It's Above Me Now.

24: Ran But Couldn't Hide

The Black History festival went off without a hitch. There was an outpour of support, people showed up in their numbers. I couldn't be more grateful. People were being thoroughly entertained, and high powered donors were even sponsoring due to the Troupe's new popularity. My friends and I were in full effect, answering questions from the media, and more importantly, making sure the kids were knowledgeable of our history.

"I really loved that you and your friends did this. You guys pulled this off with so much professionalism, but still did it in your own unique way." Veronica mused. "I'm proud of you Chance. Honestly."

Veronica and I were making our rounds around the event, and I smiled at her compliment. She hasn't been to the Troupe since the grand opening party, so I'm glad she came out to show love. Although she never said anything, I knew my mother had her doubts about me pursuing a business. Her approval was never mandatory for me, but I'm glad that her mind has changed now that she's seen my friends and I in action.

"Thanks mum." I replied. "We're just gonna get bigger and better from here."

Veronica tucked her arm in mine and smiled. "'Mum'. I like the sound of that."

I smirked, and Veronica and I continued our stroll around the event. It was quite refreshing to see Veronica in this environment, for she was mingling with the patrons and even engaging in some of the activities my brothers and I planned for the kids. She completely threw me off guard when she pulled up earlier in her dashiki, but I loved to see it. I was here for this side of her.

"Your father really wished that he could be here, but business in Dubai has him taken up." Veronica said, looking around and smiling with content. "He would have loved this. It was always his dream to come back to his old neighborhood and give back to the communities. You just did it first. We honestly thought leaving these areas was the ultimate goal. But now that we're older and wiser, we can truly appreciate where we came from and how it shaped us. Chance, seeing you and your friends today inspired me. I don't give you enough credit, but I'm impressed. And I don't know how yet, but I'm going to make my own contribution. Without the attachment of your father."

I nodded. "You should. We're in a blessed position, and giving back however we can is simply the right thing to do."

"Correct." Veronica replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to visit some more food stalls. I haven't had some of this food since I was a child. I'm letting you know now, we're taking home plates on plates of food. Goodbye."

Laughing, I watched my mother dart off happily. The sun was setting on yet another beautiful day, and I was extremely thankful for a successful occasion. My brothers were scattered all over the outskirts of The Troupe, doing their own hosting and ensuring that everything was running as it should. I eyed my surroundings with pride. Everyone looked so happy. This was all I ever wanted for my neighborhood, and my brothers and I made it happen.

However, I didn't enjoy the moment for too long because I heard Missy bellowing my name frantically. This was so unlike her chirpy demeanor, and I knew something had to be terribly wrong.

My assistant rushed over to me, looking completely distressed and out of breath. What the hell was going on now?

"Chance." Missy gasped. "We have a situation! There's a man at the front of Troupe disturbing the peace. Security is trying to dissolve the situation but it's no use. He caught attention from the media outlets and now it's explosive. They're asking him a variety of questions and he's saying the most vile things! Come quickly!"

Missy and I scurried over to the location even though I was extremely puzzled at this latest development. I knew majority of the people here like the back of my hand. This was my neighborhood, and the folks who reside here were on one accord with me. Karin nor her goons wouldn't dare show their faces here. Or would they?

Drawing closer to the front of Troupe, I had to brush through a crowd that was formed based on whoever was starting this problem. There were murmurs and whispers as I made my way to the front, and there I was greeted by a mass of media coverages, and Shawn...an older crackhead who I sold drugs to back in the day. He also happened to be Drew's father, and of course one of my longest friends was no where to be found to help me defuse this tangle with his father. What the fuck was even going on?

"Oh, Mr. Big Shot!" Shawn exclaimed when his eyes landed on me. "How great of you to join us. I was just telling everyone how fraudulent you really are. Y'all, this motherfucker done left the streets and got all proper on us. But the real OG's like myself know you a wolf in sheep's clothing. He ain't this little sweet prince like the Mosses proclaim. He thinks because he's got all this money and fame now that we forgot the hell he and all his friends caused. You can't escape shit, motherfucker. What's done in the dark always comes to light. Everyone knows who you truly are now, a leopard doesn't change its spots. Under all those expensive suits and kind smiles is an evil, cold blooded murderous excuse of a man. It's all just a facade people! Mr. Chance Moss is nothing but a low down, dirty, drug dealing thug...and that's definitely someone I wouldn't want around my children."

By the time Shawn concluded his insults, the duo and my mother were beside me, and they rushed to salvage this mess. But I already knew the damage was done. Glancing around I saw reporters and other bloggers scribbling in their notepads and recording on their cellphones. People were staring at me with shocked and judgmental faces, and for the first time, I didn't know how to combat this situation. I didn't know what to say or how to react because shit, some of what Shawn said was true. I watched Shawn get hauled out of the event by security while the duo followed, and Veronica glared at me frequently when she attempted to fix the situation by making her own statement to the press. I was going to lose my recreational center, and the thought alone saddened me. No parent in their right mind would want their child to attend a place that was owned by a previous drug dealer. Now that the cat was out the bag, I might as well kiss goodbye every other venture I wanted to partake in. Everything I worked so hard for was going down the toilet. I was done for, and I don't know why it caught me by such surprise. It was silly of me to think that my old life would never catch up to me.