𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃

24: 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

𝗞𝗗

two weeks 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿:

Afternoon hours crept up on us as we sat inside Andre's barbershop. Willie's Barbershop had been open for over sixty years, starting as Andre's father's first business. Hence the name being Willie's. In the beginning stages, it was a place for Blacks only — especially Black men — to come together and talk. Vent. Discuss plots. Ideas. Whatever, they saw fit at the time.

The place and men behind the building would soon become living legends on the west side of Atlanta.

Andre was once the male figure that we looked to as the cool unofficial uncle. It took a village to raise twins and Dakota made sure Andre and Mr. Willie were a part of her village. From dropping us off while she worked at times. Or even a free cut now and then. 

Now? Andre is officially the old head that we come to as the younger generation. Nowadays it's for more than the usual fifty-dollar cut.

Along with me were Kai, Mike, and KaMari. Only two of us received haircuts today, but the visit was entertainment for all four.

As expected, the conversation had taken a turn down the usual path for barbershop talk — relationships and women.

"Nah, that ain't what happened, Mike. Ya' mouth wrote a check that ya' ass can't cash. Now you gotta...what the hell you called it?" Andre asked, nudging me on the shoulder as I sat in his chair. I couldn't answer if I wanted to. Laughter fills the room from everyone including Mike.

"I bet she won't leave me." Mike retorted smartly, only adding fuel to Andre's fire.

"That's 'cause you pay all the bills. Why the hell would she? Hell, I might stay with a cheater too if I ain't got nowhere to go and we live in a six-bedroom house with only two kids. Shit, sound alright to me."

Niggas man....

"Y'all been on me since we walked in," Mike expressed, standing up to check himself in the mirror after Marc completed his fade. "Talk to KD ass bout his woman and their problems. I would say Kai or Mari, but ion wanna hear no crying," He pulled out a solid hundred dollar bill, looking at me with a smirk after his shot at my issue with Penelope.

"KD gotta young thing that's moving to New York in a few and he trying to pull away after they lil' trip next week."

"Fuck you, Mike." I mumbled. My laughter died down as the eyes of the older spokesmen landed on me.

"Nah. You having a ball at my expense, nigga. Now it's yo' turn."

"New York?" Andre asked, chipping into the mini argument. Dre took a seat at the empty workstation closest to us. Only one person was so lucky to share such a close space with him in the shop. That was his son, Orlando. The next owner in line — if he planned to keep the tradition going.

"What's there to figure out, KD? You gon' wait for her. Cause if you ain't waiting, what the hell you think gon' happen?"

"It's just the distance thing. Ion wanna do it like that."

"Damn, Ka'Dafii. I thought outta all these niggas, you had the most fucking sense."

"I can't do long distance for two years. I can't," Mari mumbled something under his breath, the side note made Kai laugh. Which caused me to flick both of them off before continuing my point. "Look? I tried to flirt with the idea, right? I did. But after about six, maybe eight months... that shit gon' be dead. And y'all know it. I can't."

I know in Penelope's mind, there's an idea of me — trying. But, the truth is? Trying is too complicated for me. I'll never meet another Penny in my life. Hell, at thirty years old, damn near, I can say that openheartedly and positively. I've accepted it. No woman would come close. That bond we've created, that spark — it was there the second she walked up with Jessy at the private race.