Knock Knock Whooz There?. Marvin Griffin
or three feet away. It went off to the police department and he didn't exactly like the idea of him calling the police. The alarm was put there for his employees. There was only one thing he could do. Good thing he had a panic button installed a couple months ago. He put it there for his employees to use in the event they couldn't get to the register. The only difference was all those buttons went to his office and other parts of the restaurants. In fact, there were two alarms right where Faith was located at now. Brick just hoped like hell she was paying attention. "On second thought I guess I got to awake the sleeping giant after all."
"I said who says so," the intruder asked again and Brick pressed down hard. His wiping rhythm slowed down a little more. "Faith where the fuck you at? You should've been out here by now." Brick still refused to look up. He knew if he seen the robber's face the intruder would be forced to kill him. He didn't want to die. But before long the intruder was standing right in front of him. He slammed a dollar down and said.
"I wanna fukin' eat and this is all I'm gone pay for a plate. If I think the food worth any more then I'll think about adding some more to it."
Brick couldn't believe what was happening to him. "Who the fuck is dis tryna nigga like this?" Brick thought. He tried to place the voice as Faith crept up from the blind side. The way she stepped the intruder never knew she was standing right behind him. Faith thought, "I could blow this mutha-fucka's brains out right now." Today was his lucky day though because she thought she had to preserve the image of the restaurant. "Business had to go on." Faith thought as she raised her weapon to a firing position up against her shoulder and face. All she had to do now was pull the trigger.
"I know one thing, whoever the fuck dis is," Brick thought, "was going to pay for trying me."
"I don't keep no cash around here." Brick pleaded.
"Nigga I said I want to eat. I ain't..." the intruder was about to say before he felt the barrel of Faith's AK-47 poke him in the back of his head. Faith thought it was time to put a stop to this.
"Bitch nigga, you ain't gone get nothin' out dis mutha-fucka but death!" Faith let it be known. Then she thought she was standing to close to the intruder. He could easily turn around and try to deflect her weapon out her hand and she couldn't have that.
Faith's voice broke through the thick tension that had sieged Brick. Sweat tricked down his temper he was seething. But now he could look up. Finally.
"Pussy nigga put'cha hands up!" Faith said.
The intruder cou1dn't do anything but throw his hands up and surrender whatever dominance he thought he may have had.
"Hey-dis. . ." The intruder tried to talk but Faith silenced him with the quickness.
"Fuck nigga!"
When Brick finally raised his head from its bowing posture and placed his menacing eyes in the intruder's face he couldn't believe his eyes. His mouth fell agape. His heart started to calm down as he looked at the intruder and the audacity to crack a smile. "This ain't no mutha fuckin' jack."
"Equal!" Brick cried a tear of joy seeing his main man's face. Brick fell extraordinarily ovum color - calm, direct, but shocked.
"Yeah it's me poppa. And dis tha kinda welcome home treatment? I don't get it, all I wanted was something to eat. That damn bus ride kilt me and all I got to my fuckin' name is a measly ass dollar..."
"Oh my God" Brick prayed. Then he scaled the counter and rushed up to him and draped his arms around him. Equal returned the gesture.
"Nigga when you got out."
"Yesterday, I been on the bus all night on my way home. This was the first place I stopped."
Brick looked at Equal again in disbelief. It was years since he last seen him but not much about Equal had changed. Other than the slight ball spot at the top of his head he looked the same. He was a medium height a light skinned brother, 5'10 and weighed approximately 175 pounds.
"Nigga why you ain't call, and where all your bags?"
"Cause I wanted to surprise you. But shit look like I'mma 'bout to get kilt on my first day home." Equal looked back at Faith who still had her weapon in her hands. At least she didn't have it aimed at him anymore, which was a good thing. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say sorrow didn't know. Faith walked over to Equal and leaned over towards his face.
"Girl you ain't changed a bit." Equal said, right before he kissed her on the cheek. "I don't have no bags. Now y'all gone feed a brother off it in this establishment or not."
"Awe nigga you know we gone feed ya, come on over here let's sit down.
Faith, hook Equal up, give 'em my plate." Brick said, as he escorted Equal to a corner table.
Faith left Brick and Equal alone. She returned ten minutes later carrying a silver platter with a full course breakfast on top of it.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout" Equal stood up to retrieve the tray from her. Once he got it out her hand he returned to his seat. "Man I'm starving."
"Well you came to the right place." Brick said.
Faith stood around as Equal devoured his food. There wasn't a lot of talking going on. Equal wasn't lying when he said he was hungry because it in a matter of minutes he'd just about eaten everything he had on his plate and drunk a picture of orange juice. Faith decided to walk off. She had other things to do and standing around shooting the breeze, no matter how cool it was, just wasn't gone get it. But first, she had to clean up behind Equal.
"I'll get that." She said, as she commenced to pile the dishes up.
"So what's been happening, Equal" Brick finally said. "Man I'm sorry 'bout what happened to your wife."
Brick knew talking about Equal's wife was a touchy subject but he had to express his condolences to his friend. "That was fucked up what happened to him." Brick thought. Brick and Faith glanced at each other.
"Man fuck dat shit. I don't even wanna talk about that, that ain't what I came for." Equal wiped his mouth clean with the napkin.
"Sorry 'bout dat my nigga."
"I'mma put these dishes up an' get back to doin' what I was doing." Faith said.
"No-o hol' Faith don't go yet. I wanna holla at'cha too, you and Brick 'bout something" Faith glanced at Brick to see him nodding his approval.
"Okay, well let me just put these dishes away and I'll be right back."
Five minutes later she returned drying her hands on her apron. She took a seat across from Equal next to Brick.
Brick and Faith sat there like they were pupils waiting to hear what Equal found so important that he almost lost his life trying to tell.
"So what's up Equal?" Brick quipped.
"I wanna get some money." Equal said. He looked serious.
"Well hell, don't we all." Brick cackled. He didn't mean to laugh in his face. But what he said was laughable. Faith took a different approach, she sat quietly.
"I'm serious poppa I'm talkin' 'bout some real money, not none of that chump change." Equal tried to put Brick on the defensive as he looked around the restaurant. Brick took a cursory glance at Faith. Then he turned his attention back to Equal.
Brick had his arm slung over the back of the chair over Faith's shoulders but now he removed it as if by doing so would make him pay a little more attention to what Equal was saying. "That was just it, what the hell was he saying? That his restaurant wasn't real cheese?" Brick thought. "Whether it was real money, the kind of money he clocked when he was in the game, that was a different story, but it paid the bills."
"So wha'cha sayin'?" Brick questioned on the defense. There was a hint of aggression in Brick's voice which Equal picked up on immediately. But that's where he wanted his friend. That way he'll pay attention to what he was trying to say.
"I'm talkin' 'bout millions poppa." Equal clarified his statement. Subtly, he steered Brick and Faith to his line of thinking. "Nigga