“Aye, Father, something is on my mind, and I can’t figure it out.”
“Whaddup?” I looked at him. I could tell he was worried about something.
“Father, I could be wrong still, but something seems off. I mean, Gio was a soldier, and he was on point. So how did them niggas catch him slipping? Plus, Gio always wear a vest. How did he die so easy? Maybe I’m tripping, but this shit don’t make sense to me, mon.”
I sat there quietly, thinking about everything that he was saying to me. I looked at him. He was dead-ass serious.... Shit was crazy. I did know Gio wore a vest. He had even given me the one I had. I was confused about how Gio had got shot, but I knew he was shot in the head. Only a nigga that was aware that Gio was wearing a vest would make sure to shoot him in the head. Now that Leroy had brought this to my attention, he had me thinking.
“Yo, what do you think happen?” I was eager to find out what he was thinking.
“I don’t really know. I was in the car at the time. I just don’t see how Gio got shot up like that. Who was supposed to be watching his back? Who was around him?”
Leroy was raising some valid points, but I had no answers. I knew where I had been at when Gio got shot, but I had no idea where everyone else had been at. This had me thinking, though.
“Hmm, you know, now that you bring this up, I’ma get to the bottom of it. I just want to know what the fuck happen in that room,” I said.
“Father, I don’t want to put no nigga out there without proof, but that nigga Killa is suspect. A few weeks ago, him and Gio had a little beef. I’m not sure if he mention it to you or not. But we were down by the bar when Gio mention some money was missing. He went off, and Killa took offense, talking about he didn’t like how Gio was talking like he was dissing niggas. Gio pulled his gun and pointed it at the nigga head and ask if he was ready to die. Killa backed down, but everybody know shit wasn’t the same after that day. Killa the type of nigga that takes no disrespect from no one.”
I sat there smoking and drinking the tea while I listened to what Leroy was saying to me. Damn, Gio was my right-hand. Why the fuck did I not know this? My nigga had fucked up. The rule in the streets was, if you pulled a burner on a nigga, you had to out the nigga. You couldn’t turn your back on that nigga, ’cause he was going to always remember that you punked him, and that you did it front of other niggas. . . . I shook my head in disgust. This shit was fucking crazy. Could it be that one of our niggas outed my nigga?
“Yo, Leroy, on my life, I hope this little nigga ain’t got shit to do with my nigga’s death.”
“Boss, if I didn’t feel it in my soul, I wouldn’t even have brought it to you. But ever since you told me what happened, that shit is just sitting on my mind. I really hope I’m wrong, but, shit, niggas are so grimy nowadays that you can’t trust even the niggas that you roll with.”
“Trust me, my nigga, I know. Remember that’s how me and Gio them catch our case. The nigga that I broke bread with was feeding the Feds information. I ain’t goin’ to lie. The day my lawyer told me Demari was snitching, I almost broke down and cry. I took this nigga out the streets, put him on. Shit, took that nigga around my family and treat him like family. That shit cut me deep, yo.”
Leroy nodded. “Yo, I don’t trust no bloodclaat man or bitch. I done see certain bwoy turned against their brethren for a few hundred dollars. This gamed is cutthroat and deadly. That’s why I keep this pistol by my side at all times, even when I’m taking a shit. I’ll knock a nigga wig off without hesitation. Gio was a good youth. He took me from Grants Pen and put me on with his team so I could start making a few dollars. I’ll forever be grateful to him, ’cause if it was not for him, I wouldn’t be able to send the youth them to school or pay fi food on the table on the regular. Trust me, that’s a real nigga.” He started tearing up.
“Yo, you ain’t got to tell me. I been dealing with that nigga for over fifteen years, and that’s real nigga. Straight forward, what you see is what you get from him. This shit ain’t fair . . .” My words trailed off.
My eyes were tearing up. This shit was hard as fuck. People were hitting up my phone, but I cut it off after ignoring them. I really didn’t know what to say, and every time somebody say RIP, my heart ached. All the niggas were dead, so there was no one left to kill to avenge my nigga’s death, but if I found out those dead ones were not responsible for my nigga’s death and Killa was, this little nigga was going to pay dearly....
Just the thought of a nigga on our team doing this aroused anger in me. I wanted to just wild out, but I knew Gio wouldn’t want me to just act out. I smiled as I remembered the night he handed me the key fob to the BMW. My nigga was a real one....
* * *
I went through Red Hills and dropped some money off to Gio’s peoples. His mother and them had just flown down from Connecticut. I was trying not to see them, but there was no escaping it. This was my nigga, and everybody knew how close we were.
“Hello, Miss Ivy,” I said as I removed my Cazal shades as I stood on the verandah.
“I know you. Hold on . . . Donavan.”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s me.”
“Donavon, what happen to my son?”
“Miss Ivy, I don’t even know, but trust me, I’m trying to find out.”
“Donavan, I remember how tight you and Gio was back in New York. If you see one, you see the next. Well, these animals took him from us. They took my baby, Donavan. They cut him down like an animal,” she said, fighting back the tears.
It was one of the hardest things for me to do, stand there listening to his mother’s pain. I reached over and grabbed her in a tight hug.
“Donavan, please find whoever did this to my son. Find them and make sure that’s the last breath they took. That’s only way my baby will rest and I will get some comfort.” Her words were cold.
“I got you, Miss Ivy. I promise, I got you,” I assured her.
We hugged a little while longer, until someone walked out on the verandah.
“Miss Ivy, I’m about to bounce. Here is a million dollars. Take it and pay for his funeral. I’ll be back through to drop off some more soon,” I said. I shoved a bag in her hand. She looked at me, looked at the bag, and start crying.
“I love you, Donavan. I always told my son, you was a real one.”
“Love you too, Miss Ivy. I got to go now.”
I couldn’t stick around. My heart was breaking, and I was trying my hardest not to break down in front of these people. I threw my shades on, left the verandah, and walked out of the yard with my head hanging low. I didn’t bother to acknowledge the people that were crowded around the gate. I jumped in my car and pulled off. This shit was sad. It had been days since Gio died, and the pain hadn’t seemed to ease up none. As I drove, I lit up the blunt that I had rolled earlier. I wanted to roll through the Gully, but the police was out in full force. They had imposed a curfew in the area: no one could be out on the streets after 7:00 p.m. The murders that had taken place was all over the news. People were protesting and asking the police commissioner to do something about bringing the killers in to face justice. It was best that I continued to lay low for about another week. That was all I could do. Soon as shit cleared up, I was going to go in and clean the place up. I didn’t trust anyone, and I would hate for Babylon to run up in there. I got so much work ready to be shipped off overseas.
Chapter Seven
Camille
I hated to see Gaza hurting like this, but what could I do? I knew him and Gio was best friends, and he was taking his death pretty hard. I’d tried to comfort him in every way that I could, but one second he was doing okay and the next second he was sitting there, sad, and just reminiscing about all the good times they had had in New York. I’d known Gio my entire life, and I was hurting too. I mean, that nigga was a good dude. In our community, ain’t really nobody had anything bad to say about him, and if they did, it was because they had violated him. He was a don and made sure the kids had stuff for school. If anything happe
ned, he was the first one they called. Who the fuck were we supposed to call on now? My eyes watered up as I thought about Gio. We used to sit in the bar late at night, laughing and talking. Never knew the end was this close.
Damn, Gio, my linky, my genna, rest up. . . .
I grabbed my bags. I was going to go see Gaza and spend the night with him. Lately, we had been spending a lot of time together. I wasn’t sure where we were heading, but I did know I was falling in love with him, deep and fast. Just the other day, I’d been ignoring him, playing hard to get, and now look at me. That nigga had me wide open.
I looked at the time. It was about to be curfew time, so I needed to hurry up and get from around here. I welcomed the curfew because of all the killings that had taken place. I stepped outside, locked the grill, and walked out of the yard. I waved to a few people as I headed up the street. As I walked up the lane, I glanced over my shoulder and saw two dudes walking fast behind me. I tried to ignore them and continued about my business. However, I felt their footsteps getting closer behind me. I started to walk a little faster. I thought about running, but I was probably tripping, so I just continued on at a walk. I was almost to the main road, where the taxis were, when I felt something being pressed hard against my back, and then someone grabbed me and covered my mouth.
“You Camille, right? Don’t say a word. Just shake yo’ head,” a male voice said to me.
I shook my head yes. I didn’t know how the fuck he would know my name and who the fuck was he.... I just knew there was a gun or another hard object pressing into my back. I started saying a silent prayer, asking God not to let these niggas rape me.
“Bitch, we heard you fucking with Yankee bwoy Gaza, and we know he got something to do with the killing around here,” the same male voice said. “So we want you to deliver a message for us. Tell that pussy, we coming for him and everybody associated with him.”
The dude who had grabbed me and had spoken removed his hand from my mouth. He let me go and stepped in front of me, pointed the gun in my face as his accomplice looked on. “This is not a joke. The next time we see you with that nigga, yo’ bloodclaat mother will be visiting you in the morgue.” He grinned in my face, revealing his dirty set of rotten teeth.
“Come out of my bloodclaat face, dutty bwoy,” I snarled as I took a good look at them.
“Bitch, this is a warning. Next time, we won’t be so friendly.” He kept the gun aimed at my face and pretended that he was shooting it.
My body shivered as I thought that this was my final moment. But without saying another word, the two of them ran off down a side road, where zincs were used to separate houses. I stood there for a few seconds. I was trying to decide if I should go back home or go on about my business. I didn’t recognize the nigga that had made the threats, but the other one’s face was familiar. I just couldn’t place it, though. I looked at the time. I had a few minutes to go before the task force rode in. I started walking fast to get to the taxis....
I was still trembling hard as hell when I got into a taxi five minutes later. I had lived here my entire life and had never experienced no kind of shit like this. These niggas were bold as fuck, running up on me like that....
I got to Gaza’s house, paid the driver, and got out of the taxi. The house was dark when I got there, but I saw his car, so I knew he was inside. I dialed his number and waited. I wouldn’t dare go inside the gate, even though he had given me the code. Just last week he had bought two big-ass German sheperd dogs. He said it was extra security, but I was scared out of my mind. Soon as they spotted me at the gate, they came rushing over, barking.
“Yo, what a gwaan, babes?” Gaza said when he answered his phone.
“I’m at the gate, you know. But these dogs are acting a fool.”
“All right. Give me a second. Just coming out the shower.”
“Okay.”
Even though I was no longer in the ghetto, I kept looking around to see if anyone had followed me. I was still shaking from the incident earlier. A few minutes later, Gaza walked out of the house in only his shorts, revealing his toned chest. I knew this wasn’t the time to be looking at how sexy this man was, but I couldn’t help it.
“What’s up, babes?”
I didn’t answer him. I hurried to the verandah and took a seat.
“Yo, you good?” he said when he reached the verandah.
“Some bwoy just hold me up.”
“What you mean? Them rob you?” He looked at me, obviously confused.
“Nah. I’m walking toward Fourth Avenue to catch a taxi to come check you. I see two dudes behind me, so I start to walk up, because it was getting a little dark. Them run down on me and put a gun in my back—”
“What the fuck they said?” he asked, cutting me off.
“One of the bwoy tell me to tell you, them know is you that kill the people them the other day, and they coming for you and everybody that you love.”
“Oh word! Niggas sending message to me. Did you recognize the pussy them?” He started pacing.
“Nah. Not the one that put the gun on me, but he knew my name. The other one didn’t say too much, but I’ve seen him before. I just need to think where the fuck I know him from.”
“Yo, these pussyhole them playing a deadly game. No nigga can’t threaten my life and live to brag about it. I been cooling, but I see niggas want war,” he yelled out.
“Gaza, did you have anything to do with the murder them?”
“Baby girl, I done told you, I know nothing about that shit.”
I looked at him and could tell he was lying. I knew him and Gio had been plotting to go after whoever had killed Ratty. Rumor had it, it was the niggas that got killed who had killed Ratty. I had a feeling Gaza wasn’t going to be honest with me, so I dropped the subject.
“Yo, it’s not safe for you to continue living down by the Gully,” he said, breaking the silence.
“What you mean? This is my home. I don’t have nowhere to go. Can’t go by my mother and them house, because they don’t have no space. Plus, I’m a big woman. I’m not going to catch at nobody’s house,” I hissed.
I was getting aggravated because I didn’t know what the fuck had gone down. I had nothing to do with this shit, and now I had been thrown into it.
“Listen, baby. These niggas know you fuck with me, which makes you a target. I already lose a brother. I can’t risk losing my bitch too. Pack up your stuff tomorrow, and I’ll get a few niggas to move you up here with me.”
“Yo, I never live with a man before, so I don’t know.”
“Yo, Camille, it’s not up for debate. In order to keep you alive, I need you to be here, where I can protect you. I can’t protect you if you down there.”
I looked at this nigga, and he was serious as a heart attack. He really was acting like he ran me and I didn’t have no say-so. I wasn’t feeling this at all. I got up, walked inside the house, headed into the bedroom, and lay down. I really didn’t feel like talking, because all this shit was moving too fast for me.
* * *
The next morning my phone started ringing, which woke me up. I looked over at the other side of the bed. I noticed it hadn’t been slept in. That meant Gaza hadn’t come into the bedroom last night. This irritated me. I looked at the time; it was a little after 8:00 a.m. I got up, went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. Then I wandered out of the bathroom and saw that the front door was open, so I walked out to the verandah. Gaza was standing by the grill, dressed in all black from head to toe. This was strange, ’cause Kingston weather wasn’t no joke. I knew his ass was burning up.
“You didn’t sleep here last night?” I quizzed.
“Nah. I had some business to handle,” he responded, sounding slightly irritated.
“Business? Do you mean another bitch?” I hated to go there with him, because our relationship was still new and I didn’t want to come off as being insecure.
“Yo, you tripping, B. Look at all the crazy shit taking p
lace in my life, and you think a nigga is worried about a bitch? Yo, you need to get your mind right.”
“All I did was ask a question. Why the fuck you invite me up here, and you know you were leaving? For all this, I could’ve stayed home.”
He looked at me, shook his head, then spoke. “This is your home now. So get used to being home by yourself sometimes. I’m a businessman. I got moves to make in these streets and money to make. I don’t always have time to lay up in the bed and hold you. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re looking for the wrong shit. I’m a boss, so my bitch got to be a boss too and understand there are times when she got to hold shit down . . .” With that, he walked through the gate, jumped in his car, and pulled off.
I stood there with my mouth wide open.... This bwoy was really cutting up. Tears gathered in my eyes. I was feeling confused and hurt. I mean, weeks ago, he was asking me to be his girl, and now that he had got the pussy, he was coming at me all aggressive and shit.... What the fuck was I supposed to do? I didn’t feel safe living in the Gully, all because of him, and living here with him ain’t starting off too good. I took a seat on the sofa on the verandah and just let the tears flow freely....
Chapter Eight
Gaza
They say time heals all wounds, but I doubted if my wounds would ever be healed. My nigga was gone behind some nonsense, and here I was, having to run this shit by myself. Business was stalled while all this shit was going on. But I woke up this morning, and I remembered the motto that Gio had lived by. “If it don’t make money, it don’t make sense.” With that said, I jumped out of the bed, took a quick shower, and got dressed. Then I stood on my balcony, smoking a blunt and plotting out my next move.
“Here you go, babes. A cup of your favorite,” Camille said as she stepped out on the balcony. She handed me a cup of coffee.
“Thanks, beautiful. You know exactly what your man needs.” I reached over and kissed her on her forehead.
“I try.”
“Aye, Camille, have you considered what your next move is going to be?”
Carl Weber's Kingpins: Jamaica Page 7