“That’s them little niggas. But Imma let y’all’s old niggas think y’all did something,” Hakeem joked talking shit back.
“Daddy!” Mason ran over to us out of breath. “Braxton is crying. Hey Uncle Mikael,” Mason said as she gave me a sideways hug.
“Sup niece.”
“Come on Aunty Karii, let me show you a trick I just learned.” Mason excitedly said grabbing Karii’s and pulling her towards the pool.
“Wait for meee!” Hiro screamed running behind them.
“I’ll be right back,” Lo said walking back in his house.
“How you been?” I asked turning towards Hakeem.
“I been good. You know I made honor roll again,” Hakeem proudly stated.
“That’s what’s up. I’m proud of you,” I said dapping Hakeem up.
Hakeem had a good head on his shoulders for the most part. He had his moments like all young niggas his age, but when it came to the important shit like his schools and grades he stayed on top of shit. Compared to Lo and me Hakeem was a saint and that’s how we wanted it to be. The streets were something we never wanted Hakeem or Hiro to have to experience. Hakeem knew if he did what he was supposed to do to me and Lo were going to make sure he had everything he needed.
“And I’m finna be sixteen soon,” Hakeem eagerly said, rubbing his hands together.
I threw my head back laughing because I knew he was finna ask for something big. “Man, you finna be fifteen, you gotta have an entire year befo’ you turn sixteen.”
“But this year gone fly bye and then Imma be sixteen and I’m tryna get a car for my birthday then,” Hakeem tried to reason.
“We gonna put you in driving school first and once you get ya licenses we ah talk about a car after,”
“What y’all talkin’ bout?” Lo came back outside with Braxton in his arms.
“A car,” Hakeem hurried up and answered.
“Get ya L’s first then we can talk.”
“Where Fallon?” I question him looking at Braxton. My upper lip curled the more I looked at that little nigga.
Call me what you what, but a nigga like me kept it ten thousand. If some shit was off with me I was finna speak on it. Braxton was still a baby, and I was aware babies’ looks could change as they got older. That was all good, my thing was Braxton didn’t look like anybody I knew. He didn’t take after Fallon; the little nigga was a darker brown complexion and that didn’t mean shit cause our daddy was dark as fuck. But Braxton still had no traits of anybody in our family and none of Fallon’s family. The math wasn’t mathing for me. I wouldn’t be my brother’s keeper if I didn’t speak on the shit. But I was trying to figure out the best way to bring this to Lo’s attention. I knew how he was behind his kids and I didn’t want the nigga spazzing out. I wore my temper on my sleeve; Lo was the quiet nigga that caught you off guard when he got mad. I wasn’t tryna visit my brother behind bars cause he killed Fallon’s ho ass. We already knew her ass was up to no good after our run in with her brother. It wasn’t far-fetched for her to lie about the little nigga being Lo’s seed.
“Fuck if I know. I told her she wasn’t invited.” Lo shrugged uncaringly.
“Don’t she live here?”
“I don’t give a fuck where she live. This is a party for my family. That ho ain’t shit to me.”
I was surprised how calm this nigga had been since catching Fallon with that nigga from her job. Even when he told me about it he was real casual about the shit. I thought he’d lost his fucking mind forreal.
“So, I’m saying Lo,” Hakeem spoke with a mug on his face. “Who baby is that forreal? He don’t look like nobody I know and he kind of cock eyed and ain’t nobody come from my bloodline gone have wandering eyes.”
Hakeem had me fucking speechless as he said everything that a nigga had been thinking. He went straight for the jugular ripping the fucking band aid off. I was gone have a talk with this nigga about holding his tongue cause damn.
I watched Lo, and the crazy nigga had a fucking smirk on his face. He looked down at Braxton and then back at us. “Ya guess as good as mine.” Lo answered throwing me all the way off.
“Nigga what? You know that little nigga ain’t yours and you taking care of him?” I spat angrily looking at Lo like he was slow as fuck.
“I mean he a baby, he can’t help he came out a ho,” Lo explained, laughing at my anger.
“Fuck that! Sit his ass down. He better learn how to take care of himself until his mammy come get his ass.” I exclaimed, ready to throw Fallon and her baby outta Lo’s house. He’d been letting that bitch get away with too much shit for my liking.
“I agree with big bro,” Hakeem gritted out with a matching mug.