Page 43 of His Noble Heart
“I don’t wanna hear shit. Get your buddy, get the fuck off this corner, and take your stupid asses home. When I come through here again, I don’t wanna see you or your boy. Do you understand?”
He eyed the paper bag in my hand with tears running down his face. “We work for the Riders. If we come up short, they’ll kill us.”
“The Westside Riders?” He nodded. “If I give you this money, I don’t wanna see you and your boy on another corner, or I’m gon’ kill you,” I lied.
He nodded, and something in his eyes told me he believed I’d kill him. I shoved the paper bag into his chest, and he ran away like the scared child he was, leaving his boy behind. I walked away empty-handed, but strangely enough, I felt good.
“Wordon the street is you’re dating someone,” my mother said.
“Ha! Word on the street, or Indy?” I questioned because my youngest sister couldn’t keep a secret to save her life.
“Wow, Sis. You really think I told Mama your business?” Indira asked as if she was offended.
“It’s not really a question. It’s a fact I’d bet my life on.”
My mother hosted Sunday dinner at least once a month, more if the mood struck her. It was late September and still hot outside, so my father was on the grill. Our family had grown over the past couple of years, so each household had to contribute something to help lighten my parents’ load. If cooking wasn’t their ministry, they brought drinks, paper goods, or plasticware.
“You’ve been seeing him for over a month. Why are you keeping him a secret from Mama anyway?” Indira asked, trying to justify her big mouth.
All of us were close to our parents, and it was very little we kept from them.
“If I wanted him to be a secret, you wouldn’t know anything about him. I’ve been busy since school started and haven’t had time to talk to Ma.”
“You’ve been busy because you spend all your free time with him.” Talia chimed in.
“Not you too, Lia,” I fussed. “You usually back me up.”
She laughed. “Not this time. I’m ready to officially meet this man because I think youlikehim, like him.”
“Call him and invite him over,” Ma said.
“Call who and invite who over?” my brother asked when he entered the kitchen.
“Nobody, Sonny,” I quickly responded.
“Your sister is seeing someone, and we want to meet him,” Ma said.
“Oh my God. I’m going home. I’ll pick up something to eat on the way.”
Talia was right, I liked Rowdy . . . a lot, and we were moving fast, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready for him to meet my family. There were a lot of us, and they could be . . . intimidating.
“Nah, call that nigga and tell him to bring his ass,” Shyne demanded.
“Boy, watch your damn mouth,” Ma reprimanded Shyne.
"My bad, Ma.”
“It’s Sunday, and it’s short notice. It’s just him, his mom, and his younger sister. They might be spending the day together,” I said.
“Invite them too. You know, the more the merrier,” Ma said.
My entire immediate family, except for my father, who was outside on the deck, stared me down, waiting for me to call Rowdy. I knew there was no way around it, so I took my phone from my back pocket and called him.
“Put it on speaker,” Shyne’s meddling ass said.
The phone only rang once before Rowdy picked up.
“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted, making me blush as my family watched and listened.
