I Am Your Brother Read online

  Copyright © 2019

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewers, who may quote brief passages in review.

  ISBN: 978-1-5439965-2-4

  All inquiries should be made to the author.

  Jaimy Reynolds

  [email protected]

  Book Cover & Interior Design by:

  Alaka Oladimeji B.

  DEDICATION

  I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to dedicate and give a special thanks to my little brother Jaicy Reynolds, for allowing me to live with him and finish the book at my own pace. I thank God for blessing me to have a blood brother like you. I also would like to personally thank old school Bobby Lawrence for the love and support during the writing process. To my childhood friend Don Scott for the love & support, more importantly by being a great example to learn from.

  Also, I would like to dedicate this to my mother Elinda Bradshaw, my father Kenneth Reynolds, my sister’s Jessica Reynolds, Andrea Whitlock & Kiya Reynolds, step mother Alisa Puckett, Ginger Smith, Brandon Harris, Kevin Ford, Melvin Wright, Travis Mcfadgon, Laquintas Johnson & Chris Hall.

  To every person that I ever crossed paths with and made a impact in my life. To all of my nieces and nephew’s. To all of my Reynolds and Bradshaw family. To my close friends. To the East side of Arlington Texas. To every person whoever believed and supported me. To every person who makes this world a better place. To every person who battles depression and loneliness. To the future generation. To the single parents who work hard to provide. To every person who strives to better themselves. To every person who loves beyond skin color. To every messenger who feels like they live on a island. To my favorite music artist kid Cudi and Andre 3000. To every woman whoever loved me at anytime of their life. To everyone who is reading this. This is for you.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Introduction

  Chapter 1:

  FLASHBACK

  Chapter 2:

  HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED

  Chapter 3:

  APARTMENT# 2111

  Chapter 4:

  I AM KING

  Chapter 5:

  DESTINY’S WORLD

  Chapter 6:

  WHO IS SEVEN?

  Chapter 7:

  LET THE GAME BEGIN

  Chapter 8:

  THE COAST OF CALI

  Chapter 9:

  THE GAME CHANGER

  Chapter 10:

  THE MASTER PLAN

  Chapter 11:

  THE DEGREELESS HEART SURGEON

  Chapter 12:

  THE UNDERGROUND APARTMENT

  Chapter 13:

  THE SACRIFICE

  INTRODUCTION

  I believe that I was supposed to see, feel, sacrifice and experience everything that I have in order to write this book.

  Over the coarse of my adult life this particular story has slowly but surely been puzzled together in my mind. In my minds eye, this is more that just a story, it is my calling. This world I have created has taken on its own personality and has become larger than life, larger than the man writing it.

  Once I felt in my spirit that it was time to share my vision in book form, I stepped out on faith and went all in.

  When I fully understood the urgency to share these people with the world, I gave up my full time job, sold off most of my possessions gave up anything and everything that could have stood on the way of focusing on my craft and completing this work. I hope you are as moved by this story as I was writing it. And we here are..

  Chapter

  I

  Flashback

  Seven walks towards the emergency room exit in a state of shock. His clothes and parts of his skin are painted in blood. Just as he enters the rotating doors from inside the building, a police officer enters from the outside. He makes eye contact with the officer who wore an eye patch over his left eye. Seven tightens his grip on his backpack, while mentally preparing himself to take off running. The police officer remained inside the rotating doors to circle back around. His one eye stayed glued on Seven as his figure faded from the horizon.

  Seven picks up his tempo once out of sight of the police officer. He makes his way to the nearest bus stop where he contemplates his next move. His options are limited from his cell phone being dead. He snaps out of a staring daze once the bus came to a complete stop in front of him. He receives stares all the way to the back of the bus from his bloody attire. He tightly grips his backpack as if his life depends on it; then puts on a pair of headphones that connects to his mini ipod. The soothing jazz of Miles Davis blended with life outside the moving bus, like a movie scene he wished could be a dream.

  Seven tips the bus driver and begins to walk in the midnight hour. He never shows up to his girlfriend’s house unannounced, but due to the situation he makes the move. When approaching her front door, he noticed an unfamiliar truck parked in the drive way. One set of knocks turned into two set of knocks. She never took this long to answer the door. His patience was being tested while his mind began to assume the worst. Finally, she partially opens the door enough to where he could see her pretty face and disturbance in her eyes.

  “Seven, what’s going on, why didn’t you call?” “My phone is dead,” he answers back. “Oh my God!” “Are you okay,” she nervously speaks after seeing the blood stains on his clothes. He dismisses her concern and asks why she was standing in front of the door. Her voice trembles with uncertainty. “I can’t let you in right now, it’s not a good time.” He slightly grins while looking into her eyes. “Who’s truck is that in the drive way?” She pauses before answering, “lets just talk tomorrow please, it’s already late.” His body temperature rises while remaining calm, “if you don’t let me in this door, you are going to see another side of me that you have never seen before.” “Please don’t do this, I tried to talk to you the other day but you were busy,” she replies.

  Seven pushes the door open with one hand and gently stiff arms his way in with the other hand. He walks into the living room and sees another man standing there with half his clothes on, looking as if he just saw a ghost. They both stood there looking at each other like an old wild west stand-off between two gun-slingers. The energy of fear circulated the room from not knowing the next move of the calm and collective Seven. He turns around and walks into the kitchen. He opens the refrigerator door and takes out a bottle of wine, pops the top and drinks from the bottle. The other two stood there fearfully stunned and confused.

  Seven takes his last sip before putting the bottle back in the refrigerator. He walks smoothly into the living room while the other two watch him from behind. He takes off his backpack and sits down on the couch. He turns the television on with the remote control and turns the channel to the animal planet. His girlfriend and the half-naked man stood their puzzled before he rushes to put on his shirt and shoes while stumbling all over the place. He dashes out the front door and cranks up his truck; burning rubber loud enough to wake the neighborhood.

  She walks slowly into the living room while watching the back of Sevens head. She curved around the couch in slow motion before sitting at a distance. She stares at the side of his face before speaking, “he’s just a friend.” Seven tunes her out while listening to the narrator’s voice on Animal Planet speak of the introvert ways of the lone wolf. He slowly lifted his backpack and placed it in between his feet; then befins to unzip the black backpack.

  With a sorrowful tone in her voice, “I’m sorry for what’s happening, I’m so confused right now.” He looks in her eyes and replies, “Only if you could have been a little more patient with me?” She jumps to her defense, what does that mean?” I tried to wait, I tried to be patient, it’s like you changed.” Who quits their great paying job, runs away from life, and throws everything they worked for away?”

  In the mist of her speaking, Seven reaches into the backpack and pulls out stacks of money and sets it on the coffee table. He continues to reach inside and pull out handfuls of money wrapped in paper bands. Her mouth drops from seeing all the money being piled up on her table. Seven stops handling the money for a moment and watches the lone wolf attack its prey in the white winter snow, while ravishing the throat of his its soon to be food. He stays tuned in on the lone wolf while putting the money back in the backpack. He slips out a $100 dollar bill and places it on the coffee table. “This is for you and your new friend, dinner is on me.”

  Once all the money was back inside the backpack, he stands to his feet and leaves her side. He walks into her bedroom for a moment and comes back out with a shirt of his. He takes off the red stained shirt and stuffs it inside the backpack, then puts on the clean shirt. She never got tired of looking at his chiseled body. It would be her last time to do so as he walks out the front door without saying goodbye. He takes a deep breath before walking back towards the bus stop. The dark night was illuminated by the full moon and bright scattered stars. Not once did he look back.

  Chapter

  2

  How It All Got Started

  LOCATION: THE MELTING POT LOUNGE

  Lead Singer: Thank you once again ladies and gentlemen, we are your live cover band for tonight, “A Chosen Few” (claps of satisfaction from the mellow crowd). And don’t forget its open mic tonight, so the floor can be yours. The mic is set, feel free to come up and do
whatever you feel. The kitchen and the bar are still open. So let’s eat, drink, and be merry.

  A romantic ambience inside the lounge gave a grown and sexy feel. A man named Seven sits alone in a curved booth and peeps out the scene. The sound of pool balls clash at a distance, just before a young waitress arrives.

  WAITRESS: And here is your drink sir.

  SEVEN: I thank you.

  WAITRESS: I have never seen you in here before.

  SEVEN: This is my first time.

  WAITRESS: So what brings you out to tonight, if you don’t mind me asking?

  SEVEN: It’s my birthday, so I just decided to get out of the house and come listen to some music.

  WAITRESS: Well happy birthday to you!

  SEVEN: Well thank you.

  WAITRESS: You just hold on one second, I have something for you.

  SEVEN: It’s okay, you don’t have to get me anything. Your positive energy is enough for me.

  She appreciates his sentiment with a smile, then turns and leaves for the kitchen. Seven turns his attention to the live band while taking a sip of his drink. It wasn’t long before the waitress returns with a lit candle sticking out of a piece of cake.

  WAITRESS: I hope you like chocolate cake.

  SEVEN: You are one cool lady.. and yes, I do like chocolate cake.

  WAITRESS: Good, but before you blow out the candle, you have to make a wish. You never know, your wish just might come true.

  Seven wasn’t really up for blowing out any candles or bringing attention to himself, but the natural charmer went along with her command. He had a thing for good hearts, there was no way he was not going to deny someone who went out of there way for him. He closes his eyes for a quick second and blows out the candle. He shakes her hand and thanks her before she carries on and leaves him back into his comfort zone. In just moments later, a strange woman who looked like she belonged on somebody’s TV approached from his side. His automatic attraction to her momentarily had him speechless.

  DESTINY: Would you mind if I sat down for a moment?

  SEVEN: … No I don’t mind, go right ahead.

  DESTINY: Are you the light?

  SEVEN: Excuse me..

  Destiny: Do you have a light?

  Seven: I’m sorry, no ma’am I don’t.

  Destiny: Hmm courteous I see.. but okay, I guess. I don’t smoke but I am tonight.

  SEVEN: That’s interesting, because I don’t drink, but I am tonight.

  DESTINY: aw poor baby.. you want me to be your counselor for a moment, so you can tell me what’s bothering you? I won’t judge you. And since you are easy on the eyes, it will be free of charge.

  SEVEN: I’m flattered coming from such a beautiful woman like yourself.

  DESTINY: Beauty can be overrated don’t you think?

  SEVEN: It can be, depending on your definition of Beauty. What makes you believe there is something bothering me?

  DESTINY: (Leaning forward to make direct eye contact) I looked deep into your eyes, and those never lie, unless you are really good.

  SEVEN: Oh is that so.. when you speak of, “unless you are really good,” do you mean good as in.. when asking me if I have a light, your true intention was to see if I was to be wearing a ring?

  DESTINY: (Leans in a little closer with a sparkle in her eye) Yes. That type of good.

  Destiny breaks the connection between the two and leans back from Seven. She swipes her finger across a corner of the chocolate icing and then licks it off. She stands up from the booth with her eyes still engaged in his. She drifts off into the crowd while he began weaving his head through the human traffic to locate her. Seven snaps out of a daze and takes another sip of his drink. He looks at the swiped part of the icing that was taken without permission. He shakes his head while grinning of her wittiness. He picks up the piece of cake and bites the part that she wiped off. The mingling of the lounge was interrupted by the sound of a microphone being taken off the stand and lightly tapped. The voice of the intriguing woman began to speak. Seven stopped chewing once hearing her voice. He looks towards the band but cannot visually see her from where he is sitting. All he can hear is her voice throughout the lounge. Her innocent but yet sexy voice serenades the place. She turns back and looks at the band.

  DESTINY: Can you play something with a real light tone, something I can talk to.

  Hello good people, my name is Destiny June. I won’t be taking much of your time, but something just crossed my mind.

  A mellow tone from the band fills the room. She steps closer to the mic and patiently speaks.

  “I see something in his eyes.. and he sees something in mine.. but what is he trying to find.. in the mist of sitting alone in a love blind.. who is this man and what causes him to be so kind.. either a sheep in wolf’s clothing, or a pearl from his designed loathing..

  Is this a diamond in a rough, hmm.. maybe I should test his bluff..

  So I look further into his eyes.. and to my surprise.. I don’t see lies.. but I do see the silent cries.. it’s no disguise of the pain in those brown eyes..

  Rarity is at the core of the chip on his shoulder, more formless as he gets older.. who is this man.. and what is his plan.. I wonder.”

  The crowd snaps like at a spoken word session. She smiles while putting the mic back on the stand and leaves the spotlight. Just as Seven was thinking how she had a read on him, she appears by making her way from out of the crowd. She walks pass Seven and sits at the bar where he can see her at a distance. Her intentions strikes his curiosity. He decides that he will go over and talk to her, but first make his way to the men’s room to make sure he didn’t have any chocolate cake in his teeth. When walking towards restrooms they both make eye contact. A neutral look of interest, followed by looking away as if it never happened.

  Seven walks into the empty restroom. He starts from the first stall and begins to walk towards the last. Whichever toilet he walked passed was the cleanest is where he would enter. It happened to be the 5th stall towards the end of the restroom. He walks in and closes the stall door behind him. As he begins releasing himself, he reads the writing on the wall that was directly in front of him. It read, WHO ARE YOU? He squints at the words on the wall while zipping his zipper back up. Before flushing the toilet, the restroom door slams open by a big husky man on his cell phone.

  The loud bang shook his attention. He remained still while listening to what was going on outside his stall. The man was so into his phone conversation that he forgot to see if anybody else was in the restroom with him. He paced back and forth by the sink area with anger in his voice. Before Seven was getting ready to walk out of his stall, he hears the man say, “the woman who set us up, she is up here right now. I am sure it’s her, how can we forgot her?” Seven stayed put in the stall and listened to the man talk. “Yo, go start the party bus up right now and don’t let anybody on. “Time for some paybacks.” He ends his phone call and paused for a moment. It just hit him that someone could have been listening the whole time.

  The once tense to now calm man slowly walks over to the first stall. He checks to see if anybody was inside by pushing the door wide open. Then he moves on to the second stall and looks inside. The eyes of Seven grew wide when hearing him move closer and closer. He quickly thinks of his next move. The man now moves over to the third stall to see if it was empty. He walks to the fourth stall and pushes the door open. He moves in front of the 5th stall that was closed shut and stands there. Right before he attempts to open the door, two guys come walking in the restroom talking to one another. The husky man stopped in his tracks and looks at the other two men as if everything was okay and begins to walk off. Seven let’s out a big sigh of relief. He gathers himself before leaving the stall and looks back at the writing on the wall. “WHO ARE YOU?”

  Seven checks himself in the mirror before walking out to join Destiny at the bar. He looks around the lounge but doesn’t see her. His concern increased for the woman who grabbed his undivided attention. “It’s like she knew me,” he kept telling himself over and over. He pays his tab before leaving the building.

  There were two parking lots, one in the front and the bigger one in the back. Seven walked towards the back of the parking lot. There was a narrow space towards the very back of the parking lot in order to exit. The exit was in between the two lane space with 2 building’s standing on each side. He walked towards the narrow space that looked like a painting you could call, “a light at the end of the tunnel.” While walking in the empty parking lot he notices the man standing in front of a party bus that was parked halfway to the exit. In order to make it towards that light at the end of the tunnel, he would have to pass the party bus.