NOLA [On Hold]

NOLA.| 2

Happy New Years everyone! 2020🤪👀😱🍾🎉🎉🎉🍾🍾🎊🎊

N O L A.

~ Chapter Two ~
The Louis Boyz
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Thomas Seafood
St Claude
New Orleans, LA

Montrell
16:18 hours

"Tell em who did this?" Emmanuel insisted as Montrell sat at the table in awe. Sitting across from his now crippled father, he wore nothing but a serious face during their conversation.

         I'll kill em.

"Some thugs over there in the Lower *coughs* –excuse me...Ninth Ward–....now son I don't want you–" he paused for a minute when he saw Montrell getting angry and flexing his knuckles. "I don't want you or Manny getting involved in this. Them luh boys is ruthless and we can't afford to lose anything else. I just pay my dues–which really isn't a whole lot compared to what they could ask for. Hell. I'm not complaining nor lookin to argue"

What sounded like the smart and right thing to do, it also sounded like pure nonsense in Montrell's ears. Like any son, his task was to protect his family at all cost. It's the same reason why he put his life on the line to begin with, risking it all so the Thomas family could sleep one more peaceful night in the Big Easy. It just made his skin crawl to know someone brutally beat his father while he was on duty. It even hurt that they didn't tell him about it until now.

                 Why didn't they tell me?
                            Manny, mama...anyone

"It's all I can do to keep our family safe is to just give em what they want. Not like the police give a damn. Unfortunately it's about that time when them luh boys come by. Should be expecting em this weekend" he continued as Montrell added a cigarette to his mouth.

                                 I'll be waiting...

       Flicking his lighter to ignite the rolled up tobacco between his lips, smoke quickly evaporated up into the air to surround them with its cloud. Not saying anything else on the matter as he rose to his feet, his father caught glimpse of the look in his eye and could read him like an open book. He knew that boy would retaliate.

Picking up his bags with anger written clear as day, he started making his way towards the family's basement.

***

After moving his old full size bed and a few dressers downstairs, the 23 year-old just took in the sight of that old mattress and sighed at the awaiting back pain in the morning. It was no debate over how small it was compared to him now, he outgrew the bed by a mile. Yet, it was the memories confined in its padding that left him committed. One of the most meaningful memories of them all was the first night he ever laid down. He cried that night, thinking the world around him was too good to be true. That he had finally had a family. Finally had a room,...siblings, parents–a bed.