The Widow Of Magnolia Lane

Part 22

Romero fastened his earbuds in his ears. He had one earpiece in, rocking to Meek Mills, while the other earpiece was turned off, listening to the two men in front of him. He bobbed his head to the beat of the music and watched the passing cars, rowhouses, and street dwellers behind the tinted windows of the truck. Occasionally he would look over at Akoni and St. James, catching Akoni's soft intense brown eyes staring back in the rearview mirror. Deep down he was afraid.

He had tried to fight a respected relative of the two men. He assumed the worse but refused to show fear. He learned early in life to look evil in the face and prepare for a fight. He often wondered where his brazen sense of bravura came. There was a root to his ancestry that never surfaced to acknowledge him as blood. As he watched the people floating past the car window, he wondered at the brown faces of the older black men he often saw playing dice in the alleyways, standing on the back of dump trucks, working at the docks, or the heroin addicts at the Lexington Market. Redd was trying to see himself in them. A nose, a pair of eyes, full lips, and thick skin. Someone shared his blood and hot temper and sprinkled it on his seed. It's absence or rather their absence left a void to be filled. And if that dark deep empty space never found it's fill of a father's love, guidance, and care, Romero Esposito was going to replenish its loss somehow. Even if that meant death.

The Escalade approached a stoplight on the corner of South Hanover St. Akoni reached over and grabbed an old burner phone out of the armrest. He sent a text message to St. James.

Akoni: Let's see where dis nigga head at?

St. James looked down at his phone and grinned. He texted Akoni back.

St. James: Yo Son, that's what's up. You lead. I follow.

"You quiet as shit back there young blood. What did you say your name was again?" Akoni rolled the toothpick through his teeth as he glanced up at Romero in the rearview mirror.

"Redd." Romero continued to bob his head and look out the dark windows.

"Redd what?" Akoni glanced up in the mirror.

"Just Redd...That's all." Romero quipped.

"Just Redd? Akoni laughed...You from round' these parts?" Akoni eased into a stop at the light.

"North Monroe St and West Lanvale St. I live on Harlem Ave." Redd never broke his gaze from the decaying neighborhoods as they drove past.

"Who yo fam' young blood?" Akoni asked.

"I ain't got no family round here other than me and my grandma". Redd continued to stare out the window.

"How are you holding it down for yall? You working legit or hustling?" Akoni glanced up in the mirror.

"I work for Bennett Movers. It ain't much but it helps. You know what I'm saying?". Redd removed his earbuds.

"I feel you but if you got a legit job, why are you hanging round' Meech and them knuckleheaded niggas?" Akoni watched a female with half of her pants down squat in a nearby alley. He shook his head and turned the music down. "Fucking neighborhoods ain't shit no more". He leaned over to St. James pointing at the woman.

"Shit crazy man". St. James watched the woman as she squatted and arched his brow.

"Me and Meech went to school together. Grew up in the same neighborhood". Redd glanced at the area Akoni was driving in. It was becoming familiar.

"What's yo family name? And how come I ain't neva seen you before?" Akoni made a left and slowed the truck down at a stop sign.

Redd's heart began to quicken and he could feel fear starting to creep its way back into his heart. He noticed the prostitutes and swallowed hard. Akoni was nearing Bull's bar.

"You wanted me to ride with you so I can tell you my life story or do yall niggas got something else planned for me?". Redd glared at the two men.

Akoni looked in the mirror and noticed Redd lean forward slightly, reaching behind him. He drove the truck in front of the bar.

"The way I see it, you only got two choices, my nigga. Either we drag your ass in the bar and let my uncle deal with you and die in the pit or you suck my cousin dick and live." Akoni put the truck in park and turned to Redd.

Before Redd could reach for the gun in his waistband, Akoni had his .45 Glock pointed towards his chest.

"Ease up young blood. Best believe, before you even touch the tip of that handle, I'm gonna bust two shots in ya ." Akoni gazed angrily at the young man. "So what the fuck are you gonna do?"

Frightened, Redd looked over at St. James unzipping his pants.

"Yo son, you a pretty muthafucka. I can feel those full lips around my joint right now! Damn. I bet you'll suck it real good too." St. James looked back and licked his lips at Redd.

Afraid to move, Redd looked at the two men quietly. His eyes beamed with fear and defiance.

"You working with the cops?" Akoni held the gun steady.

"Fuck the police. I ain't no snitch nigga." Redd bellowed.

"What about Barloff? You and that Russian got something going? Tell me, nigga!" Akoni demanded.

"Man, fuck Barloff! I cain't stand that mutha fucka!" Redd yelled.

"Ooh feisty, I like that." St. James started massaging himself.

"You working for Fredrico Barnes and his gang over off Fulton?" Akoni screeched.

"I ain't working for nobody. I stay to myself. I don't know those niggas you talking bout". Redd's face glistened with sweat. He quickly looked over at the bar and back at St. James stroking his huge dick. His heart raced and pounded through his chest.

"What's it gonna be nigga?" Akoni aimed the gun from Redd's chest to his face.

Redd took a deep breath and glared angrily at the two men. "Fuck it! Kill me. I ain't going in that bar and I sure as fuck ain't sucking that nigga dick. All I got in this world is my pride and I ain't losing it for nobody. So, if you gonna kill me, kill me. I'm ready to die nigga."

Akoni held the gun steady staring Redd deep in his eyes. Redd lifted his chin without breaking his gaze from Akoni. He exposed his neck as a thief caught in an old village, awaiting death as the swordsman yielded his punishment. Slowly, Akoni eased the gun down.

 St. James looked over at Akoni and placed his python back in its hiding place. Akoni handed the gun over to St. James.

"Oh shit! Looks like I found a soldier!". Akoni grinned.

"Yo. Son a "G" for real. This nigga ain't scared to die". St. James put the gun in the glove box.

Redd forced air out of his lungs, opened the car door, leaned over, and threw up the contents of his stomach on the cool pavement. Akoni and St. James began to laugh.

"Aye' nigga, don't get that throw-up in my truck! Akoni yelled.

"Nigga in here barfing and shit!" St. James started to laugh hysterically.

"Unc will kill this little nigga if he sees him. Keep him under control. I gotta grab my cell out the bar. And don't let that mutha fucka throw-up in my truck." Akoni exited the truck and walked inside the bar.