Faith

After Don had dropped Diamond off at their father's condo,
he had doubled back to go pick up Lil' D. While in the busy New York
traffic, he had pulled out his cellphone and dialed Lil' D's number.
It rang twice before a familiar voice came on the other line. "Wassup,
family? You on yo' way here?"
"Yeah, family. I'm on the way now."
Don could hear the approval in Lil' D's voice. "Good, good.
You talk to Pops for me?"
He knew that question was next. Just like Lil' D. Straight
to the point. "Yeah, I talked to pa, he handling some business right
now, but shit he said to just come to the spot in a minute and he'll
be there when in a minute."
"Iight, cool. Well shit doggy, I'll see you in a minute
when you get up here, my dude. I'm uh need you advice on something,
dog."
"Iight love, I'll see you in a minute."
"Iight my nigga, one." Don had hung up the phone and
continued to weave through the traffic in his Murcielago. It was
around thirty minutes later when Don had arrived at
Lil' D's front doorstep. He knocked a special rythym of knocks that
only he and Lil' D knew. In no tine, Lil' D opened the door slightly
with a smile. "Wassup, family!? Come in, fam."
Don entered slowly taking in the plush insides of Lil' D's
apartment. Lil' D threw up his fists mockingly with Don throwing his
own up. They slap boxed for a brief second before Lil' D let his guard
down and told Don to stay put for a brief second with hand gestures.
Lil' D grabbed the lit blunt out of the ashtray and went to the back
room. Don caught a glimpse of the tattoo on Lil' D' naked back with
his name beside of a cross and the quote, "Brother's Keeper", and he
recalled the moment where Lil' D earned that scar that the tattoo
covered. He could still hear the gunshots ringing in his ear from that
memory that happened so long ago. That was the moment where they truly
became brothers. That was the moment where they became Family.
Don shook himself out of the powerful memory and took
notice to the slow music Lil' D had playing in the background, and he
yelled, "Damn, family! You got you a little shorty coming through or
something? What's up with you banging Aaliyah in this bitch, dog!?"
Lil' D came out of the background holding two suits, one
all black and another a smooth beige color and he replied, "You know
that's my angel right there, shorty. Now tell me dog, which suit look
better. The black joint or this creme joint?I like this creme joint
man. It's sexy, ain't it?"
Don simply smiled and replied, "I think the beige one
actually fits you better, dog, but I don't know why you asking me,
though. You know you the slick stylist of the Family, love."
Lil' D laughed, "Yeah, you right, but I needed a second
opinion, ya' dig. You know I like to look my best when I go see Pops."
"Yeah, I know."
"Word."
The morning conversation stirred between Don and his father
stirred in his mind. He yelled in the humble yet lavish apartment,
"You know me and my pa was having a conversation earlier about me
following in his footsteps, right!?"
Lil' D stepped from out of the back room with the blunt
hanging from his lip, clearing intrigued by this new conversation. He
grabbed the blunt from his lip and inhaled the smoke into his lungs.
"Go on.", he stated simply as though it should have been understood.
"Well, he told me nothing would make him happier, but he
wanted me to hold off on my decision until after I graduated. It's
hard to wrap my mind around waiting for something, you know I ain't
patient. I just don't know why he would want me to wait."
Lil' D shook his head. "You really can't see why he would
want you to wait?"
"No."
"You don't realize how blessed you are, do ya'?" Lil' D
said sarcastically.
Don returned his sarcasm with a hint of cynical tone of his
own. "No."
"Look, dog, me and your pops relate on many different
levels, including our pasts. Not taking away from y'all bond that
y'all have with each other, but unlike us, you have opportunity,
opportunity to do something better wit' ya' self, aside from this
street shit. You may not be able to see it, but you do have potential
to be whatever you want to be, no homo."
Don laughed and smiled at his long time friend. His smile
was full of hope when he asked, "You really got faith in me like that
D?"
Lil' D just laughed, "I wouldn't have taken no bullet for
no pooput."
Don laughed and stood up, offering a hand of gratitude to
his oldest friend, his brother. Even though stood a full six inches
above Lil' D and was a year older than him, he still regarded him as
an equal and valued every ounce of wisdom he passed onto him. Lil' D
took his hand and embraced his brother. "I love you, family."
"I love you too, dog, no homo." They both laughed as Lil' D
went to the back room to retrieve his blazer.
Don yelled again over the sultry voice of Aaliyah, "Hurry
up, man! Let's go....", but before Don could finish, Lil' D's outfit
was complete and he was already walking out of the door, anxious to
meet the head of the Family.