Shut Up & Listen - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

July 17
12:42pm
Cecil
"Maaan Ion know if imma ever get this daddy shit right." I huffed out to Dame. I sat down on the couch as I hung up with my son on the phone.
"At least you're trying now. And you still learning. You'll get better... just make sure you stick around this time , C."
I rolled my eyes at him and he laughed.
"Whatchu think I been doin' man? I'm trying."
"You trying." He repeated after me but in a different tone than I spoke in. I just looked at him and waved him off.
"When yo seed growing up, Just make sure you doing all the shit you been telling me I need to do."
"Hell yeah! Imma show you the fuck up! Might fuck around and be daddy of the year." Dame said smugly, smirking at Cecil.
"Aaalright, bruh. Imma let chu have yo moment."
"Why you thinking about that anyway?"
"I don't even know my own kid. He hated being in Africa because he only had one friend his whole life and I took him away from that. I ain't know he was so attached to Jabari. He told me that they've done everything together since they were like three years old. That's something I should've known... something I would've known had I done what I was supposed to do from jump."
"Okay, but you know now... and you gone keep learning shit everyday."
Dame looked up from his phone, excited. He went to the kitchen to grab something then came back into the living room where he and I were chilling. He walked to the front door where he had a cooler with beers and pops and shit. We got done grilling about thirty minutes ago. This nigga went all out for a damn meet and greet.
"They here."
"Who?"
"My brothers."
"I thought you already had brothers." I teased, knowing how he'd respond.
"C'mon man, I'm already gettin' that shit from Cole."
"Chill, I was just playing witchu." I collected my phone and speaker while he unlocked the door. He rolled his eyes and forced a laugh.
"Whatever, bruh. You ready?"
"Mhm." I responded. Dame opened the front door walking out to the porch greeting his brothers. I stayed back for a couple seconds to compose myself. I grabbed the cooler and closed the screen door behind me.
"This is Lonnie" he gestured toward a tall lighter brown skinned man, "and his brother Jah, my cousin." He said pointing at a shorter but more built dark skinned man, "And this is my little brother Reece." Dame introduced the younger who was of a lighter skinned complexion. I'm assuming he has a different mother or something, cuz he doesn't look like any of these men except for height. The three brothers tower over me, all at least six feet. I nodded and put my hand out for the nigga hand shake to each of them. Reece just opted for a bro hug, not surprised.
"Whassup everybody, I'm Cecil, Dame's self appointed big brother." I smiled at my own phrase and looked around before claiming one of the chairs on the porch.
Everybody took a seat except Jah. He went and leaned up against banister of the porch. He was eyeing everything as if he was looking for something. I watched him for a while because I was confused as to why he wouldn't just sit with everybody else... but then other thoughts took over and my eyes traveled elsewhere.
It made me feel good to see Dame with his blood. I just watched them talk and laugh and play cards and shit. I was quiet mostly and to myself. They were talking and eating for a while but I was deep in thought about my son. I still haven't been able to connect with him. He's gonna fucking hate me when he gets older, I can feel it.
"C, you heard me?" Dame nudged me out of my daze.
"What?"
"I was telling them about ya twin"
"My twin?" Dame looked at me like I was on crack.
"Cecil the third. These niggas tryna get me to convince Sadé to make my son a junior." He explained.
I forced a smile because I honestly do not recommend that shit. It's way too much fucking pressure. But Dame would be a good example for his kid. I took a deep breath and exhaled loud as shit.
"I'm not gone lie... I named my son after my father out of guilt. So I'll say... only do that shit if you really plan on honoring your son. Give him a reason to make his son a third and so on and so forth."
It was quiet like everybody was deep in though or something. I cleared my throat and looked around the table. "Damn, I ain't mean to be so serious."
"Nah, you right tho." Lonnie pointed at me and directed his attention to Dame. "This is literally your only chance to mark where you starting, bruh. You starting a new family, a new bloodline. Far as I'm concerned, there was none before you... you laid the foundation and you built the house. Fuck Maverik and his daddy, this shit starting with you."
Reece chimed in once Lonnie said his piece.
"I get it... it's like a legacy thing. Like my twin brothers are named after my grandad. Kwame was his first name and Khalil was his middle name. I'm thinking..." Reece paused for a few seconds then he let out an exaggerated breath while looking around at all us fellas sitting with him. He opened his mouth and continued. "... that if ... my kid ... is a boy, I want him to be a junior too." He looked down, rubbing his hands together like he was nervous about something. No one said anything for a second because no one registered what this kid was saying until someone spoke up.
"You thinking about that a lil early kid." Jah said, not turning away from his position, watching the block.
"Actually..." he started...I raised my brows. "I only have four more months to decide. Well we, because of course it's my girlfriend's decision too."
"Oh shit." I said under my breath.
"Hell Nah. You havin' a kid? You a kid!" Lonnie spoke loudly.
He was quiet and his eyes shifted every which way. "You good, bruh." Dame reassured Reece.
"How yo folks feelin' bout it?" I asked him.
"Ummmm I haven't... they... they don't know about it." I looked out about the block avoiding any eye contact because the guilt of how I handled my situation was starting to bubble up.
"My God." Jah said, sounding like a church deacon.
"So what? You just gone tell 'em when the girl is in labor?" He added on.
"I'm going to tell them. Just not yet. The timing isn't right." Reece wiped his face in frustration. Dame tried to distract him by joking about what I did.
"Just don't be like Cecil. Nobody knew he had a kid til two days ago. The boy is seven." Dame laughed.
"Fuck you Dame, cuz it wasn't two days ago. It was in February." I mumbled, still avoiding eye contact.
"Hold the fucking phone. What?" Lonnie was shocked.
"How you-" Jah started but was cut off by Dame.
"To be fair, he did move away."
"I don't fucking care where the fuck you at! You bet not hide a fucking whole ass kid from me Black. Cuz imma fuck you you up for doing some dumb shit like that." Jah yelled at Lonnie, still holding his post on the banister.
"I think you should tell him what happened. I bet that shit will convince him to tell them sooner than later."
"It wasn't all because of my kid tho."
"Just tell him."
"No! It's irrelevant."
"Who invited this fool?" Dame cut me off irritated by the sight of Cole's car pullin into the drive way.
"Ain't this shit for ALL yo brothers?"
"I'm not in the mood."
"Well shit! Ain't nobody tell me we was havin' a Lil family reunion." Cole yelled from his window before he was even done parking his car.
"Ain't nobody think you'd wanna chill with us niggas. Whatchu doin' here anyway Cole?" Dame spoke low, unamused by Cole's presence.
"I left sumn. I ain't think you was gone be here." Cole responded.
"Nigga, It's my house. Where the fuck else would I be?"
"Chill out with that mean shit." He demanded while looking around at the eyes that were trained on him. "Whatchall niggas lookin' at? Y'all ain't gone greet a nigga? Shit!" Reece got up and walked towards him for a handshake.
"Hey, man. My name is Maurice. It's nice to meet you." He was caught by surprise when Cole pulled his hand for the nigga hand shake.
"Where this nigga from that he don't know how to do the secret handshake?" He joked still moving his fingers around Reece's, but when he noticed how uncomfortable he was, he said, "no harm bruh, I'm just messin' kid. I'm Cole. Wassup witchu?"
"I'm doing good. How about you?" Maurice responded with a smile almost as big as Cole's.
"I'm straight." Cole replied, looking around the porch.
"Gone getcho shit and head out, bruh" Dame said in a dismissive tone. He should know better than to show Cole that's he irritating him. Cole feeds off that shit.
"Mm ion know, Dame. I think I wanna stick around for a lil bit now that me and Maurice is friends and all. Plus it's a good ass day! We breathing in the fresh ass prana, the sun is out, the wind is blowing through my tresses. I think my pineal gland is decalcifying just from being in the presence of you niggas." He smiled big and walked over to me, dapping me up. "Imma stay."
"Yo.. you high or you just act like this on the regular?" Jah asked.
"High?! High?"
Jaleel just laughed at his response because he knew what that meant. Then Cole looked over at Lonnie and nodded to him, in acknowledgement. Lonnie returned the gesture and Cole went to pop a squat on the stairs after grabbing a beer out of the cooler.
"But forreal though y'all... I only smoke cigarettes.. that's it." Cole said as if was setting the record straight. That shit was a lie... and the sad part is, he made his own self laugh.