Inner City Cruise

By Lana Cohntranna

On a cool autumn day, they heard it: “I want to fly like an eagle to the sea, fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me …” It was America in the 1970s, and The Steve Miller Band echoed in bars and on street corners.

Told through the eyes of a young woman. Inner City Cruise is a cool step back to those nostalgic years. Days were breezy and fun. Overflowing with deep friendships, emotions, soul music rife with heavy bass and every thing was funky.

It was a time when things moved slower and the music brought everyone together. They sang the songs, popped their fingers, danced, and enjoyed the moments shared with family and friends. From the hippest trip to platform shoes, bellbottom jeans to afro picks, take a thrilling step back to yesteryear. Dance to the music of the moment while learning life lessons along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Feb 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665701723

Lana Cohntranna

Lana Cohntranna also known as Poo-Pie is an accomplished hair designer who grew up on Chicago’s west side. Her vibrant personality, quick wit, and crazy sense of humor have always drawn people in. That sense of humor and Lana’s love of music and the love from her husband gave her the determination to survive breast cancer.

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Copyright © 2021 Lana Cohntranna.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

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without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Archway Publishing

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ISBN: 978-1-6657-0171-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6657-0172-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021900849

Archway Publishing rev. date: 02/16/2021

Contents

My Crew

Uncle Charles

The Game

Best Friends

Being Suspended

Oh No He Didn’t

I’ll Always Love My Momma

Spring Affair

Last Dance

My Crew

I t was a cool Autumn day when we heard. I want to fly like and eagle to the sea, fly like and eagle let my spirit carry me. Fly Like an Eagle sang by The Steve Miller Band. We knew it was Marcus Stackhouse with his boombox. He came from the liquor store. He entered through the back door in NaShonnon’s mammas kitchen. A good-looking brother about nineteen or twenty a bit older than the rest of us kids. He looks younger than his age. He’s kinda small in stature but still on the cute side. He brought two bottles of Boone’s Farm wine with him. The wine was good, sweet, and cheap, but not that strong. My aunt Jaylene brought this game home from college called Faces. We would sit throughout the kitchen around the table to play the game Faces. (Each person makes a gesture with their hands near their face then makes another person’s face to pass the turn to the next person). Doing it to the beat of Herbie Handcock. The record player was in the frontroom. One of the speakers has a long cord that extends to the kitchen. Whoever couldn’t do it to the beat would have to take a drink of wine. The more people to play the easier it is to forget the different faces. It is a whole lot of fun and we can go on this way for a couple hours. Or Until someone gets stupid drunk or sick.

There was Shari, Earoll, Marcus, Barry, James my good friend Sunnyboy, my best friend NaShonn and Me. The game was going round and round, then there was a knock at the door. It was Carey a guy I’m kinda seeing. Shari let him in. He looks around the kitchen and sees all the guys and assumes I must be with one of them. Just standing there in the kitchen on the worn part of the linoleum. Carey stares at me with the wicked eye, says in a stern voice. I want to talk to you. Trying ridiculously hard to look like he’s upset and showing his jealousy. He waves his hand gesturing come over here. Well I’m not the kinda girl you talk to like that, besides these are my friends. I ignore that command and say to him come in we are playing Faces.

He had no idea what I was talking about. He had never played Faces before. He lives on the other side of Madison. We start the record again then begin the game again. Sunnyboy misses and must drink the cup of wine that has been pre-poured. Instead he takes the whole bottle of Boone’s Farm wine and drinks from the bottle. Everyone starts yelling at him STOP, EWE, STOP, STOP him. No one wants to drink your back wash, YUCK. Then everyone starts laughing. By now Carey has come in and standing next to me., he started watching the game then came to realize this might be fun. Everyone takes a turn to show Carey their Face for the game, then he creates a Face of his own. Something simple, he’s a beginner. We start the record again. Knowing he wouldn’t be good at it from the start everyone passes the turn to him. He missed the beat a few times and had to drink the pre poured cup of wine. Needless to say, he got totally confused and tipsy quick.

Me, I’m Coquette Janeen Payne, everyone calls me Coco. My grandmother says when I was born my deep caramel colored skin reminded her of chocolate milk. I’m seventeen a popular kid at school where I attend Thomas John Marshall High School. I am a senior. My hair is shoulder length with Chinese styled bangs. Oval shaped face with big brown eyes and full puffy lips. I stand about 55 or 56 depending on the shoes I am wearing. With a nice fully developed rack, flat stomach and a very round behind. Well that’s’ what I’ve heard.

I come from a single parent home. My mom Jeanette Payne. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. She dumped my biological father Douglas because he was a drug abuser. In and out jail not the penitentiary. Just crimes big enough to keep him going back for three months to three years. Seems as though I’ve seen him about five times in my life. Well, as I can remember. My mom works the police department radio dispatch.

She has been mother and father, dual parenting for a long time. With the help of my grandmother. We manage to get through life this far. NaShonn, Shari, Earoll, Sunnyboy and Me we all attended the same elementary school. Sunnyboy and I are in the same grade. His mom and mine are friends. Growing up we played together as toddlers. He is like a cousin or a brother from another mother. The rest of them live in the neighborhood. We either live on the same block or