Page 14 of So I Know it's Real

“The Sons of Eshu,” I answered without missing a beat. “I’m not like the rest of y’all. I tried to settle down. That shit was a wash.”

“Then pick better bitches,” Ishmael replied.

Shiloh abandoned his seat and roped his arm around Stevie’s neck as he settled behind her. “And you’re right. You’re not like us. You couldn’t date one woman if your life depended on it.”

“Negro, please. Anything y’all can do, I can do better.”

“You talk a good game. Put your money on your community dick.” My cousin dug into his pocket and pulled out a bankroll. “Is a stack too much?”

“It ain’t enough. I’ll bet you five bands I can find a bad bitch and treat her better than you simps ever could. Drop a deposit, so I know it’s real!”

O’Cyrus and Loso laughed as they pulled out cash and asked for side bets worth another three thousand dollars.

During our back and forth, Shiloh tossed a napkin at his brother. “You not getting in on this?”

“Hell nah.” Church grimaced. “I’m not encouraging bad behavior. You just said he needs to grow up, and now you’re betting he can’t do it?”

Shiloh tilted his head from left to right. “I mean, the wager is going to make him a man or make me some money.”

Stevie pulled out of Shiloh’s grasp. “Y'all are going to hell for this, and I will not be an accessory to heartbreak. Meet me in the boardroom when you’re ready to discuss the new program.” She peered around the room. “Ladies, are you with me?”

Stevie, Blaze, and Essen migrated out of the room, and once they were gone, Shiloh rubbed his hands together.

“All right. Let’s go over the rules before I get in trouble.” He grinned. “The guidelines are simple. Find a decent woman and date her for ninety days. Since you increased the bread, I’m going to make it harder. You can’t sleep with her until after y’all have dated for a month.”

I cringed at the thought, but I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing the rules made my skin crawl.

O’Cyrus lifted his hand, garnering our attention. “Let me add the woman can’t be someone you’ve slept with before, and if you tell her about the bet, it’s a wrap.”

Shiloh, Loso, O’Cyrus, and I sealed the deal by doing our signature handshake before we went to discuss the reason for our meeting.

By the time we made it to the room, there were already stacks of paper situated around the oakwood table. Just the sight of the forms made my throat tight. As I took a seat, I slipped a fresh toothpick from a piece of plastic and focused on Stevie.

“Stevie’s Haven has partnered with a local group home to start our own Big Brother and Sister type of program. The kids are fostered youth between the ages of seven and seventeen.”

“Damn.” O’Cyrus sucked his teeth. “I wish there were more programs like these around when I was in the system.”

“That’s exactly why we’re doing it. I believe we’ve all experienced trauma that would have been easier to deal with had there been more people like us around.”

As Stevie went over the details, my eyes latched onto the first sheet of paper. The sight of jumbled words and twisted letters caused my temples to tremble. I bit down on my toothpick to keep from growling and flipped the paper over.

Dyslexia had been a pain in my ass since I was a kid, and it continued to be an issue during adulthood. I’d like to think my learning disability birthed my sense of humor. No matter how many fights I won after someone called me dumb or stupid, there was someone else in line, ready to clown. Once I matched their energy instead of beating their ass, I got in less trouble and realized sometimes words hit harder than fists.

“Durk!” Stevie’s voice ushered me from my daydream. “I sent you a voice recording of the information in the packet. You can listen when you have some free time.”

“Spoiled ass,” Shiloh muttered before kicking me under the table.

I flipped him off. “Don’t be mad thatBlueloves me.”

“I do,” Stevie replied. “And you didn’t have to pay me or bet on my compassion to receive it. Believe it or not, some women are solid and will love you for free. Anyway, does anyone have questions?”

Blaze raised her hand as if she were in class. “When are we meeting the kids?”

“It will be a while before we get to that point, but in the meantime, we have homework. A social worker I’ve been speaking with asked that each of us write five noteworthy facts about ourselves. She’s going to use the information to pair us with our little brother or little sister, so put some thought into it.”

Clover

Treasure in the Hills

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