A Player's Prayer

Six

One week later

"Look at the fuckin materiallll, period cousin." B fluffed and shook her freshly pressed hair out as her cousin Kelis recorded her. They were at their go to Dominican hair spot on Rockaway and Seaview, both getting their hair done courtesy of B. Technically Christian was covering the tab, but same shit. She knew she needed a good blow out before she left for Atlanta in the morning. She made arrangements with her parole officer again stating she would be living in Atlanta for a couple months since she couldn't move around without niggas knowing.

On a regular tip she would get some good chicken wings from the Chinese food spot next door but today her Uncle was throwing a small family gathering to celebrate her birthday and release so she didn't wanna spoil her appetite.

"They just fried our shit but we look good." B cooed, running her fingers through her hair as she walked alongside her cousin en route to the houses. Kelis stilled lived in Breukelen houses, growing up a floor down from where B grew up. Breukelen would always be home. B had Christian drop her fit off at her cousins house since she left Queens and came straight to the hair salon.

"And do." Kelis smiled. The walk was short, taking them five minutes to get to the apartment.

The gathering would take place at Bay View, the apartment where her Uncle lived. Kia lived in that building too, but she wasn't worried about that girl.

The thing B loved most about growing up in Canarsie was how close knit her community was. Majority of her friends and family lived five to ten minutes away from her in Bay View houses and Starrett city with the rest of them scattered around the five boroughs. The culture of Brooklyn in general was special to her. Good Caribbean food, rich Caribbean culture and an energy that was truly unmatched.

The hundreds side was all B knew but she would frequent in the nineties when the family would go visit Smoke and his mother during her childhood.

Loco and Desirae were born and raised in the nineties area in a semi attached up until Loco was five, Desirae three when they moved to Breukelen. Living in the house on the nineties side next to theirs was Smoke and his mother Miss Simone. She was a kind first grade teacher who made the most out of a fucked up situation. Her husband was shot and killed over a dice game right near the house, typical ego driven bullshit.

The families supported each other, building a solid bond over a short period of time. After the Williams family moved to the hundreds side, Loco and Smoke still attended the same schools and were damn near inseparable.

Entering the building, a wave of nostalgia washed over B. Her eyes fell over something new though, something different. The glossy eighteen by twenty four poster inside the building was attention grabbing, an image of her brother on full display.

The picture looked brand new and untouched as if it just went up the other day. Loco wore his natural mug, his diamond cuban links, "95" and Mariners chains hanging over the black wife beater he had on. His tatted arms were on display posted up against what appeared to be a garage door.

On the board next to the poster was pictures of all the men who grew up in Breukelen houses their lives cut short due to gun violence. Among them her brother, even in some of the pictures with the other deceased men on the wall who B recognized.

This wasn't a new tradition in the building, honoring the dead but it broke her heart to see her brothers face join the wall. All those years seeing the wall with more and more names and faces never thinking her brother would soon be up there too.

Taking the elevator which was slower than B last remembered, they got off on the second floor walking down the narrow hallway.

"My bad I dead forgot to tell you they put his picture up, I know it's a lot for you." Kelis said, noticing B's sudden silence.