The two young men walk up to one another and give each other a dap that leads into a quick hug.
"What's good Tay sorry for running a little late had to deal with ma you know how that goes. Yeah I bet but luckily for the both of us the customers running a little late to but I just texted him he'll be here any moment now. Oh black by the way you got them zips with you right? Yeah I got em"
Malcolm quickly shows the small bags marijuana he has in his bag then hands them over to Tay.
The two then settle in waiting for the while with the night sky hovering above like a great looming shadow.Tay looks over Malcolm twice over without Malcolm noticing. Malcolm tried to look composed like he normally does my Tay is able to see beyond the surface and could sense something was wrong,however he couldn't quite put his finger on it. They haven't known each other since elementary school for nothing after all.
"So Tay you sure this nigga gonna be straight man cause you usually don't deal with folk we don't know already?"
"Black relax we both know this client rather well you'll see when he gets here.We gone get this shit out the way quick while we both get some good money to."
Malcolm sighs then stands ready for any mishaps to occur. Meanwhile Tay stands on the surface relaxed compared to Malcolm's pensiveness.
After a couple more minutes a car pulls up to the street the two are standing on. The driver then exits out the vehicle wearing a black hoodie that covered his overall appearance. Yet Malcolm quickly recognized the figure.
"Isaiah? The hell you doing around here ain't you on probation nigga?" Malcolm questioned, bewildered at the presence of the aforementioned Isaiah.
Isaiah in Malcolm's opinion wasn't any kind of people he wanted to be around longer then what was tolerable. Which the bar for said tolerability is located underneath the underneath the lowest low one could measure. It a miracle what a shared schooling and neighborhood background could do to make polar opposites not attempt a first degree on sight.
"Oh black that yo ugly ass talking shit? Nigga you know how the fuck I get down but anywho where yo punk ass lil brother at. Heard he fought my cousin at they school,nigga tryna be like you now,all tough and shit but that ain't gonna change this ass beating he gonna get."
Isaiah mocked and talked arrogantly clearly trying to provoke a further conflict. Malcolm stayed silent.
"Isaiah you tryna cop this zip anyday of the week now?" Tay interjected swiftly.
"Yeah yeah nigga I was playing, ain't we always use to play like that Malcolm since we was kids?
"Them old days is long gone bro we grown men now or should be at least."
Malcolm sighed to himself then looked around the area they were in vigilantly. He intitialy felt a bit woozy from the incident earlier for with the amount of pain he felt,he should've past out a while ago, yet now he's recovered. However that's not all it feels as though his 5 senses are running on overdrive at this moment. Malcolm never had no exceptional physical qualities about him.
At best he had an above average eyesight 20/15 vision specifically. Yet now even through the darkness he could almost see clearly everything around them in detail as if he were right near wherever he looked.
He could smell so good now it almost made him want to cover his nose up because now all the nauseous oders of nearly the whole block they were on could be smelled all the stronger now.
"This. What is this?" Malcolm pondered quietly.
However he very soon came back to the current scene around him when he heard a car in the distance approach their location. There were three maybe four people in said vehicle and they sounded familiar. The kind of familiar that warranted Malcolm to interrupt the current deal happening and warn the two young men of the potential calamity.
The three scrambled for a moment before hiding themselves deep within an empty alleyway nearby. Where now they lay crouched, watching the street. Then sure enough a Black Lexus pulled up to their previous location. Two out of the four occupants get out of the Lexus and walk over to Isaiah's car. Malcolm could overhear they conversation they were having.
"Ey yo you sure that nigga was supposed to be here? Nigga we all saw him coming straight over here after he stopped by the gas station and this his car. Bitch ass nigga shot my cousin a while back I'll be damned if l let that shit ride!"
After hearing the men's conversation Malcolm gleaned just enough to know something at least. He quietly walks over to Isaiah and grips him tightly by the collar.
"So my nigga when were you gonna tell us you had some thug ass niggas hunting yo sorry ass down?
Oh now you wanna be mad,nigga shit happens sometimes you're gotta roll that dice in life to get the shit you want n-."
Isaiah mid whisper is interrupted by Malcolm giving him a death glare so cold he actually stopped himself from going on any further in his excuses.
"Both of you calm the fuck down for a second."
Tay chimed in with a quiet whisper.
"They should be starting to search the area soon enough, after all Isaiah's car is right there meaning they know at least he's close by and since they been plotting they probably know about me and you to black."
"So what's the plan then Tay since this nigga ain't no good?" Malcolm shoved and pushed the bemused and slightly amused Isaiah slightly in frustration.
"Im thinking we keep on the move in the meantime and stay close, we'll move a few blocks down and hide ourselves in a vacant apartment for a while till the heat dies down. But be ready though cause we probably can't keep quiet for long.What yall think,good plan?"
Malcolm nodes in the affirmative while Isaiah quietly watches the opposition starting to search the area.
"Shit of a plan as any but let's go now while we still in hiding."
Isaiah pulls out a glock pistol,Malcolm and Tay do the same. From then on akin to a semi untrained swat unit they Bob and weave their way though the alleyways,dark streets, dodging fiends and the little beasts they come across. They alert the pursuers who then chase after the three,two on foot and two in the Lexus.
For all that is yet to be remembered and forgotten,it is indeed another day on planet earth for these young men,who live their lives on the edge by no choice of their own making. From the vast savanna of Serengeti,to the southern commonwealth's underground railroads and the Marronn communities of Saint-Domingue (modern day hati).
In many ways from history to the present it's all the same. From then till now there always lay three options for those at the bottom of mankind,fight,run or submit. Choose one and bear the consequences for decision you made and remember this good reader the choice is always in your hands. The deal is set and the hand given out may be a bad one,but persevere we must,Malcolm must, for what else do we have other then the stubborn will to press on moving forward.
Tay glances at Malcolm once more out of his peripheral vision. Questions he has on his mind yet knows now is not the time to ask.
Movement and voices could be heard behind them and yet the three young men press on not even glancing behind them. They hop up fences,charge through alleyways stirring up dogs who began barking and snapping. They briefly had to run headfirst through traffic, Isaiah who is in the rear of the trio nearly became roadkill but no regard is given to the near death experience for certain death was only just behind them. Tay in the lead violently tossed a man who got in his way to ask for lighter. Malcolm coming up right behind tossed a lighter he stole from the man back at home at the poor fellow. It's a bad world for the helpless.
"Hey black since you got super nigga hearing now,them hoe ass niggas getting any closer to us?" "Us!?"
Malcolm responses to to Isaiah's half mocking question in an exasperated tone in between breaths.
"Nigga if they get within sight I'll toss yo half baked black ass right to them,after all you're the one they're after!"
Before further argument could occur shots was fired and a car was screeching vary close to their location. The chase continued on until Tay finally stopped in front of a vacant apartment,the rest stopped in turn.
"Alright yall get in and hunker down! Whatever you say boss man.
Not now Isaiah!
Oh black shut your punk ass u-.
Both of you not now!"
Tay shut down the two's bickering and three quickly processed into the vacant apartment then board up the place. They lay in waiting silent as the night,overseeing the street through a window in an empty room they barred into.
Guns in hand they prepared for a early Independence day.
Malcolm listened into the distance. He could hear the chatter of the pursuers. They strolled by the vacant apartment in the Lexus. For a moment Malcolm's breathing stopped, Tay became as still as a monolith,even Isaiah grew a grim expression on his face. All three readied themselves for the worst outcome except luckily for them they avoided it for now as the Lexus drive off past them and into the distance. For a few minutes they remained silent.
"Hey yall I-I think we're good."
Malcolm stammered out. "Hott damn finally!" Isaiah slumped to the floor tired from the whole affair Tay did the same. Malcolm however wasn't tired in a physical sense more so mentally from all the stress induced. Yet still he layed on the floor beside the other two fellow young men. For a good amount of time nothing was said the silence spoke enough for the three. It was then that Malcolm began to chuckle, followed up by Isaiah and Tay.
The three chose in the end to run and it panned out well for them. Alive to run another day perhaps.