by Deja King
“Dad, I promise to be quiet and just listen.”
“What can it hurt, Genesis, and I don’t have a problem with it, do you, Lorenzo?”
“That’s Genesis’s son, the only opinion that matters is his.”
“Like I said, Amir, please excuse yourself. I’ll get with you when I’m done.”
“I understand. I’ll be in my room,” I lied before closing the door. I had no intentions of going anywhere but right where I was at so I could eavesdrop on their meeting. I found myself doing that a lot lately but it was because my dad wasn’t leaving me a choice. His life and what he did intrigued me but my dad would never let me in. No matter how many times I asked him to show me how his business operations worked he seemed to find a way to shut it down. Normally it would be subtle but tonight was different. He appeared agitated and was direct with me about leaving him alone. All that did was make me more curious. I was listening so hard my ears felt like they were on fire.
“Nico, I would appreciate if you don’t ever do that again.”
“Genesis, it was a joke.”
“Joke? We dealing with a snake ass nigga who has the potential to cost us millions and millions of dollars and you want to use a word like joke. The only joke you need to concern yourself with is the one that’s gonna be on us if we don’t find a way to eliminate our problem.”
“I feel you but we’ll find a way, we always do. But real talk, I do think you need to start bringing Amir in the fold. He’s a mature young man that will more than likely run your business one day.”
“Not if I have anything to do with it.”
“Genesis, you can’t be serious? That’s your son. I wish I had a son to bring into the loop and run my shit.”
“I want better for my son. This isn’t the life for him.”
“Maybe you should let him decide that.”
“Lorenzo, didn’t you just say my opinion was the only one that mattered when it came to my son?”
“Yes and that’s true. But as your son gets older he has the right to decide what he wants out of life too. You say you want better for him but to Amir it may not get no better than this. The same way the blood of a hustler runs through you, your son might have inherited it too. And just like you can’t be denied, neither can he.”
“Fuck that! My son will run an empire but it will be one you can find on the Forbes List.”
“I hear you, man. But if Amir steps to you with something different don’t turn him away. You can’t fault him for wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps.”
“Nico, I know what’s best for my son…hold up, this the call I’ve been waiting on,” I heard my father say. My ear was pressed so hard against the door I was afraid I would knock it down. I couldn’t really make out what he was saying during the phone call but whatever it was his words were short and to the point.
“So what did he say?”
“Let’s go. He got him at our warehouse in Brooklyn.”
“I’ll have Dice bring the car around.”
“Cool, then I’ll ride with you, Genesis.”
“We can all ride together,” I heard Nico say. I heard scrambling as if everybody was getting their stuff together to break out so I bolted to my room. I turned my music on and the television so when my dad came to say goodbye I would seem like I had been doing my own thing.
Five minutes went by, then ten and when it hit fifteen I came out my room to see what was going on. “Dad,” I called out and got no response. After doing a walkthrough of the penthouse I realized they had all left. For my dad to bounce without saying goodbye I knew what was going on had to be critical and I needed to find out what it was. I had been to the warehouse in Brooklyn a few times so I knew its exact location. I grabbed my car keys and headed out the door.
As I was pulling off the Brooklyn Bridge and turning to get on Flatbush I heard my cell ringing. I looked down and saw it was Aaliyah and ignored it but she kept calling back. After the fourth time she called I finally picked up.
“What is it?” I said abruptly.
“Wow, is that anyway to greet your best friend.”
“I’m in the middle of something,” I sulked.
“What, fuckin’? I mean what else would have you so pissy for me interrupting you.”
“Aaliyah, shut the hell up. What is it?”
“I was only kidding! What’s your problem?”
“You at the moment. I told you I’m busy. You blowing up my phone like there is some sort of emergency. So what is it?”
“I wanted to talk to you about this guy I met.”
“You blowing up my phone over some dude!”
“Oh, like you ain’t never discussed a chick with me before.”
“That ain’t the point. Listen, I don’t have time for this right now, Aaliyah. I’ll call you later.” I ended the call without even giving her a chance to respond. Aaliyah could be draining and right now I didn’t have the energy to give her. All I was focused on was playing detective.
When I pulled up to the warehouse I noticed two black Suburban’s and my dad’s charcoal Maybach. I pulled slightly in then put my Range in reverse and decided to drive a few blocks up and park on the side of the street. I went around the back way because I knew my dad kept a security camera in the front so they could capture all the activity. I used the set of keys my dad gave me to open the back door. I remembered when he gave them to me. He stated I should only use them if something happened to him and if it did, specific instructions were left for me on how to proceed.
Of course I knew that wasn’t the current circumstances but I had to know what was going on with my dad. He would only give me a glimpse of the life he lived and I wanted to see it all. I felt I no longer needed to be protected. I was becoming a man and it was time he let me fully be part of his business operations. I guess you could say I was forcing the issue or better yet forcing my way in.
I opened and closed the back door as quietly as I could but it wouldn’t have mattered. There was so much chaos going on, nobody could’ve heard me regardless.
“Motherfucker, you betta tell us who the fuck you working for. And I want government names not no street alias shit!” I heard my dad say in a loud yet calm tone.
“Man, I already told you that all I know is he go by the name of Dale.”
“Nigga, please! You been working with this motherfucker for the last couple months and all you got for us is Dale. You must think we some dummies. Genesis, told you he want a government name and that’s what the fuck he meant.” I wasn’t sure but that sounded like Nico talking and I was dying to know who had them so fucking pissed off. There was a short hallway that led to the massive opening of the warehouse. I tried to maneuver my way against the wall so I could see out but nobody could see me. Luckily where I was standing was dark but a few feet away the light was bright.
“I don’t know what ya’ll want from me. I told you everything I know. I swear I didn’t have a clue that nigga was the enemy. I thought he was tryna do straight up legitimate business, not no bullshit.”
“Is that right, Tony?”
“Yeah, Genesis, I swear! It wasn’t until you sent your men to snatch me up that I realized there was trouble. Before that I thought I was one of your best workers.”
“I tell you what. You want to prove your worth?”
“No doubt, man. I need you to know that I’m down for you and nobody else.”
“Cool. Here’s your phone. Call this nigga Dale and tell him you need to see him immediately.”
“Ahh, umm, well,” I heard the dude stuttering.
“What’s the problem, Tony? You said you wanted to prove your worth so get to dialing the number.”
“The thing is, I don’t ever call him. He always call me from a private number.”
“Is that right.”
“Yeah. I thought that shit was a little odd but now I understand why he was doing it. He was protecting himself in case his cover got blown.”
“You seem t
o have it all figured out, Tony.”
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“Genesis, this bum ass nigga ain’t gon’ tell us shit. He’s wasting our fuckin’ time.”
“Lorenzo, I think you might be right.”
“No he ain’t, Genesis! I swear man, I’m on your side. I had no idea that nigga was tryna take over your drug operation. All he said was that he wanted in on the action. That’s it!”
“Tony, I might’ve believed you if two of my lieutenants, one in Atlanta and another in Miami hadn’t told me that one of our top connects said you were trying to set up a meeting with him to do business directly with you.”
“That’s a lie! They lying to you, Genesis!”
“So two of my workers who operate in different states and don’t fuck wit’ each other are both telling me the same story but they’re lying and you’re telling me the truth.”
“Yes. I am. They jealous man because I’m always making big moves for you so they tryna shut me down. I would never cross you.”
“So the connect is lying, both our lieutenants and you can’t give us any information about this so called nigga Dale we’re supposed to be doing business with. This nigga on some bullshit, Genesis, point blank.”
“Nico, I always been a good worker to you, why you tryna turn on me!”
“I ain’t gonna even respond to you. Genesis, we not getting nothing out this knucklehead. He gon’ still keep playing like we some dummies and honestly I’m fed up with the shit.” There was silence for what seemed like forever so I edged closer, tilting my head around the corner wanting a visual to go with all the audio. My dad was standing directly in front of Tony. Nico was on his right hand side and Lorenzo was to his left. I could see a few of his security workers posted up against the wall with their weapons in hand.
“Tony, I gave you every opportunity to turn this fucked up situation around in your favor but Nico is right, you rather play us like we some dummies. I have too many things on the agenda to entertain this shit any longer.”
“But, Genesis, I…” before Tony had a chance to finish his sentence all I saw was steel and my dad pulling the trigger. He riddled Tony’s chained up body with bullets. I had to close my eyes and then open them back up to make sure I was seeing things correctly.
“Genesis, you did the right thing. That nigga wasn’t gonna tell us shit about this so called Dale motherfucker. We just have to find another way to lure that nigga out of hiding.”
“And we will.” While my dad, Nico and Lorenzo continued to have a casual conversation with a blood drenched body slumped over in front of them, I was on my knees with my head down as my mind didn’t believe what my eyes had just seen. Within those thirty seconds I understood why my dad didn’t want me to be a part of his business—he was a murderer. I was well aware that part of the business he operated with Nico contained illegal activity but never murder. What really shocked me was that my dad blasted holes through Tony without flinching. That meant this wasn’t his first killing and I wondered how many bodies he had under his belt because from where I stood he appeared to be a pro.
What I saw had me so completely shaken, I had to get the hell out of there. I kept my composure leaving the warehouse as quietly as I came. When I got back to my car I had to sit there for a few minutes getting my mind right. My dad is a murderer. I witnessed him kill another man without hesitation. Is this the sort of family business that I want to be a part of? Am I even ready for it and if not will I ever be? Those were only a couple of the questions I thought about as I started the ignition and headed home. In the midst of my confusion I thought about one person and decided to call her.
“Hello.”
“Hey, Aaliyah.”
“I’m surprised to hear from you.”
“I know. I wanted to apologize for how I spoke to you earlier.”
“It’s okay. I know you must have been super busy to cut me off like that.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can always make time for you. You’re my best friend and I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Amir.”
Hearing Aaliyah’s voice was exactly what I needed. I really wanted to tell her everything I had just witnessed but loyalty to my father came first. I would have to deal with my anxiety alone but knowing that I had her did make it easier for me to cope.
Aaliyah
I Run My World
“Excuse me, has my attorney arrived yet?” I asked, clutching the iron bars of my holding cell.
“Nope.” The officer stated without even looking at me as he walked by. I slumped down on the hard floor and put my head down.
“Can you please turn the air conditioner on? I’m burning up!” I screamed out as if anybody cared. My head was spinning and being boxed in a small hot ass coffin wasn’t making it any better. I used my hand to wipe away some of the sweat that was dripping down my chest. I grabbed a hand full of loose curls and twisted them in a tight bun on top of my head. I felt dirty and hot but that was the least of my worries. Shit was critical for me right now and the only thing that was going to save me was a beast of an attorney who I thought would’ve been here by now.
I know my mother is pissed at me but would she really leave me in jail? No, she would never. But she has been tired of my shit for a while now. But has it gotten that bad that she would have me stuck behind these bars with no freedom in sight?
As I asked myself the question I couldn’t help but think back to when I started rebelling against my parents especially my mother. I mean I was always opinionated, sassy and spoke my mind but I pretty much followed my parent’s rules. But it was like one day a light switch turned on in my head and I decided I was going to do me whether I had my parent’s blessings or not.
***
“Justina, are you ready yet?”
“I need another 30 minutes.”
“For what and why the hell are you whispering?”
“Because my mother hasn’t left yet. Hold on a sec that’s her knocking at my door.” There was a few minutes of silence and then I heard Justina’s mother’s voice.
“Why was your door locked?”
“It was to keep Justin out but I keep forgetting he isn’t here.”
“Oh, well I’m about to go. You’ll probably be sleep by the time I get back so I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Ok, have fun tonight, mom. You look really pretty.”
“Thanks, honey. And you could look really pretty too if you would take off those glasses and do something with your hair.” I rolled my eyes when I heard Chantal say that bullshit to Justina. It was true but damn she could’ve found a more subtle way to say that to her own daughter. But from as far back as I could remember Chantal never conducted herself in a subtle way. She was always super extra and that’s why my mother didn’t fuck with her too tough.
“Hey, I’m back. I’m sure you heard. My mother is leaving so you can come get me whenever you’re ready.”
“Justina, I don’t know why you just didn’t tell your mother we’re going out. All that sneaking isn’t exactly cool. I mean we are seventeen.”
“True but you don’t understand my mother. If I told her we were meeting boys she would want to know what I was wearing. Then she would critique everything I put on and compare herself to me. I would then have to hear how hot she was when she was my age and that I basically can’t compete. I don’t feel like putting myself through the drama. I rather her think I’m asleep in the bed while she’s hitting the town with her friends like she’s still sixteen.”
“I understand but I still think you need to start being honest with your mom.”
“Aaliyah, my mother isn’t cool like your mom. The only thing they have in common, is that my mom likes for you to call her by her first name and so does your mom when it comes to me but that is where the similarities end. You’re lucky to have such great parents. Me on the other hand …” Justin
a’s voice trailed off and I decided to get off the subject.
“I’m on the way. See you in a little bit,” and hung up the phone. I knew that Justina thought my life was so great and in comparison to hers maybe it was somewhat. I mean my mother wasn’t a stuck up bitch like Chantal but my life had hardly been the fairytale that many thought it was for some time now. My dad seemed to travel more and more and I knew it was because when he was home all he and my mom would do was argue. It was to the point that I preferred him to be gone too just to get some peace. The person I felt most sorry for was my little brother. I grew up always having my dad around, I actually had two. I probably grew up getting too much attention and I could tell that Xavier wasn’t getting enough. It pissed me off and made me become resentful towards my mother. I felt like she should’ve been trying harder to make it work with my dad but it seemed most of the time she was just going through the motions.
“Where are you going?” were the first words out of my mother’s mouth when she saw me make a pit stop in the kitchen on my way to the garage.
“Justina and I are going out to dinner and a movie.”
“Just the two of you?”
“We might meet up with some guy friends but I’m not sure yet.”
“Have I ever met any of these guy friends?”
“Besides Amir, have you ever been interested in meeting any of my guy friends?”
“Amir doesn’t count as a guy friend. You practically grew up with him, he’s like family. And that’s not what I asked you.”
“No you haven’t met them, are you satisfied.”
“What I’m not satisfied with is your smart ass mouth. Ever since your dad bought you that car for your birthday you act like you can do whatever the hell you like without explaining yourself. But please don’t forget that the same way you got them keys they can easily be snatched away.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry, mom,” I said quickly changing my attitude. “I didn’t mean to speak to you that way. It came off wrong. It’s that time of the month,” I lied. “These cramps have put me in a bad mood.”
