by K'wan
“There you go, exercising that white privilege again,” Maxine teased Ulysses.
“You can make fun of my pigment all you want, so long as we’re doing it away from this airport and all these damn police, Ms. Maxie,” Ulysses said.
“Let’s roll, baby. And when we rolling, I want you to make sure all these windows are dropped. I want the whole city to know my little brother is back home!” Maxine declared, loud enough for everyone at the airport to hear, before jumping in the back of the vehicle.
When Keith slid into the plush ride, he was surprised to see that there was someone else in the car. She was a petite light-skinned girl who wore a honey-blond wig. The short red dress she wore didn’t leave much to the imagination. High on her thigh, Keith spotted a small magnolia tattoo. She was one of Maxine’s girls. His sister made sure all the girls who worked for her wore her mark. Keith didn’t like it. It reminded him of how slaves were branded, which was why Maxine did it. She made money by controlling women’s bodies, but she had built her empire by controlling their minds. Maxine may not have been in the mental health field anymore, but her psychology degree definitely hadn’t gone to waste.
“Keith, I hope you don’t mind that my girl Tiny is riding along. Where I need to drop her off is on the way to the house, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone,” Maxine explained.
“It’s cool. Nice to meet you, Tiny.” Keith shook her hand.
“Nice to meet you too,” Tiny said. Her voice matched her name. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Max told me you were handsome, but damn!” She admired him openly.
“Bitch, turn yo’ groupie down a taste. This ain’t some john looking to run roughshod in that golden hole of yours. This here my flesh, ya heard me?” Maxine said, checking her.
“I didn’t mean nothing by it, Max. Just paying a compliment, is all,” Tiny said.
“We all right, baby. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the score.” Maxine ran a manicured hand over Tiny’s thigh in an effort to reassure her. “Man, I sure am glad to have my old cut buddy back,” she told Keith once they were out of the airport and in traffic. “You know, me and Dickey had a bet as to whether or not you’d ever set foot round these parts again. I didn’t think so, but your brother held on to hope that one day you’d come back to us.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I haven’t come back for anything more than to pay my respects to Big Money. As soon as his service is over, I’m gone,” Keith told her.
“The last time you guys had a home going, it went on for three days. I believe it was when Mrs. Handcock passed,” Ulysses interjected. He was behind the wheel.
“Mrs. Handcock who owned the cleaners off North Claiborne?” Keith knew Mrs. Handcock well, as did most of the families in their neighborhood. She was a hard but well-liked woman who would offer her cleaning services to the families who didn’t have the money or the means to clean their kids’ school uniforms.
“Bless her heart.” Maxine crossed herself. “Mama sent her out in fine style. Didn’t skimp on a thing.”
“Mama paid for her funeral?” Keith was surprised. “I thought she and Mrs. Handcock had been at odds over those rumors about her sleeping with Daddy back in the day?”
“True enough. Mama couldn’t stand her, but she was still a part of the community. One thing ain’t changed about us in all these years is our commitment to our own.” Maxine looked at Keith.
“Say, do you remember you got so drunk that you tried to call that young girl out to a dance battle? You nearly broke your ankle, trying to keep up with her,” Ulysses teased Maxine.
“I ain’t the only one who ended up in a bad way. Pastor Johnson was about ready to lay hands on you for putting that pink pecker of yours inside his daughter. Only thing saved you from a date with the Horseman was Big John stepping in and squashing the fight,” Maxine remarked. “Big John always did have a soft spot for you.”
“You must have money running through your veins, because that’s all my brother has a soft spot for,” Keith said.
“Don’t be speaking ill of Big John, and he ain’t here to defend himself. I’d warn him of the same if the roles were reversed,” Maxine said.
“How is everybody taking Big Money’s passing?” Keith asked.
“You know death ain’t nothing new to our clan. Seems every other day we’re putting somebody in the ground. Some take it harder than others, but we’re maintaining,” Maxine replied.
“And Mad Dog? I know he and Big Money were close.” Keith remembered how when Big Money first came to stay with them, it was Mad Dog who had taken him under his wing. It was Mad Dog who had given him the moniker Big Money.
Maxine shrugged. “We ain’t been able to track him down to tell him. Nobody has seen Mad Dog in months. I know he ain’t gonna take it too well when he does find out, but Mad Dog is a soldier. It’s Fire Bug I’m most worried about. He and Big Money were thick as thieves. In fact, I hear tell that this came behind a job the two of them pulled up north.”
“What do you mean, a job? Fire Bug’s just a kid,” Keith pointed out.
Maxine shook her head. “Fire Bug may be young, but he ain’t been a kid in a long time, Killer. That boy has developed quite a reputation since the last time you laid eyes on him. Quite a bit has changed around these parts, but you’ll see for yourself once we arrive.”
CHAPTER 13
Keith was hunkered down in one of the plush leather seats, staring out the window like a kid who was seeing the city for the first time. New Orleans had changed quite a bit, especially after the hurricane. Buildings that Keith was used to seeing along the well-traveled route had either been washed away or rebuilt to the point where he didn’t recognize them. They had been riding for only twenty minutes or so when Ulysses exited the highway near the business district and crossed into a section of town known as Black Pearl.
“I thought we were heading to the house?” Keith asked. He hadn’t been gone so long that he didn’t know they were headed in the wrong direction if they wanted to reach the Lower Ninth Ward.
“We are,” Ulysses told him.
Keith looked at his sister.
“Been a while since Mama called our place on Benton Street home. She’s got a place out in the Pearl now.”
“Mama moved? You’ve got to be shitting me. The Lower Ninth has always been Savage territory,” Keith said.
“Things done changed since you been gone, little brother. We still own the property on Benton, but it’s too hot to lay our heads there these days. We’ve made some mighty powerful enemies over the years,” Maxine told him.
“Powerful enough to run the Savages out of the Lower Ninth?” Keith asked.
“What can I say? The game done changed,” she replied.
A few minutes later they were turning onto the dirt road that led to the new Savage stronghold. It was a white plantation-style house that stood deep in a wooded area. They’d made it halfway up the road when two men appeared from the foliage as if by magic. Keith wasn’t familiar with their faces, but he was familiar with the high-caliber automatic weapons they brandished. Once the men realized it was Maxine’s car, they allowed them to pass. Keith looked out the back window, but the men had vanished just as suddenly as they had appeared.
“We keep them around to manage the property when the family is away,” Ulysses said, answering the question on Keith’s face.
The front yard of the house was busy with people, mostly children running around playing. Maxine had barely made it out of the car before the children swarmed her, begging for kisses and the loose dollars they knew she had stashed for them.
“Simmer down, my loves. You know Auntie comes bearing gifts.” Maxine beamed.
Keith stood awkwardly off to the side, watching Maxine interact with the children. It was amazing to him to see so many little faces that resembled his. With some of the kids, he could tell which cousin, aunt, or uncle they belonged to, but with others, he had to guess. Until he set eyes on t
he children, he had never realized how strong the Savage genes were.
Seeing them made him think of Bernie. They had often discussed having children after they got married. Those were happier times in their relationship, which now felt like a lifetime ago. He missed her so much that it hurt him physically. He was about to try to call her again when Maxine came over.
“Quit standing there like a guest. You’re home, boy. C’mon and meet some of your kin.” She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the cluster of children. “Kids, I want you to meet someone very important. This is my brother, your kin, Killer.”
Hearing his name sent the children into another fit of squealing. From their reaction, you would’ve thought they had just met some sort of celebrity. Keith may have been removed from his family for some years, but his legacy was still very much alive.
A lanky youth of about fifteen or sixteen pushed his way through the crowd. He was fair of skin and had long black hair that he wore tied off in two ponytails. “Can’t tell you how excited I am to meet the legendary Killer Keith!” He shook Keith’s hand excitedly. “I’m your cousin Anthony . . . Asher’s boy.” Now that he had said it, Keith could see the resemblance.
“Nice to meet you too,” Keith said warmly.
“You’re a legend around these parts,” Anthony told him.
“Nah, I’m nobody special,” Keith replied modestly.
“The hell you ain’t. All us kids done heard the stories about you. Say, is it true you once cut a man’s head off in the Quarter for fucking with Auntie Maxine?”
“That’s not quite accurate.” Keith remembered the incident, but Anthony had exaggerated the details. Maxine had thrown a drink in a man’s face, and in response, he’d slapped her. Keith and the man had started fighting, and during the fight the man had slipped and landed on a broken bottle, which gave him a gash on his neck.
“Man, you even talk cool!” Anthony said. “Maybe one day I can come up to Atlanta and hang out with you and some of your fancy friends. Can you introduce me to Gucci Mane? I know y’all tight.”
“I . . . ah . . .”
“Hey y’all! Come in the back. Cousin Bug is about to show us a magic trick!” one of the little boys announced before running around the back of the house. All the kids took off after him.
Keith followed the kids around the side of the house to the backyard. It had been years since he had seen Fire Bug, and he was anxious to catch up with his little brother. He wasn’t hard to spot, with his flaming mop of red hair, which looked like it hadn’t been combed in some time. He was standing near the pool, with a crowd of kids around him. On a small table in front of him was a birthday cake, but instead of being decorated with candles, it was crowned with what looked like fireworks.
“Ms. Maxine,” Ulysses began, “is he about to—”
“Damn that crazy boy! Kids, move back!” Maxine shouted, but her warning came too late.
Bug lit the homemade fireworks, and seconds later there was a thunderous explosion. It was so powerful that it knocked some of the kids to the ground. Birthday cake was everywhere. Ulysses, Keith, and Maxine rushed forward into the smoke to make sure none of the kids were hurt. Fire Bug was sitting on his ass, coughing. Smoke was rising from his hair, and one of his eyebrows was almost completely singed.
“You okay, kid?” Ulysses helped Bug to his feet.
The young man flashed a toothy grin and replied, “Now, that’s how you make the trap go boom!” Then he doubled over laughing.
“Boy, you could’ve killed one of these kids!” Maxine slapped him in the back of the head.
“Man, them kids be all right. Wasn’t nothing but some old gunpowder I found in the shed. It barely had any kick left,” Fire Bug said.
“I see you still out here playing with matches.” Keith stepped into view.
Fire Bug squinted his eyes. He still had a bit of cake in one of them. When he spied Keith, he lit up bigger than the fire he had just set. “Oh shit! Is that Killer?” He ran over and gave Keith a strong hug.
“Good to see you, Bug.” Keith held him at arm’s length so as not to get any cake on his suit. The last time Keith had seen Bug, he had been knee high; now they were almost the same height.
“Why didn’t anybody tell me you were coming in today? I’d have rode with Max to pick you up at the airport,” Bug said, disappointed.
“You know damn well your pyromaniac ass ain’t allowed to ride in my car no more. Took them three days to reupholster the seat you burned up and damn near a week to get the smell of smoke out,” Maxine reminded him.
“Don’t blame me. Blame that cheap-ass leather.” Fire Bug laughed. “Say, bro, I’m glad you’re back with us. I know it won’t be long now before we put them New York niggas to sleep!”
“Um . . . I don’t know about putting anybody to sleep. I just came to see you guys and pay my respects to Big Money.”
“Oh, I get it. We don’t talk shop in front of civilians.” Fire Bug gave him a stage wink.
“I know damn well that fool son of mine ain’t in my yard, playing with explosives!” a familiar voice boomed from the house. A few seconds later Ma Savage appeared at the back door. She was wearing a housecoat, a hairnet, and fuzzy slippers. In her hand, she carried a small wooden baseball bat.
“You done fucked up now,” Maxine whispered.
Fire Bug walked toward his mother with his eyes downcast and his tail between his legs. “Sorry, Mama.”
“Not as sorry as you’re gonna be if you don’t get the hose and clean all this damn cake up!” Ma swung the bat at his head, purposely missing him. Fire Bug scurried off to do as he was told. “And as for the rest of you,” she said, addressing the children, “carry your asses back around to the front of the house, and stop climbing on my lawn furniture like little monkeys!” The kids all scurried off. None of them wanted any parts of Machine-Gun Ma when she was in one of her moods. She was about to say something to Maxine when her eyes landed on Keith.
For a long moment, the mother and son just stared at each other in silence, neither really sure what would come next. She seemed older than Keith remembered, slightly grayer of hair, and she had lost some weight. Keith had mixed emotions about seeing his mother again after so long. He had been prepared for the old resentments to force their way back to the surface, but they didn’t. He no longer saw the spitfire who was always on him for not being Savage enough. She was just a woman getting on in years.
Ma finally broke the silence. “I guess I have to be a client of your firm to get a hug from my son?”
In response, Keith walked over and hugged her. It was a long and tight hug that was filled with the love that he remembered receiving as a child. It was such an emotional moment that he had to stop himself from shedding a tear. Keith and his mother hadn’t always had the smoothest relationship, but there was no denying that he had missed her dearly.
“So, you gonna act like you got only one kid?” Maxine faked an attitude.
“Hush up, Maxine,” Ma told her. She then looked and saw Tiny standing behind Maxine, trying to make herself invisible. “Max, what did I tell you about bringing your whores to my house?”
“I’m not a whore. I’m an escort,” Tiny said proudly.
Ma pointed the bat at her like it was a sword. “Bitch, you’ll be dead if you open that mouth one more time.”
“Tiny, wait for me in the car. I’ll be only a few minutes, and then we can get you to where you need to be,” Maxine told her. Tiny rolled her eyes at Ma before sashaying back toward the Maybach. “Mama, why do you always have to be so rude to my girls?”
“Because I got no stomach for whores,” Ma said flatly. “I wouldn’t trust one around my man, and I damn sure wouldn’t trust them in my house.”
“But that doesn’t stop you from taking your cut off my cathouses,” Maxine shot back.
“Shit, it ain’t but what you owe me. I raised, fed, and sheltered your ass for thirty years. The least you can do is give me a taste off t
he back end,” Ma told her.
“I see ain’t much changed over the years,” Keith thought aloud.
“If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it. Now c’mon in the house so we can get out of this heat.” Ma turned and headed back inside.
The back door led Keith into the kitchen, where he was immediately sucked in by the smell of something tasty cooking. His mother had all four burners and the oven going. Keith’s stomach rumbled. It had been a long time since he’d had a good home-cooked meal. Bernie could throw down well enough in the kitchen, but not on the level of his mother.
“Wow. It smells amazing in here!” Keith said.
“I ain’t lost a step on these pots or behind the trigger.” Ma gave him a wink. “Judging by how skinny you done got, it looks like you could use a good meal. What’s the matter? That gal you been catting around with ain’t feeding you?”
Keith couldn’t hide his surprise. He had never really spoken to his mother about Bernie.
“Don’t look so shocked. Just because you don’t care too much for me don’t mean I ain’t been keeping tabs on you.”
“Cut it out, Mama. You know it ain’t like that,” Keith told her.
“I only know what you show me, and that ain’t a lot of love,” Ma said seriously.
“Haven’t you been getting the cards I send you every birthday and holiday?”
“Yeah, I’ve been getting the change you send me. It’s greatly appreciated, but don’t nothing compare to seeing the faces of your loved ones. Time isn’t promised to any of us. Big Money being gone so soon is proof of that.”
“Yeah, I can’t believe he’s gone.” Keith paused for a moment. “You okay?” he asked. His mother had raised Big Money like one of her own sons, so even though she wasn’t showing it, Keith knew she had to be taking it hard.
Ma shrugged. “The game gives, and the game takes. Big Money knew the stakes before he sat down at the table. Ain’t much we can do about it at this point but make sure he’s sent off properly and that those responsible for his death leave this world not long after.”