Part 14 (2/2)
8
TAMU
”Slon!” I yelled at Ta between trucks and cars I had been confined for three years and had lived practically at a standstill,from place to place inside the institution only by foot Even thenculture But now here I was, stuffed into the back seat of this red Toyota Tercel with Ta the Poeles
”Ta down!” I shouted, holding the seat for leverage
”Babes,” she said, al completely around in her seat
”Don't turn around, watch the road!”
”I'ular speed limit”
”Why it seem like we doin' two hundred, then?”
”'Cause you ain't been in no car in years, babes”
”I ain't gonna never make it home, you keep drivin' like this”
”Oh, boy, relax,” Mo”
”I ain't scared, I just-”
”Yeah, yeah,” Ta Mom a we-really-know look
I tried to relax, but I couldn't shake the excite I wanted was to crash on the way ho back Besides, this daing fro eye contact in thewith lust What would it be like to be with her again, I wondered? Even that see
Cars zoons in our direction I looked over Tamu's shoulder at the speedometer: fifty miles per hour She had slowed down, but still we sees to die froo out in a traffic accident
We swooped through don and up and over into South Central It was dusk, and the sun lay so into the water and bringing the deadly night to Los Angeles Toover the Coliseum Perhaps there was soe football-shaped airshi+p floating effortlessly through the air, displaying an unspoken peace of nongravitational bliss Over tothrough the air in violent twists that telegraphed their aerial pursuit of someone One helicopter was labeled POLICE, the other SHERIFF Peace in the air to ht and war above to ed
When we got on Nor the walls The Brims, it seee andbecas, no doubt the sign of a neighborhood at war Graffiti, although es to enemies-evil spirits-that ”this territory is protected and it's not like we didn't give you fair warning” BEWARE OF EIGHT TRAYS ritten in several places along Nor onto Sixty-ninth Street, I felt a pang of nostalgia for the block, rounds-my space
As we pulled into the driveway I felt a stab of pain and a sense of loss None of the hoh there were at least twelve people from the set, they were not of my clique Tray Ball was dead, Crazy De was in prison, and Diao home from YTS, was already back in for murder Tray Stone was dead, and my li'l brother was still in Youth Authority But I did see Joker and Li'l Crazy De, which roup A few people I didn't know at all
When Mom opened her car door, a horde of homies rushed to help her out Someone held the front seat up so I could luotten out and stood to ht, the comments from the homies fell from everywhere
”Goddamn, cuz, you swoll like a a out”
”Cuz' ar as hts?”
I stayed out front a while, answering sorew tiresome I shi+fted and asked to speak to Li'l Crazy De and Joker alone We went into the backyard and left the others to at”
”Yeah,” responded Joker, ”we got soht”
”So, what's up with theas across the way? Y'all been droppin' bodies or what?”
”Aw, nigga, I thought you knew!” said Li'l Crazy De ”Tell hiht in the 'hood writin' on the wall Cuz, in the 'hood! Can you believe that shi+t? Anye roll up on boy and ask him, ?, what the fuck you doin'?' Boy breaks and runs and-”
”I cut his ass doit' a thirty-oh-six wit' a infrared scope!” interrupted Li'l De ”Aw, Monsta, I fucked cuz up! He was like all squirmin' and shi+t, sufferin' and stuff, so-”
”I put this,” Joker said, pulling out a Colt 45 from his waistband, ”and KABOOM! To the brain, you know Couldn't stand to see the bitch-made muthafucka sufferin' and shi+t”
”Who was he?” I asked
”shi+t, we ain't heard yet, but he was probably one of they Baby Locs, 'cause he looked young, you know?”
”Have they rode back?”
”Naw, not that we know of Most of they shooters in jail like ours”
”Who killed Opie?”
”Word is that Sissy Keitarock did it Anyway, cuz in jail fo' it”
”Oh, but De, tell cuz hoe to' shi+t up fo' Opie,” said Joker excitedly
”Aw, cuz, we shot soto insinuate to Li'l De that I wasn't really interested in his war stories
”Don't sweat it, big hoot some shi+t fo' you, cuz”
”Anyway-” Li'l De tried to continue
”When y'all get the gat for ht noant soot sooin' in the pad to get soone”
”Oh, but Monsta, we be back in three ht?” Joker said over his shoulder