SubTerria

My first kiss

Me: So where do you guys wash off at? How do you all financially take care of yourselves? Where do you guys live? 

Sirius: Whoa, whoa. One question at a time justice the inquirer.

Me: -___________-

Rayan: We wash off at a nearby creek in the forest above us.

Me: Do you all wash with soap?

Craig: *sucks teeth* Yes justice we do. Just like any regular person but we try not to get the soap into water.

Me: So, do you use rags or loofas?

Zonnique: A little bit personal much?

Me: I’m sorry, I’m just curious.

Sirius: Actually I have an apartment downtown where I let the kids take turns using the shower there. 

Me: so what’s the point of washing up in the creek if you have an apartment downtown?

Sirius: the creek is much closer compared to walking distance.

Chres: you asked us how we take care of ourselves financially; well both me and rayan are living off of our dope money when we used to work for big Willy.

Rayan: Yep, we only used what we needed and saved a ton. We have our money in a credit union and every now and then we would make field trips to the local market in the upper city and buy dinner down here in the underground in the shopping district.

Bre: Same place we buy our clothes from. 

Zonnique: I also have some money from big willy that I have at a credit union.

Bahja: Me, bre, and kiloni live from food stamps.

Jacob: Yea, I’m the only one that has two jobs. One is in the upper city called The Varsity. You know the hotdog place?

Me: Um, I’ve never heard of that place but it sounds yummy.

Jacob: You like hotdogs?

Me: *shrugs* Yea who doesn’t?

Jacob: *smiles* well maybe I should take you there sometimes. I also work down in the underground selling clothes in one of the shops.

Me: Cool. Are the prices cheap down here?

Jacob: Not necessarily, but the renting space is, we just mark up the prices. The sellers have to make a living too you know.

Kiloni: Oh and the last question, you asked us where we live. Well multiple places but mostly down here.

Jacob: Yea, I live down here. 

Me: You don’t live with your parents?

Jacob: *shakes head* No, they have passed away unfortunately due to cancer or natural causes. With me being homeless I had to get a job well two to support and feed myself.

Me: Oh I’m sorry for your loss. What about your other relatives?

Jacob: What about them?

Me: You didn’t go live with them?

Jacob: Nah. They live down in Florida and I didn’t have enough money to travel. Besides I like here.

Rayan: Well for me I have both my parents but they didn’t pay attention to me because I was the oldest and their only concerns were to make sure that the youngest were taken care of. I felt neglected and jealous that I ran away and never looked back. I wanted to belong somewhere until I met chres. He was in a similar situation. He was a newbie in one of big Willie’s gang and since I didn’t have any friends I thought why not join them. Before I joined the gang I had to let chres and his buddies jump me. They had to beat me up, stomp me, kicked me and punched me. I received bruises and scars. That shit hurt so bad that it was worth it. I made blood brothers with all those niggas until one day there was a drive by where we were selling dope. That was another one of my assignments as a new member. Some guy in a black van (probably one of big Willie’s goons) had shot of some of my brothers which left me sad and heartbroken. Chres was with me and he was saddened too. In the end we basically decided to live down here and stopped working for him.