Free Antebellum by R. Kayeen Thomas Page B

and pull a drive-by? They’re not even in the same state as us! We’re in Chicago, you dummies! They live in Idaho!”
    â€œI’ont care where dey live at!” SaTia’s insults had turned Orlando’s anger to madness. He stood up and got into her face, cocked back his arm and swung.
    Instinctively, I ran up behind SaTia and pushed her out of the way, putting myself in the trajectory of Orlando’s fist. He missed us both, and as SaTia caught her balance from my shove, Orlando and I both stared at each other.
    Turns out it was providence that had Rose take that gun upstairs. If Orlando had hit SaTia, I have no doubt I would’ve shot him.
    No one said it, but we were all thinking the same thing. Orlando knew it, and felt the need to respond.
    â€œAll I know is dat my mans is in the hospital, and somebody gotta pay fo’ it.”
    He sneered at me as he spoke, as if he already had a plan. I stood solid in front of him, looking him straight in the eye.
    â€œYo, ’Lando, dis is crazy, dude...” Brian said from the corner. “Ain’t nobody in here cap Henry, man. Why you so mad at Moe?”
    â€œâ€™Cause Moe a punk!” My newest enemy answered Brian while still staring at me. “He won’t ride, dat’s why! Long as we been homies, and dis nigga won’t ride! It ain’t all dat surprisin’ though, when you think ’bout it. We been dis nigga’s slaves since we left D.C.! We cain’t even take a piss without askin’ dis man ‘toilet or urinal?’”
    Ray stood up beside Brian.
    â€œWhat is you talkin’ ’bout? We don’t ask for nuthin’ when we out here. Moe hook us up wid everything! Yo, real talk, you wildin’ out. You need to be easy...”
    For the first time since I stepped in for SaTia, Orlando broke his stare and looked back and forth between Brian and Ray. After a few seconds had passed, he took a step back from me and glanced around the room.
    â€œForget all y’all.” He seemed disoriented as he spoke. “Y’all can keep on bein’ dis man’s field niggas if y’all want to, but I’m out.”
    Just then Rose emerged from around the corner. He looked like he had been rushing to get back.
    â€œThe gun will be taken care of,” he said, looking directly at SaTia and me as he spoke. “And I just got off the phone with the hospital. Henry is stable, but still in a coma.”
    Anger is the only emotion that can make you oblivious. I was so angry with Orlando that I hadn’t had the time to soak in the fact that Henry was in a coma. Now, with my partner-turned-nemesis having retreated, I sat down at the table and put my hand over my face.
    â€œWe should go back and see him,” Brian said softly, but SaTia pounced on him anyway.
    â€œReally? I thought you wanted to go bus’ some caps?”
    â€œYou ain’t funny.”

    Twenty minutes later, we were all standing in the lobby. Rose had one of his drivers give us a ride to the hospital, and the security guards from earlier were more than happy to hold Orlando until a cab arrived. I stood in front of the traitor and looked him in the eye one last time before we went down to the garage.
    â€œGimme my card.”
    He paused for a second, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the platinum Visa I had given to him and everyone else. I reached out for it and he threw it on the ground.
    Rage requires energy, which I was all out of. I took two steps, picked up the card, and gave it to SaTia.
    â€œWhat about the cash you gave him earlier?” she asked.
    If it was up to her, I’d have left him naked on the sidewalk. I briefly looked at her, and then back over to Orlando. “You can go to da hospital, you can go home, you can go to a strip club wid sexy midgets and a one-eyed bouncer for all I care. And you can keep the two g’s I gave you earlier. Dat ain’t no money to me,