IT WAS ALL A DREAM (1) (19 page)

                                              Chapter 19

Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica Queens was packed even though it was a blistering cold New Year’s Day. K and Liza had set out in the afternoon, hours after sleeping off the effects of the New Year’s celebration with friends and family. He had made a stop to pick up his son so he could take him to hang out with them and take him shopping.

They had brought in the New Year at 12 o’clock, watching the ball drop on the big screen in the basement at the house and couldn’t have been happier than to be with his family and Liza on New Year’s. They were now headed to The Coliseum, a mini-mall loaded with all kinds of urban wear, from hats, to sneakers, to coats, to the iciest of the iced out jewelry. K had a personal jeweler named Benny in the coliseum that he had been buying custom made jewels from for years. A month prior to coming to NY K had phoned in a special order for late surprise Christmas gifts for Liza and his son JJ. They’d pulled in and parked in the rooftop parking lot that was exclusively for coliseum shoppers.

Upon entering the building he came across one of his cousins that he hadn’t seen in a minute. K’s family Bazzo had opened a club that had beco
me very successful, among
Long I
slands
night clubbers, out in Hempstead.

“When did you get in town?”

“I got here yesterday a
fternoon. I’m at pops crib for N
ew Year’s. I heard you got the club scene on lock.”

“Yeah a little something.
I got a big New Year’s Day party jumping off tonight. Why don’t you swing through and I’ll put you on the V.I.P. guest list. We can ball out like old times. Show these niggahs how it’s done.

“No doubt,
me
and my lady will be there.”

See, K and Bazzo went way back. In the hood hustling, there was always competition. Like who got the newest Jordan’s first, who had the
flyest
outfit on, the hottest gold chain or the nicest
car.
And K   and his boy Bazzo were always at it.

K gave him dap and a half hug, told him he’d see him later and went into the coliseum. K got the usual from the
sistahs
, which he always had
madd
love for, but the ones he had tried to get at, wasn’t trying to show a big niggah no love. And he had never been the kind of dude to settle for less than the best. So when he heard chicks and their little slick sideways remarks and indirect references to his choice of nationality in his relationship, he put his arm around his lady to let them know how happy he was with his. But still they heard, dam every nigga
wanna
hear that ‘ooh poppi
poppi
shit since J – Lo and a nigga don’t want fried chicken and collard greens no more when he
eatin
all them rice and beans. It was kind of fucked up though because it was like he couldn’t win. When a big bald nigga had been trying to get at a
lil
redbone cutey or a sexy chocolate sistah, they acted like he had Whoppers and Big macs around his neck instead of 5g’s worth of jewelry and good conversation, while they were chasing those pretty boys. Nevertheless he still had nothing but love for his Queens.

They went to
holla
at Benny, and Liza thought that maybe k was looking for something for
himself
.

“K, what’s up? How is the music business? I thought that you would be here yesterday,” said Benny from behind the counter in accented English.

“Yeah I know, but I hadn’t seen the family in a while so I hung out with my folks yesterday. So you got that special order I called in last month?”

He pulled out a large manila envelope that jingled as he set it on the counter.

“K you doubt
me? Have I ever let you down? “
s
aid
Benny.

“Nah
Benzo
you been real good to a nigga.”

He took out each piece of jewelry one at a time and handed them to K
,  for
inspection. One was a Rolex 14 K gold chain that said Liza, and stood 2 inches tall, flooded with 7 carats of diamonds and a pair of four carat diamond cluster earrings that K helped Liza  put on. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“Thank You! Thank you, this is beautiful!”

The other items in the envelope were a Cuban link chain with a diamond JJ and a matching bracelet with an identical JJ in diamonds. K put those on his son.

K talked to Benny for a minute and he told him about a new line of watches he had coming out. K put two on order. After they ate pizza in the food court K asked if they wante
d to go to the movies on 125th S
treet in Harlem.

“Yeah Daddy!” they both responded at the same time. So they finished up with a little more shopping and hit the exit.

After they left the movie theater they all returned to his family’s house because JJ wanted to see his grandma. The sun had begun to set, and it cast an orange glow on the house that he had seen too many times to count. For some reason this day it had a strange effect, resulting in a reflection with pride.

K’s hardworking parents came from the south to N.Y. with a dream a quarter century before and made a decent living and a comfortable home
for
him and his baby sister. Looking at the new house now and the cars and recognizing the accomplishment made him real proud.

          *                                          *                                                   *

K and Liza figured they’d throw on their best and step up in the club representing each other to the fullest.
As they pulled up in to the valet parking and exited the vehicle all heads turned.
Liza stepped out in a black and red figure hugging Dolce and
Gabbana
two piece outfit with matching Chanel boots and bag. Her neck and earlobes sparkled with clear blinding diamonds. K stepped out in a two piece black Armani suit, black silk shirt,
red
silk tie with matching handkerchief in the suit pocket, and a black derby with a red feather in the brim. To top it off he finished the ensemble with some crispy new black and red Stacey Adams snake skin boots.

Under his suit, o
ver his shoulder, and in the holster was a Glock 19 that he usually kept at his pops crib for occasions such as this. Best believe a niggah won’t get caught slipping. Bazzo was just pulling up as they were about to enter the club, so they all slid up in the spot together. The spot was poppin with hustlers and honeys wall to wall! K spotted a few chicks that he’d tried to get at that wouldn’t give a nigga no airtime and they was trying to front like they use to have something after seeing him with Liza. One chic was like dam K, you just leave town and don’t even call a bitch no more.

So of course he had to keep it gutter with the chick by responding appropriately.

“It was
kinda
hard to keep
up
with you. I could never catch you at that phone at the laundry mat. The Chinese lady said ‘oh no
no
, no Leslie a here, “with a smile. Then he turned and kissed a confused Liza. K turned back to the chick and
asked ,“
can you hear me now…good,” and they slipped off to the VIP, into which the chick and her crew had no access.

Upon entering the VIP K gave the bartender his corporate debit card, because even though he was holding, he was still working on building his credit. K told her he was gonna run up a tab and she could take care
of it with the card. K saw some other
ballin
cats that he knew.
Barry and Big H from Hempstead, Ben
Jr
and Pop, D,
Ramel
, and Infinite from Amityville, and Birdie and Donovan from Westbury.
Everybody was doing their thing, but K and Bazzo showed out. He brought five bottles of Ace of Spades, K brought 5 bottles. Bazzo brought all the chicks in the club a round of drinks, K brought the next.

“I’m having a great time and all, except for one thing,” said Liza.

“What’s that baby?”

“You haven’t danced with me tonight and you know how much I like to dance.”

“Let’s do it!”

She smiled and K led her to the packed dance floor where they got their groove on. About midway through the second song they were dancing to, some clown that had too much to drink came and asked K if he can cut in. K stayed calm and said, “Nah
this my
lady homey, aint’
nuttin
happenin
.”

So this clown
goes behind Liza and tries to dance up on her while they were dancing. Before K could react she’d turned and slapped the cowboy shit out of dude. Before he could recover K had
him
staring cross eyed down the barrel of the Glock sitting on the bridge of his nose.

He threw up his hands in surrender. The record scratched, the music stopped, the dance floor cleared and the lights came on.

“I should push your shit, you dumb
drunk
Muthafucka!”

“No K, it aint worth it my nigga.
Hold Up! “
said
Bazzo.

Some cat came out of the crowd, but kept his distance.

“Please don’t kill my little brother big homey. Please,
Please
don’t kill em.”
             
             

             Hearing the pleading in his voice curbed K’s anger a little, but he was still furious. K nudged dude with the barrel of the Glock.

            “You should lea
r
n to control your liquor. You’ll live a lot longer.” Then
K  turned
and told the dudes brother, “You better takes this nigga home. He shouldn’t be out in public like this.”