Against the Grain

by Freeze

  “I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m waiting on the results of a few more tests to come back. I may have to get one of my breasts removed to keep the cancer from spreading. I hate the thought of them cutting on me, besides, we can’t afford the treatment anyway.”

  Kay looked at his mother and wanted to cry so bad but couldn’t.

  “Don’t worry about it, boy. The doctor said there’s a good chance it’s not malignant.”

  “I’ve got some money saved up, Mama; you can have it. I’m sure that with my money and your insurance you’ll have enough for the operation. Tell Tramaine to give you that money he’s holding for me if he still has it.”

  “I’m alright Kay, really I am. I’ll probably outlive you if you don’t get yourself together while you’re in here. I never thought I would have to visit one of my babies in prison. You don’t know what this is doing to me, Kay. I’m in more pain from seeing you this way than I am from this damn cancer. I can’t do this anymore, Kay. I’m never coming to a place like this again so I suggest you get your shit together because if you get locked up again after you come home, don’t expect me to come visit you. You know that I love you with everything I have inside me. And I understand that when your daddy left, you felt like you had to step up and be the man of the house. I am proud of you for that. But you are my firstborn and no mother wants to see her child suffer.”

  “Mama, I promise to get myself together and I understand everything that you’re saying. I promise you, I’m not coming back to this place. When I come home, Mama, I’m going to get me a good job and take care of my son.”

  “How are you handling Sonia leaving you?” When Kay didn’t say anything his mother continued, “I know you’re hurting, baby. She was the love of your life. You had her back when no one else did, not even her family. So I know it hurts, baby, but life don’t stop with her. The things that don’t kill you only make you stronger. Consider yourself lucky, you found out how weak she is before you invested a whole lot of wasted years and money. I want to say something to her about the way she treats you, but then she might get on the defensive and stop me from seeing my grandson.” Tears rolled down Kay’s mama’s face as she talked. When Kay leaned over and kissed her she smiled.

  “Baby, why do they got you in this ugly orange jumpsuit and the rest of these guys have on something different?”

  Kay told her that he was in segregation, but he lied about how he got there. He said that he refused a direct order from an officer who was trying to give him a hard time. For the next few hours the two of them talked about everything they could think of. They even talked about Kay as a baby and him growing up. They laughed and had a good time until it was time for Mama to leave and for Kay to return to the hole.

  6

  Over the next sixty days, Kay and Yang talked day and night. Read and talk, that’s all they could do being on lockdown for twenty-three hours a day. Everyone involved in the altercation received sixty days in the hole and lost fifty-four days good time as punishment for their actions. On the sixtieth day, two men were released every other hour. An officer came to the cell where Kay and Yang were being housed and told them to pack up their things because they were getting out next. Kay looked at Yang and said, “You know that we’ve got to watch each other’s back now. There’s over a hundred D.C. niggaz on the compound and they’re going to be waiting for us to slip and if we do, we’re dead.”

  “I know, Kay. I have been thinking about that for some time now. I’ve also been thinking about how these men tried to violate me. I could never let this happen again, so I’m sending our good friend Phife a message.”

  “What kind of message? What are you talking about?”

  “You will know in time,” Yang said.

  Kay stared at Yang for a few seconds, not saying a word. He was studying his movements, trying to get a hint of what Yang was talking about, but he couldn’t.

  Two days later they were out walking the track getting some exercise when another inmate, JD, walked up to Kay and Yang. Both men stopped in their tracks. Kay and Yang stepped in opposite directions as if to surround JD. “Hold on. I don’t want any trouble. I was just wondering if you heard about Phife’s family getting killed,” JD said while staring directly into Yang’s eyes.

  No one responded to his question.

  “You know what’s funny though, and I have never seen anything like it in the ten years of my prison bid, almost every D.C. nigga on the compound has checked in. The D.C. niggaz control sixty percent of the dope on the compound, now they’re gone. Everybody knows where the hit came from. That means all of their operations are yours.”

  Yang spoke quickly. “We don’t want it.”

  Yang and Kay stepped around JD and continued to walk away. Then JD yelled to their backs, “It doesn’t matter if you take over their operations or not, you’re still the new shot callers.”

  Kay turned around and said to JD, “Since we’re the new shot callers, you and the rest of the Jersey niggaz take thirty percent and give the other thirty percent to the Baltimore niggaz. I hold you accountable. Just make sure Yang and I get ten percent every week. That’s five from you and five from them.”

  JD smiled at Kay, happy with his new position. “You got that, Kay,” he said and walked away. Kay turned and continued to walk the track with Yang, knowing that he had just made some allies in case some more dumb shit jumped off in the future. He didn’t say anything for about five minutes.

  “Is that the message you were talking about, Yang?”

  Yang stared at Kay with a cold dark look in his eyes. Kay got quiet again. Then Yang said, “Sun Tzu says, ‘Attack when they are unprepared, make your move when they do not expect it.’ ”

  “That’s deep, but who the hell is Sun Tzu?” Kay asked.

  “Come, Kay, follow me,” Yang ordered. The two men headed back to their room. When they got to the room Yang reached into a box under his bed and pulled out a book. He wiped the book off, turned around, and handed it to Kay.

  “The Art of War by Sun Tzu,” Kay read out loud. “Oh, this is where you got that bullshit from,” Kay said with a smile on his face.

  “No bullshit! You study, Kay. You will need to apply lessons in this book to your life many times before you die, especially now that you’ve been introduced to the drug game,” Yang explained.

  Kay could see that Yang was pissed off by what he said so he thumbed through the book and stopped on no particular page and began to read, “The one who figures on victory at headquarters before even doing battle is the one who has the most strategic factors on his side.” This really caught Kay’s attention, so he hopped up on his bunk, laid back, and started reading the book from the beginning.

  7

  Eight years into his bid, Kay and Yang were on the recreation yard, watching the other inmates play basketball, lift weights, and talk. Yang noticed a large group of inmates over by the handball court taking pictures. “Kay, you have accomplished a lot over the years. You’ve gotten your associate’s degree in business, you’re a certified welder, and you’re certified in masonry. Few men have done what you have done in such a short time. You will be going home in a few months so I must ask you, Kay, what are your plans when you get there?”

  “I could sit here and tell you that I’m going to do this and I’m going to do that, but I really don’t know, Yang. So much has changed since I’ve been locked up. I don’t know what to expect when I get out there.”

  “Come with me,” Yang told Kay as he began to walk toward the handball court. “What’s up, Yang?” Kay asked as he followed.

  “I have been in prison for twenty-two years and I never take pictures, not even for my family. Today I take picture with you, my friend. If ever there is a time that you are in need, take the picture to my family in California and they will know what you mean to me.”

  8

  Months later, Kay and Yang were up earlier than usual. They really hadn’t slept a wink and talked and played chess al
l night. They went to breakfast together, and as they exited the chow hall, Kay asked his friend, “Will you be alright?”

  “Of course I will, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. But there is one thing I want you to do for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I want you to find a nice young woman and fall in love and have a family. The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman’s heart.” Kay just looked at the little man for a short moment and they both smiled at each other. Kay said, “Okay, you’ve got that, and I’m going to name one of our sons after you.” They both roared with laughter.

  “Attention on the compound! Attention on the compound! Inmate Arkadian Frost, report to R and D. Report to R and D.” When the announcement came across the prison PA system, Kay knew that it was time for him to go so he hugged his friend. They looked at each other one last time and went in separate directions.

  They would never see each other again . . .

  9

  Kay walked through BWI Airport in amazement. It was 1995, and it had been a long, long time since he had been around so many different people. And the women were a different kind of high altogether. Kay didn’t know which direction to go once he got off the plane so he followed the crowd, hoping that it would lead him outside. He had not told anyone that he was coming home; he planned to catch a cab into the city and surprise everyone.

  Kay had always been taught to observe his surroundings, so when he got on the escalator behind a woman with a large straw hat, he wondered if this was the style now, but quickly pushed the question out of his mind and thought about the smiles that would be on his family’s faces. Kay stepped through the exit doors and into the bright sun. For a moment he just stared at all the different cars and people moving a hundred mph.

  He walked in the direction of an empty yellow cab.

  “Oh shit! What’s up, nigga?!” Kay turned to his left to see what the yelling was about and saw Tank running toward him with a big-ass smile on his face. Kay recognized his childhood friend immediately and welcomed him with open arms. The two men hugged for what seemed like ten minutes. They stepped back and looked at each other. “Yo, when did you get out, nigga?”

  “Today.”

  “Why didn’t you let someone know? We could have picked you up in style. Why you ain’t write or call a nigga? Damn, how long has it been since you got knocked? Seems like you been gone forever, nigga. Mufuckuz didn’t try to fuck you, did they? I know you ain’t go for that shit. Did you have to fuck a nigga up?” Kay couldn’t get a word in because Tank was asking so many questions. They were happy to see each other so they hugged each other again. Then Tank said, “C’mon man, I want to introduce you to somebody.” They walked over to Tank’s BMW. Kay noticed the woman with the big straw hat sitting in the passenger seat. Her window was down.

  “Quchelle, this is my man Kay. Kay, this is my wifey, Quchelle.” She had a surprised look on her face.

  “So this is the famous Kay that all you niggaz be talking ’bout? Baby, I thought ya’ll said he was locked up?”

  “Yeah well, he’s out now and shit is going to be like it used to be. Now get your ass in the backseat so my man can ride up front.”

  “Shiiit, nigga, you done bumped your head if you think I’m getting in the backseat.”

  “What the fuck did I say!” Tank shouted.

  “And what the fuck did I say?!”

  Kay spoke up. “Yo, I can ride in the back. It ain’t nothing.” Both men got in. Quchelle rolled her eyes at Tank and smiled.

  “That shit ain’t funny. I’ma get you when we get home,” Tank said.

  “Nigga, you ain’t gonna do shit,” she said.

  “Yo, Kay, I’m about to meet up with the fellaz. Do you want me to drop you off at your mom’s house?”

  “Nah, man, let’s go see the crew.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” Tank said as they pulled away from the curb into traffic.

  Sitting a few cars away were FBI agents K. P. White and Yolanda Powell. While Agent White watched through his binoculars as Tank’s BMW pulled away into traffic, Agent Powell took pictures with a high-powered camera. When the BMW was out of sight, they looked at each other.

  “I wonder who the new guy is,” White said to Powell.

  “I don’t know. Let’s go back to the office and get this film developed and run a profile check on him. Whoever he is, I’m sure that if he knows these guys, someone knows something about him,” Agent Powell said as they pulled into traffic.

  • • •

  Thirty-five minutes later, they were back in the city. Tank’s car stopped in front of a nightclub called Odells. Tank looked at Kay. “C’mon,” he said. The three of them got out the car and headed for the entrance of the club. There were four huge men standing outside the club with walkie-talkies.

  “Yo, Tank, what’s up with that?” Kay asked.

  “Oh that’s just security, yo. We important niggaz ’round here now. Got to have somebody watching your back at all times. Looks like everyone is here. They’re going to be shocked to see you.” As they walked through the club and across the dance floor, the first one to notice Kay, besides the rest of the security, was Gee. He ran over to Kay with open arms and hugged him while picking him up and swinging him around at the same time. Gee asked a thousand questions of his old friend as Tank and his girl slipped off to the office upstairs. As Kay stood there talking to his friend, he heard a familiar voice, directly behind him.

  “What’s up, Kay?”

  Kay turned around. There was Dre with that ever-present expressionless face. Kay couldn’t tell if Dre was happy to see him or not, but when the two men embraced Kay knew without a shadow of doubt that his friend was happy see him. That was just Dre.

  Upstairs in the office, Quchelle peeled off layers of clothes, trying to get to the fifteen kilos of cocaine she had taped to her body.

  Mike looked at Tank. “How was the pickup?”

  “Good. I picked up a little something for you on the way back.”

  “What?” Mike asked with a smile on his face.

  “It’s a surprise. I’ll show you as soon as this bitch hurries up,” Tank said, looking in Quchelle’s direction.

  “Fuck you, muthafucka! Yo mama’s a bitch!” she retorted.

  “Just hurry the fuck up.”

  When she was finished, Mike put the drugs in two separate black bags. He then handed one bag apiece to two of his most reliable men. The two men disappeared quickly. Mike handed Quchelle $7,500; five hundred dollars for each kilo. She stuffed it down in her huge Coach bag.

  “Okay, what’s the big surprise, nigga?” Mike asked.

  “Follow me,” Tank told him.

  When Mike saw Kay he was speechless. This was his best friend, whom he hadn’t seen in years, the best friend that went to prison for a bank robbery that they all committed, the best friend that took the rap and didn’t snitch on his friends and the best friend that he had missed very much. The two men embraced like brothers. Neither one said a word, they just held each other tight.

  “If you niggaz knew how that shit looked, you would let go of each other,” Quchelle said. Everyone cracked up.

  “What’s up, baby?” Mike asked.

  “Nothing man. I just came home today. I haven’t even seen my family yet.”

  “We’ll handle that in a minute. As you can see, niggaz is doing real good around here. You like the club?”

  Kay nodded his head as he looked around.

  “That’s good ’cause you’re part owner. In fact, half of everything I own, even my woman, is yours.” Everyone laughed again. “Yo, I love you, man.”

  “I love you, too, man,” Kay said back.

  “Now let’s go get something to eat and then go shopping so we can get you outta this bullshit,” Mike said with a smile, pointing at the old church clothes that the prison had given Kay to wear home.

  “Tank, let security know we’re coming out,�
�� Mike said. Everyone walked to the door. “Quchelle, do me a favor,” Mike said as he turned around in the doorway to face her.

  “Anything, Mike.”

  “Set up a welcome home party at the club for tonight. I want all the money getting niggaz and flyest hoes in town to be here, too. Big as your mouth is, I know you can handle that.”

  “I got you, Mike,” she said.

  “Let everyone know that everything is free tonight, courtesy of Kay,” Mike let it be known as security escorted everyone to their cars. Mike, Gee, and Dre all drove black Lexus coupes with eighteen-inch black deep-dish BBS rims. Tank was the only one that drove something different: a black 740 BMW with the same BBS rims. He handed his car keys to Quchelle and got in the car with Gee. Before closing the door Tank yelled out the window in his girl’s direction, “You better not be givin’ my pussy away. I’ll kill yo ass. Especially since I know niggaz that will pay top dollar for it.”

  She didn’t even turn around. Instead, she gave him the middle finger and said, “This is my pussy, muthafucka,” as she strolled to the black BMW with a bounce in her step that demanded attention.

  Tank looked over at Gee. “Yo, Gee, I love that bitch, man, I swear I do.”

  “Ya’ll is meant for each other, nigga,” Gee said with a smile.

  Once everyone was inside their cars, the security team took up the rear in a black-on-black Suburban with tinted windows. Mike led the convoy as he pulled into traffic. He looked over at Kay. “What do you want to eat, nigga?”

  Kay thought for a minute, then he smiled. “I want some seafood.”

  “Aiight, let’s go to the Harbor.”

  “Before we go, Mike, I need to see my son and my family.”

  “Let’s go do this then. I know where Sonia lives on Eutaw Place. We’ll swing by there first, then go around to see Mama Frost and them. I’ve got something to tell you later, too.” The two men gave each other some dap and talked all the way to Eutaw Place. When the convoy stopped in front of the building that Sonia lived in, the security team was on point. They all jumped out of the Suburban to secure the area. It looked like something out of a movie. Everyone in the neighborhood watched them. There was a group of young boys coming out of the building with bicycles and Kay noticed his son right away because he was the first one out the door. He was only nine years old but it was clear who the leader of this little group was.