memory serves me correctly you have about two hundred grand tied up in real estate somewhere.” She didn’t know the details on that, though, because when Jake made those transactions they weren’t on the best of terms. Jake respected Kim keeping it one hundred.
And Kim was proud of herself for keeping her own income a secret, even when she was having a soft moment for Jake.
Nine-One asked Jake if he wanted to go for a ride, but Jake declined. “Not right now,” he said.
“Come on,” Nine-One coerced. “You need the air and I need the company. I can’t ride with Nebbie—I can never understand what the fuck he’s talking about.” Jake and Kim cracked up when he said that. Nebbie even let out a chuckle followed by a stubby middle finger.
“Okay,” Jake agreed, “I’ll go, but I don’t want to hear no stories about your country and all that shit you always talking to me about, you fake-ass foreigner.”
Nine-One smiled because he knew Jake was getting healthy and his mind was starting to remember the past. This was the first time since Nine-One had arrived that Jake had mentioned one of their debates. He thought Jake had forgotten about them, along with a couple of other things.
Nine-One was Indian and Egyptian, and you couldn’t tell him that both of his races weren’t the smartest people in the world. He was also a firm believer that those countries produced the finest women in the world. One day Jake grew tired of Nine-One complaining about the weather, the food, and the women … in this country, and said, “So why don’t you go back to your own country?”
Nine-One gave him a wry smile. “This is my country,” he said. “This is where I was born, but trust me I ain’t too proud about it! One of these days I’m going to get a passport and travel abroad and see where I’m from.”
“You mean to tell me you never even been out the country?”
“Not yet.” Nine-One grinned.
“Then why the fuck you run around acting like you know about all these countries all the time?” Jake asked.
“Because I do,” Nine-One stuck to his guns.
“How is that?” Jake asked.
Nine-One paused with a serious expression on his face, then broke into the biggest smile Jake had ever seen and said, “C-N-N, mu’fucka.” He and Jake both busted out laughing.
“You ready to go?” Nine-One’s voice right in front of him put a halt to Jake’s reminiscing.
“Yeah, I’m ready. Yo, where can we find a bag of weed around here? I feel like I wanna smoke.”
“I thought you would never ask,” Nine-One said in a propertone. “It will be my pleasure to put something in the air.” After they left the house and got in the Eldorado, Nine-One said, “There is something I want to tell you. I know you can’t remember everything and all you’re trying to do is get your memory back, but to tell the truth I don’t think you should go back. I think you should keep moving. I’ve been driving you around for a few years and the money is great but I think it’s time for you to move.” As Nine-One was speaking, Jake started to get butterflies in his stomach and a lump in his throat. He had a feeling he was about to hear something he didn’t want to hear. Nine-One continued, “Before your uncle Mitch called me to come up here, a friend of mine was telling me the story about you waking up from the coma and then the one about you escaping from the shooters after you left the hospital. The word on the street is that they’ve given you a new nickname: Mr. Invincible, which means when you get back home those who want you dead are going to work twice as hard. The word is that the 300 Crew wants your head and they got twenty-five thousand cash for anybody who can give solid info on you. And I’m going to be totally honest with you like I always have—I don’t think your uncle is going to be able to help you.”
“Why would you come to that conclusion, Nine?”
Jake was trying to get the back of the car seat
And Kim was proud of herself for keeping her own income a secret, even when she was having a soft moment for Jake.
Nine-One asked Jake if he wanted to go for a ride, but Jake declined. “Not right now,” he said.
“Come on,” Nine-One coerced. “You need the air and I need the company. I can’t ride with Nebbie—I can never understand what the fuck he’s talking about.” Jake and Kim cracked up when he said that. Nebbie even let out a chuckle followed by a stubby middle finger.
“Okay,” Jake agreed, “I’ll go, but I don’t want to hear no stories about your country and all that shit you always talking to me about, you fake-ass foreigner.”
Nine-One smiled because he knew Jake was getting healthy and his mind was starting to remember the past. This was the first time since Nine-One had arrived that Jake had mentioned one of their debates. He thought Jake had forgotten about them, along with a couple of other things.
Nine-One was Indian and Egyptian, and you couldn’t tell him that both of his races weren’t the smartest people in the world. He was also a firm believer that those countries produced the finest women in the world. One day Jake grew tired of Nine-One complaining about the weather, the food, and the women … in this country, and said, “So why don’t you go back to your own country?”
Nine-One gave him a wry smile. “This is my country,” he said. “This is where I was born, but trust me I ain’t too proud about it! One of these days I’m going to get a passport and travel abroad and see where I’m from.”
“You mean to tell me you never even been out the country?”
“Not yet.” Nine-One grinned.
“Then why the fuck you run around acting like you know about all these countries all the time?” Jake asked.
“Because I do,” Nine-One stuck to his guns.
“How is that?” Jake asked.
Nine-One paused with a serious expression on his face, then broke into the biggest smile Jake had ever seen and said, “C-N-N, mu’fucka.” He and Jake both busted out laughing.
“You ready to go?” Nine-One’s voice right in front of him put a halt to Jake’s reminiscing.
“Yeah, I’m ready. Yo, where can we find a bag of weed around here? I feel like I wanna smoke.”
“I thought you would never ask,” Nine-One said in a propertone. “It will be my pleasure to put something in the air.” After they left the house and got in the Eldorado, Nine-One said, “There is something I want to tell you. I know you can’t remember everything and all you’re trying to do is get your memory back, but to tell the truth I don’t think you should go back. I think you should keep moving. I’ve been driving you around for a few years and the money is great but I think it’s time for you to move.” As Nine-One was speaking, Jake started to get butterflies in his stomach and a lump in his throat. He had a feeling he was about to hear something he didn’t want to hear. Nine-One continued, “Before your uncle Mitch called me to come up here, a friend of mine was telling me the story about you waking up from the coma and then the one about you escaping from the shooters after you left the hospital. The word on the street is that they’ve given you a new nickname: Mr. Invincible, which means when you get back home those who want you dead are going to work twice as hard. The word is that the 300 Crew wants your head and they got twenty-five thousand cash for anybody who can give solid info on you. And I’m going to be totally honest with you like I always have—I don’t think your uncle is going to be able to help you.”
“Why would you come to that conclusion, Nine?”
Jake was trying to get the back of the car seat
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