Page 13 of Dr. Bell

Leaning against the door jamb, I sighed deeply to which he laughed.

“I’m not even mad, Pops. Actually, I’m happy for you.”

I tilted my head at him.

“Let’s be for real. You put ya whole life on hold for us. Don’t think we don’t sit around hoping you wake up and realize we’re getting older and so are you. The streets love you for what you can do for it. What about a woman loving you for you and not what you can give her?”

Humble got his name because he was just that. Even as a young teen, his words had always been measured, and he spoke like a man standing behind a pulpit. His mind was sharp as fuck, too.

“This isn’t about love. I’m offering them protection.”

With a snicker, he waved me off. “If I can see through it, she will eventually see through it. You’ve had plenty of opportunities to offer yourprotectionto other women. She’s different and so is that hardheaded ass brother of hers.”

I chuckled then. “Are you saying I should back out?”

“Nah, Pops. What I’m sayin’ is I’ll do everything in my power to see to it that Quilo thrives here just like we’ve thrived. You worry aboutPretty.”

I had no doubt that Humble could keep Quilo in line. My oldest son was a machine of sorts. Although love was in his heart for me and his brothers, that muthafucka was cold as hell when it came to anybody else.

I left Humble’s room, then went next door to check on Peace. Like Humble, he was taking summer classes. The two of them pushed each other and kept each other on the straight and narrow.

“How you feeling?” I asked him. He was stretched out across his bed, watching television.

“I’m cool, Pops.” After Humble, he was the next oldest. Peace was most likely to handle a situation without his hands. That wasn’t because he couldn’t handle himself. He just preferred to stay as peaceful as he could.

“You mind having company in here?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I got you.”

I left Peace’s room and made my last stop at Kalm’s room, where I knew I’d find his twin Bragg, too. Their room was connected by a door that usually stayed open. Most times, they crashed in each other’s rooms. Before being reunited to an adoptive mother, they were separated and living in separate foster care homes. I refused to force them out of the separation anxiety they developed because of it; their closeness was paramount to me.

Bragg saw me first and grinned. “Soon as I saw her, I knew they were staying.” He and Kalm burst out laughing. They were at that stage in life where girls were the only thing on their minds.

“I think you just called me shallow,” I joked.

“Nah, never that, Pops,” Kalm stated. “We just saw how you looked at her is all.”

Again, I found myself tilting my head.

“Don’t worry. She looked at you the same way,” Bragg added.

As if that was explanation enough, they dismissed me and went back to the game. It was late. However, since it was summer, I didn’t mind them staying up as long as they wanted to. They kept their rooms clean and handled chores when necessary. My boys were well-mannered and well-behaved. For that, I gave them plenty of room to just be them.

Quilo emerged from Pretty’s room with a scowl covering his face. Leaving the twins’ doorway, I sauntered down the hall and blocked Quilo’s path. I gave him the same expression that he gave me. He wasn’t much shorter than me and reminded me alot of myself when I was his age. However, he couldn’t beat my ass if my hands were tied behind my back.

“Everything cool?” I asked.

“You know it’s not,” he spat back. “I’on like this shit.”

I grit my back teeth. Surely, Humble and Peace cussed every now and then. That, I didn’t mind. However, Quilo’s mouth was reckless.

“Allat negative energy you got is fuckin’ up the vibe of the house.”

“So, let me leave,” he shot back.

“And let the streets kill you?”

He poked his chest out and squared his shoulders.

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