Puzzling Pieces

Chapter 9

The next few days I kept indoors. Drank some wine. Ate some ramen noodles and fried eggs that were added to some soya sauce. The hot sauce was like a can of soda for me which I dunked into my mouth and let it burn. It’s mild. A chili would do me better. But it’s full of peppers and some mild chorizo is what I can taste. Burn-baby-burn!

I’ve not seen Elisha. Or heard a word from Robbo who’s been sorting out the funeral arrangements. He’s asked me to contact some of the names from a list he messaged me. He wants to get all known associates and friends of Viv’s at his final send-off. I told him honestly, that I don’t have any of their numbers. And if I message the majority of them, they would only scold me and say I did it.

Plus, I hadn’t told Robbo about being there when Viv was dead. And that was eating me inside and keeping me locked away. I felt guilty for having part of the story and not sharing it. But I knew I was protecting Robbo. And if I admit it, so was Viv. That was hard … my life was forfeited for his grandson’s.

He was quite willing to bring me to a place where I could’ve died. I didn’t want it to bother me. But it did. And when I poured glass after glass into my cheap black mug I knew that I would reminisce back to that talk about my life that we had.

…

“You cut yourself off. You were going to say something Viv?"

“I was going to talk about Sidney’s father.”

“f**k him. I don’t want to talk about that murderer or his father.”

“But he’s a dangerous man. You don’t blow out his candle without having a reason.”

“And what candle did I blow-out?”

He gets up. Well, manages to after a minute of me trying to help him with my arm supporting his back. I hate when he acts older than he is. I know he still has some grease on those joints. “Walk with me. I don’t want to be talking outside this place.”

We stop to outside an open planned park that’s within a hexagon shaped grass patch. The outside is a burgundy concrete with a couple of benches for parents to relax upon. Plenty of kids out. Lots of noise. We don’t sit down on the only free bench. Viv wants to stand … then walk … then stand again. Then we walk around the hexagon a few times. He wants to exercise.

“I think all I’ve taught you has been smoked to the crisp.”

“Viv, no disregard for your wisdom and wise words, but the only teacher I need is myself.”

“And after you-did-what-you-did, does it still have you feeling that way?"

“I had to learn from my mistakes” -

“I’m not talking about your mistakes!"Course we should all learn from those. But what I’m referring to, Sia is the case of that engagement ring. And what you discovered that nobody else could. Do you know that Sidney’s father may be behind that?”

“I put some of those cracks together. Sidney’s too much of a sloth to think of something so elaborate. He’s a full pack of dumb with no amount of money to save him.”

“But he’ll cause you trouble. I know he will.”

“I can weather it.”

“No. His father was like me. A man who had a chance of a promotion. But he got out before the going got too murky. He’s always been a thug with a brain. Becoming a trooper only hardwired him into being a machine with no empathy at all. But he continued to work for them. He stayed in their pocket. You see …

He stares off behind me, and I follow those panic-stricken eyes that never engulf Viv. It’s contagious. But I hide mine better. Sidney and some of his boys are running towards me.

“Yo, dyke …” Sidney and his boys stop running. They go the intimidation route now. Take their time to get to me. There’s a good space between us.

“Get out of here!” Viv tries to drag me back by my shoulder, but I just end up staying put. I never flee,I stand my ground. He yanks me back again and I stand firmer and taller. They won’t have me cowering on these streets. If you don’t stand up for yourself, then who will?

“Is that lieutenant Vivian?” Sidney asks this mockingly. “My father asks how’s life now that you’ve retired?”

Viv shouldn’t respond. But he does. “Doing just as well as him, Sidney. Henry knows that. I see him from time-to-time. He should have the nerve to ask me myself. Sending his son to do his deeds is a sign of cowardice.”

“Well, he says there’s no point talking to a man who can witness something so dirty and do nothing.”

“He witnessed the same hell.”

I glance at Viv. What’s he on about? Sidney and his boys stop. They remind me of a thuggish boy band with their baggy pants that can hold potatoes down their legs. They look ridiculous with the fake chains and bulldog on a leash. Not an actual dog, but a tattoo they all carry on the side of their neck. “That’s between you and my dad. Right now, I’m told I’m meant to have a word with Sia.”

“Sticking to daddy’s schedule I see.”

“Having one makes food on the table a little easier. But you wouldn’t know that, would you? How long has he been gone now?”

The same low-blow is delivered, when I deal with Sidney, and it never gets any easier. I bottle it up and seal the cap. I won’t let the fizzy release. He won’t see me overboil. I give it to him simple. “I stopped counting after I realized he was useless.”

“Keep telling yourself that when you think about how you’ve turned out. Pretty abnormal if you ask me.”

“This is getting old really quick. Spare me the bullshit and let’s get to the point-of-view. You’re here because daddy sent you and the thug-lisha’s to beat me until I feel sorry for my sins, right?”

“Wrong. I’m meant to kill you.” –

“Then go ahead!”

Viv steps in the middle. “Stop this!”

“Keep out of this lieutenant.” –

“Sidney, you stop calling me that. You boys need to leave her alone. This isn’t right!”

“She ruined my engagement! My wifey ran off thinking that the ring was rigged or something. Your crazy-f*****g-ass needs to stop playing these dumb games and trying to be smart. Where does it get you? It leaves you with the whole damn street as your enemy. You barely have any homies up on your grill. All you have is yourself and that ex-girlfriend of yours who doesn’t even want you. Just give up. And leave!”

“I’ll leave when I’m good and ready to.”

“Not if I can help it.” –

“Enough!” Viv has the final word. He’s shaking. “I don’t want to witness any violence here. And if that means that Henry wants to speak with me … then tell him I will.”

…

“I don’t need you fighting my battle Viv. I had that under control.”

“No. You did not. I invited you back here to cool off. They would’ve followed you back to yours and jumped you.”

“I’ve dealt with idiots like that before.”

“You’re not listening. You’ve really gotten in deep. From here on out … me and you have to stick together. They'll be watching you!"