Drama City

'Shay doin' fine,' said Lorenzo. 'I saw her this evening. Her mama wouldn't let me talk to her or nothin' like that, but she looked great. Happy. Looks like Sherelle got herself a good man this time.'

'You met him?'

'In a way. He seems all right.'

'My boy's got a man looking after him too. He stay in the same place with my boy's mama. He ain't the father, but… long as they loved, right?'

'Yeah.'

'You and me, we fucked up. But that don't mean our kids got to be fucked up because of it.'

'For real.'

Joe looked out at the night, picturing his son. 'Whole lot of ways to make a family.'

They drank some more and listened to the crickets, the dogs barking in the alleys, and the swish of tires on asphalt from down on Georgia Avenue. The sounds were familiar and comforting. Jasmine sighed and closed her eyes.

'Your truck running all right?' said Lorenzo, looking at it, a '95 Ford, the pre-jelly bean body style, parked under a street lamp.

'Long as I change the oil regular,' said Joe. 'What about your runner?'

'Fine, thanks to you.'

'You miss them pretty whips we used to drive?'

'Not really.'

'Neither do I. They weren't ours no way.'

That's right, thought Lorenzo. None of it was real.

Joe's chair creaked under his weight. He was a big man who'd gained forty pounds since his release. His slowing metabolism, his aunt's cooking, and his nightly intake of beer had gotten the better of him, despite his hard daily labor as a bricklayer.

'I was thinkin' on us and those whips earlier tonight,' said Joe.

'Why's that?'

'I saw some boys out here earlier., jawin' in the street. Couple of 'em was Nigel's. I seen their car before, a black Escalade with spinners, over there on Sixth, where Nigel like to rally the troops.'

'I know who those two are,' said Lorenzo.

'Yeah?'

'I saw Nigel and them earlier, up near his office on Georgia. I stopped to visit.'

'How Nigel look?'

'Fit,' said Lorenzo. 'What happened with his boys?'

'They was just talkin' mad shit with these other two boys who had blocked the street. All of 'em got out the cars and showed their teeth. Then Nigel's got back in their Escalade and the others got back in their BMW and all of 'em went on their way.'

'Other car was a BMW?'

'Three-Series. Silver or blue, hard to tell, way the headlights was on it.'

Lorenzo stroked the whiskers of his chin. 'Describe the two came out the BMW.'

'I couldn't make much out.'

'Don't make no difference. I'm pretty sure it was Melvin Lee. Him and some hard kid named Rico.'

'How you know that?'

'I had a call today, some dogfights down around Fort Dupont. Lee was there, and we had some words. You remember Melvin, right?'

'I'm the one told you he came back uptown. People I know say he workin' for Deacon again. Got a front job, up at the car wash on Georgia, 'cause he's still on paper.'

'Right.'

'Melvin ain't shit. Never was.'

'I know it.'

'Why you interested?'

'I'm not. Only…'

'What?'

'Melvin and his shadow were watching Nigel when me and Nigel was talkin'.'

'So he watchin' Nigel and them. It's his job to scout the other team. That ain't got nothin' to do with you.'

'You're right.'