Brotherly Hate

Nenneth Lee Holder

Copyright © 2023 Nenneth Lee Holder

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88960-203-3 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88960-204-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Please be advised that this book contains lots of profanity.

In Greek, the name Philadelphia means brotherly love, yet there's no love in our city. All we do is hate. Lives are constantly taken. All we see is blood.

Introduction

Prologue

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Chapter 2

Summertime

Chapter 3

The Celebration

Chapter 4

Manacle

Chapter 5

The Vicious Brawl

Chapter 6

The Visit

Chapter 7

The Lost Family

Chapter 8

Welcome Home

Chapter 9

First Gun, First Experience

Chapter 10

A Snake in a Dress

Chapter 11

The Mission

Chapter 12

Temptation is Calling

Chapter 13

Big Plans

Chapter 14

Young Entrepreneurs

Chapter 15

Busy Body

Chapter 16

The Trip

Chapter 17

The Gallery

Chapter 18

A Wild Night

Chapter 19

Material

Chapter 20

Martyr

Chapter 21

Unexpected Attack

Chapter 22

Retaliation

Chapter 23

The Gambling House

Chapter 24

Detachment

Chapter 25

Silent but Deadly

Chapter 26

Eyes to the Streets

Chapter 27

Mall of America

Chapter 28

Vendetta

Chapter 29

Change of Plans

Chapter 30

Patiently Waited

Chapter 31

A Lovely View

Chapter 32

Wise Words

Chapter 33

The Quiet Storm

Chapter 34

The Planted Seed

Chapter 35

Uninvited Guest

Chapter 36

Lasciviousness

Chapter 37

Karma

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Praises to the almighty creator and those who survived the war in Liberia.

About the Author

Please be advised that this book contains lots of profanity.

In Greek, the name Philadelphia means brotherly love, yet there's no love in our city. All we do is hate. Lives are constantly taken. All we see is blood.

Introduction

When I was incarcerated and serving three years, I read many books. Donald Goins became my favorite author because his writing is what I could relate to the most. I also read books written by Terry Woods, Sista Soulja, and David Fisher, among other great authors. I had a cellmate who became a good friend of mine. We shared stories about our lives. One day he told me that we could write a book about all the crimes we had witnessed in our lives. That night I lay in my bed, thinking to myself that of all the books I've read, many of the characters reminded me of some people in my life. That was when I realized I could become a writer.

This book is based on two characters, Kevin, and Akeem, who were young thugs born and raised on the streets of Philadelphia. They mastered a hustler's dream of survival and gained respect from others. They were loyal to each other, and their goal was to succeed in the hood where they both grew up. They became cocaine dealers, marijuana smokers, and gun holders. They were outlaws. Despite the passing of time, they were haunted by the streets, and the lust for money caused lost lives. Kevin's experiences made him realize that thug life wasn't the way to live, and through the support of his family, he could become a better person. Akeem, on the other hand, did not share the same views. Any misfortunes made him worse. He felt that the lifestyle of a thug was his only way to succeed. Despite this, the bond between them was never broken.

This book is about the experiences of inner-city neighborhoods. It's about the life of thugs and the game that young teens choose to play, especially in the streets of Philly. The never-ending cycle of drugs, violence, love, and loss will continue for generations.

Prologue

In 1984, Kevin was six years old when his parents split. Kevin's mother, Lisa, moved to Virginia with his eleven-year-old sister, Diamond. Kevin stayed behind to live with his father Ronald, in Philadelphia. Ronald took full responsibility for raising Kevin independently, while Lisa decided to raise Diamond in Virginia. Kevin was born and raised in Southwest Philadelphia, a very violent and corrupt small city section. Lisa wanted more for herself and her family, which motivated her to move to Virginia.

Ronald had also lived in Philly his entire life. He experienced the lifestyle of a thug, but he turned his life around after being shot and finally began living up to the responsibilities of fatherhood. Ronald spent time teaching and nurturing Kevin on how to be cautious and avoid letting the streets pull him under, but Kevin was never frightened by what he saw every day. Violence was all he had ever known. Kevin still chose to live the street life. The only positive thing in his life was his father's influence.

Chapter 1

The Beginning

Kevin woke up on a January morning in 1990, his first day back to school after Christmas and New Year break. He got dressed wearing brand-new clothes he got as Christmas gifts with a fresh pair of soft leather Reeboks that his father had bought for him. Ronald ensured that Kevin wore the finest things so he wouldn't have an excuse for not wanting to go to school. Kevin resembled a young Ronald. He was dark-skinned, slim, and handsome. He began brushing his hair while staring in the mirror, admiring his waves spinning like a twirl in his hair. He walked downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of orange juice when he saw his father making scrambled eggs and bacon.

Wassup, young buck, you want something to eat before leaving? Ronald asked.

Nah, Dad, I don't have much time, so I'll stop at Kim's on my way to school.

That's 'cause you spend so much time in that fuckin' mirror like a broad. Sometimes I think I got two daughters.

Nah, Dad, it ain't like that, but it's the first day back to school, and all the pretty jawns gonna be lookin' good so you know I gotta play my part, you dig me? Kevin said this to his father while smiling.

Ronald laughed as he realized that his son was getting older. While Kevin and Ronald continued talking, the doorbell rang. Kevin finished his drink and hurried to answer the door. Looking out the window, he could see his best friend, Akeem, standing on the steps. Akeem was dark-skinned, a little taller than Kevin, and a little stockier. Both were twelve years old, but Kevin was three months older than Akeem. They attended the same classes at school, and Akeem only lived two blocks from Kevin. They came up together through elementary and middle schools. Akeem's mother could not afford to buy him the latest fashion, but she tried to keep him clean and with the necessities. Akeem had an older sister named Gina. She was sixteen years old, only dealt with older men, and kept a lot more money than the average sixteen-year-old. She would lace Akeem with the latest fashion at times.

Kevin opened the door to let Akeem inside. Akeem immediately took notice of Kevin's new pair of sneakers.

Wassup, man, I see you're lookin' sharp with the fresh Nikes on, Kevin said.

You too, man.

Come on in real quick, wait in the living room, I'ma grab my jacket, Kevin told Akeem while hurrying upstairs.

Akeem sat on the living room sofa and waited for Kevin. He began staring at the place. He was impressed by Kevin's house. Ronald had always kept a clean house. It wasn't Akeem's first time in the house, but he was always amazed at how well-kept it was. Akeem had never seen a house that looked this neat in the type of environment that they were living in. Kevin came downstairs with his jacket and quickly said goodbye to his father as he made his way to the front door with Akeem.

What's that smell, Kev? Akeem asked.

Eggs and bacon.

Why you be eatin' that nasty-ass swine, man? Akeem asked.

I can eat whatever I want, I ain't Muslim. You don't know what you're missin', pork be bangin', Kevin said to Akeem as they both began laughing while walking out the door.

Ronald hurried behind them before Kevin could shut the door. Young buck, take this with you for the trolley so you ‘n' Akeem don't have to walk and so you can buy ya lil' snacks or whatever ya wanna buy, Ronald said to Kevin while handing him a twenty-dollar bill.

Thanks, Dad.

You have a nice day, Mr. Riley, Akeem said.

They began walking through the neighborhood on 58th Street, and they realized that nothing had changed in the New Year. The streets were still filthy, and empty cocaine caps were all over the sidewalk with broken beer bottles lying on the side of the curbs. The drug dealers were still on the corner, and crackheads were still getting caught in the alley giving oral sex for a hit of crack rock. As Kevin and Akeem walked down the block, they saw a crowd of hustlers on the corner smoking marijuana. They then made their way through the crowd of boys just so they could smell the weed burning. They had always loved smelling the odor of weed.

Wassup, lil' niggas? Someone had spoken to Kevin and Akeem from the crowd.

Akeem turned his head to see who had spoken. After he realized who it was, he ignored the question and kept on walking.

We're on our way to see Ali, Kevin answered the boy that went by the name of Snap.

Snap was brown-skinned and slim with baby hairs on his chin and light sideburns on his face. He was a sixteen-year-old high school dropout. Snap would spend all his time on the corner day and night until sunrise. He was making the most money on 58th Street for a boy his age. Every three weeks he was seen in a brand-new Caddy. He wore different pairs of sneakers for every outfit. He had also run through every young girl in the neighborhood, every hood rat, and most of his friends' mothers. Snap mainly hung with two boys who were a part of his circle named Rock and Jason. The three of them always hung around each other. Rock and Jason were willing to do anything Snap told them to do. Snap had an older brother named Gutta. Most of the young hustlers from the neighborhood worked for Gutta.

He supplied the neighborhood with whatever they needed, like marijuana, coke, guns, and pills. Gutta was a twenty-seven-year-old boss. All the crack users and young kids had known Snap's name, but Gutta never revealed himself too often. Snap always respected Kevin because he was mature for his age and because of his older friend Ali, who was well-respected in the neighborhood but did not trust Akeem. When Snap drove through Akeem's block to supply his users, he would catch Akeem staring at him through his house window while selling crack to his mother. Snap had never taken precautions because he felt that the little boy wasn't a threat, but he knew that Akeem would grow up hating him.

Keem, wassup with you and Snap? Why don't you fuck with him all like that? Kevin asked.

Fuck Snap. He's a nut-ass nigga, that's why. He's a cold pussy. He thinks he's tough 'cause Gutta his brother. That's the only reason why everybody's scared of him, but I ain't scared of that pussy, Akeem said the words with hatred as they both made their way into the corner store. Kevin broke the twenty-dollar bill his father had given him by paying for twenty-five cents' worth of Swedish Fish candy.

Here, Keem, take this just in case you wanna buy some grub. Kevin handed Akeem his share of the money from the twenty that Ronald had given him.

Kevin bought a pack of E-Z Wider, a couple of bags of chips, and a quarter bottle of Hug drink. When the clerk's attention was on Kevin, Akeem stuffed two bags of chips in his jacket pocket that was posted on the rack. He was so swift in grabbing the chips that the Chinese store owner did not even notice his actions. Akeem then bought himself something to drink with some of the money he had gotten from Kevin.

They made their way out of the store and headed to Ali's house while eating snacks. It was their usual routine to stop at Ali's house before going to school, so they left the house earlier than necessary for school.

When they reached Ali's house, they could hear the bass coming from upstairs. Kevin knocked at the door loudly for about two minutes before Ali answered the door. When Ali opened the door, he realized it was his two little buddies from the neighborhood that had always looked up to him.

Ali was seventeen years old. He was raised by his two older brothers, Markell, and Damon, who were in their mid-twenties. Ali had been living on 58th Street all his life. He had a juvenile record of carrying firearms and marijuana. His brothers were forced to bail him out on several occasions. Ali was brown-skinned with light-brown eyes and a solid frame for a boy his age. His shoulders always stood high with light muscles that cut throughout his body. He had a unibrow with very dark lips and bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. Ali looked like a grown man, not a teenager. All the boys in the neighborhood feared him. He'd been through about everything, and his brothers supplied him with just about whatever he needed.

Ali always treated Kevin like a little brother, and he had much love for Akeem because the two kids had always been loyal to one another. Ali had known Kevin's father for a very long time as well and he had known Kevin since the age of seven.

When Kevin and Akeem started school in September, their first week had turned into a brawl with a few boys from the village. After classes were dismissed, Kevin was still at school, flirting with a girl from his class, while Akeem was outside, getting jumped by six boys from the village. The boys had tired him before deciding to line it up against him. Akeem fought them all one by one as they took turns destroying him.

When Kevin walked outside to look for Akeem, he'd seen a crowd of young boys and girls watching the fight. Kevin then realized that his friend was in much trouble, which made him rage. He quietly hurried over toward the crowd and picked up the closest glass bottle. He approached the biggest boy in the group and busted his head with the bottle, causing the big boy to fall to his knees from the impact of the hit. Blood ran down his face from the cut of the bottle. Kevin and Akeem fought for their lives as hard as possible, but they were outnumbered and beaten badly, leaving them with bruises on their faces.

Right after the fight, they went to Ali for support. Ali was furious after seeing their badly bruised faces. Kevin wanted to continue the fight, but Akeem wanted to retaliate with Ali's gun. Since the school day ended and the gang of boys returned to their projects, Ali decided to wait until school began the following morning.

The next morning Ali explained to Kevin's father that he would handle everything when he picked up Kevin. He also convinced Akeem's sister that the problem would be solved. Ali drove the boys to school in his Honda Accord. He ordered a group of five other boys from the neighborhood to follow behind him in a separate car. A young boy by the name of Butta was driving the second car.

When they pulled up in front of the school, they hopped out as a team of eight. They observed their surroundings and saw boys outside playing basketball and football while the girls were jumping double Dutch, waiting for the school doors to open.

Akeem was the first to spot the boys whom they had gotten into a fight with. He was also the first to rush to the yard while Ali's squad followed. Ali was posted by the entrance to ensure that none of the boys escaped as he watched his little army go to war in front of a crowd of students. The six project boys were brutally beaten for everyone to witness. They were stomped and dragged all over the concrete, and Ali enjoyed every bit of the entertainment. From that day on, Kevin and Akeem were highly respected and feared by their peers at school.

Fuck ya young niggas bangin' at my door like that for? Like y'all the cops or somethin', Ali said to the boys while standing at the door with only his boxer shorts on.

Turn that loud-ass music down, maybe you can hear a nigga knockin', Kevin told Ali while walking by him and making his way inside the house as Akeem followed. The three of them made their way upstairs to the back room.

"Ain't ya lil' niggas gon' to school?

Yeah, man, wassup with ya wheel? It's runnin' right, Kevin asked Ali as he sat at the end of the bed.

Yeah, y'all need a ride or somethin'?

Hell yeah, Kevin answered.

Huh, roll this up while I throw some shit on real quick.

You got rollin' paper?" Ali asked.

Yeah, I got some, Kevin answered while receiving a nickel bag of marijuana from Ali and began to roll up a few joints.

Ali went to the next room to get dressed as Akeem sat on the opposite side of the bed. He began to observe the dirty room when he noticed a .38 Special revolver lying on the table beside him. Kevin had already seen the gun when he walked into the room, but he paid no attention because Ali was known for leaving guns around the house. Akeem was never the type of boy to see a gun without feeling the weight of the steel, so he reached for it out of curiosity. He picked up the gun and started checking through the barrel by popping it open, and he saw four bullets in it. He realized how rusty the gun looked with the hammer set directly in the middle as if it was half-cocked. The gun had looked frightening in Akeem's eyes, but the sight of it turned him on. Ali walked into the room fully dressed with nothing on his feet. He saw Akeem holding the gun and popping the barrel shut.

What the fuck is you doin' with my toast, Keem? You betta put my shit down before I smack fire out ya lil' ass, Ali told Akeem while looking under the bed for his sneakers.

How you gonna smack me when I got the gun? You ain't Superman, Akeem said.

You better believe it when I tell you, young bull. I ain't afraid of no heat. I've been shot, stabbed, all that shit, lil' nigga, so if you ain't got the balls to kill me, ya best bet is to erase whatever thought you got in ya lil' punk-ass mind of pullin' a gun out on a nigga like me, 'cause you're gonna surely regret it in the long run. You feel me, young bull? Ali told Akeem while lacing up his boots.

Akeem smiled after hearing Ali's remarks as he laid the gun back on the table. Kevin was through rolling up five joints. For a boy his age, he had many experiences rolling joints. He learned quickly by thoroughly watching his father when he would roll up his joints. Ali had always put him to the test when it came down to rolling joints. He handed Ali three joints and kept one for himself and Akeem while lighting one up for the road. The three of them made their way out of the house after Ali threw on his eight-ball leather jacket and grabbed his handgun.

Damn, Kev, you tryna kill me, young bull? Pass the joint now, you got my shit burning foul, Ali said to Kevin while receiving the joint from him.

What you expect, man, it's a joint, not a cigarette, Kevin said.

When it's burnin' wrong, you do this, Ali told Kevin while wetting his fingertip with a little spit and rubbing the side of the joint so that it would burn correctly before taking another pull. Kevin always took heed to everything Ali told him and Akeem, making sure to always listen carefully.

That's exactly why I smoke to da dick, 'cause ya young bulls be fuckin' up. That's why I don't share my weed, Ali told them while opening his car door, this time an old Chevy.

Kevin got in the front passenger's seat as Akeem got back. They drove through 58th Street and made a turn on Woodland Avenue. Woodland Avenue was always bustling with crowds flocking to the street-long storefronts, no matter how early. You could see kids running to catch the public trolley to school, which ran down the entire avenue. They also saw winos standing in front of every deli and homeless people lying on the ground in front of stores wrapped up in blankets like a cocoon—which made it difficult to notice them resting on the street. Some stores had not yet been opened, but every fast-food restaurant was ready for business and the young kids kept it crowded for their early morning meal.

Yo, man, if ya look around, ya can see that it's money on these streets ya young bulls gettin' to that age and it's time to decide. Do ya want this money or do ya wanna stay in school? Ali spoke while passing the joint to Akeem. Akeem was all ears. He paid full attention to the avenue while listening to Ali's words.

Why can't we do both? Kevin asked.

'Cause time is precious, Kev. You tryna be two places at once ‘n' it ain't gonna happen 'cause while you're spending time doin' one thing, you're missin' out on anotha. Regardless of how hard you try, you're still gonna end up failin' 'cause you can't mix negative business with positive goals like my brother used to tell me. Now if you wanna do both, then finish school first before elevatin' to another stage which would require patience—somethin' that most niggas ain't got. That's the whole point of gettin' that fast money, we ain't got no patience, you feel me? Ali said.

But we too young to drop outa school, Kevin said.

See there you go, misunderstandin' again. I'm not tellin' ya to drop out. Why da fuck would I tell ya some shit like that? What I'm sayin' is ya need to decide which path to take in life instead of being confused. Y'all too young to sell drugs. I already know this. Y'all already know this too, and ya definitely too young to be smokin', yet ya doin' it anyway. That's how it starts. Ya lil' niggas still got time to make a choice, but don't wait till the last minute, 'cause it might be too late. Next year, y'all be in high school. I'm just tryna give ya a head start. When I give ya a little bit of weed to sell, it's because I'm tryna let ya get a taste of how it feels to be on ya grind, 'cause I know ya gonna go to someone else, 'cause that's what drug dealers do—they prey on the stupid ones, sweet victims desperate for the limelight. They'll have you pushin' their shit ‘n' they don't wanna go to jail, so they use you as crash dummies, but I'm doin' it 'cause I want ya to understand that it's hard out here. What ya think I need y'all? I don't need y'all to do shit. It's just that I got love for y'all niggas, so ya need to start thinkin' about life. Think about what I'm sayin' today while ya in school. It's a new year, ‘n' time is against us on these streets. It's only on our side when we're locked up. Remember that shit, young bulls, remember that shit.

Ali spoke to the boys the whole ride to school about the life of a hustler. He had always warned them about the lifestyle as a thug, and they learned a lot from him. He dropped them off in front of the school. Before Kevin got out of the car, Ali handed him four hundred dollars worth of marijuana in a sandwich bag and told him to split the drugs with Akeem and repay him with two hundred dollars. Ali had always informed them before giving them drugs not to mention anyone whom they had gotten it from, especially the cops. They swore to him never to snitch, and they told no one, not even their peers. They both got out of the car and Ali pulled off after seeing two high school girls walking to the bus stop. When the girls saw Ali's car pull up near them, they quickly hopped inside, as if they had known him, but they only just met.

Kevin and Akeem would stay in school and finish their schoolwork then sneak out at lunchtime so that they could post up in front of the deli and sell their dope to the high school students. All the students who smoked marijuana knew of the two young boys. The older boys respected them because they found it hard to believe that the two middle school students had the heart to stand across the street from the school and sell dope. After making enough money, Kevin and Akeem would sneak back into school. They would flirt with the girls, and Kevin would somehow persuade them into going into the fire escape hallways with him and Akeem, where they would have sex. That was their everyday routine for the rest of the school year.

Chapter 2

Summertime

The year was 1993, and Kevin was now sixteen attending John Bartram High School. He was tempted by lots of girls at school. The finest girls from Southwest Philly attended Bartram High.

Kevin had known many students because he attended middle school with most of them. He had his eyes on one girl named Crystal, whom he had known for a long time. Back at Tilden Middle School, they both had the same classes and went on the same field trips but never really communicated. As time went by, Kevin began to fall for sixteen-year-old Crystal. He had always found her attractive, but her body was now fully developed into a beautiful young woman. She had a slim and sexy figure, and her hips were curved nicely for such a little waist. On warm days, she was known for revealing her attractive long legs in miniskirts or a tight pair of jean shorts. She was brown-skinned with high cheeks and pretty dimples whenever she smiled. She had always kept her hair done and her nails airbrush designed.

She didn't socialize with too many boys, and the girls were jealous and threatened by her demeanor. She wasn't the flirtatious type but rather more mature than her peers, which was why Kevin admired her. He never had the heart to approach her because of the way she carried herself. Kevin had finally made up his mind that nothing was going to stop him from expressing his feelings to her one day.

It was the last day of school and the beginning of the summer. When the school bell rang, and classes were dismissed, Kevin tried catching up with Crystal as she began quickly walking out of class without stopping to chat with anyone. Kevin unexpectedly approached her when she stopped in front of her locker to get her books.

Crystal, wassup, girl? Kevin asked.

Wassup, Kevin?

I was tryna catch up with you, but you be on the move, girl, Kevin said.

What's wrong with me gettin' where I gotta go ‘n' knowin' where I stand, unlike these nut-ass bitches around here? Crystal said.

I'm just sayin', girl, I wanna holla at you.

What you wanna holla at me about, Kevin? Don't you got one of ya chicken-heads to holla at? Crystal told Kevin before shutting her locker.

She began making her way through the crowded hallway with her book bag on one shoulder as Kevin struggled to keep up.

Hold up, baby! First of all, I don't fuck with these gold-diggin'-ass jawns in this school. Now I might flirt here ‘n' there, but it don't be nothin' serious 'cause these chicks don't amaze me, Kevin said when he finally was on equal footing with Crystal heading out the school doors.

Kevin kept trying to express his feelings to her, and she listened without interrupting him. She always respected him because of the way he presented himself, but she never liked Akeem, which was the real reason she kept her distance.

They made their way across the street, where most students caught the trolley. It was also where Kevin's car was parked. He was driving an old Toyota Camry that he rented from a drug fiend named Rob. Kevin would pay Rob in exchange for crack, and Rob would give him the vehicle for weeks. If Kevin supported the man's habit, he would always have the car. Kevin had the car so often that people thought it belonged to him.

So what do you say, baby? Why don't I give you a call ‘n' maybe take you out to the movies or somethin'? Kevin asked Crystal as they both stood on the corner around a small crowd of students.

She realized how desperate he looked, and it turned her on to know he was eager.

That shit sound real nice, Kevin, but how many times have you used that same tired-ass line! Y'all niggas fucks me up! Crystal said to Kevin while smiling and turning her head toward his opposite side.

It infuriated Kevin because he could not get through to her like he did everyone else, and he never liked forcing the issue, but today he was determined to have his way with Crystal. Kevin could see the trolley was a just few blocks away, and the corner was steadily getting crowded with more students waiting at the trolley stop. He knew this was his only chance and he was running out of time.

Listen, Crystal. Ever since Tilden, I had a thing for you! Yeah, I usually spit game when I approach a pretty jawn like yourself but fuck game right now! I'm keepin' it real! I've been feelin' ya style, so I want you to give me a chance to show you how thorough I can get just in case you think I'ma corny dude, you feel me, baby?

Nah, Kevin, I don't think you're corny. It's just that I always put my education first before I sweat a nigga, Crystal said.

I feel you, baby, ‘n' that's why I waited till the last day of school to come at you. That way we'll have the whole summer ahead of us. That will give us enough time to get to know each other real well, ya mean?

Kevin's words made Crystal crack a smile from ear to ear, revealing her pretty dimples, and Kevin found her smile to be the most attractive thing about her. By the tone of his voice and by the look in his eyes, she believed that Kevin meant every word. She knew he had a crush on her after all these years, nor did he know she secretly felt the same. The trolley finally made its way to the stop where they stood. While the other students got on the trolley, Crystal quickly pulled out a pen from her book bag, grabbed his hand, and wrote her phone number in Kevin's palm.

You don't have to catch the trolley. I can give you a ride home, Kevin said.

No thanks, Kevin, I don't ride with strangers.

Crystal said to Kevin while making her way onto the trolley. Before the door could shut, he hollered out loud, I'm not a stranger!

When the trolley pulled off, he could see her smiling at him through the light-tinted window as he watched the trolley ride away while Crystal continued staring through the window.

He got in his car and turned the ignition before lighting a cigarette and stepping on the gas. When he made a stop at the first light, he remembered to write Crystal's phone number on a piece of paper, so he quickly popped open the glove compartment and grabbed a pen and wrote down the number on an unused paper napkin that was lying on the front passenger's seat.

As he was driving, he realized the changes in the city. A certain type of change only comes once a year. He saw how the summer brought out the beauty of the city. A time of the year that everyone in the neighborhood looked forward to. He saw many girls walking on the avenue dressed more provocatively than usual, with cut-off jean shorts exposing their buttocks and backless shirts accentuating their shape. He saw little kids playing water games at opened fire hydrants with water spraying everywhere, which was the norm on very hot days. As he drove by, he made sure to roll his car windows up so that the water wouldn't purposely sprinkle in his car from kids playing.

After driving by, he rolled the car windows back down to enjoy the lovely sun beaming on his body. He saw people wiping down their cars and cleaning their rims. The streets were so noisy from motorcyclists and four-wheel drivers carelessly gunning through the traffic, running lights with no protective gear. He saw boys and girls walking out of the athletic stores with shopping bags in their hands.

He tried making a turn through certain blocks, but he realized that some of the blocks were cut off with a long rope that was tied to two garbage cans on both corners of the block with parked cars in front of the garbage cans—a sure sign of a block party or street cleanup.

Out of everything he had seen, nothing had made his day better than seeing a smile on Crystal's pretty face. He turned on the radio to his favorite station Power 99 FM and heard the station playing the annual theme song that officiated the start of the summer in Philly, Summertime, by two of Philadelphia's biggest artists, Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff.

Kevin pulled up on his block and realized that his father's car wasn't parked in front of the house, which meant his father was still at work and he would have the house all to himself for a few hours. When he got out of his car, he saw a black BMW pull up near him with smoke-tinted windows. He saw the twenty-inch rims glistening with the earth-quaking sound of the bass system. When the driver rolled down his window, Kevin saw a cloud of smoke floating out of the car. He realized it was Snap behind the wheel.

What's goin' on, Snap? Kevin asked.

Hey, baby boy, what's the deal! Snap responded as Kevin began walking up to the car. When he approached the car, he rested his arms on the hood while leaning through the car window to shake Snap's hand.

This is nice, man. Is this you? Kevin asked.

Yeah, man, it's that time of the weather, you know I like the nicest things, you dig me?

No doubt!

Yo, Ali got knocked last night, man! Snap said.

Get the fuck outa here! For what?

They ran up in his crib ‘n' found guns, drugs, ‘n' a vest. I heard it was ATF work. They must have been watchin' their crib for a minute! Snap said.

Damn, man! That's fucked up! Ain't no gettin' off that one, Kevin said surprisingly while trying to process what he just found out.

Hell nah, Feds might pick that up. He's gonna be down for a while, so you be careful out here, baby, 'cause it's summertime now, and shit about to get hot! Snap said.

Yeah, I know, Kevin responded.

Snap turned the music volume back up and shook Kevin's hand again before driving away.

Kevin walked inside his house and looked at the clock on the wall. He saw that it was only four o'clock in the afternoon, and he knew that his father wouldn't be home until eight, which was just enough time for him to get into some things. He picked up the telephone to page Akeem. While waiting for his call, he pulled out a dime bag of marijuana and began looking around the house for a cigar to roll up the marijuana with. He began thinking of what Snap had told him about Ali, and he could not imagine that someone like a brother to him would be incarcerated for a very long time.

While he was rolling up the marijuana, he heard the telephone ring. It was Akeem. Kevin told Akeem to come over with a couple of girls so that they would be entertained since he had the house to himself. He also told Akeem about Ali's situation, but a boy named Gary had already told him about Ali's situation. Akeem made it clear to Kevin that he would arrive in an hour before hanging up the telephone.

Akeem was on the corner of 56th Street, hustling on this summer day. That was his usual hangout, which was why he missed school last month. He sometimes hung up in bars to avoid being noticeable to the police. He kept a Glock automatic pistol in his car or hidden in the alley somewhere nearby. He bought the gun from one of Gutta's workers.

When Akeem was broke, Gutta would front him an ounce of cocaine. He would take the drugs to Ali's house to get it cooked up, but as for now, Ali was no longer around, so the thought of him changing his plans shook him as shook because he had little experience in cooking up coke. After Akeem made money, he always paid Gutta for the ounce cost and bought more drugs from him.

A lot of people were on the avenue on this beautiful summer day. Akeem would flirt with the girls whenever they walked by. He would smack them on the butt and talk flirtatiously while smoking marijuana with other boys that he sold drugs around.

There were mainly two boys with whom he hung on the corner—Gary and Mike. They had all grown up around each other, but Gary and Mike were closer and together most of the time. They were known as the sources of the streets. There wasn't a murder, robbery, or anything that dealt with street life that they weren't aware of. They even knew what went on inside the prisons. This was why Akeem liked having them around even though he didn't trust them. They were known as shiesty individuals, especially Mike.

They were selling drugs for a guy named Manny, who was Gutta's, right-hand man. Manny had most of the young boys selling drugs for him and Gutta. Manny would be the one to collect the money from the young dealers. He did not get along with Akeem because a few weeks back, he fronted Akeem a pound of marijuana, but Akeem never paid him back a dime. Manny did not want to lay a finger on Akeem because of his sister, Gina. She ended up paying Manny back personally.

Damn, it's ninety degrees out this bitch! Who got half on another bag? As a matter of fact, who got half on a dub sack! Gary asked.

I got it, man! But you gotta get it from up North, cousin! Akeem said.

Of course, man! I know where to cop from! You ain't gotta tell me where to cop from! Gary said.

You gotta hurry up, man. I gotta bounce in a lil' minute, Akeem told Gary while handing him a ten-dollar bill.

I'm a take the expressway instead of Broad Street, Gary said to Akeem as he made his way to his car and left Akeem with Mike. They were now the only two boys left on the corner.

Yo, wassup with that nigga Butta? I ain't seen him around, Akeem asked.

You ain't hear?

Hear what?

They said Russel shot that nigga, Mike said.

What! You serious? Akeem was stunned by the news.

Man, I heard about that shit like a few days ago, Mike said.

Why he shot Butta?

I heard he got caught fuckin' Tosha.

His baby mom, Tosha? Akeem asked.

Yeah, big-butt Tosha! He shot my man over that freak bitch! That's some fucked up shit, cuz! Akeem said while turning his head away from Mike.

"Yeah, that's fucked up! Russel's on State Road right now, ‘n' Butta's down University