A Ghetto Advocate: Ratts Lake

By Gamal Smith

This is a story of Love, Power, & Respect. The struggles that young Blacks have to confront in America.
Black Lives Matter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664192843

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by Gamal Smith.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/07/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Four

Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Six

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Chapter Seventy

Chapter Seventy-One

Chapter Seventy-Two

Chapter Seventy-Three

Chapter Seventy-Four

Chapter Seventy-Five

Chapter Seventy-Six

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Chapter Seventy-Eight

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Chapter Eighty

Chapter Eighty-One

Chapter Eighty-Two

Chapter Eighty-Three

Chapter Eighty-Four

Chapter Eighty-Five

Chapter Eighty-Six

Dedicated to-

My Grandson Ahmed, my

wife Aprillynn & son Jelani,

Zoe, and the rest of the Smith family, and Lumpkins.

CHAPTER ONE

Blitz walked out of the state county jail, slinging his prison-issued backpack over his shoulder. He looked up at the blue skies.

This is a nice ass day to get out. Then he looked at his ashy skin. Damn, eight years was a long time.

He walked down the stairs and looked around the parking lot. Wonder where the hell Psycho is, he’s supposed to be here, he muttered.

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, a black Chevy with 20 inch rims pulled up, the rapper Gezzy blasting from the speakers. Blitz walked up to the car and leaned in the window.

Psycho, where the fuck you been, man? he smiled at his longtime friend.

Psycho grinned as his partna jumped in. Look like you done lost some weight since I last seen ya, nigga! They hugged briefly.

Blitz looked around the car. Nice ride, dog! What’s up with the black tinted windows, you hidin from somebody?

I aint hiding from nobody, dog, Psycho said with a huge smile on his face. But wait till I tell you what went down last night!

Man, tell me on the road, nigga, Blitz replied. Get me the fuck out this place!

Psycho turned up the music as they pealed out the prison’s parking lot.

CHAPTER TWO

EIGHT YEARS AGO...

Crack invaded the streets of Cincinnati like wildfire. As mothers and fathers became instantly addicted, kids of all ages learned quickly how to survive in the cold streets, while others were exposed to the drug game. The projects were hit the hardest and the kids became the sign of the times.

Blitz and Psycho became the products of those times.

We going stealin tonight? Blitz asked.

Nah, the bigger kid said.

The two never left each other’s sides. Both of them came from broken homes because of crack, and they never knew where their next meal came from. So they hustled.

I had a rough night, Blitz stated. Mom had niggas over all night and I couldn’t sleep at all.

Psycho threw his big arm around Blitz’s neck. Don’t worry, man. We gonna make it.

They continued walking the streets in the cold, dead night.

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Let’s go to the trap, Psycho said. He pointed down the street as they walked. You see that man buying rocks? He does that shit every Friday, then he go to my house and smoke up about $300’s worth.

Psycho put his arm around Blitz. But next Friday? We gonna rob his ass. Psycho’s eyes widen as he thought about it. We gonna buy some clothes wit dat money.

Blitz looked down at his worn out gym shoes and torn pants. That sound like a good idea, he smiled. I been wearing these same clothes for bout 6 months straight.

Yeah, you smell like shit too, Psycho laughed, as they walked down a trail to a wooded area.

Why we gotta come down here? Aint nothin but crackheads and hobo’s in this bitch, Blitz said.

Man, you always cryin and bitchin, Psycho sneered. Just look around for a minute.

Crackheads were smoking poison and women were selling their bodies. Look at these fools fuckin up their lives, Psycho said. But you and me? This will NEVA happen to us.

You got that right, Blitz said.

As they continued down the trail, three kids were sitting around rapping.

What up, Psycho said as he shook hands with the kids. This is Blitz.

The kids stood up. Im Sneed, the fat one said. Im Chino, the tall, dark one said. Im Smartt, the mixed one said.

Why they call you Smartt? Blitz asked.

Psycho sneered. Well it aint cause he Einstein foreal! Smartt took a fake swing at Psycho. Fuck you man! he said, laughing.

Aight yall, listen up, Psycho said. We gonna hit that old man that cop every Friday. Yall in?

Man, we gotta plan of our own. We was gonna steal some decks out of the paperboys’ rides. That shit is hot! Sneed boasted.

Nah, I dont think we should do dat, Psycho countered.

Well, we need a gun to pop that old man, dont we? Sneed asked.

As the kids kept talking, Blitz was in a daze. He kept looking around at his surroundings - trash everywhere, rats scurring around, crackheads smoking their dope. Psycho brought him back by slapping him on the back. Blitz jumped.

What up, nigga? You scared? Psycho asked.

Nah. I aint NEVA scared.

Everyone nodded in agreement. This is their life.

CHAPTER THREE

Look. All we gotta do is wait for the ole man and rob his ass, Psycho explained.

But we aint got no gun, Blitz retorted. What if HE got a gun and shoot one of our asses? The other youths murmured in agreement.

Psycho pointed his finger at the kids. Look at us! We aint got nothin. We got fuckin holes in our shoes and we hungry as hell. As far as Im concerned, we aint got nothin to lose. Let’s do this!

Hours later, the guys laid in wait for the old man. Here he comes, Psycho whispered. The old man staggered down the dark street, oblivious to his surroundings. The boys slowly walked out to the middle of the street and made a circle around the old man.

Hey old man, Psycho said quietly. You got change for a dolla?

As the man reached into his pocket, Blitz quietly stole up behind him and struck the man in the head with a brick. The man fell to the ground, blood seeping from his head. Psycho took a thick stick he had hidden behind his back and proceeded to beat the man as the other boys made sure no one was watching.

Ahhhhh! Take my money but dont kill me!! the old man screamed.

Psycho threw his stick down and went through the man’s pockets. He pulled out a wad of cash, thumbed through it quickly, then he and the other boys took off down the deserted street.

CHAPTER FOUR

Hey, yall see that blood squirt out of that old man’s head? Psycho laughed.

Blitz and the other boys turned and looked at Psycho.

Why you lookin at me all crazy, B? Psycho asked.

Blitz shook his head. ‘I think you enjoyed that shit too much, dog."

Naw, what I think is that you just a coward, Psycho jeered. He started to count the money. Sheeit, this look like this is about a thousand!

Blitz and the other boys smiled. We rich! Sneed boasted, rubbing his hands together.

Psycho started to hand out the other boys’ share, but then pulled the money back. Yall know I get the most, right?

The youths nodded in agreement as Psycho gave them their share. But next time we split it up, Sneed put in.

What next time? Psycho stared down the chubby brown kid.

Blitz put a hand on Psycho’s shoulder as he addressed the gang. "Look, if we gonna do this, we gotta do it as a family. Let’s just meet up tomorrow after school and figure out our next move.’

As the other youths nodded in agreement, Psycho crowed, Shit, if we can do this every night, I aint goin back to school!

CHAPTER FIVE

The youths split up and went their separate ways. Blitz walked to his house in the projects and opened the door. First thing he saw was a couple of strange men asleep in various positions on the raggedy couch. He shook his head. Damn, I hate coming home sometimes, he said to himself.

He touched the money in his pocket and instantly felt better. He thought about giving his mother some of the dough, but he knew she wouldn’t do nothing with the money but buy more crack.

He made his way up the narrow stairs and opened the door to his mom’s bedroom. His elderly looking mother sat on the corner of her dishevled bed, buck naked with a crack pipe in her mouth. She took a puff and blew the smoke towards the ceiling, not even noticing her son at the door. Blitz looked