DETERMINATION | Book One

C H A P T E R 40

Peter Vendetta in MM

C H A P T E R
F O R T Y

Hearing the door chime indicating that someone entered, Hazel looked up from her computer and smiled when she saw it was Twan. "Hey Twan, what are you doing here?"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he sighed. "I need to speak with Ahmad about something."

Nodding her head, she pointed towards the back. "He should be in his office, just knock before you enter."

Thanking her, he walked down the hall as he approached the last door on the right. Knocking twice, he heard Ahmad yell come in. Pushing the door open, Ahmad was shocked when he saw it was Twan.

Standing to his feet, they slapped hands and didna brotherly hug before Ahmad told him to have a seat. Shutting the door behind him, he sat on the edge of his desk as he stared at Twan wondering what he needed.

"You alright?"

He nodded, "I'm out."

"Out? What do you mean?"

"Out of the gang, it took a lot of begging and even a beating but I'm finally free of that shit and I want to start over with my life. My mama is done with me, she doesn't believe that I actually want to change and you're all I got at this point. I was hoping if I could get a job here, not as an artist but just something. I can clean the stations and tools, I'll be the errand boy whatever .. I just want to work and focus on school and I know if I'm around you I'll be able to remain focused on what is truly important which is me succeeding."

"And I also want to do better for Amira, I know she isn't here to see me change for the better but I know this is what she always wanted for me, she wanted me to attend college and I used to always just brush it off but its like since she been gone, I just been able to sit back and think and I want to be the one that does everything she didn't get to do or what our child never got a chance to do."  He spoke honestly.

Ahmad stared at him for a while before nodding. "Who are you staying with right now?"

"One of my homeboys,"

"He goes to school too?"

"Nah, he still in the gang but I have no where else to go. He's my only option or else I'll be homeless."

Standing up from the desk, Ahmad went and took a seat in his office chair. "You really serious about this Twan? Like this isn't just a phase or anything right?"

Twan quickly shook his head yes, "This is what I want to do, I don't want to be looked at as one of them.. I want to beat the stereotype, I actually want to be somebody .. hell I want to be better than my daddy and my mama. I just want to prove everybody who doubted me wrong and the one person who believed in me right."

Ahmad nodded, "Alright look, this is what is going to happen, I'll give you a job but first you gotta move up out of ole' dude house. If you really want to be separated from that shit and be better than shit you gotta cut ties with them too. You have to completely mark out anything that can pull you back into that. And before you start freaking out about where you gon' stay and what's your next move my condo is pretty much vacant, I'm never there so I'll let you stay there until whenever you graduate or at least get on your feet. But look, don't worry about the rent or electricity bill, I got that you just catch that cable bill and wifi bill but in order to stay there you gotta stay in school and stay focused, give me that and I'll always make sure you good. Deal?"

Twan looked down as he held his hands in the prayer position. Standing up he walked around Ahmad's desk giving him a hug. "Deal, I appreciate this shit forreal man, thank you."