Boondocks part 2

In my last blog i failed to clarify something...The Boondocks, is still a very good show, infact one of the best, i just feel that if it were on a different more free network, then it would be able to do so much better. The fact that a comic strip artist was able to make three seasons of a sunday paper comic is still amazing. The fact that they like myself were able to see through the smoke and mirrors of our last elections and realize that Obama's change policy wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It weird that in my life time i managed to find a show, that was able to speak the thoughts that i have held back for so long.

Thank You

Ranting for a minute

Okay...For two week's i have tried to find something good to talk about, and haven't been able to find anything worth my time, yet so much has happened in the last two weeks that words can't even describe. i did manage to see the first episode off of the third season of The Boondocks, and realized just how watered down it had become. After review the first two seasons, i realized that so much has change to it. The characters don't exactly represent what they use to anymore. Huey, is less of the black activist than he was before,which makes me mad because i feel that he is what drew me to the show in the first place. Then i realized that the government is gaining to much control over censorship to the point that where they don't even have to do much any more. Its crazy how as people of all races we censor ourselves and take away our own rights, so much that government and those true conspirators out there to get us have little to nothing to do to keep us from killing and imprisoning ourselves. I' mad because, as people we are the government, yet, we give close to all of our power to a select few to control and dictate our lives. Well i see that its up to a brave few to stand up and take our rights back...i can no longer sit aside and allow my rights and the rights of my children(if i have any) to be taken away.

Whats up with Capta

Okay, we have all done it, signed up for something and have had to type in the words or letter number combo's, that verify if we are Human or not. But recently, they have been choosing words that seem words together, like "Kill People"...when i saw that i immediately chose not to set up an account with whatever it was i was doing at the time. Kill People, how do they generate these words, and for what purpose? Is there a rising secret Internet cult, trying to invade the minds of people everywhere, with these phrases, more on this investigation to come.

The end of the semester

I have Finally reached the end of my second semester, i almost felt sad because, tho i had resented the end, as always, i know it has to happen. I resent the end because, if there ever really an end to anything i or anybody or thing does. I realized that with the end of the semester also came a usual end tot eh blog entries. However, tho i wont be getting a grade for these blog entries anymore i feel, that this has been cool, so i have decided to keep going with it, and keep letting the public know how i feel with each entry. So with this this entry i would like to say goodbye to the grade portions, and get on the real tip with it. This is a warning and a promise, i will never gossip, nor talk about anybody in a way to slander them, However, i will speak my mind, and tell the truth, and nothing but facts and my opinion on which ever piece of news I choose to...In other words, I AIN'T PEREZ HILTON(Okay this was the only time).

Marvel Comics

I have to say that i am a true comic book, video game, glasses wearing, snot nose geek. The only difference is that i dress better, get girls, and well, what can i say I'm fly, yet as fly as i am, i can't refuse to talk about the latest comic book turned movies, and how excited I am about them. Such as the new Iron man that is about to come out, Thor, The Runaway's, and Captain "America". I used quote marks because I'm actually not that fond of him, simply because he is a super American, filled with all of the pro-war, pro-life, and Racism, that they made him to be. I mean really, has anybody every caught on to how racist Marvel can be especially in their black comic books, which is the complete slap in the face. Though I used to love Marvel because I thought they where better than DC, who just don't care who they offend, I have to say that now that i am older, i have to put the comics down, its bad enough that I have to experience this disrespect in life, and to see it on TV, but to have to read it...I REFUSE! I guess, it really is my calling to save visual graphics and the imaginations of children every where huh?

Malcolm X's Killer Free

As of April 28, 2010, Malcolm X's killer(well the one who admitted to it), is free. after severing a BS sentence of 20 years in prison, most of which he was able to work on a work release and only spent two real days in prison a week. How is this possible for one of the men who have slain a positive African American Leader, one who carried so much influence and power, and delivered hope to people of all races. Thomas Hagan, freed a day before his sentence was up because for some reason, his paper work was processed extremely faster than it usually is. As reported by CNN, Hagan, on his release will live the good life, with a loving wife, who is shockingly a political activist, and wealthy women as well, having managed to obtain a large sum of property and, and several well placed business ventures. To me it seems that America has rewarded Hagan, and instead of looking a X as a hero, Hagan, is the real one...is there something i missed? or has America finally showed that they have lost there minds.

Nice Guy's finish last

What a crazy topic to discuss, with all of the emotions and thought that get poured into it on a daily basis, however, i feel that i am more than qualified to discuss it.I confess that often at times i am the nice guy. In my writ 101 class our professor showed us an article from CNN, about the whole good vs. Bad mentality when it comes to male dominance and relationships. The article told all of the nice guys out there that they need to be more assertive or either find a nice porno and a nice brand of lotion in a nutshell(pardon the crudeness). But the article did tell of ways that nice guys can change and become better so that they can find the right one and keep them. This article spoke to me because I found myself being the nice guy far too often, in fact it happened with the last girl i was talking to, but she was just stuck in herself so instead of even being in the friend zone she thought she could use me and be done, but revenge is a dish best served cold, and a whole other subject.But with that i found the motivation to be extremely careful of my way with women and girls, because there is a difference, that as nothing to do with age. I know the whole game,front to back,i know when and when not to show love, or attentions and all, my only problem that may classify me as a nice guy is the whole availability. I often find myself willing to do whatever for girls, and at the drop of a dime. because of this, i often found myself taken advantage of. But with this revelation, i found that i don't want to be the bad boy that girls go after, but a more formidable nice guy and better equipped when it comes to hooking and keeping them. i used to feel like i was hitch, from that movie seeing how i was able to fix and mend other people hearts but never able to do it for my own,which was because i never took the time to pay attention to the true message in it, which was that we cant force ourselves to be somebody else but we can dig deep enough to find the person who we know we are and figure out how to present them to the world.

Charmed I'm Sure

Is the name of my cousins play, which i forgot to tell you about, when i was talking about family.I have to say that i love my family to death but we all have some serious issues. My cousin wrote a one woman play(because she doesn't work well with others, it runs in the family) about her life growing up in Baltimore. Over all I applaud her because she if living her dream, but in order for her to make it she feels that she has to make fun of everything that goes on in Baltimore, not in a way of pride but a weird, slanderous way. She spoke as if she was completely ignorant with a over exaggeration of slang and events. I just found it unnecessary to lie about her home town and the event of her life like that. It is a very good play for those who would know nothing about her life her in Baltimore

The Boondocks are back

One of my most favorite things in the world are comming back to late night television...The Boondocks. Ever since i was little I have read the boondocks comics in the sun paper and was always curious about them because the author and I are really close in age(well he's in his 20's and I'm still 18). I never knew that at a young age I would have been able to be like him, and never thought I would say i want to be like him. Every one always asked me what i would be when i grew up, so i just figured that i had to be grown up in order to make a change or do something important, but know that i am older i realize that all those years, where jsut training for me to finnaly begin to achieve my goal to become a game designer and make the games that at one point i was too young to play but would, and games that others could play with out having to say, "why is character always a white guy or why are the cornrolls always so clunky and weird looking?" For once i wold like to have a character that could speak slang that doesnt make you wonder were they just being racist or not, or be able to dress the way i want in a sims game with out thinking that gay or just plain ugly. Well the boondocks are back on may 2, and with that another reminder for the world to be ready for em to change the gaming and television industry. One small step for me, one giant step for gamers everywhere.

I never thought i'd like this blog thing

I have to say that since taking this class, and writtign this entries i feel more creatively intune than ever before. It's like i can say what i want when i want without havign to feel wierd for having a "journal" which i a girl thing, but can still get a lot off of my chest. I told myself that with this project that i would never turn into a celeb blogger and start gossiping about people and things like that, because to me thats just childish and People never really get it that invading other peoples privacy can have serious consequences, and can land you a punch in the face(lol). But i would like to congradulate myslef for keeping it real and being honest.

dreams

I always wondered what would it mean if we didnt dream at night. Would that mean that we have given up on hope or feel that our dreams are useless in getting by day to day? What would cause somebody to give up on dreaming and not care at all? I know for a fact that i cant say that i dont dream but for long periods at a time, i wont have dreams, or any feelings at all. Its like i would isolate everything, all feelings and emotions, thoughts, concerns, and joys, and lock them away from everyone including myself, and wouldnt know why. I always joke and play that i am crazy, with my friends, but i never know whether i really am or jus thinking a lot about everything. Some of the greatest men and women to ever live, have had moments like these, does that make them crazy, or jus a bit more open minded than others...I wonder

Family matter

We all remember the show Family matter, that now comes on Nik@Nite, well I'm sure we have seen a show something like it where we often wish that our families could be something like this. Well, I'm here to say that that will never happen in my family. My family has to be one of the most dis functional families ever, which a lot of people say, but for me this is the truth. Everything in my family revolves around money, which nobody really has but all fight over. Each gift is never anything sentimental but a card with money, we fight, we give each other cards with money, which is crazy because every time someone fights its about money. Arguing about money has been in my family for such a long time, i can almost imagine that as slaves, they would fight oer who got more food or whipped more(its not funny its sad). I think that i am the only one who doesn't go through that, I have to be the most generous and giving person in my family, which says what...where did i really come from?

Art Appreciation Day

Okay, this a new poem called Art Appreciation Day, I hope You Enjoy

Today is Art Appreciation day,
So gather together and enjoy the exhibits,
Today, i have decided to display the Art of Living,
not breathing but, taking every moment we have and doing something meaningful with it,
Telling our friends and family that we truly love them,
our enemies, we forgive them,
our lovers, we want them,
our lords, we praise them,
Breathe in the smug are we inhale everyday,
with the mindset that it's not all that bad,
They day we can truly see the aesthetic beauty of the things we have, then we we learn to love ourselves and others,
learn to love living,
and love the art of being alive.

Love!

Here's a topic that's on every body's mind all the time, whether they are in love, wish they were, or even wish love would get lost. Everybody at some point in their lives have felt strong feeling for someone else. This feeling that comes over us is love. I have to say that recently, I myself, have slightly encountered what its like to love or in my case have really strong feelings for someone. With out going into too much detail, this girl has the potential to be the "one." I mean every time I'm around her, i begin to feel relaxed, which is weird for me because I'm always on my guard about everything and everyone...I TRUST NO ONE, which says a lot about how i feel when around her, as if all my worries and thought are blanked out for the brief time i get to spend with her. I used to think that the fairy tale movie b.s. that we see about love was extremely fake, but i guess, that old saying patience is a virtue is true after all.
Wish me luck

Revisiting the past to remind me of my future

Over the coarse of spring break i have done pretty much nothing, but worked and played games. I did manage to take some time and go visit my high school, to say hi and see all those who really supported me through those four dreadful years. I took a nice walk up the hill, remembering the days when that hill gave me trouble, and joy, and while walking a began to feel uplifted and rejuvenated once again. Walking in the building, i began to feel suffocated and realized the after i graduated the school began to decay and seem more like a jail. Student were terrible, those I knew seemed to have grown up and other new faces seemed to be the spawned devil children. All i could say is what happened to the beloved castle on the hill. Thinking past that, i went to see all of my teachers that really had my back and supported me with all of my life choices. I realized that they had begun to grow older and grayer, which seemed weird because while i was there even in my Senior years which was only last year, they seemed so young. I was amazed that they were still the same inside, and sad that they were soon either retiring or moving to a different school. I know that once they leave i will have no reason to go back, but i also realize that i need to become successful quick because i have to go back and help them out some how. I only wish that i will ever be able to repay them for all that they have done for me.

Human Nature

I've blogged about the nations efforts with Haiti and the role we played in restoring and rebuilding their home, but now i must direct your attention to another issue, which is the fact that the same effort for Haiti has not been used on Chile. Yes, Chile was affected by earthquakes as well, yet no telethons or speeches or celebs have publiclly exauhsted all of their efforts, as they claim to have done with Haiti. I guess that old saying, "it's not what you know, it's who you Know" is right"

This week's event

I have had the usual week week just about everyday so far. However, Wednesday after class I had the most strange encounter going home from class. As i waited for the bus driver to let me on, he asked me, "how do you feel about, the school closing", i replied, in a matter to show that I'm intelligent, but at the same time i really didn't care to have a conversation at the time. He then asked me if i was a high school student or in college. Prepared to have a full discussion about whatever seemed to be on his mind i took my head phones out and prepared for the worst. To my surprise he actually spoke as if he were extremely educated to be working for the MTA. and in me getting of the bus, he said, to stay focused on my dreams and aspirations, because, the world needs more talented young brotha's out there with some sense and a goal to accomplish. With that said, once again i found more inspiration to move on with my dreams.

Today at work

Today, at work has and is continuely become the worst day ever for me. Every tech problm that we may hope not to encounter, i have encountered several times within hours. It's weird, how everytime im left to fend for myself everything wants to go wackko, and mess up. Everything has happened from constant paper jams to computer shut downs. I'm suprised that the lab itself hasn't exploded into flames or someething. I guess i can look as this as a test of mty ability, which i have to admit, is very good, but something has to give eventually.

Fairy Tales

Earlier this week, my Friends and I, were watching The Swan Princess. It may sound weird, but being the only male with two females around, your kinda outta luck with movie selections. But while watching the movie we started talking about romance and the power of "love", which to me is completely crap, because true or destined love does not exist in my world. I spoke out on the fact that in reality there is no song that can be sung between lover at the same time while in two different places. After saying this, they told me I was heartless and don't know what it is to have true love, yet the people that do fool themselves into the idea of true love, are often those who experience more heart ache. And truthfully, I'd rather be alone and content than to have love than lost.

A new game

Most know me as the quite guy, the one who is very chills and laid back, but i do have a deep dark secret, an addiction that many people have but not as bad as me. I am a video game addict, yes video games. I know their are habits and addictions out there that may put my addiction to shame, like coffee or drugs, but to some video games are everything. Mine may not be as serious as other cases, and i may have control of it(denial), but it is very real. i have on occasions spent my last few pennies on a game just to have the thrill of playing something. I recently bought a new game called Deadly Premonitions, about a FBI detective working a very strange and paranormal case. This is the usual premise of a game, and i am used to it, the character refers to someone in a ear buds that security use named Alex which is weird because Alex never says anything back and I'm beginning to wonder is there is anyone on the other end of the ear bud. This again is the usual, game design elements, but at one point in the game, the character takes a break from the case to drink coffee, which is where it gets weird, because he pours the cream in himself just to get a sign or some sort of strange symbolism from the cream in the coffee. He believes that the cream in the coffee sends him a message or symbol to help him with the case. I'm new to the game but i don't seem to understand his logic, in this at all, maybe its apart of the game that is supposed to make sense at the end. So i guess you have to wait until the end to find out when i do

A Quick Movie Review

I just saw The new movie Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, and i have to say that the movie was actually good. AA hint of Harry Potter and a little bit of Greek Mythology and You have a good movie. Granted that i don't watch Harry Potter because of the fact that the kid just doesn't die for anything(a personal vendetta against him), but other than that, i think that the books and movies are very well put together. Being a big fan of Greek mythology I really enjoyed it because it stuck with the fact, as well as making the movie relate to the book completely. I for one am very proud, and with that said, i had a revelation to write a series of short stories based off of the Greek mythology stories. Wish me luck!

Now this is Just Wrong!

Oh Okay, while watching a little bit of BET one day, i came across a news brief which was discussing the brutal beating of a 15 year old girl in a metro station. Why she was beat is not as important as why her attackers were allowed to continue to beat her. In the metro station, there where three on duty security guards on post, and as the girl began to warn them of the beating they begin to radio for back up while moving further away from the girl. Because they moved away the girl was beat viciously by another teenage girl taking blow and kicks to the face and body. While the beating was taking place, security, just stood there, and allowed this to continue not pulling the girl off of the victim or helping in anyway. Their reason for not helping is because, their contract only tells them to observe and report. Three grown men, working security and only allowed to observe and report, that's not security that easy money that could go towards installing more camera which they don't need, but at least the camera has the excuse of not being able to do anything but observe and report. What happened to moral judgement, and character? I know for a fact that regardless of what my contract would have told me that i would have helped that little girl, regardless of the risk of getting fired or not. It's sad that people feel so bound to a pay check that, with each incident like this they begin to feel less of a human being each time they turn away.

Another N-Word incident

Yes, its sad to say but another famous non african american has said the N-word. Time and time again have we witnessed those who are either bold enough or stupid enought to say that word so freely as if they own the right to say it. Yes i said OWN THE RIGHT, because i truly believe that that word should not be said by any man woman or child(sadly they do say it), of any race or creed, but i could sleep a little better is the person saying it was infact black. Back to the story the beloved John Meyer, is the culprit this time. After saying the N-word while using twitter several times. Once called out for it, he gave a deep heartfelt as fake-as-it-can-get apology to those who were offened. this is truely a smh moment. I'm not as mad about the actual act as i am the comment that were mad in the yahoo new report, which went something like this, "i am a black chick who feels he did nothing wrong", "He needs to learn to watch what he says", and of coarse my favorite "Ya john dont be a [profane]" I mean really have we gotten to the point where people are afraid to say what they truely feel, I'm not mad at him for saying it, i'm mad that he punks out for saying it instead of saying " i said it i apologize, and i'm really not racist...just stupid.". And for the "black chick" to say," I think that John Meyer is wrong for saying that, i mean i understand he apologized, but that makes you wonder how often he says it in person. I think the real problem with that word is that, we want people not to say it but then when they do, everybodi is in their ear telling them fifty different things, no its okay just don say it again, or its okay it doesnt hurt. I'm sure that the "black chick"'s ancestors or turning in their graves, after seeing what she said about the word they risked their lives to stop from being used.

I Truely Hate Apologies!

Recently, Marvel Comics, one of my favorite comic book publishers has to issue out an apology to none other than...da dada daaa, the tea party. If your not up to date with the politics, there is actually a new tea party. However this one in my opinion is nothing like the one found in the colonial days, because this tea party is all talk and now brains, people complaining about taxes because they recently found out they had the right to. And now, my favorite publishers have to issue out an apology to them because in their most recent issue of captain america(who i am truly against)had a page or two talking about how useless the modern day tea party is, as an anti american group. Of coarse this is complete bologna, because in the issue he really didn't say anything rude or wrong towards them. He however, did tell his black sidekick the Falcon, to go down there and tell the "angry white people" to calmly disperse, while disguised as black IRS agent to make them even madder. Not to mention it, but the tea party had signs which said "I don't see a black man from Harlem fitting in with a bunch of angry white people". If any apology is to be made it should be from captain america or marvel, and the tea party to the black community for such crude and terrible thing both said and suggested.

Don't believe me
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100211/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1129

So we're finish?

Yay, we have a black president, a couple barriers that hold us as a people back, but whats next? There is more work to be done and we are for from reaching full equality as so many blindly say. Yes ONE black man made it to be president, how many more can we get in office? And where have all of the Black History month commercials gone, what has McDonald's done this year to support Black History, because last year and years prior, i have seen tons and tons of commercial honoring the great black and black supporters, where with this year i have only seen maybe three commercials, and no the hope for Haiti commercials do not count, its almost as if our people are saying mission accomplished, a little too soon, that's like planting a garden, and working the ground, but never planting the seeds. We have to eventually plant the seeds, and why not now if ever. Obama can not do it alone, and with all of the problems we have in America, I'm sure our goverment wouldn't try to fix the problems we have with race on their own with out us common people telling them what is wrong. Do not speak up as one voice but as each individual voice, so that we can get things done, because to be honest i would like to retire happily when I'm 60 and still have money, i want my children to go to school and me not have to skip out on the mortgage or not pay my bills so they can go, and I'm sure that you want them to, too.

The Media

The Media is a very funny and finikey aspect of our everyday life, they are allowed to twist stories into their favor just for ratings or control what goes on air and what doesn't. But what really amazes me is their ability to control peoples live and hinder them from being heard or helped, such as how they did with "helping" Haiti. They can devote a almost a whole year to Micheal Jackson, showing the same movies, programs and videos over and over again, but to help Haiti they only devoted about two to three ours for a onetime telethon. I'm not made at them for trying, but they could have did just as much as they do for the memory of Micheal Jackson. One man can not be more important than one million men women and children.

The stars

Last week, I bought a new game called Mass Effect 2, while playing i realized that while they were in space the mentioned little about earth. humans, who had lived on other planets for millions of years and have never seen or heard of earth. And i began to wonder, what will earths legacy be? If their are aliens out there how would they judge us for our wars and what little we have done for piece? And will we ever live t see a day when we all can truly get along or is that a myth?

My very first blog...Ex 1.1

Major writting accomplishments or failures, is what i was asked in my writting class. However not to sound cocky,I cant recall a time when I failed a paper,but my most memorable was one that i did in creative writting. For a big part of our fnal project we had to write a short story that we came up with completly on our own, from any genre and with any organizational structure. I faced alot of challenges with this story not grammatically, but story wise. I questioned the plot, character motives, the lenght of it, after all was said and done, I was very proud of my story,I hope you enjoy it aswell...


Scholarship Requirements:
Applicant must be willing to get it themselves.

Setting: Baltimore

“Ya’ll ready to do this.” Tayo said,
“Yeah I couldn’t sleep last night, I drunk about 10 cups of coffee, 3 energy drinks, and a whole box of sugar, I’m fired up!” Daytona said.
“Yo chill, if we get caught all because of you, I’ma shove this size 14 straight up-”
“Both of ya’ll chill for we get caught, if ya’ll focus then we could get outta here and disappear.” Tayo said has he cut Ratchet off.
“Ya’ll boys, are sad, we standing right outside of the gigantic bank, how suspicious you think we look at three o’clock in the morning, huh, I mean it aint like we making a deposit cause aint none of us got any money.” Tanya said
“Nah, we making a withdraw, Tanya go in and cut the security, take the vents down to the office, Ratchet follow me, Daytona you go with Tanya and cut around to the safe room so you can set up everything for when we get down their, aight lets get to work.” Tayo said.
“And don’t be looking at my butt neither stupid.” She said
“What butt?” Daytona said laughing the whole way through.
And the plan was in motion everybody knew exactly what they had to do. Tanya went to the security office and shut down the cameras and switched the tape to last week cameras; Daytona went down to the safe and set up his tools so he can rip open the safe door; Tayo and Ratchet came down to the basement to meet up with Daytona so that he could start.
To Daytona being a hustler taught him how to get money however. One day when he was shooting dice, he met Christian Smallwells, the most notorious thief ever known to Baltimore. Christian was responsible for the crash of over 30 banks in Maryland alone and had a hand in all of the illegal action, but cops could never get anything on him. When he met Daytona he saw the same instinct that he had and decided to teach a little bit to him. He told him like this…
“Yo, I’m telling, all you gotta do is spit on the handle of the safe just to let it know that it aint nothing to you, you know dehumanize it, but any way. Get a flame torch and drill though the door for about ten second or at least till you hear a snapping sound, then burn away the bar that you see in front of you and spin the handle three times, it should pop write open.” Christian said as he inhaled a bit of his Cuban cigar that he got imported about every four days.
And that’s what Daytona did exactly. But Tayo was a bit suspicious and brought something to blow the door right off the hinges. But suddenly a clicking sound came from behind him and as he turned a round the door swung wide open. Stunned by the fact that it worked Daytona stood there and embraced the fact that he should do this more often. But reality kicked in and he was about to walk in when the force of Ratchet’s hand nearly took his head of his shoulders.
“What was that for stupid?” Daytona said with a look of complete discontent with the fact that he just got slapped like he was some kind of punk or something.
“Yo, I told you, he stupid, he acts like he couldn’t see the lines man he almost got us got.” Ratchet said.
“What you talking about I ain’t do nothing I was about to start bagging the money up, put your hands on me one more time and I’ma show you how we do it over west aight.”
After five minutes of heated word, Tayo finally stepped in and told them to chill out, and then he got on the walkie talkie to tell Tonya to cut the security line so that they could get to the money. After a minute or two, Tanya opened the line and told them that they had exactly four minutes to hurry up for the security system kicked in again and with that said they began to load the bags. They rushed bags open arms out grabbing stack after stack. Tayo tried to put them in two or three at a time but the switched to the scooping and sliding method. Ratchet ripped whole shelves out the wall and dumped the money into the bags this way he could get done a lot fast. Daytona stood outside and loaded the bags on the cart so they can get out faster.
“We got all the money in here lets go before we set the alarm off.” Tayo said as he made his way for the opening tossing the bags that he had to Daytona. When they loaded all the bags, they got the elevator to come down so they could get to the car easer.
“How we gonna get the money and us on the elevator it’s only enough room for two of us and I ain’t racing up no steps to get it neither.” Daytona said in defense as he eased on to the elevator securing his position.
“I’ll walk up the steps, ya’ll just pray I survive if I ain’t up there just start loading the money up on to the truck and I’ll catch up then. Just pray I make it okay.” Tayo said
“And stop crying like a little girl yo, you act like you two or something grow up before you mess up, and if we get caught I SWEAR TO GOD IT’S YO HEAD BOY.”
Tayo left to get a head start. The whole way up he could hear them still arguing before the elevator doors shut or he had ran so fast the he couldn’t hear them anymore, either way they didn’t have a whole lot of time to be wasting on petty stuff and the more time they spent the less they would have to get away. Tayo ran up the step as though his life depended on it. He could still hear them to arguing about nothing and after a while, he heard nothing, he figured he either ran so fast that he couldn’t hear them no more or they closed the elevator and started to load the truck so they could just leave when he got up there.
Time kept passing as he raced all the way up the steps he legs and his arms felt like they were going to fail on him any minute. The track expertise he had was no use to him having to run up ten flights of steps. Being the star athlete on the track team didn’t pay off and he knew that after this he would quit so that he would never have to run again, not for the bus, not from the cops, not even for his life. t this point he felt that if someone was going to kill him, he wouldn’t even mind just so that he wouldn’t have to walk anymore. He reached the third floor and realized that he hadn’t stopped for not one break. He didn’t want them to leave him, and he definitely didn’t want the cops to catch him. His only option was to drag his carcass up the steps before either of those happened.
He saw an exit sign the gleam of hope that he had prayed for as he raced up the steps. He pushed through the door with all his strength only to stumble to the ground where he saw they had just put the last few bags on the truck. Everybody rushed over to see if he was okay and helped him up on his feet. They got in the van and drove off, not stopping till they reached Tanya aunt house in Hunt Valley.
Her Aunt Wauneta house was large, the house was incredibly luxurious. The Porte Cache in the front of the house, the two door Impala right next to the black on black Escalade, the garden in the front of the windows, and the gigantic fountain shooting water out like the fire hydrants do in the summer when the neighborhood kids bust them open. When he asked her why they was living in that house in Summerset Extensions, she told him that her mother didn’t get along with her aunt because she was always acting like she was super high and mighty and never tried to come around them unless she came to gloat about something, so her mother never took anything from her nor ever talked to her, but if the kids needed something Tanya knew that she could go to her and get it.
“You Okay?” Tanya said as if she could read the stress on his face from a mile away.
“Yeah I’m alright, I just thinking.” Tayo said
“Worried about us getting caught? I know I was.” she said trying to console me the best she could.
“Nah I was just thinking about whether we should have done it or not, you know, were we wrong for stealing something that ain’t belonged to us or was it okay to get revenge on those how did us wrong?” he said not sure of a answer
“I don’t know she said, but it’ll be okay.” she said with a smile that let me know she was right there by my side all the way.
“Do ya’ll two love bird want ya’ll cut or what, I don’t mind keeping ya’ll four million for me.” Daytona said
“Boy stop playing and give me my money for I kill you in here.” she said as she walked over to snatch up the money that he put in a bag for her.
“I still don’t know how you managed to walk up all those steps, I mean fourteen flights of steps and you ran up there like a pro. “ She said as she sat the money next to him.
Tayo didn’t even realize that the money was now sitting right beside him he just took the bag and laid down on the couch and watched the news. It was there he saw a little gleam of relief. The news reporter was standing outside of the bank they had just robbed and Tayo noticed that a man was standing next to her when the man started talking, everybody got quite; Daytona even looked like he wanted to start to cry a little by what the man was saying. Ratchet went to the window to see if anybody was coming up and then stationed himself there the rest of the night. The man was saying that they had begun an investigation of the robbery and so far had no leads. The robbers were highly skilled and must have been casing the bank for a few years now to have everything done perfectly. The work exemplified here must have been an inside job; there is no guarantee that the cops will ever be able to solve this anytime soon.
“Yes, I knew we could do it, man it took us a day to plan that and we got a way Scott free.” Daytona said
“Yeah but we still have to lay low for a while so just shut up and get some sleep, I’ma stay up and keep watch.” Tayo said knowing that he wouldn’t be able to sleep with the guilt on his mind.
Later as he watched some more TV he started to think about why his life had to come to this, all he wanted to do was go to college. Now he as a loose felon waiting to get caught…


II


“A Jamal, wake up…come on wake up so you can get ready for school. Get up before you make me late.” he said
“I’m up Tayo, dag, you act like I can’t get up with out you yelling in my ear to get me up. Just because I’m your little brother don’t mean you can push me around like I’m a little boy or something I‘m fourteen now and you act like I‘m three or four.” Jamal said in defense.
“You are, now get up for I bust you up side your head. Don’t take all day to get dressed neither.” Tayo said.
Tayo left the room and went to finish getting dressed his self. After he put breakfast on the table he went to his foster mother room and saw if she needed anything. Which she always didn’t or she wouldn’t let him help anyway. She adapted them seven years ago, their parents died in a car accident. Mrs. Porter had breast cancer for three years now, and never, not once since she found out, need for him to do anything for her. She was so used to doing for them that she never took care of her, and with the cancer it made her weak and now she let Tayo look after Jamal, but now after three peaceful years it got worse. The cancer started to spread and affected her immune system as a really rough start. About every two week she caught a cold and the doctor said that this rate the only hope is to get the surgery. Tayo tried everything, from working over time, double overtime on the weekends, selling DVD’s and CD’s in school, and running errands for the dealers around the way, but no matter how much closer he got to the amount for the surgery another bill came up or Jamal’s school wanted money for another trip or something, either way he knew that by living in Latrobe he would never have enough money to get her surgery done.
After Jamal finally got dressed, they left the house for school, this was about the only time him and Jamal ever got a chance to talk before they would see each other when he got off of work. In school Tayo had it easy, with the top grades and the best attitude he was able to get off the hook with missing a paper or an assignment or two. Later that day he had went to the college advising office to see if he needed to do anything else as far as college goes.
“Looky here, Mister Niccolian, the class superstar, the one person in this school that was able to pull off a perfect 4.0 GPA unweighted. How are you to day?” Mr. Hamilton said.
“Fine, I was wondering if there was any news about up coming scholarships that you might have come across. Other than that I’m just waiting for the acceptance letters to come back in, which has been nerve wrecking.” Tayo said.
“Don’t be coy; you know that all of those colleges are going to except you regardless of whatever unless it is of course because you are black or ghetto.” Mr. Hamilton said.
“Well seeing that you wrote one of my recommendations, I really need to pray on this hard. You probably said that I as a low class gutta bug that didn’t need college but a probation officer?!” he said with a look of complete grim.
“Something like that. Truth be told they would fire me if I told the truth about you, I mean that you are a low life gutter bug that need a probation officer. My job is to say nothing but the best to assure that all of you go to college or at least apply.” Mr. Hamilton said with that same sinister sneer that he always has.
“Riiiiight, so I guess you can’t wait see all the schools that I’ve been accepted to. I’ll tell you later on when they come until then I’ll see you tomorrow.” he said as he left out of the room.
After along day of school, Tayo caught the three to go pick up Jamal and get ready for work. He approached their building with care as they tried to come in with little attention as possible. He went to check the mail with all the hope in the world for some good news for once. Not all of that: YOU ARE BEHIND ON THIS BILL, or WE NEED THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO BEGIN ANOTHER TREATMENT, or something like that. He was tired of it and what he saw next was his biggest relief ever. There was a gigantic stack of mail in the box, as he locked in on the pieces of mail, he could hear the rush of the cars whizzing by, and he felt the sweat bead drip of his brow dragging down the side of his face on to the floor or his shirt. Tayo took the mail out of the box and raced up the steps not noticing the junkies sitting on the steps, nor the crack valves sitting on the floor bursting under his feet as he ran frantically up the steps. He even passed Jamal for a minute, once he realized that he took a break from search over each letter until he came to the letter from the doctors office reading: URGENT, MUST READ IMMEDIATELY AND RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. After reading each of his acceptance letters this one letter tore all of his dreams away, his hope of going to college, moving his family out of the ghetto, seeing his foster mother able to move with out having to feel faint or weak. Then he just sat down, in the solitude of that part of the hallway, he sat on the step where he wouldn’t move from for the rest of the night…




Meanwhile, Ratchet was getting ready to go to work. He took up a night shift no since school started to get even more intense; he figured he would never be able to go to college so he started trapping. He didn’t want to but knew that that was the only way he could pay off his debt, to Big Slim before he broke both of his legs in four places. This was because Ratchet’s mother was a crack head, she would go out and get high and come in and take anything she could get her hands on. Every penny they ever got from the check she smoked it, the T.V., DVD player, everything from his shoes to the twin’s stroller. This all started because her ex-husband used to get high and when they got into an argument he would give her some weed to calm her down, when the weed wore off they started smoking crack. Ratchet finally got tired of this and with nowhere to turn him asked BIG SLIM FAST for a loan and the only way he could pay it back was to work of the debt. He took the twins to his uncle’s house so that they would get caught up in that mess or at least till he got the money to move him and his little brother and sister far away from their…



Tanya had the most tragic story of all, Tanya was the daughter of a retired vet., but he drinks his pain away. He got a dishonorable discharge and because of that he looked to Tanya for relief. After her mother died, he started to act really weird around her, it started with watching her constantly acting over protective like a boyfriend more than a father, then came the stalking, watching her every move around the house, waiting for her to let her guard down so that he could make his move. She always knew to leave the house before he got really drunk. He started to lock the doors with a lock that only he had the key to, then she had to start leaving out of the house through the window, until he bared them up. Then she got a boy around the way to chop the bars up but made it so that she could make it look like they was never touched.
When she left, she would go down the street to see Tayo, they would sit on the patio and talk about anything and everything, or when they could get peace they would go down by the harbor and walk around. But tonight, she wanted to just settle for chilling on the steps and think up ways that both of them could get away from the harsh realities of their misfortunes.


Daytona was no different from the rest of them; he was born with a hunger for money. His father instead of coming to see him being born was getting arrested for attempted robbery to pay for the medical bill that would come when Daytona and his mother got out of the hospital. His father was like a King Pin for all of the Eastside of Baltimore. In fact, his name around the whole city was KING JULIUS, RULER OF ALL THE POVERTY, and OVERSEER OF THE PROJECTS. King Julius was one of Big Slims top dogs; he let Julius run the whole thing while he sat back and collected the profits. Until one day, when he got locked up and big slim bailed him out. Julius couldn’t find away to pay him back and Big Slim got his Henchmen to body him on Daytona twelfth birthday and since then they been in debt to him to cover the money that his father owed plus all other expenses o keep them alive. This is why Daytona had a hustle for everyday of the week, from movies, to drugs him and Ratchet was partners in the grind and even thought Ratchet always tried to overpower Daytona, neither wanted to stay in it much longer.
Later that night Daytona was thinking about his life and how screwed up it was. Then he knew that the only place he could turn to was his homeboy, Tayo. He and Tayo had been best friends since they got into that big fight in the fifth grade. Daytona and Ratchet got to thinking of a way to get money quick and suddenly they came up with a plan. But the plan was going to need a third man. They looked at each other thought about somebody they had knew really good and said
“Tayo”
Together they walked over to his house and decided to fill him in on the plan. Finally they got to his building, the same rundown building that he had been living in since he was ten. When they reached the floor where tayo lived they could see him sitting on the steps with Tonya the two of them with the same look of discontent that they felt.
Together they all sat, each telling their story, grieving over the fact that their poverty had got the best of them. Thinking it was the perfect time Daytona decided to tell them about the plan to rob the bank. At first Tanya was reluctant, though in the back of her mind she realized that it might not have been a bad idea. Tayo sat there silent, every body watching him; waiting for his answer like his was the only one that mattered. Finally he said yes and then told them that going in guns blazing were not the right way to do it.
“Sunday at 3:00 p.m., that’s when we hit the bank. No guns, no nothing just what we need to get the jobs done. Now we start here.” he pointed to the circle he made in the wall with the rock that was sitting by his foot. In his mind he knew that this was his only option now, he knew just like they all knew, that this had to work now or else…


III

One by one they all woke up; together they sat there and talked about what life is going to be like with this money in hand. Daytona knew that he was going to pay Big Slim back and him and his mother was going to move to Las Vegas and start a new life and a clean hustle. Ratchet wanted to do the same, pay Big Slim, then move him and the twins to a new house and open his painting studio in New York,. Come to find out that he was a very talented artist. Tayo and Tanya went off to college. Tayo at Harvard studying law, and Tanya at Harvard Medical. Tayo had sent in an anonymous check to pay for Ms. Porter’s surgery and later on she got better and they all moved to Atlanta after Tayo graduated. Few years after that he and Tanya had got married and was expecting their first child. No one every questioned why they suddenly had a spring of good luck but as long as no one knew, no one cared. Every now and then the four of them would come back to Baltimore and get a reminder of why they did what they did. This kept them humble and each of them lived happily, except Daytona who got arrested for acting up after he just won 17 billion in the casino. But he got out and went back to do it all again. He was so good that he had banks asking him for loans. Even the casino had to get a loan from him so that they could keep the business open after he left it dry. In the end they all got the one thing that was tough for them to have, happiness, peace, a loving family, and…A SCHOLORSHIP.

A STORY BY
PATRICK NOEL