Around the Way Girls 8

by Tina Brooks McKinney

  “Yo, I got this nigga that could get us caked up in this muthafucka, I just spoke to the nigga today,” Siggah said, with the corners of his black lips twisted. His permanent two front gold teeth had lost a bit of their shine. He had to stretch his neck to look at Kevin. Siggah was only five feet.

  “Get us caked up how, dawg?” Kevin asked, looking down at the short dude. He already knew he wasn’t fucking with Siggah. His time was too short to do anything to risk fucking up his release date, but just to keep it one hun’ed, he decided that he could at least hear the man out.

  “Yo, my man, Bing, he got a crazy train connect, Kev, I mean crazy,” Siggah told him.

  “Nigga, I ain’t got time for that shit, I’m about to be outta here. Tell’lat that nigga to holla at me once I’m out on the streets,” Kevin said, smiling inside and out at the thought of him having four years down and only one more to go.

  “Shit, Kev, he ain’t gon’ wait that long to connect. That nigga might be in here by the time you get out,” Siggah said, laughing, but he was dead serious.

  “Take that shit to another nigga, dawg. I ain’t wit’ it,” Kevin said, as his face straightened up. He was no longer smiling.

  “He ain’t tryin’a deal wit’ no other nigga but you,” Siggah said.

  “And why is that?” Kevin asked, inquisitively.

  “That’s jus’ what the nigga told me, Kev.”

  “Who the hell is this nigga?” Kevin asked. He was dying to know who it was that needed to deal exclusively with him or they wouldn’t deal at all. That sounded like the same type of duck shit his sister was taking to him about earlier on the phone.

  “Yo, this my man, he straight up, no bullshit, Kev,” Siggah pleaded.

  “I don’t give a fuck how straight up this nigga is, if he a real man, he’ll understand my situation, and parlay, make sure you relay my message,” Kevin told him.

  “So, you telling me to tell this nigga that he gotta wait a whole fuckin’ year to get at you, dawg?”

  Kevin didn’t say a word. He knew that Siggah had heard what he said the first time. He wasn’t going to repeat himself. He was through talking to Siggah. Kevin went over to his bunk and stretched out his long body and folded his hands behind his head. He just wanted to go to sleep so that a new day would come in. He had to plan for his future and make sure his present stayed mellow. He knew that when your time was short that hatin’-ass niggas would do all they could to fuck your shot up at freedom and he wasn’t going to allow himself to become weak enough to fall victim to all of the traps and temptations.

  So far, he had gotten through his bid with no major setbacks. He did his time on his hands, busting out over one thousand push-ups a day. Kevin also taught a few of the classes for the inmates. They looked to him for leadership and guidance. Kevin thought it was ironic that everywhere he went people looked to him for answers. It made him proud, especially since he himself had never finished high school. His father once told him that most of the richest people in the world had no college education. He told his young son that the way for a man to have true wealth is through owning his own empire, and ever since the age of thirteen, Kevin had been planning on how he was going to own his very own empire.

  Although there was a lot of noise around him, silently he laid still and thought back to the night of his arrest back in ’04.

  It was bitterly cold, which was odd for the month of May. It was early evening, yet, the sky was pitch-black. The sun was no longer present in the sky. Still, the moon could not yet be seen. The stars had even decided not to show on this nebulous night. For this being one of the busiest cities in the world, the streets were unusually dark for a Friday night. If Kevin didn’t know any better he would have sworn New York City was experiencing another blackout.

  “Yo, I’m tellin’ you, man, it was them muthafuckas from Prospect Ave. They on some payback shit. They know we hit ’em up before and they know we gettin’ crazy money,” Kevin said, as they stood in front of the corner store on Amsterdam Avenue.

  Kevin was the leader and president of the Cypress Crew. He had started the organization in 2002. In Kevin’s eyes, they were nowhere near a gang. They had official positions with detailed responsibilities. They had a president, vice president, secretary, and a treasurer who kept accurate records of all of their financial transactions. Now what gang do you know of with that type of structural foundation?

  “Yeah, well ’em niggas is gon’ be dead by tomorrow, dawg. You can put that shit on my muthafuckin’ son,” Rayvon replied.

  Rayvon was the vice president of the Cypress Crew, as well as Kevin’s right-hand man. He was down for the cause to the fullest. He was a big, brown-skinned dude with little to no words to say, so when he spoke, niggas listened. Some niggas had just robbed Rich, the treasurer of the crew, and Rayvon wasn’t havin’ it. Niggas knew their status and they were nobody’s vic. It was official: Somebody was about to get bodied.

  “Fuck tomorrow, nigga, we need to handle this shit tonight!” Leek said, with this face twisted in a scowl. He was more than ready to rumble.

  Leek was also a member of the Cypress Crew; he was the secretary. He hated his title because the guys would clown him about him being a man and having the job of a secretary, which they all totally felt was a woman’s position. But anyone who came up against Leek knew damn well there was nothing feminine about him. At six feet four, weighing in at 285—when Leek was aggy about a situation a nigga had a problem.

  “I’m wit’ Leek; fuck waitin’ on tomorrow. Niggas gone think we weak. Let’s get this shit in right muthafuckin’ now!” Rich said, both angry and excited. He had been the one to have a gun pointed at his temple and he wanted some payback of his own. Niggas made him feel vulnerable and he didn’t like it at all. He knew the saying “what goes around, comes around,” all too well, but it was his turn to give it, and some unfortunate soul was going to have to take it.

  Kevin watched as Dante pulled up across the street from the grocery store. He also saw another black car pull up along the curb of the grocery store. The vehicles were too close to Kevin and his crew for his comfort. He placed his hand on his 9 mm Glock as they continued to talk loudly among one another in front of the grocery store.

  Kevin continued to peep the scene as he noticed Dante place a pair of small binoculars up to his face. He then took note of the black sedan DeVille that had pulled up adjacent to the grocery store. He also took note that no one seemed to be getting out of the vehicles. His instincts told him something was about to go down. Whoever was in the black sedan DeVille apparently was not getting out any time soon and they were there to do wrong. Kevin watched as Dante exited his vehicle and made his way across the narrow street. His presence incited the situation. As soon as his foot stepped on the curb, a hail of bullets flared from the black sedan DeVille, soaring past them.

  Members of the Cypress Crew immediately drew their guns and started shooting at the black sedan DeVille and anything in its path. The vehicle was able to slide off.

  “Police, everyone stop shooting and drop your weapons,” Dante forcefully yelled.

  Members of the Cypress Crew began to scatter as they fled the scene. Rayvon was the first to blow the scene by putting his feet in motion as he ran toward some buildings that he planned to get lost in. As Kevin attempted to run, his gun slipped from his hand and dropped to the ground and he went to pick it up.

  “Freeze!” Dante yelled with this weapon drawn.

  “Fuck it, man, just shoot me!” Kevin shouted, as he stood up slowly with the Glock in his hand.

  “Put down the gun! I’m not going to shoot you. I’m not trying to hurt you,” Dante said as he slowly approached.

  Kevin held on to his gun. He wasn’t scared to shoot a cop. Shit, he would be considered a neighborhood hero if he did.

  “Don’t do it,” Officer Evans told him nervously. “You don’t want to face the music on that one, trust me.”

  Two additional police squad cars came with the
ir sirens blaring. The officers jumped out and came to Dante’s aide.

  “Man, fuck you, fuck all a’ y’all. Y’all don’t understand us. Y’all take advantage of us all day, every day!” Kevin yelled at the officers.

  Dante now had the gun at Kevin’s head and was removing the Glock from his hand. Another officer came and roughly brought Kevin down to his knees with his baton. Dante then brought Kevin’s arms together behind his back as his knee held him down and slapped the handcuffs on his wrists. Dante turned him over and searched his pockets, finding a bagful of crack-filled vials. Kevin knew at that moment, that he was basically fucked.

  There were so many things he would have done differently that night if he had the chance to do it all over again, but that shit was dead and in the past. The day was approaching when he would once again reign supreme on the streets of Bronx, mainly Colonial Heights. Kevin pretty much ran the projects.

  Thoughts of the punk-ass cop that brought him down also filled his mind. He was the main reason Kevin had to serve the time. If it wasn’t for the police officer’s testimony, he was about to get off with probation and some community service. It was only his first offense and he had proof of employment. But the bitch-ass police officer showed up at the very last court appearance to give his testimony and painted Kevin as a menace to society and deemed him unfit for society.

  He thought back and remembered having to sit and watch the pain in his mother’s eyes as she cried for them to let her baby go, but instead he was found guilty. Kevin didn’t know that at the time his mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and was fighting one of the toughest fights she had ever fought in her life. He admired her for being so brave through it all. He knew now that she was trying her best to be strong for him and Kelly. If it wasn’t for the bitch-ass police officer who arrested and testified against him he would have been there for his mother’s last few years. He could have done special things with her and for her. Kevin felt as if the police officer that arrested him took away more than just years of his freedom. He took away years with his mother that he would and could never, ever get back.

  Chapter 5

  Sleeping With the Enemy

  Kelly stood in the mirror, primping. She was looking rather lovely in her little black dress. She couldn’t believe that she was actually going to go out with a cop. She had thought about changing her mind and calling off the date more than once. Paranoia was a big part of the reason. Dante had called Kelly the very same night of their crazy chase and they had been talking every day since. During every one of their conversations, he practically begged her to let him take her out. Although Kelly had continued to turn him down, he kept trying. Every single time he asked her, she would say no and he would go on to tell her about his day and that he couldn’t wait to see her again.

  She wasn’t sure what made her have a change of heart, but she did. In all of the days of talking to Dante over the phone, she began to care for him. Yes, he was a cop, but he was also a man, a fine and muscularly built one at that. She enjoyed listening to his phone voice; it was deep and sexy, and the more she heard from him, the more she wanted to get to know him. As she slipped on her boots, she realized how much she was looking forward to seeing him again.

  A call came in on her cell phone. It was Dante. He had just caught an arrest and was going to be late. Kelly told him to call when he was done and she would meet him somewhere. She wouldn’t allow him to come to her apartment. There was no way Kelly could be seen with a cop. Just as she had ended her call with Dante another call came through on her cell. Kelly thought that it may have been Dante calling her back, but it was a collect call from Kevin.

  Kelly suddenly realized the chaos she would be creating by going out with Dante. It was a police officer who had put her brother behind bars. She knew the hatred that her brother, and that she herself felt toward police officers, and she was about to go out with one. Hell, she had been talking to one every day, listening to his innermost thoughts. And as much as she hated to admit it, she craved to hear his voice again and she desired very much to be near him. Kelly breathed a deep breath and accepted the collect call from her brother.

  “Wha’s good, sis?” Kevin asked, as usual.

  “Uh, what up, bruh, everything is cool, yeah, yeah, and you, you good?” Kelly asked, all in one breath.

  Kevin knew his sister. Something was wrong. She was way too quick with her response. It almost sounded as if she had a gun to her head. Kevin became tight, instantly. The thought of any harm coming to his sister and him not being there to help was a constant thorn in his side.

  “Yo, you sure you aight?” Kevin probed, with anger and frustration building in his voice.

  “Yeah, baby bruh, I’m good. I, um, was just getting ready to go out,” she said nervously.

  Kelly knew that she was straight buggin’ but for some reason she thought her brother could see through the phone and that somehow he knew that she was getting ready for a date with the devil. Kelly then thought of what her brother’s reaction would be had he known that she was having some unexplainable feelings for a police officer she barely knew. She pictured Kevin yelling at the top of his lungs as he cursed her out, and although he didn’t hit women, she pictured him beating the living shit out of her.

  “Oh a’ight, you had me shook for a second, you was speedin’ an’ shit, where you headed to?” Kevin asked in a lighter tone as he calmed himself down.

  “Uh, well, I—I’m, uh—I’m about to get up wit’ uh—uh, Laquisha—yeah Laquisha, and, uh, we gonna—uhm, hit the club,” Kelly stuttered. She had never lied to her brother and she was finding it very difficult to do so.

  “Kelly, what’s going on? Is somebody there with you? Is a mufucka tryin’a hurt you?” Kevin flipped again and yelled into the receiver of the prison phone.

  “No, no, nah, Kev, everything is fine over here. Please, no, don’t get upset. I didn’t mean for you to take it like that, yo, for real, I was just somewhere else with my thoughts, that’s all, I’m still getting dressed, you know how I am wit’ that shit,” Kelly truthfully explained.

  Kelly pleaded with Kevin to relax. She wanted and needed him to calm down. She didn’t want him overreacting to her lies. Kelly knew her brother better than anyone. If she were to tell him the truth, he would flip out for real and take his madness out on someone around him, which would result in him catching a bunch of bullshit charges that would no doubt prolong his release. That was the last thing she wanted on her conscience. Kelly truly missed her brother and she couldn’t wait to have him back home.

  “Yo, you know being in here drives me crazy. I can’t take care of you like I promised Mommy I would,” Kevin said, regretfully.

  Kelly and Kevin’s mother had lost her bout and died from breast cancer two years before. It was a wonder seeing her baby boy go to jail didn’t kill her first. Kelly was sure that it would. Mrs. Morgan cried her eyes out at every court appearance she ever attended and at every visit with her son. Kevin hated that he had to be escorted to his mother’s funeral by prison guards, but even more, he hated that they paraded him in front of his mother’s casket and in front of his loved ones with handcuffs on his hands and shackles on his feet. He felt like an animal. Kevin was grateful, however, that they did allow him to go. He knew that they could have been complete dicks about the situation.

  “I don’t want you worrying about me, I’m fine. Just be on your best behavior, so you can come home as scheduled, please,” Kelly told him.

  “Yeah, that’s the plan, sis. That’s most definitely the plan,” he told her, with a host of background noise behind him. Niggas was getting rowdy. Kevin felt they were getting a little too rowdy and they were also disrespecting his phone time.

  “Ay, yo, y’all mufuckas is dissin’ a nigga? I’m on the fuckin’ phone,” Kevin yelled.

  Just as he said that, Kelly could hear a lot of loud voices mixed with loud, thunderous noises.

  “Aw shit, sis. They rioting, I gotta go.”
>
  Kelly’s thoughts were everywhere. She was worried about her brother and what he was facing in prison. She had seen prison riots in movies and on television and they were no joke. Prison was a dangerous environment and it was a place that she was oh-so grateful to have been spared from. Her brother’s time away had been long, but now his time was short and she didn’t want anything to stand in the way of his chances of coming home on time. But she knew her brother’s temper, so all she could really do was pray over the matter and hope for the best. Kevin was never officially diagnosed, but Kelly had always thought that her brother was bipolar. At times he was real mellow and real laid back, but if he heard some shit he wasn’t feeling, in an instant he would flip and act like a ticking time bomb. Kelly didn’t like lying to her baby brother, but she knew his deep-seated hatred for police officers. Kevin always had a dislike for police officers, but after the Sean Bell murder and his own downfall, they were considered enemy number one and he hated the very ground they walked on. There was no way she was going to fix her lips to tell Kevin about Dante.

  Kelly’s thoughts reverted to Dante. She never planned on having to tell her brother that she was thinking about dating a police officer. Shit, she had never in her life thought that she would even consider seeing one. Kelly still had a lot of internal issues about seeing Dante. After all, she was a street chick. He was against everybody she was for. She planned to go out with Dante once, okay, maybe twice, and that would be it. Did she see herself giving him some pussy? Well, maybe, if he played his hand right. Yeah, right—who was she kidding? Kelly knew the nigga was going to get the pussy, but that was going to be about it. After talking to her brother, she realized that she had to snap out of it. There was just too much about her seeing Dante that she had to keep on the low. Yo, this shit is wack. I’m gon’ have to sneak everywhere to even see this nigga, she thought.