AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

SEVEN

1993
Queens, New York
[Queensbridge]

JAHKAI

It was now the morning after the party. Jahkai got out of Carmen's bed to get dressed and head home. He managed to get her to calm down last night and finally got the chance to explain who Zara was. She let it slide but still mentally noted to keep an eye on Zara until she went back to California.

Jahkai bent down to give Carmen a kiss on her cheek as she still laid in bed half asleep. "I'll call you later." He whispered softly in her ear.

Carmen nodded in response and drifted back into a deep slumber. Jahkai quietly tip toed out of her apartment, not wanting to wake up Carmen's mother and grandmother so he wouldn't get caught for being snuck into the house last night, and locked the door with a spare key Carmen gave to him.

Luckily, by the time he got home, Jahkai's mother was still asleep. "Thank the Lord." He silently thanked the man above for not having to hear his mother yell at him for coming home at this time.

After taking a shower and completing the rest of his morning hygiene, Jahkai got into more comfortable clothing and turned on the TV in his bedroom to start playing video games but was interrupted when his phone started ringing. He kissed his teeth before grabbing it off his nightstand.

"Yo."

"Kai, it's me. I'm outside." Omari responded on the other end.

"Mari... You gotta learn to let me know you comin' here before you actually show up." Jahkai stressed.

"Man, shut up and come downstairs."

"Fuck you, man."

"What?! Nigga get the fuck downstairs before I come up there and start bangin' on the mothafuckin' door!"

Jahkai released a frustrated sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Aight bruh." He responded blandly and hung up.

He rushed out of his apartment and down to where Omari's car was parked. "What you want, man?" Jahkai questioned his friend as he approached the vehicle.

Omari, who was leaned up against the trunk, just dry chuckled and turned around to pop the trunk open. He grabbed a duffle bag and closed it shut. "Here." He shoved the bag into Jahkai's chest.

Jahkai unzipped the bag half way and released a frustrating sigh. "I'm not selling this." He said as he zipped the bag back up.

"You already said you would." Omari responded.

"No. I said I would sell weed, not this shit."

"And that's what the fuck you got. Weed plus a lil somethin' extra." Omari spat. He deeply sighed as he briefly examined Jahkai's uneasiness. "Look, stop worrying. You'll be fine. And you'll be getting paid more than the last time. You really about to stand here and reject all this money you could have?!"