Page 11 of For the Love of City

He was looking between the two of us because I knew this wasn’t the reaction he was expecting from either of us.

My eyes went to the new hardwood floors ma had installed.

She didn’t want to leave the house she’d raised us in despite man being more than willing to do so.

We’d clung to each other after daddy died so change was hard.

That was another reason I’d been so okay with letting Link derail my plans.

It made it easier to stay here where I was comfortable.

Ma rounded the corner from the kitchen and leaned on the wall and I could tell they were getting ready to fuss. Man really felt like we were his responsibility and that went double for me. When she crossed her arms I knew she was going to explain it to him in a way that he couldn’t refute.

“And what you want her to do? Go out there and fight? Let that nigga know he affecting her? That’s boosting his head up and making it look like she lost. Ain’t no daughter of mine fighting over a nigga, especially a whack one.

And he broke to boot? Hell no. C’mon now I thought I taught you better than that, boy.

” Her hands were on her hips, face and body not looking like she’d carried two kids who were both grown.

Guess that was the blessing of having your kids before you were twenty-one.

Our faces were similar but mama’s nose was more narrow and so were her lips.

Man thought about what she’d said and it was clear he understood but he was still angry about Link. “I’m just saying—”

I was tired of him treating me like I didn’t know shit. The situation looked bad but it was my issue to handle. “You just saying what? You only in here making it worse.”

He pointed toward the door before looking at me like I was now on his bad side. “Me making it worse? That nigga out there embarrassing you.”

“Nah, that nigga is out there embarrassing himself. Make no mistake. He was never the prize in that situation. Your sister was.” My mama had a blunt hanging out the side of her mouth like a cigarette and she was more than adept at talking around it.

My brother sucked his teeth completely irritated by the both of us. “Well, I know that—”

“Well, if you know that then why in the hell would you be encouraging her to go and fuck up her life behind a boy who don’t matter? I just had to bail her ass out of jail.”

Why she had to tell him that when he was already on ten and heading to twelve? The way he slowly turned toward me didn’t give me any comfort. I knew from watching him lose his shit on other people that it was just his way of trying not to completely lose his mind. “Out of jail? For fucking what?!”

His voice was low but had that deadly tone laced through it.

“‘Cause she got caught up in his bullshit. That nigga was moving stupid and she got wrapped up in it.”

“And he left you in there?”

I nodded because the truth wasn’t anything I could deny. Mama would just tell my business no matter how I was feeling so just coming out with it was the best course of action.

“He did.”

“Tell me you ain’t take the charge for that nigga. You shouldn’t have had shit because I took the money off you and as always you ain’t have much product left.”

“You ain’t got shit on you now do you? With the way that nigga’s moving, he’s liable to call the laws while we sitting here cause he mad Prissy don’t give a fuck about him.” Ma walked to the blinds and looked out like she thought someone was legitimately there.

Man’s mouth dropped like he was utterly insulted by her words. “Ma, you taught me better than that. But we talking about Prissy’s ass right now.”

If they were referring to me by my childhood nickname, they might not be too mad, but I knew that would change at any second.

“That’s why he out there pissed now, because she didn’t.

” I sighed at mama doing her absolute best to make a bad situation worse.

Instead of being sorry she just glared at me and the look on her face was full of challenge.

Her arms crossed, head snaked full of anger and I had to remember that I’d dragged the both of them into this shit with me and Link. “Right or wrong?”

“You right, mama. And no, there was nothing but he had smoked in the car, which gave them a reason to search it. They found something small that was just a ticket and were trying to give me a hard time. He didn’t tell them it was his so I went in for it since I was the owner of the car.”

Man chuckled and gave a quick nod as his eyes darted back toward the door. For a second I thought he was going to walk out of it and handle Link but he stayed put. Mama must’ve had the same thought because I watched her body tense like she was poised to go after him.

“Oh, he feeling real brave now, huh? Too many times you forced me to give his whack ass a pass. Put that nigga on and somehow you one of my best workers even though you ain’t supposed to touch shit.

But now he feels the need to let your name be put in a system that we fought too hard to keep it out of?

His chances are over, Prissy. I hope you know that.

Running ‘round like he a trill ass nigga but he ain’t nothing but a ho. ”

I could only nod because even if I didn’t want to be done with him as much as I did, my family would never respect him again after what he pulled.

Link didn’t know it, but today was going to be the last time his ass could even turn down this street.

The same niggas he was constantly trying to impress were going to be more than happy to listen to Man and keep their distance from him.

Unlike Link, they actually put in work and making sure Link didn’t fuck up their spot with my brother far surpassed any tenuous association they had.

Link didn’t have friends, he had people he thought were cool so he tried to fit in.

He’d gone from the shy kid to this man who didn’t really fit into this world he was trying to run in.

Nothing I did would change his mind and now he’d dug his own grave.

“That’s why he’s mad now. Lashing out and shit and trying to toss that bitch built like a rectangle in her face.

He wants her to be bothered. He thinks this is how he can control her.

But I taught you better than that didn’t I, Prissy?

” My mama was trying to hype me up but I really just needed a minute to think about everything that was happening all at once.

“You did.”

She rolled her eyes before putting her blunt on the ashtray on the counter.

“And don’t say it with such reluctance. I gave you the game so you could never get gamed.

You don’t see me running around like a chicken with no head when a nigga fuck up.

I understand your heart is hurt, but right now?

You need to remember who the hell you are and who the hell he isn’t. ”

I rolled my shoulders back ready to go through these motions and hopefully go to my room and lay down. “I’m your daughter—”

Her finger went up to stop me and she looked at me with a face filled with annoyance.

“Hell nah. That ain’t got nothing to do with me.

Remember who you are outside of me. I can only teach you what it is I want you to know and how you should act.

Everything else is on you. I taught you to stand on your own two feet and to never let a nigga knock you off your square.

So why you’re doing it now is beyond me.

But one thing I know? You mess up your life behind that boy, I can’t save you.

Because the first time you do it, will show him just how easy it is to play you.

And to pit the two of y’all against each other.

You see how stupid she is behind him? Only go over there for the kid, right?

And takes you along to throw you in her face.

And your simple ass lets him. Talking about y’all family.

Nah, that’s a boy trying to fill the shoes of a man.

Your daddy didn’t play when it came to his family.

He might have had some simple bitches after him, but we were always his priority. ”

“Mama you was slanging as much as daddy.”

I had to smile because even when he was angry Man was trying to break the tension by feeding into mama’s ego so she would ease off me.

My mama took the bait and smiled as she flipped the long ponytail I’d given her over her shoulder.

“I sure the fuck was. And you grateful for that shit now, ain’t you?

Look at you positioned to be a king instead of being a forever corner boy.

You got your toes wet for a minute and now you gettin’ out of that shit to do what it is you want to do.

What you’re good at. We ain’t the richest muthafuckas but we ain’t had to beg a soul to put bread on this table.

So say what you want about me or your daddy, but we never let our kids go without.

One thing you’ll never be able to say is that we moved stupid.

Just because some jealous muthafucka took your daddy away from us doesn’t mean he wasn’t the smartest man in the room.

It doesn’t mean he wasn’t making plans to be more than what he was.

A man doesn’t define you. Your occupation doesn’t define you.

Your character does. You want to be a stylist but you been letting that boy hold you back.

You been had the money for everything yet you wasting time not building your dreams because of him. You take my advice?”

“I never told him about the money I had put back.”