Trey's Story - Family over Everything

Trey's Story - Chapter 5(Books or Boots)

And just like that, I made a decision this day that the hood, the streets, the gangs and the comfort of living behind those fences was the life I felt more comfortable with than actually going on and trying to live a better life. The fences won, they succeeded in their mission. They were not built to keep other people out, but to keep the hood in. I chose to stay in. I chose the known comforts of the zoo.

That decision became more than just choosing to live in the hood. It was choosing to be hood. I felt freed from the dreams and thoughts of my dad that dad and free to go full speed ahead with my destiny, my heritage, running the streets with my brothers.

But, the thing about the hood, though most of us feel more comfortable in the hood, the dudes in the hood also recognize those that deserve better and got an opportunity to get out the hood. That was my issue.

I am sitting on the couch, kind of rejoicing in the freedom I felt from the decision I made when Fatman came in the house.

"What up Fat" I said to him. But his demeanor seemed a little different from the moment he stepped in the door. It wasn't that look you have in your eyes when you get to the comforts of home, it was a look of anger and disappointment.

"Nigga, what the fuck is wrong with you" he said to me. I was looking perplexed like what on earth is he talking about. I knew I had not done anything crazy that day or gotten into any mess. I was caught off guard and didn't know where this was coming from.

"Man, what are you talking about" I shot back at him. He just looked at me and he shook his head. "What" I repeated to him, seriously questioning what he was talking about. Had somebody accused me of something I had not done. My mind was racing.

"Nigga, this ain't you. Why the fuck you still here?" he said to me in an aggressive manner as if this was about to turn physical. Now I was racking my brain, was I supposed to be somewhere and forgot, what is this dude talking about. "What you talking about" I said to him with a confused and perplexed tone.

"This man walked up in this house and gave you a free pass out of this shit, and you said no!!!" he yelled. "Nigga you got a chance to be bigger than this hood and to be something more than another nigga in these streets, you ain't hood bro. Stop trying to be something you not and get your shit and get the fuck out" he said to me with the anger growing in his voice.

Now I am standing, because him questioning who I am is considered disrespect in the streets. How dare he tell me that I ain't hood. I was raised in the same house he was raised in; how dare he think he is better than me.

"Nigga I got the same blood you got in you, we just niggas born and raised to bang, run the streets and keep it real inside these fences" I told him as I was getting angry with him questioning me. I began walking up on him as if I was going to try him. I was usually bigger and more intimidating than most, but this was my brother, he wasn't much smaller than me and he surely was not intimidated.

"Naw nigga" he said. "I was born and raised to bang and run these streets" he said to me while giving me a hard two hand shove to my chest.

"Bro, don't put your fucking hands on me" I said to him with my chest all out like I was about to try him.

"Or what young nigga, what you going to do about it. I just told your ass these streets ain't for you" as he pushed me again.

That was just too much, the disrespect had gone too far. I felt rage overtaking me and disrespect for me like I had never felt. I had never gotten into a real fight with any of my brothers and sisters, not one where you really trying to go at each other. But this was about to be the first.