Page 9 of Heavy Lifting
“Focus,” I groaned as I pinched the bridge of my nose.
“Fine. Since you want to be so serious. Yes, I have been next door, and I have tried his juices. They taste amazing and-”
“Fresh.” I finished her sentence and she nodded really quickly.
“Yes that, absolutely that. They taste so fresh. Nothing like that overpriced, processed shit you get from the grocery store. It makes you feel like you are putting something good in your body. Do you know how most healthy stuff taste like horse ass? Well, his juices taste GOOD. I’m talking, you just finished the juice and want to order another one immediately! It’s that type of good that makes you reach for another slice of pizza, just because it tastes good, not because you are hungry. Plus, the names are hilarious.” Trallis bragged as I rolled my eyes and spun my desktop around. The nigga had only been in the neighborhood for a week; there was no way he should have this big of an impact in such a short time.
“What would it take to add a juice bar to Brick &Co? I mean we could use one of our empty rooms and turn it into a juice bar don’t you think?” I asked her.
Immediately her posture changed and her eyes lit up, she was interested. For the next twenty minutes we bounced ideas back and forth. How we could add it to membership perks. The different types of juices maybe even some protein smoothies, meal replacement shakes, pre-workout juices, and recovery juices. The deeper we got into the conversation, the more excited I became. Maybe this wasn’t a terrible idea, and I could keep my members spending money inside my business instead of walking next door.
When my phone rang it startled me, but I expected it to be Co, so I reached over to grab it. It was his wife Kaliyah. I groaned but I knew I couldn’t keep ignoring her, I had to face the music and fix whatever my brother had fucked up.
“Hold on for a second let me take this it’s family,” I told Trallis before hitting the green button to answer.
“What’s up Sister-in-Law,” I greeted her. The second I answered, I knew something was wrong.
“Hey,” Kaliyah sighed heavily.
“Have you heard from your brother?” She asked angrily.
I was tempted to tell the truth, but I had to protect him. It was my job as his big sister to get him out of the mess he put himself in. He had left the gym hours ago. As one of the personal trainers at the gym, he had clients that loved him and if they were women, he was usually fucking them. I looked over at my trainer schedule and saw that the last person he trained was at six o’clock. The session lasted one hour, and it was currently midnight.
I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth.
“Yeah, I talked to his big head ass like an hour ago,” I lied through my teeth.
“He is at the house with daddy helping him paint the kitchen. Have you tried to call my father’s phone?” I asked her. The best lies were laced with truth, and it was true my father had woken up one day and decided that he was tired of the kitchen being the color that it was, so he painted it. He had been painting all day and taking back and forth trips to Home Depot for painting supplies.
That part was the truth.
The lie was that Cozart was with him.
If my father was still painting, he wouldn’t answer the phone. If he had tired himself out and gone to sleep, he wouldn’t answer the phone. It was the perfect alibi for my lying, cheating, piece of shit little brother.
“Yes, I tried to call your father, and he didn’t answer so that explains it,” she sighed and my heart broke. As a woman, I hated lying for my brother and aiding in another woman’sheartbreak. I was caught between a rock and a hard place, and I hated Cozart for putting me in this position.
“He was supposed to pick up the kids tonight. I start a new nursing job tomorrow at nine in the morning, and I don’t have anyone else to keep these kids. Your brother is a shitty husband, but I refuse to allow him to disappoint our children the way he has disappointed me. I’m going to the courthouse and getting full custody, and he won’t be able to see them at all. I’m sick of Co.” Kaliyah wailed, and I covered my face sadly.
“Ok listen, I know that Co is irresponsible as shit. My mother coddled his ass, and she didn’t have to say it, I know Co was her favorite,” I told Kaliyah. That part wasn’t a lie; my brother was truly a mama’s boy. .
“I’m not making excuses for him, but you know that he and daddy have a strained relationship. He tries to go above and beyond to kiss our father’s ass because he feels guilty for not being able to run the gym like Bernard wanted. So anytime daddy says jump, Co says how high should I go up? It was daddy’s idea to paint, and Co inserted himself into that trying to be an ass kisser and forgot his own responsibility. I bet they are over there at the house, right now covered in paint and arguing over who is right or wrong about something. Daddy is trying to tell him how they used to do it back in the day, Co doesn’t want to hear it and they are both ignoring their phone. I want to apologize to you on his behalf, and I will come and get my niece and nephew and take them over to auntie’s house. Their daddy will get them from me in the morning. I know you and him are going through y’all thing right now, but that man loves his kids you know that.” I told my sister-in-law.
I leaned back in my chair and the headache I’d been fighting all day doubled. Kaliyah laughed softly before saying, “You always clean up after him.” I glanced at the family pictureagain. My brother had the biggest heart of anybody I’d ever met. He’d also drive you insane, in the same day. I cleaned up after him because somebody had to.
“Family means everything to me Kaliyah. You and the kids are my family. I love y’all. It’s late, I’m sure the kids have already ate and you have their bags packed. I’m leaving the gym and I will be there in thirty minutes to pick them up and take them to Auntie’s house. I’ll handle it,” I assured her.
“You always do Brick. What the hell would your brother do without you? Why didn’t I just marry your ass instead?” Kaliyah laughed.
“Cause you not really my type sis. You are too pretty, you have no waist, and you have a fat ass. My type is more tall, rugged, hard hands, thick biceps, and oh yeah, a dick. A big thick dick is definitely my type, and you don’t have any of those things so I’m sorry it would never work between us,” I joked and she laughed loudly causing me to smile.
“I’m sorry about that loser, I will be there in a minute. Get some rest, I have a key I will let myself in, grab the kids, and lock up on my way out. Good luck on your first day tomorrow,” I told her and we hung up. I put in an order for a bouquet of flowers to be delivered to the house for her at 8am, with a note attached that said, “Congrats on your first day.” I knew that would make her smile.
I put the phone down and looked over at Trallis, who was unusually quiet.
“Aww that is so sweet you love your brother so much,” she said breaking the awkward silence. I pointed at the door and told her to get out. She laughed all the way back into the hallway. The second, the door closed behind her, I looked back down at my phone. There was a text message from CO.
Baby Brother: My bad sis. I got caught up with some thick shit. Can you do me a favor and pick up your niece and nephew from the house? I don’t feel like being bothered with Kaliyah’s whining ass.
