Page 4 of On Everything 2

The dust started to scatter throughout the room, making it look smokey like a cigar lounge.

I pulled my shirt over my mouth and came further inside, fanning in front of my face.

I pulled out my phone and took a couple of pictures to send to my construction patna related to Scotty and my home designer, who just did Ciara's apartment the other day.

With the quick work they did on her spot in Castle Hill, and the remodel in the kitchen at my penthouse.

I would have this safe house ready in no time.

Then I'll be able to focus on other issues that arise in the streets, like niggas infringing on my territory.

After I took the photos of the downstairs unit, I dialed Ciara's number so I could come through and see her sometime today.

I'm sure she was hungover, lying down after getting drunk as hell yesterday.

The line rang for a few times and then once it went to voicemail, I hung up and put my phone back into my pocket.

With nothing else to do at the moment, I picked up a box and moved it out of the way, before moving another one and another one until I'd already made a pathway.

When I got to a stack of pictures lying at the top of a pile, there was a photo on top that was of my dad, my grandma, and my grandpa standing in front of grandpa's old Chevy in the front yard.

The house looked fresh back then, and my father looked younger than I am today in the picture.

I appreciated seeing pictures of my pops since he didn't take many when he was alive.

It was so rare for him to be caught on camera that we had to use a picture of him from the club on his obituary.

It was the only one we had of him smiling.

All the dust stirring around the room made me sneeze hard as hell, so I knew it was best I get the fuck out of here and let professional niggas handle this shit.

When I decided to come to a stopping point, I sat the pictures down on a box that was not stable, so all of the pictures came crashing to the floor.

When I reached to pick them up, one specific picture on the ground caught my eye.

It was of my father, a lady I didn't recognize, and a baby boy in her arms that I'm guessing was me.

I remember exactly what my mama looked like back in the day, and this wasn't her.

I took the photo with me up the stairs outside to figure out who mystery woman was in the picture.

I know my pops wasn't playing on my mama's top like this by having family pictures with me, him, and some hoe.

"I was just about to come tell you that I am just now dropping the chicken, so you may want to come to a stopping point down there and wash up so you can eat it fresh. How nasty is it down there?"

"Not really nasty, just dusty, as I don't know what. But Grandma, who is this woman in this picture holding me?"

Grandma's eyes squinted, and she placed the towel in her hand on her hip as she leaned to get a closer look at the photo in my hand.

"Oh, Oh."

She turned back to the stove, stirring in the pot of greens.

"Oh, what? My father had me taking family pictures with another woman? He was playing the game like that? No wonder, mama."

"Naw, naw. That's not what happened."

"Well, what happened?"

"It's really complicated, baby, and I wish your daddy had told you instead of me."

"Come on, sit down with me."

Grandma slid her feet over to the small breakfast table in the corner of the kitchen. Her and I took a seat, and she grabbed my hand across the table.

"Jehovah, that is not you in this photo. It was a baby that was supposedly his with another woman."

"Huh? He had other kids."

I looked harder at the picture now, grabbing a napkin from the spool in the middle of the table to wipe the dust for a better view.

"No, that isn't you. At that age, you were much chunkier, and when this picture right here was taken, you were a couple years older."

"So, he was living a life I didn't know about? Taking photos and shit with other families. Why don't I know these people?"

"Well, your father didn't want that picture ever taken in the first place.

He only had a copy of it because that girl kept leaving them on his door, cars, wherever she could to antagonize him.

She forced him into taking the picture in the first place.

That's why he looks so mad on there. You know your father was headstrong, so him and crazy women never mixed. "

"So, who is she?"

"Her name is Regina.”

“Regina who?

"I don't remember her last name. I don't even know the name of the baby. Your father didn't talk about them much"

"So where is the baby now? Did they take a test for him?"

"They did, but his mama was so crazy and so unhinged, your dad wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. I told him not to give up on his kid, but at the time, Papi was young, reckless, and his only concern was you."

"Damn, so where does Regina live now? Do you know?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"All I know now is that the money he gave her worked because she has never tried to come back around."

"Damn, so I have a brother out there that I don't even know. That shit doesn't sit right with me."

I leaned back in the seat, thinking about all the bombs that had just been dropped on me. This was one situation I don't agree on with my pops. Shit Cashmier is a piece of work, but I would never give up on my child because of her. If anything, I would get rid of her and keep my seed with me.

"Uh, Oh. You're not about to go try and find these people, are you? Just leave well enough alone now because you don't want anyone feeling entitled to anything you have. We don't know who that little boy in that photo grew up to be."

"Entitled to what? Pops didn't leave me anything of value here. It all went to his white wife, remember."

"You know the street business is just as lucrative as any assets he left. I'm just asking you to be careful on that. Sometimes, leaving well enough alone is the best thing to do. Uncle Gio and your father should show you that blood doesn't make you get along."

"Yeah, but they also showed me how not to be with your family. It's too many potential enemies out there to be beefing with blood. I would like to know who he is."

" I understand that baby but just be careful. That's all grandma ever asks of you."

“Of course.”

When I stood from my seat, I leaned down and kissed her on her cheek.

I would do anything for this lady, but one thing I can't do is let it slide that I may have a sibling out there somewhere. With a world full of snakes, I'm starting to see I need family close to me. Maybe finding someone I share blood with will put a little more loyalty in my corner.

What can it hurt? My throne is secure.