BLOODLINES, BLOOD MONEY & BLOODSHED (Episode 1: A Family Apart)

Chapter 2: Sukari Li

"Uncle, I need the money," thirty one year old Daniel said with desperation in his eyes, a desperation that expressed life or death.

"No," his uncle told him sternly while holding his fragile sixty five year old body up on a wooden cane.

Both Chinese men were standing at the top of the house's second floor landing. It was the first of the month. The uncle had just received his Social Security check along with other government benefits.

Mr. Chin was living solely on the check the government sent him each month. After decades of hard back breaking work for low pay, his body had broken down. He could no longer work. He couldn't walk without his cane. He couldn't see without his glasses. He couldn't function without medication. His life had been reduced to being confined to his home and going back and forth to doctor's appointments.

"I'll pay the money back," Daniel said, years of Meth use clear in appearance. His eyes were sunken. His frame was boney and growing more and more skeletal with each passing day. His clothes, which he'd gotten from The Salvation Army, were dirty. His tennis shoes had holes in them, their soles warn down from hundreds of hours of walking.

Meth had taken over Daniel's life. It had become his God. Not a day passed without him either getting high or thinking about getting high. He needed the drug like food, sometimes even more than food. "I swear I'll pay it back," he now pleaded with his uncle.

"No," Mr. Chin told him. "You said you would pay back the hundred dollars you stole from me last month. You said you would replace the food you took from the refrigerator. You said you would get back my television you sold. You say that all the time, Daniel. No, I can't give you anything more. I need my money."

Daniel was growing frustrated. He couldn't stand still. He couldn't stop fidgeting. "Look, uncle, the other times was different. This time is different. I got a job. I start tomorrow."

The words Daniel was now speaking were lies. His need for the money was manufacturing each of them one by one as they fell from his mouth.

"I can't do it, Daniel."

With that said, Mr. Chin began to walk pass his nephew. Knowing he couldn't take no for an answer, his life on the line, Daniel fessed up. Grabbing his uncle's shoulder, he said, "I owe people money, Uncle. I owe them a lot. They're going to kill me if I don't pay. I'm serious."

Mr. Chin looked in his nephew's eyes. He wasn't quite sure what he saw. It was clear desperation but he wasn't sure if it was desperation created from fear of being killed or desperation created from a need to get high once again. But he could definitely see that it was much more intense than usual.

"Uncle, I'm serious. The people I owe are going to kill me if I don't pay them. I really need this money. I swear this is the last time I'll ever ask you for anything. I mean it. Please, uncle."

Mr. Chin continued to look into his nephew's bloodshot eyes. The desperation in them was increasing. Still though, he couldn't make out if what his nephew was saying was true. Countless times Daniel had come to him with sob stories. Countless times Daniel had promised to pay the money back. Countless times Daniel had told him he would change and he would leave the drug that was destroying his life alone. Each time, though, the words always turned out to be lies. Coming to grips that this moment was most likely no different than the others, he sighed and told Daniel, "No, nephew. I can't give you the money. He then walked away.