finished with this shit.”
“Yeah, I know what ya mean. I’ve often promised God over the years, too.”
“Jessie, I know you don’t want to hear about my case, but I have to get somebody’s opinion.”
Jessie sat the carton down and took a deep breath. “Listen, man, I really don’t need this shit. I got my own shit to worry about, and believe me, my shit is far worse than a petty-ass drug case.”
Squirt looked surprised. “How do you know I have a drug case? I haven’t told anybody.”
“Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you’re in here for a dope case. Most of these young boys in here are, and you ain’t no different.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Jessie stood, took off his orange jumpsuit, got his deodorant and toothpaste and soap. “Man, I have to get in the shower before they lock down.”
“We got an hour.”
“Yeah but everybody is going to want to take a shower at the same time.”
“Jessie, I do have a dope case and I think somebody set me up.”
Jessie looked Squirt square in the face. “You set yourself up, young buck.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It mean you thought you could make a living off that shit and it only takes one time for the cops to get you and it’s over. Did you really think about the risk?”
Squirt thought hard. He hadn’t ever thought about the risk. He didn’t care about the risk. He thought about the money he needed, his son needed, his baby’s mother needed, but he knew what they needed most was him. “You right, Jessie.”
Jessie walked toward the door. Before he could open it, Squirt asked, “How many people in here are for drugs?”
“I would say, out of the 54 people in here, 45 are in here for drugs. There’s a couple of child molesters in here, too.”
Squirt put his hand behind his head as he lay back on the bed. “Jessie, what you in here for?”
Jessie stepped back inside the cell, closed the door tightly and looked Squirt directly in his eyes. “I’m in here for murder.”
Squirt’s eyes grew, but he didn’t say anything.
“Yeah. A motherfucker raped my 14-year-old daughter and I took him out.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I admitted to it. I mean, my lawyer and the DA understands it. I am trying to plead temporary insanity.”
“How much time does it carry?”
“I can probably get fourteen because my record is fucked up.”
Squirt took a deep breath. “I know what you mean,” Squirt said, thinking of the two prior drug convictions he had on his record. Though he had never been to prison, he had been sent to boot camp, once, for ninety days.
“I have to get in the shower,” Jessie said.
“Please listen to my story.”
Jessie looked at Squirt again. His facial expression said he really didn’t want to hear what Squirt had to say, but he sat on the edge of Squirt’s bed. Squirt handed him the paperwork.
*****
“I’m telling you, man, I ain’t have nothing to do with your man going to jail,” Tommy said. He and Q were at a booth in the back of the Waffle House. It was 3:00 am and the restaurant was full of patrons from the strip clubs and other night spots.
Q stared at Tommy straight in his face. He was trying to see if Tommy was afraid, but Tommy didn’t bat an eye. He wanted to believe Tommy, but all he knew was his man had gone to jail because of the car.
“Q, I don’t have a case. What do I need to set your boy up for? And furthermore, that ain’t my style.”
“Do you know this is his third offense, Tommy?”
“Why the fuck do I need to know that? I mean, that’s the risk when you deal, nigga. I mean, that’s your boy. You better be worried; not me.”
“It’s your car, nigga.”
“No, it’s Squirt’s car,” Tommy said with a serious face.
Two strippers walked by wearing tight fitting jeans and heels. Q grabbed the shorter of the two’s ass and the woman turned around and said, “Motherfucker…” She stopped in mid-sentence and smiled. “Oh. Hey, Q.”
“What’s up Diamond?”
“Not
“Yeah, I know what ya mean. I’ve often promised God over the years, too.”
“Jessie, I know you don’t want to hear about my case, but I have to get somebody’s opinion.”
Jessie sat the carton down and took a deep breath. “Listen, man, I really don’t need this shit. I got my own shit to worry about, and believe me, my shit is far worse than a petty-ass drug case.”
Squirt looked surprised. “How do you know I have a drug case? I haven’t told anybody.”
“Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that you’re in here for a dope case. Most of these young boys in here are, and you ain’t no different.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Jessie stood, took off his orange jumpsuit, got his deodorant and toothpaste and soap. “Man, I have to get in the shower before they lock down.”
“We got an hour.”
“Yeah but everybody is going to want to take a shower at the same time.”
“Jessie, I do have a dope case and I think somebody set me up.”
Jessie looked Squirt square in the face. “You set yourself up, young buck.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“It mean you thought you could make a living off that shit and it only takes one time for the cops to get you and it’s over. Did you really think about the risk?”
Squirt thought hard. He hadn’t ever thought about the risk. He didn’t care about the risk. He thought about the money he needed, his son needed, his baby’s mother needed, but he knew what they needed most was him. “You right, Jessie.”
Jessie walked toward the door. Before he could open it, Squirt asked, “How many people in here are for drugs?”
“I would say, out of the 54 people in here, 45 are in here for drugs. There’s a couple of child molesters in here, too.”
Squirt put his hand behind his head as he lay back on the bed. “Jessie, what you in here for?”
Jessie stepped back inside the cell, closed the door tightly and looked Squirt directly in his eyes. “I’m in here for murder.”
Squirt’s eyes grew, but he didn’t say anything.
“Yeah. A motherfucker raped my 14-year-old daughter and I took him out.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I admitted to it. I mean, my lawyer and the DA understands it. I am trying to plead temporary insanity.”
“How much time does it carry?”
“I can probably get fourteen because my record is fucked up.”
Squirt took a deep breath. “I know what you mean,” Squirt said, thinking of the two prior drug convictions he had on his record. Though he had never been to prison, he had been sent to boot camp, once, for ninety days.
“I have to get in the shower,” Jessie said.
“Please listen to my story.”
Jessie looked at Squirt again. His facial expression said he really didn’t want to hear what Squirt had to say, but he sat on the edge of Squirt’s bed. Squirt handed him the paperwork.
*****
“I’m telling you, man, I ain’t have nothing to do with your man going to jail,” Tommy said. He and Q were at a booth in the back of the Waffle House. It was 3:00 am and the restaurant was full of patrons from the strip clubs and other night spots.
Q stared at Tommy straight in his face. He was trying to see if Tommy was afraid, but Tommy didn’t bat an eye. He wanted to believe Tommy, but all he knew was his man had gone to jail because of the car.
“Q, I don’t have a case. What do I need to set your boy up for? And furthermore, that ain’t my style.”
“Do you know this is his third offense, Tommy?”
“Why the fuck do I need to know that? I mean, that’s the risk when you deal, nigga. I mean, that’s your boy. You better be worried; not me.”
“It’s your car, nigga.”
“No, it’s Squirt’s car,” Tommy said with a serious face.
Two strippers walked by wearing tight fitting jeans and heels. Q grabbed the shorter of the two’s ass and the woman turned around and said, “Motherfucker…” She stopped in mid-sentence and smiled. “Oh. Hey, Q.”
“What’s up Diamond?”
“Not
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