A Gangsters Melody

by Wright, Sean A.

  “Yo Dee listen. You know I hate talking on these things so catch the slick talk. First off the reason why I have to stop playing ball is because Tiffany is pregnant. Yeah she’s having my baby, and you’re going to be an uncle nigga. But not only that Dee, we had a damn good run man. We got cake out the ass and we are still alive to enjoy it. And I hope ya’ll wasn’t thinking I was just going to bounce and leave ya’ll all fucked up. I was going to wait until later but I might as well tell you now. I was going to give each captain a million as a parting gift. Ya’ll been loyal brothers to me and I want to give ya’ll enough to retire on and enjoy. Them streets is played out son. Spread the word. Bring everybody by tonight so ya’ll can get your bread and we can plan a trip somewhere. Just remember you’re my brother and I love you. Hit me later peace.” Travon said, speaking into the phone.

  ***

  “Yo man why are we sitting here?” LV. Asked, as he and D-Boy sat in the car at the end of Travon’s block.

  “I have to sit here and make sure they keep they word and they don’t hurt Travon man.” D-Boy said, sounding concerned.

  “I feel you on that, but what if they do? What can you possibly do? What if they have to pop that nigga, do you really want to watch that shit go down?” L.V. said.

  “I guess you’re right when you put it like that. Oh shit.” D-Boy responded, grabbing his vibrating cell phone.

  “What’s up?” L.V. asked.

  “It’s Travon calling.” D-boy replied.

  “Yo It’s a wrap. Let that shit go to voicemail.” L.V. said, taking the phone from D-Boy.

  “Alright man, I know it’s a wrap but that’s still my brother in there. Before we bounce I want to at least hear the voicemail.” D-Boy says, as he listens intensely to the voicemail Travon has left. As he listens to the voicemail his facial expression proves that he has made a big mistake by giving up his brother. As the voicemail comes to an end D-Boy threw his cell phone down, exits the car and started running down the block as if he can undo what he has already done. But it’s too late.

  “RED TEAM GO, BLUE TEAM GO, GOLD TEAM STAND FAST.” Williams yelled into the walkie-talkie, as what seems to be the entire Baltimore Police Department converge on the house. But they don’t kick the door in; instead they knock on the door.

  “Damn I thought I told ya’ll to come back later.” Travon said, answering the door thinking it was D-Boy and L.V. As soon as he opened the door the police stormed the house.

  “Get down, show me your hands, don’t fucking move.” A few of the officers yell, as they throw Travon to the ground and handcuff him.

  “Yo what the fuck is ya’ll doing? Get the fuck off of me.” Travon screamed, as Detective Williams and Johnson make their way into the living room and show Travon the search warrant.

  “Well if it ain’t the King of New York. Do you know what this is motherfucker?” Williams asked, showing him the warrant.

  “Your mothers grocery list?” Travon responded, sarcastically.

  “Very funny bitch. It’s a search warrant. And I bet my squad car to your Bentley that I find enough shit here to send you to Death Row. And I ain’t talking about cutting no record with Sugar Knight either.” Williams barked back.

  “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” Travon lied, as Tiffany headed downstairs.

  “Are ya’ll at it again? What the..” Tiffany said, before she realized what was going on.

  “Freeze. Show me your hands.” An officer yelled out.

  “Travon what is going on?” Tiffany asked, obviously confused.

  “Get down here and show me your fucking hands.” The officer yelled louder, causing a few of his partners to rush Tiffany, wrestle her to the ground and handcuff her.

  “Travon what’s happening? Tiffany yelled out, now starting to cry.

  “Baby I don’t know. Just be cool. I’m sure this is all just a misunderstanding and we are going to sue these motherfuckers for everything they got. And Tiffany just remember, no matter what happens. None of this was a lie. I do love you.” Travon said, as he and Tiffany lay on the ground handcuffed facing one another. As a few cops come downstairs carrying a bunch of duffle bags.

  “ Jackpot. We got money, we got murder weapons, we got a shit load of cocaine. Get it while it’s hot. Everything must go.” One of the cops joked.

  “Drugs? Murder weapons? Somebody please tell me what is going on?” Tiffany said, now fully hysterical.

  “Tell her Romeo. Tell her what’s going.” Johnson said.

  “Man I ain’t never seen none of that shit in my life.” Travon lied, again.

  “What? Travon what are you saying? They planted that shit? Ya’ll motherfuckers planted that shit?” Tiffany screamed, frantically.

  “Look, I don’t know what the fuck is going on? You got something you want to tell me Tiffany?” Travon said.

  “Don’t try and put it on her you no good motherfucker. Your boy already gave you up. You can thank D-Boy for this.” Williams said.

  “What? Bullshit. Ya’ll some motherfucking liars. Tiffany what type of shit have you gotten me into?” Travon said, now going into an Oscar winning performance.

  “Travon baby please stop. This isn’t funny please stop.” Tiffany pleaded, now crying uncontrollably.

  “I want a fucking lawyer right now. That shit ain’t mines and you can’t tie it to me neither. No fingerprints, no nothing. Where the fuck did ya’ll find that shit huh?” Travon asked, adamantly.

  “Well where did you get it?” Williams asked, the officer that brought the stuff downstairs.

  “In her closet. Under the floor board.” The cop replied.

  “What? No. This can’t be happening. Travon baby please stop. Why are you doing this to me?” Tiffany continued to plead.

  “Get them both out of here. We’ll clear this up downtown.” Johnson said.

  As the officers lead Travon and Tiffany passed the Detectives. Williams stops Travon.

  “You think you are so slick don’t you bitch? I’m going to personally make sure you get buried under the fucking cell, that’s if you don’t get the death penalty. Now get this faggot out of my sight.” Williams said, as the officers lead Travon and Tiffany out to the squad car. Tiffany is understandably kicking and screaming while Travon is just as cool as always. By this time a crowd has gathered outside and Travon makes eye contact with D-Boy who is trying to fight through the barricades as if he can undo what he has done. As Travon is being put into the car he shoots D-Boy a sinister look as D-Boy looks like he just lost his best friend.

  A NEW BEGINNING

  “Yeah, I know ya’ll mouths are hanging wide open. I couldn’t believe that shit either, and I’m still finding it hard to get over. The man that I loved, the one who claimed he loved me, the nigga that fathered my child had been lying to me all of this time. Now some of you are calling me things like jackass, and naïve. Some of you hypocrites are even calling me a dumb bitch. As if what happened to me couldn’t or hasn’t happened to you. Shit. This type of thing happens to females like me and you every day. I’m just the only one who ain’t scared to tell her story. You see I don’t care if you call me a dumb bitch because I was, I’ll admit it. But I’m hoping ya’ll can learn from my story. Oh yeah my story. Let’s get back to it….

  As ya’ll read, that motherfucker Travon blamed all of that shit on me, the guns, coke, money, everything. When we got down to the precinct somebody bailed him out, to the tune of $1 million dollars. I’ll admit, that same someone tried to bail me out too but I was denied bail because all of that shit was tied to my name, houses, cars, jewelry, the beauty salons everything, and I had no way to show how I earned any of it. Surprisingly enough the same someone that tried to post my bail also paid for my attorney. The attorney wouldn’t tell me who retained his services but I figured it was Travon. The question was did he really love me and just get caught up, or was I just a convenient piece of pussy and a scapegoat and the motherfucker just felt guilty?

  I
n any event, against my lawyer’s advice I took the case to trial. The D.A. had offered a deal of 20 years even though it was only my first offense. But I was 4 months pregnant and I was 100% innocent. I knew that I would win if I took the case to trial. Monica convinced my grandmother to testify for me, but she ended up hurting my case even more by saying that she barely knew me and that I moved out as soon as I got there. She told how I was driving expensive cars and living lavishly and hanging out with the wrong crowd. You would think that she was testifying against me. Monica and the girls couldn’t even help me because their records were so fucked up that they couldn’t be credible witnesses. So I was all alone. It was me against the government’s star witness, Mr. Travon Outlaw. I broke down right there in my seat watching my first and only love testify against me. According to him he was the naïve one. He said that I showered him with money, cars and expensive gifts. He said when he asked where all of my money came from, I told him it came from owning three beauty salons. (You know, the ones he bought for me.) When I took the stand I could barely hold myself together, and Travon couldn’t look me in my face. But I told my story. I told the truth. I explained how I was only guilty of being a young naïve girl from Marion Ohio who was in love, dangerously in love as the song goes. I noticed some jury members getting teary-eyed listening to my testimony. I thought I noticed Travon wipe a tear from his eye and mouth the words I’m sorry. I had won the trial; I could feel it in my heart and soul. The jury came back with its decision. The judge ordered me to stand as the jury read the verdict. GUILTY on all counts. I was hit with the 848, that was the kingpin statute. I was sentenced to 372 years in jail. I collapsed right then and there. I lost three things that day, my mind, my freedom, and my baby. Travon on the other hand left with everything, including his wife and 2 sons, from New York. Yeah that’s right you read correctly. Travon was married with children. His defense team celebrated while Travon just sat there with his

  206 Sean Wright

  head in his hands looking like he just lost his best friend, because he knew that he had. So that’s how it ends, with a new beginning. It’s Okay to cry, go ahead. But don’t cry for me, cry for the women that this is happening to everyday. If you know someone in this similar situation have them read this book and tell them that I am a diamond in the rough and I leave this jewel. All money ain’t good money, because in the end he played me like a gangster’s melody. Peace.

  Outside of the courthouse D-Boy is parked alone and stressed about the thought of his best friend going to jail forever on the count of his disloyalty and betrayal. He is crying and very distraught when a car with tinted windows pulls up along side of him. The window rolls down and Lorenzo is driving with Travon in the passenger seat.

  “What’s up my brother?” Travon said, before he pulls out a gun with a silencer shoots D-Boy three times in the face and they pull off.