your ass today,”
John says as we all start to laugh.
“Damn, how you gonna be counting my money, dude? I’m doing all right, but my ex-girlfriend is trying to make me pay out the ass for my little girl. She gets joy in trying to take advantage, telling my friends that I’m paying for her new car and stuff like that.” He clenches his teeth. “She makes me want to scream sometimes. Shoot, I feel like shouting now as a matter of fact.”
I shake my head. “Whatever, dude. Stop whining like a punk. If you didn’t want to pay, you didn’t have to lay. That’s my motto. The kid didn’t ask to come into this world, so be a man and handle your business.”
“Damn, man, I can’t get no sympathy?” Dino throws his hands in the air.
I put my hand on his shoulder and look him in the eyes. “Dino, if you want sympathy, look between shit and suicide in the dictionary.” We all laugh.
But Dino just stares at us blankly, not seeing the humor. “Forget y’all, man. She’s a bloodsucker and I don’t care what y’all say.” He sits on the stairs.
Aaron says, “Dino, we feel you, brother, but you 98
Black Rain
can’t focus on that kind of thing. If money is her master and she’s doing you wrong, it will all come back on her, so don’t trip. Put it in God’s hands.” Aaron gets up to go into the house.
Dino jumps up and shouts, “Dude, I believe in God and all, but He’s not paying this child support. I am.”
Aaron just shakes his head as he enters the house.
I push Dino in the head, “Boy, you need Jesus!”
My other brothers leave the porch to enter the house, as well, but not before they each push Dino playfully in the head.
Dino adjusts his neatly trimmed afro, puts his head down and smiles. His honey-brown face is reddened with embarrassment, “I know I do. That’s why I go to church on Sundays. I’m trying. Honest, I am.”
“Look, Dino, I need a favor, bro. I need to get in contact with Mo-Mo and St. Louis Slim. I need their help on a case I’m working.”
Dino, scratches his head with a smirk. “Joe, you sure you want to mess with them? They some dangerous cats and they run with a crowd that’s out there, dude. I wouldn’t even wish them cats on my baby’s mama, man.”
“Look, I know what I’m doing, bro. They owe me a few favors and now is the time I need to collect.”
Dino walks around on the porch, rubbing his chin and the back of his neck. “Man, you know that St. Louis Slim is still mad at you for breaking up that lip-synch group y’all had,” Dino says, frowning.
“I’ll tell you what. Let me worry about St. Louis Slim, okay?”
Dino’s bushy eyebrows raise and form a wrinkle on Vincent Alexandria
99
his forehead. He looks around to make sure we’re alone.
“You know they’re crazy, Joe. They into all kinds of shit.
Those fools are crazier than a crackhead in the middle of the month.”
“Like I said, crazy or not, them fools owe me, and I plan to collect. I can handle their foolishness and I can take care of myself.”
“Well, I’ll feel better if you take your partner Vernon with you when you go and see them. You know that St. Louis Slim like to play with knives and guns.
He even pulled one on me once in an argument. He’s fast with it, too. I didn’t even know he had it, until he had it to my throat. I was going to kick his ass, too, but he had the knife and all, and we grew up together, so I let him slide,” Dino says as he adjusts his shirt in his pants.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right, Dino.”
Dino playfully pushes me in the shoulder. “I guess I got to jack somebody up to prove to you that I don’t play. Man, you just don’t know who you be doubting.”
Dino puts up his fists to play-box.
I push his hands away and put him in a headlock.
“Dude, I don’t have time to play. Just give me the numbers.”
“Let me go, Joe. Why you be playing all the time?
You gon’ make me have to jack you up. Let me go!”
I release him and give
John says as we all start to laugh.
“Damn, how you gonna be counting my money, dude? I’m doing all right, but my ex-girlfriend is trying to make me pay out the ass for my little girl. She gets joy in trying to take advantage, telling my friends that I’m paying for her new car and stuff like that.” He clenches his teeth. “She makes me want to scream sometimes. Shoot, I feel like shouting now as a matter of fact.”
I shake my head. “Whatever, dude. Stop whining like a punk. If you didn’t want to pay, you didn’t have to lay. That’s my motto. The kid didn’t ask to come into this world, so be a man and handle your business.”
“Damn, man, I can’t get no sympathy?” Dino throws his hands in the air.
I put my hand on his shoulder and look him in the eyes. “Dino, if you want sympathy, look between shit and suicide in the dictionary.” We all laugh.
But Dino just stares at us blankly, not seeing the humor. “Forget y’all, man. She’s a bloodsucker and I don’t care what y’all say.” He sits on the stairs.
Aaron says, “Dino, we feel you, brother, but you 98
Black Rain
can’t focus on that kind of thing. If money is her master and she’s doing you wrong, it will all come back on her, so don’t trip. Put it in God’s hands.” Aaron gets up to go into the house.
Dino jumps up and shouts, “Dude, I believe in God and all, but He’s not paying this child support. I am.”
Aaron just shakes his head as he enters the house.
I push Dino in the head, “Boy, you need Jesus!”
My other brothers leave the porch to enter the house, as well, but not before they each push Dino playfully in the head.
Dino adjusts his neatly trimmed afro, puts his head down and smiles. His honey-brown face is reddened with embarrassment, “I know I do. That’s why I go to church on Sundays. I’m trying. Honest, I am.”
“Look, Dino, I need a favor, bro. I need to get in contact with Mo-Mo and St. Louis Slim. I need their help on a case I’m working.”
Dino, scratches his head with a smirk. “Joe, you sure you want to mess with them? They some dangerous cats and they run with a crowd that’s out there, dude. I wouldn’t even wish them cats on my baby’s mama, man.”
“Look, I know what I’m doing, bro. They owe me a few favors and now is the time I need to collect.”
Dino walks around on the porch, rubbing his chin and the back of his neck. “Man, you know that St. Louis Slim is still mad at you for breaking up that lip-synch group y’all had,” Dino says, frowning.
“I’ll tell you what. Let me worry about St. Louis Slim, okay?”
Dino’s bushy eyebrows raise and form a wrinkle on Vincent Alexandria
99
his forehead. He looks around to make sure we’re alone.
“You know they’re crazy, Joe. They into all kinds of shit.
Those fools are crazier than a crackhead in the middle of the month.”
“Like I said, crazy or not, them fools owe me, and I plan to collect. I can handle their foolishness and I can take care of myself.”
“Well, I’ll feel better if you take your partner Vernon with you when you go and see them. You know that St. Louis Slim like to play with knives and guns.
He even pulled one on me once in an argument. He’s fast with it, too. I didn’t even know he had it, until he had it to my throat. I was going to kick his ass, too, but he had the knife and all, and we grew up together, so I let him slide,” Dino says as he adjusts his shirt in his pants.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right, Dino.”
Dino playfully pushes me in the shoulder. “I guess I got to jack somebody up to prove to you that I don’t play. Man, you just don’t know who you be doubting.”
Dino puts up his fists to play-box.
I push his hands away and put him in a headlock.
“Dude, I don’t have time to play. Just give me the numbers.”
“Let me go, Joe. Why you be playing all the time?
You gon’ make me have to jack you up. Let me go!”
I release him and give
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