XXXI
Things get back to normal, and as usual, Donnell volunteers his time at Ohallowbee’s. As he addresses the boys during a session, someone catches his attention. Donnell knows all the boys by their names, but this an unfamiliar face. He stops to introduce himself to the young man.
“Hi, I’m Mr. White. And you are?”
“Rodriguez,” the young man answers.
“Nice to meet you, Rodriguez,” Donnell says. “If you stick around here for a while, you and I will get to know each other on a first-name basis.”
Donnell continues with his session, speaking and encouraging the boys. Afterward, Rodriguez asks Donnell if he has a moment to talk in private. Rodriguez says he already knows who Mr. White is and that he has something serious to tell him about Brandon. He tells Donnell about Earl, that he was a kid Donnell had met before.
“Brandon and Earl are like brothers,” Rodriguez says. “It’s like Earl has this hold on Brandon, and Brandon can’t seem to tell him no to anything.”
It all begins to make sense to Donnell now. No wonder Brandon wasn’t himself that day in the courtroom, he thinks.
“That’s not what’s important, though, Mr. White,” Rodriguez says. “Earl is about to set Brandon up to get offed—murdered!”
Donnell’s heart drops and he asks, “What do you mean? Why, if they’re supposed to be like brothers?”
“On the cool, Earl don’t really see or respect that brother sh-t. Oops, my bad. I wasn’t trying to curse, Mr. White,” Rodriguez says.
“It’s OK, Rodriguez, you can be yourself around me. How is Earl planning on setting Brandon up to get murdered?”
“Earl got a few jack boys—robbers—he kickin’ it with, and Brandon out there getting his hustle on real strong. Earl is snorting cocaine heavily, and he’s always needing Brandon to put him back on his feet every time he go broke. Brandon kinda snapped on Earl and told him that he ain’t gonna be feeding his drug habit. I guess Earl felt some kind of way about it and told us that Brandon gotta go.
“He thought I’d be down with that sh-t, but that ain’t me, and besides, li’l Brandon is all right with me,” Rodriguez says. “It’s supposed to go down Friday at this trap house—drug house—on DeVillers Street. Earl told Brandon that he got a major deal set up for him and that he needed him to bring at least ten racks—ten K. I was gonna give li’l Brandon the heads-up, but as you can see, I got locked up. I’m telling you this because you’re about the only person that can save Li’l Dude’s life right now.”
Donnell is stunned. He thanks Rodriguez for giving him the information. On the way home, Donnell stops at a liquor store and buys a fifth of Hennessy. He’s drinking and driving, thinking about Brandon. He knows going to that trap house could place him in a life-threatening situation, but he decides Brandon is worth it.
Just when he makes up his mind to go, he gets a call from Oleta. “Baby, I just have a bad feeling that something is wrong. Please just come home and tell me what’s bothering you.”
Hearing her cry on the phone proves to be more than Donnell can handle, so he goes home and tells her everything Rodriguez told him about Earl’s plot to kill Brandon. They discuss the possibilities of what they can do to save Brandon’s life.
“What are you planning to do, Donnell?” Oleta asks. “I know how much is riding on your shoulders, but there are a lot of people depending on you.”
That night, Donnell doesn’t get any sleep thinking about Brandon. It’s as if he is reliving the experience he had with his childhood friend Anton, all over again. He knows he can never forgive himself if something bad happens to Brandon that he could’ve prevented, and he prays fervently to God for an answer on how to get involved.
At five o’clock Friday morning, the day Brandon is supposed to be killed, Donnell conducts a stakeout of the trap house, looking for him. At noon, after several hours have passed, there is still no sign of Brandon. Oleta calls to say she’s stranded on the other side of town with a flat tire, so Donnell leaves his post to go help her. While he’s en route, his phone rings; it’s Brandon. Donnell quickly answers the call and is so relieved to hear Brandon’s voice.
“I just wanted to check up on you and hear your voice,” Brandon says.
“Brandon, please meet with me to talk things out,” Donnell says. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
“OK, I guess so,” Brandon says reluctantly. “But you have to meet me at the trap house.”
“That’s not a good idea, Brandon,” says Donnell.
“Well, then, I’ll have to catch you another day,” says Brandon.
Realizing he has no choice if he wants to try to save Brandon’s life, Donnell agrees with his demand to meet at the trap house.
Donnell reaches Oleta’s location and starts changing her tire. He is almost done tightening the last lug nut when Brandon calls again. He tells Donnell to hold off a few hours before he comes.
Knowing what is about to go down, Donnell tells Oleta that he’s got to try to get Brandon away from that house.
“Please don’t go, Donnell,” pleads Oleta. “Just call the authorities.”
But Donnell isn’t listening this time. He speeds off, heading back to the trap house.
Oleta is a total wreck. She recently found out that she is pregnant, but she hasn’t been able to share the news with Donnell because of his mood and his concerns about Brandon. Without thoroughly thinking things through, she calls the cops and informs them of a possible murder plot about to take place. This turns out to be a bad decision.
Repeatedly, she calls Donnell’s phone, but her calls keep going straight to his voice mail. Donnell has turned his phone off to avoid hearing her cry.
He arrives at the trap house, runs up to the door, and bangs on it until Brandon opens the door. What a sight it is for Donnell to see Brandon alive! They walk out onto a wooden deck at the back of the house, and Donnell tells Brandon everything about Earl having set him up. Brandon is furious with Donnell for accusing Earl of something like that and tells him he’d better leave.
“If I’m lying to you, Brandon,” Donnell says, “you don’t ever have to speak to me again. Let’s sit in my car and see who Earl shows up with.”
Brandon decides to go along with it, only so that he can prove Donnell wrong. Plus he needs Donnell to leave so he can handle his business. Little does either of them know the cops and the robbers are both on the way to their location. They are just leaving the house through the front door when three men in masks approach them fast.
Relieved that Brandon is leaving with him, Donnell doesn’t notice the men at first. Turning to Brandon, Donnell says, “I’m so glad you’re willing to—”
“Watch out!” Brandon yells, and he pushes Donnell to the ground just as the staccato blasts of gunfire fill the air.