooking so it’s fresh and hot. I’ll put the mac and cheese in the oven while you take a shower,” Shy rambled and fumbled with her car keys.
“Ma, you know I like my wings hot out the grease.” Prince gave a slight frown. He never liked leftovers. If food sat for an hour or longer, Prince considered it leftover and would have none of it.
“No, boy. I know what you like. Fried chicken wings, mac and cheese, collard greens, sweet potatoes, corn bread, and potato salad. Did I forget anything?” Shy joked.
“Yeah, banana pudding,” Prince blurted out.
Shy and Prince joked and laughed the rest of the ride. Mother and son felt blessed to be together again. Prince couldn’t wait to see his brother, sister, and cousin for the first time in months.
Prince walked into his home and finally received proof he was not dreaming.
“What’s up, bro?” Prince and Jayden said simultaneously. They embraced and exchanged loving pats on the back. Their reunion had been a long time coming. Prince missed his brother terribly. Jayden felt whole again. Without his brother within arm’s reach, life was different, uncomfortable, and boring.
“Good to have you home, bro,” Jayden admitted, finally breaking their hug.
“Prince is home, my Prince is home,” Princess sang while jumping up and down. She was ecstatic to have her big brother back. Talking with him on the phone didn’t compete with having Prince to play with.
“Come give me a hug, little girl,” Prince happily requested. Though it wasn’t his favorite pastime, Prince missed having tea time with his baby sister. She was his pride and joy.
