Page 39 of Saved By A Small Town Country Boy
I came to some trees and a dirt trail in between them. After taking the trail for five more minutes, I was about to turn around ’til I saw something in the distance that looked like a fence. Stopping the ATV, I got off and walked over to the fence. It was locked, but that wasn’t about to stop me from seeing what was on the other side.
Tossing the helmet, I lifted one of my legs over the fence and could hear Khalif’s ATV approaching in the distance. If I wanted to see what was on the other side, I was going to have to hurry up.
I jumped over the fence and walked on the opposite side of this black barn and stopped. In front of me were miles of weed plants and some other plant as well. “He wasn’t lying,” I whispered to myself.
“What are you doing?” I jumped at the sound of Khalif’s voice.
“Khalif, what’s this?” I peered up at him, eyes searching his for answers.
“You shouldn’t be over here.” He gripped me by the forearm and pulled, but I snatched away.
“No. Tell me what this is. I don’t understand.”
“This doesn’t have nothing to do with you.”
“I know, but is this why Beauty was sick?”
His head lowered, and he scrubbed his hand down his face. “It ain’t nothing I’m proud of, but yeah. She broke the fence and got in here.”
“Why do you feel like you have the need to sell drugs? Because that’s what they are, right?”
“I don’t have to explain shit to you.”
“Wow. Okay.” I marched back around the barn, and he caught me by the wrist.
“Remedi, wait. I ain’t mean it like that.”
“No. You said it exactly how you meant it. It’s really none of my business, like you said.”
“Fine.” He released my wrist. “A couple years ago, right before Simone died, we were ’bout to lose the farm. Creed came up with this bright ass idea that we can grow weed and cocaine and sell it. We were already starting out with the mushrooms. Those were Simone’s idea. They weren’t that big of a deal. People were still getting the hang of those being around, but the weed and cocaine was taking off in the city. I supplied a demand and was able to save the farm. After that, I started growing more and more and sending it out of town.”
“You’re not afraid that you’ll get caught and taken away from Khali? She already lost one parent. Why even risk it?”
“We have a good plan in place. No one knows ’bout it. No outsiders anyway, except you.”
Wrong.
“As long as you keep yo’ fucking mouth shut, I don’t have anything to worry ’bout.”
“I think I’m going to head home.” Picking up the helmet off the ground, I placed it back on my head.
“Remedi?” He called out my name, and I looked over in his direction. “Keep ya fucking mouth shut. You ain’t see nothing.” From the tone of his voice, I knew he was serious. Khalif seems like the type of person who wouldn’t play any games, especially when it came time for him to make it back home to his daughter. He ain’t have to worry about me telling anyone what I saw here today. I’m actually great at keeping secrets. Even my own.
That evening
I’d been thinking about what I saw at Khalif’s farm for the remainder of the day after I’d gone home. He hadn’t reached out to me, which leaves me to believe that he’s probably upset or scared because he didn’t know if I was really going to keep my mouth shut about it. I didn’t want him to be taken away from his daughter either, so he didn’t have to worry about that. Khali deserves to have at least one of her parents in her life.
“What’s wrong with you?” Reese asked me from the doorway of my bedroom.
“Nothing,” I lied, not wanting to bring her into my drama.
“Uh-huh, sure. I’ll let you think that I believe that lie.” My eyes roamed her outfit. She stood there dressed in all black with a blue wig on her head that looked like she’d bought it from a costume shop. Definitely not your typical Reese outfit.
“And what do you have going on here?”
“I need a lil pick me up, so I was trying to see if you wanted to come and have a lil fun with me.” She tossed a purple wig onto my bed.
“What kind of fun requires me to look like I’m about to go trick or treating? Halloween is weeks away.”
