BRITISH MAHOGANY RACER.
CHICAGO, IL
SEPTEMBER 2019.
"How yo last piercin' heal?" British asked, her regular client Brielle was back again this time to get the right side of her nose pierced. Brielle was addicted to piercings, her ears were covered, she had a septum, a smiley, her belly, her nipples. Just everything. She stuck her tongue out showing British the snake bites she did two months prior. "Okay," British smiled, "it look good."
"Can I start back eatin' spicy food and shit? I ain't had no wing stop Louisiana Rub and I'm feenin' ian even gon lie," she muttered making British laugh.
"I'll say try it," British put on her black latex free gloves, getting out new sterilized materials, "and if it stings don't push it, it could infect and irritate yo piercin' cause it ain't healed yet."
"Okay," Brielle hummed drumming her fingers against her thigh, her voice getting lower and serious, "British, can I ask you sumn?"
British looked back at her, un packaging the new items with a little laugh, "yeah I guess, wassup?"
"You still talk to Kyrin?" It wasn't a surprise Brielle knew British used to talk to Kyrin. Kyrin was heavy in the streets so he was well known, and not to mention Brielle was from the surrounding neighborhood of west woodlawn.
"Why?" British dodged the question, not wanting to say yes or no to give her a chance to change her answer, she wanted to hear whatever she was about to say.
"Well," Brielle started, "I got a home girl of a home girl, who home girl he fuckin' around wit' him and shit. She was postin' him and everything. And I jus' know y'all was togetha' fa a long ass time."
"Hm," British hummed, she hadn't seen Kyrin since when she went to go get her clothes and saw him and the girl having sex in the same bed she slept in with him the previous night. British was absolutely hurt by that whole scene, of course they weren't together but she literally was still taking care of him and being there for him. Not to mention three years of being in love don't diminish over night.
He called her earlier that morning though asking if she could see him when she got off work, and now that she had this information. Kyrin was in for a rude awakening. "Thank you for tellin' me boo," was all British said marking the spot she was about to push the needle through on her nose.
"No problem," Brielle shrugged closing her eyes, "I was like, I'm not finna be fake up in this girl face while she piercin' me like I dunno sumn."
Brielle didn't respond after that just got the needle and tilted her head up, "alright, you already know I do this. Deep breath in and when you breathe out ima push it through!"
_________
"Bye girl!" British waved to Brielle with a smile, she was satisfied with her piercing, paid and now she was on her way out.
"Bye! I'll be back soon boo!" She smiled in the door way.
"I'm already knowin'," British smiled in response. The door to the shop closed and British went about answering the phone and making appointments and making sure all the appointments were done or currently happening.
The door to the shop opened and British looked up to see none other than Dayvon, once again they meet. Fighting the urge to suck her teeth she watched as he broke into a smile, "Damn lil foenem I keep seein' yo ass everywhea. Must be fate." He came up to the receptionist desk, drumming his fingers against the marbling top.
"Yea," British took in the diamonds he had in his mouth that he wasn't sporting the last time she seen him, "almost like you stalkin' me." She said monotonously.
"Getcho' goof ass on," he immediately joked, "you must want a nigga ta stalk you."
"I'd rather not," British clicked on the computer back to the appointment screen, "who you here to see?"
"Stefan hea?"
"Not yet," British clicked on Stefan's list of appointments, "you his first appointment when he come in though. You can sit over there and wait."
Dayvon nodded finding a chair a few feet away to wait in, he was about to get a four hour session in, he was getting his slain best friend's face on his neck. "Ian know you was a tattoo artist,"
"I'm not," British typed the appointments in on the appointment application on the computer, "I'm a piercer."
"Damn, Ian gon lie ta you," Dayvon started, "I got my ears pierced n shit, but I think one of my holes closed. I can't put shit in my ear, foenem."
One thing about it, no matter how she felt about somebody. British didn't turn down any money, and Dayvon wasn't an exception. She sighed lowly getting out of her seat, her five foot six frame strutting toward him. His eyes trailing up her thick thighs, her cleavage and her fierce facial features. "Which ear?" She watched Von point to his left ear, pushing his dreads aside she grabbed his ear examining the front and back before determining it was in fact closed.
"Yeah," British admitted, her nails accidentally running across the top of his neck giving him goosebumps, "it's closed." She checked the other side to be sure but it was fine.
"You'ca re-pierce my shit?" He asked hopeful. She didn't have any appointments right now and Stefan wasn't here so why not?
"Yeah, it's fifty dollars plus the price you wanna pay for yo earring," she gestured to the display showcasing all the real gold and diamond earrings they carried, "if you don't want any real gold or nun' included in the fifty dollars are little sterlin' silver studs we give out—"
"Naw," Dayvon intercepted, "Gimme da real shit."
Dayvon ended up picking a pair of gold studs. Once in British' chair, she took all the safety precautions before getting started she warned him. "I don't, use a piercin' gun...I use a needle, I'm not sure what you familiar wit' but needles are generally less painful and way more sanitary than a piercin' gun." British explained, he nodded but she seen the nervousness in his face. How you got all these tattoos but you scared of a needle. British wasn't the piercer to bring up your anxiety or your nervousness cause she didn't want to lie or try and minimize the pain. The only thing she could do was try and make small talk. But all in all Dayvon was focused on her body, his eyes secretly admiring every curve.
"When you get yo teeth done like that?" She asked knowing they were perms since he wasn't lispy.
"Like a week ago," he smiled wide so she could see his whole mouth. British nodded.
"It looks nice," she grabbed a marker looking at where his other ear was pierced she lined it up with that other ear, making sure it was even and quickly dotting the spot where she was gonna pierce.
Dayvon sucked his teeth at her bland complement making her look at him obviously confused. "What?" British frowned.
"Why every time I see yo ass you always mean n shit?" He asked making her roll her eyes. "Ian neva seen you smile, not once, onna guys."
"Boy, that's y'all niggas problem," British mugged him, "don't no bitch owe y'all no smile. You want me to sit here lookin' crazy smilin' all in yo face while I'm pushin' a needle through your ear? You psycho."
"Naw, I wanna know why you so mean doe?" He continued making British sucked her teeth.
"For the hundredth time I don't know you," British stated sternly, "deep breath in, when you breathe out Ima push it in,"
"Man pause like shit."
"Boy," British mugged him.
"Ight, my bad."
_________
"Man, dat shit hurted gang," Dayvon walked out of the back room with British who sucked her teeth.
"Boy, you got a whole gun on yo waist and you wanna cry about a needle? Take yo ass to bed." British suppressed a smile.
"I be inflictin' pain onna opps, that shit don't affect me," he grabbed his ear lobe.
"And I just inflicted pain on you, so now what?" British chuckled before frowned and slapping his hand away. "Stop touchin' shit."
"Naw cause I know I jus' ain' see you smilin'," Dayvon smiled watching British suck her teeth looking past him.
"There go yo tattoo man," British pointed at Stefan getting out of the car, "bye."
"Mannn," he laughed a little, "how much I owe you foenem?"
British thought about it for a moment, "nun. Thank you for watchin' out for my baby," she said referring to Harlem to which Dayvon shook his head.
"Naw, don't do dat gang." He furrowed his brows. "I watch out fa lil folks just cause that's my lil homie, Ian finna let you do work fa free."
"No, I'm serious. You good." British said sternly.
"Man—" Dayvon counted out four blue strips, putting them on the counter between them.
"First of all, this is too much anyways. And I said you good!"
"Lil folks told me y'all situation," Dayvon admitted lowly, "how you was lookin' fa an apartment fa yall an' shit. So jus' gon head and take it, heavy handed ass."
British hesitated before taking the money and sucking her teeth."Ian even heavy handed."
"Yea ight."
Stefan pushed the door open to the shop, instantly slapping hands with Dayvon. "Wassup bro, my bad for bein' late! I had to drop the kids off at school, man."
"You straight."
"Wassup, Brit?" Stefan rushed, giving her a side hug before he and Dayvon disappeared in the back room. British looked down at the money in her palm before shaking her head. She was almost there.
_________
"So," British sucked her teeth after giving Kyrin his Sumatriptan injection in his arm, the gunshot to the head gave him constant severe migraines and Sumatriptan helped with that, "your little girlfriend must be done takin' care of yo ass. Cause you finally thought to call me."
"British, come on na. Ion wanna talk about that," he said tiredly, aggravation growing in his tone.
"Like you got a fuckin' choice," British firmly said catching his eyes, "sittin' up here takin' care of yo ass straight off twelve hour shifts, on my day off when I could be with Harlem—and I see you on the bed fuckin' some bitch when I had just slept in this bed with you the night before!"
"British, how the fuck can you be mad when you the one who don't wanna be wimme G?" He frowned. "I begged you all types of shit, but you see another bitch on my dick and you mad?!"
"Cause it's fuckin' disrespectful," she threw the empty pill bottle at him,
"Don't start that shit." He said sternly.
"So you can hit me and throw things at me but I can't give that treatment back?" She frowned obviously extremely angry grabbing his brush from the dresser chucking it at him as he struggled to dodge it, next a water bottle, next a cologne bottle till he got up and restrained her, grabbing her wrists and shaking her.
"Calm yo ass down bro! Yo ass twea—"
"Get the fuck off of her!" Dana yelled standing the doorway a scowl on her face.
"Mama—"
"Kyrin, I'm not gon tell you again!" She said forcefully. Kyrin looking British in the eyes with a glare before snatching away from her. British chest heaving as he pulled away. "Come here, British. Come!" Dana said sternly walking away from the door way. British hesitated before walking out of the room behind Dana. Kyrin slamming the door behind her.
"Sit down." Dana said to her sitting down on the couch across from her. British looking at her with harsh eyes as she sat down. "I've never had a problem with you, I just want you to know that."
"Tuh!"
"I'm serious," Dana admitted, "feel how you want. But I haven't. I always envied you though.."
British shifted uncomfortably. "For what?" She asked hesitantly.
"It's a mother thing. It's hard seeing your kids love somebody else as much or more than they love you, it's hard." She admitted avoiding British' eyes.
British scoffed, "and that's where you got it all wrong, cause Kyrin don't love me a fraction of how he love you." British felt her eyes burn as she continued. "Cause people who love you don't cheat on you and beat you up all them times how he did me."
"British—"
"And I can't take care of him no more. I can't be there for him no more." She quickly wiped her face free of tears standing up. "I'm sorry." She whimpered before walking out of the apartment.
_________
DAYVON DAQUAN BENNETT.
CHICAGO, IL
SEPTEMBER 2019.
"How was school an' shit lil folks?" Dayvon asked Harlem in his passenger seat. Instead of waiting for him to walk past Parkway he just decided to pick him up from school to avoid the whole thing.
"It was okay," Harlem stated, opening his backpack and pulling out a flyer showing Dayvon, "it's a father and son breakfast happening next Saturday, can you go wit me?"
The whole invitation taking Dayvon by surprise. The idea of fathering wasn't the issue, he was literally his niece's father figure for the past four years. But it was Harlem that took him by surprise, he wanted him to be his father for the event. He had known Harlem close to a year now, he was great kid, had his head on straight and never feared anything and he admired him for that.
"You the only man I know," Harlem stated, "it's okay if you can't come." He shrugged.
"Naw I'm definitely comin' lil folks," Von agreed, "you said next Saturday right?" He confirmed.
"Yeah."
"Aight coo, leave the flyer so ion fa get," he said making Harlem smile putting the flyer on the dashboard, "you gotta tell yo sista an' shit ion wan' take you no whea' and she ain' coo wit' it."
"I will," Harlem obliged, "she gets off late tonight, so I'll call her."
"Coo," Dayvon nodded before continuing, "Harlem? Yo sista got ah boyfran'?" He asked cautiously. He didn't want to ask Harlem about his sisters affairs but he had to know, he didn't wanna make a move on another niggas girl. It wasn't right.
"No—she had one though. They broke up a long time ago though! They always was arguin' and stuff." Kids have no shame in telling business.
"Aw ight, you know who he was though?" You can never be too careful. He slowly pulled up to the curb in front of Harlem's complex.
"Yea, Kyrin," he shrugged, Dayvon let out a heavy breath knowing that was the Kyrin he shot in the head a few weeks back at Kyrin's close friends funeral, "I'll see you tomorrow!"
"Ight," Dayvon finally said aloud, "you got some money? You good?"
"I'm fine," he nodded but Dayvon still stopped him, giving him a hundred just to be safe. He got out of the car, running up the steps to his complex, saying something to the woman sitting on the dress smoking a cigarette but she didn't reply. Didn't even look at the car who had just dropped him off. She looked exactly like British, and that's how he knew it was his mom. The stories Harlem told him about her, her attitude showcased them as true. And it was sad.
_________
a long one fa y'all.
what's y'all's favorite movie? i think mines might be a bronx tale & all the fridays I can't pick one!
who's y'all favorite artist besides von?
how y'all like the book so far?