𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘬𝘦, 𝘝𝘈
𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳...
"Aye, I need y'all niggas on y'all shit man" I spoke, walking in the club—approaching Meek along with all of my other workers. They stood around socializing themselves amongst each other while there was tons of shit that needed to be done. Black Tyranny's grand opening was less than twenty-four hours and there was a lot to do before it had the chance to finally be exposed out into the world.
I was currently going around and checking things out for myself to see if anything was out of place but it seemed as if the time I took off from being away from work didn't help because there was still a lot of shit that needed to be done. I was now stressed because I wanted everything for tonight to be perfect, I had felt like my name along with any other important person on my team names was all over this shit. I didn't need no bad reputation or reviews out around my business, so I needed everything that needed to be done to be done. But, I also needed it to be done quickly and accordingly before time passed and it was time to open Black Tyranny.
"Y'all standing around like y'all fucking heads cut off. Get on yo shit, it's plenty of things dat' need ta' be done around hea'!" I said raising my voice, looking around as I scanned through my line of workers. "Y'all can't be lacking at ah' moment like dis'. I mean, y'all sitting hea' like everything we need is finished when it's not—like we done. We not done. We ain't dat' fucking finish line yet. Dis' shit just now getting started and I don't have time fa' any of y'all ta' be in hea' sleeping or drooling around"
"If you can't bear wit' it, tell me right now and I'm off you. Bye but whoever not, I wanna see some more fucking progress" I said, continuing to scan my eyes through reach and every one of them. I wanted to read all of them because I didn't have time for any bullshit, I needed all of my shit done without any conflicts.
"Let's go, get back ta' fucking work man" I spoke, clapping my hands before walking off and making my way towards the back.
Walking inside of the back where the dressing rooms resided, I approached Charlie who stood there speaking with a light skin woman. My eyes scanned over her average height figure and down her curvy body before they switched up into her eyes while she looked back at me once Charlie knowledge my appearance.
"Wassup, my boy" he said, greeting me with a dap. I dapped him up and brung him into a brotherly hug before pulling back, letting my eyes observed the room.
"Whatchu' got going on?" I questioned, looking around. "Everything cool? Everything straight back hea?"
"Uh yeah, man" Charlie answered, chuckling.
I nodded.
"Everything back hea' good" he said. "All of da' girls are positioned ta' come in tonight at nine, I got da' DJ—-he coming in around eight ta' set everything like da' music and da' lightening shit up ah' bit earlier so I'a say we moving kinda good"
"Happy ta' hear, I appreciate dat" I said nodding my head, he nodded.
"Oh and yeah, dis' right hea—Charlie spoke, motioning his hand over towards the woman that stood before us. I looked at her seeing that she was already looking at me before a smile began appearing on her face.
"Dis' England" I reached my hand out and gestured a handshake while she did the same, taking mine into her as we both shook hands. "She da' girls managers, she gone be teaching and looking after da' strippers and shit. I bought ha' in ta' help with organization, I think we kinda need it fa' tonight especially" Charlie spoke.
"Nah, we do" I said nodding my head, he nodded.
"But, what's up? What's going on—I'm Sy'Mere, it's nice ta' meet you England" I spoke, speaking to England. She smiled. "I appreciate you fa' coming in and taking over things as far as it goes fa' da' dancers and shit. We ain't really know too much on strippers and it worked on how they do routines and shit so I appreciate you fa' coming in and saving us fa' dat"
"Oh, it's cool" England said, I nodded as I watched some of my workers work from a distance—making sure everything that needed to be done, they was doing. "When Charlie was speaking to me about working and training some girls, I was down because I been out of dancing for like a while now but I feel like it's time to get back into my groove"
"Oh for real?" I asked, she nodded. "So, whatchu' like dance or something?"
"Yeah, I used to dance over at the old club around Richmond" she said, I nodded. "That was until it got closed and I just immediately stopped altogether but I'm back now"
"And, you good at whatchu' do?" I asked, looking at her. I didn't need no flunky around here pretending to be on they shit when they wasn't and I definitely didn't need that shit as of right now.
"Yeah, I am" England spoke nodding her head, I eyed her noticing the way she was looking at me before nodding.
"Cool" I simply said.
"But maybe you should take a little time off and let me show you and then you could see for yourself" she said smiling. I jerked my head back hearing her words and glanced over at Charlie, seeing that he was smirking while shaking his head.
"Oh nah, I got too much ta' do right now but I'll take yo word fa' it" I said chuckling, shaking my head.
"Aww, are you sure?" She asked, I glanced over at Charlie before glancing back over towards her.
I wasn't gone lie, shawty looked real good. From head to toe, England was an outstanding kind of woman and I knew that she had to have some type of skill by just looking at her but I wasn't on that right now. I was in work mode and I didn't need any type of distractions taking me away from shit that I needed to get done. It didn't work like that when I was working. When I was working, I worked and I worked hard. I didn't like having to take time off of simple ass shit like getting or watching some type of female dance, I wasn't having it.
"Good, I'm happy ta' hear dat" I spoke, grinning.
"I told you I had you man" Charlie spoke, I chuckled while England did the same.
"Yeah, you did" I said, nodding my head before nudging him. "But aye, let me speak ta' you fa' ah minute real fast"
"Aight" he said nodding his head before turning back to England.
"England, how about you walk around and check da' rest of da' club out while me and Mere chop it up fa' ah' few" Charlie stated, I looked at England. "It won't take long but you know, you can use dis' time ta' try and get familiar wit' da' place and all"
"Yeah" I said nodding my head in agreement, England nodded. "Aight"
"But wait, what time am I suppose to be here tonight?" She asked. "It's seven, right Charlie?"
"Uh yeah, baby girl" Charlie responded, she nodded. "Seven, sharp"
"Alright, I'll be here then" England said, he nodded.
"Appreciate dat" Charlie said, I nodded.
"Yeah, and it was nice meeting you England" I spoke, chuckling as a smile appeared on her face. "Hope ta' be seeing you tonight, don't flake on us"
"Oh, I'm not. I got you" she said chuckling.
"Aight" I said, turning on my way right along with Charlie while we traveled throughout the club and into my office. Shutting the door after we both walked in, I sighed and ran a hand down my face while Charlie took a seat as he chuckled.
"Come on man, lighten up" he said, I walked over and took a seat at my desk. "Everything cool man, we getting straighten out now"
"Are we?" I asked, sarcastically.
He laughed.
"Nah, for real man. I wanna know if you know who you bringing in and up around in our shit" I stated, grabbing a glass along with the bottle of Dusse that sat on the side of me before pouring a drink. I took a sip from it before grabbing another glass and pouring Charlie a drink, passing it to him in which he gladly accepted.
"Shawty sounded iffy ta' me" I said, referring to England. "Maybe you should take ah' little time off and then you could see fa' yo self—Nah, shawty gone have ta' know about me before she get into hea'. When I work, I don't get down like dat"
"Dat' whole sentence dat' came out of ha' mouth rubbed me off, man. No lie" I said, Charlie nodded.
"Nawl, I most definitely feel you on dat' one man" Charlie said, I shook my head as I continued sipping from my drink. "I ain't no nothing about Shawty keeping it dat' way but I'll most definitely speak ta' ha' about it and how everything operate around hea'"
"Yeah, please" I said. "Ion' do business wit' no type of pleasure, dat' ain't me. I gotta focus where my heart at"
"Fasho, man but look though—how you feeling?" He asked grinning, I grinned before sighing and shaking my head. "It's about dat' time, man. We up there"
"I got da' woman coming out tonight fa' us so it's gone be wild, it's gone be big" Charlie stated.
"Oh for real?" I asked smirking, he nodded.
"You know I had too" he said, I nodded. "I needed my baby hea' wit me"
"Ain't nothing wrong wit' it" I said shaking my head, he shook his head. "But ta' say dat' I'm feeling nervous would be an understatement though"
"Yo word?"
"Hell yeah, man" I said chuckling, he laughed. "I got everybody out in da' city coming out tonight ta' support me—you know. I can't have no fuck ups, I want everything ta' be spectacular. I want people ta' know like dis' what I'm been putting my hard work in at and ta' see dat' I'm doing what I said I wanted ta' do" I expressed.
Growing up wasn't a tragic for me, I always had my good and I also had my bad but being raised by a single mother was also hard sometimes. People would have these judgmental things to say about whether my mother was doing a good job or not with me and that resulted in me having a little bit of anger towards people. I didn't exactly know where the shit came from but growing up and actually seeing how people was towards others, especially when it came down to loved one—I just didn't appreciate the down talk.
Even with growing up and getting out on my own, I had to come across some rough patches myself in which led me to think that I wasn't never gone become nothing or that I wasn't never gone be able to make out in the world along.
It was just when you transitioned out into the big world on your own on the first time, having moments where you thought that you could wild out would have an outcome of something complete different. Whether that was being sentenced to jail for an amount of years and coming out, doing something completely dumb and having a baby before the age of thirty—a lot of muthafuckas would already start to doubt you and you wouldn't have yet to get started.
That alone was just my thing when it came to people and this thing called life, people made mistakes within living but they also made mistakes to learn from them. To keep them elevated and smart about what to do next and what not to do.
That was me.
"I feel you man. I'm most definitely on what you on and I gotta say—I'm proud of you, my boy" Charlie said, I grinned nodding my head. "You know we been together fa' like damn near ten years since high school, going on thirty and shit"
"You already know" I said chuckling, shaking my head. I had found how me and Charlie's friendship was still solid crazy. Not that there was any type of signs of disloyalty because the nigga been here on my side since high school. He been here with me through everything but to say that we haven't been through some rough shit was an understatement because I'd be lying to say that we haven't.
But to just sit here and reminisce on shit towards our old days was still crazy. It was like we was making something that we use to joke about out of nothing.
"Ain't no stopping though" I heard Charlie say, shaking his head.
I nodded. "Fasho" I said, reaching and dapping him up. "We just now getting started"
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"Hey ma ma" I spoke, looking down at Yosi as she laid across my chest. She laid there sucking on her pacifier while she blinked her eyes, staring ahead at nothing in particular. I could tell that she was now getting in a sleepy space. I had just finished throughout her night routine because she was going over to my moms house for tonight, being that I was gone be out at the club.
It was no lie that I wanted my baby with me but I couldn't risk having her out in the public where some shit could go immediately wrong at any second. I wasn't about having her out in an unsafe environment knowing that I wasn't gone be able to tend to her like I wanted to. So, letting her go and spend the night with my mom was the best choice until the morning.
"Sy'Mere" I heard, looking over seeing my mom walking into the room.
"Wassup ma" I spoke, greeting her as I rubbed my baby's back.
"I thought you was suppose to be gone, boy" Mama commented, making me chuckled as she gave me a knowing look.
"What are you still doing here?" She asked.
"I'm tryna spend some time wit' my baby before I go" I said, glancing down at Yosi. "You know ion' be getting da' time too since I be on go about my club. I been running around and so, I been feeling kinda Ill about leaving ha"
"Oh, honey" Mama breathed out, sighing.
Kissing my baby' head, I looked over seeing my mom looking at me as she smiled.
"What ma?" I asked chuckling, she shook her head.
"What's on yo mind?"
"You looking like you wanna say something"
"I'm just proud of you, Aryan" Mama spoke. I sat there holding my baby's hand as she gripped one of my fingers, kissing it while I prepared myself for the words that I knew who be in my head the entire night.
"You're doing so well with the life that you're creating for yourself, baby and I couldn't tell you the amount of times I prayed for something like this to happen for you" Mama said.
"Come on, ma" I said, breathing out as I began attempting to calm myself.
"I'm serious, Mere. Like really" she said, nodding her head. "You don't even know how much you're making me proud and happy just by doing things that you talked about..."
"Seeing you in your own element of becoming a grown man— a black one at that and you're doing the things that you're doing is amazing to me. It's like you come so far from what—from what, doubting yourself because of others and not being able to make the right choices because of people who would stand in your way to look down on you to owning yourself and your responsibilities. I'm proud of you, sweetie and I—Aww, don't cry" Mama said, cutting her sentences as she began scooting over towards me while tears brimmed in my eyes.
"My baby" I let my head drop, not wanting for her to see me cry as she wrapped her arms around me.
People would say that I was a complete mama's boy when it came to my mom and I always try to deny it but it was true. I was a crazy ass crybaby when it came to her and how she saw me as.
My mom was everything to me because I respected her for how she took the role of being both parents for me. It was like she was so independent that she didn't need any help with anything. Whether it was money to pay bills, keeping food on my back and even placing food in my mouth at bad times—My mom had always found a way for herself and I on her own and I admired but I respected her a lot for that.
I mean, growing up neither her or I had much. My father wasn't never around and so within my mom's family basically giving up and disowning her for having me at such a young age, all we had was each other and I think that's where independence came in for me. Me seeing how hard my mom was grinding everyday to night, made me wanna do the same just to return the favor for how much she worked her ass off for me.
Yeah, I slipped up a few times and ran into a couples of problems getting in trouble with the law and shit but my mom, she never judged nor gave up on me like others had. She had always kept her word which was being there for me through any type of timing and that meant a lot for me because I always felt like I could count on her to keep me in bear arms and she did. But, now all I wanted to do was do the same for her and for my baby. So, to hear from her that I was doing just that was heart warming and it made me emotional.
"Hey, look at me" Mama said nudging me, I looked up at her as she wiped my face. "You're doing it, okay"
I nodded. "You have a beautiful daughter that don't even know how much leaving her to go and work I order to provide for her pains you but soon she'll see—because she's gonna grow up and see how much of a good father you are and how wonderful you'd raised her" Mama spoke, I sat there sniffing as she rubbed my shoulder while continuing to speak. "You have a home that'd you'd provided for her but yourself. A home where not too long from now that gonna start beginning to build its way up into something so special and I have to say that I can't wait to see it. I really can't because you work your butt off so much and I feel like you deserve something so wonderful as that"
Taking in her words, I let them sink into me as I kept my watering eyes trained on Yosi and watched as she slept. There wasn't even anything I could say because I was speechless. My mama always left me speechless whenever it came to talks like this with her because the shit she spoke, I knew that it was true. Everything that she had spoken out of her mouth was true and I wouldn't have to have that any other way.
"You hear me?" Mama asked, I nodded.
"Yes ma'am" I spoke, wiping my face.
"Alright now, let's get it—shall we?" She said, reaching over to grab Yosi. "We got a business to open, yeah?"
I nodded my head in response, placing a kiss on my baby's forehead before handing her over towards my moms. I eyed her as her little body laid out into my mom's shoulder while noises escaped her mouth. A small smile had painted across her face as her back began getting rubbed, making a grin appear on my face followed by a chuckle.
"My baby so pretty" I commented, staring at Yosi.
"Yes, yes she is" Mama said, nodding her head. "She's a very beautiful little girl but why do you think I'm her glam ma?"
I chuckled as I shook my head and stood up on my feet, grabbing my things to get ready and go.
"I know you not laughing at me, boy" Mama said, I shook my head. "My baby get all of her beauty from me"
"If you say so, ma" I said, resulting in a gasp to come from her mouth. Reaching over, I quickly dodged the small hit she attempted to throw at me and began making my way out towards the front door.
I laughed and turned to look back, eyeing the expression that sat on her face as she followed behind me holding Yosi in her arms.
"You lucky my baby asleep" Mama said, I chuckled.
"Aight ma, I gotta go. I gotta go swing by Alex's and scoop ha' up" I said.
"Oh my baby, she's going to your opening?" Mama asked, I nodded.
"Why wouldn't she?" I asked, Mama shrugged. "I mean, it's me. Of course, she's coming"
"Mhm" Mama hummed, I eyed her. "Of course, she would. I mean, it is you"
I chuckled once I seen the smiled that hung widely from her mouth. "You something else, ma. I'm bout ta' head out" I said, shaking my head.
"You know what I'm talking about, right?" Mama asked.
"Ma" I called out, sighing.
She laughed.
"I'm about ta' go" I said, walking off.
"Tell my baby I said hi, now" I heard Mama say, I nodded. "I love you both"
"Give her kisses for me"
Looking back, I straight-faced her while she told at the front door eyeing me as she grinned. I walked off to my car and got in, starting it up as I shook my head—laughing and thinking on what was said from my moms.
There wasn't no way I couldn't love that lady.
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𝘈𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴?
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦 & 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵!