Page 42 of He Don't Play About Me
A few minutes later, Kronic showed up with a couple of dudes from the block. They came over and spoke to me, then took a seat a lil’ ways away.
I was clenching the hanger of his suit in my hand and tapping my heels on the marble floor, my eyes pacing back and forth, looking for Mr. Groom.
“Calm down, girl, you ‘bout to make me nervous,” Bully said.
I smirked and stood up. “I’m sorry?—”
I stopped talking and picked up the suit, seeing Mr. Groom walking toward me.
“Morning, Ms. Walker,” he said.
“Good morning,” I replied, handing him the suit
“Let me see if he’s here and get this to him.”
He disappeared, and I was back to waiting, pacing, watching everybody’s case get called around me.
Bully went and found us some coffee that neither one of us wanted, but I needed something in my hand to ground me as I stared at the screen when the doors to the courtroom right across from us swung open, and the TV screen wiped a line away, and it changed to Gio’s name. I stood up just as the intercom was going off, calling his case number.
I moved to the side, giving room to the people who were walking out and walking right in after the last person, and took aseat right behind Mr. Groom with Bully beside me. I turned and looked as the courtroom filled, some with faces I knew, others I had never seen before. I turned back around and focused on my breathing with my hands shaking in my lap. I could hear a small conversation being had around me about Gio, his charges, and whether they thought he was coming home. I wanted to stand up and yell for everybody to shut up about my man, but then the door to the right of us opened, and I saw him.
Gio nodded at his niggas around the courtroom and then locked eyes with me and smiled. It felt as if all the noise I was hearing around me went away, and just like that, my nerves calmed down.
Gio was led to his chair, walking with a cane from getting shot. As soon as he sat down, he twisted in his chair enough to look at me.
“Damn,” he whispered with a smirk. “You lookin’ too good, girl.”
I rolled my eyes with a smile.
“You lookin’ good in that suit.”
Gio tapped Mr. Groom’s arm. “Wifey got us looking like a unit.”
Mr. Groom nodded. “That’s smart, we want them to see you got good support.”
Gio then nodded at me. “That’s why you are my wife.”
Before I could respond, the judge walked in, and everybody stood up, and then court started.
Mr. Groom stood and made his argument first.
He went on explaining how Gio is a pillar in the community, how he supports his family while pointing to me, saying how he’s working on a business.
He finished quietly and sat down, and then the state stood up.
They tried to paint Gio like he was some international criminal mastermind.
They said my nigga was a flight risk that had the resources to disappear.
Gio actually laughed under his breath, hearing that.
I leaned forward in my seat, my hands grippin’ my bag.
While they were talking, I turned my head slightly, looking around the courtroom, and my heart raced a lil’ bit.
I saw her.
The same girl from the apartment.
