My Brother's Hood Bestfriend

FORTY TWO

Janiyah

"She's.. she's been sick. Ever since year 11, she ain't been feeling too good. She's in hospital right now actually." Joshua began. "Obviously, she ain't working so bills ain't getting payed and dad ain't around no more, meaning me and my siblings are struggling fam. Yeah, man was working for Mari, was getting likkle p's here and there, but it weren't enough fam."

"I asked Mari for more init, told him the families struggling and I need to get payed a bit more, but he kept saying no fam. Like bro, man's been working for you since I was some little yute in year 8, and you won't even pay me a tiny bit more!" He said, slightly raising his voice. He stopped for a moment to calm down.

"So I'm like calm, calm I won't do nuttin. But I'm seeing my family struggling, to the point where dinner ain't being put on the table. Seeing my little sister cry, but I can't even do anything to help fam, so I just started moving mad. Got angry at everything, wouldn't chat to no one. Only thing keeping me up was porn, I can't lie." sighed Joshua.

I tried my hardest not to laugh at what he'd said. Some things are better kept a secret.

"I struggled with that shit, I'm being so real.. Was horny 24s fam, and I just wanted more, you get me. Sounds fucking stupid, It was the only thing keeping me happy. So I'm like cool, Niyah's my girlfriend, let me just try it with her. Obviously, the first time I jammed, then I took your bra, then the second time I jammed and you stabbed my hand." He explained. I listened in complete shock.

"Then I'm taken here yeah, then Maris bare asking me if I tried to touch you. I was just pissed, and my mind weren't at the right state. So I was just vexed that you snaked on man. So then Mari shot my leg init, had me bleeding for time. So I was like fuck this, no way I'm working for some yute that won't help me when I'm struggling, then fucking shoot man"

"So I'm like cool, imma just snake on him then. So that's what I did, Snaked to the feds, but they didn't find shit, so I snaked to the opps, got their respect, now I'm one of them man. Everything's calm, yeah, then I'm hearing that some girl wants to join us. So I see who it is, and it's Imani. So I'm baffed, but I didn't say too much. I just tell em that she's your bredrin, which gets them gassed because they know you're associated to Mari. They must've set her up into permanently joining, but she weren't selling that much so they don't pay her a lot"

I sat in confusion. Was Imani also struggling with money at home?

"So I'm secretly like to her, if you give me slops I'll just give you more bread, because like I said, man was horny. So she's like cool, and she's doing it, as well as telling me everywhere you're going, and everything you've told her. That's why we were always at where you were and shit. We knew where you were all the time because of Imani. So one time, she told us that you man had gone Stratford but you were coming back home on your own, so it's the perfect time to get you init."

"It hurt tho. Hearing how much they wanted to get you, but you were the closest we had to Mari, since Imani was telling us everything and they want Mari gone bro. They'd do anything to kill him fam."

"Why?" I asked getting worried. Joshua scratched his head.

"He's done a lot." He began. "I was shocked fam. He killed Rj's brother and his little sister." responded Joshua as I listened in shock.

"Wait, how old is his little sister?" I asked, my voice wobbling.

"She's...she was 18." My mouth dropped. I couldn't imagine my own sibling being killed. Mari almost lost his brother, he knew the pain it brought him, so why would he bring the pain to others? I began to feel weary on our date. Did I really want to go on a date with a murderer?