Yellow Brick Road (an Eazy-E Story)

TEN

February 10th, 1991 | 8:34pm

"The fuck you mean Dre is thinking about leaving?" Eric shouted into my land line. Since his arrest, Eric had turned my apartment into his hideaway. He would go home to bring a change of clothes, go to television appearances and performances and even get his kids from their mothers and bring them here while I was away at work. 

I cut him a copy of his own key and let him handle his business when need be. I sat on the floor with Eric's first born, Eric. I called him 'Lil E' so that I wouldn't get the two mixed up. Every time I would say "Eric", they would both respond "Huh?" in unison. I was helping Eric's baby boy with his math homework. 

"Well make it make sense, Jerry. Because what you're saying isn't English to me." Eric snapped. He leaned forward on over the kitchen island, where my land line was connected. "Well tell him if he wants to see me, he knows where the fuck I'm at." Eric hit his knuckles against the marble countertop. 

"Is daddy okay?" Lil E asked me with a saddened expression. 

"He's okay, E. He's just taking care of adult business. You'll understand when you're older." I said, rubbing his head before picking the pencil back up and pointing at the next number on the sheet of paper. 

"You know what's up with me, Jerry. Tell that nigga to come see me. You handle the rest of the paperwork." And with that, Eric slammed the phone down and muttered obscenities under his breath. 

"Junior, go to the bedroom and take your homework with you." Eric pointed at my bedroom door and Lil E did as his father told him. He shut the door softly with a click before Eric began spatting off. 

"This muthafucka' really trying to play with my money." Eric paced around my living room. His slippers scratching against the hardwood with ever step taken. "Do you know this bitch went behind my back and started hanging out with Suge?" Eric twisted his hands between his curls that were just taken out of his roller set. 

"Suge? As in Suge Knight from Mob Piru?" 

"Who the fuck else?" Eric snapped at me. I didn't take it personal. "I had that nigga on my payroll and now he wants to call the fucking shots?" Eric continued to brush his fingers through his curls in frustration. "This shit is beyond me. Some simple ass niggas, man." Eric took a seat on my couch and laughed. 

"How the fuck you gon' start a label? With what credentials?" He continued to rant. "I started this shit. These niggas can't do what I do." He hit his chest hard. "I put these niggas on game and this is what they do?" Eric screwed his face up and looked at me for an answer. 

"How could they ever turn their back on you? After all you've done? The positions you put them in?" I asked him. 

"That's what the fuck I'm trying to figure out, Lauren." He tugged on his earlobes in deep thought. "When Cube left, I let it be. We dissed him, he got us back. Cool. But this shit? I can't let that slide." Eric tapped his foot on my fur rug. I could tell his temperature was rising. 

"If this is what he wants, so be it. If Suge wants to talk like grown men, we can do that." 

I stood behind the couch where Eric was sitting. I placed my hands on his shoulders and began to massage them as a way to help him relax. He placed his hand over mine as I continued to massage him. "You're going to handle business, regardless. You always do." I said to him. 

"If they don't see how fair you're being to them now, they'll find out after it's too late." I added. Eric took my left hand away from his shoulder and kissed it. "Thank you, baby." I smiled. He couldn't see my face and I was glad about it. I probably looked like a kid.