Carl Weber's Kingpins

by Brandi Johnson

  “Sho’ll ain’t,” Nadia agreed.

  Ke’yoko and Nadia finished up their lunch, sharing more gossip before going their separate ways. Ke’yoko was so glad to have Nadia in her life. She’d been there for Ke’yoko through thick and thin, more than her own twin sister had been. Nadia had never given Ke’yoko a reason to question their friendship, unlike Ka’yah. They’d been loyal to each other since day one and Ke’yoko loved and respected Nadia for that.

  * * *

  Ke’yoko woke up bright and early the next morning. She was nervous about going to her stepfather’s funeral. It had been seven long years since she’d laid eyes on her mother or her stepfather. She had wished him dead for years, but now that her wish had come true, Ke’yoko wished she could have taken back all the times she’d thought and wished death on him. He’d treated her like shit, but in the end she became a better person because of it. He had helped to shape her character to an extent and hadn’t even known it. He was still Kailo’s father and the last thing she wanted was to see her brother hurting as she knew he was.

  She climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom where Ja’Rel was sitting on the toilet taking a shit and smoking a blunt.

  “You goin’ to the funeral wit’ me?” she looked over at Ja’Rel and asked, while waving the smoke out of her face.

  “Naw, why would I go to a funeral for a nigga I don’t even know?” he asked before taking a pull from his blunt. “I don’t even know why you goin’. That nigga wasn’t none of yo’ real daddy. And accordin’ to you, the corny-ass nigga dogged you all ya life so why waste ya time goin’ to a funeral to pay respect to a nigga who didn’t respect you? That’s some corny shit.”

  All Ke’yoko could do was look at Ja’Rel like he’d lost his mind. She was so mad at him for what he’d just said she could have spit in his face. True enough she hated her stepfather and he wasn’t her real father, but she refused to let Ja’Rel sit and talk bad about him. And, furthermore, she was going to support her little brother because she knew it would mean so much to him. Ke’yoko turned on the shower as Ja’Rel continued doing his business on the toilet and she began getting undressed. She then grabbed a washcloth out of the linen closet.

  “Damn, you gettin’ thick as fuck,” he said, putting the blunt out in the ashtray that sat on the sink. “It’s been awhile since I had some of that ass.”

  Ke’yoko looked back at Ja’Rel, frowned, and stepped in the shower. That’s ’cause you too busy out in the streets fuckin’ everybody else, Ke’yoko thought as she began washing up. And it’s gon’ be even longer before you get some more of this ass.

  Ja’Rel finished his business in the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom. Ke’yoko finished showering, got out, wrapped her towel around her body, and headed into the bedroom as well. She walked over to the closet and looked back over her shoulder at Ja’Rel, who was busy texting, and frowned. She pulled her black Karen Kane scalloped lace V-neck dress out of the closet and put it on, then pulled out her simple but cute and comfortable Tory Burch ballerina flats and slid her feet inside of them.

  Ke’yoko walked over to the mirror to see how she was looking. She couldn’t help but smile when she noticed her small belly protruding through the dress. She walked back into the bathroom and ran her fingers through her hair, making sure it was on point before heading back out into the bedroom. Ke’yoko then walked over, grabbed her purse off the chair, and headed toward the bedroom door.

  “Oh, you ain’t gon’ say bye?” Ja’Rel asked.

  “Shiiiit, you was so deep off into textin’ if I would have said bye, I don’t even think you would have heard me,” she said smartly and headed out of the bedroom.

  Ke’yoko walked down the stairs and out the door. She got in her car and put the address that Kailo had sent her in her GPS, before starting the car and pulling off. She called Nadia but it went straight to voice mail. She then called Ross to see if he could talk to her and help her calm her nerves, and like always he answered. His voice was so soothing during their entire conversation. Ross talked to Ke’yoko for the entire drive to the funeral home.

  “Well, Ross, I’m here. Thank you so much for keepin’ me calm,” Ke’yoko said, pulling into the funeral home’s parking lot.

  “No problem, sis. You know I got’chu. I’ma always be here for you when you need me, the same way you’ve been here for more,” he replied sincerely.

  “Don’t just be sayin’ it to say it. You better mean it.” Ke’yoko smiled.

  “Man, you helped me get back on my feet, so why wouldn’t I mean it?” Ross asked.

  “I just wanna make sure.”

  “Trust me, I got’chu,” Ross replied.

  “That’s what I’m talkin’ about,” Ke’yoko said. “Okay, well, I’m about to get out. I’ll talk to you later on.”

  “Okay; and remember everything will be okay. Just keep in mind you’re there for Kailo and nothin’ else.”

  “I will.”

  “Say no more,” Ross said before ending his call.

  Ross had only temporarily managed to calm Ke’yoko’s nerves; she was still nervous. She took a deep breath, checked her hair, and opened the car door and got out. She slowly walked through the parking lot. She looked over at Ka’yah’s car and wanted to key it, but this wasn’t the time or the place. She just continued into the funeral home. As soon as she walked in, she saw Ka’yah holding a conversation and laughing and smiling with their mother, Kailo, and Chad.

  “Fake-ass bitch,” Ke’yoko mumbled, but quickly smiled when Kailo looked over and smiled at her.

  They all turned their attention to see who Kailo was smiling at. Everybody had a smile on their face, except their mother. She quickly turned back around. Ke’yoko didn’t know if it was out of anger or embarrassment for not standing up for her children like she should have. The more Ke’yoko thought about it, it could have never been out of anger; if anything she was the one who should still be mad, not her.

  Kailo and Ka’yah walked over to greet their sister. “Hey, sis,” Ka’yah said, wrapping her arms around Ke’yoko.

  “Wassup,” Ke’yoko said, tensing up but hugging her back anyway.

  “Hey, sis,” Kailo said, giving his sister a hug as well. “Thanks for comin’.”

  “Don’t thank me.” Ke’yoko smiled.

  Ke’yoko looked back up to the front of the church. One side of her wanted to go speak to her mother; then there was the other that wanted to walk up and smack her across the face. Ke’yoko quickly remembered what Nadia and Ross had said about being the only one still suffering because of all the hatred she still held in her heart for her parents.

  “I’ll be back,” Ke’yoko said to her siblings.

  “Where you ’bouta go?” Ka’yah asked, but didn’t get an answer.

  Ka’yah and Kailo both looked at one another before following their sister, hoping nothing was about to jump off.

  Ke’yoko walked up behind her mother, who stood holding a conversation with Chad, and tapped her on her shoulder. Her mother turned around and looked at her beautiful daughter. Tears instantly clouded her eyes. She wanted to wrap her arms around her baby girl and apologize, over and over, for not being there for her child like she should have been; but instead she waited for Ke’yoko to make the first move.

  “Mother,” Ke’yoko spoke.

  “Rie,” her mother spoke back before bowing to her daughter.

  It had been so long since anybody had called her by her middle name. Hearing it brought back so many childhood memories. Memories of her, Ka’yah, and Kailo outside playing like they didn’t have a care in the world. Catching fireflies in the summer, playing hide-and-seek, Mother May I, freeze tag, and hopscotch just to name a few.

  Ke’yoko stared into her mother’s ageless face and smiled, melting her mother’s heart. She wrapped her arms around her mother’s tiny body and her mother hugged her back. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off of Ke’yoko’s shoulders.

  “How are you?
” Ke’yoko asked.

  “I’m fine,” her mother replied with a warm smile.

  “That’s good.”

  Ka’yah and Kailo stood and watched in awe. They couldn’t believe their sister was actually holding a decent conversation with their mother.

  “You got a baby in there,” her mother said, rubbing Ke’yoko’s small belly.

  “Yep, I sure do,” she said proudly, while looking over at Ka’yah.

  Ka’yah had an uneasy look on her face, as if she knew that Ke’yoko was hip to her.

  “How many?” her mother asked.

  “This is my first one,” Ke’yoko replied.

  “It’s gon’ be a boy,” Ke’yoko’s mother said.

  “How you know, Mother?” Kailo asked.

  “I just know,” she replied.

  “Well, I guess Ja’Rel and I better start pickin’ out boy names,” Ke’yoko said.

  Their mother saw one of her husband’s friends walk in the funeral home. “Excuse me,” she said.

  Ke’yoko nodded her head and watched as her mother walked over to greet him.

  “I thought we was gon’ have to pull you up offa her,” Ka’yah joked.

  “Me too,” Kailo agreed.

  Ke’yoko laughed. “She is still my mother.”

  “Excuse me while I go rescue Chad from Cousin Naomi,” Kailo said, walking away and laughing.

  “I’m about to find a seat,” Ka’yah said, turning to walk away, only to get stopped by one of their talking cousins.

  Ke’yoko eased her way toward her stepfather’s casket. It felt like she had two sumo wrestlers tied to her legs. She looked down and studied his face. He looked exactly the same, almost like he hadn’t aged since the last time she’d seen him. Ke’yoko stuck her hand inside of the casket and fixed his tie.

  “He really did love you,” Ke’yoko’s mother walked up behind her and said.

  Ke’yoko looked at her mother and didn’t say a word. She shot her a weak smile, letting her mother know that she knew that it wasn’t all hate and that she’d forgiven him for everything. Until that moment she hadn’t realized that she’d forgiven her stepfather as well as her mother for everything in the past the minute they had hugged each other. Ke’yoko’s mother smiled back before walking away.

  Ke’yoko turned her attention back toward her stepfather. She didn’t know if it was her hormones or what, but tears began flowing from her eyes out of nowhere, one after the other. Ke’yoko began to unfold. She had been under so much stress with everything going on in her life lately, it was all too much for her to handle.

  Death was so final. Ke’yoko thought back on their final argument and wished things could have ended differently. She didn’t have all bad memories of her stepfather; she just chose to block what she wanted to. There were times when they did have a lot of fun when she was younger. Family trips to the park, the long car rides every Sunday, and Wednesday night board games were memories she sure couldn’t erase from her mind. Not to mention he made sure she had the best education, clothes on her back, food on the table, and a roof over her head.

  “I’m so sorry,” she wailed as she leaned over in the casket as far as she could, catching everyone off guard. “I’m so sorry, Father.”

  Kailo and Ka’yah rushed over to their sister’s side.

  “God, I’m sorry. So sorry,” she repeated over and over as she held on to his suit jacket.

  Kailo waited for a few minutes before wrapping his arms around her. “Come on, sis,” he said, gently trying to pull her away from the casket. She held on so tight, Kailo had to use a little force to pull her back.

  “Oh my God, Kailo,” Ke’yoko bawled.

  “It’s okay, sis.” Kailo began to cry himself.

  Ka’yah attempted to console her sister as well.

  Their mother couldn’t stand watching her three children crying. She began crying too. She walked over and did what she should have done a long time ago. She wrapped her arms around her babies and assured them that everything would be okay.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Ke’yoko had pulled up at the house after the repast. She was emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. She would have never guessed in a million years that she would be so emotional over the death of a man she’d honestly believed she’d hated for all these years. Ke’yoko was happy that she and her mother were on speaking terms, but she didn’t know if she was ready to have a real relationship with her just yet. Maybe that would come later on down the road, or maybe not. She was good either way because she knew she had done her part just by walking up to her.

  She got out of the car, carrying her purse and shoes. “Ouch,” she said, stepping on a small pebble. Ke’yoko dug in her purse looking for her keys as she hobbled up the walk. She walked up on the porch, opened the screen door, and let herself inside the house. Ke’yoko set her keys and purse on the table in the foyer and headed straight for the sofa to rest her aching feet.

  “I see this lazy nigga brought the mail in,” she said, grabbing it off the table, sitting down, and beginning to sort through it.

  Ke’yoko’s heart began beating quickly as she saw two letters with the paternity test’s name on it. Ke’yoko quickly opened the first letter. She was nervous as hell as she ripped through the paper. She quickly skimmed the first page looking for the results; not finding them, she flipped to the second page and began reading aloud.

  “The alleged father is not excluded as the biological father of the tested child. Based on testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of paternity is 99.96%.”

  Ke’yoko felt like she had just experienced an out-of-body experience. She felt cold, numb, and her mind was clouded. She was in complete shock. Even though her woman’s intuition had been telling her that Aiko belonged to Ja’Rel, she had never fully allowed herself to believe it. After reading the results, she still didn’t want to believe it, but now she had no choice. She couldn’t do anything but sit there and read the test results over and over to make sure she hadn’t missed anything or read anything wrong. When she finally decided to take these results to these two lowdown dirty bitches, she wanted her proof to be in order.

  Ke’yoko was so hurt, she couldn’t even cry if she wanted to. Her well had completely run dry. All she could do was shake her head. She stood up from the sofa, grabbed the other letter, and headed upstairs to change into something more comfortable. All Ke’yoko could think about while she undressed was how her so-called husband and twin sister had betrayed her like they did. Ke’yoko opened the other letter just for the hell of it, even though it had never crossed her mind that Nadia would ever mess with Ja’Rel. She went straight to the second page to the final results and nearly fainted when A’Niyah’s results read the same as Aiko’s. Ke’yoko let the letter fall to the floor as she rushed into the bathroom to throw up.

  Ke’yoko turned on the water and rinsed her mouth out. She walked back into the bedroom, picked the letter up off the floor, and read the results one last time, just to make sure she had read it right, just like she’d done with Aiko’s. Ke’yoko was at a complete loss. All she kept thinking about was how Nadia could cross her like that. How and when did she have time? How come she had never suspected Ja’Rel and Nadia? All these different questions kept running through Ke’yoko’s head. She was so tired of trying to figure everything out. With her head spinning, Ke’yoko picked up her cell and dialed Ross. She needed somebody to talk to and bad.

  “Wassup, sis?” he answered.

  “Are you busy?”

  “A li’l bit, why? Wassup? You okay?” he asked.

  “No, not at all,” Ke’yoko said, feeling herself about to break down.

  “Look, let me finish handlin’ this business and I’ll call you and you can meet me at my condo at the Pinnacle building on Lakeside Ave.,” Ross said.

  “Is that in the warehouse district?” Ke’yoko asked, to make sure.

  “Yep. It’ll be about an hour; is that too
long? If so, I can head there now.”

  Ke’yoko didn’t have an hour to wait. She needed to speak to someone now. She needed someone to keep her levelheaded because she was on straight kill mode. She could kill Ja’Rel, Ka’yah, and Nadia, and go have a nice, juicy cheeseburger and fries after doing so.

  “Ross, I know you busy right now but I need you like yesterday,” Ke’yoko said desperately.

  Ross could hear the urgency in her voice. “Say no more. I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you,” Ke’yoko said, hanging up the phone, grabbing her purse, and putting the test results in it before grabbing her keys and heading out the door.

  Almost forty minutes later, Ke’yoko pulled up in front of the Pinnacle building and sat in her car. She sent Ross a text and let him know that she was sitting outside his condo and to call her when he pulled up. A few seconds later, Ke’yoko received a text from Ross telling her that he was already home and he gave her instructions on how to get into his condo. Ke’yoko grabbed her purse, got out of the car, and headed into the building. Ke’yoko followed Ross’s instructions, got off the elevator, and knocked on his door.

  “Wassup, sis?” he asked, answering the door looking like a nice piece of chocolate cake. He had on a pair of black cargo shorts, a bright yellow shirt, and a pair of black house shoes.

  “You look comfortable,” Ke’yoko said.

  “I am,” he replied, closing the door behind Ke’yoko while holding his arms out.

  Ke’yoko walked into his open arms and almost melted. The smell of Ross’s cologne drove her crazy. There was nothing sexier to Ke’yoko than a man who smelled good.

  “You okay?” he asked, letting her go, even though he didn’t want to.

  “Not all at,” Ke’yoko responded.

  “Come on in. I’m cookin’ dinner,” Ross said, leading Ke’yoko out of the foyer and into his condo.

  “You have a nice place,” Ke’yoko said, looking around as she followed Ross into his gourmet kitchen.

  “Thanks,” he said, lifting the lid off the boiling pot and stirring it.

  “What you cookin’? It smells good.” Ke’yoko pulled the stool out and took a seat at the counter.