on the street corner peddling drugs, feeling burdened from all ends. This wasn’t how he wanted to provide for his family, but since Simone was unemployed, the fast money was a need not a want.
I better call a cab ’fore it gets too late, Kevin thought as he headed into the building where James stayed with his girl so he could use their phone. The local cab companies refused to acknowledge requests from pay phones.
The building was dark and reeked of urine from the thugs and addicts pissing in the hallways. Vague sounds of life escaped from behind a few of the apartment doors as Kevin headed up the steps. Turning to embark on the last flight that led to Felicia’s apartment, Kevin ran into two Jamaicans sitting on the steps, filling Top paper with marijuana. The larger of the two glared at Kevin through fiendish eyes and stood, his six-four frame towering over Kevin.
“ You just the muthafucka I been wanting to see. You need to pick another spot to sell your shit, pretty boy. I’m taking that corner over.”
“ Look, man,” Kevin said, “I ain’t lookin’ for no trouble. Ain’t nobody stop - pin’ you from doin’ your thing, man.”
“ What, muthafucka?” The huge Jamaican took a few steps forward, backing Kevin into a corner.
After lighting the freshly-rolled joint, his pint-sized partner stood, tossing the match to the floor. That’s when Kevin reached under his sweatshirt and pulled out his gun.
“ I tell you what. I’m not gon’ be too many more of your muthafuckas,” Kevin said, backing the two Jamaicans up.
“ Hold up, man,” the shorter one finally said, easing his hands in the air. The fiery-red tip of the joint shone in the darkness.
A door slammed. A figure lurked at the top of the steps where Kevin had been trying to go.
“ Steve! Toby!”
Kevin recognized Mike’s voice; an older Jamaican who’d lived on the strip for years.
“ What the hell is going on?” Concern overpowered his voice as he hurried down the steps.
“ Mike, man, these your muthafuckin’ peoples?” Kevin asked with his gun still drawn.
“ Yeah, Kevin! They my nephews.” Mike trotted down the steps, his eyes bouncing from Kevin to Steve and Toby. “What the fuck is goin’ on?”
“ Man, you better talk to your fuckin’ nephews ’bout who they approach in these dark-ass hallways.”
“ What!” Mike screamed as he directed his attention to his nephews. “You was ’pose to be smokin’ your joint and coming upstairs wit’ me to get some head from Felicia! What the fuck happened? Do you not know who this man is? Huh?” Mike said, upset.
“ This,” he continued, pointing his finger at Kevin, “is Kevin Kennard!”
Steve and Toby looked Kevin up and down as he stood ready to terminate their tomorrows with a simple pull of the trigger.
“ Man, he’s one you want on your side,” Mike further informed his nephews. “Kevin, this was a misunderstanding. Toby and Steve just came here two weeks ago. They don’t know the ways of these streets.”
“ Hey, man.” Steve, the smaller one, offered his hand to Kevin. “My apologies.”
Kevin tucked the gun back in his waistband and shook Steve’s hand. Toby hesitantly followed suit.
“ Yeah, man,” Toby said. “If my uncle say you cool, then you cool.”
● ● ●
For two weeks, Kevin worked the strip like never before. Finally, he’d made enough money to cover the rent and the utility bills for the next two months.
This should hold us over till we find jobs, he thought as his burdens slowly began to lift. He couldn’t wait to get home and tell Simone everything was going to be all right.
“ Freeze, nigga!”
Kevin recognized the familiar sound of a Tec-9 semiautomatic machine gun locking forward, chambering a bullet.
“ Yeah, muthafucka,” the assailant said as he reached around and snatched Kevin’s gun from his waistband. “We’ve been watching your ass make that money! Now give that shit up!” The assailant stuck the
I better call a cab ’fore it gets too late, Kevin thought as he headed into the building where James stayed with his girl so he could use their phone. The local cab companies refused to acknowledge requests from pay phones.
The building was dark and reeked of urine from the thugs and addicts pissing in the hallways. Vague sounds of life escaped from behind a few of the apartment doors as Kevin headed up the steps. Turning to embark on the last flight that led to Felicia’s apartment, Kevin ran into two Jamaicans sitting on the steps, filling Top paper with marijuana. The larger of the two glared at Kevin through fiendish eyes and stood, his six-four frame towering over Kevin.
“ You just the muthafucka I been wanting to see. You need to pick another spot to sell your shit, pretty boy. I’m taking that corner over.”
“ Look, man,” Kevin said, “I ain’t lookin’ for no trouble. Ain’t nobody stop - pin’ you from doin’ your thing, man.”
“ What, muthafucka?” The huge Jamaican took a few steps forward, backing Kevin into a corner.
After lighting the freshly-rolled joint, his pint-sized partner stood, tossing the match to the floor. That’s when Kevin reached under his sweatshirt and pulled out his gun.
“ I tell you what. I’m not gon’ be too many more of your muthafuckas,” Kevin said, backing the two Jamaicans up.
“ Hold up, man,” the shorter one finally said, easing his hands in the air. The fiery-red tip of the joint shone in the darkness.
A door slammed. A figure lurked at the top of the steps where Kevin had been trying to go.
“ Steve! Toby!”
Kevin recognized Mike’s voice; an older Jamaican who’d lived on the strip for years.
“ What the hell is going on?” Concern overpowered his voice as he hurried down the steps.
“ Mike, man, these your muthafuckin’ peoples?” Kevin asked with his gun still drawn.
“ Yeah, Kevin! They my nephews.” Mike trotted down the steps, his eyes bouncing from Kevin to Steve and Toby. “What the fuck is goin’ on?”
“ Man, you better talk to your fuckin’ nephews ’bout who they approach in these dark-ass hallways.”
“ What!” Mike screamed as he directed his attention to his nephews. “You was ’pose to be smokin’ your joint and coming upstairs wit’ me to get some head from Felicia! What the fuck happened? Do you not know who this man is? Huh?” Mike said, upset.
“ This,” he continued, pointing his finger at Kevin, “is Kevin Kennard!”
Steve and Toby looked Kevin up and down as he stood ready to terminate their tomorrows with a simple pull of the trigger.
“ Man, he’s one you want on your side,” Mike further informed his nephews. “Kevin, this was a misunderstanding. Toby and Steve just came here two weeks ago. They don’t know the ways of these streets.”
“ Hey, man.” Steve, the smaller one, offered his hand to Kevin. “My apologies.”
Kevin tucked the gun back in his waistband and shook Steve’s hand. Toby hesitantly followed suit.
“ Yeah, man,” Toby said. “If my uncle say you cool, then you cool.”
● ● ●
For two weeks, Kevin worked the strip like never before. Finally, he’d made enough money to cover the rent and the utility bills for the next two months.
This should hold us over till we find jobs, he thought as his burdens slowly began to lift. He couldn’t wait to get home and tell Simone everything was going to be all right.
“ Freeze, nigga!”
Kevin recognized the familiar sound of a Tec-9 semiautomatic machine gun locking forward, chambering a bullet.
“ Yeah, muthafucka,” the assailant said as he reached around and snatched Kevin’s gun from his waistband. “We’ve been watching your ass make that money! Now give that shit up!” The assailant stuck the
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