by Jones, Bella
He checked his phone and pager ever two minutes, hoping for a word that it was all over. Wednesday morning came too quick for his taste. He didn’t get in the game to have these kinds of problems, and he was naive to think that they would stay under the radar of the laws.
But Samir wasn’t the only Corleone nervous about that morning. Meko and Seven sat in the back of their class on pins and needles. They knew they emptied their spots completely, but they couldn’t help to wonder how things were unfolding.
Cesar and Chase headed to lunch off campus, and although they wanted to ride by their spots, they knew it would be best if all members of the Corleone family stayed as far away from the trap as possible.
While the Corleones where sweating bricks, the DEA raid teams were in position to simultaneously hit all four of the Black Corleone’s trap spots.
After suiting up, Agent Carl Scott lead his team to hit the Corleone’s Gardens spot. Agent Scott gave a silent count down and his agents took their ram straight through the door of the apartment.
“Everybody get down on the ground, now!” Agent Scott shouted as they gained entry.
Valli, his girl and a few of Samir’s workers were in the apartment, but they were fully briefed on the raid that was going to happen. He made sure the place was as clean as a whistle, so no one was the least bit nervous. They cooperated as agents filled the apartment.
“No disrespect sir, but do you have a warrant for breaking my door?” Valli asked, as the agents began to tear up the apartment apart.
“Get the fuck on the ground like I told you, and don’t ask me shit,” Agent Scott said.
Agent Scott took his job serious, and was one of few agents who didn’t allow himself to be turned. With promotions coming up, he needed this bust to be successful. Agents on Carlyle’s payroll were placed on Samir’s other trap spots and couldn’t oversee the dealings of Agent Scott’s raid detail.
After 30 minutes of searching the house, Agent Scott was furious that he came up empty handed. He had all the people in the house ran through the system for warrants, but Valli and his crew was clean.
He gave a call to the agents in charge of the other raids, and they all reported that they also came up with nothing.
Agent Scott felt like something was amiss. He wondered how all four houses came up empty when they had so many tips coming in about the Black Corleones operation.
“We didn’t find anything, sir. But I believe we’re on the right track. I would like permission to continue investigations,” Agent Scott reported to his commanding officer.
“I’m sorry, Scott, we got bigger fish to fry in this city and we can’t waist any more time on this. It’s just rumors at this point,” his supervisor responded.
“But sir, we—” Agent Scott began to speak before he was cut off.
“—No buts, Scott, you hit every location and came up with nothing. No drugs, guns or money, and not to mention the people in the houses were clean as whistles. This investigation is over. Get back to the office to be briefed on your next assignment. This horse is dead.”
And with that, the Black Corleones had dodged their first bullet with law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Carlyle was headed downtown with Tim when his DEA informant gave him the call that everything was clear and Samir and his crew dodged their first bullet with the feds. He was relieved that the youngsters were as thorough as they were, but he was still firm on cutting them down until the heat was completely off of them. He was proud of his young crew and decided not to cut them down as much as he originally planned.
“Tim, hit my boy and let him know that he can resume business as usual,” Carlyle requested.
“I got you, Lyle.”
Samir was in his last period of the day. His nerves on edge when he received the message from Tim informing him that his business could return to normal, relieved, he took a deep breath and got back into a hustler’s state of mind.
Just know that we still cutting you guys down as a precaution but your pops has decided to forgo the extreme cut. We will let you know what you get by the end of the week. Tim informed Sam.
Samir didn’t respond, he just decided to let the rest of his crew know they were back in business. He felt his nerves settle. The last few days leading up to the raid had him on edge. This was the last thing they needed with the expansion. He knew news was traveling fast, so he was a bit worried that his clientele would want to fall back, because nobody wants to fuck with niggas who had the feds sniffing around their operation. But what Samir didn’t know was the raid would only make The Black Corleones more popular amongst the rest of the dope world.
The streets were pumping about how the youngest team in the Chi left the feds empty handed. While the hood was praising Samir and his crew, Cesar didn’t like what he was hearing.
Walking to his car after class, he overheard a few corner hustlers from around the way talking about how Samir was the man, and how he had the feds dumbfounded when his spots came up empty. Cesar was furious hearing Samir getting all the credit when he felt he was doing all the work. In his mind, Samir wasn’t half the man he was; and he didn’t understand why the fuck everybody was always speaking so highly of him, like he was the one doing all the grinding.
Even though Samir and the rest of the Corleones didn’t care about titles and recognition, it was the only thing Cesar cared about. His focus had shifting in the short time they were climbing to the top.
The money they were making was beginning to change Cesar. He had always had love for Samir since his childhood, but in the same token he wasn’t in the position he was in now. He didn’t credit Samir for helping them get there, and he refused to own up to the fact that it was Samir’s alliance that put them in this position. All he cared about was niggas saying Samir’s name more than his own.
Being in a crew was starting to bother Cesar and he began to devise a plan to set out on his own. He wanted to be a leader, but he didn’t realize that he didn’t have leadership characteristics. He wanted to be done with this Corleone bullshit, but he knew that right now wasn’t the time to break away, not with all the money they were about to make with their expansion. He knew he had to try his best not to let his envy show, but he couldn’t help but to be who he had always been preconceived to be.
Chapter Nine
A few months passed since the Corleones first run-in with the feds. Business for them tripled when news got out that they were a thorough young crew who could be trusted. Their expansion down south had been more than a good decision for the youngsters; in fact, it was the best decision they ever made since coming into their own.
Their profit margins tripled since they joined the game, and life couldn’t be better. Not only were they making money, but they had finally reached graduation day, and with this school bullshit behind them, they no longer had any restraints occupying their time.
Graduation day was huge for the crew, and they had the biggest graduation party in the city. Anybody who was somebody showed up to party with Chicago’s brightest hood stars.
Dressed in a black Armani tux, Samir looked at himself in the mirror before he put on his cap and gown and finally felt the pride he should have felt from day one. He achieved what he set out to do, and today was more than him graduating from high school; today was about him graduating from the shadows of the Kendall family name, and building his own.
As he stood there, his mood became somber for a moment, because although today was a joyous occasion, he couldn’t help but to think about Sin and Ace, and how their absence was taking a toll on him. He was achieving something major in his reign, and he couldn’t share it with them. He wanted so much for his brothers to be by his side; that he couldn’t truly be happy knowing they weren’t there.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Khloe asked from the doorway of their bedroom.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m okay,” he said as he turned to face her. He couldn’t help but to stare at her. She looked like an angel dressed in a white A
lexander McQueen dress and crystal Guiseppe’s, “Nothing is ever wrong when you’re around,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“Okay, baby. Your mother called and said to hurry up because they want to take pictures before we go to the graduation.”
“I’m ready. You look beautiful by the way. How did a hood nigga like me get so lucky to have you; I’ll never understand,” he kissed her forehead.
On the way to his father’s house, Khloe’s nerves were on edge. This was the first time she was meeting his family since she came to live with him a few months earlier. She knew he told his family about her, but she was worried that they would judge her and their relationship being that she was no older than his younger sister. Khloe was worried if she would fit in with their family dynamics. She knew how much they meant to him, and she just wanted to make a good impression.
“I don’t know about this, Samir,” Khloe expressed as they pulled in front of his father’s house.
“Don’t know about what?” he replied.
“Going in that house with you as your girl, what if they hate me?”
“Why would they hate you, baby, I love you, so my family is going to love you too,” he smiled as he kissed her fears away.
He helped her out of the car and he could feel her nerves radiating, so he held her hand tighter and lead her inside the house.
Her palms began to sweat and she felt a lump in her throat as she watched Samir call out to his family. All at once, they rushed to him, excited that today was his big day. His mother hugged him with tears in her eyes. She was grateful that he kept his promise, but she was also in silent agony that her older boys weren’t going to see him accept his diploma. His father hugged him in a way a man hugs his son, and his sister joked about him being old.
Khloe stood there, watching how his family reacted. It made her sad because she never felt that before. She never knew what it was like to feel love from her mother, and be a daddy’s little girl, like his sister. She tried hold in her tears, so she swallowed hard as he introduced her to everyone.
To her surprise, every one of the Kendall’s welcomed her with open arms. His stepmother was in awe of how beautiful she was, and his sister was happy there was another girl she could talk to. They made her feel like she was already a part of their family, and for the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged somewhere, and to somebody. At that moment she fell deeper in love with Samir because he had given her something she always wanted, and that was a family.
Samir’s excitement for his graduation day grew more intense as he watched his family accept Khloe with open arms; no questions asked. He watched her chat with his sister and hoped she was finally experiencing the happiness he had promised her from the very beginning.
His trance was broken by the ringing of his father’s door bell. When he opened the door, the rest of his crew was standing there, all dressed to the nines with caps and gowns in hand. Even Cesar appeared to be genuinely happy for the occasion as they all greeted each other.
Their stretch Hummer limo pulled up just in time to escort them to the graduation venue in style.
Samir introduced Khloe to the rest of the Black Corleones and she was more nervous meeting them than she was meeting his family.
“Yo, fam, is that shorty from Harolds you met a while back?” Meko inquired.
“Yea, that’s my baby,” Samir boasted with pride.
“Yea, she’s more beautiful than I remember her, Joe,” Seven complimented.
“Where her friends at, Joe?” Chase asked.
“She only got one, but I think she fucking with one of them low end niggas,” Samir told him.
After some small talk the fellas jumped into the limo and headed to their graduation. This was one of the best days of their young lives because all they could think of was the amount of money they were going to make without the added distraction of school. They could now focus on making their Black Corleone brand bigger and better. The focus was only on their business and nothing else. No parents in their ears begging them to finish school, no cutting their nights short due to early morning classes, and no more having to hear their parents telling them to focus on school. Samir’s only focus from this point on was his organization; and making more money than any group of young boys in their city ever did.
But today, Samir wasn’t worried about the business; his only concern was walking across the stage and bringing the entire city out for their graduation party. Everybody was talking about it. The Black Corleone’s party was going to be the only party that day. The bar was covered, the door was free, and every senior graduating that day would be there. All the females were trying to catch the eye of one of the Corleones, or any big money nigga that was going to be there.
“Make sure y’all get to Secrets tonight for the biggest graduation party in the city. Samir, Meko, Cesar, Chase and Seven are walking across the stage this afternoon, and tonight they are bringing the city out to celebrate. The door is free all night for graduating seniors. The bar is paid for all night. This is going to be the biggest graduating event the city has seen. You don’t want to miss Secret tonight!” the radio DJ announced just in time to amp the Corleones for their graduation.
Sam, I’ll be there in time for your grad party, G. Oh, and I got something for you, so we gon’ party hard tonight cuz’ the last few months been good to me fucking with you boys. Casey messaged Samir as they pulled up to their graduation venue.
“Casey is on his way and he said he got something for us,” Samir informed the rest of the crew.
“You know what that means coming from Casey,” Meko joked.
“He got that money bag for us. That nigga ain’t fucking around.”
“Let’s not focus on business right now, let’s just hit this graduation so we can go eat, cuz’ I’m hungry as fuck,” Cesar interrupted.
“We ain’t focused on business, I’m just letting y’all know Casey and his crew on the way and F.Y.I, our shit never sleeps,” Samir replied as they filed out of the car.
Their families where already waiting for them in the parking lot. Khloe rode with Samir’s little sister at her request.
“Damn, I missed you little lady,” Samir said, hugging Khloe like he hadn’t seen her in months.
“Awww, come on lover boy, we gotta take a couple of flicks before we separate from our fams,” Chase teased.
“This nigga is straight whipped,” Meko joked as he put his arm around Samir’s neck, pulling him away from Khloe. “Girl, what you doing to my boy, you got him out her simpin’.”
“Screw you niggas. I’m not whipped, but my girl brings a soft side out of me. A nigga need that in this world we in.”
They took what seemed like a million pictures with their families before heading inside to join their senior class. Samir and his crew where like hood celebrities in their school.
As they walked in they were stopped by all the popular girls for hugs and daps by every nigga who thought they were somebody in school. Some of their teachers and school staff watched in disgust because they assumed the worst. They didn’t think most of the students would amount to much.
Most of them had a preconceived notion that the girls would end up young mothers on welfare, and the boys would end up dead or in jail. But for Samir and the Corleones, today was about the next chapter in their lives, and today was only about celebrating how far they had come, and how far they were about to go.
The students lined up and marched to their seats as the crowd cheered them on. The graduation proceedings were under way, but none of the Corleones were remotely interested in the speech from the principal or the valedictorian. They just wanted to grab their diplomas and get on with the rest of their dope boy lives.
After some ongoing speeches, the moment they had been waiting for, for the past four years had finally arrived. One by one, each of the Corleones walked across the stage, eager for the next step in their life. Samir stood in line and looked into the crowd where he spotted his fam
ily, and his heart. He focused on them while he waited his turn. With one student in front of him, Samir’s happiness dwindled when reality set in that there were two very important faces missing in his cheering section. He was graduating and his brothers weren’t there. One of the biggest moments of his life, and he couldn’t share it with his idols. Sin and Ace’s absent hadn’t hit him as hard until this very moment.
“Graduating with honors and a three point nine grade average, Samir Kendall,” The principal called his name.
Samir walked across the stage and tears began to flow as he heard his whole family screaming his name and cheering for him, but he couldn’t hear Sin and Ace’s voice. He looked his principal in the eyes and shook his hand as he took his high school diploma. He held his diploma up in the air as he walked across the stage, sending his family into frenzy.
This is for my brothers. I did it bro. He said to himself.
After two hours of proceedings, their graduation had come to an end, and with the principals announcement of the graduating class, The Corleones found each other in the crowd and threw their caps in the air as they hugged each other and posed for pictures.
These were the moments Samir lived for. Having his boys by his side and accomplishing everything he set out to do. He looked at his crew and his loyalty to them grew in that moment. He would happily go to his grave with them, and for them. Without them, he was nothing. Tonight was their night, and he would make sure it was a night they would remember.
Chapter Ten
After graduation, the Corleones and their families met at Landry’s for a private post-graduation dinner before their party. Carlyle invited everyone to dinner which he happily paid for. It was the first time he was in the same room with Cesar’s family since his falling out with Cesar’s father. It vexed him to be in the same vicinity with Zeek, but he tried to not let it ruin his son’s moment.