Page 80 of More Than a Hero
"Was Mr. Marty not home?" Rasheem asked.
"Yeah, he was, but he had company."
"Company?" Jalen frowned. "I didn’t know he had visitors."
"His nephew or great-nephew or something like that," Jimmy said. "The guy gave me the feeling he didn’t want me there. I don’t know… I just didn’t get good vibes off him."
"Was Mr. Marty okay?" Darius asked.
"Yeah, he seemed fine. Actually, he seemed happy to have company. I just got the feeling his nephew didn’t want me around. I’ll go back tomorrow and check on him."
Jalen exchanged a look with the others. "If you got a bad feeling about him, is that something we should talk to Mr. Pete about?"
Jimmy sighed, running a hand over his head. "I don’t know. Just because I don’t like someone doesn’t mean they’re a bad person. And Mr. Marty seemed okay."
"It’d be nice if they lived closer, then we could watch out for our grandparents all the time," Darius suggested.
They all nodded, and while Jimmy liked the idea, he decided that he’d bike over to visit Mr. Marty more often.
The afternoon air had cooled as the sun dipped behind the apartment buildings, casting them in shade. By now, David, Tony, and Caleb had joined them. Curly’s mom had sent a container filled with cookies to share, and they were enjoying their afternoon snack.
Jimmy sat on the steps with his arms resting on his knees, watching as the elementary school bus rumbled up to the curb. The doors hissed open, spilling out a group of younger kids, their laughter and chatter breaking up the quiet hum of the neighborhood.
Across the way, Robert stood at the end of the building, hands tucked into his pockets, waiting for his younger brother and sister. The afternoon sunlight cast a long shadow behind him, stretching across the pavement. From Jimmy’s angle, it looked much heavier than just his silhouette.
Darius, sitting beside Jimmy, exhaled heavily. “I wonder what that was like for him—to get arrested,” he mused. “I know Mr. Pete said we shouldn’t talk about what happened, but he always seemed real nice to me.”
“He just lives a couple of doors from me. Remember when we were all in elementary school together? I think he’s nice,” Jalen said, leaning back on his elbows. “He just made a bad choice.”
They fell into silence as Robert gathered his siblings and started up the stairs at the far end of the building. When he glanced their way, his expression was guarded, unsure. But when Jalen lifted a hand in an easy wave, Robert hesitated only a second before offering a small, tentative smile in return. Then, cautiously, he lifted his hand and waved in return.
Jalen hopped up, jogging down the breezeway to meet him. “If you wanna hang out with us, we’re just chilling.”
Robert glanced at his brother and sister, making sure they were headed inside safely before nodding. “Thanks. Maybe Iwill. I just gotta get them settled and make sure my granddad doesn’t need anything.”
Jimmy watched as Robert walked away, something thoughtful settling in his chest. Maybe things weren’t as simple as they used to be when they were all in elementary school. Perhaps none of them had the luxury of seeing the world in black and white anymore. What happened to Robert could have happened to any of them.
He shifted slightly on the stoop, stretching his legs out as a black sedan with dark-tinted windows rolled into the parking lot, moving to the far side of the last building. The driver alighted, and Jimmy was surprised to see it was Tamarcus.
“That’s him,” Jimmy said in a whisper that came out much louder than he’d intended.
The other boys got quiet and looked at him.
“Don’t act like you’re staring, but that black car at the end… that was Mr. Marty’s nephew.”
“Who’s he visiting here?” Caleb asked.
“I don’t know. He’s talking to those two men,” David said.
“I know them,” Darius piped up. “They live in the very last building. My mom said to stay away from them because she doesn’t like the way they look.”
Rasheem nodded. “They look sneaky when they walk around. That guy who got arrested used to talk to them when he was around.”
While a few of the boys kept their backs to Tamarcus so it didn’t look like they were all staring, Jimmy kept his eye on him.
Tamarcus’s gaze skimmed over the block, taking in every detail, as if he were memorizing it, cataloging things no one else noticed. Jimmy wasn’t sure what to make of him.
“I’ve seen that guy,” Tony said. “Not much, but enough to recognize that black car. He always walks around like his shit don’t stink.”
