The Ex-Con

Chapter 7: Cold Shoulder

Monday December 17th, 2007

7:15am

Tahime

It was cold in the house. It wasn't really much to do, school was shut down and some places were shut down. The heat wasn't really working and that was messed up. It was a lot of people down at Ray's BBQ Shack down the street. So me and Reggie decided to go down there as well, we could barely make it there though because of the way the snow was coming down. We barely made it down the street and when we got in there it was maybe at least 20 people there or so getting something hot to drink, trying to stay warm.

"Alright y'all hold your horses relax, relax." Ray said laughing. "I don't have much staff because of this storm, we're making warm biscuits and sausage sandwiches as quick as we can, but coffee and tea is ready for those who need it." He told them, then he waived over to me. "Hey Tahime, come here for a second."

"Hey what's up?" I walked over to him.

"You think you can give me a little bit of help here?"

"Yeah i got you." i waived over to Reggie as well. "Hey Reggie you think you can give me a lil' help back here, he want me to help him with these orders."

"Alright."

We both went back there and asked some of the employees that were there what to do. We washed our hands first and foremost and then we walked over to the grill and put some of the sausage on there and then we had some eggs and toast as well, just some simple breakfast stuff to help keep people warm. Every big snow storm we had I remember Ray would do this.

{Flashback}

Monday January 19th, 1987

9am

Tahime

"Hahaha see man that's why she gonna leave your ass, you out here fucking any type of woman."

"Whatever nigga." Melvin said.

"Ain't no whatever, you know i'm right." I said as we went into Ray's BBQ shack.

"Hey Ray what's up?" I said.

"Hey y'all how's it going, what you wearing them big chains for?"

"It's called style old man." Melvin laughed.

"Awww laugh while y'all can, both of y'all going to be my age one day." He said laughing. "I see that snow's really coming down, it's people coming in trying to get warm and all." He told me.

"Yeah it's something, they said that this snow storm was going to be big, we only into day 19 of the new year and here we are, our 1st big snow snow storm." Melvin said.

"Yeah i know right, so anyway..."

"Tahime..... Hey Tahime...."

{End Of Flashback}

"Tahime, Hey are you good?" I heard Reggie ask.

"Yeah i'm good.... I'm good, just reminiscing." I told him.

"Well you can reminisce but not while you're cooking, you just burnt the eggs." He laughed. "It's all good. What was you thinking about?"

"When me and my boys use to come here." I told him. "Ray remembers, he has been at this same place since i was a young'n." I told Reggie.

"Yeah. So where did you grow up, like what part of the neighborhood?"

"A few blocks from here." I told him. "Over on the corner of West Marquette & South Union." I told him. "Man when i was young i was a bad ass, i remember i stayed getting in trouble with Maurice and Melvin." I told him.