Chapter 4 ( Gabos )

Mrs. Walls “Momma Tripping”

“I see you finally made it home, and before you do anything, I need to talk to you.”

“Momma I just walked four miles from the mall to get home, and I’m tired, sweaty, and need a shower. Can we talk after I get out the shower?”

“No, right now,” Mrs. Walls responded with anger in her voice and worry writing all over her face. In his mind he knew what this was all about, his lil sister and her big mouth. “Snitching on me about the lil money I got. Now I gotta explain something that’s really nothing,” he was thinking.

“Okay, Mom, what’s up?”

“You need to be telling me what’s up. You the one running ’round here with a pocket full of money. And Lord knows what you did to get it.”

“Mom, it ain’t nothing but a few.”

“Boy, shut up till I get finish talking. It ain’t nothing but a few dollars you was about to say. Right. Okay, if that’s the case why you kept running when I called you, and don’t say you ain’t hear me ’cause you ain’t that fast. You only got two less not four.”

“Mom, look, Pokey Uncle’s Sico give him some money the other day, and Pokey just looked out for me and Flick. That’s where the money came from, I swear.”

“Boy, what I told you ’bout swearing in my house?”

“I know, but I don’t want you to think I’m lying,” Fats says.

“Boy, I really don’t know what to believe. All I know is I love you, you my only son, and I know you just wanna have fun. But every day I’m seeing less and less of you.”

“But I still ain’t doing nothing. I just chill with my two friends, that all.”

“Baby, look, I know Flick a good kid, but your friend policy Pokey gonna be your downfall. I just hope I can save enough money and move from ’round here before that happen. Lord knows I ain’t trying to come visit my only son behind bars or six feet deep.”

“Momma, stop stressing yourself ’bout nothing. You know I ain’t stupid.”

“I know, baby.”

“Mom, won’t you let me help? I can get a job or something.”

“Baby, I wish you could. But you only fifteen, and you gotta finish school. Besides where you gonna get a job at, and I can’t even find one.”

“Mom, I’ll be sixteen in eight more months though.”

“Baby, just do this for me, stay in school. And stay outta trouble.”

“All right, Momma, I got you.” But little do she know that in a minute Fatboy will have more money than they know what to do with it.

“Come ’ere, baby,” she says, giving him a hug, something she usually don’t do.

“Hey, Ma. Here you go,” Fatboy says, reaching in his pockets to remove the money. He hands his mother the money. She looks at him like he crazy.

“Baby, you just left the mall. Why you ain’t buy nothing?”

“’Cause I felt you needed it more than I did so I kept it.”

“Boy, get your money back.”

“Nah, Mom, keep it. Just pay it with the money you saving up for us to move.”

“Baby, you sure?” his mother asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m sure.”

“If you need this money, baby, just tell me and I’ll give it right back.”

“All right, Mom, let me go take a shower right quick.”

“Okay, baby go ’head,” his mother says, feeling a lot better and knowing in her heart her son gonna be okay.

After about fifteen minutes I step out the shower feeling good and clean. I grab the one phone and bring it to my room. Good thing my sister then ain’t here right now, or I would’ve never got the phone. “Damn, it’s early. It’s only 9:20, and I’m about to call shortie. Where the number at? Oh here it go, 325-21629-0803,” I say out loud. As I dialed the number, after two rings an older female answers the phone.

“Hello, may I speak to Shakia please?”

“Hold on just a moment. Shakia, baby, the telephone. And don’t stay on too long you know you got school in the morning.”

“I got you, Grandma. Hello, oh hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing.”

“I didn’t think you were going to call.”

About twenty-five minutes of talking, we hook up and I end the call by saying, “I’mma call you tomorrow, all right?”

“All right,” the girl says and hangs up.

Let me call my dogs before I go to sleep. I’mma call Pokey first. After about the fourth ring, I hear Pokey’s voice.

“Yeah, what’s up man?”

“What took you so long to answer the phone?”

“Oh, I’m on the other line, talking to Amanda.”

“By the way, what’s up? Pokey asked.

“Na’ll, I just called to tell you me and the shortie from the mall hooked up.”

“That’s good, nigga. Now let me put my bid in,” Pokey says.

“I’ll holla at you tomorrow, all right. I’m out.”

Last but not least I gotta hit Flick up. After the first ring Flick picks up with a sleepy voice.

“Hello, man. What’s up, dog?”

“Oh nothing, man I was almost asleep.”

“Man, its only 10:23.”

“Yeah, I got school in the morning too,” Flicks says. “Oh, did you holla at the girl from the mall?” Flick asked.

“Yeah, dog, we good. Yeah, I talked to Rosie ’bout an hour till the conversation cast boring, and we both said well see each other at school tomorrow.”

“Dog, look, I’m ’bout to catch some Zs. You know I got a track meet tomorrow.”

“All right, dog, I’ll see you tomorrow!” Fats says, hanging up the phone.