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Three Days Later
This was the first evening in seventy-two hours that I wasn’t working. Being a stand-in for my father didn’t mean I did nothing. In fact, I did almost as much as he did. His right hand was aware of his role and responsibilities. There was a difference between his advisor and right hand or second-in-command. On the off chance something happened to my father, they wouldn’t take his place—I would. So I didn’t have to just be with him, I had to learn him and how he operated.
I also was the point of contact for our lieutenants, so whatever issues were going on with production, our workers, money, or customers, the issue came to me first to be screened. If it wasn’t serious enough for Pops to handle personally, I took care of it with Omari, and we both were in need of a night out after the bullshit we’d been called in to take care of.
Since I shared with Omari the decision that had been made, we hadn’t really had time to talk about it… until tonight. I could tell he was hesitant to ask me about it by how he pushed his glass from one side of the table to the other as he asked, “We just not gon’ talk about this?”
“About what?” I asked, though I knew exactly what he was referring to. I just wanted to hear him say it. To admit that this was real.
“You actually going through with the marriage?”
“I don’t have a choice. If I don’t, he has to get rid of Carlos, which means we lose millions in profit.”
With a sigh, Omari squeezed the back of his head. He didn’t seem to be for this, which was a surprise to me.
“I’on know, man. Is it really worth all that?”
“It’s not just about the money. This will solidify me as my father’s replacement. The other two stand-ins won’t matter. Automatically, all of this will belong to me.” I paused before admitting, “But being honest, this makes me want to do my own thing. I respect Pops doing whatever it takes to keep the board on one accord, but you know I’ve never been a fan of that shit.”
“I agree. The advisor I can rock with, but having an advisory board for his organization has never really made sense to me. If he’s the boss of all bosses, no man should be able to usurp him or undermine his decisions.”
“Now that I one hundred percent agree with. That’s why even if I do this, it won’t be for long. I’ll give it a year and take this shit from Carlos, but it’ll be a parting gift for Pops so I can do my own thing.”
“Damn.” Omari’s head jerked as if my words struck him physically. “Well, you know I’m down for whatever. If you leave, I ain’t stayin’ in this shit without you.”
I figured that would be the case, but it put me at peace to hear him say it. Regardless of how I felt about my father’s business moves, I didn’t think I’d ever want to leave him and do my own thing. Now, I was starting to feel like I had no choice. Between me taking care of mostly everything these days and being the face of the business, I didn’t like having to answer to the board. What he’d done to Whiskee with Carlos was like the final straw. Some shit I didn’t respect regardless of who was doing it, and taking away a woman’s freedom in this manner was making me look at him a little differently. I always knew Pops would do anything for his organization and make anyone dispensable, but this was the first time that it ever directly affected me.
The Next Morning
My text messages to Whiskee were green. I didn’t think she would block me, but that was how I felt when I called and got an automated message. That didn’t make sense. Before going into my mother’s home, I decided to call Pops and see if he’d heard from Carlos that he and Whiskee decided to renege on the contract.
“Hello?” Pops answered.
“Did Carlos and Whiskee change their minds?”
“No, why do you ask?”
Deciding not to give him any ammunition, I decided on, “I was just making sure we were still good to go.”
“Yeah, we are. He has the product now, so ain’t no turning back.”
“Aight, Pops. I’ll see you later.”
After disconnecting the call, I grabbed the doughnuts and coffee and headed to Mama’s front door. I had a key, but since she had a lil boyfriend I never used it unless it was an emergency. It didn’t take her long to answer, and at the sight of me and what I had, she gave me a wide smile.
“Hey, baby. It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too.”
She waited until I’d put everything on the kitchen island to pull me in for a much-needed embrace. No matter how old I got or how gangster I was, nothing would ever make me turn away from my mother’s hugs and love.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, opening the box of doughnuts. “I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
It wasn’t just work that kept me away. I was struggling with how I would tell her about me and Whiskee. Mama and I naturally had a deeper emotional bond than me and Pops. When I was younger, I resented the way she tried to keep me away from Pops and the business. She tried to shield me from what I felt was inevitable. As an adult, I understood why.
Even if she accepted who my father was and what he was about, she wanted better… something safer… for her child.
I sat down at the island as she placed a doughnut on a plate for each of us. I would’ve been cool with a paper towel, but Mama was extra like that.
