𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐍 & 𝐄𝐁𝐄𝐋

| 004| 𝐈'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 ⁘ ฺ ⸝⸝⸝⸝

𝙆𝙖𝙞𝙣

My nephew Aeko was scarfing down McNuggets like it would be his last meal. We suspected that he hadn't eaten anything aside from the gummies he apologized for. He was a good kid who mirrored a lot of my traits already. My twin and I were declared identical in appearance, but our brains were wired differently. I had always been lively and outgoing. Ebel was quiet and shy. Music made him come out of his shell. Lovely acted just like her father already at the age of one. She didn't like to be held by random people. Little mama observed and judged everything in silence like she had been here before. Aeko was into sports and video games already. He even had his own crew in preschool. It was wild how much my nephew acted like me.

"That cokehead bitch ain't getting shit" Ceth spoke bluntly at the table in McDonalds. A barricade of guards protected our privacy, but his voice was loud enough to entice nosy individuals. Ebel sat across from me with Lovely in a high chair beside him. Aeko separated us, sitting in a normal chair like the big boy he was becoming. I swear him and Royalty were growing so fast. Lovely was the only one growing at normal speed. "On God, that bitch ain't getting nothing. Don't be nice about this, bruh. You saw the rash. You took pictures, right?"

Ebel just nodded and remained silent. I could tell his mind was working. Whenever my twin was quiet, he was either looking at a situation from multiple angles or coming up with a plan of action. It had to be both this time, considering the impending custody battle. I had never felt any type of guilt about the affair I had with Nari until now. Her and I shared the same 'habits', but I made sure Roro was somewhere safe whenever I indulged in the habit. Drugs didn't take my brain so much that they consumed me like Nari. She was a bad alcoholic and drug addict. A part of me wondered what exactly she was running from. Most people didn't understand the reason behind drowning yourself in drugs and liquor. All of us wanted to escape some form of trauma. I know I did.

"Nah, bruh. Don't just nod your head. Say 'fuck that hoe' and stand on business" Ceth was still so young that life seemed to be a party. He had a simple take on the events that transpired. Although it was clear that the kids had to be taken, getting the law involved in black folks' business was difficult for us. I knew that better than both siblings seated at the table. "Look, Ceth, he knows what he has to do. He doesn't need to be all amped about the shit. This ain't easy for him" I saw a light appear in Ebel's eyes. He looked shocked and relieved that I said something in his defense. It was then that I realized how bad our relationship had been. We didn't talk much anymore. The last time I saw him was at my welcome home party. That was four months ago.

"Look, bruh, all I'm saying is that he can't go about this in the normal Ebel way. He can't MLK this shit and turn the other cheek" Ceth kept hammering the nail, though it was already screwed in. Our little brother just liked to hear himself talk. "Nah, he been doing that. Now it's time to hit that hoe where it hurts. Take the kids, mansion, cars, and shit, even the dogs"