Affinity

Chapter 16: Crossing the Line

" So this was the reason dinner was cancelled?" I could utter nothing save for the former sarcastic response as we walked into Jazmine's house. She wasn't surprised in the least when I knocked on her door with Hakim by my side. I took this as a slight, that the unlikely duo of my siblings were conspiring without me again. Childhood roles had assumed familiar forms as I was delegated to the baby sister role; I fidgeted uneasily under the veil of the title.

" Yes, now fix your face it's not like that." Jaz swatted me into her home and hustled me to a seat in her kitchen. I sat in the wooden chair rigid backed as I waited for their true intentions to be explained. I wanted to call Raheem and have him come to my side, but by the look of things this was all meant to be a family thing, I had no say in the matter either way.

" Abbie." I looked up at Jaz with opaque eyes as I tried my hardest to release the pent up anger I had at the two of their conspiring spirits. I spoke no words aloud, but allowed my eye contact to serve as a symbol of alertness. She then motioned to Hakim to speak his piece; I didn't even turn to face him.

" I did it, I did kill Hakim's brother." My face was blank, but my heart was racing, the words were scarier now that they were actually being spoken aloud with such specificity.

" I know, so the fuck are we having this conversation for?" My tone was indifferent save for a slip of pain. I felt Travis' form behind me, his hand on my shoulder helping me pick up the normal breathing that I'd abandoned.

"Raheem is clean, he not in the shit his brother was in, but that night I was aiming for him too. Travis was skimming off the top and attempting to take MY territory after I let it be known I was coming after him from stealing bread from me. Travis told his brother too much, he let on to things we were doing, that I had done, that were never to come to light. Rah never knew my name, or that I was related to you, but soon enough he was gonna put all the pieces together."

" So you were gonna kill him to avoid prison? Motherfucker he would have never found out! You paranoid as fuck he was never gonna dig, he helped Travis when it was needed and that was that, nothing more!" I was heated; I could've lost my baby over the dumbest shit in life.

" Listen, I'm not the fuck done." Hakim yelled and I flinched, it was more incredulous shock than fear. I recovered and motioned my hands for him to continue whatever bullshit he was gonna continue spewing.

" By all means." Ok, the no talking didn't help the building anger; the former sarcastic line dulled the urge a bit though.

" Then there's you Ab. Everything Jaelyn told you was true. I did set him on you when I left, I did worry about you little sis."

" Motherfucker I do not care, I knew he wasn't lying from the get go!"

" Yo, what the fuck I just say!" Hakim threw his fist into Jaz's kitchen wall and I, again, did not care one bit.

" Abla you are my responsibility, I am your brother, you are my little sister. I love you little girl, and to have to share you with some lil ass boy was never in the plan. I don't have a wife or a girlfriend, I got ya'll, and most importantly you Abla. Everything I've ever done in life has your name on it, it's all yours."

" See just like I fucking told you, crazy!" Jazmine was pissed, I could see her popping veins in her neck, and she looked bout ready to pop Hakim dead in his shit if he kept on like he was.

" I'm your sister, not ya girlfriend." I was hateful in this moment and it showed on my face. The heat of anger was building in my body to the point where I just knew I was red with rage.

" In my head you were always both."

" Oh fuck no, you have crossed the motherfuckin line. GET OUT!" Jaz came to stand in front of me and yelled for our brother to leave. I saw her right arm shaking and I just knew that was the precursor to a fight, she was really fixing to hit this man.

" All what has my name on it?" I peeked behind Jaz and threw the question through clenched teeth. If he wanted to put my name on shit without my permission I had a right to know what exactly he was referring to. Jaz looked over her shoulder with a " really bitch" look, and I shrugged my shoulders in response. I needed to know.

" Houses, accounts, businesses. All with Abla Ever on them." Hakim was resigned to leaving as he started to put on his jacket.

" I must be chop-fucking-liver." Jaz chuckled sarcastically and I made note of exactly how many curse words she had dropped in such a short amount of time, this whole sibling discussion was currently on its fifteenth minute. Hakim looked at her with a serious mug on before he continued, " Jazmine I love you, I love all of my family. But when mommy birthed her that was it for me. Abbie always looked up to me, I was her protector, our bond was the shit that kept me in Philly for so long. She's the reason I came back. Raheem took my place while I was gone, and I ain't feeling that." Hakim put his head down and let himself out the house. I was truly dumbfounded. 

To be continued....