up the menu and scanned it for my favorite things. My stomach started to growl. I was ready to lick the pages. Boomer wasted no time telling the waitress that he wanted a ham and cheese omelet. I ordered the popular apple pancakes. Damn, it is good to be free.
We sat talking and laughing about old times until the food came. Our waitress placed everything on the table, asked if there was anything else, then disappeared. Once she was out of earshot, Boomer, while digging into the stinky hog omelet, said, “Nay, you did good last night.”
“But?” I quickly shot back while cutting into my hot buttery pancakes. “I knew there was a ‘but’ coming, so let me hear it. And you better not say shit about them seeing me sweat. I still can’t believe that you set that up like that.”
“Girl, that was a good test. Your uncle Boomer still got it,” he said proudly. “I needed to see how you would handle it, and The Consortium needed to see it as well. Sheeit, I need to pat myself on the back for setting that up. Here’s a nigga who was down with robbing and kidnapping you, so what else was you supposed to do? Like I said earlier, why give him a hug? You shoulda killed his ass. He’s a fool for even showing up. Ain’t no way in hell I would have came to no shit like that knowing that you were going to be there. He failed. These young niggas don’t think.”
“So let’s get back to the ‘but’.”
“You was too quiet when we were discussing the business.”
“Boomer, I’ve only been home for a few days. I don’t know what the fuck is going on out here. But I bet you I can tell you everything that was said.”
“Alright, then, tell me.” He pushed his plate forward, sat back and folded his arms across his big belly. I pushed my plate aside, leaned forward and by the time I finished recapping the entire meeting and ending with, “My daddy taught me that if I keep my mouth closed, I’ll hear better,” Boomer was clapping.
“You ready, baby girl! Run yo’ daddy’s bizness!”
Just then, Born Mathematics and one of his henchmen came and invited themselves to our table, interrupting our conversation. I wanted to spend more quality time with my uncle. His henchman waved the waitress down and ordered a vegetarian omelet for Born and steak and eggs for himself.
I caught Born looking at me as if I was on the menu.
“Y’all youngins just can’t be on time, can you?” Boomer looked from Born to his partner.
Born simply turned to me. “So you had some questions for me, I’m told?”
“For the record, don’t be looking at me like that. You are way too young for me, and plus, I have a son by your uncle,” I told him.
“Whatever, Ma. Now, what’s up?” he asked, getting right down to business.
“Cisco. His beef was that everyone wanted him to tone down his guerilla tactics, but at the same time you and him are running neck and neck.” I tried to be as diplomatic as possible.
“So what’s your point?” Born had the nerve to ask.
“My point is, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Fair is fair. Everyone should be subject to the same rules.”
“I understand that. What else?”
“Nick. What’s up with him?”
“What else?”
“Briggen. Why wasn’t he at the meeting? And back to Nick, what’s his story?” Listening to everything that was said at the roundtable, those were the only things that kept popping up in my mind.
“One of Briggen’s workers got popped and started singing. When they snatched him up they were able to hold him, only because he had some old warrants. So he’s off the scene for a minute. As far as Nick is concerned, we didn’t want to put all of our eggs in one basket. We still have Mr. G, whose product is the best, Nick’s product ain’t grade-A but his prices are much much lower. So for now, he holds the key to our profit margins and with one word he can cause The Consortium to split. That shit would be bad for business right now.”
All of
We sat talking and laughing about old times until the food came. Our waitress placed everything on the table, asked if there was anything else, then disappeared. Once she was out of earshot, Boomer, while digging into the stinky hog omelet, said, “Nay, you did good last night.”
“But?” I quickly shot back while cutting into my hot buttery pancakes. “I knew there was a ‘but’ coming, so let me hear it. And you better not say shit about them seeing me sweat. I still can’t believe that you set that up like that.”
“Girl, that was a good test. Your uncle Boomer still got it,” he said proudly. “I needed to see how you would handle it, and The Consortium needed to see it as well. Sheeit, I need to pat myself on the back for setting that up. Here’s a nigga who was down with robbing and kidnapping you, so what else was you supposed to do? Like I said earlier, why give him a hug? You shoulda killed his ass. He’s a fool for even showing up. Ain’t no way in hell I would have came to no shit like that knowing that you were going to be there. He failed. These young niggas don’t think.”
“So let’s get back to the ‘but’.”
“You was too quiet when we were discussing the business.”
“Boomer, I’ve only been home for a few days. I don’t know what the fuck is going on out here. But I bet you I can tell you everything that was said.”
“Alright, then, tell me.” He pushed his plate forward, sat back and folded his arms across his big belly. I pushed my plate aside, leaned forward and by the time I finished recapping the entire meeting and ending with, “My daddy taught me that if I keep my mouth closed, I’ll hear better,” Boomer was clapping.
“You ready, baby girl! Run yo’ daddy’s bizness!”
Just then, Born Mathematics and one of his henchmen came and invited themselves to our table, interrupting our conversation. I wanted to spend more quality time with my uncle. His henchman waved the waitress down and ordered a vegetarian omelet for Born and steak and eggs for himself.
I caught Born looking at me as if I was on the menu.
“Y’all youngins just can’t be on time, can you?” Boomer looked from Born to his partner.
Born simply turned to me. “So you had some questions for me, I’m told?”
“For the record, don’t be looking at me like that. You are way too young for me, and plus, I have a son by your uncle,” I told him.
“Whatever, Ma. Now, what’s up?” he asked, getting right down to business.
“Cisco. His beef was that everyone wanted him to tone down his guerilla tactics, but at the same time you and him are running neck and neck.” I tried to be as diplomatic as possible.
“So what’s your point?” Born had the nerve to ask.
“My point is, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Fair is fair. Everyone should be subject to the same rules.”
“I understand that. What else?”
“Nick. What’s up with him?”
“What else?”
“Briggen. Why wasn’t he at the meeting? And back to Nick, what’s his story?” Listening to everything that was said at the roundtable, those were the only things that kept popping up in my mind.
“One of Briggen’s workers got popped and started singing. When they snatched him up they were able to hold him, only because he had some old warrants. So he’s off the scene for a minute. As far as Nick is concerned, we didn’t want to put all of our eggs in one basket. We still have Mr. G, whose product is the best, Nick’s product ain’t grade-A but his prices are much much lower. So for now, he holds the key to our profit margins and with one word he can cause The Consortium to split. That shit would be bad for business right now.”
All of
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