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NAMI "Yo notti put the blind fold on her." i heard, i tried to wake up quickly before he could get it on but it was wraps. lord they got my ass, i knew family was enemies. baba i'm moving back.
notti struggled to tie it while i was thrashing around. and then i felt two arms around me. scooped my ass right up out the whip. the arms put me down and held me steady until i relaxed.
"listen i know it's been mad tuff," i heard dotty start. "pops not doing to well and honestly i know ian suppose to break it to you like this but ain't no better way."
he slowly untied the blindfold and i urged him to continue with his eyes.
"look ya grams in at the hospital with ya father and she said he ain't holding on. he was a veggie but now he completely unresponsive to nothing. eyes is closed, nerves is gone. he left this voicemail 7 months ago while he could, he told me play this in the event it go down like this...
'hi lovebug, its baba. you're probably standing beautifully with dotty in front of your surprise. i wanted to present this to you but if i can't, i won't know why but i have a feeling i won't be making it to nyc. listen mi amor, i love you. i'm not too good with this sentimental stuff but uh you know that i have so much love for you, and i hope you open up to people who find you as lovely as i do. Now i know the O's, the gang shit, me, it can feel like a lot but build a community. don't stop this life shit, don't let this life shit stop you from finding love and villages who want to protect because they find you oh so lovely and not just because they have to. unveil your wonderful 16th birthday gift early and hug the ones surrounding you, i love you namiko willy. go wear number 4 for harlem high school and wear it with pride willy. even if i am not front row, i am always front row mi amor. do it for babi (pronounced bobby).'
"i know ya father being here would've been what you wanted and i know it's crazy to think you finna have a 17 year old father figure but ima try my best believe that and you know you got a village in me if not none of these niggas worda babi." edot finished after the voicemail played.
i cried into the nearest persons chest. just let it all out. i decided to put this on hold for my room and at least unwrap baba's present. when i turned around it was a black infiniti which the license plate held '4babi'
"get in my heart" dotty told me. i nodded bringing whoever's chest i was just crying into with me by the hand. i looked down the entire way until the person let go and i realized it was ddot.
he got into the passenger seat slowly, not saying a word.
THAT LIL DDOT NIGGA
To see nami like that, broke me real shit. i know i haven't known her for much but i'm making a real nigga promise to her pops she always gone have a nigga for her out here on me.
when she climbed in the drivers seat she saw the big carplay screensaver, her and her pops
she softly touched his face through the screen.
"you know baba would've loved you." she paused "i mean we don't know each other i guess, but from what you show me already, baba wouldve love you." she smiled a sad smile.
"tell me bout him ma" i said "why you call him baba or babi"
she chucked at me, "when i was little he thought i was mute, i would only laugh with a toothless dimpley smile, and i didn't talk really. until one time i got frustrated at him, we was at meijers,"
"shordy what the hell is a meijers" i cut her off on accident.
"it's a grocery store dick." she mugged me.
i liked shordy picking up me and my brothers lingo. she finna be full OY in a minute, that's a bet.
"anyways so boom, we at the store, i was in the lil buggy in the front and some girl came up talking to pops. he was mad dayroom, ignoring the fuck outta me. so i start say baba instead of dada, it just came out like that. and he snapped his head over to me quick as fuck. thinking something was wrong or something, ion even know but he picked me up like it was the happiest day of his life. so i just kept calling him baba and babi, like dada and daddy."
after she was done i noticed the glazed over look in her eyes, she just lost her pops but she look so beautiful, the distant smile, everything about her was intoxicating real shit.
"i'm sorry mami, but look dotty got you one more thing." i pointed into the console, dotty told us about on the way here.
she lit up, "NAHHHHH" she opened the door "DOTTY STOP PLAYIN WIT ME"
two tickets to see her pops before he go. edot said he knew she would wanna see him before the season started. many would not wanna see they dead's like that but to her it meant more.
i watched as she flew out the car hugging him. everyone joined in a group hug while i watched from her new wheels.
"dot dot come here" she squealed coming to the door. she pulled me up and brought me into the hug. "i'm finna see babi, look him dead in his face," she paused to breathe still in my chest. "tell him i love him, that everything this season for him, one last time 'fore he finally go off that machine."
everything that needed to be said, ian have the words. i pulled her closer, squeezing her, letting her know i'm right here.
