East Atlanta Love Letter

2

Diamond Brown
+2 months

"Yous a crash dummy." Diamond mumbled to her sister. The 16 year old looked at her.

"And your a jailbird."

Diamond turned to look at Niani. "Yoni get out the car. Bye." Diamond spoke. "Bye." She flipped her off before hopping out of the car.

The young girl has looked up to diamond a lot before she was locked up. Diamond didn't know why. All she did was drink , commit crimes , smoke , and party.

She missed those days. She had the blues now. Life was not like this when she was in jail. It was earlier in time. Everything was different then. Now life seemed more complicated and sad.

Post incarceration syndrome.

(Y'all I see why they be sad. I be missing 2015-2016. Js imagine getting locked up during the good ole days and coming out to this bs we got now 😭)

She sat in the car staring out of the window for a few seconds before collecting her thoughts and pulling off.

She headed to her apartment that was located in Oakland city. It was one of the worst neighborhoods in Atlanta but that was all she could afford.

She pulled into the parking lot and stepped out of her car. Men and women walked around the complex and some stood in front of the building.

She locked her car before walking to the stairs that were blocked by the group of men.

"Oh my bad shawty." The man with wicks in his head moved out the way and his friend stood up.

"Your fine." She mumbled and headed upstairs.

She reached upstairs and it all smelled like weed. She unlocked her apartment door and headed inside.

She shut the door and locked it before slipping her shoes off. The inside wasn't too bad for it to be located in this neighborhood.

She walked to the bathroom and took a long cold shower since that was the only type of water that the faucet would provide.

When she was done she dressed herself quickly before walking to the kitchen.

She stood in the kitchen with a blank face as she fixed herself some ramen noodles.

She was soon done and she ate quickly before walking to her room and shutting the door. She heard people talking, kids laughing, dogs barking and music playing from outside.

She turned the TV up a bit louder than usual just to drown out the outside noises.

She curled up in bed and thoughts clouded her mind before she allowed herself to sleep since she had work early in the morning.

••••••••••••••

Diamond finished her shift at waffle house as her friends talked to her.

"Man come onnn. All we gotta do is jump these bitches and take that muhfucka." Rene begged. Diamond shook her head no as she wiped the tables down.

"Ion know about that." She mumbled. "Man fuck it lets go." Tj spat. "nooo come one diamond. I'll give you a band if you do it." Laila spoke.

They all knew how much she needed money right now. Diamond paused and scratched the back of her neck.

"Yeahhh. Make it 2 bands." Tj spoke. "and what we doing?" She asked.

"We finna go to them niggas house. They live by Grove Park. Break in they shit and rob they ass. Steal that bitch ass nigga chain." He explained.

"What if they're in the house?" She questioned. "they won't be there." He assured her.

She groaned throwing her head back. "fine." She mumbled. The young adults began smiling but diamond was not smiling.

She walked to the back and began to clock out.

Soon the young adults were in black with ski masks covering their face.

Diamonds heart beat out of her chest. She was ready to give this lifestyle up.

Tj and diamond stood there only. He rang the doorbell and the two moved away from the frame. Soon the door opened and he looked down for a package before tj popped up and kicked the man back in the house.

Diamond furrowed her eyebrows walking in and seeing all the people inside. Some smoking , talking or having sex. Tj just start shooting and diamond froze up.

She slowly shut the door as bodies dropped to the floor. She wanted to run out on tj but she couldn't.

"You said they wouldn't be here." She spoke. "man jail turned you soft or sum." He mumble snatching a chain from the man.

The woman cried loudly in the corner. Diamond walked over. "please don't kill me..I got children." She cried with shaky hands.

"You wasn't thinking bout them kids when you had that dick in ya mouth." Diamonds head dropped when tj sent a shot to the woman's head.

Blood got on diamond and she backed away.