ch02: what's thicker? blood or water?

<makaveli>

Monday
June 6, 2022
After Midnight

𝕷𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖊 rested his head on the pillow, but he wasn't resting. He hadn't rested in years. Most of his downtime in the last few years have consisted of overwhelming thoughts that he kept to himself. A lot of it had to do with the parts of himself that he was still discovering.

Makaveli laid on the other end of the bed as he had been doing every night since he got home from prison. He'd been locked up for eight and a half years.  One  might assume he'd be grateful for the luxury of privacy— something he hadn't had in eons, but he couldn't sleep peacefully in a big room all alone after sharing a cell for that long.

It's been quiet in the room for an hour, but neither brother had fallen asleep. Lonnie laid still, staring at the ceiling while Makaveli tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable. Lonnie sighed.

"Maki." He broke the long lived silence. "How often do you think about why your life is how it is?"

"Whatchu mean?"

"I mean, do you think about it? Like, it's almost as if we are destined to live in a certain way. Act out certain behaviors and whatnot just because of who we are."

The room fell silent again. The humming of the broken air conditioner kept a steady beat making the moment feel nostalgic for the two. It was as if the two had gone back in time to when Lonnie first moved in with them. He shared a room with Makaveli for the first year and a half. Even after they moved to a bigger house and got their own bedrooms, the two of them spent most nights talking until the early hours of the morning. It was something Lonnie missed. His brother had always been the only person he'd felt he could speak candidly with. Up until he met Cole, he kept all of his thoughts to himself. And once he left Cole, he did the same.

"I don't know about destiny." Makaveli started, "But it was definitely intentional. We grew up being groomed for the business of misbehavior. It come so natural to us though because it  is also in our DNA. But, you gotta admit, Black; we did decide ourselves to do the shit we did, whether we knew it or not, we always had a choice."

"I didn't have a choice." Lonnie responded, lowly. He stared out the window at the moon.

"I grew up witchu, even before you was my brother. I been knew you and I looked up to you, bro. Shit, I still do."

"Don't. I haven't done anything good, ever."

"You just so hard on yourself, king. You ain't done nothing I haven't done. Or pops or Jah. Shit, even ma done took niggas out. That don't make you a bad person."

Lonnie laughed at his brother's logic. "I don't know, Maki. I think prison really fucked you up because out here, being a killer is definitely bad."

"But you ain't a killer. You've killed." He reasoned.

"What's the difference, Yo?" Lonnie laughed.

"I shared cells with killers, Black." He sat up, "they all had something in common."

"What's that?" He asked, before their conversation was interrupted by a figure at the doorway.

Jah walked into the room, "y'all still up?" He asked, clearly seeing the both of them with their eyes open. "I'm 'bout to go out. Y'all wanna go?"

Lonnie shook his head, "nah, I'm good."

Jah looked at Makaveli who hadn't responded yet and went back to Lonnie. He laughed, "oh my bad. I meant to say get y'all's black asses up, we out." They didn't move. "Nigga, you heard me?"

The two younger brothers shook their heads at their big brother. He left the room once they began to dress. "That nigga always on ten." Makaveli commented, putting a pair of sweats over his boxers. "How the hell you deal with that shit."

"He not always like that. At least he wasn't when I left." He said lowly.

"Well, I hope he know I ain't for that shit. He got one more time to talk to me like I came out his nutsack." He replied, making Lonnie laugh. "He got the wrong one."

"I had a conversation with daddy a few years ago. He called me a killer. Sounded proud of me too."

"That nigga crazy." Maki shook his head, stuffing his feet into some shoes and grabbing his gun. He tucked into the back of his band. "He always valued how ruthless a nigga can be over anything else. After I caught my first body, nigga praised me for months. I had never seen so much money in my life."  He laughed.

Lonnie's brows furrowed in disbelief.

"What? I'm dead serious. You can ask Jah." He said in response to the expression on Lonnie's face. But, Lonnie wasn't even listening to him anymore.

"Jah gave you that?" He asked Makaveli.

Makaveli nodded, "What?" He followed his brother's gaze to the gun in the back of his sweats. "Oh, this shit?" He asked, taking it out and admiring it. "Hell yeah. This shit pretty as fuck." He caressed it. Lonnie analyzed the gun recognizing it as the gun he used to carry. The same gun he used to shoot Mo.

Lonnie stared at the gun, memories flooding his mind. He became angry, thinking of the night. Mohammed's voice rang in his ears, "then kill me." He egged on, "you can't. But you want to though, don't you?"

"It's mine." Lonnie replied, putting his hand out for it.

Maki smirked, "What's the issue? We all going to the same place. It don't matter." He reasoned nonchalantly. He fit the gun back into his pants.

Lonnie let out an angry sigh walking toward Makaveli, "do it!" Mo yelled. Lonnie's breath hitched, hearing the pop that ended Mo's life. He could feel the bone shattering vibration again as he touched the gun, snatching it out of Maki's pants.  "Don't touch my shit, Maki." He barked, wiping the gun down with a nearby T-shirt. Makaveli just stared at him, confused.

From the corner of his eye, Lonnie saw Jah standing in the doorway. He shook his head at Jah disapprovingly. He mumbled this and that while arranging the gun in his own pants and putting on the rest of his garments. He walked through the door and bumped Jah's shoulder with his own as he passed him. "Trippin'." He mumbled.

Jah cracked his knuckles menacingly. He pursed his lips in frustration and left the room.

The three of them sat in the car in silence while the old school Atlanta group Goodie Mob played through the speakers. Makaveli rapped the lyrics loudly when Cell Therapy came on. "Who's that creeping' through my window?! POW! Nobody Now!" He sang, earning a look from Lonnie. "Yo, this my shit right here!" Makaveli responded to Lonnie's look, adding a short nod at the end. Lonnie nodded back, understanding passed between them. "POW!" Makaveli said loudly, imitating a gun with his fingers subtly pointed in Jah's direction. He laughed so loud, it could be heard splitting through the music.

When they arrived at an abandoned plant, Jah turned the car off silencing the music. He looked in the backseat through the rear view mirror making eye contact with Makaveli. Maki stared him down, "I ain't planning on going back to prison no time soon Jaleel. But don't provoke me, nigga." He said with a straight face before opening the back door and exiting. Lonnie followed his actions, opening his door. 

"The fuck you talking to?" Jah barked, pulling his brother back by his shoulder causing him to turn around and put his hands around Jah's neck.

"Don't ever fucking touch me, Jah. I swear to God I will fuck you up." He spat through gritted teeth at his brother who was now clawing at Makaveli's arms seeking release. Makaveli burned holes into Jah's skull with his eyes and his mouth balled up in a grimacing presentation while Jah tried and failed to fight back.

Lonnie stood up against the car, watching the two in an event that was never strange for the two. He'd seen them do things like this their whole childhood up until Maki was arrested and sentenced to ten years. The only thing that caught him off guard was their disdain for each other lasting the nearly nine years they'd been apart. He knew Jah to be aggressive and mean but Maki was ten times what Jah was and he'd made a name for himself in the streets and in prison because of it. The thing about Maki though is that he's chill, goofy and smart— so, you'll never see that side of him coming until it was too late. He's unpredictable and a hot head. That's why the two of them don't get along. Maki threatens Jah's sense of authority and Jah is always going to fight that.

"Y'all done or what?" Lonnie asked, getting tired of the display.

Maki released his grip on  his brother's neck and watched him try to catch his breath with a smile. He patted Jah's cheek. "You okay, nigga." He assured him, letting out a big laugh.

Jah shoved him away, holding his neck as he lead them into the plant. "Play too much." He complained. The three men walked through the emptiness, hearing faint music in the distance. They left the building through an exit in the back which placed them in an alley sandwiched between the abandoned plant and another large brick building. Jah knocked on the door of the other building and it opened just a taste in order for whomever on the other side was able to see his face. The door closed back and many locks were taken off the door before it opened.

It was a foggy atmosphere; a large warehouse filled with smoke and a mix of smells that made Lonnie cough. He looked around, there was a bar, lounge chairs and table, a second level where people were dancing. Once they were well into the mix, the DJ turned down the music and acknowledged their presence. Everyone hooted and clapped and people began approaching the three.

"I know you ain't think you wasn't gone get a homecoming party, baby boy." A familiar voice rang through the crowd from the speaker. Makaveli looked up at the DJ booth and saw his father and his mom. "Maki, we love you kid. Welcome back to the fold!" Mac shouted, getting a loud response from the others in their gang.

Then, his mother took the mic, "Y'all know I done already shed my share of tear over my little baby." She smiled, "but whoo. I just can't believe he's here with us, no more bars, no more handcuffs no more lawyers and judges and idiot ass white jurors. My baby is home."

"FREE MAK!" Someone in the crowd yelled, starting a chant.

Makaveli looked around the room as gratitude filled his heart. "Fuck, don't make me cry." He said although only those nearest to him could hear.

"Come on up here, son." Mac said into the mic.

He dabbed the corner of his eye with his thumb before he took the mic. After hugging his mom and dad, he looked out at all the people who had gathered on his behalf. He sniffed, "You know what? Being locked up," he paused, "it can feel real lonely. It's easy to feel like there's nobody in the world that would care if you lived or if you died. That's just how they program us in there. It's literal hell. Some'a y'all been. And you know what I'm talking about." He looked around again, then his eyes landed on Lonnie. "But then you get a picture in the mail. You might get a letter from someone saying you was on they mind." He chuckled, "One time I got a call from my brother just telling me about his day. It was random as hell but it made me feel like I still had a connection to the outside world. I appreciated that."

"Some of y'all came to visit me. Nigga, I ain't even think y'all really knew who the fuck I was. I thought everybody knew me as Jah annoying  little brother. One of Mac bad ass sons." He laughed, "Y'all showed up out the blue. And it was just on some chill shit. Man, y'all brought the cards just talked about life. Felt like I was back at home, chillin' with the fellas. I love y'all, man. You know who the fuck you are."

"I know this party for me, but y'all ain't come to hear me talk shit. I know y'all came to get drunk, don't lie." He laughed, "But I just want to say thank you to one more person."

"Man. Y'all." He frowned, covering his face with his forearm. The room was silent, waiting for him to continue. A faint sniff could be heard echoing through the speakers. "Ma."
He looked at her and she reached out to him, wrapping him up in a hug. She wiped his tears as a few of her own fell. He held her hand and looked back out into the crowd. "I know it broke your heart when you heard that judge say ten years. You probably was pissed at me too."

"I was." She agreed, watching her son with a proud look. "I was mad as all get out."

"I know." He said seriously, "But you never said it to me. I would've broke if you had told me that you were disappointed in me or that I broke your heart or that you were mad. I'll keep it 100 with y'all. I would not have made it through a ten year sentence with that in the back of my mind. And she knew. You knew and you spared me. You called me everyday. You came to visit me at least once a month. Every birthday you came down and you sang happy birthday to me even with everybody telling you to be quiet and staring you down." They both laughed. "Now, I don't like it when niggas call their mother their rock. Of course a mother is strong. Women are strong. But you're more than strong. You're more than my mother." He said, looking her in the eyes.

"Aye now, my momma don't take no shit. Y'all know her. She a hardass and will whoop any mutherfucka at any time. She don't play bout her money. She don't play bout her business, she don't play about that respect. And she for sure don't play with you niggas. Ain't that what she say?" He laughed, "I am not playing with n'an one'a you niggas." He mocked her voice. "But most of all, she do not play about her kids. She gone go to the end of the earth for all three of us bad ass little boys." He laughed. "Thank you, ma. I love you."

"Let's party." He concluded, handing the mic back to the DJ.

When he found his brothers, they were in a heated conversation. He stood near just to observe and hear what they were talking about. "So why the fuck didn't you get rid of it then?" Lonnie asked with no answer. "Why the fuck did Makaveli have it? You trying to set him up?"

"Come on, man. That's my brother."

"That's not a no. You know, fuck you, nigga. You dirty as fuck. If you would do that to blood, I don't know what you would do to me."

"Nothing happened though. And you're my fucking brother too. Don't even start with that shit. I never treat you any different."

"The only reason nothing happened is because I took it from him. You a shady ass motherfucker, Jah." He spat, turning around to leave only to be faced by his little brother.

"What's going on?" Makaveli asked the two older men.

"Nah, I'm taking care of it." Lonnie assured him, "go enjoy your party. I saw some of your old friends from the neighborhood around here somewhere."  He gave his brother a hug and pushed him away from where they were.

Before he was far enough away, Makaveli turned back, facing his two older brothers. He looked between the two of them. "Black." He called over the loud music. Lonnie looked at him, "The difference between those killers and you is heart. You got a heart like no nigga I ever knew. That's the difference. That's what makes you good." He nodded, patting his brother on the arm before walking away.

Cole was sitting in his bedroom in the dark with only the moonlight and mood lights illuminating his piano keys. He was live-streaming on social media; something he'd come to enjoy over the years. Interacting with his fans without leaving his place of comfort.

"I'm glad you're back. I was worried about you, love." He read aloud from the comments. He nodded, "yeah, I was worried about me too." He inhaled, playing random keys. "Man, I love y'all. Yall, my, my, my tribe. My tribe man. Y'all are the only consistent thing in my life right now. Have been for a while. I appreciate the energy. I appreciate the love." He said, playing a tune. The notes came together, forming a familiar melody. He began to sing it.

"But anyway, yeah." He said continuing to play the keys, "I'm better now, yall. Tour still on, end of the summer. Say no to drugs. Love yourself. Follow your dreams. All that shit." He laughed. "This shit going up. I got some good shit in the works. Just stick around for me, yo."

He continued playing the tune lightly while he read the comments rolling on his screen, "Aye, my man." He called, reading a comment from @samlove, "Sammy, what up doe!" He smiled, "yeah, cool with me, dawg. All good vibes, fasho." He laughed. "My nigga." He sighed, "call me Nigga. Let's get into some shit." He nodded.

"Anywho, I been in this house way too long, y'all. I'm about to hop off here, go outside and get some fresh prana." He put the lid down on his piano and took his phone off of the stand holding it up to his face, "I miss y'all though. Imma see y'all soon. Be safe. Peace." 

After a few minutes of sitting around, Cole finally gathered his keys and wallet and went outside. He decided to go to the lake on the other end of his neighborhood. He recently learned that it flowed into the detroit River, the same body of water he would give himself to at the River walk, but he didn't have to go to Detroit to visit it.

Back at the party,anger was building. "Lemme see your keys." Lonnie told Jah, "come on." He urged as Jaleel was just looking at him.

Jah slowly gave him the keys to his car, "where you going?"

"Wherever I end up." He said matter-of-factly.

Earlier that morning, Lonnie flew from Alabama to Michigan after being away for three years. As the plane flew over the city and got closer to the land, he began to feel a knot in his belly. He looked over at his uncle who sat beside him on the plane.

"You nervous?"

"No." He lied, looking out the window, "I didn't leave right, Unc."

"I feel like I'm about to walk into the lions den. And the lions, I birthed and raised and left in a burning Forrest. They survived, but they all want revenge."

"Come on nephew. That's dark."

"I know I deserve it all. Whatever I got coming to me when I land. I been cheating death for way too long."

"It's just a few days. It'll be alright." He assured him. "Okay?"

He nodded. "And then, there's this person in particular whom I owe the world to." He wanted to say, but didn't. "He'll probably take mine when he sees me after going ghost for so long." He wiped his hands on his pants, ridding them of the nervous sweat that had been collecting. "I tried twice to see him before I had to go. I did try." He consoled himself.

"You'll be fine, honey." Aunt Evis said to him, reaching over her husband to grab Lonnie's hand. He looked over at her and she smiled.

An hour later, he was walking into Jaleel's house. He didn't have a house when Lonnie left, but now he does. "I gotta talk to you before we go to Belle Isle later. Don't let me forget." He told Lonnie after showing him where his room was. Lonnie nodded, gathering items to take a shower.

Later didn't come until they were in the parking lot at Belle Isle. "Damn, you ain't remind me." Jah