SWEET DOPE

By Melvin J Houston

 

What If You Really Are Your Brother's Keeper?

 

The Masons know what it means to struggle. Pat, a single mother of two boys,

struggles to keep her household together without any guidance or financial

support from

• Language: English
• Publisher: MELVIN HOUSTON
• Release date: Jun 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781639442560

Book preview

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To all my supporters who have built this imaginary bridge for me to cross to success, I’m truly thankful! I would also like to thank the individuals I’ve had the pleasure of knowing most of my life for allowing me to use their personalities to help me create and bring my story to life.

Your friend, your family, etc.,

Melvin James Houston aka Peanut aka Big Round

May God Bless!

Copyright © 2017 Melvin Houston

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This novel’s story and characters are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is entirely coincidental.

ISBN: 978-1-63944-255-3 (Paperback)

ISBN: 978-1-63944-256-0 (Ebook)

Sweet Dope

Gunshots are whistling through the streets, brothers hauling ass like it’s some kind of track meet. Brothers are in a deuce riding four deep. You better be packing, if you want to compete. I hear a woman scream, as she falls to her knees, Freddy’s been shot! Please somebody help me! Call the ambulance, please—they shot my baby! Freddy, please baby, don’t die on us. We need you, baby, don’t die!

Growing up in the hood, it’s hard to believe that back in the day it was different. I mean, my dad used to say, Boy, when I was growing up, all we did was fight. One thing about it, son, we were able to walk away. Hell! We might try it again another day. I guess a lot has changed since the words of wisdom that came from Big Time’s father.

Larry Mason, aka Big Time, is riding the streets of Roe City with his boy Willie, aka Mo Money. Big Time is also on the phone with his homegirl, Veronica.

Man, look over there, Willie Mo!

What, the—

Let me put this beer down. What’s really going on out here? Say, Veronica, baby girl, let me call you back later! I’m passing by the corner store and there are laws and people standing around everywhere.

What store, Larry?

The store, that is on Desiard Street, across from the Three Brothers club. I’m going to pull over at the carwash for a minute to see what’s up. I will check back with you later, OK?

Who you got with you, Larry? I hear someone in the background?

I got my boy Willie with me, aka, Mo Money!

Tell that crazy boy I said hey, Larry.

Say Willie, Veronica said, ‘What’s up?’

Hey, baby girl.

He so crazy! Tell him my girl Keisha asked about him. OK, I will.

Be careful out there, you two.

OK, bye!

Bye!

Damn, Willie, what you think happened over there? It looks like somebody got hurt or something. Let your window down, Willie.

Say, Big Time, I see Jr. is out here. I think he sees you; he is coming over here.

Say, Big Time!

Yeah! What’s the deal, Jr.?

Let me show you something.

Say, look here, Jr., what the hell be wrong with you? What?

Man, I told you time and time again about calling my name out loud like you lost your damn mind. Don’t you see these damn laws are out here? Me and you both know we don’t need them people fucking with us.

My bad man, damn!

OK, I see, I know why you so loud. You drinking that damn Thunderbird.

Damn right!

You talking about these laws are deep as hell. Damn, the state, city and sheriff department are out here. I see the news people are out here, too. I’m not trying to be on TV. I wonder what the hell happened out here.

I don’t know, Big. I just made it out here, too. I can ask TJ, aka ‘The DJ.’ I see him over there. I bet you he knows what happened.

Go ask him Jr. and see what he says.

Say, TJ, what’s the deal?

Man, that boy Freddy got shot.

What the fuck! You say little Fred? Willie, you heard that shit?

Yeah, that’s a trip that this happened to him, out of all people. Do they know who did it, TJ?

I don’t know; me and Duck was sitting here talking when, I saw him talking to some dudes standing on the other side of the store, in the trail. Then a few minutes later, we heard gunshots. Hell, I hid behind the dumpster and Duck ran in the store. Then I saw them get in a car and drive off. One of them Iranians in the store called the police. The news people asked me some questions. I told them I didn’t know those youngsters. Say, Jr., I’ll bet this on everything—they robbed him.

You might be right, TJ. Freddy always kept a wad of money on him. Here comes his brother, Chris, and his mama now. I know she is tripping out and his brother Chris is crazy as hell. I know he is going to find out who did it. He just did two years for beating the hell out of Rita for stealing his drugs, you know. You know he don’t give a fuck ’bout nothing.

Say, Jr.! Come over here a minute. I heard someone say Freddy’s name.

It was Freddy, Big Time.

Yes indeed, I see his brother Chris now, and isn’t that Freddy’s old lady? Man, this is some bullshit. These fools come in the hood and did this to one of ours. Pay back is a motherfucker. They didn’t have to kill Freddy. I told Freddy about messing with those fools he don’t really deal with.

Where you think they could be, Big Time?

I’m not sure if it was the same dudes or not. Freddy was talking about doing something with some dudes across the highway just the other day. I told him, leave them young cats alone and deal with the older dudes. Hell, just last week he was in Parkview, ‘The Bricks,’ and almost got caught up with them laws out there. His boy tried to run; they put the dogs on him but Freddy ran in somebody’s room. I told Freddy he was moving too fast and to slow his roll a little. I guess he got hooked up with some more young cats. He told me they had that good and for the low. Hell, I told him they keep that all day. I told Freddy I was good for now. I don’t deal with them at all on that level anymore. You see, if it’s not my cousin or my people from around the way, I don’t fool with you at all. I tried to deal with some of them fools when I first got in the game. They tried to play me, because I was new in the game. I said never again. If you weak you beat and if they smell blood in the water, it’s over. If I did anything, I’ll go to the old school dudes that I know from that East; you see, a lot of us grew up around each other. Most of them old heads went to Neville and Carroll with me. You know I got people on that East that is holding it down. But them youngsters, it don’t matter where they from. They will get you down bad if you out there bullshitting with them. They will make you go to the pen, behind some bullshit. Sometimes everything that looks and sounds good isn’t good. The grass might be greener on the other side but you still have to mow it.

I heard that shit. You know, whoever did it, they shot him in front of his old lady, too.

Kelly was there when it happened, too?

They say she was sitting in the car, waiting on him when she heard the shots. She just saw a car drive off and didn’t see Freddy at all until she went beside the store. Kelly then saw Freddy lying on the ground bleeding from the head and mouth. Big Time, these streets is not playing with you, homeboy.

"I know she is sick as hell. She got a little one by Freddy, too. Kelly and Freddy only had one child, if I’m not mistaken. I think her name is ‘Miracle.’ I believe she is about three months old. Say, Willie, put that cooler in the trunk for me. We don’t want to be pulled over with it