Cecil
Wednesday, February 5
5:32 pm
Ian seen Dame since we talked hours ago. I'm not sure if he left or if he's just locked himself in his room. I've never seen that man talk about himself before. Even as a child, he's always just been around. I feel like shit for making him talk about it, but I'm glad he felt comfortable enough to say that shit to me. Ion know though, maybe I shouldn'a told him about what Cole almost did to himself....
Cole comes and sit next me to me on the couch interrupting my thoughts.
"Aye man you good?" He asks me looking down at his hands in his lap.
"Yeah baby. You ready to go?"
"Ion know... I guess we can't wait much longer though.... we already shoulda been tryna get there tonight right?" I can tell he wants to be there to support our brothers but he is not okay.
"Aye, maybe we should fly" he looks at me with confusion. "You know... so we have a lil more time to prepare before we leave."
"Hell nawl man... that's at least $400 a piece... ONE WAY" he's shaking his head at me biting his lip. "Nah man... we just gon drive... it'a be aight if we get there inna mornin'." he says twisting his hair. I noticed he does that when he's on edge... which is damn near all the time really.
"Don't worry bout it baby. I'll take care of it. We'a get down there tonight, get a hotel.... I'll rent a car at the airport so we'on have to worry bout no ride..."I list off.
Shaking his head he stops me "We gotta drive bro... I ain't ever been on no plane before. I wanna save that for a more exciting time." He turns around to see Dame walking down the stairs and nods at him in acknowledgement . "Plus it'a give us all some time to clear our heads before shit goes down again."
"Aight bro... whatever you want." I'm exhausted and Cole is exhausting. She was my momma too... even tho she ain't really claim me and Cole as her kids, she took good care of us. Pops had a good job and we never wanted for anything, but he wasn't raised to be emotionally available... nigga was tough as nails. Sara softened him and she made sure she was available to us. I got love for her and although I'm not too torn up about her passing, I'm worried about her boys, my other little brothers.
Just then, as Dame claimed a spot on the loveseat, Cobe walked through the front door.
"Aye, I gotta fill up 'fore we head out... if we wanna get there before dawn, we gotta head out now." He says taking a seat beside Dame after locking the door. I noticed no one ever sits in the green chair by the window, they just be pilled up on these small ass couches... I wonder why.
"Aye... Cole you know where the boys staying at? Who taking care of em?" I ask.
"PawPaw got 'em. They been living with him since Granny passed last year. I ain't know all that before tho. Ev saying he don't think He wanna take care of them cuz they grown na. He scared he gonna kick them out." He says shaking his leg looking over at Dame.
"Shit.... niggas ain't shit" Cobe says bitterly remembering how his family did him when his mama died.
"Big Dev said they can stay with him til they get on they feet. But he know about the money Pops left them... so he 'on thrust that"
Dame sucks his teeth "that shit bog. How old are they na"
"Evan 21, Shahid 20, and Lil J 19 now"
"Yeah them niggas grown homie. Ain't nobody gon let them ride for free." Cobe says all in his phone.
"Ion wanna be rude, but we just gon hav'ta figure this shit out later. We gotta get on the road." Cobe said wiping his eyes. This nigga is clearly tired, looks like either me or Dame gonna have to drive first shift.
"Twelve damn hours....." Dame whines as he walks up the stairs to get his bags.
***********************************************
Cobe
6:02 pm
I pull up to the pump at the gas station and get out to put money on it. Soon as I open the car door everybody start telling me what they want like I'm they daddy or some shit.
"I ain't paying for shit but the gas muh fuckas" I say putting my hand out.
"Ah just cash app you Cobe" Dame says and the others agree to do the same.
M O H A M M E D, 27
Portrayed by Dave East
As I'm getting my receipt from the cashier, I see Mohammed walk in. We make eye contact and I walk out the store. Once I put the bags in the car and tell Dame he gotta pump the gas I walk over to Mohammed's car. He locks the pump into his tank and we get in the car. He looks at me with disappointment but also anger. I'm not no punk though, so we end up staring each other down. He looks away first shaking his head. He looks out the window to see that his pump has stopped. He gets out to put everything back and gets back into the car.
"I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt Kwabe. Ion think you understand the depth of the shit you did. But, I know you ain't mixed into the shit like I am.... so I owe you an apology." He pauses and wipes his fingers back and forth over his mouth before speaking again. "I'm sorry. I was way outta line for pulling that gun on you but ion take too lightly to niggas putting they hands on me the way you did. I admit I took it too far. I shoulda believed you when you said you knew that nigga from high school." I know he's sincere, but I'm still not hearing why I should still fuck with him. He looks at me waiting for a response.
"I'm not sorry tho Mo. I ain't deserve that shit. We not exclusive. You know I fuck around so you was dead wrong for reacting like that."
"If you woulda let me explain to you instead of getting defensive the other night, I could told you who that nigga is to me! It ain't just gang shit... Issa reason my kin don't fuck with them." He says getting pissed off.
"Shiiid.. you got my attention now nigga." I say irritated.
"That nigga Black murdered my brother." The car gets quiet and he softens in his seat. He biting his bottom lip, I know he ain't want to tell me that shit.
"That nigga know Ian no killer so he just be moseying around all smug and shit. I thought he was tryna say sumn by fucking you Kwabe."
"You pulled a gun on ME nigga" I say to him with mad confusion.
"I would never hurt you... I was just tryna scare you a Lil bit.... letchu know what time it was. But I ain't no killer. The the only reason I even carry a gun around is for protection. If I kill a nigga I can't ever look my Baba in the face again." He says looking out the window rubbing his chin. Then he looks back at me.
"Why you fuck him?" He asks looking me up and down trying to hide his disgust but he can't control his face at all.
"..."
"Ohhh okay.... so you ain't got shit to say now hunh nigga" he looks down picking up an unfinished blunt in the ashtray. He spark it looking at me out the corner of his eye. He's heated... but I'm not gon lie, that's what I like about him. He sensitive as fuck and he a hot head but he mostly all talk... when it comes at me at least.
"Nah... i'm not your business no more Mo" I say shaking my head looking out the window on his side seeing Cole looking at me from my truck. I roll my eyes.
"Nah nigga you don't get to do that shit. Ion know how that nigga know we fucking but I blame that shit on you. I was low key before you started talking shit about me now everybody in my damn business-"
"Was fucking. Pass tense my nigga."
"Imma kill his ass."
I suck my teeth at him and he cuts his eyes at me. I know he bluffing but that shit worked. So I start explaining.
"He was my first" I say under my breath.
He raises his eyebrow. "Hunh nigga? Speak up!"
"He put me on to all this gay shit in high school Aight. He was my first nigga." I'm embarrassed now so I hop out the car leaving him to his thoughts. I guess he was already through with me tho cuz sped off soon as I slammed the door. I make my way over to the truck tryna cool down before I get in. Ion like talking about how goddamn gay I am and I been doing that shit all fucking day. When I get to the car, Dame is already in the driver seat so I get in the back. I appreciate it tho cuz I drive like shit when I'm heated.
"Damn nigga, fuck you slamming doors fo'" Colin looks back at me from the front seat irritated for a reason I'm unaware of.
"This MY truck nigga" I mumble back at him. Then my phone rings. I see Cecil look at it out my peripheral. It's the unknown number. I roll my eyes and answer it.
"Aye.... I ain't know that Kwabe." I feel dirty as shit now. If I knew that Black and Mo had history....
"I wish you woulda told me before.... I ain't even know you had a brother." I was looking out the window, but now I feel eyes on me so I look up to see Colin watching me.
"Fuck you looking at nigga? Shit." I mumble, irritated. Ion know what this vibe is between us right now, but he getting under my skin.
"Can you come ova t'night so we can talk for real? All this bickering shit between us childish as hell." His voice is smooth as silk now. I guess he ain't mad at me no more.
"I can't. I'm headed to Georgia right now and ion know when imma be back." Even though I don't know if I still wanna fuck with him, I'm not ready to leave him alone.
"Damn...." I can hear the disappointment in his voice. I been hearing it a lot lately. I get the feeling he tired of my bullshit. But ion know if I could ever be faithful just to one nigga.
"How about I call you when I get in. I'm with my niggas right now."
"Aight Kwabe..." he says in a low voice. Damn this nigga making me feel some type of way. I know I don't owe him shit, but I can't help but feel like I want to do better by him. I know he don't just only want sex from me, but I'm not ready for that grown shit yet.
"Aight" I Hang up palming my jawline. I ain't made for this shit.
I look over at Cecil to see him indulged in some documentary on his phone. I nudge him.
"Whatchu watchin'?"
"What happened Miss Simone.... it's about a singer who-"
"I know Nina Simone C..." I look at him with a smirk.
"Well Shit!" He laughs amused by my knowledge of an old school legend.
"What's yo favorite song of hers?"
I open my mouth to respond and Cole turns the music up all the way staring me down. Aight nigga. I flip him off and roll my window down. It's cold as fuck outside but I'm hot as hell and we still got 11 hours to go.