As we dapped each other up, I turned to Bo. “What up, man?”

“You got it. Good to see you.” We dapped up as well. Then I ducked and a kick ball hit Bo smack dab in the chest.

“Yo, you got caught slippin’, nigga!” Faheem teased. “You lucky that shit wasn’t a bullet.” We all laughed, and he went after whoever threw the ball in the backyard.

“Fah, how long are you in town for?”

“Nigga, you ain’t get the memo? I’m on the East Coast for good. Just waiting on Jaz to finalize her school stuff, and wherever that is, that’s where we will be settling down.”

“Settling down? Oh, I forgot you on retired OG status!” I joked. But quiet as it was kept, Fah was one of them niggas who would probably die in the game.

Faheem smiled that humble smile. “I wouldn’t call it that. I’m just chillin’. What’s good with you? I see you doing the family thing.”

“Nah, nah. Not yet. That’s shorty’s son. I’m just helping out. Trying to get in where I fit in. I work for food.” I joked. I motioned for Seven, who was standing on the porch, to come to where we were.

“Seven, this is my unc, Faheem, that I told you about.”

“Nice to finally meet you.” She held out her hand and Faheem kissed it. “And this is my little man Carlito. Say hi Carlito.”

“Carlito. What’s good?” Faheem asked him. He clapped his hands together and then covered his face.

“Kevin, me and Carlito are going to go back inside with the ladies.”

Faheem waited for Seven to get out of earshot. “Who ya girl? Where she from?”

A nigga was feelin’ himself at this point. I mean, here I was, making major paper, didn’t have to ask anybody for shit, and had a bad ass bitch on my arms. I was living the fuckin’ life!

“So, you like that, huh, Unc? Her name is Seven. Shorty A-1. That’s why I fuck with her. She owns her own used car lot Her bread all the way up. But for real yo, if you ever need anything, I got you. You looked out for me when it counted. I can’t forget that. So holla at a nigga. I got you.”

“Oh, you big now, Kev? It’s like that? Don’t forget what I told you. Every nigga in the game think they got nine lives. Shit, even me. But you done used up how many already?”

“C’mon, Unc. You preaching to the choir now? My parents were hustlers, my sisters hustle, Tasha married a hustler, my homies are hustlers. What else I’ma do? Get a nine to five? I’m not built like that. But, yo, I’m moving behind the scenes. These hands don’t get too dirty.”