Page 80 of Search My Soul
“No the hell we don’t. You can tell Mommy shaped mine at the top, but she left little lumps on the rest of y’all’s heads.” Soul reached out to cuff the top of Patience’s head, but she pushed him away.
“And here I was telling your woman how special you are to me. You really are a pain in my ass.” Patience scoffed as she walked away. Romi followed after her, but not before hitting her uncle up for some cash.
“Didn’t I just give you money a couple of days ago?” Soul asked while reaching into his pocket. I snickered at how easy it was for him to fold. Romi bled his pocket dry every time they were in the same room together.
“Yes, but today’s a new day, and I need new money.” She held her hand out as she patiently waited for him to count off the bills.
“This is getting out of hand. I might need to open a bank account so I can keep track of how much money you’re getting from me.”
“As long as I get the money, that’s all that matters. Pleasure doing business with you, Uncle Soulie. Love you!” With the money in her hand, Romi scurried away to play with some of the other children.
“Come with me for a moment. I want to introduce you to a few people.” Soul held out his hand for me, and I grabbed onto it reluctantly. I’ve been walking on eggshells ever since I found those pictures in his room. After talking to Puma, she assured me that I had nothing to worry about, but I wasn’t convinced. A part of me couldn’t even fully relax because I had a feeling that the truth would come out sooner or later.
“How are you doing, Nephew?” A man I hadn’t seen before greeted Soul while we were walking. He looked like he was Hispanic or maybe Dominican, so I wondered if they were related by marriage since he called him nephew.
“What’s up, Uncle E?” Soul’s greeting was a little dry, and I wondered what that was all about.
“I’ve been calling and calling you, but you’re a tough man to get in touch with. You must have a lot on your plate.”His eyes glanced over in my direction, causing me to grow uncomfortable.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Did you see my son out front?”
“Yeah, I’m getting ready to head out there now.”
“So I can assume that finding answers about his situation is still a priority for you, correct? Because it seems as though he has been placed on the back burner, and that concerns me.” Soul’s uncle carried a very dark aura, and it gave me chills. I tried to brush it off, but every time his focus shifted toward me, I felt a heaviness I couldn’t describe.
“Of course. We’re doing everything we can to find answers. If you have concerns, you’re more than welcome to assist in any capacity that you can.”
“I think you and I both know that wouldn’t be wise for anyone. I just pray that things are handled accordingly because I would hate for there to be any more misfortunes to occur.” His uncle’s words carried a deeper meaning, and I didn’t have to know what they were talking about to realize that.
“Trust me, I’m prepared for any and all misfortunes as you put it. Like I said, we’re on the job. If any new developments arise, I’ll be sure to let you know. In the meantime, I think you should focus your time and attention on the areas where you’re most valuable. We all have a role to play, and I think it’s important that we never forget the chain of command. Have a good night, Uncle E.”
“You too, Soul. Be safe out there. The world is a dangerous place.” Soul chuckled lowly, but I noticed the flex in his jaw. The conversation seemed so awkward. It was almost as if they were trying to convey something without directly addressing the issue at hand. They were talking in code. I wanted to inquire about what was going on, but I decided to wait until we made it home.
We continued our journey outside with our hands interwoven. Soul greeted a few people on the way out and cracked a few jokes. It amazed me the way he was able to mask his moods. I wasn’t sure if that was a good skill or not.
“There goes my new girlfriend. Hey, Ms. Juicy Booty!” Soul’s little cousin Cane greeted me. I remembered him from the last party I attended when they were celebrating his parents. I giggled because of the deadly glare on my man’s face.
“You must have a death wish, and I’m about to give you everything you’re looking for.” Soul gritted. It turned me on because I loved it when he got possessive over me.
“My bad, cuz. I see you got your chest all puffed up. Let me stop messing with you before you try to put me on a shirt.” The young boy raised his hands in mock surrender.
“I’m glad you know. And you better keep your eyes on the ground because if I catch you looking at my woman’s ass, I’mma pluck both your eyeballs out yo’ mothafuckin’ head.”
“Damn, nigga. You got it. It was nice seeing you again, Ms. Juicy. I sure wish I could get a hug, but I think it might be your man’s time of the month.” He winked at me before scurrying off.
“I’mma beat his ass.”
I noticed a group of people standing on the side of the building, so I assumed that was where we were heading. Soul greeted a few more people as we made our way to the group. There were a few women standing around and it appeared that the majority of the people were smoking.
“Damn, who the hell is this?”
“This is your lady, cuz?” A couple of the men stared at me with lust in their eyes, but one look from Soul caused them to straighten up.
“Remi, Chosen, Aries, this is my lady, Neeya. Neeya, these are my dumb ass cousins.” Soul introduced me to the men. I recognized Chosen because Kamesha used to have the biggestcrush on him. I shook his hand, then moved on to the other men. My heart almost stopped when I got to the man in the wheelchair, who Soul introduced as Remi.
“Damn, nigga. I come out of a coma, and you’re in love now? Never thought I would see the day. Hell, I almost didn’t live long enough to see it.” My breathing almost exposed me, but I got myself together before I shook his hand. Remi held my hand longer than I would have liked, but I tried to make it seem like it was no big deal.
