A Hard Head Makes for a Soft Curly TAIL

I turned to my mama. I knew she was probably waiting on an explanation. "Mama- She put her hands up to shush me. "Trouble Pooh. You know I cringed the first time I heard your daddy call you that. He was holding you in the hospital after you and your brother was born. He had stars in his eyes as he held you. Imma call her Trouble Pooh he told me." I smiled. "Baby, it's okay. You know the last couple of months I've watched you walk around here like you got some kind of point to prove. You don't have to prove anything to nobody but yourself." She was right. I constantly had to prove to people that I wasn't weak or that I could do or be anything I set my mind to. Hell my mother had just given me all the validation I needed. There was a knock at the door. It was Mike Walker. My mama opened the door. She embraced Mike Walker. "Oh I'm so glad to see you! Let me look at you." He kissed her cheek and I knew the friendship and camaraderie between them was genuine. "Linda, you look good woman. Don't look like you've aged at all. CC, how you doing lil one?" I grinned. "I'm ok. Need your services." He looked me over. "That's ok. I'm here." My mother's entertaining charm was turned back on. "Mike, can I get you some coffee or something. I got some pecan pie and ice cream?" He chuckled. "Same ole Linda. I'll take a rain check on the pie. Would love a cold beer if you got one." "Still drink Budweiser?" Mike Walker nodded. I just shook my head. This wasn't exactly a social call but I guess my mother was glad to see Walker. She went off to fetch his beer. Mike sat down while two of his boys came in to dispose of our "problem" "Jay, wait a second before you take him." Mike walked over to our friend. Pulled his ski mask off. He didn't flinch. "This is Monet's work. Anthony Scott. He been with Monet for a minute, CC." I shrugged my shoulders. "Well she shouldn't have sent him after me then. Hope she wasn't attached to him." "You killed one of her top guns. You know it's on now huh?" I looked around to make sure my mama was still in the kitchen. "Technically I didn't kill him, Mike. You know his death had to be very necessary." Mike Walker just nodded. "You good, lil one. I'm not judging you. You heard from your daddy?" The mention of my daddy caused strings to tug at my heart. You see my daddy was a sensitive subject for me. He had been on the run for the last ten years. He was doing well. We spoke every Sunday. I lived for the day when my father could come home. Sad to say, I knew that day may never come. "I talk to him all the time. He's doing good." "You tell him I said to stay up next time you talk to him." I appreciated that. If my daddy showed his face around Houston, I knew he would either be killed or put in a federal prison to live out the rest of his days. Daddy would rather die than to be imprisoned. My mama came out with Mike's beer. They sat in the living room and talked like old friends. They were. Meanwhile, Asia aka Alicia called me. "What's up AB?" "Nothing much, CC. Let me ask you something. You been talking to Big Lynn?" I had forgot to get with AB about that. "Look AB, we need to talk about that. Where you at?" "I'm in Sunnyside." "Well look, you get in touch with Mychelle and y'all meet me at my house in about an hour." She hung up. I called Texas Tea back and told her the change of plans. "Mike, come on out so I can pay you. Mama, I gotta go." Mike put his hands up. "CC, this one is on the house. I'm just glad to see you and your mother made it ok." I looked into Mike Walker's eyes. I could peer down into his soul and he could do the same for me. I kissed his cheek and kissed the cheek of my mother's. Mike Walker assured me that this cleanup would go like all the others. I left and headed to my house. I rode and thought in silence. A lot of times this would be the only time I could really think. My son, daddy, mother, and other lives I felt I held in balance. Tameika was already at my house when I got there. AB and Mychelle pulled in after. Michelle called me and said she was on her way. I took my shoes out of the car and brought them into the house. I went in the fridge and got a bottle of Moscato. I hadn't been home in days and so there was nothing we could really snack on. I ordered fare from an Italian restaurant. "This is a nice place you have here, CC." Mychelle took a look around. I put some music on. I felt like hearing some Brad Jordan. My Homies compilation it is. I let Fuck Faces play. There was a ring of the doorbell. It was Michelle. Everyone was here. We congregated in my den. "Ladies, it's time we talk. We now have to put a plan in motion. We are going to take over not only Houston but the Third Coast. That's Texas, Louisana, Mississippi and so on and so on." I looked at the beautiful ladies that sat before me. I had done good. "Now our next business venture? We gone take over Big Lynn's business. That's dope, shoes and daycares. She needs to be taken down a peg." I turned to AB. "I'm sure Asia is more than willing to oblige, ain't that right?" AB smiled. "We need to get started on this like yesterday." I knew that this would be personal between AB and Arnissha Lynn but with me I just needed to show Big Lynn that my name was King Piggy and NOT little girl. Vain ain't it? I know. But one thing I knew was that Fear and Respect was two different things. A nigga like Big Lynn wasn't gone respect me cuz she feared me, naw. She was gone respect me because I would give her no other options. Subliminally I put her and Monet on the top of my shit list. I sat at the head of my table surrounded by what I knew was four of the baddest bitches the lone star state had produced. I wrapped a coil of my curl blonde locks around my finger and bit my bottom lip. I would take over the world, starting southeast of the Astrodome. Damn I miss my daddy.