How Do U Want It?

xxxi

Time has really flew, and things have dramatically changed. As a 25 year old drug lord, laying low was a big deal for me. Ice was out of jail, somehow someway. And I was gonna be out of pocket.

To tell you the truth, I almost forgot about Ice, and I'm sure the dealers did too. When Renardo came and told me the news, I kind of paused. I was so caught up in my own thing, I forgot that this wasn't orginally my thing. But the power that I had, the money coming in, I would be a fool to bow down to Ice once more.

They warned me of his return, like how they do with the scary folktales and whatnot. It was unnecessary, he couldn't do much. He just got out of jail (and I'm still trying to figure out how). The cops will probably be watching him, if he pulls anything then they'll be on him like white on rice. I wasn't scared, not at all.

"He doesn't even know where we are, how much you wanna bet his dumbass go back to the old liquor store?" I scoffed towards Renardo, who only chuckled. I probably somewhat made him uncomfortable, as he once did have a close relationship with Ice.

Our little session was interrupted as Jolene barged in, busting the door wide open. "Here you go," she said handing me.

"Keep it," I sent her a small smile. Jolene was rather nice, I mean, I sometimes let the dealers keep their money regardless, but she was too nice for me to not let her keep it. She had a fuzzy, warm exterior, but she was one of the best.

She thanked me and left, leaving me and Renardo alone once again. Sequentially, both of our eyes locked on the immense quantity of money that laid on my desk.

"What you gonna do with this money?" Renardo asked me, fixing his black slicked back hair. You could tell his hair was soaked in gel and hairspray.

I just sat there, and shrugged, "I mean, I'm not gon' spend it all on material shit if that's what you mean." Renardo just chuckled at me.

"I mean, it's your money. You can do whatever you want with it." His tongue fiddled with the toothpick that he chewed on.

Sitting back in my seat, I twisted my lips. "That shit gets you gassed up, makes you have a big head. I don't trip over this money like that. That's why I'm so generous with it."

Renardo just simply nodded slowly, "That's what happened to Ice," he took the toothpick out of his mouth, flicking it in a nearby trash bin, "He was cool. But he started makin' bank, y'know? Then the power started going to his head; and he forgot where he belonged."

"Damn." I said, resting my chin in my hands, boring my eyes on nothing in particular.

The popular saying, "Money doesn't change you, it changes the people around you." was only partially correct. Money most definitely does change who you surround yourself with, but it can also change you as well. That's if you let it. And that was the last thing I was going to do.

"You like to give back to your family, eh?" Renardo asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, it's all I can do," my eyelids hung low, as I became in deep thought, "I lost my dad almost 11 years ago. My mom; she hated me, and her situation was bad. So I had a neighbor, he known me since I was in diapers. He raised me through out my teenager life, so he really the only family I got."

Renardo kind of gave me a look that read, 'Damn, that's tough'. I didn't want people feeling sorry for me, because that was life. We all go through it. But I didn't object, it wasn't necessary.

"Is anybody here?" Renardo said, getting up from his seat across from my desk.

"I don't think so, Jolene might have peaced out." I informed him.