I was very distraught with Chub’s wellbeing when I arrived at the club that afternoon. I had expected Bubba to arrive later to help out with clean up.
I had decided that I would have at least an hour t...
o myself out in the woods and alone, so I could release my feelings. As I put the key into the door of the club, I wanted to cry, but my emotions were halted by an evil voice from behind me.
This voice cut into me like a knife, just as the same voice had last night, when I heard my old gang name. He rapped his greeting like Tupac.
“Look, there’s Neckbone, from down home, and across the way, from South Central, LA!”
I froze for a moment knowing that I had to turn quickly to cover my ass because this was no friendly greeting. Break was my former gang member and he was standing there and calling me by my old gangster name. I turned to be face to face with this demon from my past. I couldn’t pull my gat, because Deidra was standing beside him.
“Hey Malik,” Deidra spoke looking puzzled at me then she looked at Break.
Obviously, Break had not told her our story. He stepped to me toe to toe. I could feel his hot threatening breath on my face. I wondered why he was with Deidra, but how did this brother find me was more important to me at the moment.
I gained my composure as to not frighten Deidra and spoke.
“Break it’s a…it’s a…it’s a surprise to see you, man,” I said lying and stuttering. “I’m surprised to see you. You recovered well over the years.”
“Yeah, you disappeared and I recovered how about that?” Break whispered, angrily.
His eyes slanted back toward Deidra, and then his face lightened. He continued to put on an act for Deidra. It was only an act Break could pull off. He adjusted my shirt collar and patted my chest.
“Malik, man, it’s good to see you,” Break spoke loudly, so Deidra could hear.
He stretched out his arms, pulled me to him and hugged me. He quickly pushed away and walked backwards until he was standing by Deidra again. He winked his eye at me and pointed.
Deidra noticed my awkward expression and looked at me all confused.
“Malik, are you okay?” Deidra asked.
“Oh, yeah, Baby! I’m fine! It’s just so hot standing here in the sun,” I answered.
Deidra spoke again.
“I saw you leave the club last night, but before I could ask Chub where you went, he had fallen ill, and everyone was all over him. I went outside, but I didn’t see you anywhere.”
“Ed or Break here, as you call him, said he saw you drive away. He says you two were friends back in South Central. I wanted to tell you about Chub, so Break rode with me to try and find you, although obviously, we couldn’t find you.”
Deidra looked at me once again with questioning me.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Malik?”
“Yeah baby,” I answered keeping my eye on Break. “You staying Dee or will you come back later? What’s up?”
“Oh, basically Malik, I brought your friend here to see you. He said y’all used to be close friends and y’all need to talk.”
“Yeah, talk,” I said trying not to frighten Deidra. “Well Break, man, I’m very busy. I’m just here to pick up some things and then I’ve got to bounce back to the hospital. You know, we may not even open tonight.”
There was a long silence.
Deidra broke the silence.
“Well, how’s Chub, anyway?”
“Not too good, Dee, and I’m pretty worried about him.”
“Oh, do you need me to stay with you? I can come back and...” Deidra offered.
I cut her off trying to get rid of Break.
“Oh no, you, ah...ah...I’ll call you later, Dee.”
“Yeah Dee, he’ll call you later and I’ll catch you later, Neckbone,” Break said.
Break then stepped forward and pushed back his jacket, so Dee could not see. He revealed his gun to me then let his jacket fall back down covering the gun.
I kept a clear expression though I was terrified inside. I managed to utter an answer.
“Bet Break, man. Later.”
Sweat had accumulated on my forehead from peeping Break’s gun. I brushed the sweat from my forehead. I was relieved when he got into his car.
He shouted out to Dee.
“I’ve got your cell number, Boo. I’ll dial those digits shortly.”
Break gave me a wink of his eye and sped away in his car spinning off rocks, dirt, and a trail of dust.
Deidra got into her car. I leaned over her window to talk to her.
“Malik, something tells me this guy is not your friend. What is going on between you two?”
“Look Dee, what did you tell Break about me?”
“Nothing, except that Chub is your friend, and that I needed to find you and inform you of Chub’s illness. He did most of the talking about you and how he was close to you and your parents. He told me some childhood things about you and him, when you were in LA, and I believed him.”
“Hey Dee, don’t sweat it. You did nothing wrong, but gave that nigger your cell phone number. Look Dee, I know Break seems all fly and sophisticated. He talks a good game and all, but trust me Dee and stay away from him. He is trouble, with a capital T.”
“Okay, Malik. I trust you. I will stay away. I could see the look on your face that he made you uncomfortable.”
I was glad Dee trusted me about Break. She looked at me flashing those big brown eyes that made me want her from day one. I wanted to take her into the club and be alone with her, but knowing the dangers of Break, I asked her to leave. Besides, Chub was too heavy on my mind.
Bubba drove up as I walked into the club. He and I cleaned the club in preparation for the night’s turn out.
“How’s Chub, Man?” Bubba asked,
“Oh Bubba, man, I’m so worried. He talks and then goes unconscious. They say it’s not a coma, but man, I’m just worried. The medical staff ran me out, so I just came here to keep my mind busy.”
“Hey Malik, the brothers are here for you,” Bubba informed. “We even got a crowd coming tonight. Not the thugged out crowd, like last night, but mostly Frats and college students.”
See MoreThis voice cut into me like a knife, just as the same voice had last night, when I heard my old gang name. He rapped his greeting like Tupac.
“Look, there’s Neckbone, from down home, and across the way, from South Central, LA!”
I froze for a moment knowing that I had to turn quickly to cover my ass because this was no friendly greeting. Break was my former gang member and he was standing there and calling me by my old gangster name. I turned to be face to face with this demon from my past. I couldn’t pull my gat, because Deidra was standing beside him.
“Hey Malik,” Deidra spoke looking puzzled at me then she looked at Break.
Obviously, Break had not told her our story. He stepped to me toe to toe. I could feel his hot threatening breath on my face. I wondered why he was with Deidra, but how did this brother find me was more important to me at the moment.
I gained my composure as to not frighten Deidra and spoke.
“Break it’s a…it’s a…it’s a surprise to see you, man,” I said lying and stuttering. “I’m surprised to see you. You recovered well over the years.”
“Yeah, you disappeared and I recovered how about that?” Break whispered, angrily.
His eyes slanted back toward Deidra, and then his face lightened. He continued to put on an act for Deidra. It was only an act Break could pull off. He adjusted my shirt collar and patted my chest.
“Malik, man, it’s good to see you,” Break spoke loudly, so Deidra could hear.
He stretched out his arms, pulled me to him and hugged me. He quickly pushed away and walked backwards until he was standing by Deidra again. He winked his eye at me and pointed.
Deidra noticed my awkward expression and looked at me all confused.
“Malik, are you okay?” Deidra asked.
“Oh, yeah, Baby! I’m fine! It’s just so hot standing here in the sun,” I answered.
Deidra spoke again.
“I saw you leave the club last night, but before I could ask Chub where you went, he had fallen ill, and everyone was all over him. I went outside, but I didn’t see you anywhere.”
“Ed or Break here, as you call him, said he saw you drive away. He says you two were friends back in South Central. I wanted to tell you about Chub, so Break rode with me to try and find you, although obviously, we couldn’t find you.”
Deidra looked at me once again with questioning me.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Malik?”
“Yeah baby,” I answered keeping my eye on Break. “You staying Dee or will you come back later? What’s up?”
“Oh, basically Malik, I brought your friend here to see you. He said y’all used to be close friends and y’all need to talk.”
“Yeah, talk,” I said trying not to frighten Deidra. “Well Break, man, I’m very busy. I’m just here to pick up some things and then I’ve got to bounce back to the hospital. You know, we may not even open tonight.”
There was a long silence.
Deidra broke the silence.
“Well, how’s Chub, anyway?”
“Not too good, Dee, and I’m pretty worried about him.”
“Oh, do you need me to stay with you? I can come back and...” Deidra offered.
I cut her off trying to get rid of Break.
“Oh no, you, ah...ah...I’ll call you later, Dee.”
“Yeah Dee, he’ll call you later and I’ll catch you later, Neckbone,” Break said.
Break then stepped forward and pushed back his jacket, so Dee could not see. He revealed his gun to me then let his jacket fall back down covering the gun.
I kept a clear expression though I was terrified inside. I managed to utter an answer.
“Bet Break, man. Later.”
Sweat had accumulated on my forehead from peeping Break’s gun. I brushed the sweat from my forehead. I was relieved when he got into his car.
He shouted out to Dee.
“I’ve got your cell number, Boo. I’ll dial those digits shortly.”
Break gave me a wink of his eye and sped away in his car spinning off rocks, dirt, and a trail of dust.
Deidra got into her car. I leaned over her window to talk to her.
“Malik, something tells me this guy is not your friend. What is going on between you two?”
“Look Dee, what did you tell Break about me?”
“Nothing, except that Chub is your friend, and that I needed to find you and inform you of Chub’s illness. He did most of the talking about you and how he was close to you and your parents. He told me some childhood things about you and him, when you were in LA, and I believed him.”
“Hey Dee, don’t sweat it. You did nothing wrong, but gave that nigger your cell phone number. Look Dee, I know Break seems all fly and sophisticated. He talks a good game and all, but trust me Dee and stay away from him. He is trouble, with a capital T.”
“Okay, Malik. I trust you. I will stay away. I could see the look on your face that he made you uncomfortable.”
I was glad Dee trusted me about Break. She looked at me flashing those big brown eyes that made me want her from day one. I wanted to take her into the club and be alone with her, but knowing the dangers of Break, I asked her to leave. Besides, Chub was too heavy on my mind.
Bubba drove up as I walked into the club. He and I cleaned the club in preparation for the night’s turn out.
“How’s Chub, Man?” Bubba asked,
“Oh Bubba, man, I’m so worried. He talks and then goes unconscious. They say it’s not a coma, but man, I’m just worried. The medical staff ran me out, so I just came here to keep my mind busy.”
“Hey Malik, the brothers are here for you,” Bubba informed. “We even got a crowd coming tonight. Not the thugged out crowd, like last night, but mostly Frats and college students.”
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