Chocolate Filing: The Life of a Whore

Epilogue

Antoine

The air was crisp in Edgewood, letting me know summer was over and it was finally fall. The leaves hadn't yet fallen, but I knew it would be coming soon. I zipped my jacket all the way up and opened the door to the downtown pool hall. 

"Twan? What's up nigga?"

I dapped up Niko and gave him a fake smile. All the rest of the niggas standing around gave me a familiar head nod. I shook my head. It was crazy that after all this time, Nova still hung out at all the same spots. I saw him at his usual table at the back of the hall, a small drink in his hand. I was laser-focused on him as I weaved through the crowd of dick-ridin' niggas and dick-hungry bitches. I stood in front of the table and cleared my throat. He looked up at me and then looked away.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Don't act like you don't know me, Nova."

"But I don't. Isn't that what we agreed on when we parted ways all those years ago? When ya mom sent you away? To ensure that we'd never cross paths again."

"I was sixteen then. I'm a grown-ass man now. And I'm not about to stand there and let ya ass ignore me."

Nova sucked his teeth but eventually looked me in the eyes. He motioned for me to sit across from him. I sat down as he grabbed one of the spare empty glasses and poured me a drink. I looked at the bottle and smirked.

"You don't know me, yet you're drinking my liquor brand."

He chuckled. "What can I say? Shit goes down smooth."

I looked around the pool hall. "I can't believe you still come down here."

"Aye, a man goes where he's familiar. Remember all those times back in the day after we'd stolen some cars for Jody? We'd come in here, play pool, drink, and laugh. The owner knew we were some young niggas, but that didn't matter."

"We? Nigga I was young. You been an old ass bastard since the day I met you."

"Fuck you, man," he laughed. "But what a day that was, huh Twan? You were one of my best soldiers. Shit hurt my pockets when your mom took you out of the game."

"It was all for my own good. Seeing as though you were about to let me take that charge for you."

Nova picked up the glass and took a sip. He looked at me straight.

"You shouldn't have gotten caught."

I clenched my jaw. "You always been the same slimey nigga. Guess that comes with old age being stuck in your ways."

"Indeed it does, Twan. I like things the way I like them. Especially if that way brings me money. Speaking of money, you walked out with some of my merchandise, and I would like it back."

"Merchandise?"

He continued to look at me straight. "Where the fuck is Ysobel?"

I rubbed my nose with my index finger and sat up in the chair.

"That merchandise, as you're calling her, never left the hospital. She hemorrhaged the day before they were supposed to release her. She lost too much blood and never made it."

"Hm, what a shame. Sucks for you, though."

"And why is that?"

"I wasn't done doing business with Miss Carter. I have ends that need to be met."

"I don't give a fuck about your ends nigga."

The pool hall became quiet and everyone looked back at us. 

"You forgot who the fuck you talkin' to, Twan?"

"Na, did you forget who the fuck you are talkin' to? It ain't been that long, and I know your ancient ass ain't got dementia. You knew how I got down back then. And don't think shit changed now just because I put that gun down."

Nova started laughing. "The balls on you to step to me in my own place with my own crew around. You're crazy if you think you're about to make it out of here breathing. I should've popped one between your eyes instead of letting your mom put you on a boat. How is she, by the way? You know I used to pay her to keep your ass in Jamaica, right?"

I stood to my feet. Nova reached behind him and pulled out a gun. He placed it on the table and looked up at me. I raised an eyebrow, amused.

"That shit supposed to scare me?" I asked.

"Let's not make this bloody, Antoine. Just agree to get back on the corners for me and make me the rest of the money Miss Carter owed me and I'll call it even."

I tapped into a part of myself I had buried deep. I didn't want to be this nigga anymore, especially after I had my son. But I made a promise to Ysoebel before she left this Earth. I promised her I wasn't going to let this nigga take in air without paying for everything he took from her. And I promised Zola he would pay for him taking Ysoebel away from us. They say when you live by the gun, you'll always die by the gun. I told myself I'd never put another body on my conscious, it was too many taking up space already. But Nova was a soul I'd take without hesitation. 

"Man get this nigga out my face," Nova said to one of his workers, but no one moved. He looked around at them. "Can nobody fuckin' hear?"

"See, it's crazy once you got that crown, Nova. There's always a nigga that's plottin' to take that shit from you."

"Let me guess, you think you're that nigga?"

"Me? Oh, no. But to answer your question, I did know you were paying my mom to keep me away. And I knew it was because you were intimidated. I was hot on that ass, Nova. The streets respected me more than they did you. Wanna know why? Because I put the work in. You wouldn't have any of this shit if it wasn't for me doing what needed to be done. It's time to collect."

Nova reached for the gun on the table but was a second short. I had already grabbed the gun and pulled the trigger, putting a hole in the middle of his head. I let out a long sigh as I placed the gun back on the table. I turned on my heels and moved past the crew that began to work on the disposing of Nova's body and the gun. I got to the door and nodded to Niko. 

"That crown is all yours now," I said to him before going back out into the crisp air.