moment he thought he was done. There would be a flash, then darkness as he was carried from this world.
"You're just a kid," said the shooter. He was wearing an expensive silk shirt, and Marshall realized that he could be a criminal, a player, as they used to say.
"I—I'm sorry," said Marshall. "We didn't mean it."
"Jesus Christ," said the shooter. "What the fuck—?"
"I'll never do it again, please don't kill me, please." Marshall was crying now. He looked into the black man's face, searching for compassion.
The man's look of surprise turned into deep anger. He brought the gun closer to Marshall, resting it on his nose.
"This is what fools get in life, boy," said the man. Then he cocked the gun.
Marshall shook with terror. He felt warmth run down his leg as he pissed his pants. An eternity passed as the man held the little boy at bay. Marshall understood the other side of the street now. He'd only seen the side where all things were possible, where the consequences of your actions were left behind as you ran to safety. This was the real aftermath of bad behavior. Violence, fear, and death.
"Get the fuck away from me," said the man as he released Marshall. "Go home to your fat-ass mammy."
Marshall was paralyzed. He told his legs to move, but they did not. Then the man's arm shot out and knocked him backward.
"Move, goddammit!"
Marshall ran faster than he'd ever run. He heard the man laugh behind him as houses and cars whizzed by his frightened face.
The next morning, Marshall got up early and thanked God for sparing him. He made a promise then and there to straighten up. This drove his brother away from him. Moses was dedicated to mischief and was hurt when his brother rejected him. They began to argue and fight constantly. Soon, one twin's purpose in life became the eradication of the other. Each wanted to kill that part of him that had dared to become uncooperative.
Moses became the bane of Marshall's existence. Twins, even fraternal, are tied to each other from a young age. They were dressed alike, and received all the normal dual presents on birthdays and Christmas. He shared a life with him, and therefore had to love or hate him sooner or later.
Moses became obsessed with getting his brother back. He bribed him and tricked him into staying out late, getting into all manner of trouble.
One night, Moses seduced his twin into waiting for him while he broke into a nearby house. Theresa had warned him not to go, but Marshall was led to believe he was waiting for his brother to have sex with a local girl. A job that no man worth his balls would turn down. But Moses was really breaking into the house to steal a little color TV he'd seen. When Marshall discovered that it was a robbery, he normally would have gone home, but he didn't. Years later, he would think that maybe he missed his brother a little and wanted them to be friends again and stop fighting. So he stayed as his brother handed him a small TV through a window. He took it and waited for his brother to come out.
Marshall waited, but no Moses. Something had gone wrong. Moses had fallen inside and hit his head, or was trying to take something much too big to fit through the little window. But after a while, Moses came wiggling out of the window full of life and smiling like it was Christmas.
They fought all the way home, and Marshall vowed never to do anything with him again. Moses just laughed off the threat and ran away to sell his stolen goods. Marshall would always remember that walk home. He had walked out of his brother's life for good that night. Moses tried incessantly to get him back, but Marshall remained resolute. Soon, Moses gave up and started to build a life without his twin, a life filled with disobedience and grief for everyone in the home.
Buford and Beatrice argued even more than normal as a result. Beatrice wanted Buford to magically make the boy behave. And
"You're just a kid," said the shooter. He was wearing an expensive silk shirt, and Marshall realized that he could be a criminal, a player, as they used to say.
"I—I'm sorry," said Marshall. "We didn't mean it."
"Jesus Christ," said the shooter. "What the fuck—?"
"I'll never do it again, please don't kill me, please." Marshall was crying now. He looked into the black man's face, searching for compassion.
The man's look of surprise turned into deep anger. He brought the gun closer to Marshall, resting it on his nose.
"This is what fools get in life, boy," said the man. Then he cocked the gun.
Marshall shook with terror. He felt warmth run down his leg as he pissed his pants. An eternity passed as the man held the little boy at bay. Marshall understood the other side of the street now. He'd only seen the side where all things were possible, where the consequences of your actions were left behind as you ran to safety. This was the real aftermath of bad behavior. Violence, fear, and death.
"Get the fuck away from me," said the man as he released Marshall. "Go home to your fat-ass mammy."
Marshall was paralyzed. He told his legs to move, but they did not. Then the man's arm shot out and knocked him backward.
"Move, goddammit!"
Marshall ran faster than he'd ever run. He heard the man laugh behind him as houses and cars whizzed by his frightened face.
The next morning, Marshall got up early and thanked God for sparing him. He made a promise then and there to straighten up. This drove his brother away from him. Moses was dedicated to mischief and was hurt when his brother rejected him. They began to argue and fight constantly. Soon, one twin's purpose in life became the eradication of the other. Each wanted to kill that part of him that had dared to become uncooperative.
Moses became the bane of Marshall's existence. Twins, even fraternal, are tied to each other from a young age. They were dressed alike, and received all the normal dual presents on birthdays and Christmas. He shared a life with him, and therefore had to love or hate him sooner or later.
Moses became obsessed with getting his brother back. He bribed him and tricked him into staying out late, getting into all manner of trouble.
One night, Moses seduced his twin into waiting for him while he broke into a nearby house. Theresa had warned him not to go, but Marshall was led to believe he was waiting for his brother to have sex with a local girl. A job that no man worth his balls would turn down. But Moses was really breaking into the house to steal a little color TV he'd seen. When Marshall discovered that it was a robbery, he normally would have gone home, but he didn't. Years later, he would think that maybe he missed his brother a little and wanted them to be friends again and stop fighting. So he stayed as his brother handed him a small TV through a window. He took it and waited for his brother to come out.
Marshall waited, but no Moses. Something had gone wrong. Moses had fallen inside and hit his head, or was trying to take something much too big to fit through the little window. But after a while, Moses came wiggling out of the window full of life and smiling like it was Christmas.
They fought all the way home, and Marshall vowed never to do anything with him again. Moses just laughed off the threat and ran away to sell his stolen goods. Marshall would always remember that walk home. He had walked out of his brother's life for good that night. Moses tried incessantly to get him back, but Marshall remained resolute. Soon, Moses gave up and started to build a life without his twin, a life filled with disobedience and grief for everyone in the home.
Buford and Beatrice argued even more than normal as a result. Beatrice wanted Buford to magically make the boy behave. And
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