Oakland's Greatest

Chapter 3

Oakland's Greatest: Chapter 3

~A Few Months Later~

I was sitting on the porch like how I usually did just watching the sun go down.

I thought of Daddy everyday. I tried to force myself to remember everything but I couldn't remember a thing.

"Aye Arlie how you doin?" Sage asked as he came walking up my drive way. Sage was an older hoodlum. He would watch over all of us little kids when we came to play outside. He was 17 but really nice.

"I'm okay. What are you doing?" I squinted my eyes as I looked up at him. The sun was really bright for my eyes.

"I'm lookin' for Varo. He ran away and Eddy needs to find him before Aunt Jackie comes home." He said with a small laugh.

"Oh. He went and hid in the alley by Joey's house. Sage?"

"I needa get him then, but what?"

"Can you walk with me to the graveyard?" Mommy said I wasn't allowed to go there anymore but I liked going there.

"The graveyard? Sure, lets go before the sun completely goes down." I hopped off my chair and walked right by Sage's side.

"Who was that girl you were with earlier?" I asked as I tried to keep up with him.

"Girl? What gir- oh! You mean Tiffany? The girl with the long blonde hair?" I nodded my head. "That's my ride or die right there. She's gon' be my future wife and everything." He said with a smile.

"What's a ride or die?"

"A ride or die is a girl who stays by your side through everything. So she'll ride with you through all your good and bad times. If you die, she'll die with you. That's a ride or die in my eyes at least. Findin' those girls is what you want Arlie. You can mess with hoes and stuff but once you have your ride or die, you cuff her, stay loyal and faithful to her, cherish her, appreciate her, and wife her." I liked when he said that. I don't know why but it just sounded nice.

"How do you know when you find one?"

"You just feel a certain type of way for her. Like no other feeling can compare to when you're around your ride or die."

"Is my Mommy, Daddy's ride or die?"

"Yup. Your Dad was well known for staying completely loyal to your Mom. I looked up to your Dad because once he got serious with your Mom, he never once took a second look at any other female that wasn't your Mom." Sage knew my Daddy?

"What was he like?"

"Arlie, I ain't gon' go into that. I don't want you to start crying over him again. Just know your Dad was a well respected man. He may have been chained to his gang but he was a real gentleman." He said as he smiled at me.

We got to the graveyard and I walked straight over to Daddy. I sat down on his spot right in front of the big piece with words on it. I like it because it had his picture and a gold chain around it.

"Hi Daddy." I smiled as I touched his picture. I couldn't help but giggle when I felt my heart become really warm and tingly. "Sage I wanna spend the night here with him." I said as I turned my head around and looked up at Sage.

"I can't leave you here-"

"I wanna stay here. Just for tonight then I'll go home in the morning, I promise." I poked my bottom lip out and made my eyes as big and glossy like what Elizabeth does.

"Alright fine. Imma tell Joey's parents to just keep an eye out. I'm sure no one will come through, but if you hear anything-"

"I know go to the closest house. Joey's house."