Page 9 of Search My Soul
“You had a whole month to get your shit together, but instead you thought if you avoided us, we would let it go. Naw, youngblood, that’s not how things work around here. So I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna send Huncho to your baby momma’s house and see if she might know where you can get this extra money from. After all, you magically found enough cash to gift her and your old lady designer bags and diamond chains. Perhaps they might be willing to part with their new gifts in order to spare your life.”
“No, no. Please don’t involve them in my bullshit. I promise, I can come up with the money before the end of the day. I’m begging you.”
“Aye, get your bitch ass up! Gon’ have the laws called on us because you’re rolling around on the damn ground,” I grumbled. I never liked to conduct this kind of business out in the open, so unfortunately, I couldn’t toss his ass in the trunk like I wanted to. I’d already texted Huncho and the crew to keep an eye on this house, because once the coast was clear, I fully intended to handle business. Besides, I had something to handle that was more important than this, and I couldn’t afford to be late.
“I told you that I don’t need anyone fussing over me like this. I had a stroke for crying out loud. I’m not dead.” Poppa Meech complained as I drove away from his physical therapy session. He’d recently suffered from a stroke, so we had been taking turns driving him back and forth to his appointments. Of course, he gave us a hard time because he couldn’t accept someone else helping him with the things he’s always been able to do for himself.
“Do you want some fried chicken from JJ’s or a seafood boil?” Poppa was supposed to be on a strict diet, but I snuck him some of the good stuff every now and then. The man was seventy-nine years old, so I thought he deserved a little cheat day every now and then.
“Umm, I want some of those hot honey tenders you got for me the last time. That seafood boil had me on the commode for three hours last time. Felt like my asshole was breathing fire.” He shook his head as he recalled the memory. I burst out laughing because my sister Patience called me frantic, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. She thought he had food poisoning or something.
“Alright, bet. I’ve been craving one of those fried apple pies from JJ’s for a week now. Hopefully that thick girl with the purple hair is working today so she can sneak me a couple of extra ones in there. I refuse to pay four dollars per pie.” I fussed.
“You are acting like you can’t afford it. Don’t tell me you’re going broke, Grandson.” I could hear the sarcasm in his tone as he smirked.
No matter how much money I made, I still hated to pay high prices for food. If I could walk into the grocery store and buy a whole pie for five dollars, why on earth would I be okay with being charged four dollars apiece for an apple pie hot pocket? It made no sense to me whatsoever.
“Never that, old man. I’d sell all of your cars and jewelry before I ever go broke,” I joked to get under his skin.
“The hell you will. I may not be in the streets anymore, but I’ve got a few soldiers that will dust off their tools to handle some business for me,” Poppa warned with his shaky ass finger in my face.
“Gone on, man. The only soldiers you know are the ones in the army of the Lord. I’m not worried about the Bengay Brigade coming after me. They’ll end up with a slipped disk messing with me.”
“Boy, get out of here. I’m the one who taught you how to shoot your first gun. You can never outsmart the teacher, youngblood.” My mind instantly went back to the instance he was referring to. While it may have been a joke to him, the memories were nothing to laugh about.
“You’re a man now, Grandson, and it’s time for you to learn the family business.” Poppa woke Pure and me up in the middle of the night and told us to get in the car. We had no idea where we were going, but we knew better than to question Poppa. Pure remained silent the entire ride, and I wondered what was going through his mind.
I always looked up to my big brother because he seemed so fearless. We had experienced a major loss when our parents were murdered a few weeks ago, but he seemed to be handling it better than the rest of us. He went to work and served as a father figure to our other siblings. Even at the service, his face remained emotionless and unfazed. I tried to pretend to be strong like him, but I failed miserably. The pain was almost unbearable, and had it not been for the pills my friend Jayce had given me, I didn’t think I would have been able to make it day by day.
Once we pulled up to this big white and blue building, goose bumps covered my arms. Poppa stressed the importance ofTaylor men being tough and fearless, so I tried to hide the fear inside of me. When we parked, a few men stood by his Cadillac. They were all dressed in black, and I realized that Poppa wore all black as well.
“Let’s go, boys.” Poppa wasn’t one to repeat himself, so we exited the car in silence. The night air smelled odd, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I followed behind my brother as he trailed the men. A few of them shook hands with Poppa and nodded toward Pure and me. However, no conversation was being had. I’d heard rumors about what my family did for a living, but I’d never been around it.
Whenever I asked my father when we were going to be a part of the family business, he always replied that we weren’t ready. Now that he was gone, I wondered who would be in charge now. I assumed my grandfather would be stepping out of retirement, but he had been taking a bunch of phone calls since my parents passed. Nana had been cussing and praying up a storm, which told me that whatever happened to my parents wasn’t over.
My nose scrunched up when I breathed in the air in the cold, stale building. It reminded me of the old gym we used to play in at the rec center, only it was darker and more mysterious. I had so many questions, and it bothered me that I couldn’t ask them. I figured if I held on a while longer, someone would tell me what was going on.
“Where are they?” Poppa probed as he led us down a dark hallway. I played it cool, but I was terrified. When I glanced up at Pure, he wore the same emotionless expression he always did.
I trusted my grandfather with my life, so I wasn’t worried about anything bad happening to us, but I had a feeling that whatever took place tonight would alter us for the rest of our lives.
We filed into the room, and I pulled my shirt over mynose because the smell was so bad. It only took a second for me to come face to face with the cause of the stench, and my eyes widened when I realized who it was. Uncle Brent. He had been my father’s best friend since before we were born. He was also Pure and Patience’s godfather. I turned to my grandfather for answers because I couldn’t understand why he was tied up.
His face was covered in dried blood, but I was still able to recognize him. His arms appeared to be tied behind his back as he sat in the metal chair. Someone had done a number on him, and I had even more questions flooding through my mind. Poppa’s eyes were as dark as charcoal, and they frightened me. His shoulders were squared as he stood with his hands locked in front of him.
I turned back around, and that was when I zoned in on the other man next to him. They had a sack over his face, so I waited for them to remove it. Once again, my brain filled with confusion as to what was going on. Poppa’s brother and my great uncle, Fletcher aka Uncle Fletch, had bruises and wounds like Uncle Brent. Poppa began to speak, and I gave him my full attention. I needed answers, and I needed them fast.
“The bible speaks about the last supper and how Jesus knew someone close to Him would betray Him. I could only imagine how He felt to be breaking bread with a snake, and the only thing He could do was wait for them to attack.” His tone was cold, yet smooth as he took a few steps closer to the men.
“Hmm, you know people often tend to believe that your enemies are the ones on the opposite side of the field, but in most cases, your biggest enemy is the one who hugs you and calls you afriend. They are the ones who give the speech at your wedding and teach your children how to ride a bike. One thing about a snake is that they have to be in close range in order to inflict the most pain.” Poppa reached into his suitjacket, and my eyes bulged when I saw a gun in his hand. There was no way he was about to do what I thought he was.
“My son loved you like you came from my nutsack. I always taught him not to trust anyone with your whole heart because even your closest friends would turn on you for the right price. My son was convinced there wasn’t a price large enough to sacrifice one’s loyalty. I guess he was wrong. Three hundred thousand dollars was all it took for you to lead your best friend and his wife to their deaths.” My eyes shifted between Poppa and Uncle Brent while my head shook in denial and disbelief. There was no way he would do anything like that. Uncle Brent loved us and treated us like family. He would never betray my father for money. I refused to believe that.
Poppa’sattention focused on Uncle Fletch. There was duct tape around his mouth, but he was squealing as if he was trying to say something.
“I always knew you were a rotten son of bitch, but for you to conspire against your own flesh and blood is a new low.” My grandfather called out to my brother. “Come here, Pure.” Pure swiftly moved next to him and turned to face him. Poppa placed his gun into Pure’s hand. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes as if they were engaging in a conversation no one else was a part of.
“Taylor men are strong and fearless. We don’t let people betray us and get away with it, you hear me? This man had your parents killed, and you need to remedy this situation. Nobody hurts a Taylor and lives to tell the story. Aim, hold it steady, and pull the trigger. Go ahead.” My heart was beating out of my chest as I watched my brother walk up to Uncle Brent. This was all too much for me, and my knees felt as if they would give out at any moment.
