CHAPTER 1
It's quiet, fiends aren't quite moving like they usually do for a Thursday night, but Live wasn't worried about it, he'd already tore their ass up earlier that afternoon. Basically he was just out there now to be out there, it is what it is. Wahlil was trying to finish his pack up then they'd probably go knock off a twelve, blow a tree or two, and talk shit. Live says, "How many you got left?" Exhaling the smoke from a cigarette Wahlil blows "five pieces, what's up?" Live tells Wahlil he might not have enough, because he sees Shauna coming down the block. "Damn sure is," Wahlil says "fucking with them white boys." Live looks at his boy "didn't she get knocked last week?" "Nah, that was that other chick, you know Shauna be on point with her shit." Looking at Shauna coming Live says "You right, but she always like bringing them white boys down the block with her, I keep telling her to leave their ass in the car or around the corner or some shit." Wahlil looks at her with the dude and tells Live "I'm not fucking with her." "Give me the shit, I got it don't worry about." Live looks at her and says, "Shauna you know better, tell your man to step." She tells the dude with her to go down the block and wait, then she says "Nah he cool he was locked up with my brother, he just came home today." Live cuts Shauna off "fuck that shit, how many?" Wahlil stares at Shauna then says "you always talking about somebody cool, and how they were locked up with your brother, stop that bullshit." Shauna only had one thing on her mind, and could care less about what either one of them were saying. "Let me get six," shaking his head no Live tells her "I only got five left." "Fuck," disappointed, Shauna says "let me get the five for forty, I'll just keep ten, he won't know fuck him. Laughing as he takes the paper from her Live asks "thought yaw was cool?" As she's handed the sacks Shauna replies "we're not that fucking cool." "Listen to this shit" Wahlil laughs with a dumb ass look on his face, then tells her "go on Shauna, get out of here with that shit." She puts the bags in her mouth and heads down the street in a hurry. Live passes the money to Wahlil, and they call it a night. "You know you buying the twelve, I grabbed the last one. Wahlil says "I got that." Then Live lights a cigarette and they dip off the block it's a wrap.
These two dudes been tight since grade school, and neither one of them were dummies which made it interesting to hear them talk. They would have debates about all kinds of shit, anything that they thought they might know a little bit about, they'd get into to it anyplace, anytime, it didn't make a difference if they were eating drinking or smoking it didn't matter, that was their thing.
Tonight's discussion is about rats and snitches. Wahlil hollers "Live, you crazy as a mutha fucka man. What the fuck you mean snitching isn't always snitching? Here you go with that bullshit." Live tells him to chill so he can explain it to him. "Trust me when I'm done you'll understand exactly what the fuck I'm talking about. Listen, you got two mutha fuckas they tighter than Nun pussy, they do a bank job together but get caught, if one of them flip that bitch nigga is a rat right?" Wahlil being cautious with question ponders it momentarily then answering says "you're right." Then Live proceeds with the scenario. "Now, on the other hand the same two dudes, go to a bank, one of them robs the bank while the other one sits in the car not knowing his boy is in there robbing the place, when dude comes out he hops in the whip and takes off, he still hasn't told his boy shit. The next thing you know, their in a high speed chase, then dude tells him he just robbed the bank, that's fucked up right? Wahlil knows Live is going to throw some shit in the game so he tells him "just keep going." Live continues "the dude that stayed in the car is mad as a mutha fucka, but his boy tells him after they get away he's going to split the money with him down the middle, long story short, dude that robbed the bank crashes, jumps out, starts running and gets the fuck away with the money, the other dude gets bagged because his door jammed up. He's looking at fifth teen to twenty easy; if he talks does that make him a snitch?" Without any delay Wahlil says. "You fucking right that make him a snitch, he shouldn't have got caught." Live says "Come on man he didn't know dude was going to do that shit." "I feel you but he's still a snitch, you know why, because if they'd gotten away he would've taken half that money and laughed about that shit." Live looks at Wahlil thinking about what he just said and has to agree "yeah, he'd be a rat bastard if he told, only because you're right he would've took that paper. But don't get it twisted some niggas wouldn't have went for that shit." Looking out of the corner of his eye Wahlil says "Live, you retarded man, I need to find somebody else to swing with, you suspect nigga. Live starts laughing "man fuck you." Wahlil yells "a snitch, is a snitch, is a snitch, is a mutha fucking snitch!" They both started falling the fuck out, as they finished off the last of the beer and the blunt.
Giving each other pounds and brotherly love hugs they parted ways for the night, Live was going home to his girl and Wahlil was living at his sisters house with her two boys Gerrell the baby and Cory the oldest. He had to keep his eye on his oldest nephew, who was always trying to steel his weed and a couple dollars, whenever he would come in and crash out. He knew if he told the boys mom she'd destroy his ass, plus that would make him a snitch, he chuckled at the thought. So the only thing he could do was laugh about it for the most part, because he use to do the same damn thing to his moms brother, Uncle June when he would come in the house drunk talking shit and pass out on the loveseat. Wahlil got a quick laugh at the memory, but immediately following got pissed off because somebody ate half his cheese steak. "Damn"
Niesha was a good looking woman, about 5'7 with a fat ass, and a beautiful face straight chocolate, she stayed sharp and was as cool as she wanted to be. She knew what it was with Live, after all it wasn't a secret that he hustled, but she also knew in her heart he was a good man, he never put his hands on her, he paid his end of the bills, spent time with their son Jabar, the little man and was an over all good dude, if she could just get him out of the fucking game they might be able to really have something one day. She worried about him, like any real woman would when they got a nigga on the block. She knew in her heart that if he ever got knocked she wouldn't wait and put her life on hold. As much as she would hate to she would have to leave him, and it would be nobody's fault but his own.
Live walks in the crib, "Neisha you sleep?" "What? Tevarus you know I have to get up and go to work in the morning." "What you cook?" "Nigga, you just walked in the house, pass the kitchen all the way upstairs to ask me what I cooked. Live don't start your shit, take your behind down stairs you know it's in the microwave, get on my damn nerves with that shit. Why you breathing so hard? You weren't running from the cops were you?" "Go back to sleep" Live says as he shuts the door to the bedroom. Before he gets it all the way shut he hears Niesha say "hurry up and get your ass in this bed."
He laughs under his breath knowing damn well he's dead wrong for waking her up like that. He only does it because he knows it really doesn't bother her, and she can't sleep good until he comes home anyway, he knows this that's why he tries not to stay out to late except for maybe one or twice a week. Before he goes down stairs to get something to eat he checks on his little man knocked out, holding his sponge bob, he laughs at his son holding his buddy, that's his little man and he loves him to death. Live doesn't want this life for his son or Niesha and knows that he needs to start making his exit from the game for good. The exiting part is fine but what the fuck would he be entering, the mere thought of working a 9 to 5 was damn near enough to make him say fuck getting something to eat and go back on the block tonight. He's wasn't a lazy dude, but the thought of making money for someone else while he lives from pay check to pay check just wasn't something that he thought he could handle, but he was going to have to do something fast.
The next morning they get up. "Damn Niesh, you did your thing with that fish that shit was banging baby, what we doing tonight?" "Tevarus you know tonight is girls night out, and I can't wait to get to the club to shake this ass," "yeah, you keep talking shit and you'll be shaking your ass in this house." Niesha laughs, Live wasn't worried about her going out, he knows he has a good girl and if she ever did fuck around it would probably be because he fucked up. "Well if you're going out I'm a go watch the fight over at the bar just call me when you on your way home you can pick me up." Little man walks in the room holding his sponge bob, rubbing his eyes. "What's up little man you alright?" His son nods his head, "Oh, you're not talking this morning I can fix that," Live starts tickling the shit out of him. Niesha says "you better hope he already went to the bathroom, because you going to make him pee his self". Little man says "I aint gonna pee myself mommy," she corrects him "I'mn ot going to pee myself mommy," aint and gonna aren'tw ords. Little man knows the drill and he repeats what his mom just said, she gives him a big hug then Live gets him ready for school.
Live came from a good home, he had his mom and his pop while he was growing up. The youngest of three, he had two older sisters both married with kids, his dad died about six years ago, Live often wishes he could've lived to see his grandson. His mother lived on the other side of town and would keep in touch when she wasn't traveling or running around. She is and always was a very independent woman, she don't take no shit, and would put a mutha fucka in their place quick fast. So needless to say Live didn't play no games with his mom. Even though she knew what he was into he made sure he kept it as low profile as possible.
After Niesha and little man got ready, Live watches them leave for the day, now it's time for him to get his self together. Today is Friday, and he's trying to get it in early, because the fights tonight and he's going to chill with his family on Saturday. He calls Wahlil. "You up?" On the other end Wahlil says "word I'm about to hit the block now, what's up with you?" "I'm on my way out the door," "that's what's up" Wahlil says, "I'll see you there."
Friday morning, the police are riding heavy, but the money is still coming typical cat and mouse game; it's in the job description.
Wahlil walks up, "what's good nigga? What you eating?" With a mouth full of food Live replies. "A swine egg and cheese," "Ill you nasty man keep on eating that shit," "fuck what you talking bout this shit is the shit," Live says taking another huge bite out of the sandwich. "I got one for you too," Wahlil says "mutha fucka I know you didn't get me no pig sandwich?" With a slightly serious look Live says, "Nah, you know I wouldn't do the pork thing to you. What you do last night when you got in the crib?" Wahlil pissed off all over again about half of his cheese steak missing says "shit, ate the rest of my sandwich and chilled, how bout you?" Putting his sandwich down and lighting a cigarette Live responds "same shit, fuck with my girl, you know, the regular." Taking a moment to check the block Wahlil says "Man, the police riding hard this morning, like they looking for a mutha fucka." "I feel you, they is thick this morning let's just chill for a minute and see what's going on." They finish eating and blow an early morning blunt, when Shauna walks up.
"Shauna, hold tight we trying to see what's good with Five O," Live says as he too starts to pay closer attention to the heavier than usual police presence. "Yaw niggas is late," Shauna tells them, "they got the side street off of fourth blocked off, found some nigga dead over there." "Word," Wahlil says looking towards fourth. Live hits Shauna off, then they both decide to check it out and see if they know who it is.
When they get over to fourth they holler at a couple heads they know, but nobody knows what's going on yet. They got the body sheeted up while the police do their investigation, and of course they're not talking, they're asking questions. One of the detectives noticed Live and Wahlil, and they noticed that he noticed them. As he's walking towards them Live says "man you know I don't like being around these cops like this" Wahlil tells Live to chill they're clean, and don't got shit to worry about. The detective calls Wahlil, "let me talk to you for minute." "What's going on Rollins?" Homicide head detective, Leroy Rollins grew up around the neighborhood he knew just about everybody and just about everybody knew him, he worked homicide, so unless dudes was getting murked around this end of town you really didn't see him much, and he wasn't the type of cop just to fuck with you, and believe it or not you could always hear rumors and stories about how he didn't fuck with the drug task force dept because they were some crooked mutha fuckas and would set a nigga up. He knew what everybody was into, but again if you weren't running around killing mutha fuckas he didn't give a fuck. He spoke to Live and asked how his mom was doing, and then he turned to Wahlil pulling him to the side and without any sugar coating he says to Wahlil "that's your dad under that sheet man. Somebody called it in about two hours ago and you already know, no ones talking and we don't have any witnesses." At that moment the conversation that Wahlil and Live had about snitching was all Wahlil could think about. It was a hard pill to swallow and the hood was the hood, there wasn't much shit that went on that at least one person didn't see, but the snitch policy was alive and well, and because of this Wahlil would not be surprised if they would never find out who killed his pop.
The best way to describe it is that Wahlil felt some type of way, but didn't understand the type of way he felt. His father was hardly around when he was growing up, but as he got older and entered manhood his father started checking for him. He was a street nigga, recovering dope fiend that traded the spike for the pipe, the only thing that changed is that he didn't do as much dumb shit as he used to, he still did his fare share, but for the lack of anything better to say he must've just got smarter at doing dumb shit.
Rollins asked all the usual questions like, when was the last time he'd seen his father alive. Did he have any immediate beefs that he was aware of? And last but not least he told Whalil "don't do no dummy shit, and if you find out anything call me, here's my card." Wahlil took his card, and slipped it in his back pocket, but Rollins knew dam well Wahlil wasn't calling shit, and depending upon how he feels when he finds out who did it, the mutha fucka might catch a couple bullets. It wasn't an issue of Wahlil being tore up over his father's death like they had the best relationship, but that was his pop just the same. It's strange how blood kicks in from time to time, and furthermore one of these mutha fuckas that he looks at every day all day knew what the fuck happen, but no bodies talking. Wahlil can't help but think to him self "maybe that snitch shit isn't the truth after all," and will definitely be rethinking his position on that shit. After the conversation interrogation with Rollins, they stepped back around the corner over to the spot.
