The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Chapter 15

"I can't stand that disco bullshit!" Clavell irately snarled as he put on his red velvet jacket and checked his wavy hair in a mirror that was attached to the wall.

"Do you want me to go up and tell Jimmy to play something else?" Lucius put on his black Fedora.

Pressing out his mustache, Clavell muttered, "No, we got more important matters to attend to."

Above their collective heads The Trammps', 'Disco Inferno' thumped loud enough to where even the various malt liquor bottles that were scattered on the tables downstairs in the work area were clinking against one another.

It was Clavell who was dressed to the nines in a red velvet blazer, red velvet pants and matching platform shoes. Nita, who was performing her customary duty of staying seated and separating the cocaine, gave only subtle glances at her boss as to say she was somewhat jealous, while Marvin, who along with Clavell and Lucius, was cleaning himself up from head to toe for a night out on the town.

Clear in a corner all to themselves were two fairly young white men who were both adorned in blue plaid, polyester suits. One of the men had a blonde mustache, while the other, who appeared as if he were straight out of high school, wore a pair of eyeglasses and long, dark hair. Both men were holding their own brown briefcase and shivering as if the room they were sequestered in was freezing cold.

Clavell pulled himself away from the mirror and reached into his coat pocket to take out and count a cluster of hundred dollar bills.

"Hey, Marv, hand me one of those Cuban's."

At once, Marvin rushed over and handed Clavell a Cuban cigar before igniting the tip. Clavell puffed away on the cigar while rifling through his bills in a curious fashion. Suddenly, right in the middle of smokes, Clavell happened to glance over at the two white men who were huddled together side by side like frightened mice.

With a grin, Clavell pointed at the men, "Boy, you two look like you're about to fall to pieces. What's the problem?"

"Look, Clavell." One of the men stuttered before catching himself midway. "Excuse me, Mr. Diggs. But we really just need to hurry and get this over with. We have another drop after this one."

Looking subtly surprised, Clavell asked, "What, you two peckerwoods don't like being around us darkies for too long?"

"No, sir, it's not that, we just—

"Blood, just cool out," Clavell motioned with his cigar. "This place is the safest joint in the city. Besides, I got another transaction I have to clear up before we leave."

"It's just that with your friend getting killed last night, we just don't need any other mishaps."

Right then, the entire room grew eerily quiet. Clavell just turned his head in the other direction before pacing the floor.

"Yeah...when we find the motherfucker who did that to Wendell he'll wish to God he was never born. In the meantime, you two just hang loose."

"But we— "The man said shut the fuck up!" Marvin yelled clear from the other side of the room.

At once, both men became permanent fixtures of the wall that they were already attached to, quiet and unassuming.

Giggling at the two, Clavell commented, "Damn, I bet if we were way out there in Beverly Hills they would be as cool as clams."

At that very second, three knocks blasted at the door. Marvin went over and opened it to find a tall, well-built, bald, black man and the afro-puffed lady right behind him.

"Come on in!" Clavell warmly greeted.

With a cavalier smile on his face, the bald man with a perfectly manicured goatee entered into the room. Immediately, Clavell embraced the man who was wearing only a multi-colored dashiki, a pair of white slacks and a pair of sandals. While his friend, whose face was swollen and her height slightly lengthened, wore only a red dress with sandals.

"Man, I was wondering when you two was goin' to get here!" Clavell exclaimed.

"We had certain matters to attend to, mon." The bald man smiled in a deep Jamaican accent.

Clavell then took a gander of the woman before turning up his nose and saying, "Damn, girl, what happened to you? You look like you've had one rough day."

The young lady just cracked a simple, blushing grin before glancing over at her companion and dropping her head.

"Akoni not speak too much, mon. She speak only when necessary."

"It's cool, blood, it's cool." Clavell patted the man on the back. "I want you all to meet my friends, Akoni and Arthur!" Clavell announced to his comrades.

Everyone in the room greeted the duo with the kind of respect that was expected of them, everyone that is except Nita, who remained at her trusty table with an eye targeted only at Akoni.

"Uh...listen, we didn't know that you were gonna bring over some foreigners." One of the white men stammered. "We weren't told of any foreigners!"

Clavell glared at the two men with the most confounded look on his face. "What, are you peckerwoods racist or something?"

"No, sir, we're not, we just weren't informed about any others joining in on this."

"Calm down, my friends are real deal." Clavell led both Arthur and Akoni over to where two chairs were placed before having them take a seat. "You see, you honkeys don't quite understand how business is conducted these days. This ain't the old Al Capone days where some cannoli eatin' motherfucker calls all the shots. This is 1977, the future. Times have changed. And you two corn-fed, college boy, faggots had better learn that and quick. I ain't some nickel and dime porch nigga, I network worldwide!"

The two white men just remained against the wall they were perched to in total submission. Meanwhile, there was Akoni, a woman of few words. She sat in her chair with her legs crossed in a demure fashion while her eyes seemingly examined the room in which she was gathered in.

of the room she meticulously studied until her eyes eventually connected with those of Nita's, who in turn was staring continuously right back at her. Nita just wouldn't remove her hard glaze away from the mysteriously silent woman. It was as if they were magnets

left hand on the table, next to her cocaine, had her other

pansies wet their pants." Clavell said to Arthur. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you had some real serious shit for

dat, mon." Arthur sat back and relaxed

in a stunned glare before sniggering, "I beg your pardon? Man, c'mon, me and

not come here for your

and snorting, Clavell asked, "What the hell did you come

at Clavell in a clever style, as if he hadn't a worry in

not come for dat, mon, we come for something

dissipated as he approached Arthur and said, "Hold on, we

niggas didn't even bring

Clavell demanded, "Wipe that stupid

Arthur just gazed up at Clavell, refusing to rub the look off of his face. "We come all de

angrily yelled as he spun around. "I deal with these Jamaican motherfuckers for a whole

"Never trust these

pistol before pointing it directly at Arthur's face. "You gonna

scent

inside the room once more paused. It was a pause of complete confusion; one that caused each person, excluding

are you

"You have her

"Who's

"De girl, Lynnette," Arthur

over again, Clavell glanced back at everyone

"I smell her all over you, mon. Akoni see her last night with your friend. We not here for your money, we

"Hold up, you know where Lynn is?" Lucius

to Arthur. "Are you trying to say that

"I say just

that about a bitch?" Clavell furiously backed up. "Something told me not to trust that skeezer after she ran

the car and took off down the alley,

"She not fear you, mon. No, no." Arthur spoke up. "It was Damerae that she

"Who the fuck is

de job, but he

stepped forward, "we didn't come here for all of this voodoo,

the fuck up and get back to that wall!" Clavell pointed his gun at

Without haste, both men retreated back to their favorite wall where they

here, or I'm gonna put

continued to sit cool and relaxed in the midst of an escalating storm. He had the demeanor of a person that actually delighted in conflict. His look wasn't

want your money, Clavell. I come for

knew it!" Marvin shouted. "These Jamaican

last year." Nita, from out

his head and asked, "What

Nita slowly explained, "Last year, at Thanksgiving, something broke into

heard about that." Marvin added. "They

Isaac...I knew him well." Arthur dropped his

nigga Isaac?" Clavell looked

were out in Cali

Raising his head back up, Arthur replied, "Yes, he was very special to

screamed. "And we had that bitch up in here! She

we checked her

said. "She probably set Wendell up last night!

"Oh, but we

I now see how this shit is going down. You Jamaican motherfuckers have been trying to muscle in on my turf all this time. First, you send some wild animal to kill some of your own. Then you hire Isaac and Lynn as undercovers, but Isaac goes crazy on some of his own supply and the cops take him out. Then, what do

remained completely stalwart in his sitting and listening. Not once did he budge or even twitch while Clavell

you and her both." Clavell pointed at Arthur and Akoni. "You both come up in here thinkin'

"They're probably inbreeds!" Lucius

fuck up, nigga!" Clavell blasted. "Then what do you do? You have the nerve to tell me what's going to happen. Motherfucker, this is my town! I own these fuckin' streets! Hell, I made my first five G's at thirteen!

man momentarily turned to Akoni, who was still studying Nita, before he

Some see me as a ghost. Soon, you see me as something else. You

second, the lights in the room began

seen an anaconda feast?" Akoni

to the woman. With the flickering lights and the chatter of agitated dancers above on the top floor, the tension in the

it sizes up its victim. It moves ever so slowly when it tinks that its victim is at its weakest. At its most vulnerable. When de victim doesn't suspect a thing. Dat is when the anaconda moves in and wraps itself around its victim before it swallows de victim whole. Dat is

these niggas

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