Page 94 of Search My Soul
Uncle Emilio dropped his head as if his dramatics would make any difference to me.
“Soul, please. This is different and you know it. I don’t believe any of that was even his fault. He got mixed up with that whore and he got caught up. She was the mastermind behind all of it because she wanted the money. You’ve already gotten revenge on her and her family. Plus, you let the other bitch walk away scot-free, so why can’t that be enough?” Something he said struck me as odd because only a handful of people knew about what went down.
“Who told you that?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said that I already got revenge on her and her family. Who told you that? Who told you I let the other woman go?” Emilio knew he fucked up, but I wanted to see how far he would take things.
“Well, I-I’m assuming she isn’t roaming the streets anymore.” I glanced over at my grandfather to make sure he was listening. I kept everything about this situation close to my chest because I didn’t want there to be any interference. The only thing my grandfather was told was that Remi was in on the shooting and that he had been plotting to rob me again. I never told anyone what happened with Juicy. One of the reasons was because I was embarrassed about the way I handled her. However, Emilio was speaking as if he knew something he shouldn’t have. Poppa Meech swore Emilio hadn’t been in contact with his son and had no idea where he was. Of course, I knew it was bullshit, but he had just exposed himself.
“When’s the last time you spoke to your son? ’Cause you told Poppa that he called you crying and told you he was going into hiding, yet you seem to know more about this situation than you’re letting on. How is that?” Emilio’s head whipped betweenPoppa and me. I already knew he was about to feed me some bullshit, but I was ready for it.
“Oh, come on, Soul. He’s my son. You can’t expect me not to make sure he is somewhere safe. We have spoken to each other a few times, but I swear I was not aware of what he was doing. He called me and asked for me to try and reason with you. He mentioned that you used to date the other girl involved and he didn’t think it was fair for you to forgive her and not him. She isn’t even family, but you had mercy on her. I’m simply asking for you to give my son the same grace.” I laughed heartily. Emilio was pulling out all the stops in order to get me to side with him. At least this confirmed that he wasn’t in on it, because he had no idea what he was talking about.
“I’m gonna go ahead and wrap this shit up. Remi went against the organization when he made the choice to rob me. I gave him plenty of chances to get his shit together, but instead of doing those things, he chose to betray me.” I turned to face Poppa, and I saw the sadness in his eyes. However, I reflected on all of the teachings he gave me over the years. My mind shifted to the night I caught my first body. It was the moment that shaped me into the man I was today.
“When you handed me that gun all those years ago, you told me that there was no such thing as family when a mothafucka goes against you. I pulled that trigger because your brother committed the ultimate sin against our family and you didn’t blink an eye. He was blood and he stood on your words. The game may have changed, but those core values remain the same. You raised me to never back down from shit and to make a mothafucka feel me, and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. If I were you, I would get with Emilio so the two of you can say your goodbyes because once I get my hands on Remi, it’s over. There is no forgiveness and there will be no mercy.” I stood from my seat so I could leave.
“Soul! You can’t do this! He’s your family! That’s my son.”
“You should have raised him better. There are no bitches in the Taylor bloodline, so he can’t be family.” I made my way up the stairs as Poppa’s men held Emilio back. There was not a single ounce of remorse or sympathy in my heart for him or his bitch ass son. Remi almost cost me everything that I’ve cared about, and he was gonna have to pay for it. If they wanted to give him a proper burial, I would make sure his body was still intact. However, that would be the only grace I would be giving him.
“Damn, who the hell is that?”I heard someone shout as I stepped out of the car. I chose to ignore the catcalls because I truly didn’t feel like I deserved them at the time. Since being pregnant, I’ve been feeling a little self-conscious about my weight. I shouldn’t have been bothered because I was carrying a life, but my hormones were all over the place.
“Damn, who is that big, fine mothafucka?” An older gentleman whistled as we got to the porch.
“Aye, chill out. I’ll go tell Auntie Renae that you’re out here being nasty,” Dee warned, causing the old man to focus his attention on him.
“You always were a snitching mothafucka. Ya daddy should have used a rubba.”
“Yeah, whatever. When Auntie put your ass out of her house, don’t come calling me.”
“Fuck you, youngblood. I still got some game in me. If she ever put me out, I’d find a new place to rest my head by the end of the night.” Dee shook his head then reached for my hand. I hesitated for a moment then decided to go with the flow.
The moment we stepped inside, there was nothing but chaos around me. Kids were running through the house, screaming at the top of their lungs. Music blared through the speakers in the kitchen, but the TV in the living room was just as loud as the men gathered to watch. It reminded me of the time we spent at my grandmother’s house. She used to keep a houseful of people, and I loved it. The sounds, the savory aroma from the kitchen, the warm feeling of love and family. Everything I craved in my own home.
Darion’s family spoke to him as he walked through the house, and they all seemed polite. A few of them stared at me much longer than I cared for, but I was someone new to them. Darion introduced me to his cousins and uncles then we headed into the kitchen.
“There she is! It’s so good to see you after so many years. Come over here and give me a hug!” Darion’s mother hugged me as if I was one of her children. I wasn’t used to this kind of affection from a parent, so I froze for a moment before my body relaxed in her embrace.
“How are you doing, Mrs. Jordan? You look amazing, and your skin is glowing.”
“Thank you, baby. Good dick and a peaceful life will do that for you,” she quipped. Darion rolled his eyes as he waved her off.
“See, I’m about to leave. You’re already doing too much. I don’t want to hear anything about you and Pops. That is nasty.” His face twisted into a deep frown, and I thought it was cute.
“Don’t pay my son any mind. How are you doing?” She stepped back and observed me for a moment.
“I-I’ve been okay,” I mumbled lowly. I couldn’t even bring myself to lie and say I was doing well because the truth was, I was just now at a point where I wasn’t crying myself to sleep.
“Trust me, I understand more than you know. Come on in here so we can get some food in your belly. I know that baby is ready to eat.” She smiled then rubbed my protruding belly that seemed to have sprouted overnight. I still couldn’t believe I was going to be somebody’s momma before the year ended.
“Well dang, Ma. Did you forget that I was standing here too?” Darion frowned as his mother’s eyes widened in embarrassment.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Son. You know I could never forget about my baby boy. How are you doing, handsome?” Mrs. Jordan wiped her hand on a towel before walking over to him. She opened her arms wide to embrace him with a smile on her face. Darion melted like putty when she cupped his face in her hands. I enjoyed the sight of the two of them loving on one another.
“I called you earlier and you never called me back,” she stated after she finished examining him from head to toe.
