Eastside Read Free Page A

know. You can keep a hundred for yourself, so that leaves a thousand. Put the G under my mattress, along with the strap.”
    â€œAll right, Too-Low, thanks!” Travon extended his fist and gave his brother some dap. “Good looking.”
    Too-Low roughly rubbed his hand over his brother’s head, messing up his waves. Travon smiled, ducked away, and turned and headed for home. Of course on the way to his apartment, he would have to stop by Justin’s and show off his brother’s gun.
    Once out of his brother’s sight, Travon turned and made a beeline for Justin’s apartment. He cut across the alley, then through the playground, taking the shortcut to his friend’s apartment. He could faintly make out the sound of deep bass notes resonating from a stereo system. The notes grew progressively louder until finally a dark blue Hyundai came into view and passed by on the street just in front of him, silencing its stereo system. Travon watched from the shadows as the car slowed and turned the corner. Moments later he heard the sound of semiautomatic weapon fire crashing through the midnight silence, and quickly decided that he had better head for home.
    Once safely inside his apartment, Travon did as his brother had instructed, and then retired to his bedroom. After awhile, he heard a knock at the front door, which was followed by his mother’s screams.

    Travon bolted up from his bed. His bare chest heaved up and down, his breathing was hard and labored. Travon wiped away the heavy beads of perspiration from his face, and then tried to focus his eyes. A slow glance around his balmy dark room quickly confirmed what he had suspected. He had, once again, suffered a nightmare.

    Seven a.m.
    â€œTre! Tre!” his mother called out to him. “Travon! It’s time to get up and get ready for school, boy!”
    â€œShit!” Travon swore under his breath and rubbed his eyes as he slowly pulled himself out of bed, then staggered to his bathroom. After washing his face, brushing his teeth, and taking a piss, he headed back into his bedroom. He had just begun to put his clothes on when his mother appeared at his door.
    â€œTravon, I got breakfast waiting downstairs.”
    â€œMomma, what are you doing at home this morning?” Travon asked, rubbing the top of his head.
    â€œI had to change jobs, baby. The company I was working for only want to do home health care now, so they need people with cars. I have to work in a nursing home for right now, at least until I can get us a car. And the only positions the nursing home had open were night ones, so I work at night now,” she explained.
    Travon stretched his arms and yawned. “Oh, I was just wondering what you were still doing home at this time, that’s all.”
    His mother smiled. “You’re not afraid to stay at home by yourself at night, are you?”
    Travon frowned. “Naw, I ain’t scared a nothing.”
    Elmira rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and crossed her arms. “All right, bad ass. You just better have your butt in the house by ten o’clock.”
    Travon dropped his shirt. “What?”
    She uncrossed her arms. “You heard me.”
    â€œI can’t even sit on the porch?” he asked.
    Elmira stepped into the bedroom and caressed her son’s chin. “Tre, you know what happened to your brother. So just bear with me for a little while, okay?”
    Travon shifted his gaze to the floor and nodded. He could never forget what happened to his brother. He could never forget the night that his life changed forever.
    â€œOkay,” he said softly.
    Elmira turned and started for the door. “Now come on downstairs and eat you some breakfast.” Quickly, she whirled back toward her son. “Speaking of food, I haven’t seen Justin in a few weeks. Where is he?”
    â€œWell, he um, he got himself some new friends.”
    Elmira tilted her head to the side.