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(sometimes I put photos sometimes I don't ok dont fight me lol)
The pier is conveniently unpeopled this afternoon except for the not so frequent dog walkers, school kids or jogging couples. I crane my neck slightly. Capo stands against the guard rail one leg crossed over the other, still and unperturbed with both arms folded into himself. He observes everything in sight through the beat down sun under two rigid knitted brows, occasionally stopping to bee line stare a passing Boris bike across the pier. For 3 minutes I examine him from hidden plain sight, and much to my disappointment, he is not 3 man deep or scheming like there's heat in the waist of his trousers. There is nothing immediately unsettling about the location or him. Just his usual leather face mug as he reaches in to his pocket to throw pick n mix for the nearing seagulls. They cluster and tousle at it his feet, and I feel sort of offended at how unbelievably comfortable he is.
I emerge from besides the station entrance and proceed those several yards for him by the pier. When we touch eyes, it's just like back at the club. His sanguine regard to my concrete glower, except this time I'm the one stomping up to him.
"No signal." He says as I come up beside him and rest my elbows on the rail.
"Sorry?"
His head motions to the rippling green water beneath us. "No signal by the water if they've tapped your phone."
I let out a half chuff. "Why you got a hoodie and undershirt on? We're in the 16s today."I dubiously side eye his attire from where I'm stood.
Capo doesn't take that lightly. "You tryna say I'm wearing a mic or suttin?"
I glance to a nearby Asian couple and kid. The Dad hoists the toddler high up on his shoulders to pose for a picture.
"I'm tryna not take my fist to your fucking face actually." I retort sincerely. "That's just man to man."
Capo squints out to the glistening water then looks down to kick about the pick n mix. "Yeah Qamari you can pack a steel bang or two but I never did shy away from a good jail cell scrap." That I couldn't object. Whether over pool or who said what about who's girl or who could jump on the weights first. We'd gladly get in to a cell during social, nominate two man for lookout and fight it out fairly till POs caught whiff. Then lookout would bang on the door. Looking back I can only imagine how funny we both looked casually filing out the cell to resume social. Out of breath and speed walking back to the yard with knots and bruises forming all over.
"But you'll 3 man up on me for a Zanco won't you mate?"
"Ok yeah that weren't playing fair, we was what? 17 18? There's some real sickos in the jailhouse carving man up over canteen you know." He turns his jaw to pellet a spit ball in to the water. "And you weren't exactly no ball of sunshine your fucking self." Capo leans to sink back on his elbows.
