Ramona Park Legend

14

"My feelings told me love was real, but feelings known to get you killed."
-Vince Staples

Matika
New York City

I laid in the bed of the hotel room flicking through channels. I was bored out of my mind and lonely. I was just waiting for Marcel to get back. He asked me to come with him and of course I said yes. I threw a pillow towards the end of the bed laying on my stomach settling on a channel playing Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

"Show no love...love will get you killed," I said along with the movie. Still one of my favorites. I still remember going to the movies with my mother and brother to see it for Shahid's birthday. He was a huge 50 cent fan.

To know that Joey killed my brother puts an anger in me I've never had. My brothers case was closed before it was even opened when it happened. They dubbed it wrong place, wrong time related to gang violence and called it a day. Going to the police wouldn't even do anything especially all of these years later.

I would never have somebody go kill him as payback no matter what he did. I never even told my mother I found out who killed him because I knew she would flip out. Knowing how thug my mama is she would probably go kill him herself. Some days I just feel like karma is taking too damn long, but his payback's gonna come somehow.

I closed my eyes deciding I would take a nap, but it was quickly cut short when I heard the door knob jiggling. When I heard a knock next I furrowed up my face getting up. I went over to the door saying, "Who is it?"

"House keeping!" I could tell by that fake woman voice it was Marcel. I looked in the peephole to make sure before swinging the door open. "No, no," he said sounding like Consuela from Family Guy.

I laughed asking, "Where's your room key?"

"I forgot it," he said shrugging. "Are you going to let me in?" I chuckled saying my bad then opening the door wider letting him in.

"So, what happened at the meeting?" I asked eagerly.

"I think I signed with Def Jam and Artium. Also, to Blacksmith for management. I don't know. I just saw the price and it was good so I signed some papers," he said in a sarcastic tone. Like his usual self he was being nonchalant sitting on the bed taking his shoes off.

"Are you serious?" I asked excitedly. He nodded his head as I jumped on him making us roll all over the bed.

"Can you chill? You're more excited than me." I could hear him chuckle as I held onto him tightly. "Are you crying?"

"No," I said wiping my tears.

"Yes, you are. Why are you crying?" He asked moving me onto his lap.

"Cause I'm just so proud of you. You deserve it," I said wiping my eyes with my shirt.

I looked at him seeing him smiling. "I mean it's cool. Hopefully they let me create how I want to create. The money was right too, so that was a plus. You don't gotta cry though," he said laughing wiping my face some more. "Nose all red and shit like you're Rudolph with your light skin ass!"

I chuckled as he moved my hair out of my face. "Marcel, do you not realize how big this is? You made it out like you wanted. Now you can do all the things you want to do. You can put that message in your music. You can give back to the community. All of that."

"I know. I'm happy about that," he said shrugging. "I just have a lot of work to do."

"You can do it," I said reassuring him. I attacked him in a hug again as we fell back onto the bed.