HARDAWAY | trilogy

V3 - Chapter Ten.

𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐎 "𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐓" 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐒

              Sound of sniffles and weeping surrounded the church. The coffin ahead was dark stained cherry and polished. I was seated third row seating in a black Giorgio Armani wool-blend suit with black suede Giorgio Armani loafers, in between Capri and our mother. Banner sat on the other side of her, moving a toothpick around in his mouth, while the choir sang Fred Hammond's Please Don't Pass Me By in their own tune. My eyes scoped around the church with everyone color coordinating in either black, blue, or white and found Mercedes sitting beside Mugga's mother, Victoria Spencer.

Mercedes rubbed Victoria's back in a comforting manner. I watched closely as she brushed her defined curl from in front of her face and looked around herself before her eyes fell on me. She took a glimpse at my mother beside me and shook her head, facing forward.

"Dmitri told me bout her knowin'..." Capri spoke lowly near my ear.

I was fully aware he was referring to Mercedes, but still I say, "ion' know whatchu talkin' bout."

He chuckled lowly, "yeah. . . aight. You might wanna start keepin' yo mouth shut before mama find out."

"Who gon' narc?" I looked at him and asked lowly, "you?"

"No point, baby brotha." He leaned back, "our mama may not find out but the Queen-pin, she always finds out. Just stop runnin' yo big-ass mouth."

Before I could even respond, claps erupted around the church when the choir finished. The service lasted another hour before the pallbearers; which was me, Banner, Capri, Mugga, and two of Cameron's close friends, carried his casket to the Cadillac hearse. Once it was safely inside, the door shut and I hit Mugga on the shoulder, he nodded while he continued staring at the hearse.

"Thank Mama B again for me," he mentioned, which confused me.

"Thank her... why?"

"She paid for the funeral," he informed and looked at me. "You ain't know?"

"Yeah..." I spotted my mother talking to his mother a few feet away and she's already looking at me, "of course I knew. I just forgot. Be right back."

I ambled over to my mother and to Victoria. "Mama V," I called, while masking a smile. She turned around with the hurt in her eyes. "How you doin?"

"Oh hey, Rico." She smiled to mask her broken heart, "I'm doing fine baby. Just glad he got to have a proper funeral thanks to Brittany."

I chuckled inwardly as I looked at my mother rub her back, "Yeah, thanks to her. So generous of you mama."

"Cameron was like a grandson to me, Rico. Of course." She said eying me with devious grin.

"I'm very appreciative." Victoria voiced just as an hysterical cry came from behind me. I turned around to one of his aunts hugging the hearse, "Let me go check on my sister."

Soon as Victoria left us two, my mother spoke, "Mouthy, hm?"

I face her and I asked, "what?"

"Based off the way your li'l girlfriend looked at me and how she doing right now even when she thinks she's being discreet about it, I see her. And I know those looks and shaking of her head isn't for nothing. You opened your mouth. That's why I called you Mouthy. You've always had a problem with that when it comes to her. You run yo mouth like water. That's a problem my dear son." She stepped closer to me, "Brittany loves Mercedes. She thinks you and Mercedes could've been married and her grandchildren could've been with a beautiful Black woman. But Bebe — well, I'm sure you know what Bebe would do. I'd hate for you to have to bury the one woman behind me that has your heart," she dropped her masked smile, "keep yo fucking mouth shut."