Hate the Player and the Game

chapter 52

Chapter 52

Cruze

            I stepped out into the warm September air and took a deep breath. I sat eight years locked up in the penitentiary and regretted everything that I have ever done as a teenager. If I would have stayed with my grandparents then none of this shit would have ever happened. Having the two weapons I had really messed me up. I had no idea that New York's gun laws were so fierce. Prison was no place to be as a young boy, but I managed to make it through without getting my ass bitched all the time. I had to fight, steal, fight some more, and learn to control my anger. I had actually made some friends and they taught me how to exercise. Exercising was a good way to release stress and now I was packing with my eight hard abs and biceps to make a female go insane. I looked like the fucking terminator. I saw Uncle Ronnie posted up by a black Volvo. He hardly recognized me when he saw me. I was just a boy when he saw the cops take me away and now I was a grown man. I got locked up just before I turned eighteen and now I was twenty-six years old. I had to leave in clothes that the police station had to give me because the ones I showed up in eight years ago were too small. When I looked at the hoodie and the Timberlands all I could do was think about that night and I regretted ever going to Zeus's apartment. I walked up to Uncle Ronnie who was taking a long pull from his Black n' Mild. This nigga was getting old. I overlooked the black stubby beard that he had all around his chin and stood in front of him. He sneered at me as if to say who the fuck are you? "Oh so you don't recognize your own blood"? I asked laughing. He was no longer taller than me. We starred at each other eye to eye. I was now his height and it felt good.

"Cruze your so...........grown now". He said putting out his Black. He looked at me one more time before drawing me in for a bear hug. He then hurried too pull away. "Look, I ain't on that gay shit. You been in that bitch for eight years. Please tell me no one got up in yo ass".

"Hello nahh! I don't roll like that". I said mad that he even asked.

"Well get yo self up in this car". He said as I got into the passenger seat. As we were riding, Uncle Ronnie informed me on all that happened while I was gone. Zeus had gotten killed in a shoot out, all of my homies packed their shit and left out of the terrace, and Michelle had went on a gotten pregnant by somebody else. All I truly had was Uncle Ronnie. I was no longer a teenager anymore. I was a grown ass man and it seemed like all of my friends had forgotten about me. I just sat back in the passenger seat as Uncle Ronnie drove and talked my ear off. I hadn't seen him since my grandfather's funeral when the feds had to take me in handcuffs two years ago. My grandfather died of a heart attack. My grandmother refuses to talk to me  so besides Uncle Ronnie, I truly had nobody. I wasn't big on family. I barely knew half of mine. It killed me to know that Uncle Ronnie of all people was who I had to rely on. He hadn't been the same since Calli died. He turned bitter, grumpy, lazy, and mean. I thought we were headed to Maple Smith Terrace, but Uncle Ronnie drove us to a big red brick house with a two car garage out in Jamaica, Queens. I was confused when I got out of the car. I wondered where he came up with the money to get the house and this car. I walked up to the front door with Uncle Ronnie and watched him unlock it. We stepped inside to the smell of a good home cooked meal. The house was fully furnished and it had a woman's touch to it. I took off the old shoes that the pen gave me because them Timberlands were too small. I knew that I wouldn't be rocking these unknown brand of shoes any more. I knew exactly what I was about to do and that was to get back in the game. I followed Uncle Ronnie into the kitchen where a real skinny woman with long fake hair that touched her ass was moving around trying to get things done. I watched Uncle Ronnie walk around the counter with three black barstools sitting around it and greet the woman with a long kiss and a hug. "Cruze, this is Delilah". He said starring into her eyes, but talking to me.

"Wuss up". I said nodding once at her. Uncle Ronnie then let go of her and she took a good look at me.

"Damn". She mumbled to herself as she looked me over. I could tell that she'd rather be with me instead of Uncle Ronnie. I smiled at her then took a seat at the counter.

"Yo unc.......I need some money". I said. "I gotta go update my swagg. I see niggas walkin' around here iced up like damn, that used to be me. I can't walk around here lookin' like a bum all day because I'm also way over-due for a hair cut". Uncle Ronnie just laughed at all that I had said.

"I can give you five thousand dollars". He said making me pissed off.

"What the fuck? Five thousand? What happened to the twenty-thousand that I had back when I was a little teenager"? I asked. Uncle Ronnie just continued to chuckle.

"Yeah........about that". He said. "I spent that to go get this house and my car". That right there made me want to put three bullets in his head.

"You spent it"!? I yelled standing up."How could you do that? You knew I was coming home soon"!

"Calm down Cruze........I figured I could get this house and just have you live here with me".

"Naa nigga! I didn't wanna live here with yo broke, money stealin' ass. You turned into a goddamn Slick just now....takin' my damn money like you crazy"!

"Cruze"! Uncle Ronnie said angrily. "I'm sorry, but I had to get a damn house or Delilah here would've left me".

"So! Who cares about dat bitch"?

"That's it! Either take the five thousand or get out"! Uncle Ronnie yelled at me with fire in his eyes. I just stood there silent. I couldn't even speak. Uncle Ronnie had definitely changed. I sat back down and became silent. I didn't talk to Delilah no matter how hard she tried to get me to say something. I just ate her food that she cooked and watched TV all day. I was so angry that I wanted to pick the world up and throw it so far away into a black whole. I wanted everyone in it to suffer like I did.