fatherly hug and walked him to the door.
A few minutes after Nasir left, the doorbell rang again. Nasir was back, and this time he wasn’t alone.
“What the…” Des said to himself as he opened the door. He looked at the short brick-house-built girl standing before him with black hair. Her eyebrows were the same color as her hair, and they stood out on her chocolate complexion.
“Unc,” Nasir said, one arm thrown around the girl standing next to him, “this is my girl, Lava.”
“Hi, Unc,” Lava said, reaching out and giving him a warm hug. For such a strong name, she had a soft, squeaky voice. “Nasir talks about you so much, I feel like I already know you.”
“How you doing?” Des greeted the girl in a sour tone.
“She gotta use the bathroom,” Nasir cut in.
Des shot Nasir a puzzled look then nodded to the girl and said, “Go ahead.”
Nasir showed Lava to the restroom, cut on the light for her, and then returned to Des.
“You had her sitting in the car all that time?” Des asked him.
“Yup.” Nasir nodded with authority, like he was the man.
Des shook his head and warned his nephew, “POP—paper over pussy.”
“Unc, no disrespect, but it ain’t like that. She’s my Bonnie, my gangsta boo, my thug misses.”
Des turned his nose up.
“She’s my Yarni.” Excitement lit up Nasir’s whole face as he continued to describe what Lava meant to him. “She’s the most thorough chick any nigga could love. And she got heart,” Nasir stressed in the most sincere tone. “And guess what, Unc?”
“I’m scared to guess,” Des said to his nephew.
“She’s mine, and she loves the fuck out of me,” Nasir said proudly.
Des had never heard his nephew talk about a woman like that—ever. He knew that at an early age his nephew had gotten plenty of pussy and had never been sheltered when it came to women, so he was baffled by this girl.
“Yeah, it sounds like you fell victim to the pussy.”
“It ain’t the pussy, Unc,” Nasir assured Des. “For real.” He paused. “I done had better pussy than that. Besides, I make the pussy good. It’s her loyalty and her will to love me and me alone that stands out.”
“How can you be sure, man?” Des questioned. “Bitches change with the wind.”
“I know hos come and go, but Lava is staying. She passes test after test. Matter of fact, she welcomes that shit.”
Des could see that there wasn’t any need to argue with Nasir concerning this girl. She had him convinced that she was the Virgin Mary. Des just hoped Lava was the real thing. If not, she could pose a distraction or major flaw for Nasir.
“I need to ask you something,” Des said, looking around to make sure Lava was still in the restroom.
“What?” Nasir asked, walking closer to his uncle.
“What you ’bout to get into is real dangerous. It can cost you your life if anyone around you folds. Do you really trust her?”
Nasir answered without hesitation, “Without a doubt.”
“With your life?” Des gazed at his nephew.
“No question. Shit, I’ll die for her, as she’d die for me.”
“So, if she ain’t who you think she is, then you’ll take the hit.”
“However I got to.”
“Even if it means death?” Des questioned.
“Don’t you trust Yarni?” Nasir answered with a question of his own.
“A’ight,” Des said, giving Nasir a five before slapping him on the back. “I’ma take your word.”
Just then, they heard the bathroom door open and then Lava appeared. Des studied her from head to toe. She wore her jet-black hair in a ponytail. She had on jeans with a T-shirt and the same brand-new Air Jordans that Nasir was wearing.
“How’s the baby?” Nasir said, changing the conversation so that Lava wouldn’t be able to tell by the awkward silence that they had been talking about her.
“The baby is good.” Des smiled.
“Is she sleep, Unc? Lava would love to see her,” Nasir said.
Des pushed the intercom button and spoke. “Baby
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