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I watched Sanai off and on until my eyes were too heavy to keep open then I let sleep take me.
…
“Why won’t you just tell me?” Sanai shifted from one foot to the other, a frown scrawled across her pretty face. She’d just gotten back from the salon and her hair was straight and flowing down her back again. I reached out to touch it but she pulled away, folding her arms.
“Because I don’t want you finding a reason to show up. I’m doing this meeting with Junior alone. I didn’t interfere with your family meeting, did I?” She opened her mouth to respond but she knew I had her with that one, so she closed her mouth.
“Will you call me when you’re done so I know you’re alive?” she fussed as she looked me over, picking something from my shirt.
I looked at her from head to pretty purple toes and chuckled. “You’re starting to make me think you care about a nigga.” I sniffed and brushed the tip of my nose with my thumb, making her roll her eyes.
“I care whether you live or die. Yes.”
“You care if I’m available to give you this dick, too.” I grabbed her, locking my arms around her waist and nibbling on her neck while she squealed with laughter, hitting my shoulders.
“Okay, maybe I care a little.” She pulled back just enough to hold her fingers up to demonstrate how little she cared. We both knew it was bullshit. I kissed her cheek and let her go so she could stand.
“I’ll call you and let you know if he believed the story.”
“Thank you, Bakari.”
I gave myself a once over in her mirror and left for my house. When I walked in this time, it was more peaceful. Maybe it was because the sunshine was out and things didn’t seem so dark.
“Where the hell were you?” Hakim frowned at me when I made my way into the kitchen. He scared the shit out of me, but my only reaction was to pause and look at him like he’d lost the little bit of mind he had left.
“Nigga, what the fuck are you doing in my house?” I blurted, snatching the sandwich he’d made himself out of his hand. “Eating my food!”
“I was hungry.”
“Why aren’t you at the hospital? Don’t you have surgeries today?”
“They rescheduled and I’m done with my rounds so I got the fuck out of there early before any meetings that could have been emails popped up. I wanted to check on you because you seemed out of it last night. I got here and your ass was gone.”
“Yeah. That happens sometimes when you’re grown. You just…get up and fucking go.”
“Fuck you, nigga. You know what we have going on right now. I’m your big brother. It’s my job to make sure you’re good.” He grabbed the sandwich back and took a bite while glaring at me.
“I’m grown. We’re not kids anymore, Hakim.”
“Someone tried to kill you. Fuck all that ‘we’re not kids anymore’ shit. You’re my little brother.” He walked over to me and put the sandwich down on the kitchen table. “No matter what happens, Bakari, I got you. Even if it gets on your fucking nerves. I am my brother’s keeper.” Silence hung in the air between us for a while. After losing Rob, the weight of Hakim’s words hit differently.
I nodded my head and rubbed the back of my neck. “Thank you, bro.” I pulled him in for a hug and he patted my back.
“I know we go through our shit because you want to be like me but…you know, I’m always going to ride for my motherfucking brothers.”
My face twisted and I pulled my head back. “Wanna be like you? Nigga, get the fuck out of here with that shit. If I wanted to be like anyone, it was Maasai.”
“Whatever. I know the truth.” He finished his sandwich and then went into my pantry to pull out a family-sized bag of chips. He didn’t even bother with a napkin or a plate. He went in hands first.
“You owe me chips and lunch meat. Oh, and bread and cheese, asshole.” I shook my head and went upstairs to get dressed. I had to meet with Junior in about an hour.
I came downstairs showered and dressed to Hakim still in my fucking kitchen, rummaging for food like a damn bear. “How the fuck don’t you weigh like 400 pounds, man?” I wondered aloud.
“Because I hit the gym faithfully. You know this. You wish you had these abs. These were made in the kitchen.” He patted his stomach, and I ignored him because everyone who knew us knew I was more cut than him by miles.
“Why are you still here, Dr. Godwin?”
“Dad is Dr. Godwin. I’m Dr. Hakim. You having a memory lapse, lil bro? And I’m here because one,” he said holding up a finger. “You just went grocery shopping a few days ago so the pantry is stocked. Two, because I want to make sure nobody runs up in your house and catches you off guard.” I hadn’t noticed when I first came home, but Hakim had a gun tucked at his waist. It must have blended in with the black shirt he had on.
