Page 36 of Kassir and Rebel
We hired Joel about two months ago. That nigga was straight during his interview and cut but he ain’t been right since. I have a thing with timeliness, especially when it’s concerning my time and my money. He was late on his first damn day and has already missed two shifts. Even if Leem didn’t need a spot for Yah, Joel was about to get the boot. He had only been spared because Niecy saw some potential in him.
“I can talk to him,” she pleads but when I shoot her a look, she raises her hands in surrender. “Okay. I’ll put the word out and post an ad on?—”
“I already got his replacement. It’s handled.”
“Who is he?” she asks with raised eyebrows.
“She,” I stress. “And her name is Yahzi. She’s actually Suleem’s girl.”
“I’ve heard of her and not because of who’s she’s fucking. Sis is cold with the clippers. It’s only a few of us bad chicks and we hear about each other. It’s about time too. We need more estrogen up in here. I’ll clean his station up and have it ready for her. When is she starting?” she asks excitedly.
“Probably this week but I’ll let you know. You need anything else?” I ask, then stand.
Time is tight. I have a few things to handle before I take Rebel out this evening. After four days of hopping around, her ankle is finally straight and her greedy ass wants me to feed her. After this, my next stop is my mom. According to her, it’s been too many days since my last visit.
“Just your final approval of the supply order. I left a copy of it on your desk.”
“Bet. I’ll go sign it now.” As I trek to my small back office, I scan each station to make sure everything is in order. It’s just routine though because Niecy does her damn job. I spot the order on my desk as soon as I open the door. It takes me less than five minutes to look it over, approve, then sign. She’ll work with our vendors and arrange the deliveries. When I walk back out front, she’s back to standing at her station. “Don’t work too hard,” I say as I head out.
“Like I know how to not work hard,” she utters behind me.
In the parking lot, I spot Makai getting out of his ride. I nod, but instead of nodding back, he yells out, “Kassir. Ay. Wait up.” He drops whatever was in his hands back into his car, slams thedoor, then sprints over to me. A little winded, he says, “Thanks for waiting.”
“You good, fam?” I ask.
“I’m straight but I don’t know about you once I tell you this shit,” he says.
“Spill it.”
“The streets is talking. Mano,” he begins and I hold my damn breath.
This lil nigga.
“Mano been all up and through Bedford Homes. He’s been trying to cop from Ralph’s bitch ass. Word is that Ralph was going to sell to him too but only prepackaged shit. That stomped on Bedford shit would be in our neighborhood,” he says and I swear I feel the veins in my neck bulging.
Mano is proof positive that everybody ain’t gang. He damn sho’ ain’t. This is one decision Leem and I made that I regret more and more each day. Mano crossed the line and violated when he approached me in front of my son but this shit here is unforgiveable.
“’Preciate you schooling me.”
“Of course. I swear that lil nigga ain’t nothing like Roman. DP don’t run through his damn veins,” Makai says while shaking his head.
“Roman was a G,” I utter before walking off. I hit Saleem as soon as I’m in my ride. Apparently, he just heard the same shit too. Bruh sounds as heated as I am. “DP just ain’t for him.”
“At all,” Leem agrees.
“We did what we promised Roman. What happens next is all on Mano.”
“Real shit,” he says before ending the call.
Mano’s older brother Roman was one of the realest niggas. He repped DP until his last breath, real shit, and he left here with two requests: take care of his seed, RJ, and watch out forhis little brother, Mano. Leem and I honored that shit too. RJ is straight but Mano is on some other shit. We have given this nigga chance after chance but it’s clear that his loyalty to us doesn’t match our loyalty to his brother and that’s a problem.A real fucking problem.
While shaking my head in disbelief, I start my ride and head to my moms. I debate stopping for some grub but say fuck it. If she hasn’t cooked, she definitely will when I roll up. Since the drive to my moms from the shop is about twenty minutes, I wake up Rebel. Hearing her voice ought to calm my ass down ’bout this Mano situation.
“Baby, what time is it?” she groans in her sexy ass ,sleepy voice.
“Almost ten.”
“And you at your mom’s already?”
