by K'wan
“What do you mean?” Pearl faked ignorance.
“Don’t play stupid, Pearl. You know what I’m talking about. You know you fucked that girl’s face up, right?”
“I knew that bitch was a fucking rat!” Pearl fumed.
“Calm your little ass down. When they pressed shorty, she played it off like some girl who didn’t go to the school snuck in and jumped her. It was a weak story, but she’s sticking to it, so there ain’t too much the school can do about it.”
This surprised Pearl. “Why would she go through all that instead of just telling on me?”
“Because it was in her best interest, which is the only reason you’re not kicked out of school and sitting in a police precinct, looking at a charge.” He rested the pool stick on the table and came to stand in front of Pearl. “Why is it that every time I turn around, you caught up in some chicken-head shit? Your father is paying a lot of money for you to go to that school. I don’t think he’d be too thrilled if you got kicked out for fighting.”
“If Kate and her friends hadn’t tried to jump me, I wouldn’t have had to clown.”
“That doesn’t make it right. If you have learned anything growing up in this house, you should’ve learned how to do dirt without getting caught. I understand the need to defend yourself, but you could’ve caught her off school grounds and done it to her. You’re just lucky this didn’t blow up in your face.”
“Like I said, they tried to jump me. If somebody fronts on me, they’re gonna get it where they stand,” she said defiantly.
“A hard head makes a soft ass.”
“My head ain’t got nothing to do with my ass feeling like a cloud. I get that from my mama.” She slapped herself on the buttocks and sent a ripple over her plump booty. Pearl made Knowledge look, but she couldn’t get him to stare. This was an old game she played with him, dating back to when she’d first discovered the differences between girls and boys. Pearl got a kick out of making Knowledge as uncomfortable as she could whenever she could.
“You need to go somewhere with that bullshit, Pearl.” Knowledge tugged at the brim of his fitted cap.
Pearl rested her elbows on the pool table and leaned over enough so that he could see her cleavage beneath her tank top. “Whatever do you mean?” she asked playfully.
Knowledge ignored her advances and walked over to the bar, where he poured himself a finger of Hennessey. He tossed it back and then poured another. “Your father is coming home tonight,” he said, putting things back into prospective.
“I heard. What time is he getting in?” Pearl asked, trying to coordinate her night.
“Soon, which is all your sneaky ass needs to know. It’d be in your best interest to be here when he arrives. Your dad has been under a lot of stress lately, and y’all kids need to be mindful that you don’t add to it.”
“Is he bringing me something back?”
Knowledge gave her a disapproving look. “I tell you that your father is dealing with something, and that’s your response?” He shook his head. “Sometimes you can be extremely shallow.”
“I’m just kidding,” Pearl lied. “But you can’t blame a girl for wondering. You know I got a birthday coming up, so I just thought maybe I should be looking forward to a little something,” she said suggestively.
“The only thing you should be expecting is to make it through another year of life. There are people in the world who won’t be that fortunate. What do you have planned for your birthday anyhow?”
“I was hoping you could tell me. I know Daddy is planning on throwing me a surprise party, so you might as well spill it,” Pearl told him.
“Big Stone hasn’t said anything to me about a party.”
“Stop acting like that, Knowledge. My dad has thrown me a party every year since I came into this world, so I know he’s got something cooking this year,” Pearl insisted.
“Like I said, he hasn’t mentioned it to me. Maybe he’s decided you’re getting too old for birthday cakes and pony rides,” Knowledge teased her.
Pearl sucked her teeth. “Now I know you must’ve fallen and bumped your damn head. If I don’t get a party, I’m going to be mad.”
“You know, sometimes you can be one ungrateful-ass little girl.” Knowledge shook his head again sadly. “Your dad showers you with gifts all year-round, not just on your birthday. I don’t know about a party, but I’m sure he’s going to get you something nice. You could at least pretend to be grateful from time to time. I never had a birthday cake that wasn’t homemade until I was, like, sixteen, and I don’t think I ever had a real party until when I turned twenty-one? Nobody ever gave enough of a shit about me to make a big deal over my birthday.”
“Sucks to be you,” Pearl joked, but he didn’t laugh. “For the sake of argument, if he is throwing me a party, are you gonna come through with some of your boys?”
“For what? So one of you young-ass broads can try to slap a statutory charge on us?” He laughed. “But seriously, you know if something goes down, I’m going to come through and show you some love, but I doubt if I’ll linger. That’s not really my scene,” Knowledge said.
“Yeah, I know. You’re Daddy’s good soldier, always on duty,” Pearl mocked him.
“It ain’t about being a good soldier, Pearl. It’s about being selective about what kind of people you choose to entertain. One day when you’re a little older and a little wiser, you’ll dig where I’m coming from.” He playfully plucked her top lip with his finger and headed for the stairs. “I’ve got some moves to make before I pick your dad up from the airport. Try to keep your ass out of trouble while I’m gone, and for the love of God, please stay in the house tonight.”
“Yes, Daddy,” Perl teased. “Knowledge, one question before you go. How did you know what happened at school with Kate?”
Knowledge paused and looked at her. “All you need to know is that I got eyes and ears everywhere, which is why you and your family can sleep good at night.”
After Knowledge had gone, Pearl stayed in the basement for a while longer, basking in the lingering scents of chronic and his cologne. She could’ve sat and listened to Knowledge scold her for hours just to be around him. Pearl had had a major crush on Knowledge since she was little, and now that she was getting older, it was evolving into something more. She sighed, knowing they were just the pipe dreams of a little girl smitten. Even if it weren’t for the age difference between them, Big Stone would kill any man he caught sniffing around his baby girl, even one he claimed to love like a son.
CHAPTER NINE
Knowledge had to stop and take a breath when he emerged from the basement. Pearl loved to play him close because she knew it made him uneasy. She was definitely a stunning young woman, and as a man, it was only natural that he noticed, but she was a baby. More important, she was Big Stone’s daughter. He was well aware of the standing execution order for anyone caught trying to deflower the Stone family prize, because he was charged to execute it in the event that it happened. Knowledge didn’t have the heart to tell Big Stone that his daughter hadn’t been a virgin for quite some time. If Big Stone wanted to live that dream, he’d let him.
Before heading for the door, he made a quick stop by the kitchen to tell Sandra he was leaving. When he went outside, he bumped into Stoney and his two friends on the stoop. They were speaking in hushed tones about something but got quiet when they spotted Knowledge. “What up?” he greeted the youths, dapping each of their fists. “Y’all staying out of trouble?”
“Yeah, man. You know I’m on probation,” Domo told him.
“What about you?” Knowledge looked at Stoney.
“I’m just chilling,” Stoney said, trying not to sound guilty.
“What’s this I hear about you getting into a dustup? You’re just as bad as your sister with this fighting-in-school shit,” Knowledge scolded him.
“Wait, Pearl was fighting in school, too? How come she didn’t get suspended?” Stoney asked.
“Don’t ma
ke this about Pearl; we’re talking about you right now. What the fuck is your deal, little man?”
“It was a situation that couldn’t be helped,” Stoney said simply. He sounded like a man far beyond his years.
Knowledge looked at him. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
Stoney looked at Domo and Raheem, but they turned their eyes away, letting him know they wanted no part of that discussion. Stoney cast his eyes up at Knowledge, who was glaring down at him impatiently. “If I tell you, you gotta promise you won’t tell my father.”
“That all depends on what it is. Now start talking,” Knowledge demanded.
“Okay, they bet some money with me on a football game and lost, but they acted like they wasn’t gonna pay me.”
That one caught Knowledge off guard. “Stoney, you gambling in school?”
“You can’t get no action if it don’t run through Stoney,” Raheem capped.
“Shut up, nigga!” Stoney snapped. “Knowledge, before you even get on my back about why I shouldn’t be gambling in school, I wasn’t. I had a little something going with the guys at the community center. The only reason I put my hands on him in school was because that’s the only place I’ve been able to catch him. He’s been ducking me for days,” he explained.
“You too fucking young and too wet behind the ears to be out here gambling and shit, Stoney. You got a cushy life, but you insist upon playing gutter games that can get you hurt. That gambling shit stops now, and if I find out you’re still at it, I’m fucking you up and then telling your father why I did it,” Knowledge threatened.
“You got it, Knowledge,” Stoney said shamefully. He looked up to Knowledge and took it personally whenever he got on him. He felt slighted and his face showed it.
When he heard Raheem snicker, Knowledge realized he’d gone too far. He was mad at Stoney, but it was a conversation he should’ve had with him in private and not in front of his friends. No man, no matter how young or old, wanted to be castrated in front of his peers. “Lil bro,” Knowledge said, softening his tone. He threw his arm around Stoney affectionately. “I don’t condone what you did, but I understand. You was wrong for gambling, but you were right to go see sun over ass-betting you. Never let a man take anything from you without taking double in return. That’s what’ll make muthafuckas respect you. No matter who your family is or how much money you got, there will be nothing more valuable to you in life than respect, you feel me?”
“Yeah,” Stoney said, feeling a little better now.
“Okay, I’m about to get out of here to go handle a few things before I have to pick your dad up from the airport. Tell your friends good night, and go get yourself ready for dinner. Sandra is waiting.”
“I swear, we gotta be the only family in the hood who eats dinner at five P.M.,” Stoney complained.
“Whatever, just take your little ass into the house,” Knowledge told him before descending the steps and heading to his car.
Parked at the curb was a booger-green 1993 Acura Legend that looked like it had seen better days. Aside from the stereo system and the tints, there was nothing in or about the car that was under ten years old. He had another whip, but you hardly ever saw him in it. The Acura was his everyday vehicle. Whenever Knowledge pulled up on the block in the clunker, he always found himself the butt of a joke. All his people he had come up with in the game with now drove whips more fitting for men in their positions, but Knowledge was good with the same car that had been holding him down for years. They were welcome to their flash and shine, while he was content to lurk in the shadows.
He sat behind the wheel, the car idling, watching as Stoney and his crew said their good-byes. He smirked as he thought of how odd of a group they seemed. They were from different cities, different upbringings, and different places in society, but they had seen something in one another than no one else had, which was the glue that bound them. Knowledge respected their childhood friendship and hoped that it held up into adulthood.
Raheem and Domo were passing Knowledge’s car on their way to the train station when he rolled the window down. “Domo, let me holla at you for a second.” Knowledge popped the automatic locks. Without questioning it, Domo pulled the passenger door open and climbed in. Raheem opened the back door and was about to slide inside when Knowledge stopped him. “Your man will get back with you in two seconds,” he told Raheem, letting him know that whatever he had to say wasn’t for Raheem’s ears.
“A’ight,” Raheem said with a hint of an attitude. He closed the door a little harder than he needed to and stood on the curb to wait for his friend.
“That kid has got a real attitude problem,” Knowledge said, looking at Raheem in the passenger-side mirror. “If I were you, I’d watch him.”
Domo glanced over his shoulder at Raheem. “I ain’t gotta watch him. He’s from what I’m from, so I know what he’s about. It’s the niggas who ain’t from what we’re from who I gotta keep my third eye on,” he said, sounding like someone ten years his elder. Domo didn’t talk much, but whenever he did, his words were always measured and thought-out.
“Must be a Jersey thing,” Knowledge half joked. “How’s Understanding these days?” he said, changing the subject. Understanding was Domo’s big brother and an acquaintance of Knowledge. They had never been part of the same crew, but their paths had crossed in their respective hustles, and they’d done the occasional side business.
“He’s as well as can be expected, considering the circumstances,” Domo said.
“Yeah, that shit is wild how they did him—five years over some bullshit.” Knowledge shook his head sadly, thinking about how they’d done Understanding dirty over a parole violation and an ounce of cocaine.
Domo shrugged. “The game gives and the game takes.”
“Yo, if you need anything for him, just let me know and I’ll take care of it. Un was a good soldier and a good dude.”
“Appreciate it, but we straight. Me and my mom been holding him down all this time, so I think we can manage until when he comes home next year,” Domo said respectfully. In truth, whatever Knowledge was trying to lay on him would’ve been helpful. It hadn’t been easy for him and his mom to struggle to keep themselves above the poverty line while also taking care of the things Understanding needed while he was away. Some of his people would drop money off here and there. It was a burden that sometimes got too heavy to carry, but their family had too much pride to reach out to his street affiliates like beggars. They hadn’t been offered anything before, so they wouldn’t take it now.
“I hear that. Well, if you ever change your mind, just know that it’s a standing offer,” Knowledge told him. “On another note, you still be fucking with them cats from off Prince Street?”
“I don’t be over there like that no more, but I’m still cool with niggas from that side,” Domo replied.
“I need to have a word with one of your comrades from over that way. He calls himself Montega. You know him?”
“Yeah, I know him. We ain’t friends, but I know who he is and he knows me. We’re cordial,” Domo answered.
“Are you two cordial enough that if I hit you with some bread you could get me close to him?” Knowledge asked.
Domo weighed the question. “I probably could, but I wouldn’t.”
“Why not?” Knowledge asked, curious as to why a hungry young dude would turn down cash.
“Because I know you don’t mean Montega no good. If you did, I’m sure you could get in touch with him on your own instead of going through me,” Domo said, calling Knowledge on his bullshit.
“If you don’t know him like that, then why does it matter to you if I mean him good or bad?” Knowledge quizzed him.
“Because he Blood, same as I am,” Domo said simply. “I’m not sure what your problem is with Montega or whether or not he deserves whatever you got in store for him, but so long as he’s riding that five, I can’t play a part in you doing him harm. I don’t know how the Bs move in New York,
but in the Bricks, that ain’t how we’re brought up.”
Knowledge stifled the smile that tried to spring to his lips at Domo’s answer. “I can respect that.” He gave him dap. “I trust this conversation will never leave this car, right?”
“Like I said, I can’t cosign whatever you got cooking, but I won’t stand in your way, either.”
Knowledge nodded. “Spoken like an honorable young cat.”
“I don’t know if I’d say all that, but I try to stay true to what I believe. We done? Me and Raheem gotta shoot downtown and catch the PATH train, and I don’t wanna get caught in that rush-hour crowd.”
“Yeah, we done,” Knowledge said, dismissing him. Then he continued to sit there, contemplating the exchange long after Domo had gone. It was true that Knowledge did need to get at Montega over some business that hadn’t been handled properly, but it wasn’t as serious of a situation as he had led Domo to believe. It was a test of his morality. Knowledge always liked Domo and had been considering recruiting him, but he wasn’t sure Domo had the nuts to play at that level. But in showing that he wouldn’t compromise his integrity in the name of a dollar, Domo had proven that he may indeed be ready to take the next step.
CHAPTER TEN
“What’d that nigga want?” Raheem asked once they were off the block.
Domo shrugged. “Just asking me if I knew some dude from out of East Orange,” he lied.
“We from Newark. Why would he be asking you about somebody from way over in EO?” Raheem asked suspiciously.
“You know New York niggas assume everybody in Jersey knows everybody else,” Domo said, downplaying it. He didn’t like being dishonest with his friend, but Raheem had a tendency to be chatty sometimes, and Domo never wanted it to get back to Knowledge and have him think he couldn’t hold water.
“Word, they wouldn’t know the difference between East Orange and Atlantic City. It’s all the same to them.” Raheem laughed. “Yo, one thing I can never figure out is with all the money Knowledge is making working for Big Stone, why the fuck does he still drive that old-ass car? If I was getting it like that, I’d be pushing a fly-ass Benz!”