BrotherFuture Part 4

Chap. 1

"Human dignity is more precious than prestige."
Claude McKay, 1939

"We'll contact you if any openings become available," said the man on the other end of the phone. Hakim had called to follow-up on a job interview he had had the day before. He had quickly caught on that "we'll contact you if a job comes up" really meant, "hell no, you ain't getting a job here, black ass!"

This had been Hakim's fourth job rejection in two weeks! Money was tighter than J-Lo's ass cheeks! He realized that no matter how honorable his intentions, white employers were not going to give him the opportunity to be useful in society. He'd committed the unpardonable sin of being a Black man and having a criminal record! He had stuck his head up and continued going on interviews mainly for his mother's benefit. He hadn't wanted her to be disappointed in his effort. But shit... things weren't working out the way he had planned while he had been sitting in his prison cell awaiting release. He made his mind up at that moment to call Tony and get this hustling thing together. He knew these motherfuckers who made the decisions on whether to hire you or not would never give him a chance as they smiled at him in that nervous way that interviewers give you when they know that you'd have a better chance of fucking Janet Jackson bareback while she kneeled before you on the floor than getting a callback for the position you just interviewed for!

Begging was out the question for Hakim. He had been through too fucking much to have it turn out this way! He couldn't get a decent job because of his record and color. If it was just color, he might have had a chance, he reasoned. He was on parole, working at a country club as a dishwasher/busboy and getting jipped on his check by his p. o. If he didn't tow the line and stay out of trouble, his ass would be back in jail serving out the remainder of his time. He was in a tight spot... to say the least!

Hakim felt very strongly that he could not get too deep into this 'drug game' because he looked at it as 'a means to an end', not the whole enchilada. He had too many other plans he wanted to put into motion. He desperately wanted to attend school. Before he had gotten locked up, he remembered that he not only wanted to attend college to play football, he wanted to test himself in the classroom. He hadn't been a dumb jock while in high school. In fact, his last two years in high school, his grades increased steadily for both years. His mother hadn't allowed him to be pleased with just being a star athlete. She had preached to him time and again that a Black man with a mind was way more powerful and useful than a jock.

Hakim made a promise to himself before calling Tony that it would not be long before he started putting that plan into action. He realized that he already under the 8-ball because of the four years he had been off the streets. He would not allow himself the mistake of letting too much more time pass by before he jumped on that issue.

But first he had a call to make.

Chap. 2

"A man has to act like a brother before you can call him a brother."
Malcolm X, 1964

The next day, Hakim called the number on the card that Tony had given him. Apparently, it was a number to a pager or voicemail system. Hakim left a message for Tony to call him back.

For the next few days, Hakim waited anxiously for Tony's call. He went to work as usual and continued to see Erin on a regular basis. During that time, his younger brother, Rasheed had come home from college for spring break. He was so proud of his brother! He had worried constantly about Rasheed's welfare while in prison, but his brother had received a basketball scholarship that took him far from the hood. Hakim remembered that upon hearing the good news about his brother, it had taken a lot of weight off of his shoulders. He wanted/needed his brother to do something positive with his life. His imprisonment had hurt his mother enough. Even though he had been in jail and could do nothing to help his brother, he felt responsible for him nonetheless. He was his brother's keeper, no doubts. He hadn't wanted his brother to follow in his footsteps, though he had been innocent and set up.

Hakim had recalled that while in prison, he had seen the average age for a juvenile receiving an adult prison sentence drop from 16 to damn near 14!! How the fuck were children expected to survive (or as a grimy ass politician would say... 'rehabilitate') in the most uncaring ruthless environment on Earth?! It wasn't a prison sentence they were handing these kids... it was a death sentence!! And of course, they all had to be Black!! Nothing like a brotha to be the poster boy for the rest of societies fuck-ups!

Seeing his brother grow from a little boy into a decent young man, Hakim felt blessed. The streets were a strong attraction for any young man just coming off of mom's titty and out into the neighborhood for the first time. Trouble arose from around every corner and alley. It took brains and balls to navigate through that shit and somehow his brother had done it without his direct guidance.

Chap. 3

"Take advantage of every opportunity; where there is none, make it for yourself, and let history record that as we toiled laboriously and courageously, we worked to live gloriously."
Marcus Garvey, 1963

After about a week had passed, Tony returned Hakim's call. He didn't say much on the phone, but he told Hakim to meet him down his older brother's house around the corner from Hakim's mother's house. Hakim was familiar with the location. Tony's older brother was a barber who cut out of his house. He had been there many times before to get a hair cut or to stop in and converse with the regulars who hung out over there.

Hakim hung around the barbershop for three days before Tony finally showed up. He didn't make any apologies or offer any explanation for not showing up for their appointment a few days ago. Hakim expected as much. During the time he had spent after work at the barbershop, he had overheard some of the men discussing the neighborhood and Tony's position within it. Apparently, Tony was top dog around the hood. Hakim realized that the situation had a lot more upside to it than he had previously thought.

When Tony strolled in dressed like a model for "GQ" magazine, all conversation stopped, paused, and waited for him to speak. He spoke and shook hands with most of the men seated near the barber chairs and to the group of men huddled over a Playstation 2 video game. Everyone seemed to give a guarded respect towards him. It was as if they were afraid to not say 'something'. Hakim realized that Tony had shit on lock! This kid was serious biz!

As Tony walked over to Hakim, he smiled and extended his hand to Hakim. Hakim reached out at the same time and dapped him up.

"What's crackin' soldier?" Tony asked.

"You tell me," Hakim answered.

Tony looked quickly to his left, and then to his right before saying, "Not here. Meet me out front in 10 minutes."

He then reached into his pants pocket and took out a cellular phone, pushed a button, and began an animated discussion with someone on the line as he walked out the door of the barbershop.

Hakim eased himself out the door of the barbershop ten minutes later. As soon as he closed the door, a car horn beeped. He looked and saw Tony sitting across the street, waving at him, while sitting in a brand new black Infinity QX4 sport-utility vehicle. Hakim crossed the street and got in on the passengers side of the truck.

"Let's take a ride, Hakim," Tony said as he guided the truck into traffic.

After riding for approximately 15 minutes, Tony began to speak. "I know you just got out of the pen. I normally don't fuck with niggas straight out of the pen because they always end up doing something stupid and get popped. Then the motherfuckers are put into the position of having to either talk or get sent back upstate."

"Then why you fucking with me then?" Hakim asked.

"I ain't fucking with you... yet! I just know you got a fucked up deal when that bullshit went down. I always admired you for the way you tore shit up on the field back in the day. I always looked at you as a hungry motherfucker. I know you don't like working at that fucking country club, right?" Tony asked, suddenly.

Hakim looked at Tony with a quick glance while wondering how in the hell he knew where he worked?!

Tony looked over at Hakim and said, "I got peeps everywhere, cuz... I hear things."

"I'm getting fucked at that spot, yo. Did you hear that? They trying to work me to death and not pay me! I hate that shit! White motherfuckers running around working niggas like slaves, yo! I got released early for this bullshit?" Hakim asked incredulously while staring straight ahead.

Tony glanced at Hakim before saying, "You ain't going to have to worry about that shit much longer, duke. Once that money come rolling in like rain, that's going to be the least of your problems. I like you... I like the fact that you waited around in my brother's barbershop for a minute waiting for me. That shows me you're hungry. I need hungry motherfuckers on my team... no limp dicks."

Hakim sat quietly while Tony explained how the streets were now... four years later. Shit had changed quite a bit since he had last hung out in the streets. Hustlers were stabbing each other in the back left and right. There was no attention paid to the code of the streets, anymore. The unwritten code that said, 'if you get caught, you shut the fuck up and do your time and your family will be looked after'. Now, people calling themselves hustlers felt that they could skirt the code by snitching out a rival and receiving a 'get out of jail' pass. Every day was treacherous and certainly not guaranteed. Tony explained that all his business wasn't in the streets. He was smarter than that.

"That shit they doing out here in these street corners ain't hustling. That shit is peddling. You don't have to sell crack, because crack sells itself. A city of stupid motherfuckers with new money thinkin' they Nino Brown," Tony had informed him.

Tony had his hands in several pies, but his main slice was smuggling... drug smuggling. He was the man in town who get what you need when you needed it. As Tony continued to talk, Hakim realized just how intelligent the brotha was. When Hakim had first met up with Tony on the subway, he had thought that Tony was just some common low-level thug but after hearing the awed words spoke about him in the barbershop and sitting here listening to him, he realized that the shit he was about to get into was on some high-level 'Scarface' type shit!

Chap. 4

"Let lessons of stern yesterdays... be your food, your drink, your rest."
Joseph Cotter, 1912

They pulled up to a streetlight. As Tony continued to talk, a light-blue Nissan Sentra pulled beside the truck and began tooting its annoying horn. Tony and Hakim looked over to see a pretty, light-skinned Black woman trying to get Tony's attention. Hakim recognized the young woman! He had seen her about two months ago and had attempted to kick game at her. He had been at a bus stop with about four other brothers on his way to work when he had seen her.

Two months ago...

Hakim had standing at the bus stop reading the morning daily paper. There were 5-6 other men standing on the corner with him. As he read, he heard some of the men whistling and talking nonsense about some sista walking towards them.

"Hot DAMN, that sista got a tight package, yo!" said one brotha.

"You ain't kiddin', Ike. That bitch got BODY! And check out the face, B! She's a star!" said another.

Hakim decided to look up and see what all the fuss was about. As his eyes settled on the figure walking towards them and focused, he damn near dropped the paper he was holding! Girly had on very classy yet form-fitting business suit that clung to her thighs and upper body in a very feminine/sexy manner. Her walk was more like a glide. She had smallish breasts but her pretty face, hair, and body more than made up for that deficit. She was built like a brick shithouse with a FAT, fluffy ass! She reminded him of the R&B singer, MYA.

Hakim made a decision that he would later regret and decided to be the quiet yet brave one and step to her instead of shouting 'compliments that could be easily seen as insults' as the other ASSHOLES were doing. He swung off the pole he had been leaning on and approached her from the side as she walked past.

"Hello, miss. You look very sharp, this morning I must say," Hakim started.

The woman stopped. Turned towards him and said, "Listen, you don't kn-,"

"H-Hold up sista. I wasn't trying to disrespect you, here. With all the catcalling they doing, I thought it would be respectful to say good morning to you," said Hakim.

"Why in hell would I want to be greeted by a brotha catching a bus wearing a damn waiter's uniform?" she said.

Hakim quickly thought of the irony of her question. Was she or was she not walking her damn self?!

"Excuse me, sista. I don't want to get into a 'thing' with you out here on this gorgeous, sunny morning. I meant no disrespect. Please have a nice day," Hakim said as he noticed that all eyes were on them. A couple of the men were openly laughing at him. Hakim had berated himself for quite some time about that incident. He wondered if he was ever going to get the opportunity to meet a non-judgmental woman in this city. Most of the women he had met up to that time seemed to be overly concerned with what he was driving and how much money he was making. He surmised that women had gone and changed into materialistic dickheads while he was locked up.

Back to the present...

Her extremely stuck-up, negative attitude towards him had rubbed him the wrong way. She had dismissed him as a nobody. She had claimed that she didn't and wouldn't date a drug dealer. But here she was, damn near STALKING the top dog in the city! Fake BITCH!

Tony powered his window down and said, "What's up Toi? Where you been, baby?"

"I could ask you the same question. Why haven't you called me?" she asked.

"I'll call you later tonight, okay?" Tony replied.

"You promise?" she asked.

"You know motherfucking well I don't make promises, girl. I got some shit to take care of. When I get done, I'll give you a ring... cool?" Tony said smoothly.

"Okay, baby. See you later," she said as the light turned green and she sped off.

"What's up with her? She's fine as hell, T!" Hakim said.

"Another chickenhead looking for a fool to take care of her. Her names Toi. T-O-I. She does give some of the bombest head, though. And the pussy is ridiculously wet... like all the time, Hakim. I usually hook up with her once every two weeks and hit it. She's an undercover freak... acting like she don't like to fuck and shit!" Tony said as he pulled the truck over to the curb in front of an well-kept apartment building.

"Come on," Tony said as he quickly exited the cab of the truck.

Chap. 5

"A satin doll is a woman who is as pretty on the inside as she is on the outside."
Duke Ellington, 1973

Hakim followed him up the walkway and into the building. They got on the elevator and went to the 14th floor. As they walked down the hallway, Tony reached into his pockets and pulled out a huge set of keys. He fiddled with them for a second before finding the correct key and let them into the roomy apartment.

As soon as the door closed, they heard a voice calling Tony's name. As Hakim stood by the doorway, a vision of Black loveliness entered the room wearing running shorts and a sports bra, approached Tony and hugged him. She was 5'5, brown-skinned, long straight black hair, 35C, and had a sexy, hourglass figure. She reminded him of the actress, Nia Long... with slightly larger breasts.

"Hakim, I want you to meet one of my hardest workers. Say hello to Dominique," Tony said as he put his arm around her shoulder.

"Hello, Dominique. It's nice to meet you," Hakim said as he offered his hand.

"Same here. Tony's told me all about you," Dominique said as she shook Hakim's hand. She looked into his eyes and smiled. She immediately was impressed with the way he looked and presented himself. She did not release his hand. Hakim returned her gaze.

"Dominique works in a law office. In fact, her boss is my personal lawyer. You two are going to get to know each other real well," Tony said as he walked towards the bedroom, entered, and shut the door.

"Tony tells me that you just finished a bid upstate. How long were you down?" Dominique asked as she released his hand, turned and walked into the kitchen... making sure to put some extra wiggle into her walk as she knew Hakim was staring at her shapely ass.

"Four years... four long years," Hakim answered as he surveyed the slope of her full, round ass. She had very nice, thick, yet soft legs.

"Hmm... damn! That's a long time to go without some pussy wouldn't you say?" Dominique asked as she turned around and smiled at him.

"I got that handled shortly after I got out, since you're asking," Hakim answered.

"Duh... I figured that much. You're much too good-looking to be going without," Dominique said as she ripped open a frozen popsicle and began to lick it, seductively.

Hakim could feel his dick start to harden in his jeans. Girly was fine as hell and she was deliberately teasing him. He watched as she began lightly licking the dripping popsicle, making sure to stick her tongue out as far as humanly possible.

"Is it good?" Hakim asked.

"I can think of something I rather have in my mouth right now," Dominique answered as she deliberately gazed at his formidable dick pouch.

Hakim's chin was still resting on the floor when Tony suddenly came out of the bedroom. "Let's talk you two," he said.

They headed into the livingroom and sat on the plush leather furniture. "Look, Dominique. I'm putting my man on. From here on out, you're going to be dealing with him when I need something picked up or transported, okay?"

Dominique nodded her understanding while looking at Hakim. "I'm going to get to know him real well," she thought to herself.

"Hakim, I need you to be on top of your game when you're handling shit for me, alright dog? This here is serious business. Dominique has been my road-dog from the BE-gin... she knows what's up. You and her are going to be working together... you think you can handle that?" Tony asked.

"Yeah... hell yeah. I think Dominique and I can hang with that," Hakim said as he glanced quickly at Dominique's full breasts. "Fuck, those motherfuckers look luscious!" he said to himself as his dick stirred in his jeans. He couldn't believe this fine ass, stacked sista was going to be a regular in his life for now on!

Tony looked first at Dominique and then at Hakim before saying, "Look, I feel the vibes between the two of you, already. I don't care what you two do on your own time, but I would advise that you two not hook up outside of the business we do. That shit could be real bad for business, you see what I'm saying?" Tony said.

Hakim and Dominique both nodded their heads in agreement.

Hakim was thinking that it was probably a good idea but it would be hard fucking work trying not to be attracted to such a fine-ass woman! Babygirl was stacked! Long, jet black hair (and it was hers!), smooth and pretty face, tits like two midgets, and enough ass to play a 3-on-3 on! "How the fuck am I going to work with this woman and not stay hard?!" he thought to himself.