Truth Is

Surprise Job

With Uncle Tyler gone, Patrick was left to be the man of the family. He made sure grandma was comfortable in her house, Bernard always had money on the inside, and Jamaria had a successful college life. He even pays for Bernard's daughters clothes and music lessons. Patrick handles the family's business by putting his life on the line. He is risking jail and death every day he goes to work. Risking it all for a good for nothing cousin in jail who always complains, a sister who is old enough to work but parties all day, and a little cousin who is the most ungrateful little girl I have ever met. Fucked up family with a solid foundation named Patrick Michaels.

We left after I went inside and changed my shirt and cleaned my arm off. I walked past Kenyé on my way to Patrick's car and he knew what he was doing by sitting in the passenger seat. She looked at me and I looked right back at her. I never lost eye contact as I opened the driver door to the 2015 glossy black Dodge Charger. I heard Patrick speak then laugh when I sat down in the driver seat, but I had not paid attention to what he said. I was still drooling over Kenyé, who had began to walk back to her apartment. I tried to show off when I backed out by just stomping on the gas pedal and I realized that the car was still in park. So I ended up with a stupid look on my face and a hand smackin the back of my head. Patrick slapped me for doing something stupid with his car. He told me to get out and as I opened the door I saw Kenyé's gorgeous bright, smooth skinned face smirking at me. I knew she had noticed my attempted front.

Once we switched seats the conversation I was expecting from my mom started with Patrick.
"I tried to help you out and you try to destroy my car? What kinda shit is that?"
"My bad bro, I couldn't focus."
"You need to just talk to her. You been in love with her since sixth grade."
"Come on Pat, I'm a mother-f-ing nerd man. My chances with her are very very low. I couldn't even say yes to her in eighth grade, let alone-"
"Hold up, so yes to her? What she ask?"
"Oh, she asked me to the eighth grade formal dance. I froze and said no because I was worried about embarrassing myself, plus I felt like she was dared to or just joking with me."
"Boy, you bout da dumbest lil nigga I have ever met."
"Yeah okay, fuck you nigga."
I was always finding myself taking offense to the little facts coming out of Pat's mouth. He was like a ghetto Ghandi or something. He was wise, but very smart mouthed with sharing his wisdom. About five minutes after I got silent out of frustration, his iPhone rang. He had this sexy red iPhone 8 and he had the worlds ugliest iPhone 4 he kept in the glove box. I assume that was the one ringing because I recognized the default iPhone ringtone, but I heard the ringing coming from the glove compartment. He asked me to open it and hand him the phone. I opened it and a pocket rocket dropped into my lap and I sat there all types of confused. He began to rush me though not even paying attention to the silver colt laying in my lap by saying "HURRY TF UP THAT MIGHT BE MONEY CALLING!" I responded calmly with
"Ite bro hold on". I grabbed the phone and handed it to him. He said "Oh hell yes," and answered with hella excitement in his voice. I listened to the conversation while I stared at the shiny power pawn on my thighs.
"Yeah man, you know I gotchu"
"I'm on my way over there right now"
"You think you can meet me there?"
"That's wassup, I'll be there in about three minutes."
"Ite Unc, I'll see you there then."

When he hung up he told me it was Uncle Simmons, which was a man my grandma had met in the hospital on the night Uncle Tyler was in the accident. He told her Happy Mother's Day, apologized for her lost, then kissed her hand and promised to help with anything she needed. No one questioned why he was at the hospital or why he approached our family of all the people in the waiting room. Another strange thing is he said sorry for your lost long before the doctors told us that Uncle Tyler had died. Grandma told him that her grandchildren would need jobs because her son Tyler was the families provider. He only agreed to help Patrick and Bernard get one, but no one knew that Simmons was in the kind of work he was in. Simmons was a member of the Knights Templar Cartel out of Mexico. Again, no one questioned his random appearance in the Medical Center of Virginia in Richmond. He soon introduced Patrick and Bernard both to their current lifestyles. Bernard, Uncle Tyler's oldest son ended up working for the cartel as a hit man. Bernard, believe it or not was sent to jail for shoplifting and received two years. He has a small body count to my knowledge but the police know nothing of his Cartel activities. Patrick began doing transportation work for the Knights Templar. Uncle Simmons ended up being called Uncle Simmons when Aunt Lorraine, Patrick's mom started to joke and say he was her husband. Anytime he called I know it was a job to be done and anyone around had to be apart of the job because he wanted all hands on deck and no witnesses that aren't guilty themselves.

A part of me wanted to ask Patrick to take me home, or drop me off somewhere before meeting Uncle Simmons. Then I remembered family comes first and I know Patrick may need back up at any moment. So I picked up the colt in my lap and cocked it and said "Oh yeh cuz let's handle business." I guess it then registered in his head that I couldn't even operate the gears on an automatic car, let alone use a hand gun, because he said "Oh no," and reached over and snatched the gat outa my hand. I just laughed, said ok then, and looked out the window.

I recognized my surroundings like I recognize the sound of my front door when it's opened. On the corner I saw Tyrone, the lookout for the South Richmond Safe House, which is where I assumed we were goin because we were already on the street. I could see Franky's car in the distance about the where the house is on the street. Franky was Uncle Simmons biological nephew born in the US just like Simmons, except he was in charge of the hits, while Simmons handled the drug movement. From seeing Franky's old tan Buick parked street side, I assumed that they had somewhere there with a price over his head. Once we got a little closer I also saw Chancee's car. He is basically my cousin too. He and Pat have been friends since 8th grade. He was also working for the Knights Templar Cartel. He was a shooter, for security, jobs, and large hits when necessary.