Changez

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TUPAC

"Woke up with fifty enemies plottin' my death, all fifty seein' visions of me shot in the chest
Couldn't rest,
nah nigga, I was stressed
Had me creepin round corners, homie, sleepin in my vest-
Shit, I'm like a hostage on this troubled block; call the cops
A thug nigga screamin 'Westside!" bustin double Glocks - hittin corners in my Chevy subur-"

"Aye, man. Do you mind? I'm trying to pray." Homie on the top bunk spoke for the first time since he got here.

I rested my pen on my rhyme book.

I stood up off the poor excuse of a bed and proceeded to look at the man.

His eyes were closed and his forehead rested on his fists.

I watched his mouth move, but no words came out. I chose to wait until he was done to speak, because I respected folk's religion.

"Amen." He mouthed, then opened his eyes to see me looking back at him.

"Look, I don't want any troub-"

"What God you pray to?" I cut him off.

He raised an eyebrow and sat up.

"Jehovah... why?" He questioned.

"Jehovah? The hell you doin up in a jail cell prayin to Jehovah? Yall the holiest of the holy." I smirked.

"Ain't you a rapper? Why you in here for rape? Besides, I ain't say I was a Jehovah's Witness. I was just brought up in the truth. That's my God. I'm still human. Still fuckin up. Oh- forgive me, Jehovah." The man palmed his forehead.

"My bad, gangsta. Aye, I been in here for nine months and you've been in here for two, and this the first time I hear you speak." I looked at dude.

"I mean, we in jail. What's there to speak about? You think cuz you's a celebrity I'm supposed to be in your flavas?"

I laughed.

"Nah, man. I'm a regular cat just like you. You know what I'm in here for, what you in here for?" I questioned.

"3 counts of assault..." he vaguely said.

I said nothing but examined him to see if he even looked like the type.

He was about 26. Tall, thin, and dark skinned. He looked calm overall but something in his eyes indicated that he had a temper.

"Some boys were messin with my sister. Teasing her, throwing shi- stuff at her. She would come home everyday crying. Our moms begged me not to do anything, the school said they'd deal with it... they did nothing. My pops got her a gold necklace for her baptism and them niggas ended up jumping her for it. She came home busted up. Lips bloody, eyes swollen.. nose broken. Man, I lost it. I went after each and every one of them motherfu- you know. I did what I had to do. Now, my sister's baptism is on Saturday and I can't even make it cuz I'm in here. My family ain't even got the cash to bail me out." He shrugged, and looked down.

I thought of Monika and how things used to be when we were back in high school.

"You sure did, bruh. I would've done the same thing. I would never understand the imbalance in these kids that cause them to fuck with others. Jail time or not you did the right thing. These pigs only see a violent black man. I know wassup." I paid him homage.

"Good lookin out. I'm Shondell, by the way. Shondell Grimes." He held his fist out.

I bumped it.

"Pac. Nice to meet you, my man."

"When I get out, my sister's gonna flip when I tell her who was in my cell." Shondell smiled.