Redemption

Chapter 2

The next morning Shanice drove me to Walmart to get a white tee and some cargo shorts,

"So, how you getting all this money?" I asked her while we was driving to God knows where.

"I am 25 years old, and you questioning me? I'm a boss, after stripping I had to get my life back on track, Joey the owner of the strip club he was snorting cocaine every chance he got, and the club went down hill, so in remorse I decided to fix it up and brought it after his leasing manager foreclosed him."

"What you own now?"

"you the FBI or something? investigating me." I chuckled "Nah just curious." "No seriously, I made it into a restaurant, famous people come in and out like just the other week Iman shumpter came with his wife."

"ohhh so..that's how you make your money?"

We then pulled up to a brick building that stood out amongst the others, it had "Shays Dining....Welcome Again".

"Why it say Welcome again?" I asked while stepping out the car, she shook her head and unlocked the front door to the restaurant.

"Means they need to come back or came back...you should know." I looked around the restaurant while she talked to one of the host at the front door. The store had pictures of black business owners from way back, antique black art, their was a brown urban setting with dim lights, it looked real comfortable, booths were connected to the wall. "Go sit down Adrian I have some people I want you to meet, before we you know.... get anything started." I sat down at one of the booths, a rose sat in the center of the table.

"Mommy, I'm hungry.", the lights were cut off around me, in this dim season of November, I was about 7 too young, pants too big for me, she said it'll grow on me, extra sized shoe just to get me through the school year. My mother was slumped drool rolling down her face, this Queen whos crown was tilted, the rubber band was tied tightly around the vein sucking the life out of her, her eyes were still open looking into space, this dark world of demise. I pulled on her hand to try and wake her up she pulled away closing her eyes, "Mommy, mommy I'm hungry." I cried, A man walked in and swooped me up, a big tall black man with a suit came in his beard was freshly cut-

Shanice tapped my shoulder "Adrian I want you to meet Lucky, he's gonna walk you through the process." he sat down in front of me, he was a light skin probably 5'7 a bit shorter than me. "I'll leave you two at it." Shanice then walked away.

"So what were you in for?" he asked while lighting a cigar, he was bald and looked a bit like Ice Tea,

"I was doing time for robbery, nothing but it took some time away from my kids."

"I heard....well what we doing aint no little time here and there-" "Look man, I get it I'm no rookie to the drug game, I understand the ropes, all I need is the product."

"I see you a little too confident, times have changed nigga, cops can look from satellites and look through your house, put shit in your kids food turn them into snitches.....you coming up against a bunch of wolves, they just see you as a hound bruh so I'm just making sure you aware." "I'm well aware....I got 2 kids, they need college plans, I aint got no bitch but I'm gonna want one, make sure the fam aint got shit to worry about."

"Aight, brotha I mean what's your goals?" "I uh wanna just make sure the family straight man, no more struggling I done did that in life man." "I like you...think you gonna do real good." He got up and walked away.

Shanice POV

Lucky approached me, the smell of his cologne was strong, and he was straighten his beard, I looked over at my future husband Adrian, he was playing with the rose. I never knew what it was about him, but he was so handsome and I know he doesn't understand. "I got mixed emotions about him." Lucky said while pulling on his beard, "How so?" "Well, he too eager, but look if you got me fuckin with the cops, that's bad for business, which is bad for you considering the fact I did you a favor......but because it's you I will do him some good, just you know nothing is uh free...I expect to see you around 12am." he then sat down at the table with Adrian and pulled out a 1 kilogram of pure cocaine untouched. They was making moves to turn it into crack, I had to be at a hair appointment by 2 so I had to leave them alone. I had a date with Twista at 9pm that I was not gonna wait for. "Adrian I'm gonna leave you, because of personal reasons but I'm gonna give you $400 to catch a ride back to the house." "Must be going to see that other guy." Lucky insisted, I glared at him "Mind your business....anyway do not hesitate to call me....oh and before I forget." I then handed him a Iphone 6 plus just to get him settled in." "Where you going?" "I'm minding my business.....no I'm gonna get my hair and nails done, I have an important place to go this evening, the baby sitter trish is watching the kids." "Oh foreal...trish...when she off?" Adrian asked while pulling his chin hair, "Don't go fuckin her, she's only 19." Adrian then chuckled "Aint shit to me, besides...nevermind I aint gonna say that enjoy your night baby girl." I then walked off, he thought it was a joke but it was money to be made, and Trish was my younger cousin, I had feelings for Adrian and if he touched her I would have to kick his ass out.

Adrian POV

Me and lucky was in the car for hours driving around, looking at the safe houses, and his stash houses, the local banks that didn't mind taking or importing his money, I had a feeling I wouldn't get the chance to meet the big big man, but it was cool I been the little guy before. He had been explaining code words for me, since we lived in a world of vast technology. A field goal was for a drop being successful, a red flag was for an opp on the loose, huddles was for an important meeting, 40 yard line was for a drug import going well, blitz was for when one of the stash houses delivered. I was going to be doing the drug importing, making sure everyone was on their best behavior, the lieutenant for the little niggas. He then dropped me off at Shanice house, I threw myself on the bed, and took a nap. "DADDY." yelled Hezekiah, he threw himself on the bed next to me, "Waddup lil dude?" I asked while hugging him, then this fine ass brown skin with curly hair was leaning on my door, she had on a PINK sweat suit with her hands in her pocket. "Sorry did I wake you....I told Hezekiah to stay out of the room, but he do what he want." the thoughts of tossing her ass on the bed and filling her up with my animosity from prison filled my mind, "You must be Trish." "ya I'm trish..and you are?" "I'm Adrian, Hezekiah and Amiya is my kids, Amiya walked in and jumped on my lap." "HEY DADDY." "Hey baby girl." I kissed her all over her face "Well I'll leave yall be." she smiled and walked away, she couldn't be 19 with an ass like that. "Tell me about school baby girl." "Well, my teacher said to give you a letter." "Go get it." she then ran and went to get the letter, I opened it just to see it was from the private school she went to.

Dear Ms. Poland,

We at Jenkins Academy are sorry to inform you that you do not have enough funds for Amiya Emoni Serenity to attend this school, however we do have payment options, and Government Funds that will occupy the remaining balance of $1,675, that has been missed in the following months. If you fail to pay before the Month of March 4th, 2017, we will have to follow Jenkins payment policy, and Amiya will be removed as a student.

Sincerely Principal Haggin

"Baby girl, have you read this letter?" I asked Amiya, she had been playing with her bow "No, but my teacher said it was important." she smiled with those big pearly white teeth. ".....You aint got nothing to worry about baby girl, do me a favor and give this letter to trish tell her to put it on the kitchen fridge." she grabbed it and ran out. I got up and picked Hezekiah up "baby boy, when you older youll learn to take care of the family like me, instead of surviving you'll become a black business man, aight?" Hezekiah nodded his head, I put him down and he ran out the room, I had been thinking about the pound of cocaine that sat in a box in my closet, All I had to do was drop it off in exchange for 10 grand, to hold the fam down I was gonna do whatever needed to be done.