Mon Frere ✓

twenty-one

"Yes, Annabel?"

"Larry," Annabel's crying voice came out.

"Annabel, what's wrong? Why you crying?"

"He-he t-took her, Larry."

"Baby, calm down and explain what you mean. Who took who?" Larry's heart was beating in his stomach now.

"Some guy took Latifah. They took my baby, Larry."

"What?! When? How? Who the hell took my daughter?!" Larry yelled.

"He said you know who he is. He said you know him. He had tattoes all over his body and he came with two other foreign looking guys in a white van, and they kept calling him boss. Larry, who is it? Who has our daughter?" Annabel asked as she continued to sob.

"He actually went this far?" Larry mumbled.

"Larry, talk to me! He said he was gonna hurt my baby if you didn't meet him where it all started in 2 hours."

"Calm down, baby. I going to get back our daughter. Just trust me," Larry hung up.

"Why the fuck you have to do this, Idris?! 'Where it all started?' Do he think this is some Mara and Clara shit?"

~

"Look, Laurent, all you have to do is hear him out."

"Like seriously? All I have to do is hear him out? Do you think it's so simple? Do you think I'm ignoring him just because I take pleasure in doin it? Do you have any idea how I feel- how hurt I am?" Laurent said, through the phone.

Marcus rested his head in his hand and sighed, "No, the answer to all of that is no. But, listen Laurent, Larry would never want to hurt you on purpose I promise you that. That dude loves you more than I ever thought. I know all this things are really coming like a blow to you, first Idris and now the whole daughter thingy, but you should know this isn't easy for Larry too."

"It sure was damn easy for him to lie about his past to me."

"Larry didn't lie about anything," Marcus said, feeling the need to defend his best friend. "He just didn't tell you."

"Really? You're going to take his side now?"

"I'm not taking any-"

"Why am I even talking to you? You're his best friend, you must have advised him to continue to lie to me!"

"Oh God! Larry didn't lie, Laurent! Try to understand him, please!"

Laurent didn't want to try and understand. He was, infact, tired of trying to understand. It was starting to be a daily routine for him to try and see reasons with why Larry did this or why he did that, and he didn't want to do it anymore.

"Look, I'm going to hang up now. I can't even deal with this right now."

"I'm not going to stop you from doing whatever it is you want, Laurent, but don't make decisions you're gonna regret. Yeah, Larry made a huge ass mistake but who doesn't? It doesn't mean he should be persecuted for it. All I ask of you is to meet with Larry and hear him out, talk things over and if you still find whatever his reason is to be unworthy, then you can walk away and never look back, and I promise to make sure Larry never bothers you again."

Laurent was silent and for a second Marcus thought he had gone ahead to hang up, but he was still on the call.

Marcus sighed, "He loves you, man, okay? Just give him one chance to explain. I know it's hard for you, but please. Larry's happiness means the world to me, and if you can give that to him then, I ask you to listen to him."