FREDDY PRINCE

chapter seven

"Who was that lady with the head wrap?"

Freddy thought he was in the clear after he and Skylar left the arcade parking lot. But just like him, Skylar couldn't get Kalani off her mind. She wanted to know what Kalani needed help with and why her uncle didn't immediately jump to help her. So, she asked questions. Just like her grandmother would have done.

"Her name's Kalani," he replied. "She's a reporter."

"Okay? What is she reporting? Maybe I can help her."

He gave Skylar a proud glare. It amazed him how amazing she was. She was only fifteen and had already published several articles that got attention from the national news and other headlines.

Whenever he thought about how advanced and passionate she was about human rights, it made him more conscious of the choices he made and the way he conducted business. He was afraid that one day Skylar would grow up and learn of all the bad things he did behind closed doors, and run against him.

"Politics stuff. But you don't need to worry about that, your uncle is the best investigative journalist in the state of Virginia. I think can handle it."

"The best?" Skylar laughed. "Yeah right. Maybe ONE of the best."

"If I ain't the best in the state, then who is?" he arrogantly asked.

"Grandma."

The car ride was quiet for a while before either of them spoke again. They were both too wrapped in their own memories of Elm and how much of an impact she made on everyone around her. When Freddy had had enough of reminiscing, he spoke again.

"You remind me of her a lot, you know."

"Mom says the same thing. She says she can't even look at me sometimes."

Freddy got too choked up to speak again, so he nodded his head to agree. Sometimes Skylar reminded him of his mother so much, it gave him chills.

"Your mom is taking this harder than either of us knows. It doesn't help that she's stressed about the bills and got that no good nigga around either. I know he's your dad and everything, but she's my sister. You know?"

"Trust me," Skylar laughed. "I know what you mean. I tell her all the time to stop letting him be so in and out of our lives. She doesn't listen. She won't even let me get a job to help her."

Fantasia was a stubborn bull-headed woman. She was independent and used to taking care of herself and everyone around her. When they were growing up, their mother worked so much that Fantasia played the role of a second mom to him. Because she was the oldest, the responsibility naturally fell on her shoulders.

"She won't take anything from me either," he shook his head. "One of these days she'll get over herself and realize we all we got."

They stopped for food on their way in that night. Skylar was in the mood for wings and fries and Freddy needed a beer, so they stopped at a small pub near where Fantasia and Skylar lived. While they ate and talked about Skylar's next big publication, Freddy let himself get lost in thought about Kalani.

He wondered where all of her fight came from and why; what made her the woman she was. He hadn't spent enough time with her to truly judge what kind of woman she was, her energy was just so natural and pure, it made him feel like he'd known her a long time.

When he pulled into his sister's driveway after dinner, she was just getting in. He saw her head resting against her headrest for a moment before she got out of her car to go inside, and he hated it for her. It made him feel terrible; to go home to luxury every night, while his niece and sister were still in the hood.