7
First Signs

I sat near the rear entrance of Poppy and Moms’ building for several minutes thinking after I’d watched Cherish’s tempting waltz take her back inside. A number of potential options had me actually weighing a variety of possibilities that included my adoptive parents’ daughter when her youngest brother crossed in front of the car. He paused, took a long look, and then stepped to the passenger’s door, signaling for me to lower the window.

“Yeah, what’s up Junior?” I asked.

“Who is you?” he snarled.

What you mean, who am I? You just met me upstairs at your parents’ place,” I recalled, “Can’t exactly say it was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Yeah, well it ain’t like you one ‘o my favorite muthas neither,” he scoffed. “I just wanna know what bidness you got up in mom’s ‘an pop’s joint? What you get outta hanggin out wit a couple old folks?”

“To be honest, I don’t really see where that’s any of your fucking business,” I cut. “The last time I checked, they’re your parents; not the other way around. What makes you think either of them, or I, for that matter, have to give you, of all people, an account of what we do?”

“If you knowed who you’s talkin to man, you be li’l mo respectful,” he listed. “I be handling thangs on the real…might even be able ta get you in on a piece if yo nerves wit it.”

“I’ll pass,” I flatly said.

“What’s the matter, a brother just tryin ta hook you up,” he commented. “What, you thankin you’s too good to work a real hustle?”

“First of all, baby boy, you don’t have the slightest idea who the hell I am. In fact, you don’t even know who it is that’s wasting space in your skin,” I told him. “What you think you’re doing out here don’t amount to much more than pretending to be a hustler; the kind of thing that gets wanna be ganstas introduced to an early retirement.”

Junior was noticeably bothered, “And who da hell is you to be tryin ta turn up on me, fool? Just show yo ass up in my city and wanna act like you runnin thangs. ‘Dis ain’t no farm ‘n shit back in Georgia where you in charge ‘o no bunch‘a damn animals.”

“That much, I realize.” The comment fell off my tongue more instinctively than anything. “At least, if I was talking to farm animals, it would actually be a more intelligent conversation.”

Junior’s ego took lead position and convinced him to make what could have been a final move, “Why, you country son of a…” as one hand went beneath the over-sized shirt he wore.

Much to his surprise, he was staring down the barrels of both twins before being able to finish the comment. I’d leveled off, and would normally have laid him down but it crossed my mind what consequences plugging his raggedy ass could bring. There was no way I’d be able to justify the end result to his folks; as bad as I wanted to squeeze that trigger.

“I’m gone give you a chance to reconsider your last statement and unthink that thought… ‘cause you never met my mama,” I established. “This the part where I suggest you leave her at the damn house in Georgia. ‘…cost of bringing her all the way up to New York is a li’l more than you wanna try to cover.”

Beads of sweat had formed on Junior’s nose and I could see his jaws tense as he bluffed, “You in no place ta be pullin out on a brotha. I ain’t never been the one.”

“Understand Junior, if situation was a little different, you’d be the one posing as the guest of honor at a Saturday gathering of family and friends all dressed in black.”

“You talk a lotta shit from b’hind them joints,” he commented. “If you wasn’t holding, things might would turn out a little different.”

“Junior, the fact that you don’t have any better sense than to threaten me while looking down the barrel of heat I’m holding says more than I need to know,” I said. “Good decision making is obviously not one of your better qualities.”

He squared off, “What you tryin to say, man?”

“Case and point,” I responded. “You just confirmed exactly what I was saying. Listen, the only reason you haven’t already gotten hit don’t have a damn thing to do with my feelings for you; Sam and Eunice already covered that tab.”

“You can leave my folks outta this. They ain’t gots nothin ta do wit what’s goin on out here,” he asserted. “This ‘bout me ‘an my moves.”

“On the contrary, Junior,” I explained, “Your people have everything to do with what’s happening right now. You think I’d normally spend this much time conducting a bitching interview with some thug wanna be? Seriously?”

“Hey man, I ain’t gone take too much mo ‘o yo shit,” he unwisely protested.

“Consider your position, Junior. How much of a damn choice do you think you actually have at this point?” I questioned. “You done been shot a few times but Sam and Eunice stepped in the line of fire.”

“What the hell you talking ‘bout? Ain’t been nobody out here ‘cept you and me,” he unknowingly assured. “Mom and dad been upstairs all bitchin day.”

“Never mind, Junior. If you don’t know, it wouldn’t do any good for me to try explaining,” I specified about the time Cherish exited the building.

“Whatch y’all do’n out here? Will, I thought you done been left long time,” she asked, “Thought you’s in a hurry to git off ta where’er it was you’s in such a hurry ta git to.”

To avoid raising suspicion, I quickly lowered the irons pointed at Junior, “No…I mean, yeah, I was pulling up but then ran into your brother. He just had a couple questions,” I said.

“What’s up Junior? I know y’all had done met but I ain’t think you’s into what he do’n.” His sister redirected, “What is it you need’n to know?”

“Oh, nuttin ser’ous,” he covered. “Askin ole dude ‘bout some bus’ness stuff. You know; checkin ta see if we might can work some thangs t’gether.”

“But Will, what do what you do’n wit the actin ‘n stuff gotta do wit what Junior be do’n out here on da block?” she posed before turning to her brother. “I don’t know too much ‘bout what he be into but I don’t think it’s the kinda thang you wanna git involved wit.”

“Well,” I interjected to prevent too much from being revealed by either of them, “Junior was just getting around to telling me what it is he does. Thought it might be a way for me to pick up a few extra coins here and there. You know, to help make ends meet.”

“But I thought you was doing a’ight,” Cherish intruded. ”I mean, ‘cording to Eunice, e’ryb’dy in the buildin ar’eady got you on stage wit a a’ceptance speech at the next Oscars.”

I was beginning to feel a little cornered. “Truth is, no matter how well you think things might be going, there’s never any such thing as having too much money. First of the month still come ‘bout twelve times a year, regardless.”

“Speak’n of,” Junior wisely excused himself, “I need ta be shovin off to take care ‘o a few thangs ‘fore t’morow. ‘Catchu later sis.”

“Later,” she said.

Looking back at me, Junior concluded, “And don’t fo’get we still got bidness.”

“It’s never a good idea to enter into a contract unless you’re certain the terms can be fulfilled,” I suggested. “That could cause a lot of problems…for you and the entire family.”

Cherish spoke up, “Don’t be puttin my whole fam’ly in no shit b’hind Junior and his fool’ishness. What he doin ain’t got nuthin ta do wit da ‘rest ‘o us. He on his damn own wit that shit.”

“If you want to know the truth, I think he’s going to find himself in a little deeper than expected before realizing it’s a lot farther than he’d planned to travel,” I assessed. “These streets are no place to get an education.”

“What you mean by that?” Cherish questioned. “Sound like you might know a little more ‘bout the life than we been told.”

“No,” I retracted, “It’s just that I’ve seen quite a bit…you know, on the news and in the papers ‘n shit. Even I got sense ‘nough to understand your brother doesn’t want to play this game. And even if he wanted to, he’s not equipped to do it. At least, not on the level he thinks.”

“For real Will, Junior been doin this shit since long as I can remember,” Cherish assured me. “He either got mo sense than it look like or he’s one lucky S-O-B.”

“Yeah, that might be the case, but I don’t want to be anywhere around when he finds out which it is. Especially if it’s a matter of his luck running out,” I established.

“Ain’t much chance in that,” she incorrectly assumed. “Y’all’s worlds don’t look nothin alike.”

“Even still, he’s walking a little closer to the edge than he thinks. It’s a lot harder to get back to the bank once you’ve jumped off that bridge,” I confessed. “Most of the time, current’s a lot stronger than it looks when standing up looking down.”

“What?” Cherish couldn’t process the analogy. “Willie, half the time don’t nobody know what the hell you’s talking ‘bout ‘cept you. What’s the point hav’n a conversation by yoself anyway? If you ain’t interested in what I’m say’n, I can just go on cross the street to the store.”

“To be honest, I do need to be going anyway. I can drop you on the way if you want,” I offered.

“Naw, I’m a’ight,” she said, “Do me good ta get in a li’l exercise. That’s why I came out the back ‘o the building.”

“I was going to ask why you exiting from the back to go across Broadway out front. But, as much as I’d like to stick around and chat, I’m already a little behind schedule,” I concluded.

“All right, Willie…keep it clean,” I heard Kenny’s raspy voice in the process of me backing out.

“What’s up, man?” I responded. “You know, I do the best I can to do the best life will allow me.”

“That’s ‘bout all anybody can do man, to tell you the real truth,” he concluded. “No matter what it is…don’t get no better than the best it’s gone be.”