The Stick Up Kid

Busted

The night I got kicked out of my mother’s home, I stayed at Raquan’s place. I awoke the next morning to the sun beaming on my face. I tossed and turned on the couch, keeping my eyes closed. I didn’t sleep well at all last night.

            About an hour later I was still awake. I glanced at the clock on the TV stand that read ‘8:30am’. My mom was at work by now. I flipped off the blankets that covered me and sat up on the couch. Since I still had a key to my former home, I’d better hurry up and get my stuff before my mom had the locks changed.

            I slid off the couch and stretched my body. Raquan and his grandparent’s were still asleep; their snores echoed through out the home. I quietly crept to my friend’s room and went inside. Raquan was lying on the bed halfway covered by sheets. His room was a complete mess too.

            “Aye Raquan,” I whispered, nudging his arm. He turned over in bed, eyes barely open.

            “What, nigga,” he grumbled.

            “Imma start gettin’ my shit from my crib. Where you want me to put it?” I asked. Raquan shifted his body the opposite way, turning his back on me.

            “I don’t know,” he replied, lacking concern. I shrugged my shoulders and left the room. Since Raquan stayed right up the road from me, it didn’t take long for me to reach the place I use to live. I stared at the old run down trailer and shook my head. To think I use to call this rat-hole home.

            I slowly walked to the door of the trailer and put my ear to it. I wanted to make sure my mom was gone. If I came inside and she was there, it would be world war 3. The place sounded completely silent, so I unlocked the door and slid it open.

            Everything was just how it was last night. My mom was probably too angry to clean up; either that or she didn’t feel like it. I entered the home and glanced around some more. I guess Libya caught the bus. I walked in my room and began gathering my things. That’s when I heard someone come behind me.

            “Kashawn…” my sister mumbled. “You really leavin’?” I turned around and stared at Libya.

            “Yea man. I aint stayin’ nowhere I aint wanted,” I replied.

            “Why can’t you just call mom and apologize?” she pleaded.

            I continued to collect my things, done talking about my mother. “Man fuck that,” I snapped. “I ain’t apologizin’ to her.” I grabbed my book bag and stuffed some shirts in it. Libya sighed behind me and left the room.

            I needed to get all the things I could out of here, and I wanted to do so as soon as possible. The more I stayed in this home the angrier I got. It didn’t take long for my book bag to fill up; I should have brought a trash bag from Raquan’s house.

            I turned around to search for something else to pack my things in, and saw Libya standing in the doorway. She held her backpack and a gym bag.  Libya tossed the bags in front of me and grabbed some of my pants, folding them neatly.

            “Thought you might need some help,” she said with a frown on her face.

            I chuckled on the inside; happy she was helping me. “You ready to see me go huh?” I joked.

            “Yea, I get to have yo room,” she grinned. Our little comic relief was short lived, and we continued to gather the remainder of my belongings.

            Later that day I was riding with Raquan in his grandma’s car. We were heading to the tattoo parlor to meet Ajax. I held a forty-ounce bottle of beer in my hand, and it was the fourth one I had that day. Apparently the confrontation with my mother affected me more than thought, because right now, I couldn’t stand to be sober.

            I swallow another mouth full of alcohol and leaned back in the car seat. “Man I can’t believe my ma kicked me out dog. And ova some bull shit too,” I whined. Raquan rolled his eyes and continued to drive.

            “I know dog, you told me like three times already,” he said. “You been bitchin’ bout the same shit for bout an hour.”

            I lifted the bottle and poured the remainder of the beer down my throat. “It’s all good though. Imma show her what’s up,” I wiped my mouth dry with my sleeve. “Why can’t she just be happy for a nigga? Ever since I was lil she would hate on everything I did.” I looked over at Raquan as I spoke. He wasn’t paying attention to a word I was saying, but I kept talking. “I can’t stand my momma man. I think I finally see why my pop’s left her crazy ass.”

            Without responding, Raquan reached for the car stereo and turned it up. I knew I couldn’t out talk the radio so I finally shut my mouth. It took ten more minutes for us to arrive in North Tera. Raquan cruised down the street as we got closer to the tattoo shop.

            When we got there, I was shocked to see a mass amount of unmarked and marked police cars scattered through out the area. Several cops stood around the building talking to each other with police dogs by their side. Searching the scene with my eyes, I saw three people lined up on the wall in handcuffs. I didn’t know them personally, but I recognized their faces. They were members of Ajax’s gang, Sub-X.

            “Got, damn,” Raquan shook his head, examining the after effects of the drug raid. “You think they got Jax?”

             I shrugged my shoulders, hopping they didn’t. That’s when I saw Zora on the side of the building next to a few bystanders. “Aye park the car real quick!” I exclaimed.

            “Niggas is you stupid?” Raquan protested. “You don’t see all those fuckin’ police ova’ there?”

            “Then just let me out right here. I’m bout to find out what happened,” I opened the door while the car was still moving and hopped out.

            Zora saw me jogging to her and headed my way. I met her in the middle of the road and we walked to the front of the building next door to the tattoo parlor. Zora gave me a tight hug, letting me go shortly after. “Yo what happened Z?”

            She lifted the cigarette she smoked and put it to her mouth. “Fuckin’ drug raid man… I was puttin’ some ink on a customer when they bust down the doors.” She ashed her cigarette and hit it again. “I’m so fuckin’ tense right now, I mean look at me,” Zora held her hand out, showing me how hard she was trembling.

            “Damn yo,” I muttered. “Where Jax at?”

            Zora lowered her eyes with a twisted frown on her face. “The FEDS got em.” She told me. “He tried to run out the back but they had the buildin’ surrounded. Only reason I aint in cuffs is cause I’m an employee. I played dumb and they believed me.”

            I bit my lip in anger. “Shit man…” I cursed, stuffing my hands in my jean pockets. Without Ajax I no longer had an income. He was the one who’s been putting us down with all our ‘jobs’. Now with him gone, I’m going to have to go back to old way, the way that didn’t always promise money. I took a long, deep, disappointing sigh. It seems like things just kept getting worse and worse.