Читать книгу Knock Knock Whooz There? - Marvin Griffin - Страница 4

Brick made his way to the counter and then he gradually slipped behind it, fastening the metal latch back that secured the miniature door. "A little dusting won't hurt nothing. Now if I can just find a rag." Brick thought. He already knew there was probably dozens of dust rags in the storage room but he wasn't about to go all the way back there just to get one. And calling Faith was definitely out the question. He wasn't about to awake that sleeping giant. He could hear her now blasting him for stopping her from doing what she was doing to find him a stupid rag. Brick smiled at the thought. "Oh Faith," he gasped. She'd definitely bagged a dramatic role in his life. "I love women who don't take no shit from nan nigga! Faith didn't bar none." Brick thought and something about that just gave him a rise, not sexually.

All he wanted to do was wipe the counters down and he had a solution. It dawned on him he kept a clean white handkerchief on him at all times, just for emergencies that he seldom used. Until now, Brick whipped the crispy white handkerchief out his pocket, popped it open, and started doing his thing. The whole time he hummed an R-Kelly tone in his head. "Gotham City for the Ghetto – Ghetto…".

Ten minutes later Brick heard the door to the store open and then felt the presence of someone walk in and that's what startled him. He didn't have the slightest clue who it was but he had a stern message for them. The music stopped playing in his head.

"We not open yet," Brick said cordially. He never bothered to look up, he just kept doing what it was he was doing.

"And who says so," the intruder said using a different tone. Undeterred, he continued to make his way in. He approached the counter. Right then Brick smelt trouble and instantly he stopped what he was doing. "Fuck!" He gasped. Brick realized a robbery was about to go down and how he'd got caught slipping. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He grunted inwardly. "Why in the fuck I didn't lock that fucken door!" He still never looked up. He knew that would be an amateur move that could cause him to get shot. He could feel the weight of his gun inside his pocket. But he'd be a fool to go for it, whoever this standing over him had the ups on him. The most fucked up part was how he couldn't reach the panic button because it was right beside the cash register which was at least two or three feet away. It went off to the police department and he didn't exactly like the idea of him calling the police. The alarm was put there for his employees. There was only one thing he could do. Good thing he had a panic button installed a couple months ago. He put it there for his employees to use in the event they couldn't get to the register. The only difference was all those buttons went to his office and other parts of the restaurants. In fact, there were two alarms right where Faith was located at now. Brick just hoped like hell she was paying attention. "On second thought I guess I got to awake the sleeping giant after all."

"I said who says so," the intruder asked again and Brick pressed down hard. His wiping rhythm slowed down a little more. "Faith where the fuck you at? You should've been out here by now." Brick still refused to look up. He knew if he seen the robber's face the intruder would be forced to kill him. He didn't want to die. But before long the intruder was standing right in front of him. He slammed a dollar down and said.

"I wanna fukin' eat and this is all I'm gone pay for a plate. If I think the food worth any more then I'll think about adding some more to it."

Brick couldn't believe what was happening to him. "Who the fuck is dis tryna nigga like this?" Brick thought. He tried to place the voice as Faith crept up from the blind side. The way she stepped the intruder never knew she was standing right behind him. Faith thought, "I could blow this mutha-fucka's brains out right now." Today was his lucky day though because she thought she had to preserve the image of the restaurant. "Business had to go on." Faith thought as she raised her weapon to a firing position up against her shoulder and face. All she had to do now was pull the trigger.

"I know one thing, whoever the fuck dis is," Brick thought, "was going to pay for trying me."

"I don't keep no cash around here." Brick pleaded.

"Nigga I said I want to eat. I ain't..." the intruder was about to say before he felt the barrel of Faith's AK-47 poke him in the back of his head. Faith thought it was time to put a stop to this.

"Bitch nigga, you ain't gone get nothin' out dis mutha-fucka but death!" Faith let it be known. Then she thought she was standing to close to the intruder. He could easily turn around and try to deflect her weapon out her hand and she couldn't have that.

Faith's voice broke through the thick tension that had sieged Brick. Sweat tricked down his temper he was seething. But now he could look up. Finally.

"Pussy nigga put'cha hands up!" Faith said.

The intruder cou1dn't do anything but throw his hands up and surrender whatever dominance he thought he may have had.

"Hey-dis. . ." The intruder tried to talk but Faith silenced him with the quickness.

"Fuck nigga!"

When Brick finally raised his head from its bowing posture and placed his menacing eyes in the intruder's face he couldn't believe his eyes. His mouth fell agape. His heart started to calm down as he looked at the intruder and the audacity to crack a smile. "This ain't no mutha fuckin' jack."

"Equal!" Brick cried a tear of joy seeing his main man's face. Brick fell extraordinarily ovum color - calm, direct, but shocked.

"Yeah it's me poppa. And dis tha kinda welcome home treatment? I don't get it, all I wanted was something to eat. That damn bus ride kilt me and all I got to my fuckin' name is a measly ass dollar..."

"Oh my God" Brick prayed. Then he scaled the counter and rushed up to him and draped his arms around him. Equal returned the gesture.

"Nigga when you got out."

"Yesterday, I been on the bus all night on my way home. This was the first place I stopped."

Brick looked at Equal again in disbelief. It was years since he last seen him but not much about Equal had changed. Other than the slight ball spot at the top of his head he looked the same. He was a medium height a light skinned brother, 5'10 and weighed approximately 175 pounds.

"Nigga why you ain't call, and where all your bags?"

"Cause I wanted to surprise you. But shit look like I'mma 'bout to get kilt on my first day home." Equal looked back at Faith who still had her weapon in her hands. At least she didn't have it aimed at him anymore, which was a good thing. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say sorrow didn't know. Faith walked over to Equal and leaned over towards his face.

"Girl you ain't changed a bit." Equal said, right before he kissed her on the cheek. "I don't have no bags. Now y'all gone feed a brother off it in this establishment or not."

"Awe nigga you know we gone feed ya, come on over here let's sit down.

Faith, hook Equal up, give 'em my plate." Brick said, as he escorted Equal to a corner table.

Faith left Brick and Equal alone. She returned ten minutes later carrying a silver platter with a full course breakfast on top of it.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout" Equal stood up to retrieve the tray from her. Once he got it out her hand he returned to his seat. "Man I'm starving."

"Well you came to the right place." Brick said.

Faith stood around as Equal devoured his food. There wasn't a lot of talking going on. Equal wasn't lying when he said he was hungry because it in a matter of minutes he'd just about eaten everything he had on his plate and drunk a picture of orange juice. Faith decided to walk off. She had other things to do and standing around shooting the breeze, no matter how cool it was, just wasn't gone get it. But first, she had to clean up behind Equal.

"I'll get that." She said, as she commenced to pile the dishes up.

"So what's been happening, Equal" Brick finally said. "Man I'm sorry 'bout what happened to your wife."

Brick knew talking about Equal's wife was a touchy subject but he had to express his condolences to his friend. "That was fucked up what happened to him." Brick thought. Brick and Faith glanced at each other.

"Man fuck dat shit. I don't even wanna talk about that, that ain't what I came for." Equal wiped his mouth clean with the napkin.

"Sorry 'bout dat my nigga."

"I'mma put these dishes up an' get back to doin' what I was doing." Faith said.

"No-o hol' Faith don't go yet. I wanna holla at'cha too, you and Brick 'bout something" Faith glanced at Brick to see him nodding his approval.

"Okay, well let me just put these dishes away and I'll be right back."

Five minutes later she returned drying her hands on her apron. She took a seat across from Equal next to Brick.

Brick and Faith sat there like they were pupils waiting to hear what Equal found so important that he almost lost his life trying to tell.

"So what's up Equal?" Brick quipped.

"I wanna get some money." Equal said. He looked serious.

"Well hell, don't we all." Brick cackled. He didn't mean to laugh in his face. But what he said was laughable. Faith took a different approach, she sat quietly.

"I'm serious poppa I'm talkin' 'bout some real money, not none of that chump change." Equal tried to put Brick on the defensive as he looked around the restaurant. Brick took a cursory glance at Faith. Then he turned his attention back to Equal.

Brick had his arm slung over the back of the chair over Faith's shoulders but now he removed it as if by doing so would make him pay a little more attention to what Equal was saying. "That was just it, what the hell was he saying? That his restaurant wasn't real cheese?" Brick thought. "Whether it was real money, the kind of money he clocked when he was in the game, that was a different story, but it paid the bills."

"So wha'cha sayin'?" Brick questioned on the defense. There was a hint of aggression in Brick's voice which Equal picked up on immediately. But that's where he wanted his friend. That way he'll pay attention to what he was trying to say.

"I'm talkin' 'bout millions poppa." Equal clarified his statement. Subtly, he steered Brick and Faith to his line of thinking. "Nigga you sittin' on a gold mine around here an' you ain't digging up the gold, you letting other niggas dig up all the gold." Equal joked and Brick looked confused.

"I'm talkin' 'bout getting in the game. We can lock dis shit down around here an' make millions in no time."

The whole time Equal talked Brick and Faith listened intently. He watched how Brick's face brightened up when he mentioned millions. He was painting the first seeds for his future in Brick's head, as a big time drug dealer. It was true, how later Equal even attained the clout as a criminal master mind. But everyone knew Equal always made a living as con man. The only difference now is he was conning his own friend. But let him tell it, it wasn't exactly a con since Brick was going to benefit as much as him if not more.

"Maybe Brick had never considered taking over the blocks. Or maybe he thought how full of shit I was for suggesting something like that. It was just hard for me to tell what the hell was going on in Brick's head." Equal thought.

"I did a lot of thinking big poppa. All we gotta do is get us some killers on our line an' we can rough off all the major traps in Miami. We can take over 15th Ave, the bab, Overtown and the Matchbox, Man just think of all the money we'll make if we locked down all the major drug holes. Not just one of them. All we gotta do is come up with about ten or twenty kilos and a few kilos of heroin to supply the spots for now."

Equal had Brick and Faith's undivided attention as he rambled on and on for long stretches of conversation discussing double figures they would make monthly and triple digit annually. Selling drugs. It was the same analogy of street dreams: "Once you show the hood who got the juice and power you become their god." Equal said directly.

There was other idiosyncrasies in Brick's world that might have caused him some concern. Like for instance, he had a brother serving a life sentence that he needed to be there for. "The question is what would happen to him if something don't go right." Brick pondered. "But what if everything went according to how Equal was planning? You know what I could do to help love finally get out of prison?"

"Man, you really think we can do dis?" Brick asked.

"Whatta about the police, an' all the hood rats running 'round here, that got the game so fucked up?" Faith chimed in before Equal could answer Brick's question. "Listen, one at a time." Equal mind screamed. He turned to Faith and said finally. She sat up in her chair.

"We'll knock anybody off who gets in our way. As far as the police is concerned I don't think they'll be a problem."

"And why is that?" Brick asked.

"Because we'll pay them off..." Equal answered.

Everybody heard someone knock on the store's glass window. Instinctively, Equal and Faith turned to its direction as Brick glanced down at his watch.

"Oh shit, it's 6:30," he mumbled aloud. "We been sitting here talking for hours." "Faith must've locked the door." Brick thought. Faith got up and commenced to walk towards the door. She was so preoccupied by what Equal was saying she forgot she still had the AK in her hands.

"Faith!" Brick shouted at her. "Girl what'cha doin' go put that gun up." Brick stood up. "Don't worry 'bout it I'll get the glock." Faith smiled guiltily. As she disappeared into the bowels of the restaurant Brick commenced to walk to the door.

"Man dis shit a hundred percent guaranteed." Equal grinned wickedly at Brick. He already knew who it was knocking. It was the second part of his plan. Brick could see it for himself the closer he got to the door.

Famous, Burden, Religion, Glory, and Justice pranced inside the door as soon as Brick opened up. All of them had their own facial expression that displayed some form of happiness to be there. Everybody gave Brick some dap and a hug as they passed him.

"Damn what dis is go holla at Brick day?" Brick said with playful sarcasm. After the last man walked through the door Brick peeped out the door to make sure that was it. He was about to lock the door until l pulled up and hit the horn two times. Out of all people Brick hated to see me coming.

But it wasn't shit he could do about it. When I walked inside the restaurant everybody looked at me like I was stupid. Brick locked the door behind him. He thought, inwardly, "Maybe um going to be a little late opening today after all."

I was shocked when I seen who was all there. It was the usual suspects. Equal stood up the moment he seen me walk through the door. I wasn't exactly a part of the plan. But everyone else was.

I'd told Brick plenty of times that when he decided to go straight that he needed to lose the name Brick as well. Because it just had a negative inference and that it had the potential to attract people and things out your past that you were trying to disassociate yourself from. But he was hard headed which surprised me because he prided hisself in the fact that he'd finally decided to go legit. But shit didn't look good now. Seeing who I was seeing in the store made me worried. I had already forced Brick and his boys out the game once and I wondered if I was going to have to go through that same thing again. Brick already knew how I felt about niggas selling drugs in my community. I showed him one time. And I told him what I would do if he ever got back in the game and I meant what I said.

As soon as Famous, Burden, Religion, Glory, and Justice spotted Equal they showed him a nomenclature of hugs and kisses followed suit.

"Oh, yeah, Brick, I forgot to mention I called the boys while I was at the bus station and told to meet me over here"

"Did you tell 'em about yo plan?" Religion asked.

"Yeah, I ran it down to 'em." Equal responded.

"Man, I told you not to say shit till I'm here." Justice piped up.

"Nigga I wasn't about to be waiting all day on you, I didn't know when you were gone show up. Besides what does it matter if you were here or not?" Equal quipped.

"So what the nigga say?" Glory questioned.

Faith reemerged from the back again. When everybody seen her they got quiet. She had this questioning look on her face as she pointed at her watch letting Brick know it was almost time to open.

"He ain't say nothin' yet." Equal answered Glory's question.

"Awe yo, it's a good plan" Religion walked up beside Brick and said.

Brick did something I never expected him to do. When he told Faith they were going to keep the restaurant close for the day I knew I was fucked. I was like Oh shit, here we go again. Brick wanted to hear some more about this million dollar plan Equal said he had and what was the soonest did he think they could get started. That was another one of Brick's most passionate fixations, his love for money.

"Oh so y'all niggas just gone ignore me huh?" I spat at everybody.

"Well I'm gone tell the people who I am. I'm the narrator of this gritty ghetto tale you're about to read. I was there when it all went down and because I was the one who brought the "Mercenary's" crew down to its knees that's why I'm the one who can write.

I told that nigga Brick that if he ever got back in the game that I was going to see to it he and whoever he was down with to prison. All he had to do was stay out the game and I'll keep my mouth shut. But he wouldn't listen and I had to do what I had to do to stop them.

And just when you thought you read it all, then came this wickedly, beguiling, and villainous ghetto tale with engaging pros and subplots of the most egregious, bizarre betrayal amongst friends entitled Knock Knock Whooz There!"