Page 11 of Rah

The robbery had been all over the news. Luckily, the security cameras didn’t get a shot of their faces. I told them to set the car on fire that they were riding in last night. As far as we could tell from the news coverage, the police didn’t have any suspects. But I would know more once Solae went back to work.

Either way, if they got caught, it was on them. I wasn’t there. That’s why I set the shit up like that. Regardless, they were so loyal to me, the man that fed them, that they would never snitch.

Either way, I was good.

MOSES

I pulled up in front of a condo building in the South Loop with glass so clean it mirrored the sky. It was the type of spot that had valet out front and concierge behind marble desks.

I hopped out my ride with my product in my book bag and headed inside, fighting the bitter cold along the way.

When I stepped off the elevator onto his floor, the condo was right there. I knocked once and the door opened almost instantly. Inside was the kind of luxury I always pictured us living in. It had white walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and abstract art that probably cost more than my car. I wasn’t the type to envy, but damn, I couldn’t wait to put my family in something like this.

“Right on time,” my client, Richard, said, already smiling. He was older, maybe mid-forties, with premature silver hair and a gym-built body. He was a doctor. We’d met through a mutual acquaintance about six months back, and ever since, he’d been one of my best customers.

I took the coke out of the bookbag and set it on his marblecounter. He went into his pocket, peeled off the bills, and handed it to me.

“Man, I’ve been listening to that new track you dropped,” he said, grinning. “That shit’s hot. You’ve really got something, Moses.”

I smirked and nodded as I tucked the money away. “Appreciate it. Glad you rock with it.”

It was always weird hearing that. I still wasn’t used to strangers knowing me, quoting my lyrics, and pulling me up on YouTube. They thought fame meant money, but I was still out here grinding. The streams didn’t pay the rent; drugs did.

We dapped up, and I left and headed for the elevator.

As the doors slid open, I wished I could surprise Kahlani and Trent with a crib like these. That dream was always playing in my head. I fantasized about walking them through a crib like that one, away from the hood.

The elevator stopped on the next floor, and a woman stumbled in. She looked like the morning after. Her hair was wild, her makeup was smudged, and her dress was too short and tight for the time of day. She was clearly doing the “walk of shame”. She kept her head down at first, clutching her purse, but then she glanced up. Our eyes met, and I could see the recognition hit her.

Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God! You’reMoses!”

Before I could respond, she was already in my space, wrapping her arms around me like we were old friends. I froze, then gave her a quick, awkward one-arm hug.

“I love your musicsomuch,” she gushed, digging through her purse. “Wait, wait! Don’t move!” She pulled out her phone, went to her camera, flipped it towards us, and without asking, she snappeda selfie.

I forced a polite smile. “Nice to meet you. Appreciate the love.”

“Oh my God, you’re even cuter in person! And your son looksjustlike you!”

“Yeah, he does.”

“Oh myGooood,” she squealed, wiggling excitedly. “I can not believe I am on the elevator with you. Wait until I tell my girls. We bump your music all the time!”

As the elevator hit the lobby, I told her, “I appreciate the love, I got more heat coming.”

“I’ll be downloading it,” she said as I bolted out of the elevator.

Outside, I pulled my hood up and I let out a slow breath. No matter how many times that happened, I never got used to it. The attention felt strange when I was still hustling and dodging cops and rivals.

That was the kind of fame I had. People knew my name, my music, even my kid and my woman, but I still wasn’t rich enough to stop hustling. I was a trap artist still trapped, trying to climb to the next level, but the ladder was made of smoke.

3

SOLAE

Ihad been in a serious funk for the past two days. I had never felt this way after terminating a pregnancy. I was constantly on the verge of tears.

I really wanted that baby. However, as I got the kids together for school that morning, and myself together for my first day back to work, I couldn’t imagine having to get a newborn ready as well. Rah had left quite early that morning to take care of some things at the bar, so I was there alone, fussing with kids that didn’t want to go to school.