Chapter Twenty-Two

Kalif was leaving the African shop on 125^th after getting his braids done over. The girl who normally braided his hair wasn’t there, so he had let another chick do it. She was braiding it too damn tight and he told her, ”Don’t pull my edges. If my hair starts coming out I’m gonna have your ass deported.” She assured him that his hair was fine. Kalif didn’t like her to begin with. She smelled like rice and old peanut butter. He paid her and bounced.

Will was at the restaurant right across the street. The regular manager, Abdul, was on vacation, so Will was covering for him for two weeks. Kalif entered the restaurant and waited for Will. They left shortly after, hopped in Will’s Durango and headed toward Convent Avenue.

Will pulled up in front of Petie’s building and he and Kalif got out of the truck. They waited for someone to come out so they could get inside the building. No one did, so Kalif started ringing people’s bells. There was a buzz sound, and Kalif stepped in and held the door for Will.

They checked the names and found the apartment they were looking for. ”Listen, son. We just comin’ to holla at this cat—no drama. Let’s see what’s good with him and take it from there,” Will told Kalif. They rang Petie’s doorbell and Renee opened the door. She didn’t know who they were and she was a little confused, seeing two young thugs at her door. Kalif asked for Petie and Renee said he wasn’t home. She told him to call him on his cell phone.

”Nah, that wont’ be necessary,” Kalif replied. “What time is he comin’ in?”

Renee, sensing that something was wrong with this picture, asked Kalif, ”Who should I tell him stopped by?”

Kalif smiled and said, ”The boogeyman,” and he punched Renee in the face. She fell on the floor and Kalif then kicked her on the side of her head. Darnell looked out from the doorway of his room, saw his mother on the floor and ran to her. Kalif pulled out on him. ”Where your old man at, youngster?” Kalif asked him with the heat pointed at his head.

”I-I-I-I don’t know,” Darnell said.

”The fuck you stuttering for?! What, you a retard or some shit—huh, huh?!” Kalif screamed. Will suggested that they bounce, but Kalif was having fun. And he even thought about taking them hostage to avenge his brother’s death.

Renee, in tears, was bleeding from her mouth and ear. Kalif suddenly hit Darnell with the butt of the gun and bent down and grabbed Renee by the throat before punching her in the face again. Then he did the unspeakable: he pulled out his johnson and peed on her. Will was getting nervous now, and he was ready to leave.

”Tell your husband I’m about to piss all over his world,” Kalif said. He shook his dick, put it back inside his pants and zipped them. Will was calling him from down the hallway staircase now. He no longer doubted that Kalif was crazy or had a screw loose somewhere.

Kalif spit in Darnell’s face and ran to the stairwell, taking three steps at a time. He got in the Durango and Will dropped him off at Lincoln Projects.

Will tried to act normal when he went back to work. He was hoping that nobody had called the cops. Even though he had maxed out, he still didn’t want any contact with the police.

Will called BJ’s cell phone to let him know what had just gone down. Venus answered and told him she didn’t know where BJ’s cheating ass was. She told him what happened the night before and how she had thrown him out. She also explained that BJ’s phone had fallen out of his pocket during their fight, which was why she had answered it. Venus told Will that he might find BJ at Lincoln Hospital. And finally, she asked him if he knew Nette. Will lied and said he didn’t. He didn’t want to be in the middle of that bullshit. He told Venus he’d drop by and pick up BJ’s clothes. Venus told him there was no need because she shredded most of his shit and threw the rest of it in the dumpster. She’d take everything that was left and make a bonfire in the backyard with it. Will hung up and called Lincoln Hospital.

The operator connected Will to BJ’s room. BJ told him how he had started to call Venus last night but changed his mind. Annette did some dirty shit with the phone and Venus had heard everything.

”Damn, son. Nette did you grimy, dog. But you dead to the wrong, though. Ain’t no way outta that one,” Will said, wondering how BJ had gotten caught up with such a grimy chick. BJ told him how Venus had flipped out and attacked him with a frying pan and let the dogs chew him up. They both started laughing, and BJ admitted his defeat.

Will informed BJ what Venus had done with his clothes. ”You serious? Yo, what’s wrong wit’ her?” BJ said. “Yo, she is bugged out. Bullet and Diamond was tearing my shit up, and Venus watched them get at me. Then the bitch got up and made a drink and watched some more. Finally, she called them off of me. Yo, she is fried.” Will and BJ continued laughing and joking about what had happened until Will told him he’d see him during visiting hours.

They ended their call, and Will thought about Venus and what she had said to him over the phone. After hearing BJ’s version, he was convinced that Venus wasn’t fried; she was burnt like toast.

BJ called Annette from the hospital bed and blasted her. She claimed that the phone must have come off the hook and she leaned on the redial button. She swore up and down that she hadn’t set him up by calling his house. BJ didn’t believe her one bit.

Annette started popping mad shit after BJ told her how Venus attacked him. BJ wasn’t impressed with what she was saying. She sounded corny like cob. She told BJ to come move in with her, and she would take care of him until he could go back to work. Nah, that is definitely outta the question, BJ thought. He told Annette he’d call her later and not to call his cell phone because he lost it. Fuck her... He wanted to speak to Venus. He wanted to make shit right, but he didn’t know where to start.