URBAN

THIRTEEN

ASHANTI

For a man on road, Keem's family is surprisingly loving and good-hearted. I don't know why I assumed that he came from a broken family.

I guess Keem has good intentions though. He started shotting to help his mum and he enjoyed it as a business interest and never left it.

At first, I felt awkward and uncomfortable but Keem's mum, Angela is so lovable, I felt like I was part of their family. We were meant to leave a couple hours ago but then apparently, Keem's sister got an early flight from Barbados and she's on her way here as we speak.

"You sure you're good with this? Jada ain't nun' special, I can see her tomorrow," Keem asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Its a family moment, I don't wanna you away from it," I shrugged.

"Okay. But, just saying, Amaya will definitely be here and she'll bring her man," Keem informed me. "That's a whole lotta new people,"

"Stop tryna get out of seeing Jada, Jakim, it was gonna happen sooner or later," his mum, Angela walked past where we were sitting.

"What happened?" I asked.

Keem looked away from me, avoiding the question. His mum looked at him. "You telling her or am I?"

"She doesn't need to know, mum," Keem shook his head.

"Yeah, she does." his mum argued. "She needs to know whatagwan with this lifestyle,"

I faced Keem. He shook his head. "Tell her if you want," he got and went to the front door, I'm suspecting, to smoke a joint.

I looked at his mum who was cleaning up. I got up and helped her, taking some plates and whatever into the kitchen.

"Jada, Keem's sister, was supposed to get married to a man, his name was Jonathan," she said on we were in the kitchen, away from Ella.

"Was?" I asked.

"Mm," she nodded. "It was... Three years ago, now. Keem was in the middle of a drug war with God knows who. Things got out of hand and he needed help, his friends were losing their lives like they were nothing,"

I frowned as I listened.

"Jonathan quit the gang life months before but wanted to help Keem. So he followed him to his house to get whatever, I can't remember and saw someone in Keem's lounge, jumped to save Keem and lost his life then and there,"

I didn't know what to say.

"Just three days before he was supposed to marry Jada. We ended up burying him on the day that would've been the happiest day of his life."

"Oh, my God," I was just deeping it. This is Keem's life. He has to live with all that guilt for the rest of his life. I can't even imagine how Jada must feel.

"He didn't tell Jada the truth till this time last year and she couldn't handle it so she left to Barbados, to have time alone."

"And they haven't spoken since then?" I asked.

"Over the phone about Christelle but not face to face or about anything else," Keem's mum answered.

"That's deep," I muttered, sitting back down onto the couch.

"You're not a fucking model, you can carry your shit by yourself," I heard Keem from outside.

"Suck my dick," a girl's voice said.

"I don't wanna hear that again," Keem said dropping the bags near the staircase. "Lazy shit,"

"I just travelled half the way around the world with these fucking bags without complaint." the girl said. "And you're carrying it from the Uber, into the house and I'm the lazy shit?"