Chapter 13 ( Gabos )

My Day

“Damn, it seems like these last few months would never get here,” Pokey said, hopping up outta bed, feeling good and fresh. “Damn, something smelling gooder than a motherfucker.” As he made his way into the kitchen all he saw was a plate full of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

“Happy birthday, baby,” his mother said, walking up to him and giving him a hug.

“Thanks, Ma, but who all this food for?”

“Baby, it’s for you,” his mother said. “You finally turned sixteen. And, baby, I wish I had enough money to throw you a party or buy you something, but I don’t ’cause I had to pay some bills. I’m sorry,” his mother said.

“Momma, you good, it’s just another day to me,” he said, trying to make his mother feel better. “This good enough. Right here,” he said, digging into the food.

        “So what do you got planned for the day?” his mother asked.

Knowing ’round five six o’clock tonight, he would have a surprise waiting from Sterling, a.k.a. Mr. Big told her, “Oh, Mom, I’ll probably chill with my dogs. Probably hit the mall or something.”

“Well, if you do, just be careful, ’cause you been doing good staying outta trouble,” his mother said. “Oh, I almost forgot, here you go,” she said handing him an envelope. “This from your sister.”

“Who?” Pokey asked.

“Boy, stop acting silly. You ain’t got but one sister, and that’s Tisha. She told me to make sure you get this. What is it? Open it and see,” his mother said. As she watched her son tear open the envelope, she began to smile, knowing the card would make his day. “Pokey, read it out loud,” his mother asked.

“Okay. To my only brother, Pokey I just wanna wish you a happy b-day, with many more to come. I want you to know even though sometimes you are a pain in the ass, I still love you, and I want the best for you. You’re my only brother. And I know with time it seems as if we grew apart, but lil bro, that’s not true, ’cause everywhere I go, you’re always there in my heart. Love always, Tisha PS Look on back.”

As Pokey turned the card over, he saw a mini picture of his sister taped to a hundred bill. As he began to smile, he looked over at his mother, “Mom, Tisha wrote this?” he asked.

“Yes, she did. I watched her write right there where you read it from yesterday night.”

“Mom, if you see her before I do, tell her I say thanks,” Pokey said.

“All right, boy, his mother replied.”

As Pokey got up and came ’round the table, to his mother’s surprise, he bent down and gave her a hug and said, “Ma, I love you, and I don’t need this,” he said, giving his mother the hundred dollars his sister gave to him to her.

“Baby, that’s your money from your sister,” his mother said.

“Mom, I know. Somebody gave it to me who loves me, and I’m giving it to somebody I love. Just look at it as Mother’s Day,” he said smiling, as he watched his mother wipe at a falling tear. “Momma, I’ll be back later. I’m going to holla at my dogs,” he said racing out the door. As soon as his feet hit pavement, he heard his two friends screaming, “Happy birthday, nigga!” As they made their way up to him, Pokey already knew what time it was.

“What y’all fools smiling and laughing about? What, I look funny or something?” Pokey said, watching Fatboy and Flick rush him, as they began punching him, in the arms, legs, anywhere but the face. “All right, man. Damn, y’all gone kill a nigga,” Pokey shouted, laughing at the same time.

“Nigga, you know we gotta get them birthday licks,” Flick said, giving Pokey some dap.

“Check it out though, Pokey,” Fatboy said. “Walk to the crib with me. We got something for you.”

“Look, if it’s another ass whooping, y’all can keep it,” Pokey said, laughing.

“Nigga, come on,” Flick said.

“Hold up, y’all. Let me run upstairs right quick and grab this,” Fatboy said.

“Flick, what that nigga going to get?” Pokey asked.

“Man, just chill, you’ll know in a minute. Just be patient,” Flick said. “Here he come now,” Flick told Pokey, as Pokey was looking the other direction.

“Huh, dog, this from me and Flick.” As he passed Pokey something wrapped in paper, Pokey began to open it with caution, thinking it might be a joke.

“This ain’t’ no bomb, is it?”

“Man, just open the damn thing!” Pokey’s two friends screamed.

“All right all right. Damn, y’all ain’t gotta get an attitude about the shit,” Pokey said. When he finished tearing the paper off, in his hand was a jewelry box.

“Open it, boy,” Flick said.

When he opened the box and seen what was in it, he had a giant smile on his face.

“Damn, this bitch clean.” As he took the gold chain out the box, you could see a shiny gold charm with the word “GABOS” on it.

“Yeah, dog, we thought you might like this. It’s to remind you what we live by,” Fatboy said.

“Man, thanks. Y’all did y’all thing with this. What this shit cost?”

“Nigga, stop worrying about prices. Just know it’s paid for!” Flick said.

“All right, now that that’s outta the way, what you wanna do today? Everything on us.”

“Shit, that’s what’s up. Y’all know how I get when I’m spending another nigga’s cheddar, so I hope you’ll got enough cheese to supply a rat, ’cause I got some shit I need,” he said laughing, but really playing. ’Cause within this last four and a half months, Mr. Big gave him all he needed. Plus with the money they were now bringing in from Mrs. Jones’s house, they were sitting all right for three jits. They just never imagined the table would turn once this birthday party was over, and they would make it to the top. “But how long will they stay there! Shit always seems to go from sugar to shit,” Pokey was thinking.

“Damn, nigga, you deaf or something?” Fatboy said. “So what’s up? What you wanna do?” ’Cause Fatboy and Flick were told by Sico and Mr. Big to get Pokey to go somewhere, “So we can sneak in and set up shop. We gonna surprise him with a birthday party, something he never had nor expected,” Sico said, as Mr. Big just listened.

“All right, we got y’all,” Fatboy and Flick said.

“Look, ’bout six o’ clock, everything should be set up. But y’all gotta keep him gone somewhere until that time.”

“We got y’all. We can handle that.”

“Huh. Here’s a little extra cash,” Mr. Big said giving Fatboy and Flick about a grand apiece.

“Bet that up, Mr. Big. Now we can take dog balling.”

“All right, y’all, we gone,” Sico and Mr. Big said.

“Damn, we talked to them niggas ’round eleven o’clock. It’s now 11:45 and we still ain’t gone,” Fatboy was thinking.

When Pokey said, “Shit, we can either hit the mall or walk over to the park,” Pokey said.

“Dog, it’s your choice whatever you wanna do, we with cha.”

“Hold up,” Pokey said, running up the stairs.

“Now where this nigga going?” Flick asked.

“Hey, Ma. You think you can drop us off at the mall, my friends talking about taking me shopping.”

“Yeah, I can drop y’all off. But give me ’bout ten minutes. As soon as I finish washing these dishes, I’ll take y’all,” his mother said.

“All right, Ma, I’ll be downstairs with my friends when you ready,” Pokey said. Walking out the door, “Well, dog, look like we headed to the mall!” Pokey yelled at his friends. “My momma said she’ll drop us off when she finish doing what she doing!”

After about five hours of clowning around in the mall and just having fun talking to the females, the three boys were ready to make tracks back to the projects. On the way home, Pokey said, “Dog, I appreciate all y’all did for me today. Y’all really made something outta nothing. And thanks for these brand-new Jordan’s, y’all niggaz coped me,” he said holding up the Foot Locker bag, feeling good about the way things turned out.

“Yeah, dog, but understand something, the party is just getting started,” Fatboy said, as they walked up in the projects, they heard ain’t no but a gangsta party. Nothing but a gangsta party.

“Man, what the hell going on out here? This bitch look like the park,” Pokey said. And that’s when everyone shouted, “Happy birthday, Pokey!”

“Damn, dog, y’all threw a nigga a surprise party,” Pokey said.

“Na’ll, dog, your Uncle Sico and Mr. Big set this up. We just played our parts, keeping ya ass out the projects all day, that’s all,” Fatboy said.

“Damn, this bitch on swoll. What, they musta told everybody from the 352 area code to show up,” Pokey said.

“Dog, look, I don’t know but here come ya uncle, ask him,” Flick said.

“What’s up, nephew? Happy birthday!”

“Oh, Unc, what’s up? And thanks for the party,” Pokey said, looking at his unc like he was looking at a ghost, ’cause his uncle was looking bad and Pokey felt like he was the only one who seen it.

“Nephew, it’s your time. Walk with me right quick,” as they began the walk to his uncle’s car, Pokey wanted to ask him so bad what was wrong with him but decided against it. Just to see what this nigga had in store for him.

“Remember I said I was gonna put you on when you turn sixteen? Well, I’m a man of my word, so I’mma do just that,” he said popping the trunk. “Now I’mma put you on, but you gotta do ya own work. I heard how y’all booming over at Mrs. Jones’s house, so it shouldn’t be no problem to get off these,” he said, opening a book bag with three kilos of crack in it.

“Damn, Unc, what I’mma do with all that shit?” Pokey said.

“Boy, what you think? Make money like you supposed to. The only thing is this all your money, feel me? Happy birthday, nigga. When the party over you can come get this, but right now, go have some fun!”

“Hey, Unc.”

“What’s up, nephew? Man, what’s wrong?”

“I mean, good looking out,” he almost slipped but caught himself. “I’mma just handled business, and when the time is right, I gotta go ahead and do, Unc, before the drugs take full effect,” Pokey was thinking, as he watched his unc get in the ride and roll up the dark boys. “I bet this nigga finna smoke that shit right now,” Pokey was thinking, as he turned around and walked back to the party. With his thoughts still miles away, he tried to enjoy himself, which shouldn’t have been hard to do when there were so many hoes walking ’round in nothing, lil skimpy outfits that barely covered anything.

“Damn, these bitches fine,” Fatboy and Flick said, walking up to his dog who was in a daze.

“Pok, you all right, dirty?”

“Oh yeah, I’m good. Just checking these chicks out!” he lied.

“Oh, Mr. Big said when you get time, come holler at him,” Flick said.

“All right,” Pok said.

“He over there talking with ya mom’s.”

“All right I’ll holla at him in a lil.”

“You know Amanda here, right?” Fatboy asked Pokey.

“Word, where she at?”

“She chilling with Rosie and Shakia.”

“Damn, nigga, ya girl here too?” Pokey asked Fatboy.

“Yeah, her auntie dropped her off! Well, I’m gone,” Fatboy said, going to holla at his shortie.

“Me too,” Flick said, doing the same.

As they made their way over to their sorties, Amanda was on her way to Pokey.

“What’s up, baby?” Amanda said, “And happy birthday,” she said, giving him a kiss, as he felt all over her body. “Stop, boy. I’mma give you that later,” she said. “Right now, it’s too many people here.

“All right, cool!” Pokey said. “Baby, hold up one minute, let me holla at my dogs right quick,” he said, walking off. “Yo, Flick, where Fatboy at?”

“Oh, he handling some business.”

“Look, dog, since you got ya shortie here, I know you trying to smash, so tell Fatboy y’all can use my room. Since my momma chilling out here,” Pokey said.

“Too late, dog. That’s where Fatboy and his girl Shakia just headed to get there freak on!”

“That’s what’s up,” Pokey said.

“Yeah, when he done, me and Rosie going up there,” Flick said, squeezing Rosie on her ass.

“Well, let me go, ’cause I see you two niggaz already on point,” Pokey said, giving his lil dirty some dap, as he made his way back over to Amanda. “Baby, come on,” he said, grabbing her by the hand. “Walk with me to holla at this nigga Mr. Big.”

“Okay, since you ’bout to snatch my arm off. I might as well come,” she said, laughing. When he walked up to Mr. Big, he stopped talking to Mrs. Queen, Pokey’s mom, and got up and met Pokey.

“Happy birthday, birthday boy! How you like the party?” Mr. Big asked.

“It’s off the chain! Mr. Big, what you and my momma was talking ’bout?”

“Oh, I had to make sure it was cool with her, about what I’m about to give you. She said its cool so.”

“What, you finna give me your kingdom?”

“Come on, Pokey, it’s too soon for that,” Mr. Big said, laughing. “You gotta lot more work to put in before you’re ready to take over. Come on,” he said. “You can bring ya shortie too,” Mr. Big said.

“Come on, Amanda.” As they began to follow Mr. Big, they saw Sico.

“Yo Sico!” Mr. Big called, looking at Sico like he knew something was wrong with his lil brother. “Yo tell Trirena to go ’head and bring that.

“All right,” Sico stuttered before walking off.

Ten minutes later we heard before we saw the same song “Ain’t Nothing but a Gangsta Party” coming from this brand-new box Chevy, painted candy apple red, with bucket seats, being driven by none other than Mr. Big’s daughter Trirena. As Trirena pulled up right in front of Pokey, she exited the car with all smiles and said, “Happy birthday, lil nigga,” panting at the ride.

“Na’ll, man, y’all bull shitting a nigga, right?” Pokey asked, dumping in the driver’s seat, while Amanda made her way to the passenger seat.

“Hold up! Before y’all take a spend,” Mr. Big said, “Happy birthday again. I got you this ride so you and your friends can get around better. Not to be getting in trouble and shit, all right?” Mr. Big said.

“I got you, Mr. Big,” Pokey said, backing the car up.

After about thirty minutes of joy-riding, Pokey pulled up in the park, which was empty, due to most people were at the party.

“Baby, you ready to give me my present now?” Pokey asked Amanda. And she started climbing in the backseat and lay on her back, removing her panties.

“Damn, baby. I guess you ready,” Pokey said. Climbing in the back, positioning himself between Amanda’s thighs. As they began to kiss and fell all over each other, Amanda began to moan, “Give it to me,” and Pokey didn’t hesitate. Fifteen minutes later, they were headed back to the projects. Pokey was thinking, “Damn, this day turned out to be good. I got a brand-new ride. My girl gave up the kitty kit, my dogs looked out, and my momma had a smile on her face. Something I usually don’t see.”

        “Well, baby, it’s close to midnight. So the party ’bout over. When it’s done, I’ll take y’all home. So go call ya mom, and tell her you got a ride.”

“All right, baby,” Amanda said, leaving the car. Two minutes later, his Uncle Sico walks up to the driver’s side, looking high as hell.

“What’s up, nephew? How you like the ride?”

“It’s straight,” Pokey said, looking at his uncle sideways.

“Look, this party is about to come to an end. So come get that,” Sico said.

“All right, Unc.”

“And you right, the party is about to end, with you leaving this earth,” Pokey was thinking, as he followed his uncle to his ride, who he knew was high, ’cause he kept talking to himself. Once to the ride, Pokey got what he came for and burned rubber, without so much as a thank you.

“Damn, what’s wrong with that ungrateful-ass nigga?” Sico said. Pulling out his pipe, “Fuck ’em!” he said, taking a hit as he watched Pokey walk off.