Gunz and Books book 2

Gunz and books is a raw and uncut look at urban life set on a HBU campus.

GUNZ 

and BOOKS

(Book 2)

 



Tariq Muhammad



Copyright © 2016 by Tariq Muhammad

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by 

Tariq Publishing phoenix

For information to receive permission to reproduce selections from this book, email to requests to, [email protected]

For personal contact, pictures and videos information follow on

instagram @Gunz_and_books

Muhammad, Tariq

Gunz and Books/ by Tariq Muhammad

Gunz and Books is a work of fiction.  The names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Printed in the United States of America

GUNZ and BOOKS

“YO THEY BEHIND US KARRIEM!” 

Karriem makes a sharp right turn. 

His tires screech. 

He accidentally hits the sidewalk.

“OH S**T YO!” Cairo says. There’s suddenly a short pause of silence. “S**t my n***a, there’s another one behind us!” 

“F**K!” says Karriem as he looks into his rearview mirror.

Maniac turns his head and looks out the back window, and then turns back to Karriem “YO HURRY UP KARRIEM!” he says loudly. Maniac’s trademark bandana accented his brown complexion and diminutive frame. Originally from Brooklyn, he spent some time in south LA. He was from a notorious gang called the crips, and a former student of the black college; but he’d been kicked out.

Karriem pushes the car to 75 mph. 

His heart starts to beat fast. His forehead starts to sweat! 

Five hours earlier

Karriem looks over to Daego. “Yo you let dat n***a Jax know?” 

“Nah bruh, I, I, I be-e-e-e-n sitting on the porch blowin bruh,” says Daego.

“I’m finna go get this n***a Jax” says Karriem.

Jax was one of Karriem’s roommates in student housing, which was a little more than rundown housing and former halfway houses for ex-cons. The housing always smelled like marijuana and filled with thumping speakers and loud conversations. 

“Jax, u see dat s**t outside next door my n***a?” 

“Na-a-a-a-a-a-h, wadup though?” 

Jax and Karriem walk outside to see the incident.

“Wha-a-a-a-a-a-t? What the f**k happened?” 

Daego tries to relay the story. “Look bruh, I, I, I, I-I-I-I was sitting on the porch b-b-blowin’ right bruh, a-a-a-a-and I seen this n***a choke her first shawty. He-he was like ‘what the fuk sha-a-a-wty!’ loud as hell right bruh. And-and a-a-a-a-a-n-n-nd then he-he threw her down bruh. Then he picked up a big-a*s boulder shawty and dropped it on her s**t bruh. I was like, da-a-a-a-a-m-m-m-n bruh! Then he took off and she ain’t get up s-s-since. She tried to raise her hand up and ask for help, but, but she gave up.”

A car pulls up.

“Yo who dat?” says Karriem. 

“That’s Maniac and his girl,” says Jax.  

“KARRIEM WAZ BANGIN!"  "JAX, WADUP!”

“Yo n***a, you don’t see that s**t next door? Cuz wtf? Bruh, she got fuk’d up bruh. You saw dat s**t yo?” 

“Yeah bruh, I saw the whole s**t bruh.”

“Well if u saw dat s**t, why u ain’t stop it den cuz? You ain’t got the pistol on you?” 

“Nah bruh, I-I-I ain’t got nothing on me. I was just smokin bruh, and next thing u know, I saw her get choked out bruh.” 

“Cuz, if u had the pistol, you could have just went to dat n***a, put the pistol in his face, and been like�"�"” Maniac pulls a 9mm out of his waistband and looks at Daego. “U WANNA CHOKE FEMALES? HU? U WANNA CHOKE FEMALES! WITH THE PISTOL RIGHT IN HIS FUKIN’ FACE! BET U HE WOULD HAVE STOP DAT S**T RIGHT THERE YO!”

He turns and walks off with his girlfriend. 

“Yo where u finna go?” says karriem.

“The f**k away from here cuz. The cops are finna be here any minute yo; and wherever they are, I can’t be.”

Karriem, Jax, and Daego look down and pause for a brief moment.

“He right. We probably need to get the f**k up outta here and post up somewhere.”

“Ye-e-e-a-a-a-a-a-h, tr-r-u-u-u-e-e.”

Another one of Karriem’s roommates comes out, Vince.  

“Wadup n***a?” says Karriem.

Vince was not overly tall, average height in comparison to the others, with a dark complexion. Even though he had dropped out of college, he managed to be a very competent hacker. He’d made his way from the ‘burbs of NorCal.

“You see that?” says Karriem. 

“Oh wow. Yeah, not a good look there. Let me go ahead and call 911.”

“You gonna call the police for real?” 

“Well yea, I mean, c’mon, U don’t want a dead body just laying in your backyard do u?” Vince laughs and shakes his head.

Jax looks at Karriem. “Bruh, we gotta go bruh!” 

They make their way to Cash and Carlton's crib. 

When they arrive, they see Cash sitting in the dark with a gun in his hand.

“Damn n***a, you sittin’ in the dark with the pistol out? what the fuk?”

“HEY!  I CANT PAY MY F****N’ LIGHT BILL!” 

“Whateva n***a. You heard about why we here right?”

Cash nods. 

“You done with classes?” ask Carlton.

Karriem shook his head. “Na-a-h, I got one more in an hour. I’m tryna to get high before I go though. You got the weed?” 

“Yeah, I ain’t got no swisher though bruh,” says Daego.

“Don’t nobody got a blunt? Y’all n****s man.” Karriem shakes his head. “F**k it, let’s go to the stoe.”

Karriem and Daego walk to the nearest corner store and as they approach the store, they notice Boonie walking inside. Once they enter the store, they notice Boonie talking to someone at the checkout. 

“O-o-o-h-h s**t bruh. S**t bruh! Bruh, that’s the n***a shawty,” Daego says in a low voice.

“What you mean?” 

“Bruh, that’s the n***a I saw bruh.” 

Daego was referring to the person he saw kill the hooker. He was a tall, wide, and chubby with a dark-brown complexion; a very ruff beard covered his face and a big gray hoodie hid his features. 

“That’s him? N***a that’s Purpman.” Karriem says.

“Who?” says Daego. 

“Purpman n***a. That’s the n***a we all go to for the grapes.” 

“Real talk bruh, that, tha-a-a-a-a-t’s the n***a I saw bruh.”

Karriem and Daego then notice Boonie pull out a long pack of cocaine and slam it on the counter while he talks to the killer. The killer quickly grabs the pack and puts a large amount of cash on the counter for Boonie.

The store clerk looks at Boonie. “Hey, no! You can’t do that here!” 

Boonie quickly grabs the cash and counts it. He then slaps hands with the killer; and the killer quickly walks out the store, nodding his head at Karriem before he leaves. Boonie proceeds to walk out after him.

Daego grabs a cigar.

Once they return, Daego starts to tell everybody what just happened as they are smoking. Karriem suddenly realizes that he is late for his business class. “Yo I gotta head out though.” 

“You got class?” 

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know why you headed to class anyway n***a. Business majors don’t know s**t!” says Cash. 

“What? F**k you n***a! That’s why you can’t pay yo light bill now n***a! Cuz you don’t know business! Better light a candle in dis b***h ‘ole sittin’ in tha dark a*s n****s!” says Karriem. 

“Yeah a-i-i-ght, says the n***a with the dead hooker in his backyard!” says Cash.

“Man f**k y’all n****s! When y’all gone head back?” 

“Probably about an hour or so. Why wassup?” says Jax.

“Fasho. Cuz I ain’t trying to go back until I know wassup.” says Karriem.

“Dont’ trip. Just call us. We’ll let you know if it’s koo bruh.” says Jax.

“Ai-i-ght fasho.”    

While in class, the professor talks to the class about business ethics and international business etiquette. She poses a question to one of the students named Mr. Boseman. Boseman was very popular and part of a fraternity at the college. He had become known as arrogant, selfish, and conceited. His affiliation with the fraternity afforded him special treatment. Standing at 6’4” with an athletic build, a dark complexion, and a wavy haircut, the suit he wore on seemed apropos given the question posed. 

“What would you do if you were the CEO of a large company overseas and one of the departments in your company was on the verge of shutting down? The country you’re in has a very high poverty rate. The only way you could save that department would be to close out one of your programs that you have to feed homeless families. Mr. Boseman, do you save your department and let the homeless go hungry? Or do you shut down that department and lay people off and keep the homeless program open?”

“I would save the department and my employees. I don’t know those homeless people. I know my employees.”

“But Mr. Boseman, all of those homeless people will go hungry.”

“I don’t owe the homeless anything!”

“But their children may go hungry, Mr. Boseman.”

“WELL THATS NOT MY PROBLEM!”

“That’s what happens when you sell your soul and work for Wall Street.” another student randomly yells out.

Boseman clears his throat and accidentally drops his pen.

“Sellout-a*s n***a.” another student says under his breath.  

“Alright! Quiz time everybody. Clear your desk.”

The class takes everything off their desk except for a pen. Karriem notices Boseman place his phone between his legs, deep in his crouch area so he can cheat. As they are taking the test, he notices the professor look at Mr. Boseman cheating, but doesn’t say anything. He also notices a few of the other students, who also happen to belong to the same fraternity and are wearing suit, cheating the same way as Mr. Boseman.

They are the first ones to finish the test.

As they are walking out the class, Mr. Boseman whispers beneath his breath: “That’s a damn shame.” He then nods his head from side to side as he laughs with the students who finished the test.

After the test, the professor pulls Karriem aside. “Karriem, it appears you have some business to take care of in the financial aid office. I suggest you make your way down there ASAP or I won’t be able to let you back in class.”

“I will get there tomorrow. They’re closed now, right?”

“That’s correct, they are. I want you to take care of this Karriem.”

“I will."

"Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

Karriem realizes he owes money to the financial aid office. “F**k!"  "these people want more money from me? Goddamn! S**t just killed my high!” He decides to smoke again. As he starts to make his way to the same corner store for another cigar, he leaves the campus through its gates. Karriem notices three guys around his age, one wearing a blue LA hat. He thinks to himself, them n****s look like they from LA and they’re wearing blue; I got on red.  

He continues walking past. 

And as he passes, the guy in the blue LA hat stares and calls out to him. “A homie! A! You from LA?”

Karriem looks back and nods. “Yeah. Why? U from LA?”  

“Yep. What part of LA you from?”

“South LA.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” says Karriem.

“You a Blood?” he says in a low voice as he squints his eyes.  

He sticks his face out to Karriem.  

“Nah, I don’t bang. Why, you a Crip?” says Karriem. 

“Homie I’m from every Crip hood in LA.”

“You know anybody from **s?”

“Nah, that’s Long Beach. I’m from LA.”

“Homie I’m from ** crip”

Karriem had some minor issues with this particular gang growing up in LA.

“You go to skoo here?” says Karriem. 

He looks Karriem up and down. “Na-a-h homie, I don’t go to no skoo.” 

“I just go to school here homie. That’s it.” 

The other looks at him with their face screwed up. “Oh A-i-i-ght.”  

Karriem continues on to the corner store to grab another cigar. After his business is concluded inside, he walks back down the same street toward the Crips. Part of him realizes that an altercation is possible. As he approaches them again, Karriem notices one of them reach under his shirt; it looks like he’s grabbing onto something. Karriem keeps walking toward them.

Suddenly, a black Altima pulls up behind Karriem.

The music thunders in the open air.

Karriem knows who it is immediately, and hops in quickly. It’s two of Karriem’s friends, Smoke and Rok. “Yo n***a wadup?” says Karriem. 

“Sup dog, where you comin’ from? says Smoke.

“Class and just gotta blunt.” says Karriem.

“You tryna smoke?” says Smoke 

“A n***a. I just ran into some n****s from ** crip” says Karriem. 

“What? Where?” says Rok. 

“Right there. Them n****s by that Monte Carlo.”

“Oh, oh, is that why you were so fast to hop in the car?” says Smoke.

Rok laughs loudly. “That n***a did hop in kinda fast though.”

“F**k y’all n****s!”

“How you know they were from **s?” says Rok.  

“I was walkin’ past them and he was like, you from LA? I was like, yeah, you? He was like, yeah, he was like what part? South LA. Then he was like, you a Blood? I told him nah, why, you a Crip? He was like, homie, I’m from every Crip hood in LA. Then he told me he was from **.” 

“Then what you say?” 

“I was like, f**k, you know a n***a had problems with them way back when.” 

“Yeah I know. You told me.” says Rok.

“I just told him I go to school here and kept walkin’. And that was it.”

“And you was on your way back now?” says Rok.

“Yep.” 

“Why would you walk back past them n****s again if you knew they were Crips?” Smoke says. Smoke was originally from New Orleans and went to the same Black college as Rok and Karriem; he was also an aspiring and talented rapper who was very well connected in the music business. 

Smoke and Karriem were always arguing. 

Karriem and Rok look at each other and shake their heads.

“N***a shut yo dumb, Southern-hospitality, country-grammar a*s up n***a. This West-Coast gangsta s**t. You don’t know s**t about it with yo country a*s!” says karriem to smoke.

“N***a I’m not finna just not walk down the street because them n****s is posted there.”

“I know right.” says Rok as he shakes his head at Smoke. “Why you just didn’t tell them you knew Maniac? He from **s.” says Rok. 

“I know right? Guess it slipped my mind.” 

“Son, son, how you and maniac koo, but he a Crip?” says Smoke.

“Nah, it’s not about that though. He the plug for a lo-o-o-o-t of n****s. It’s like if a n***a come through with ten bricks, I’m not finna just not f**k with him because he from a different hood.” Rok says to Smoke. “Just let me know. I’ll walk down the street with you next time if you want me to Blood.” Rok says to Karriem. 

“You headed back to yo spot son?” says Smoke.

“Yeah, but holdup. I gotta call this n***a Vince. You know what happened right?”

“Yeah, I heard.”

“Yo Vince, waz happenin’? You at the spot?” Karriem is on the phone. “Aight, aight, fasho. I’m headed back now. Yeah we good.” Turning to Rok and Smoke, he continued. “He said the forensics team just left a few minutes ago. N***a said that the police acted like they ain’t even give a s**t.”

“Yeah that sound about right ya dig” says Smoke.

“Aight, well we finna drop you off though. Me and this n***a got some hoes to f**k with.” says Rok.

“Word? Why y’all n****s ain’t let me know?”

“N***a u got any money?”

“NOPE! BET THAT N***A DONT GOT NO MONEY SON!” Smoke says loudly.

“Nah he right. I don’t.” says Karriem. 

“We ‘bout to get a bottle and go to the club with these hoes. You could roll, but you gotta have bread my nigg.” says Rok.

“You gotta get yo money right homie.”

“You right. Just drop me back off. I’ll get at y’all n****s later.”

Smoke and Rok drop Karriem off. He then heads back to his place and sits on the porch to smoke a cigar of marijuana as he tries to figure out a legitimate way to make money. He knew he’d be kicked out of class if he couldn’t pay what was owed. Shaking his head slowly from side to side, he blows marijuana smoke out of his nose.

Boonie arrives, alleviating the mood somewhat.

“Wadup my n***a?”

“Wassup B?"

"N***a I need to make some money.” 

“My n***a you went to the Black college, how was you gettin’ money while you was up there? You was workin’? 

“Nah B, I would go back home to Chicago and sell crack for about a week and come back with some bread.”

“Word, how much u was getting’ though?” 

“I would make about 10 stacks B. It would hold me down for about a semester.”

A campus police car slowly drives past them, staring at Karriem and Boonie. Karriem puts his blunt out and gets off the porch, making his way back inside. As he walks back inside, he turns to Boonie. “I know him. He followed me one time.” 

“Yeah, he came around here one time.” says Boonie. 

The two friends notice the campus cop get on his cellphone while he stares at them.

“I’m ‘bout to go inside though.” says Karriem.

“Aight B.” 

Karriem walks in the house and into the kitchen area. He sees Maniac and Cairo sitting down quietly, pondering something. 

“Waz good my n***a?” 

“What y’all n****s on?” says Karriem. 

“We tryin’ to figure out how to hit this lik yo!” 

“Word? What’s the lik?”

“The computers in the classrooms yo.”

“Oh okay, yeah, I know some n****s who be comin’ up on them computers though.”

“Yeah, we just tryin’ to figure out how we gone get up there and back with all of them in our backpacks.” 

“Y’all ain’t got the whip?” 

“What? That piece of s**t sittin’ in the backyard?” says Cairo. 

“That s**t don’t work cuz.” says Maniac.

“Y’all n****s know I got the whip.” says Karriem. 

“That raggedy piece of s**t? I don’t ever see you drive that s**t cuz.” says Maniac.

“Yeah it work n***a. I don’t really drive it cuz I don’t be having no money, so I don’t go nowhere; plus, everything on campus anyway.” says Karriem.

“Word, So it do work then?” says Cairo. 

“Yeah my n***a, might need some gas, but that s**t push.”

Cairo and Maniac look at each other. 

“That’s straight son.” says Cairo to Maniac. 

Maniac looks at Karriem, squinting his eyes as he does so, and shakes his head. “Yeah, that should be straight.”

“Fasho. So when y’all trying to do this?” 

“We trying to do it now yo!” says Cairo.

Karriem stops and thinks to himself quickly. “F**k it. Fasho, let’s go!”

They walk out to the car.

Karriem pushes on the gas pedal to get his car to start.

“Yo you sure this s**t gone work yo? says Cairo. 

“N***a I got it. Don’t trip.”

The car starts. 

Karriem presses on the gas pedal some more. “See? Now let’s go n***a.” 

Maniac and Cairo hop in the car. They take the back streets until they get to the campus. Maniac sees a lady friend sitting out in front of the building they are trying to get into. “A-yo wadup!” 

She nods her head and replies in a low voice. “Wassup?” 

“Yo what you doin’ out here yo? says Maniac.

She turns her head away, and turns back. “I’m chillin’.” 

Maniac cracks a small smile. “Right. She’s on the lookout yo.”

“On the lookout?”  

“Yeah cuz, there some other n****s in there.” 

“F**k you mean some other n****s in there?” 

“I mean there some other n****s tryin’ to get the computers.” 

“Aw hell nah”

“It straight. Just pull over cuz. We gonna hop out.” 

Maniac and Cairo grab their backpacks.

“Just post up and meet us on the other side of the building and keep your cellphone on yo.” says Maniac. 

“Fasho, I got you.” 

About 20 mins later, they come out the building with their backpacks full. Maniac is acting like he is on his cellphone. Both of them have fitted caps low on their heads as they hop in the car. 

Karriem pulls off. “Waz good? Waz poppin’? Y’all n****s get anything?” 

“Yeah we good yo. Just drive off.” says Cairo.

“Fasho.” As Karriem is driving, he notices the campus police get behind him. “Damn my n***a! The campus police behind us!” 

“YO I GOT KIK'D OFF AND BANNED FROM CAMPUS KARRIEM! JUST DRIVE! ONCE YOU HIT MLK THEY LOOSE THEIR  JURISDICTION!”

“Word? says Karriem. 

“YEAH! AND THEY KNOW THAT! JUST GET TO MLK. ITS ONLY A FEW BLOCKS!” says Maniac. 

“Fasho, I got it!”  

Karriem makes a sharp right turn. 

His tires screech. He accidentally hits the sidewalk.

“Oh s**t yo!” Cairo says.

There’s suddenly a moment of silence.

“S**t my n***a! There’s another one behind us.” 

“F**K!” Karriem looks into his rearview.  

Maniac turns his head and looks in the back window. “YO HURRY UP KARRIEM!” 

Karriem slams on the gas pedal, speeding up to 75 mph in the neighborhood. His heart starts to beat fast; his forehead starts to sweat.

“Yo there’s MLK right there! Make a right when you get there.” says Cairo. 

Maniac looks out the back window; he laughs. “They slowed down.”

“They did?” says Karriem as he looks into his rearview mirror and sighs.

“Because they know they can’t go past MLK. Their jurisdiction ends there.”

Maniac collapses back in the back seat.

“Fasho, head back to the spot?” 

“You already know Yo! take the backstreets though son.” says Cairo.

“Fasho, just guide the way homie.”

They make their way back to the student housing and unload their bags.

“Yo, good s**t yo!” says Cairo to Karriem.  

“Hell yeah. So what y’all n****s get though?” 

“We got a few computers.”  

“Yo, put this s**t over your car cuz. Just for a few days.” says Maniac.

“Fasho.”

Maniac passes Karriem a car cover. “Just to help you lay low for minute feel me?”

“Yeah, straight up!” 

“I got you. I don’t ever drive that s**t anyway but I’m ‘bout to go do that right now.”

Maniac goes into a safety deposit box where he keeps drugs and cash. 

“Here, take this to yo.” Maniac passes Karriem $200. 

“Hell yeah, good lookin’. I needed this s**t! Yo I’m-a get at y’all n****s later. Good lookin’ out though.”   

“Cuz, where you ‘bout to go?” says Maniac. 

“’Bout to smoke the rest of this blunt. That n***a Rok and Smoke say they got some hoes and about to go to this function. I’m-a hit them up after.”

“Oh fasho, let ‘em know I’m trying to go to yo.” says Maniac.

“Hell yeah, I got you.”

Rok and Smoke pull up to pick up Karriem and Maniac.

“Wassup n***a? What happened to the hoes you said you had?” 

Rok smacks his lips. “Man, them hoes tried to play me for a sucka homie.” 

“What you mean?”

“Let’s just say I had to remind them hoes where I’m from Blood. Trying to get me to break bread on them and I barely know these hoes. Like b***h, I am not in the trickin’ business.” 

“Oh they tried to get u to trick on ‘em?”

“Hell yeah, we left them hoes with the quickness.”

“Y’all Cali n****s act so ignorant sometimes son” says Smoke.

“What you drinkin’ on Karriem? ENJ?” 

“Ole hood-a*s n***a.” 

“I hate this ole hood-a*s n***a son.” 

“Always drinkin’ that ENJ s**t!” says Smoke.

“Shut the f**k up! bougeo-a*s n***a! Soft-a*s, Smirnoff-wine-drinkin’-a*s n***a! Have a glass of wine and get the f**k off my dick n***a!” says Karriem to Smoke.

“You just like to trick on hoes n***a. That yo problem.” says Rok.

“Southern-a*s n****s be some trickin’-a*s n****s straight up!” Karriem says to Smoke.

Rok laughs. “Hell yeah n***a. These n****s do be trickin’ out here though.”

“But son, it ain’t trickin’ if you got it ya dig.” says Smoke. 

“No n***a, it ain’t trickin’ if she’s yours!” 

“Spendin’ all yo money on random hoes n***a. I save my money; I don’t save no hoe!” says Karriem.

Maniac laughs. “Real s**t though! Anyways, there’s a function supposed to be poppin’ down the street yo! My n***a Bonkerz workin’ the door tonight. We A1!” 

Without further conversation, they decide to head to the club. 

Once there, Smoke turns to Karriem. “Yo Karriem, go check it out son.” 

“I got you." says karriem.  

"Yo Just look for Bonkerz Yo.” says Maniac.

Karriem gets to the front of the club. He notices that it’s a costume party and sees Bonkerz working security at the front of the club. “Karriem waz good n***a? Waz poppin’ my nigg!” 

“What that s**t lookin’ like?  

“A-YO LET MY MAN KARRIEM GET THROUGH YO!” Bonkerz says to the crowded line.

“Where everyone else at yo?” 

“They in the whip. I’m tryna check this s**t out. S**t look crowded as hell.” 

“Yeah this s**t lit yo!” says Bonkerz. “Wheres Maniac?”

“He in the whip.” says Karriem.

“Word. Aight, you tryna get in?” 

“Yeah, let me check dis s**t out.”

“Aight, Aight, wait real quick.”

Bonkerz takes a few seconds to look around, and then quickly lets Karriem in. Karriem shakes Bonkerz’s hand and goes inside. “Damn, this s**t too crowded. I can’t even move in this muthafucka.”

He recognizes a few familiar faces from his school, one of which was the student from his business class earlier, Mr. Boseman. Karriem also notices the same guys he ran into from LA in the club as well. But his attention was on a group of women who were wearing maid outfits dancing provocatively on Mr. Boseman and some of his frat brothers.

Karriem leaves the club and goes back to the car. “Yo it’s hella crowded in there my n***a. I couldn’t even move in that b***h it was so crowded.”

“Word. Was there hella hoes in there?” says Rok. 

“Hell yeah my nigg. I seen these bad b*****s in these maid outfits getting’ it in n***a!”

“Yo dat s**t sound lit yo!” says Maniac.

“Straight up!” says Rok. 

“N***a that s**t was hella lit. It was just too damn crowded. That n***a Bonkerz said that s**t reached maximum capacity though.”

“That means they finna shut dat b***h down soon son” says Smoke. 

“Well you already know n***a. I’m-a parkin’-lot pimp this b***h! Watch, I’m-a find them hoes in those maid outfits and tell them to bust it open for a real n***a!” says Karriem. 

“N***a shut yo a*s up!” says Rok. 

Maniac laughs. “I f***s wit cuz.”

“F**k you n***a! Where my drank while you talkin’ s**t and killin’ my f****n’ vibe. I’m ‘bout to get on these hoes!”

“See just like I said. They shut that s**t down son.” says Smoke.

The club starts to let out and everyone starts to make their way to the parking lot.

Suddenly, a brawl breaks out.

“Damn! they jumpin’ that n***a?” Karriem says.

There are so many people surrounding the brawl that Karriem and his friends don’t notice who is who. A gunshot goes off. Pop! Some of the crowd ducks quickly, some scatter. The victim is wounded in the leg and starts to limp away as quickly as he can toward Karriem. There’s blood all over his jeans and he is on high alert, constantly looking over his shoulder and around him. The women in the maid outfits to which Karriem was referring start to help the victim limp away.

“He goin’ off all that adrenaline right now” says Rok.

As the victim starts to gets closer to Karriem and his friends, he realizes that the gunshot victim was Mr. Boseman. Karriem and Mr. Boseman make eye contact with each other for a brief moment.

The police sirens start to get closer. 

“Yo get in the whip n***a!” Rok says. 

As they drive off, they pass up where the incident took place. Karriem notices a blue LA hat left on the ground. He thinks about the guys from LA he ran into earlier. 

The next morning, Karriem wakes up for his Black Aesthetics class. "Goddamn, that s**t was crazy last night" he thinks as he shakes his head. Karriem looks at himself in the mirror. “Sunglasses and adville. Last night was mad real!” He then looks at the money he made the day before. Karriem smiles, grabs a pair of black sun glasses and starts walking to his class. 

The professor of this particular class was a Pan-Africanist. 

“Question: What do Malcom X, Martin Luther King, and Fred Hampton all have in common?” 

The class is silent for a brief moment. 

One student yells out. “They were all influential Black leaders.”

“Yes, that’s one. What else?”  

“They were all Black leaders who fought against injustices in the Black community.” 

“Yes! What else?” 

The class is silent for a brief moment again.

“Anyone?” 

Silence answered.

“How about they were all assassinated by the US government?”

Silence once more.

“Now, what does that say about Black leaders in this country who are influential in the Black community and who stand up against injustices in the Black community?” 

“They all are assassinated.” 

“Yes!”

“Or they are sent to jail!” 

“Any questions?” 

“What about Marcus Garvey?” 

“I heard he was deported, wasn’t he?” 

“That’s correct! But just because they deported him, doesn’t mean they didn’t try to assassinate him either. He was actually shot at, and I believe he was wounded as well. I’m not quite sure. Now, I was going to give you all a brief presentation about this subject matter, but it seems that the computer for this classroom, along with other computers from other classrooms, were stolen.”

The professor bows his head in slight disappointment.

“Well, when were they stolen?” a student asks. 

“I don’t know. It had to have been sometime yesterday evening because that’s when they were used last.”