First Happy Birthday to the Qandahar Ques. Kurt Hudson, Rena Charles-Lyles, Margie Reveles Benton and Sandra Courtney. May you make even more money this year and have more fun. I just left my boy Dan in New Jersey and I’m on a mission to find out what’s happening with my sisters, get paid and live to tell about it. Now there was silence in the caddy. Dan watched through his rear view mirror as the Ford got lost in the traffic. “What’s in the bag “Big D”? Goldilocks had the bag in her lap. “Open it. Try that stuff out and tell me how it works. It’s from Tim. “Who Timmy just left?” “Yea, He’s in a pool of crap right now. All that work he did for those cats he met working for the city and he’s broke. Thinking about going back to Africa ta be with his wife.” “Right”, Crystal’s smooth dark mouth gave a tiny frown. She was sitting in the back. More than a few people immerged in the street life were aware of Tim’s situation. “Cat gave up his houses, land and stuff, turned down offers for apartment buildings cause the stuff they asked him into was so important. Now he’s down to scrambling and worrying about his family.” Crystal’s cropped style haircut was looking out the window. “All that deep cover stuff and he gets jammed by the folks he’s protecting.” Goldilocks was looking at the bottles. “It’s like biting the hand that feeds you.” “Or taking a crap where you eat.” Crystal still gazing though the window. “It’s all about the money,” Dan said slowly, not taking his eyes off the store across the street. “It’s always about the money. … should be up there with the greats, all the lives he’s saved …and a handful of cats are messin it up ...” A couple in front of the check cashing joint yelled, “tomorrow” from across the street. Dan nodded leisurely keeping his eyes on them. “This stuff smells good baby.” “Save me a blue bottle. Where’s the Sebring?” “Notch bought it back. It’s in the garage.” Dan opened the heavy door and spit. I decided to park about three blocks from the house for a moment but with a view to those older cats I saw earlier standing on that corner. It was casual, folks talking, playin dominos or cards or somethin. A block before them though the mood was placid, a few folks sittin around doin nothin in a serene like mood. Not one to disturb their bliss I eyeballed a couple of them watching the afternoon become early evening. A few of them seemed not originally from the U.S. and one cat with a beard seemed a little too deep in his bliss. I’m checking him out casually … checked for trance then depth. Then it occurred, suicide … Gee whiz! Waited a bit and checked him again discreetly, gently. Yep, that’s what it was. Was this cat a potential saboteur? Then a guy came out of the store and a slight stir took the small corner and the adjoining stores. It wasn’t much, just enough to interrupt the bliss. But bliss or slight this was no joke, a potential cell somewhere close by, maybe not far from where those cats had those devilish grins on their faces. Small stuff possibly but bliss or slight it was real and until the societies relieve me of this obligation or until I leave the states this is my oath as per those elder brothers thirty years ago. Forty five minutes later I’m down in Harlem in this health foods store. I had to get this tidbit of data out of my way so I could move on. My friend Najee the owner and I had a special rapport and it was the same with his landlord. Najee was an expert in holistic medicine and herbal cures and was from Nigeria. Although he had no degree you would often find well-heeled people in his little worn down shop on 125th Street paying him good money for his herbal tonics and cures. “Najee. What’s up?” “My old friend where have you been?” “Working hard. Even when I’m not working I’m working.” “So then nothing’s changed?” We both smiled. I looked at him casually. “Need some fish oil and Calcium tablets ...” Joel, the landlord raised his hand in greeting. I nodded back. We three have a way of communicating that has two levels. Not uncommon… We may be talking about one thing while we’re having another conversation on another, nonverbal level and may be communicating about something entirely different. It’s a conversation that occurs below or above the dialogue. Anyway when we were finished they knew everything; location, number of people with descriptions, time of day and everything. There were some lodge folks and proprietors nearby, in and out, whom received the report that could be accepted only by the intelligence of those who were supposed to know. Therefore as always the transfer of information was witnessed by several parties for legitimacy, accuracy and reference purposes. At that point I was out of it unless directed otherwise. Everything that happened after that was basically left up to the discretion of people who were responsible. I went home and laid low with Veronica who was off that night. Slightly blanched spinach and tomatoes with a little onion dusted of parmesan cheese was the course for the evening. Chips and dip later as we watched the preparation for the New York Marathon. Amusing to some who know me, I fancied myself a runner (still do). When Saturday night came around my folks as usual were out in numbers enjoying the weekend. At the “Interlude” club in downtown Newark Goldilocks was sitting at the bar talking with a couple of girlfriends. It was a jazzy spot with a live band and a small area for dancing frequented by a mature upscale clientele. Some of the people and especially the chicks were situated or associated within the black social register in town. One of the chicks in the group was the mistress of a judge and dating one of the musicians playing there that night. The other one was a banker’s wife and the last one was seeing a doctor and one of the officials in the city administration. Weaving this true tale is what she would do to keep her Dan on top. When she was finished talking with her friends they would have just enough data and not a speck more to put on the gossip grape vine. Keeping Dan’s ace buddy and what he does in correct perspective keeps Dan and the hustling crowd in business. If they were to “go down” or “take a fall” so does a crucial part of the community, socially and economically. She would wait and see where the info went. Crystal would be on the other end of the grape vine to report back to her how the factual info played out on the street and elsewhere in a couple of days. They were true sisters. A fair deduction would be that as unmentionable as Dan’s crew was, one doesn’t need them with a team like Goldi and Crystal in their corner. They were home by twelve thirty, out for only the time it took to start a true rumor. Contrary to what people might have thought, these “fly fun bunnies” were home bodies and went to bed early. They were probably asleep before me and Veronica. Figured I’d call Notch after he got off work in the morning. Didn’t like not knowing what was going on with my sisters and although I could handle things, being broke put limits on how I could do that. Don’t like it and it’s unnecessary and regardless of whether I can handle it or not I should not be broke after busting up another terrorist cell just outside of New York less than a month ago and that’s a fact! This has to be concluded soon, by Wednesday in fact. See you then. By Leslie Lox See the conclusions I’ve come to as a result of these true exploits in my books on Nilopub. A brother’s got to provide… Your fan, Les
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 19:48:55 +0000
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