King of Queens (a Nas Story)

TWELVE

Nasir | 3:00pm

"Supreme! What's the deal?" I embraced him fondly, bumping my shoulder into his before releasing his dap.

"Nothing much, Hollywood. I heard you got signed. Gone big time on us Queens niggas." Supreme leaned back into his leather chair and smiled at me. His cashmere turtle neck covering the skin of his neck and a gold rope chain around his neck.

"Man, stop it. I'm just trying to get a Benz like yours." I laughed at him. He motioned for me to have a seat in across from him. His living room was decked out with a plasma screen television and a huge entertainment console full of old records. Some new.

"So, you decided to take me up on my offer?" Supreme raised his arched eyebrow at me.

"Nah, man. I'm out the game." I said confidently. I had Gia in the back of my mind. The story of her father, Rome. I wanted to know more about this man. See where she really comes from. Her background and all of that.

"I actually came here to ask you about some history you may or may not know of." I leaned against the elbow the leather arm rest of the chair I was sitting in.

"Talk to me." Supreme leaned forward in his chair and perked his ear.

"What you know about a Rome from Harlem?"

Supreme rested his hand on his jaw and smiled. "My nigga, Rome. Harlem's finest. A real one." He said fondly. "He was a nigga I looked up to. Always made plays in every borough. Queens was his playground."

Supreme then stopped talking and twisted his face at me inquisitively. "How you know about Rome?"

"Well, that's the funny thing, God." I laughed a bit before I continued talking.

"I'm seeing his daughter right now." I stroked the hairs on my chin and sunk deeper into the leather material of the chair I was sitting on. I opened my legs, swinging my right one out of habit.

"Giana? Little Giana? Get the fuck out of here!" Supreme hit his knee as his jaw dropped in shock. "I've been looking all over for shorty. Rome left me with something and I want her to have it. He told me keep an eye on her at all times. He told me that a week before he was snuffed."

I took in his words and felt a sense of shock myself. My girl was connected beyond my knowledge and treated it as if it was nothing. She never bragged about this part of her life, just as her father showed her by example.

She followed street code naturally without getting involved in street politics, unlike my baby brother and I. "So you know Gia?" I looked Supreme in the eyes.

"Yeah, man. I would look after her while her dad made drops. I was a young God myself. No older than sixteen. He showed me the game. Taught me what I know. I got mad love for Helen and Giana."

"Helen?" I leaned forward, moving towards the edge of the chair.

"Yeah, her moms. Rome's wife. She's the boss lady. Doesn't take no shit from nobody, not even Rome. Helen's as loyal as they come. Even saved my ass from trouble out in Harlem."

I digested every word Supreme was saying to me. For a man to be so respected and heavily feared, he showed humility by talking about Giana's father.

"If Giana is anything like Helen, she's probably telling you to leave the game alone. Focus on your music. Little Giana is right about that. But if she's anything like Rome, she's going to ride with you through the bullshit. Even after the wheels fall off."

Supreme sat on the edge of his chair and pointed his index finger at me.

"Giana is like a Goddaughter to me. Though we haven't had contact since her father's funeral, I still send my guys to keep an eye on her when she's at work at George's. Love that guy." Supreme added.