“Bruh what the fuck you doing in here? Are you eating?”
“I’m not eating this bullshit they feeding us in here. I go to commissary and stack up though. Wassup wit’ yo ass though?”
“Nigga I’m good but I’m not here to talk ‘bout me.” I looked around to make sure no one was listen. “I have a solution for our problem, but I need you to trust me and wait this shit out without getting in any trouble.”
“Fuck you mean, wait it out.”
“I gotta build trust. It’s a kid.”
Perc ran his hands over his face and stared me dead in my eyes. “I’m only sitting another month. If you don’t get this shit together, I’ll handle it on my own.”
“Let me do shit my way. We know what your way leads to.”
“My daughter, how is she?” He switched the subject.
“She’s doing good. Her and Merci got a little bond going that I don’t want to disturb. She has her majority of the time. I think it makes her feel better since she lost the baby. I don’t bother with them. The only time she calls is if she needs something she practically took her from me.”
“I’mma marry her when I get outta of her.”
“And I just signed the divorce papers for her sister. I thought I would never do it but when she didn’t come home last week, that did it for me.”
“You gave up just like that? I thought you loved her. Nigga, I’m disappointed in you.”
“Nigga I all I could. All she ever talked ‘bout was the divorce so fuck it. I signed them papers and dropped them off to her. Now I’m waiting on her to let me know when my son ‘bout to arrive. If we get back together cool but I’ll never let a woman make me feel worse than already feel ‘bout some shit.”
“I feel you.”
It felt good to chop it up with my brother. Now that his visit was over, I made the drive over to the projects to pay Lexus mama a visit. No matter what’s been done, a muthafucka was going to take some money when all they used to doing is scamming and snorting coke. Lexus got her demeanor from her mama. She was on the same shit but never had enough money to make ends meet. I was about to help her with that. I knocked on the dingy door and stepped back so no roaches and shit wouldcrawl on my sneakers. She was nasty as fuck and if it wasn’t for my brother, I wouldn’t be here.
“Fuck you doing on my doorstep?” She snatched the door open.
“Bring that nasty ass attitude down ‘cause we both know you have no room for that attitude. I’m here to help yo’ dirty ass but you gotta help me out too.”
“Fuck you want from me? Didn’t your brother do enough?”
“My brother didn’t do shit. Lexus had enough enemies in this city that we don’t know what happened.”
“So, you calling my grandbaby a liar?”
“I ain’t callin’ your grandbaby shit, but since you so worried ‘bout em’ why the fuck they still in foster care and not with you?”
She looked away and then down at her dirty bedroom shoes. I knew the answer but I wanted her to say it so my plan could work. She needed me just like I needed her.
“You know I can’t afford to bring them chirren here. I can barely afford to pay the bills around here.”
“Okay, so let me move you outta here and move you somewhere safer so you can get the kids.”
“Why the fuck you doing that? I know you only coming because you got a plan.”
“You take care of the kids; I take care of you. My only request is you talk your grandchild into retracting her statement because it’s not true.”
“How you know what she saw?”
“How the fuck you know? She doesn’t know what the fuck she saw. Now do we have a deal or no. I’ll give you ten grand right now so you go and find you somewhere to stay, buy some decent clothes and show up to get them damn kids.”
“I don’t have a car to drive.”
“Get the kids and somewhere to stay and you’ll have a car. The first time I hear some shit besides her retracting her story,you’ll have a visit, and it won’t be pretty.” I held my hand out for her to shake it. “Good doing business with you. Here’s your money and I’ll see at the first of every month with a drop off.”
