Glory Dayz

My name is Jonah Carter from New York City and I am about to tell you a wild-azz tale from the heart, word up!

It was the summer of 89; I was 14 and things seemed kinda weird but cool at the same time. George Bush Senior was playing Mr. Prez and Public Enemy & Guns n Roses was biggest thing ever, bigger than any baby’s-momma-drama, bigger than any event, bigger than any thing you could read about in the news papers or hear about because this was the real deal right here, I can tell ya that much.. This is why everything is so weird now.

It was all about the streets. Clothes was the biggest thing on the planet but because style ruled at that time, it illuminated a glowing vibe of what was cool. The truth was that it was just a form of false security. This false sense of security introduced to our society was a stupid war between styles and between investors and the entertainment biz. Some industry azzh*le made it about music's returning profit margine and songs that were already  aired, what a joke. That nonsense trickled down the social ladder all the way to my school’s halls and sustained an unwelcoming encounter during that summer between Metal Heads and Rap fans. All the preps and geeks stood out of it because they knew what was good fa them. 

Naaaa - I’m just messin’ wit y’all LMAO!

Everything was done at night in this forward moving circle as a oneness thang. McGovern gets the word from someone up in the elbow rubbing world and well he has the power to not only make things happen but also to prevent certainties from coming to fruition. This thing, well in his chest, I don't know how to say this but Sean has this huge light inside him and sometimes when you least expected in this endless light filled city, you might see some shiny sh#t that you aint neva seen before but I'm not going to get into that just yet. 

The scene was unexplainable but fun and the one thing I couldn’t understand was the separation not only between popular people, but also with the youth. If you was into Hip-Hop fashion and that kind of music back in the day, you couldn’t be seen hangin’ with a boy with long blond hair who shook his head like one of the crazies while wearing tight jeans, a motor cycle jacket and listening to Pantera. I didn’t get it, I mean, f#@k that! I don’t care what anyone says, I love that metal sh#t. Man, I remember my older-brothas growin’ up, they had all kinds of friends. My older siblings were into Rock Music but also were into Soul and Disco and other kinds and seemed to do just fine with everyone. The whole thing back in the 70’s wasn't that the music lacked influence but just the fact that people back then were just feeling like being beefy for no apparent reason. They didn't need a song back then to help express themselves, they just did. To be honest, I just don’t know why sh#t was always f#@ked up like that but it was.

I was constantly tried and constantly rejected. I just sat back and laughed as kids used to make fun of me for liking everything. I felt so sorry for all the other kids who were stuck. I didn’t know why they couldn’t see it. I just thought it was a bright light stronger than everything and it is safe so I went with it and couldn’t come to hating anything especially genres of music. I also saw culture as a gift for the opposite culture as if we were all made for everyone else instead of just ourselves. That’s cool!

It was a Saturday morning and my parents decided to make overtime pay and go to work but t’was all good cuz my Gramz was home and that made me happy. She makes me sunny side up eggs but the outside white would be super crispy and the yoke is never broken. Every morning of my life when we’re togetha, she would always show me how much she loved me. You know my Gramz is black but she cooked like a Puerto Rican lady. My Granddad used to brag about her cooking everywhere but he got shot for reasons my family won’t tell me. I loved my grandmotha cuz she let me stare at her and she would smile and tell me that when I would look into her eyes she felt my energy but I didn’t know what she meant then cuz it kinda made me feel nervous. I guess I felt nervous because my Gramz told me that her & I are alike and I said,

“Gramz, is it because I’m part black?”

“Ahhh, boy, you so cute…NO LITTLE MAN, it’s because we are part light energy beings.”

I guess I wasn’t sure about what she was tellin me at the time but I knew she was on to somethin’. She never hit me but acted like she would when I was bad. I guess she just wanted to have an “insurance claim” on how I was gonna turn out.

Her name was Vonda but everyone called her Peaches. She was so sweet and always had this orangey gold-like fancy colored hair and her makeup matched her soul. She was an African republican who vowed to take care of all the people in the hood no matter what race or religion and no matter how comfortable she became in life. She was so cool; a big James Brown fan and danced like you wouldn’t even believe. My Gramz had abs, yo!  Lol. Fa real people. My Gramz worked out every day and she didn’t eat meat or cheese. Gram had this boyfriend from Dirty Jerz who looked like the fit version of the bald guy with the wife beater on in the last level of Kung Fu on the first Nintendo.  Well, he wasn’t fat but he dyed his grays and it never looked fake. I couldn’t believe he was my Gramz’ man but my Gramz was no washed-up broad, I tell you what. Vonda was sassy and classy but got mad-ghetto on a nikka if she had to.

Well anyway - so I’m in downtown, right - cuz I went with my Gramz to her social club and I would stay for short minute and bounce. Man, I couldn’t stand all them old heads  askin’ all kinds of questions. I was sittin’ there staring at Joey’s Pizzaria and having to wait for them to state that they were going to ask me a question and when they did, it felt like I waited ten years just for one of my Gramz' friends just to make a statement. 

"I MEAN DANG!"

This happening felt like time stopped and all hell came to bore the sh#t out of me. I would never tell my Gramz that cuz she would samurai chop my azz in half. Well, I finally saw my Gramz smile at me in front of her friends, this meant it was cool to go. So I’m chillen’ at the pizzaria eating my 2 slices with no sauce, sliced tomatoes and black olives and ricotta cheese when I see this female crying and this one dude who was mad grimy-lookin’. He wasn’t even from any of my peoples. I didn't recognize him from any of the near by hoods not even Mid-Town. This dude's hair was all dirty lookin’ and he had mad tats like he was in the game and just became homeless. This kid was yelling at this girl and threatening her to get away from him. So I got closer and all I heard was,

"Get the hell away from me, I hate you!"

"You said we could still be together, you said that Rick!"

I guess my Gramz saw everything cuz she got there before I could even ask this girl if she was ok. My Gramz is fast!

“Jonah, baybeh - come on, don’t do it. You stay here and let me handle this.”

I was mad for a second but deep down inside I just kept quiet and watched. I couldn’t believe the valor that my Gramz had. Man she wasn’t scared of sh#t.

“Excuse me sir…hello – weehoo!  Can you hear me? I’m talking to you, young man. Please stop yelling at that nice girl who is crying BEFORE I BREAK MAH FOOT OFF UP IN YO BEAT UP LOOKIN AZZ!”

“F@!k You”. 

"WHAT" (the entire surrounding area)

I just want to say that there are three kinds of men in this world regardless of age: Some  are wise men, some are Vikings, and then their are fools. This jackazz didn’t have the clout enough to be either, lol.  After droppin’ the f-bomb on my Gramz, I wanted to crash that bi@ch but the dinna thieves came to the rescue and ran down on him while gently stopping my Kung Fu Granny. Gramz stepped aside all pissed like someone robbed a bored child of fun Lol. The crazies jumped on his azz and lumped that sucka up. This was not a good day for that joker. You can’t be any color skin and start yelling at a female in the hood or in a universal area and think that someone ain’t gonna either say somethin’ or do somthin’. HOLD UP THOUGH, the drama ain’t over. Out of nowhere comes this short, cocky as hell, red-haired, blue-eyed, freckled-skin, older police officer in his blues who must have been watchin’, cuz he spit on that kid and put’ ‘em in shackles.

“Ahhhhh that kid’s gonna be chillin’ up in the buildin’, NO MONEY!”

"Somebody give that baby girl money to get home!"

I'm glad that girl was saved from that craziness, I don't know I guess some people will do anything fa love. Now uncaring and criminal mindedness was something that just urk the sh#t out of me. I never understood the minds of some catz growin’ up. I don’t know, but how could anyone want to commit a crime, experience incarceration, and then get out and go back and do the same thing that got that person in that dark situation in the first place.  

For a young man I was doing a lot and not even in high school yet. I free-styled with my Haro bike and played the piano and sang old school R&B and the old R&B when it was just called Mississippi Blues. I had this teacher, right - man, she was hot. Her name was Rachel Shakti and she always wore black every day. She always had on black lipstick, gray eye shadow, and black nails. She was real loving towards other teachers and students and never talked about religion or swore or got man but was so happy and smiley like some Christians I knew. Mrs. Shakti was fun and always did things other than serious practicing for performances, because she would leave that for the last 15 minutes. She said that,   psychologically, it made us release negative energy from the building.  Man, she sound like my Gramz when she would spit sh#t like that. I just wanted to do music, know what I’m sayin’? This beautiful woman sang like an angel and played the piano like Tycovski, you know the cats that dressed like George Washington back in the day. She had big brown eyes and long curly dark brown hair and a smile that made you wanna buy her potato chips.

“WHAT If I bought her a sandwich?  I woulda been marked in the halls of this New York City School.”  I’ll neva forget Mrs Shakti because she always was good to me and taught all her students well.

Well, my school was chill. I didn’t go to school in the hood but I went to this public school in Mid-Town; the busiest and most pain in the azz which had a private program which later turned into my high school. Talk about monotony - another 4 years of torture, lol.  My Grandad made my mom take care of that cuz he said I was going to a good school and he would pay for it. I don’t know what the heck he was talkin’ about cuz the school was free. This school (I am not going to mention the name but it) was a great school and you had to have either artisan or academic talent to just be allowed to take the test. I had both, which was rare for them. I don’t know why, but the entry exam didn't have anything to do with scores because they already knew how you did. It had something to do with some kind of race statistics. It sounded like bullsh#t to me. So now I’m in this honors class right - check it - and they wanted to do is debate and state things that were just more lies taught from way back in the day when even white men were rejected in office just because they were young, lol. Can you believe that smack? But my classmates would curl the corner of their lips up and ask me what I was doin’ in the class…and I just had lost my mind for a split second and would say shit to f@#k with them.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Asked the oddly frightened child.

"WELL, what had happen was that word in the halls is that y’all are talking about, how it was good to have had slavery and how you truly believe that the minority will die out? Well you're all full of sh#t and I'm about smack fire outcha azz's!”  

Man you shoulda seen the looks on their faces. One girl and her b/f started hyper-ventilating.  He was a letterman who didn’t talk to any other students who weren’t white. I tried to tell him I was both but he wouldn’t even smile or be nice. I guess he needed his azz whooped or something. He’s lucky I neva did it, lol.

“JONAH!"
  
It was Mr. Deluca. 

“Hey man, what’s good, Mr. Deluca?”

I smiled at him and he smiled back with warm eyes and a warm spirit. He walked right up to me and kissed my head. 

“Are you bustin’ these kids’ ballz again?”  

“Haaaa, you know I’m jus f@#k’n wit them Teach.” 

Winking at Mr. Deluca, I knew he already felt what had transpired a moment ago because I could see it in his face. One of the kids with that little clique stood up and whispered to Mr. Deluca but Mr. D wasn’t having that and he tried to be cool about it but,

“Why did you kiss that black kid? Are you serious?”

“Oh I’m sorry, you want a kiss, too?”

Mr. Deluca was so nice to the kids even when they were sh#ty to him but if you tried him or try to come at him sideways, he'd showed his human side. This little azzh#le came out the side of his neck to our teacher. I think my walls just went up!

“Um, I think you know my father.” 

Mr. Deluca looked up and saw himself grab this kid and toss his azz out a particular shaped hole in the wall. However, Mr. Deluca didn’t do it but he did have something to say. 

“You got some set of stones on you, I tell ya. By the way kid, your Dad actually works for a lot of my friends, if you want to be rude about it.”

Man, that kid stuck his foot in his mouth but it not only shut him up but all the stupid azz, hating azz, insecure azz kids in that class. I truly believe that the reason why the kids didn’t like me was becuz I was about sayin’ what I had to say. Mr. Deluca was this Italian teacher from Brooklyn who also knew my Gramz and Officer McGovern. I neva went around droppin’ names, I just let sh#t happen and most kids always rocked a hateraid grin on me, so f#$k ‘em. Mr. Deluca brought up Pear Harbor and the kids starting saying how they took too long to handle Nagasaki and teach them a lesson. As the blonde-headed girl finished talking, the class felt like in went into some kind of vortex because the last syllable was so slow and deep sounding and Mr. Deluca’s eyes squinted slightly and he turned his smile twisted at them kids. Mr. Deluca was peoples fa real. He then said,

“Hey guys, let me ask yaz somethin - has anyone ever experienced bad radio waves? This is your answer for the cause of the bombing of Hiroshima. It was a loss of radio air waves that caused a misunderstanding. This led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.”  

Mr. Deluca is cool but my dad used to talk about it and I knew that my teacher was just being humble.

Later that day I was in a private cafe cuz I had connex like dat from doin’ good in my class.  It was the library but no kids were allowed accept a few chosen by someone that we were not allowed to know. The librarian was Ethel Cavanaugh, who believe it or not, dated Officer McGovern; and man, she let me do what ever the hell I wanted at my lunch break. I would run across the street to the Caterpillar Hut. The Caterpillar Hut was the store with the name of our High School Mascot. We were the Caterpillars. I can’t believe I told y’all that. Anyway, I would get my food and run back to the school library. I would sit in a booth and listen to Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. I would  be plexin’ like George Clinton and The Parliament Funkadelic. Boy I tell ya, good times - good times.

Well, one time after getting my food I heard the blondies soundin’ like they was getting’ beefy with each other so I went out there to see what the problem was. There was this fine sista, this new student from Boston who transferred. This little momma was a dove. I was blown away and excited at the same time thinking what was going to happen next. She tried to just sit down at a table but the girls that were there had their b/fs and they were mad snooty.

“You can’t sit here!”

“ILL!....WELL ANYWAY, MY NAME IS TOSHA - is there a Jonah Carter here?”

“Yes, you would know Jonah.” 

I rolled my eyes and accepted the stupidity in exchange for peace of mind. I had to  constantly up humility or my Gramz would whoop dat azz. I guess them lessons are coming to show a return of favor in the atmosphere. I called Tosha over to sit with me in the booth.

“Tosha…” 

I motioned to her to come with me. She smiled and started to walk towards me.  We had a good time. She had looked real quick for this Sade CD and man she had some pipes. She started telling me about her dad and how she wanted to meet me because her he always was lifting me up and wanted to know what the big deal was about Jonah Carter. I couldn’t believe it, I had gold just handed to me and I had to handle this like a king. I gave her half my sandwich and we laughed so hard and forgot about the music.

“So wow, we are here…Uh”

“Haaaaa you so stupid, boy.  Watchoo doin here?”

“Don’t hate.  This is mad fung shui for me, it’s my little home away from home.”

“Don’t gimmy dat - you know you be wanting to hawk on them girls.”

“Haaaa, yeah ok. Neva dat.”

“No? Not even just a slight thought?”

“Girl, you crazy, just stop.”

“That’s good, real good. I also wanted to tell you that my dad knows Jerome and his son Michael Khan.”

“Ooh, wait you know Mikey?”

“Well of course, he’s my future…”

“NOOO, PLEASE!”

“YOU SO STUPID. HEE HEE. I was going to say that he’s my future producer.  Lol.”

“Oh yeah well that’s cool.”

I was floating but I had be cool cuz I had a reputation to uphold. It made my heart pound and I couldn’t understand why every time I had asked those kids questions or just attempted a shot at circled joviality, they would become angry so quickly for no reason. 

“What do you want?  I don’t have any rap music for you.” 

“WHAT, RAP MUSIC, WELL OF COURSE YOU DON’T LIKE RAP MUSIC, but I don’t know what the hell that’s got to do with me just saying hello.”

I wondered why I even tried with them kids. The hood was hatin’ on me for talkin’ properly when I didn't have to, the other kids were treating me bad just cuz they was scared but most of the time it was the Latino and Jewish kids who neva made me feel like anything was about the color of my skin or what interested me but the whole thing about being cool with people that makes it so wonderful is that the person being cool with you for no reason and without hidden agenda, is that it's not human but celestial.  

It was night time and and instead of gettin loose I went home. I started telling my Gramz about the kids in school who said no to Tosha about sitting at their table.

“Wait, is that Isaiah’s daughter?”

“Yeah”.

My Gramz had this aggravated look on her face like I was gonna get it. But she was mad at the girl I guess cuz the first thing she said was

“That hatin’ hag, I pull every hai…” I had to break that dark interruption.

“GRAMZ!”

“YOU DON’T YELL AT ME! I WISH YOU WOULD! I ROLL YO LITTLE HALF AFRICAN AZZ DOWN….”

“ALRIGHT, please just go Gramz, tell me about it.”

“Ah baybeh - donchoo worreh now. You just ignore people like dat. Themz is foolz and they ain’t got but a human wayz in them. They don’t know the Light and well, we can’t be getting’ mad like that and ruining the favor sent to us by the Universe. We need to show a new direction. In times like this when darkness presses we ain't even spose ta be flinchin, WE KING BAYBEH, YOU HERE WHAT I BE SAYING TO YOU JONAH, WE KINGS & Queens, Princess & Prince and we should walk in the glory of that exacta. Now you go along and enjoy this time baybeh, it’s the Sabbath.”

Now, remember that cop I was tellin’ y’all about before. Can I say cop? When I was a kid, my granmotha smacked my head for sayin’ cop.  Lol. Anyway, so I was like 6 and  the winter of 81 was a funny time for my Dad and his friends. Everyone acted all silent and almost like if they were a pack of gazelles that just heard the faint paw of hyena pressing the dirt mixed sand in the fields of the Serengeti. I asked my Dad why was everybody so scared and he would want to know how I knew that but there was just something inside that told me what I was thinking was sure and right. This policeman I want so badly to tell you about was white and had a mustache like from Switzerland or some shyt. Red hair combed to the side and always had this mini fade which mad heads used to peep it and give him props. He had these crystal blue eyes that looked cool when he was happy but real scary if he got mad. I always saw him lookin like he was stressin talkin to my Dad but when he looked at me all I could see was smiling eyes and purity. 

"HEY YOU, Who said you could come for a ride. Here take this 5" 

"Thanx!"

I would laugh and keep a smile on my face all day because I knew he was being cool with me. I remember one time it was snowing mad hard. The snow fell for so long and so hard that when the say ask if the snow is sticking, let me tell you it was almost like ice. New York City looked like heaven and Officer McGovern did something so good and when I saw him do that thing, I saw an energy around him. It was yellow and something inside told me he was really real because my Gramz face came to my mind and I heard talking about love and loving people. I watched him and he watched me. We was cool like that, you know. Saluting me as a youth, I mean who was I? But I received his spirit as a small child when he gave favor to one or our brothas on 116th. This dude was lookin at 3 years and well McGovern made a phone call that that dude after doing one year, he was able to get out or somethin. All I know is that his family used to kiss and hug my Gramz and every time we went to this one Jamaican food store, my Gramz would not have to pay but I don't want to brag. This cop was so awesome because he did his job with a mind standing directly under the universe. He knew things and would never cause anyone harm or conflict. This man neva used his badge against people and would die before using his badge to pass an unwanted cup. He had favor with the Mayor and all the markets that most of my Dad in his friends had business with. Politics? What regular Joe doesn't get involved and all caught up in politics, but still, this wasn't no ordinary man. This man gave himself because he knew the cosmic secret of giving. McGovern would blessed the hoods and channeled a path of favor to all the broth’s and sistas cased up and free in New York. Not only that but how many times did I hear him verbally correct young officers who would use the N word and not be hood at all about it, not in the least bit. How many times walkin’ home from school did I see Sean, oops - I mean Officer McGovern giving gifts of necessity to those who were holdin’ it down on the streets fa real, I'm talkin about bums or homeless people. There were certain catz out there uptown who for some crazy azz reason, turned themselves in. McGovern neva lies to nikkaz. Well there was this one dude who got caught with a trunk full of them thangs and well, he got like 3-6 and when he went down state, he was livin lovely for a year cuz McGovern dropped the card on that account. There was this one chick who was doin drugz and she almost lost her baby and McGovern hooked her up with an apt for a year. This guy Sean, neva asked for anything as far as I know him and he always gets what ever he needs cuz the Univers provides it. My Gramz taught me that. 

Every borough was lit with drama, good and bad. The hood was rockin’, people were workin’ and getting’ paid. I used to chill wit these cats from 139th on St Nicholas. They were cool but started to turn on me and be mad even though I'd hook them up lovely like every f@#k'n day but I had to stay strong and not loose my cool. The Fellas was getting’ overly thirsty I guess cuz they couldn't stop talkin bout robbin peoples on the train but I was like.

"Na man, come on stop buggin yo, I ain't wit that, on the real!" 

"We know Jonah, cuz you up on that white life sh#t."

Man, I just wanted to give into my flesh so bad and smack the sh#t out that brotha but I held my self and I called the energies of love and light to help me. I tried to tell them to chill but they didn’t listen. I told them that all good comes to those who give light, but they was like,

“A - yo, shut the f@#* up man, we tired of yo bullsh#t!”

“Please don’t give in to the darkness.”

“Na boo boo, when you comin’ to the dark side?”

“NEVER!”

That was the last time I chilled in the streets for a hot minute. I neva went back since that day but before I really did stop chillen in the hood I had to take care of somethin. There was this kid Johnny, mah boy from uptown. Johnny was so down and out stressin hard on some family type sh#t and I wanted to help him get off the streets but at first I didn't know how. Johnny started tellin me that there were people trying to hurt him. I was like,

“Handle that man!”

“I hear you, yo!”

Johnny Ramirez was my age and was a cool dude from mah hood and he kept askin’ me to sleep over because his mom was hitting him too hard or some sh#t. I told him that I would ask my mom but I was scared that she would flip the script because she didn’t know him and didn’t want the drama in her house. Well I walked Johnny around the block and told him about this dope-azz cop that was always hookin’ our people up and that the police officer gave me his beeper number and house but I never in my life would ever give his house number up to NO nikkaz. My mom would do some tiger style to my face! 

“You don’t understand. I lose it, man.  I gotta find something else; somethin’ different.  I’m tired of the streets!”

After I gave my little primo McGovern’s pager number, I never seen him again.

 Four years later I’m in my last year of high school. The Village downtown kept up this funny change that seemed bland to everyone but some good people started to pick up on it. The Black and Latino community embraced heavy metal music and believe it or not, we took the championship all the way.  I kept my word but and promised to release this into the Universe.

Now, I'm really on mah grind, much older and man the girls in mah school and in the hood was peepin me like I was nice like Eddie Murphy. I was grown or at least I thought I was and I had this after school job at the 59th Street Precinct assisting with minor office sh#t, you know, filling & faxing. I was playin soccer for this county league and on the weekends I'de play piano at this Mediterranean restaurant in Queens for tips. I was a happy camper capable of paying my own pager bill, buying gifts for fam n friends and building my credit up. I decided to walk from school that dowtown towards the Police Station when out of no where comes this figure walking towards me. It was Johnny, Johnny Ramirez from Spanish Harlem.

“OMG, YO, wassup man? Where you been nikka!? You look like life is good, eh.”

“Wow - god must be real.  I was like how the hell am I gonna see this dude but my Dad told me where to find you.”

“What happened?....WAIT, DAD? WHAT?”

I had this big azz koolaide smile chillen’. My spanish cuz was rockin’ the good life and I was just showin’ support bein’ all happy for the brotha.

“Yo - Jonah man, I been chillen’ fa the longest kid. Plexin!”

“How though man, tell me?”

I was about to shake the info out him, I was so dam excited. 

“Becuz of you yo, YOU NIKKA!”

“HOW MUTHA F*#KA - HOW?”

LOL,  I was so friggen’ happy that all my chakras opened and I didn’t even know what had happened yet. I had a feeling that my life was about to change.

“I neva told you but back when I was tryin to get at you bout the drama I had been forced to swallow was that my mom had got locked up and my Granmotha went back to Ponce but I was like, Na f@#k that mami - I don’t want you to go – please stay here in Harlem …  but she was like

"Ay No, me voy!"

She just left and I didn’t want to be away from this. Thank god cuz yo, my Abuelita passed. Mami had got killed in the tornado that hit there in Ponce. I called that beeper number you gave and I don't know what came over me but I started cryin like a female yo, fa real. Officer McGovern; all loud as hell was like

"Where are you!" 

"Up-Town by Broadway A Hundred and Fifty Fif"

Yo mah man didn't even ask who it was kid, he just made the move like a King dog, thats mah word. Well, I jumped on the train cuz it was easier for me since the exit was not near my house, you know off West Side Hwy, well, we met at that dinner, you know where they use to film Seinfeld. He was dressed up pimp'n with a shiny badge aroun his neck and STRAPPED like a DT. Detective McGovern asked me why I trusted you so much and I told him cuz you was half…well you know, that shiny space sh#t you told me neva to talk about unless it was life threatening. Ahhh, didn't think I'de remember. So he was like:

“Pack ya sh#t, Ramirez -ya not gonna be homeless and trust me, ya getting’ ya sh#t togetha and you will do as I say and you will neva complain about not having a single thing. I promise you that kid - and because you know that little brown son of a gun, you will always have favor with me and the business you decide to build even with the markets downtown.”

On my lunch break we ate at that this Ethiopian place uptown and I began to praise the Light so high and shout! 

"YES, THANK YOU UNIVERSE!"

"Word!"

I believed more and more and hope for everything more and more and was happier than ever. Johnny Ramirez not only gave me good news but the actual reason why he came to see me shined so bright that night.

"Look Jonah, growing up; how many times did I see you beat the sh#t out of bullies fa jumpin nikkaz?"

"Well, I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I was jus...." 

"Please man, don't even go their, just open your ears man. I'm tellin you that you did somethin great, a good thing, from the Light and we could start gettin cool peoples in the gym and hopefully at the end of the road when the financial profits are engaged under our holdings, we'll bless the hood and poor all that foundation together. Now you know thats yo sh#t right there, come on."

"Ok so what's good wit it then?" 

"Man, After Officer McGovern adopted me, I finished school went to this trade school and got this job. Yo this job started with 6 figures. I had mad cheese left over. I didn't and don't have any bills, kids, or priorities. McGovern, I mean my Dad took care of it so with the extra money, I opened a MMA gym.

"OH SH#T, thas what I'm sayin man! That's bangin right theyer!"

I was so happy for Johnny and couldn't believe that McGovern is Johnny's Dad now. This was a great thing especially for the black community being that my wonderful Police friend and family was for black people. This was a shot at training and hopefully a financial investment that appears to show potential for gain. I said to why not to myself and thought how it would open so many doors and so many ways to getting things in the order that favors light energy. So, I was back! I know it sounds crazy but I was just hawkin’ for something different then the ol’ run o’ the mill, every-day thang, livin’ on 119th.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, my mom was the best. She got me everything I have ever wanted. I never NOT had things, but what was so great was that she wasn’t an azz to me. She was the sweetest most of the time… well anyway let me stop!

So I got this application from Johnny, right and when I got home from work my Dad was up watchin The Honey Mooners. 

"Hey Dad, how come you neva told me that Uncle Sean adopted Johnny."

"Let me tell you somethin, In this circle, even though braggin lifts up the name of the individual doin a good deed, respect comes first. We don't let the right hand know what the left hand is doin."

"Well, I'm glad."

"Me too kid, me too. So how was school and work?'

"Eh, you know how it is, the same ol stuff,"

"Ahh, I hope you not gettin cold feet."

"Ha ha, Naa, but I got a gift from Johnny." 

"Oh, well show it to the whole family, go get your Granmotha, ya Motha should be here any second from hang'n with the girls. It's girls night ya know, thats why I'm smiling."

"Dad I got an app to fight again."

"WHAT?"

"Dad, please just hear me out man!"

"First of all, your too young to call me man! Second, I don't want you fighting! Third all app now are pre-paid and that includes the license and insurance and all that sh#t. WE'RE TALK'N ABOUT 5 GRAND!"

"I know but Johnny said that he got the money from working."

"Jesus, what is he in the pipe fitter's union. Okay but let me call ya Uncle, I want chew on his ear for a sec and bust his ballz."

RING RING

“Yeah”

“Hey”

“Oh Gino, what’s up, brotha what can I do fa you.”

“I’ll give you Gino!”

“Oh sh#t.  I’m sorry, Bobby.  Waddaya doin?”

“No - the question is waddayoo doin?

“Ahh da thing fa Jonah, don’t worry aboudit, eh. That kid deserves it and you know it. He aint afraid of nothin and he got what it takes to back it up. Look, I know you and Lina are doin’ ok but this thing is a very good thing here. Come on now, you know I love you guys. That boy of yours is gold.”

"Waddaya a testadura? It's the money and his safety."

"I know, you think I didn't think of that. Would you please let me do somethin fa ya, god knows I owe you more than this country owes on the national debt." 

“Ok but I just don’t know what to say!”

“Ay Oh, don’t you dare insult me!”

“Wait, ya gonna hafta come to the club this weekend to celebrate! For the whole family and friends and you could invite the boys from the precinct." 

"Ok, Ethel is goin with Janice to the salon tomorrow and well, you know the goyalz, they handle all the details."

"Oh by the way, Jonah wished he woulda known about Johnny."

"Oh really now, well you know what this means."

"Yes, more proud blood into the circle." 

"You know he makes you shine Bobby." 

"I know that's why I'm friggin tryin to keep the kid alive, fagetabout his Motha comin afta me, his Granmotha will come afta my ancestors." 

"Your a sick puppy you know that, I gotta get off this phone."

Click 

Man, my dad was ill. He had it all and I tell you what, he was always rockin’ favor. My Dad was so hooked up, he could spill Nuclear Chemicals all over Mid-Town Manhattan and all he has to say is, sorry. Hee hee thats some crazy connex right theyer! Most of all I was glad because Bobby Carter was the hardest Irish Gentlemen that New York City has ever bread. He was the white boy in the hood back in the day when all you heard from the radio was:

"You really got a hold on me, you really got a hollllld on meeeeeeee." 

Yeah man, he couldn't take his eyes off my Mom. My Mom was this black gurl from Queens who moved to Harlem and she went to this private club where alot of Irish, Italian and African Americans met. And Nooo it wasn't a gang! Well my Dad's family at the time told him no but he didn't listen. My great Grandma on his side was this sweet Irish lady named Christine who told him to follow his heart because he'd neva regret it, even if it mean that others wouldn't be happy for him. Great-Gramz Christine was cool.

One time my Dad came home from right fa like a quick chill weekend with his boyz in Las Vegas and he gave everybody in the family a Benjamin. I was like;

“DAAAAAAYUM!”

“Ay, don’t go makin’ a scene or you’ll get wrapped!”

“Thanx, Dad”

The first thing I did was save it but that money was burning a hole in my pocket so bad that I finally decided to spend it. I know, but for some reason holding on to that 100 dollar bill for all those years was well worth it. 

Today was the day. I decided to spend the hundred dollars that my Dad gave me a few years ago being that I was just tired of holding on to it. So, I though a trip to Virgin Records sounds just about right. I called my friend Mikey from the vill - his Dad and my Dad were friends from the circle or I should say brothas. Jerome Defasio was this dude who was half Black and half Italian. Jerome was a stockbroker and man did he help my Dad and Sean pump alot of money into soup kitchens and mah Mom's and Gramz's hood. I am so proud of my friends and family. Well, I met Mikey D and we put it in the air and jumped on the WTC goin downtown. Yeah baby, I had my disc-man and I was listening to “THE R” - happy as hell. Yo, when we got to the store, I bought mad CDs and stickers and some blank tapes cuz Mikey was makin’ tracks at his and his Dad's big huge musicians "R" us studio and well you know I had to spit somethin’ and drop it like it's hot cuz I neva had the chance before.  Mikey was always chewin’ on my ear about his studio this and his studio that. Mikey was riffin on the fellas uptown how some of them catz be soundin like azz around the way. Mikey didn't like all that fake-azz ghetto glam bullshit that some of supposed cool peeps up in the industry the were soundin’ wack at the time but he’s a crazy dude, no patience. So on the way back to Mikey's on the train we started talkin about the gathering this weekend and how I had this feeling that my Dad was going to say something important to everyone but I wasn't sure. When got to The Empire States Building I started showing Mikey's Mom Brenda all my new stuff. We got like all this cool azz sh#t and I also bought a nice little boom box and man it was real punchy like back in the day when they had Rockfordfozgates in their back seats, beatin up the streets. We ordered from  Blimpie’s fa some luv eatin’ and Mikey and his Mom and I played spades. We took it back and man, we had like 2 whole #7’s with all kinds of sh#t on it. I had a big azz plastic cup that my brotha won for me at the Westchester County Fair that I gave to Mikey when we were in the third grade.

"Dam yo!" 

Mikey's Dad was a piano player since he was a kid and had this Billy Joel sound to his style of singing and playing. I wish you guys readin’ this could hear it. This guy could play for real – AND he lived in the Empire State Building. Yeah, I know - that sh#t’s cool having a pad inside the big boy radio house. There was this gorgeous dinner table with a lacquer finish and gold trim. The padding on the seats looked like fabric that was woven in India thousands of years ago cuz all that sh#t was covered with that clear hard azz coat mold from the 70’s. The living room was dope as hell! The TV was this huge screen inside the wall and the couches, which looked to me like it went around the whole house.  They said it was small; go figure.

There were statues that were made of ivory and jade. Paintings, a hot black piano and all kinds of in-house plants was all you saw. This was a glory. Mikey’s room looked like it was on the second floor cuz we were only on the first floor where it started at a glass staircase up to the family floor. I was a little hesitant to take a step cuz IT WAS A F@#K’N FISH TANK which was awesome cuz Mikey yelled, “Come on man!” and ripped up them stairs but I was more amazed by the haze in the light shining and all these mad expensive fish that, I swear looked like they were googley-eyed and smiling. Well, up I climbed the magic spiral smiling and feeling all the energy life forms and all the aspects of each energy that made up of all the DNA and chemicals inside each fish. As I felt each different energy, I could not stop believing that someone great was somewhere making things happen. This was definitely not human.

Mikey’s room was rockin’ like Interscope Records. He had a 100 and something tracks.  Every instrument - and the first room was only the control deck - there were other rooms. One was a Vox booth, and the mic was almost a MIL. All the walls were covered with this wood that shuffled in size and liquid shape in every room with these 1920 huge Radio City Music Hall Curtains, Red Velvet from China hanging cattycorner in every room. One room was for jazz the other heavy metal and the other rap, freestyle and industrial and techno and all that sh#t. All rooms had only volume controls and these red emergency stop buttons.  The lights were weird and he had told me never stared at the lights. Well, I did and it was so friggen’ weird. The lights looked like florescent diamonds that appeared to liquefy and change color from black florescent to red, to green to Dance Fever with Danny Terio lighting and damn, that was just to make the musician feel inspired. Every room had a couch and a fridge and a radio. There were so many pictures of Mikey’s dad’s band back in the day. Mad clubs like CBGB’S, Studio 57, La’Moures, The Blue Note and Giant’s Stadium.

Man, Jerome was a true playa! Dude had pics in the office with President Reagan, Quincy Jones and Mr. T. cuz Mikey’s Dad was McGovern’s long lost son. Seems like light peoples stay togetha. Well, the man was a good man and I was honored to be there. As I drew closer to Mikey’s bedroom, the hottest part of the studio besides the secret studio that Mikey’s dad really built it to keep Mikey away, his room's purple lights and flashes were becoming brighter, this was mad dope. The walls were black with this dark chalky but glowing purple splattering all over the wall and mad black lights and the whole studio had smelled of frankincense and myhhr. There was no air conditioning but a custom glass vent that was flat and wide would close up to the ceiling.  It was against the wall and there was a mini-jet engine fan that you couldn’t even hear that not only circulated the air, but also had some kind of remote which cleaned the air from futuristic-looking vents in the halls in every room.

All the mics were hanging on this rope from the ceiling and were remote control. Back then no one has ever even heard of the word wireless, at least all the people I knew. Anyway, so I grabbed a mic and a beat automatically started. Yo, I was souped the f@#k up and lay down 16 killaz on this tune from the 40’s and the bangin’ bass destroying drop. There was this nice little clap and a siren and some piano and some kind of techno-sounding chime. So I was so happy and took the tape to school with me the next day. Before I left Mikey’s, he said;

“Don’t be a bum tonight. Your Father is doing a wonderful thing for the whole community.”

“I know man, chill.  I’m stopping by Tony’s, which I believe is your Dad’s tailor, eh.”

“It’s nice to have daddy’s card eh, eh.” 

“You shut up you! That’s like the pot calling the kettle black.”

“I know.” 

With that sinister smile, Mike D had something cool planned for tonight, I could feel it! This was a start of an untouchable life.......

TO BE CONTINUED

Written by: Cris Blakk

Edited by: Gail Chasin