Mohammed Omir, 26
August 5
"He missed?" Mo groaned as soon as he realized he was indeed alive.
"Mo." He heard a distinct female voice. "It's me, Jill. How you feeling?"
"How bad is it?"
"You lost your eye for one."
"Well I can see that." He let out a low raspy attempt at a laugh that only made him feel more pain, "I can't see shit." He mumbled, reaching up to touch his face but only felt cotton cloths and tape. "Where am I?"
"Your parents' house. Me and Khadijah did the best we could. You're gonna be fine though."
"Why you saying shit like 'we did the best we could' as if you fucked up!" He tried to yell but was cut short by a painful cough.
"Stop talking."
"No you stop talking." He tried to move but couldn't, "What the hell did y'all do to me?"
"Relax."
"Don't tell me to relax, I can barely move. How much more relaxed you want me?"
"Khadijah sewed you up. The bullet didn't go through your head. I dont not how it didn't, but it didn't. It went across the front of your face though." She told him shakiness evident in her voice. "What happened?"
"I mean, obviously you were shot. But, why?"
"You know not to ask me no shit like that."
"You should be dead."
"But I ain't."
"Which is why I'm asking. You're gonna try and get them back and they're gonna really kill you this time."
"You seen that shit in your little cards or something? Your crystal ball? That weak ass nigga missed. You think he getting another chance?" He sucked his teeth.
She glared at him, offended and irritated. "You know what?" She huffed, "I'm going home."
But then there was a knock on the front door. "It's that boy." His mom came into the room alerting him of the unexpected visitor.
"What boy ma? Jill, can you see who it is?"
Jill got up while his mom was still trying to describe the boy she'd only seen from afar in the past. Mo's mother never knew him or met him but she recognized him.
"It's Cobe." She said plainly. He nearly sprung from the bed but Jill ran to his side, calming him, getting him to lay back down.
"Nobody can know i'm here. Especially not him." He said, nearly panicking.
"Why not?"
"If anybody finds out i'm alive I know who talked. I can't help what happens after that." He threatened.
Jill smacked her teeth. "Boy qu—"
"Try me." He said calmly, cutting her off. "Tell him i'm dead and to leave. And then take yo ass home too." He directed the last part to Jill.
Mo knew that if Kwabena saw him, alive, that he would go straight to Black. He wanted Black to believe he was dead and become comfortable. That can't happen if a big-mouthed boy knew otherwise.
Jill disagreed though, "Or, we can not lie. If you're laying here bandaged up, we can say you're too bad off and might not make it. Then, he won't come back looking for you."
"He will. Dont let him in."
"Aunty can you give us a minute?" She asked politely and the mother left, closing the door behind herself. They heard the doorbell ring.
"I know him better than you. Don't tell me what the fuck he is and ain't gone do." Mohammed fussed at his childhood friend.
"Okay? How you know him anyway?"
"Me and Kwabe been..." he paused, unsure of where now was the time to expose himself to an old friend. "We—"
"We really don't have all day. He right outside. Waiting."
"Kwabe is my friend." He half-truthed lowly, hoping she got it without him spelling it out. "I was coming to chill with him when I noticed that nigga walking into his building. I waited for him to come back out, hours mind you, and thats when we got in to it. Anyway, he probably been freaking out trying to figure out what happened to me since I never showed up. I don't want him to think i'm dead, but I also don't want him to think i'm alive because his ex is who shot me. And, they still fuck around, I know it. I know they do. If Kwabe knows where I am, Black and his crew will too. And that's cool or whatever, but I need a minute to get on my feet before I can do anything. I'm not tryna have nobody else do what I need to do and i'm not tryna be caught off guard either."
"Is that who's with him?"
"He ain't alone?"
"There's a girl with locs and a dude with freeforms; hippie looking guy. Is that who shot you? He don't look dangerous." She trailed off, still observing the group through the window.
Mo was quiet which alarmed Jill. She came back over to him from the window. Touching his hand only for hers to be thrown away with his clenched fists. He growled through gritted teeth. "His ass is done." He mumbled, angered that Cobe would bring Q around, asking, "Wheres my phone? Shit disrespectful on a whole other level."
"No, what you need it for?" Her alarm was blaring now, almost unbearable in volume. "Why you need it?"
"I need to make a call. And you need to leave." He demanded. "Hand me my shit and bounce."
"I can't."
"Jill, I'm not playing moral olympics with you, bitch where the fuck is my phone?!"
"Mohammed." His mother opened the door to see Jill's teary eyes and mohammed's neck and naked chest straining and red. "I'm letting him in." She told him, holding back her words that wouldve otherwise scolded her adult son for how he was speaking to Jill. "What should we say?"
"Figure it out." He mumbled, gripping the phone that was placed in his palm.
"Bye, Mohammed." Jill said softly, wiping her face as she prepared to walked through the hallway, but the front door was already opened when she stepped out of Mo's room. She hurriedly reentered the bedroom and closed the door. Breathing heavily, she stared at Mo who was making direct orders through his phone. He let out a sigh and groan, wincing in pain as he ended the brief call.
"What?" He asked, sensing she was standing above him, judging him.
She shook her head quickly, "nothing." She whispered, fear evident in her voice.
"How do you know Cobe?" He asked in a hushed tone, hearing footsteps and pleasantries approaching.
"He's my ex's best friend. We're cool."
He grunted as he adjusted himself on the bed. "Not anymore." He told her. "Better hide if you don't want him to know you're here."
And she did, closing the closet in sync with the opening of the bedroom door and him lying still enough to look nearly dead.
Present; August 25
7:13 pm
"Yo, why y'all so late?" Cole asked Dame, stopping mid sentence at the sight of Lonnie turning the corner behind Dame and Sadé. Maurice appeared right after him.
"You got me bringing my newborn to a abandoned warehouse? Are you crazy?" Sadé fussed but quickly noticed his attention was elsewhere. She looked back, "Sorry, we just felt like they could use some air." When he still didn't say anything she recanted, "It was Dame's idea to bring Lonnie." She screwed her face walking towards the sound of Cheyenne yelling, passing up Cole completely. Dame and Maurice passed by him too, following Sadé without a word. The door was opened for them by Cecil jr. leaving Cole and Lonnie alone in the barren open area.
"I didn't know they were coming to see you or I would've said no." Lonnie broke the silence.
"Why? You mad at me? I'm the one who should be mad at you. You're the murderer."
Lonnie sucked his teeth. He attempted to walk past Cole but was stopped, "wait."
"I'mma just stand back. I ain't gone be inna way." Lonnie mumbled, leaving Cole.
Cole huffed, watching him walk away. "What the fuck is wrong with everybody today?" He called after him with bo reply. "We just waiting on Jah now." He announced, entering the club after Lonnie who looked back at him, confused, "Who?"
"Jah. Your brother?"
"What is this? What y'all all doing here?"
"It's a family meeting. We got shit to figure out. ASAP. I'm glad Dame had you come too because what better way to hear the truth but from the horses mouth, right?"
Lonnie still looked at him, confused and entering into irritation. "The fuck this gotta do with me?"
"tHe fFf this GotTa dew wimmeeee" he mimicked him in an exaggerated whine, "Everything." Cole said, also getting irritated. "As usual."
Not wanting to go any further, Lonnie walked away, sitting at the bar on the other end of the establishment, away from the group.
"You literally making everybody uncomfortable." Cecil complained.
"Shut up little boy." He smiled after he said it because he knew how Cecil would react to his words. "It's all about this nigga. And all y'all know that. I guess I should apologize to Dame!" He exclaimed, "You was right about him."
Dame walked up to him, pulling him away from the gathered group, "Yo. What is up? You still self medicating?"
"No. I'm not the one with the issues, why the fuck you ain't tell me that he killed Mo?"
Dame shrugged.
"When did you find out?"
"The day Cobe was murdered. I saw the video."
"Theres a video?"
"It was sent to Cobe the day before."
He furrowed his brows, "That's what happened to Cobe?"
Now Dame was looking confused.
"So he had the evidence. That's why he killed him."
"I don't think Lonnie killed Cobe. He doesn't even know there is a video."
"Well video or not, it doesn't even matter anymore because Mo is not dead."
"How do you know? You seen him?"
"No, but I know where he is." He admitted, "I mean, I'm pretty sure. It's no way he's not there."
Dame raised his eyebrows at the testament. "That's the secret?"
"Not anymore I guess."
"Nah, imma keep it between us." He assured Cole.
"But doesn't Jah need to know?"
"Not right now. Let's just see what he know."
He turned back before walking away. "What did Jill say to you? You was asking if you should listen to what she said."
"Oh, nothing. I decided to just.." he put his hands up over his shoulders. Dame nodded, putting two and two together, figuring out where Mohammed is hiding.
"You know she gone fuck yo ass up for ignoring her."
"Shit, the nigga I did it for better take care of it." He said with a straight face, slightly raised features showing his seriousness. A shiver went down Dame's spine, realizing that it was in fact a serious matter. Yes. Yes.
Cole saw the look in his eyes and assumed he was judging Jill for her part. "She said she didn't have a choice." He defended her to his brother. Dame gripped Cole's shoulder in reassurance that he made the right choice to tell him. The two rejoined the group just as Jah was let into the night club by Cecil jr. Everyone looked at him, his energy sucking all the air out of the already tense room.
"It's 7:29 Jaleel." Cole tried chastising him for his tardiness but he felt the air shift just like everybody else did. This Jah before him was different from the one who was campaigning for his help over the phone. Jah mugged him then noticed his brother sitting across the room.
Lonnie turned at the sound of his brother's name being mentioned. Aside from the initial glance over, Jah didn't acknowledge the presence of his brother in the room. He found a seat, facing away from the twenty-five year old, scooting down, resting his arms over the cushioned booth seat. "Now, what's this about?" He asked, commanding the attention of the room with his words.
a/n: don't ask me why i'm dragging it out 🤦🏾♀️🙇🏽♀️ just go with it 😪
p: 11.15.2023
r/p:11.20.2023