Part 15 (2/2)
ToI reional Cohts and to hear the original Crip war stories I couldn't have been any older than twelve when I'd eagerly get dressed and scurry up to Tookie's to hold audience with the general A lot of us used to go to his house to get firsthand knowledge of Cripish-walk, talk, and attitude He gave the nanificent storyteller For hours at a tiive us blow-by-blow rundowns on the old Tom Cross record hops at Sportsman's Park Or he'd tell about slainus, cats like Buddha, Li'l Rock, and Moe, to na to walk everywhere And if the as too long, he'd call up one of his drivers His entire living roo iron Tookie was huge, beyond belief at that tie tree-trunk legs And he was dark, Marcus Garvey dark, shi+ny, slick, and strong He had the physique, complexion, and attitude that intiinal Crips at Tookie's house: Monkey Man, Bogart, Godfather, Maddog, Big Jack, and Rayton I was a student of Crip, and Tookie liked me more than the others, as he saw that I was a serious soldier
Every sueles held a Festival in Black at MacArthur Park and most everybody from everywhere would attend Tookie and Jao to all the functions, concerts, parties, and parks and peel out of their shi+rts, aht skin contrasted hard with Tookie's dark coant-uans During the festivals in Black, Rennis and I would be designated by Tookie to carry the straps, which was more than cool with me
Another time Tookie and I walked from Sixty-ninth Street to 107th Street so he could retrieve his shotgun Eight Ball had been lent the gauge to bust on some Bri to Eight Ball's, but before we got there ent around to a hoot two seae in tin foil) on credit He rolled each seah as alked By the time we reached the Nineties ere both whacked out of our brains Everything seeot high he walked like a cowboy in a High Noon duel
When we got to 107th Street we ran into sohead, Andre Jones, Jinks, and Cobra They talked with Tookie for a while and nored ot his hair braided by a Cripalette-a female Crip-and we ot hie?”
”I put it under the mattress in the back where bitch sleep” bitch was Tookie's pit bull
”You should've told me”
”I knocked, but there wasn't no answer”
”If onna kill yo' mama”
”It's there-”
”It betta be!”
And we left
Although Eight Ball was eneral On our way back down Normandie, the police stopped us Automatically they handcuffed Took
”What's his name?” the police asked me
”Tookie,” I said, like don't-you-know?
”No, his real name”
Now, I knew his first naot the nicknaston I also knew that his brother, Li'l Tookie, was Wayne Wayne Holloway So I took it for granted that because they were brothers, Took's last name was also Holloway
”Stanley Holloway,” I said
The police came back over to me and said, ”Hmm, that's funny He says his naot it wrong, I just-”
”Why are you with this scu his head
”Well, he'suhht
”Bull-fuckin'-shi+t! Who you think you talking to? Huh?” he said, grabbing me by the collar
”But he-”
” 'But'up every Goddaive a shi+t about you He just wants to make you a Crip, one of his soldiers Wise up, boy, you're still young”
So he did knoho Tookie was They uncuffed Took and we began walking off Took asked what I told them his name was and I replied Stanley Holloway He slapped me hard across the back of the head
”Williaot it,” I said, rubbing the back ofreminded me of Tookie That's all he played over and over as he lifted weights He and Big Jack, his rooed up to a speaker in a s: ”Payback,” ”Girl Calling,” ”Happy Feelings,” and ”Reach for It” I learned a lot of Crip etiquette from Tookie
Most Crips have not had the opportunity to meet him, or any other founders, so they tend to believe that they ”created the wheel” No history whatsoever is attached to their banging In early '79, Tookie and two other Crips, who subsequently gave hiiven the death penalty, and he now resides on death row in San Quentin
As the Payback song played on, I found it hard to shake hts about the old days I soon became depressed I wanted to sleep, to dreaBut what? Where was I taking this?
I slept as irls came by to see nant by Diamond; Prena, Crazy De's sister; and Sharon and China were all there The first thing Spooney said was, ”Monster, don't die on us!”
I promised her I wouldn't
”Why would you say that?” I said
”Because,” she explained, ”everybody see Monster, just be careful, okay?”
”All day!”
”We know that, just be careful, all right?” Baht Ba me if I had fucked any dudes in the ass while I was in prison I assured her that I hadn't, which I doubt she believed The fire between China and I had died It see and it was quite apparent frorown up and a little out of the banging circle She even had a job
”Where's your daughter?” Prena asked
”Over her Godparents' house She'll be here tomorrow if you want to see her”