“Baby, on my way up here, I pray and I pray. When I got up here and the doctor them tell how the boy them shot you up, I went in the bathroom up here, and I drop to my knees and I pray. I plead the blood of Jesus over you. I gave God the glory, and I knew then he was going to pull you through. You is my child, and you is a fighter, just like you mother.”
“Mama, I’m in so much pain,” I cried.
“I know, baby. Let me see if the nurse can get you something for that pain.” She rubbed my head.
Before she could leave the room, Gaza walked in. Mama turned around and looked at him strangely.
“Who are you?” she said.
“Mama, this is Gaza, the guy that I was telling you about.”
“This is the bwoy that the people them say get you mix up in all this?”
“Mama, stop. You don’t know what you talking about, and they are only spreading lies.”
She shook her head. “Hmm, you better wake up, baby girl. Don’t make your heart write you a check that you can’t cash.”
I swear this lady, my mama, was pissing me the fuck off, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Aye, Camille, this is your moms, and she has every right to feel how she feels,” Gaza interjected. “I’m going to leave.”
“No, you don’t need to leave!” I exclaimed. “Mama was on her way out to get some pain medicine from the nurses’ station. Right, Mama?”
She shot me a look, but she saw on my face that I wasn’t playing. She walked out of the room.
Gaza walked closer to the bed. “Yo, hey, babes. How you feeling?”
“I’m here, boo.”
“Yo, babes, listen, I don’t want you to worry about nothing outside of getting better. I got you. Just know that . . . ,” he said as he looked in my eyes.
I knew he was dead-ass serious, because I heard it in his voice.
“Babes, the police was here earlier,” I told him.
“Yeah? What they wanted?”
“Wanted me to tell them who shot me . . . but that’s not what bother me. What bother me is they know your name and were saying you had some shit to do with the shooting in the Gully. Them pussyhole people down by the Gully keep running their fucking mouth.” I started to cough.
He sighed. “Didn’t I just tell you to relax? I got you, babes. Focus on your health.”
He was so calm, it scared me. I hated that I was in here and couldn’t be out there with him. I knew he was plotting some shit, and I was scared. We had just begun living our lives, God had spared me, and I didn’t want to lose him.
* * *
Two days had passed, and I was so ready to go home. I hated being in this old ratchet-ass hospital. The nurses were rude as hell, and when you needed them, they took forever. By the time they got to you, you’d forgotten what you needed in the first place. My mama had been on them, though. That lady cussed whoever didn’t do their job right, and she got shit taken care of. Any other time, I would have thought that she was embarrassing, but not now. These bloodclaat people needed to be put in their place....
“Bitch, I can’t wait until you get out of here, so we can do road,” Sophia said as she sat by my bedside.
“Bitch, I can’t wait. I swear, the first thing I’ma do is ride that dick.”
“Oh my God. You’re a fucking fool! Bitch, you almost die, and the first thing you want to do is fuck? You not easy at all,” she said and burst out laughing.
“Bitch, just because I got shot don’t mean my pussy don’t work. Every time that bwoy come up here and get close to me, all I’m thinking about is feeling him up inside of me.”
“Keep on and him soon get you pregnant.”
“Bitch, his pull-out game is strong. Plus, I take the pill faithfully. I love Gaza, but I’m not ready to be no baby mother. I’m trying to be the wife. Baby mother don’t carry no weight no more.”
Sophia nodded. “I hear you, me gyal. At least you lucky Gaza don’t have a whole heap a baby mother. Oneil have three baby mother and still want to breed me. Gyal, I have the depo shot, but he doesn’t know. Every time when my period come, he get angry, talking ’bout he don’t know why I can’t get pregnant. I don’t pay him no mind. I just look on him and don’t make him no wiser. Until that nigga out a ring on this finger and move us out of the slum ain’t no baby growing up in here.”
“Girl, I hear you.”
She stood and stretched. “Anyways, I’m about to hit the road. You know they still have curfew in effect, and after what happen to you, I’m scared to be out at nights. Oneil get him a little gun, just in case anything pop off.”
“Well, bitch, you goin’ to be all right. I pray for me and you every night. God knows I don’t know what I would do if anything happens to you.”
“Bitch, me is a God bless girl. Trust me, them dutty bwoy them can’t touch me. Anyways, babes, I will link you tomorrow yah.”
“All right, baby.”
After Sophia left, I was tired, so I decide to take a nap. Gaza was in St. Elizabeth, handling some business, and I doubted he would be back in time to visit me. Even though I was missing him, I needed time to catch up on some much-needed rest.
Chapter Ten
Gaza
It was the wee hours of the morning, and Leroy and I was on a mission. Soon as Camille had told me that some niggas approached her and sent threats, I had got on it. Leroy had put the word out that we was offering about fifty stacks for info. I had been trying to get at the niggas, but it had been too late. They had got at Camille first.
That hadn’t deterred me. I was even more determined to get these niggas. After making sure Camille was going to be safe, I had got with Leroy and had put a plan in motion. I was well aware that the police had my name and was asking questions about me. I definitely wasn’t trying to be on their radar any more than I already was.
I was dressed in all black from head to toe. A few days ago, Leroy had found an old car that was for sale in St. Catherine. We had paid the old man cash and had driven off in it.
“Yuh ready, dawg?” I said as I sat in the passenger seat of that car.
“I was born ready,” Leroy said as he pulled off. We knew that the police was out and the curfew was in place. Leroy had this soldier on the payroll, and he had given us the hours of police operations in every area we were driving through tonight. That was perfect for us to get at these niggas.
“Yo, Father, yuh think Gio looking down on us and saying these niggas make me proud?” Leroy asked me as he drove.
“Yo, Leroy, Gio is right here with us, dawg. Sometimes I can smell that grabba that he puts in his weed. Trust me, the dawg is right here with us, yo.”
We continued reminiscing about the great times we had had together, even though we had missed out on a great deal when we were in prison. Nonetheless, prison walls hadn’t been able to separate us.
“That’s the bar right over deh.” I pointed to the right.
Leroy made a right turn and parked on the side of the building. The word we had got was that these three niggas frequented this bar every night, and even though there was a curfew, the owner paid off the police so that the bar could stay open when everywhere else had to close.
It was well after 2:00 a.m., and the streets were clear. The soldier nigga was right. The police team had left out right at 2:00 a.m. Leroy cut the car off, and we scooted down in our seats in the dark and just waited for our prey. Ten minutes passed, then twenty minutes. Our informant might be wrong.
“Yo, yuh think we got good information?” I quizzed. I was kind of feeling disappointed.
He tapped me on the leg, then pointed toward the front of the bar. I lifted my head to peek, and I saw a bunch of niggas exiting the bar. Two went to the right, and three went toward Langston Road.
“That’s the bwoy them that,” Leroy whispered.
“Yuh sure yo?”
“Mi know the tall one. He used to play ball for Ardenne. I know how the bwoy build. Him and one of the bwoy that get shot
are cousins. Trust me, it’s them.”
“All right, then. A this it.”
Leroy waited for a few minutes, until the three dudes heading toward Langston Road had cut down the lane, before he started the car. I pulled the chopper off the floor and sat it in my lap. He kept the lights off and drove toward the niggas. I pulled the gun up. . . .
Bap! Bap! Bappp!
All you saw was bullets flying out the window and niggas dropping to the ground like flies. I fired over fifty shots. After I fired my last bullet, Leroy pulled off slowly and waited a few; then he cut the lights back on. And just like that them niggas became casualties of war. They should’ve thought twice before they sent threats to me and violated my bitch. Now baby girl could feel safe again....
* * *
Everything was flowing right with the business. I had made my overseas shipment on time and had got my money. The Big Man was happy that I had come through like I said I would. He had thanked me over and over and had even offered me two of his bitches. As much I would have loved to smash that little Asian one, I had been taught never to mix business with pleasure. So I’d thanked him and left.
Now me and Leroy were on our way to St. Elizabeth to meet with a ganja farmer. Gio had put me onto him, and now that Gio was gone, I was still trying to do business with this farmer.
“Yo, is this bush, Father,” Leroy sighed.
“I agree. I have no idea how people live up in places like this. Look at the big old pothole. Don’t tell me the people keep voting for these niggas and the place is like this.”
“This pure fuckery. If the car go too far to the right, we not going to live to tell it. Boy, Jah know them doing the people them that live in the country bad.”
“Yo, we almost there,” I said. “This a town call Joint-wood. Even though it look like this, it have some of the best ganja in Jamaica. Them man yah a hard workers too, you know.”
“This is close to St. James. I heard the scamming thing hot down here too,” Leroy noted.
“Is that, me brethren telling me. A pure gun and scamming thing going on down here. Country man with guns. Yo, I remember back in the day, when all country man had was machete. Now all machine gun, the bwoy them have.”
“Yo, let’s get what we getting and cut. I would hate to pull the chopper out of the trunk,” Leroy said. I knew he was dead-ass serious.
“Yo, is that house right up on the hill.” I pointed to the house on the left.
Leroy pulled over and stopped in the yard. I jumped out of the car but was stopped in my tracks by a mongrel dog that looked like he was searching for his next meal.
“Yo, what a gwaan, mi brethren?” my nigga Kojak said as he stepped into the yard.
“Yo, what’s good, yo?”
Kojak pointed at his house. “Y’all come inside, man. It too hot for I to be in this heat right now.”
“Leroy, come on,” I called. “This is the brethren that I was telling you about.”
Leroy turned off the car and climbed out. He and Kojak exchanged daps, and we walked into his house.
We took a seat at the kitchen table, and Kojak put some weed on the table, some wraps, and a bottle of white rum.
“So the man them cut out Gio?” he said.
I shook my head. “Jah know, star. That one was hot. Now I can’t believe say mi brother gone.”
“Yo, I was shocked when I got the word, ’cause Gio was a thorough youth,” Kojak said. “I been doing business with him for ’bout the past four years or so, and every time he came through. He was nothing but real. I can’t believe what the pussy them do to the bredda, star.”
I looked him in the eye. “Well, just know it’s handle . . .”
“Enough said. Now let’s drink and send one up for Gio.”
We sat there drinking, smoking, while we reminisced about Gio and the good days.
When everyone at the table grew silent, I said, “So, Kojak, let’s discuss business.”
“Talk to me.”
“You know Gio is gone, but I’m still here. With that said, my operation is bigger and better. I’m moving major weights overseas, and I need to know you can meet the demand.”
“Ha-ha. You must ain’t seen my field. I can meet any demand that is required.”
“Right now I need only ’bout five pounds, but next week I’ma need another two hundred pounds to ship out to Miami.”
“Now you talking . . . I got you. Just tell me the date, and I will have everything ready for you.”
“Yo, what’s your price for the two hundred pounds?” I asked.
“Well, you Gio nigga, so you get the same price he get. So I say a hundred grand.”
“Sounds good. Do you dry it and compress it?”
He nodded. “Whatever you want. Just say the word, I get it done.”
“A’ight, deal.”
“I tell you what. Take this five pounds as a token of appreciation. You deal with me proper, I deal with you proper.”
“Bless, Father. I appreciate it.”
After he handed the ganja to me, we talked for a little while longer. The thunder started to roll, and the place was getting dark. I was ready to get up out of the place before the rain started falling. The way these roads were set up with the potholes, we would be lucky if our car made it up out of here.
* * *
The next morning I woke up early and dialed Leroy, who had managed to drive us back from St. Elizabeth without a hitch, despite the rain and potholes.
“Yo, Leroy, I need you to roll up the niggas. We need to have a meeting. I’ve put this off way too long. Plus, we can use them to do some shit within the organization. We also need to see about this scamming money. Before Gio died, he told me that some money came up missing. We were supposed to discuss it the day after the operation, but we didn’t get a chance.”
“Yo, Father, how about if the meeting is at ten dis morning around by my place?” Leroy said.
“A’ight, bet,” I said before we hung up.
I got dressed and then headed out. The meeting was at the place that Leroy had down on Hagley Park Road. This was our new spot, because doing business down by the Gully was out of the question.
As I drove, all different scenarios ran through my head. It better be a good fuckin’ reason why that money has come up short, I thought. I strongly believed in loyalty and would hate for one of the niggas that Gio and I had trusted to be taking from us. I treated these niggas like family. When it came to disloyalty, I knew that death was the only solution.
The block was quiet, as usual. I scoped out my surroundings before I pulled into the back. Everything seemed straight. I checked my waist. Even though those were my family inside, I still came prepared, as money was the root of all evil. I entered without warning. I could hear niggas’ voices blasting from the living room. I made my way there, and when stepped into the room, heads turned and everyone focused on me.
“What’s up, fellas?” I said, then gave each of them dap.
“Whaddup, boss?” they chorused.
I took a seat across from Leroy. I didn’t waste any time. I had come here to handle business, so I got to it immediately.
“I know we all took a hit when Gio and Ratty passed, ’cause they were family, but we need to get back to business. We got money to make in these streets. With us slacking, other niggas are able to eat out here. Fuck that. If anybody eating good, we goin’ to be the ones to eat. The rest of them bwoy can suck them muma.”
The entire time I spoke, I kept my eyes glued on this one little nigga. He was the one that Gio had had some kind of altercation with before his death.
I went on. “Yo, before Gio died, he told me some money come up missing. Listen, y’all, I ’on’t know who fuck wit’ mi bumboclaat money, but bottom line is somebody gon’ pay with them pussyclaat life.” I paused for a second, then continued. “I can’t say fo’ sure who the pussyclaat nigga is. But best believe I’ma find out, and when I do, I’ma chop yo’ fucking head off.”
&
nbsp; “Yo, Father, no disrespect still, but Gio was a pussy. When ’im was here, him treat people fucked up, and now him gone, people a glorify him. Gio probably the same nigga that take the money and now trying to put the blame on another man.”
I stood there, looking at this little bitch-ass nigga disrespect my brother. My mind was racing. Wasn’t sure how I wanted to handle it.
“You finish?” I growled.
“What you mean?” he said.
I pulled my gun and aimed it at him. “See, little nigga, that nigga that you kill was mi brother, mi partner. You took him away from the people that love him, because you jealous. Yo, tell my brother I say, ‘What’s good?’”
Pop! Pop! Pop!
I fired three shots into that nigga’s torso, forcing his lifeless body to collapse on the floor. The remaining three niggas in the room looked at me, then looked at his body.
“Yo, anybody else want to disrespect mi bredda?” I snarled.
They looked at me, then shook their heads no. I wasn’t here to play with niggas. Either they was going to show respect or be cut down....
“Yo, Leroy, call in the cleaning people.”
“Say no more, Father.”
“Now back to business. Meet here tomorrow at eight a.m. sharp. I got a shipment going out in two days. I need to get it straight.”
I got up and walked out without waiting for a response, then slammed the door behind me. I was pretty sure these niggas had got the picture that I wasn’t playing around with them. I was building a clique, and I needed to know them niggas were loyal. I’d dealt with one snake nigga before, so now I was extra careful.
I knew Leroy was one hundred, but everybody else was suspect. I needed to know that I could trust the people around me. If I had to question their loyalty, then who the fuck could I trust? No one . . .
Chapter Eleven
Camille
To say I was happy would be an understatement. I was bursting with joy as I walked out of my hospital room. Even though I was using a crutch, I was happy, nonetheless.
Carl Weber's Kingpins: Jamaica Page 9