Yatta's POV
"Damn OG, it's been a while." I spoke to my father as he picked up the phone, getting situated.
"Who you tellin, son? How you holdin up?" He asked.
"I'm coolin." I spoke even though I was tripping today.
"I see you doing big shit, I'm proud of you." He smiled which caused me to smile.
"Thanks pops, I appreciate it." I replied.
"Your brother's proud of you too." He responded.
I nodded my head and tried not to think too much of Cork, even though I couldn't. Today is Cork's birthday and it's always been the hardest day for me. He would've been 23, but some fuck niggas had to cut his life short.
They all got smacked down by some of my niggas though. Same year, different month.
"Yeah." I mumbled as I shook my head.
"You gotta stay strong, Yatta. I know it's hard for you but you've been strong all your life, twin." He calls me his twin since I look so much like him and I'm his Jr.
"Ever since you was a younging, yo mama left, Cork passed and me always locked up. You been pulling through and making a way for yourself, by yourself. Shit, you been taking care of everybody, mayne. Even though you went through so much, you ain't never give up."
I nodded as I listened to him. "Preciate it."
"Nah, I appreciate you, Jr. Shit, you taking care of me while I'm inna pen. I was barely able to take care of you when you was comin up. I was fucking up, acting like a kid while raising one." He shook his head at himself. "Shit bout the only thing I taught you was how to hustle, fight and cook that white." We both chuckled.
"Son, you gotta promise me you won't be on the same shit, when you have a child of your own."
I nodded my head. "On my brother I won't. I swear won't, I couldn't." I spoke as I thought about when me and Mamé have a child of our own. I mean, she's the only woman I could imagine carrying my seed. I wouldn't be going out anywhere fooling around, if it ain't got shit to do with making money. Clean money.
He nodded. "Aight, now what y'all bout to be on?" He asked.
"Barbecue out at San Pablo park, the usual." I responded.
He nodded. "Aight, y'all have fun out there. You talk to yo mama?"
I scrunched up my face at the thought of her. "Who? Oh, you talking bout Jas mama?"
He smacked his lips. "Meiko, nigga."
"Forget her." I waved him off.
"That's still yo mama, boy. And Karl is her son." He spoke, saying Corks real name.
"But where has she been all these years? She only pop up when she wanna! Fuck allat, if she was my mother she'a be here right now, helping me get through all this." I spoke getting a little worked up.
"My fault, I was just asking. I didn't know if she called or anything."
"Shit, if she called it would only be for money or drugs." I shrugged. "She don't care bout me."
"She still loves you-"
"Don't say that, you ain't gotta lie to me, brah." I didn't want to talk about her anymore.
"I know she does, she just made the wrong decisions." He was still trying to defend her.
"You just saying that because she was your first love, moe. You know it ain't the truth." I shook my head.
He sighed. "If you wanna believe that, then okay. But I know she does, she ain't in the right state of mind."
I nodded even though I wasn't hearing shit he was saying about my mama caring about me. If she truly cared for me, she would've gotten clean and took care of me when I needed to be taken care of. She wouldn't have allowed her sister to take me because she was on drugs. She would've taken that as a wake up call and gotten cleaned up.
But nah, once Cork died, she relied more on drugs than anything. She used to be so weak to even walk to the couch, so she'd pass out on the floor and sleep. I had to be the adult and take care of her, when I could barely do shit for myself. Shorty was fucked up, all the way. She ain't give a shit bout nobody but her damn self.
Shoot, I wouldn't even say that considering she was on damn near every drug, which could've and should've killed her. I ain't wishing death on her, but I'm surprised she still alive. Mayne, I really don't even know if she dead right now.
"Anyway, how you holdin up?" I asked, changing the subject.
"You know yo old man is gucci, just pumping iron out here and reading." He spoke.
I smirked. "Yeah foo, you getting hella big."
"Look at you, Jr. Getting tall and shit, looking just like me when I was your age. I've been locked up for a majority of your life and I'm making a promise to you that when I get out, Ima be on all clean shit. Leaving all the extras behind me." He spoke since he got locked up for selling crack, getting seven years and a $10,000 fine I paid off last year.
He's been gone since I was 15, and now has 2 years left. Even before that, he was in and out of jail for other shit.
"I mean, you been gone but I turned out ight." I shrugged.
"But it could've been easier for you-"
"But it made me the man I am today. Shit, we'd prolly still be living inna More. I'm pretty sure the same shit would've happen eventually, we wasn't on no clean shit."
"I feel like your mother wouldn't have been sprung out-"
"Nah, she did that shit on her own." I shook my head since he was trying to blame himself. "Nothin was your fault, dawg! You did everything you could to take care of me and Cork."
I have so much respect for my father, even if some may say he was a bad example. He may blame himself for a lot but, in my eyes, he didn't do shit wrong. He only wanted to make a better life for me and my brother, who wasn't even his son.
He did what he had to do to put me and Cork in a private school and get us away from our hood. But after he was locked up, we couldn't pay for it anymore and eventually got kicked out. It didn't matter because a few days after he got locked up, we stopped going so we could make money and buy ramen noodles and koolaid mix for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cork even upgraded to crack to keep the lights on.
Nothing they taught me up in that school would help me with my life now anyway. I really just needed to know how to add, subtract and multiply, since I knew I was gon have to slang. Mamé always talks to me about getting into a program so I could get my GED.
I've been considering it, now that I have money and shit, it wouldn't hurt. Plus, I wanna be able to tell my kids that both their parents atleast graduated high school, so they wouldn't pull that "But you didn't-" Bullshit as an excuse to slack off in school.
I wasn't no dumb nigga either. I had straight A's my freshman and sophomore year. With an honors and AP class. I was on my way to ending sophomore year, when I stopped going.
I had one teacher that actually cared for me too, saying she wished me the best when I told her it was my last day. She knew what I went through, and I fucked with her heavy for always cutting me slack when I was late. Never sending me to the office since the train ride was far from my hood to the suburbs.
The others though, straight bitches. Always had some shit to say, like I wouldn't make it to see 18. But now I'm 20 bitch, making more money than all of them.
All them snobby lil white kids had mouths too. I wouldn't fight at school, since I knew it would've gotten me in so much trouble with my pops. So, I would tell all them fuckers to meet me at this park nearby if they was bout it. Of course they didn't though.
One shall not knuck if thy aren't buck.
"Aight, mayne." My pops spoke. We chopped it up some more before it was time for him to go.
I got into my car, with my mother still on my mind as I drove off. I couldn't believe any woman would basically leave her kids, to get high off drugs and fuck with niggas who never gave a shit about her.
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Mamé's POV
"My arm look skinny as shit!" I spoke as I looked down at it. Even though it was just wrapped up and put in a sling for a while, in my opinion it looks skinnier than the last time I saw it. I took it off this morning at the doctors, but I'm just now realizing how different it looks.
Jas laughed at me as I looked amused. "Yatta here yet?" I asked.
"Obviously not, stupid ass bitch." Jas spoke and I put my hand over my heart, looking shocked.
"Well shit bitch, my fuckin fault for asking." I spoke and she laughed at me again.
"I'm playing, shorty."
After a good 5 minutes, Yatta pulled up and called my phone, telling us to come outside.
"Move inna back, nigga." Yatta sized up Tiggz.
"Why foo?" He mugged him.
"My girl here, don't you see her standing there?" He looked at Tiggz like he was slow.
"Oh, right." Tiggz shook his head and KE laughed at him in the back.
I slid into my seat and put on my seatbelt. "Hey baby." I smiled.
He did the same. "Hey shorty, look at you with yo sling off and shit." He smirked at me and I showed off my arm.
"Come here." He spoke before leaning over to kiss me.
"Can y'all niggas do this another time? We got places to be, people to see." KE spoke since we got into a full on makeout session.
We pulled away and Yatta looked back at him. "Shut the fuck up, fo' I leave yo ass hea."
Tiggz mocked him and we all laughed at his goofy ass.
He turned back to me. "You gon handle sum for me, when we get to my crib later on." He spoke and I smirked, already knowing what he was on.
He pulled off and we made our way to the park where they were celebrating Cork's birthday. I knew today would be a hard day for Yatta, like it's always been. I wasn't able to come last year, since I was down in LA with my family.
We finally pulled up to the park and walked to the side where some people were already at. Jas spotted her mom and we all made our way towards her to greet her and more of Yatta's family.
"Boy, why you ain't talkin?" I tugged on Yatta's arm as I looked up at him.
He shrugged. "They all fake as fuck. Niggas only come around to say they were here." I could tell he was irritated.
"Come on." I led him to a table and we sat down.
"You alright?" I stared at him and he looked out at the field.
"It's whatever."
I turned his face towards mine. "Seriously, Yatta. I know it's hard for you-"
"You don't know shit." He got all defensive.
I was taken back. "I'm sorry-"
"Nah." He sighed. "My fault. I don't know why I keep poppin off on you like this, mayne." He shook his head.
"It's alright." I spoke because I know he was just irritated with the whole day.
He stared at me for a while before putting an arm around me. "I wanna marry you."
My smiled was super wide because even though it was out of nowhere, it was so damn cute. "I wanna marry you too, baby."
"So when we gon make arrangements?" He got closer to me. He kept his eyes locked on mine and I did the same, feeling butterflies in my stomach like when I first met him.
"You already know I'm tryna graduate first, so we can buy a house together and allat-"
"Just move in with me now." He still kept his eyes locked on mine.
I looked down at my hands before quickly looking back up at him. "You know that's all trouble-"
"And why is that?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Because then we both wouldn't be going anywhere." I put my hands on his belt and he looked me up and down, with both his eyebrows raised.
"Shit, that don't sound so bad to me." He licked his lips.
I bit mine. "I'll think about it."
He nodded. "Aight." He turned away from me for less than 5 seconds before asking. "You thought bout it yet?"
I laughed. "Boy, you better give me some real time to think about it."
"Aight, how bout 10 seconds?"
I shook my head and laughed again. "You know what, ain't shit to think about. Of course I'll move in with y-"
"That's what I like to hear." He spoke before he pressed his lips against mine, adding tongue too. I was all into it, holding onto his head and all until I realized where we were. I looked to see some kids staring at us.
"B-Baby, there's kids." I pulled away and tried to hold my laugh in.
"My fault." He continued to stare at me with a small smile on his face.
"Hey, Yatta!" Some girl walked up to us looking like she was ready to go to a club. She had a tiny ass dress on and some heels. She must've been off something to come out here like that, we bout to be here all day and she wanna be in some damn heels.
I looked over at Yatta, to see if he would respond to the girl. If she ain't family, he don't need to be friendly.
He gave her a head nod. "Where my cuz?"
"Oh, Hakeem? We broke up!" She looked so happy to say that.
"So, why you here?" He looked confused as he spoke to her.
"I came to see you!" She smiled.
"Well, you shouldn't have." Yatta stood up and grabbed my hand and we walked past ole girl.
"What's good, brodie." Project Poppa, a rapper from Oakland dapped Yatta up.
"Wassup blood."
"Hey Mamé." He gave me a hug and I smiled and waved.
"I ain't know y'all knew each other." Yatta looked over at me and I looked away from him.
"Yeah, I met her a while back through Jasmine." Project spoke and Yatta nodded.
"Oh, fashoo. But I ain't know you was coming out hea'."
"Yeah actually, Jas invited me." He spoke and I looked up at Yatta's face. His brows shot up and he nodded.
"Oh, okay." He nodded with a surprised look on his face.
They started talking and I made my way to Jas once I spotted her. "So much for keeping y'all a secret."
She looked over at me. "What you talkin bout?"
"Yo mans out there choppin it up wit Yatta. Might just spill the beans 'bout y'all's relationship." I spoke since Jas wanted to keep her and Project on the low for a while.
Him and Yatta go way back, so she knew he wouldn't want her messing with him. I swear, Yatta always acts like he's the big cousin when Jasmine is a whole 10 months older.
"Oh fuck." She sighed. "Here this negro come now."
We both looked back at Yatta. "So you and Project talk?"
"Nah, we mumble, whisper and shit." Jas spoke and I busted out laughing.
"Akikiki, nothing's funny." He mugged the both of us and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"You know that's bro, but if he fuck wit you Jas..." He shook his head.
She waved him off. "I already know the drill."
He nodded and we made our way to a different bench, where the gang was.
"Hey fav!" I hugged Milli then the rest of the gang.
"What up with you, sis?"
"I'm coolin." I spoke.
Yatta mugged me once I came back around to him. "What?" I asked.
"Hey fav!" He mocked me and I rolled my eyes. I tried to punk him but instead of flinching, he stole a kiss from me. I rolled my eyes again and mugged him.
"Y'all niggas too lovey dovey." One of KE's hoes just felt the need to speak up.
"Find you a man." I spoke and they all started laughing, her face was getting red as shit.
"Damn that's crazy, y'all niggas been together for two years. I ain't never been tied down for an hour, how it feel moe?" Keezy asked Yatta and he shook his head.
"You stupid. But aye, we getting married." He put his arm around my shoulder and the gang started gasping and shit. I shook my head and laughed at them.
"Damn, too bad for my lil nig-"
"Nigga, shut up." Milli cut off Tiggz.
"Nah, too bad for who?" Yatta was hella concerned now.
"You stupid as hell, mayne." KE shook his head at Tiggz.
"What are y'all talking about?" I asked as I looked around.
"That lil nigga Tutu like you." Neisha's ass was at the end of the table, but replied.
"Who?" I was confused.
Yatta smacked his lips and shook his head.
"I only know one Tutu, and he a clown-" They started busting out laughing but I was dead ass. He was a clown dancer for Tommy the Clown down in LA.
"Nah, we talm bout that lil nigga who be with Yatta and them Sob niggas. Sheik's brother."
I sat and tried to think of who he was.
"He finna take shorty from you, Yatta." Tiggz started joking around.
"That lil nigga ain't takin shit-"
"He is so cute!" I spoke out loud once I finally remember who he was.
Yatta looked at me like I was crazy. "I meant like, adorable cute. You know what I meant." I waved him off. That boy is adorable in my opinion and I would never look at him like that. He's too damn young for me anyway.
"Boy don't act like that." I spoke because Yatta was acting salty, not talking to me anymore while he conversed with the rest of the gang.
I rolled my eyes and stood up, walking over to the field to watch the kids play basketball.
"What the fuc-" Yatta came up from behind me and swooped me up before setting me down on his lap, as he sat on the grass.
"What do you want." I rolled my eyes at him and looked away.
He turned my face towards his. "You, what else would I want?"
I waved him off since he was trying to be cute and shit. "Boy leave me alone-"
"You know I can't." He kissed my cheek and I couldn't hold in my smile anymore.
"I love you, boy."
"I love you too, shorty." He wrapped both his arms around my waist.
"Damn, its Corkoday." Yatta spoke to himself as we looked out at the field.
I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer to me.
"My fault if I been all over the place today, I just been tryna take my mind off this date. I don't wanna think bout it too much." He spoke and I nodded.
"I understand, it's okay." I assured him and hugged him.
"You staying with me the night?" He asked and I nodded.
After a while of sitting and thinking, we ate, talked to some more of his family members before Yatta felt like it was time to go. We already packed our to go plates, so we were making our way back to his car.
"Yatta, someone's here for you." Jas looked super worried as she spoke.
"Who?" He asked.
"Just follow me." She spoke and he did as told, with me right by his side.
Jas led us to her mom who stood by a bench.
"I had nothing to do with this." Jas spoke.
Her mother waved her off before speaking. "Baby, you okay?"
He nodded. "Yeah, wassup ma?"
She sighed. "Yatta, baby. Say hi to your mom." She motioned over to a lady who was sitting at bench. I didn't even notice her.
I looked up at Yatta to see that his facial expression didn't change. "Is this a joke or sum?"
His aunt sighed. "Just, take a seat."
He shrugged and sat on the opposite side of her. Her head was down at first but, then she looked up at Yatta and tried to smile. She was super thin and her hair was long and straight. You could still tell she had a pretty face, though it was dark. But, she looked older than what I knew she was, but the drugs messed her up.
"Hey, baby." She spoke, her voice hella raspy.
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Yatta's POV
"Hey, baby." She spoke with her raspy voice.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked even though I knew exactly who the hell I was talking to.
"I'll wait in the car." Mamé spoke. I nodded and handed her the keys.
"Yatta, please-"
"Please what?" I asked as I leaned into the table.
"I'm sorry, about everything." She spoke.
I smacked my lips before chuckling. "Oh forreal?" I shook my head as I looked at her. "Mayne, why y'all even bring her here?"
"I started talking to her last month again...she said she was getting clean-" My aunt started.
"Bullshit." I spoke. "You even know what today is?" I asked.
She nodded and I asked her what it was. She couldn't give me and answer and I shook my head.
"I gotta go, I ain't got time for all this." I stood up getting ready to leave.
"Yatta, please-" I turned around to find her following me.
"Man, what you want?" I slightly raised my voice.
"Please, can I hold something." She was now begging.
I looked at her up and down before shaking my head. "Fuck out my face, dawg."
"Yatta-"
I turned around again to find she was still following me. I shook my head, knowing I'd regret giving her any money. I pulled out a couple bills and handed it to her. "Get fixed, not a fix." I stuffed the cash in her hand before walking away from her.
That money could either be to help her actually fix herself, or fuck her up even more. I was gonna take my chances and hope for the best. I really wanna see my mama do good, but it don't look like she care too much about herself so ain't shit I could do.
"Thank you." I could hear her raspy ass voice as I walked back to my car.
I hopped in and started up the car, driving off without saying a word.
I could see Mamé watching me from the corner of my eye. She grabbed my right hand and held it tight, while I drove with my left.
"You okay?" She asked after a long period of silence.
I nodded. "I'm cool." I stopped at a red light.
"You sure?" She asked.
"I'm straight, it ain't no thing." I spoke, looking over at her.
"Aw, baby." She spoke as she wiped away my tears that I didn't even know were falling.
She pulled me into her for a hug and I held her tight. "I just wanna see her clean mayne, on God." I cried into her arms and she rubbed on my back.
"She ain't even know today was Cork's birthday! That's fucked yo forreal." I shook my head as I pulled away from Mamé. As if on que, the light turned green and I wiped my eyes as I pulled off.
"Baby, I'm so sorry."
I shook my head. "Don't worry bout it."
The ride was silent and I just started thinking about my brother. I swear I really do miss him, and think about what it would be like if he was here today. I'm so hurt he couldn't be here now, while we getting real money and shit. It would all be so much better if I had my big bro with me.
I feel so bad that his own mother forgot his damn birthday. It hurt me so much when she couldn't even give me a damn answer. To me, his birthday is damn holiday. Even though it hurts so much to celebrate his day without him, I look forward to it just because of the fact that it's all about him. On everything I miss my fuckin brother mayne.
I went by the graveyard earlier today before I went to see my pops, but I feel like I need to go talk to him tomorrow too. You know, get some shit off my chest because it's feeling hella heavy right now.
"Happy birthday, brah." I spoke out loud, shaking my head as I continued the ride home.
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CorkoLandKrazy👼🏾 Rest in Paradise