|
|
In his own backyard, Case lifts up a Newport cigarette until his mom rushed through the gate telling him to put it all down and enter the house. As Case faces his mom, all he can think about is his mom's smoking habits and problems. "Drop that and get inside of the house now," yelled Case's mom, pointing her fingers at Case. "I'm tired of you. I wish uncle Eddy was here, so I don't have to worry about everything," screamed Case, still holding the box of cigarettes. Refusing to listen by reminding her about the past problems, Case runs the opposite way of his mom and his mom follows screaming in anger, hopeless and frustrated. Without looking back, Case jumps over the backyard fence, running across the driveway and onto the streets where he sees a car started up with the door open and no one in it. It was the neighbor's car. Looking back as his mom curses him to leave, all Case can think about is leaving the block. So without looking at the neighbor on the step's, he run's into the car and drives three blocks down. Getting out of the car, Case run's down to the next block to sit and contemplate his life in the park, where he meet's his best friend Shawn. Shawn greets Case as always with their own hand shake. "What's up with you Case? You look like a person that would be FBI's most wanted fugitive, looking at me with that face." said Shawn. "No, it's my mom. I finally got away. Away from home," said Case, looking at Shawn in a worried way. "I know, I can tell and I can't believe it, but now your like me," said Shawn, reaching for the box of New Ports that Case holds. Giving Shawn the box, Case couldn't believe that his life was at the same position Shawn was stationed in for the last three years. Shawn lick's his finger's to remind Case the childhood day's buying candy everyday in the nearest liquor store. "You still do that?" asked Case "Got to remember how we was," responded Shawn. But all Case can think about is his family and how it would be if his dad was alive. Case's dad was a hustler. Case couldn't bare to think of him ever since he died when he was only 7. "You know my father is stupid. If he was--" "Man, quit blaming your pops, you don't even know the damn fool." After a week, Case and Shawn walks swiftly out their own apartment that they have started living in a few days before. Every day was a restless and reckless one, where Case and Shawn would rob cars for a well known bank robber nicknamed Clyde. Pocket's were filled with money and ankles was strapped with money and knives incase of a night full of a big whirlwind. But on an early day, Case walks by himself to the liquor store to buy two pair's of cheap liquor for himself and Shawn. Tightening his fists as a truck passes by, Case notices an elderly teacher laughing with his students until he hears his name being called from Shawn and accidentally drops 2 out of the 4 bottles he had purchased. "Are you serious? I'm getting those bottles you have at your other hands then," said Shawn, laughing hard. "Take a look at that teacher. You know I always wanted to teach kids some stuff." said Case. Before Shawn questions him, Case says, "I'm serious. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a teacher." Claiming the two bottles left in Case's hands, Shawn walk's towards Case and still Case responds with a question of changing his, as well as Shawn's lifestyle, into teaching. Shawn laughs sarcastically then stops unexpectedly, looking fast with Case to a young teenage boy, seeing him cursing at his dad. With an imperious looking face, Case looks at Shawn and Shawn looks back tapping his shoulder to show him every thing will be all right. Being on their way to Clyde's house, Case can think nothing else but to help little kid's go through life. "Damn though. Every where I go, all I can see is my little cousin Curtis poppin' up in my face," said Case. "He was just a wannabe thug. Its not like he was real," said Shawn, sipping on his liquor. "You know if he ever learned anything, it would probably be about his mom. "Yeah. But its weird, because when I reached out like I did for him, he just ignored it, acting like I wasn't teaching him any thing," said Case "You know he couldn't see what you were saying. I mean face it, you still hustle, so how can he understand you. I'm just saying you can't tell no one not to hustle when you hustle," said Shawn as Case looks down and picks up an old school brochure of his old elementary school. Case said "Yeah your right, I shouldn't--" "Hold up. Be quiet, you know we have to watch out for Clyde to give us the signal," Responded Shawn. "This block is a trip too. Wait. Is this Amstreet Blvd.? "Yeah homey! This is Amstreet Blvd., so we should be on our way to Clyde's." "No, this is L Block, we got to--" "I assure your broke ass, that this is Amstreet Blvd.," said Case. "Don't you remember that green house by the park? That's how you know if this is Amstreet Blvd." "Oh my bad." They drive closer to Clyde's house. "and this should be Clyde's pad, right?" Case looks at Shawn in a weird way. "Yeah. Them cheap ass liquor got to you, huh?" said Case laughing as Shawn looks closer to the road and says nothing to Case. As Shawn was parking in Clyde's driveway, Clyde himself hurry's out to tell Shawn that their has been a new Mercedes' Benz parked downtown in the Holiday Hotel. Without saying a word, Shawn reverses his car out the driveway. Case stares across the street at some kids laughing with each other in his rearview mirror. Without saying a word on their way to the hotel, they spot the car parked near the place with a man leaning on it with no one around. Assuming it's the owner of the car, Shawn looks for a surveillance camera and spots it on the left streetlight. Case hops out without speaking a word to Shawn and walk's smoothly with a hat to the unknown stranger. After double parking by the Benz, Shawn hops out and breaks into the car. The man look's back in shock. The man said "Hey! What are you guy's--" "Slow your role and pay attention," said Case, coming from behind with his hand over the victims mouth. Slammed to the ground, the victim could feel Case tying his hands. Shawn goes off with the Benz and Case hops quickly in the car he and Shawn had come in and left with no trace, leaving the unknown man alone outside of the hotel parking lot. Assuming that Case will follow him back to Clyde's house, Shawn looks in his rear view and finds that Case was not behind him. "I'm about to bug out if I see another kid in my shoes," said Case driving the car to the nearest elementary school. Case whispers to himself as he sits in front of the school, on the steps. "Damn, I got to get it together. "Can I help?" Said a voice and Case looks up to find his old 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Deans. "Hey. Long time no see," said Case. "Yeah it has been a while huh? I can still remember that day you hit me when I told you to be quiet, remember?" . "Yeah Those days," said Case, looking up to the moon. Mrs. Deans hugs Case and looks at him. "I can still recognize you. Even after all these years, you were always on my mind." "I'm sorry about all of the dirt I threw around here. Its just that I couldn't help it. Hanging with the big boys, trying to be like my cousins. It just felt like I was born to get out of school. Like school was a big waste of time." "You know I was surprised when you left. I thought I can change you." Case looks at Mrs. Deans with wide open eyes. "Yeah its true. And I still haven't come across to meet a student that was once like you." "Wow," added Case looking back at the moon. "Is something bothering you?" "Yeah. I can't seem to figure out what to make out of myself. Its like I have to do something I don't want to, to get respect. I want respect on the opposite side though. I mean I ran away from my mom. Hell, I can't teach her nothing but to get angrier," Said Case looking back at Mrs. Deans. "I want to do something that you have tried to do to me." "You want to teach?" "Yes." Mrs. Deans looks at Case in shock. "But I don't want to let my boy Shawn down" "Yes, Shawn. The boy who would always cover for you when you came late from the store." "You knew I went to the store?" "I had to find out once in a while." "But Shawn?
|
