Introduction To Hard 2 Da Kore (Hard2daKore Book 1)

by Mike Middleton

  “C’mon Kore, I just need to drop it right there in the door way, then we can push it in from there. I don’t want no more problems with Sal yo, that mafucka be trippin’ for real for real” He explained. “We? Whoa! What do you mean we can push it? Naa, I got a bad back dog.” I said, grabbing my lower back. “C’mon Kore, you know Sal ain’t gonna’ let me back this all the way in. Not after what happened yesterday. Where he at?” He whispered, glancing over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching or listening.

  “He’s in his office probably screamin’ at somebody on the phone.” I told him. I walked over to the driver’s side window of the tow truck and shook his hand. “Whassgood my cracka?” I said jokingly. “Yo whassuup my nigga’?” He replied smiling. “Yo I know Sal still mad as fuck, so I’m tryina stay as far away from his fatass as long as I can.” He said, glancing over at the shop. “I know, but he didn’t say anything about it this morning though.” I told him.

  You see what had happen was… yesterday, Joey was towing a car into the shop, and as he was backing it up, he accidentally backed into Frankie’s White Corvette, and that left a little scratch on it, and Sal blew flipped out because Frankie…the owner of FRANKIE’S AUTO REPAIR loves that Corvette. He kept it at the shop instead of at his house because he didn’t want nobody knowing that he even had it. He would pull up to the shop in a limo or one of his other cars and have the driver wait for him for hours just so he could take it for a ride.

  If you asked me, I would say that Frankie was either some type of businessman, or had some type of ties to them mobster types. Judging by the nice, expensive suits he wore, and the big bodyguard lookin type dudes that was with him wherever he went. I’d say that Frankie definitely had mob ties. As I was sayin, Joey scratched Frankie’s car so Sal went nuts because he knew that he was gonna have to answer for it because Frankie specifically told Sal. “Don’t let nobody, and I mean nobody, tow any cars inside this shop, Capish?” And those were his exact words.

  So I wound up helping Joey bring the car into the shop without any problems. “Thanks Kore, ayo you heard that new Eminem shit? Yo that shit is off the heezy fo sheezy son!” He said excitedly. “Yeah, I heard it, that shit is mad tight, but Joey nobody says heezy fo’ sheezy no more my dude.” I replied. “I just downloaded his shit yesterday oh, but The Born Criminals, them mothafuckers new shit is dope as hell too, especially my man Righteous. He spitted some shit like:

  B.C. we been around waaay Befo’ Christ, mafuckas’ had cold hearts waaay befo’ ice, every time we come off that makes us waaay mo’ nice, trick knowledge criminology waaay befo’ whites, ha ha haaa that shit right there son, is the illest shit ever!” Joey quoted excitedly. “Hell yeah, I like them Born Criminal cats too.” I told him. “Well, let me go in here and get screamed at again, ain’t no escaping this big mafucka Kore.” Joey said and walked into Sal’s office. I was walking over to check out the Lincoln when Mike pulled up in the shop’s hooptie. Mike parked the car and came into the shop carrying the fan belts. He was about to go into Sal’s office, but stopped and put is ear up to the door. He could hear screaming from behind the door. He looked over at me.

  “Yo he’s screamin’ on him.” That’s what his lips said but no words came from his mouth. I crept in closer to the door to listen. The door swung open suddenly and Sal emerged from behind it followed closely by Joey. Mike was startled and damn near tripped into Sal’s big belly. I stopped dead in my tracks and tried to turn and walk off to the side, pretending as if I was going someplace else. Mike caught his balance and backed away as Sal and Joey stormed past him, never even noticing any of us. Sal led Joey over to a covered car and took the cover off, revealing Frankie’s white Corvette. He walked over to the bumper and leaned over to take a closer look as Joey looked on.

  Mike and I walked over to them. “You mean to tell me that you couldn’t back that car up into here without smashing into something? I got my ass chewed out over this. Out of all the possible shit to crash into in here you had to bang into this car!” Sal screamed at him. “But Sal I’m sayin, when I backed the car in the door, I turned the wheel to the left and the car went right, no, I mean, I turned the wheel to the right and the car went, I mean, shit! I can’t really remember which way I turned the wheel Sal, but the shit went that way, and when I tried to swing back it went too far.” Joey explained, trying to illustrate to Sal what he was saying.

  “Joey, just shut the hell up! You’re gonna pay for this fuck up. This is coming out of your check!” Sal interrupted. “But Sal, it’s only a tiny scratch.” Joey pleaded. “Shut up Joey!” Sal screamed, shaking his head and then stormed back into his office. Joey looked at me, then at Mike and then over at Sal’s office, then back at me. “Yo, why he trippin’ over that little ass scratch?” He said, and went back into the office behind Sal. Mike and I just stood there and stared at each other. “You think he gonna make him take a piss test?” I asked him. “Who knows.” Mike said. “Damn, that’ll be fucked up if he do, ‘cause that nigga smoke mo’ weed than a little bit.” I said. Mike’s face shifted to an unconcerned look. “Fuck em.” He said, and walked away.

  “Damn you cold Mike. Joey cool peoples yo.” I explained. “Word, you think? Now I bet you your boy Joey fuck around and get a raise or some shit for crashin up shit in here. Now you know that’s Sal’s lil pet. Joey don’t do nowhere near as much work as you or me. All he do is ride around pickin up parts ‘n shit. Oh he might do a tune up or tire change here and there. Look at that mafucka’s tools over there. They clean as hell, all shiny and polished n’ shit, and he be using our tools to fix shit. You kno’ why Kore? Cause his tools don’t do shit, and ya boy Joey don’t do shit either. That’s because him and Sal, they the same peoples. They don’t give a fuck about us Kore. Them mafuckas stick together, watch you’ll see.” Mike said. I just shook my head because I didn’t understand why Mike didn’t like Joey, but I guess everybody got a right to their own opinion. I thought. Mike walked over towards his work area and placed the fan belts on top of a tire that lay nearby. I went over to the Lincoln, popped the hood and started checking it out.

  A few minutes later Sal and Joey emerged from the office. Sal walked towards us while Joey jumped in the tow truck and pulled off. Mike came closer to me as Sal got nearer. “Watch this.” Mike whispered. “Okay you guys, I need you to start working on this Lincoln, first get it up on the lift, drop the tranny, open it up and see if it need any new clutch plates. If it does, replace ‘em with some of the new ones from the back. After that change the fan belt, and then please get this piece of shit out of here! Joey’s on his way to pick up the Mercedes right now. Mike you can work on that when he brings it back. The sooner yous can get it done the sooner we all can go home.” Sal instructed.

  “Yo Sal, why we always get the hard jobs, and all Joey do is ride around pickin’ up cars and parts n’ shit? I don’t think that’s right. We be working our asses off, and Joey be chillin. What’s up with the favoritism?” Mike asked disgustedly. Sal paused as he looked like he just got put on the spot. “Hey look, I can’t lie, you guys are the best mechanics I got. That’s why I always put you two on the jobs that might need that extra little touch. You guys are like fuckin King Midas when it comes to fixing cars. Shit I haven’t had a complaint yet, not one. Keep up the good work guys.” Sal said and turned to walk away.

  “Hold up Sal!” Mike interrupted. “I think that Joey should do more work around here like we be doin. We be workin like slaves up in here. You think I can’t see what’s goin on around here?” Mike added. “No, why don’t you tell me now what’s going on around here Mike?” Sal replied, sounding disgusted. “I think it’s cause we black that’s wh..” Mike started to say but was interrupted. “Oh come onnn Mike, don’t start with the racial profiling talk.”

  “What do you mean with that racial profiling talk!? You can call it whatever you want, but all I see is y’all, meaning you and Joey, be up in here chillin while me and Korey be bustin our asses around here!”
“Look Mike.” Sal interrupted. “I don’t have time for this right now! If you don’t like your job here, quit. Now I would hate to lose you, but if you’re not happy here, nobody’s stopping you from leaving. Look, I gotta go make some calls right now, you guys keep up the good work.” Sal said, then went back into his office and closed the door. “Fat motherfucka always showin’ favoritism; tryina soup us up with that King Midas bullshit. You see Kore. I told you they don’t give a fuck about us. Mike said angrily.

  Even though it seems like he did have a point. I didn’t think that gave him the right to think that Joey was a bad dude. “Come on Mike let’s finish this shit so we can get outta here. When Joey comes back I’ll help you bang it out. That way we can get out of here early. My cousin Jay and nem playin some football today, I wanna try and make it down there to play with them.” I said.

  “Aight, let’s bang em out then.” Mike said as he grabbed his tools. We’ve done these kinds of jobs plenty of times, so this gonna be light work for us. After all when it comes to this fixin’ cars shit, we got that Midas touch for real. I thought as Mike and I started fixing the Lincoln.

  5

  LET’S GET READY 4 SOME HOODBALL!

  (Korey)

  I heard my cousin Jay call out to me as Mike and I walked towards the field. When we got there I saw two of my best friends, D Nice and Raheem. Raheem was lying on the field, grabbing his stomach and in a lot of pain. “What up Jay, what’s up, what’s wrong with Rah?” I asked him. “Well looka here, looka here! If it ain’t the grease monkey Korey da Mann and Mike, his oilcan sidekick! Damn boyh, y’all look like that dirty ass Aamco man on crack ha ha ha!” Big Ox joked as his team looked on laughing. Big Ox was one of those cats from the Woodz, big as hell head, no neck dude, and a mouth just a big. Always popping some rah rah shit, a real troublesome type nigga.

  “You aight Rah, guess them niggas bangin’ y’all up kinda bad huh?” I asked. “Yeah, I’m aight I just need to catch my breath.” He said, looking a little dazed. Raheem grunted painfully. “Yo, you can chill for a while if you want to Rah, I got this.” I told him. “Yo Mike, you feel like playin’ some hoodball with us?” I asked. “Nah Kore, I got some things I gotta take care of.” Mike said. “Awww come on Mike, you can fill in for D Nice, unless you scared of a little contact sport.” Jay said. Mike paused for a second, glanced over the field at Big Ox and the rest of his team. “Aight, fuck it, I’ll play, but only for a little while.” He said.

  “Okay! Now that’s what I’m about! Some fresh meat! Break out the grill and the barbeque sauce! I’ll take that quarterback rare! I like a lotta blood if you don’t mind! What ‘bout you Jamar!?” Big Ox taunted. “Oh, I already got that new runnin’ back cat covered with the A-1 sauce homey. I want that nigga well done!” Jamar yelled as they began to huddle up. “Okay Mann and Mike, y’all fill in for D Nice and Raheem. C’mon let’s huddle up!” Jay said as we walked onto the field and huddled around him and the football. “Okay Mike, how good are you on run plays?” He asked. “Shit, I ain’t no Emmitt Smith, but I think I can handle these loud mouth mafuckas.” Mike stated. “Aight Mann, I’ma fake a pass to you near the end zone, so you play wide receiver spot on my left, and Mike, ima need you at the runnin back spot on my right. Now Mann, you run a long slant to about that third cone over there, and Mike I’ma fake you a hand off up the middle, so tuck the ball and stay low like you got it, and Mann you keep runnin, then cut right stop and turn around.

  Mike after they get up off you, slip off to the left about 10 yards out stop, and I’ma hit you with a bullet, so be ready Mike, ‘cause it’s comin hard and it’s comin fast. This third down yall so let’s at least get this first down so we can get close enough to their goal. It’s gonna be on a rush hut 2 aight, Hut 2?” Jay whispered to us all.

  Everyone responded with head nods then we walked up to the line of scrimmage and lined up. Jay took position behind Rob the center. “Set! Down!. Blue 42!.. Rush Hut 1 Rush Hut 2!” Rob snapped the ball quickly into Jay’s awaiting hands. I started running my route as instructed glancing over to see if I had my defender beat. I couldn’t seem to shake him. I watched Jay fake the handoff to Mike, then scrambled to his left, pump faked a pass to the other receiver, then faked a long pass to me while a few of the other team members followed me closely.

  As I was running I saw Mike scramble through a few defenders, spun off and ran his short route and turned around. Jay threw a rocket pass to Mike who caught it and started running towards the end zone. Mike ran quickly and swiftly through the oncoming assault of the other team. He even managed to shake off Big Ox, making him fall to the ground as Mike ran in for a touchdown. We all cheered and ran down into the end zone for a celebration.

  “Yeeeah! What you got to say now!? How that fuckin’ grass taste in your mouth, big Oxtail head ass nigga!” Jay taunted. Big Ox got up smiling and dusted himself off. “That’s cool, that’s cool! So now it’s only what!? Twenty eight to seven!? Ha haaa! Now all y’all need is about four more touchdowns to beat us Mr. Babyback quaterback, and that my friend. Not going to happen, not on my watch hommie!” Big Ox boasted loudly.

  I looked over at Mike and then at Jay. “What 28 to 7? You mean to tell me that that was the only touchdown Jay?” I asked confusedly. “Yea Mann, but now all we gotta do is score four more times, put a stop to these niggas and we got ‘em. Trust me it’s nothin’ we got this!” Jay explained confidently. We all looked downfield and saw the other team lined up and ready for the throw down. Big Ox stood in the middle of the line.

  “It’s our ball now, let’s see how y’all gonna stop me!” Big Ox teased as we continue playing...and play we did, and through all the running, hard hitting, illegal hits, holding, catching and trash talking. We manage to pull off an upset and finally beat them by the score of 42 to 35, and Jay savored every sweet second of our victory.

  Even though we won, and the tension was high from our ongoing rivalry. It was only right that we showed good sportsmanship and shake hands with our opposition like we did at the end of every game. So we did. Big Ox stared at me as I shook his hand. “Yo Jamar, your man Korey, da Mann right here made you look real bad today hommie.” He instigated. “That’s iight, cause I think he know who the betta man is, and if he don’t he gonna find out soon enough.” Jamar chuckled.

  “Betta man? Yo son, you don’t know me like that.” I replied, trying not taking heed to their bullshit. “Ha ha, I know you betta than you think kid.” Jamar replied as he and Big Ox chuckled as they left the field. After saying our farewells, me, Mike and Jay walked across the field. “Damn Mike, I didn’t know you had skills like that. We finally beat those fuckin’ bums.” Jay bragged excitedly. “You ain’t never play no ball back in high school? You got skills kid for real.” I stated.

  “I was never really into sports and shit like that. I was more into the honeys nameen? Besides all that practice ‘n shit after school, I definitely wasn’t with that. Besides, wasn’t no money in it, and you know I loves me some money.” Mike explained. “I feel you on that one dogg. Hey y’all it’s a party tonight at The Funnel. My man Xaviar from The Born Criminals havin’ a birthday party tonight. Yo mad celebs gonna be there too. What’s up Mann you wanna come?” Jay asked.

  Let me tell y’all about my cousin Jay. Jay is a party animal. He always be goin’ to the clubs and concerts. Says he be hanging out with rappers and singers and what not. He got mad pull with a lot of club bouncers though. He be gettin in a lotta major hot spots. He got photographs of him, with just about everybody in the music industry today. Jay knows that I love to rap, so he always tryin’ to get me to enter rap competitions, or make a demo tape.

  He said that I got skills, but I don’t know, I don’t think that I’m as good as all those other rappers out there. My cousin Jay disagrees. Ever since he came up with that name for me“Da Mann” he told me he was gonna only call me by my rap name, although Mann is just short for my middle name, Manning. I’m always Da Mann to my cousin Jay though. Th
at’s why he never calls me Korey like most everybody else. “Word, tonight? I heard about that party. Bet I’m down, I ain’t been out in a while anyway.” I said.

  “What about you Mike? I can get yall in for free or at least a discount.” Jay said. “Na, I got some business I gotta take care of.” Mike explained. “Aight then, Mann, I’ma call you later on around eleven so be ready. I’m outta here. Yo, good game Mike. Y’all be good.” Jay said as he gave me and Mike a pound and walked away with a few of the other guys from the game.

  6 THE HOME STROLL (Korey)

  “Yo Mike, what’s up with you.Why we don’t chill like we used to do back in the day? It’s like I see you every day at work, but after that it’s like you disappear. I’m sayin, you could chill with a nigga sometimes. I don’t even know where you live, and I never ever see you around the hood no more. What’s really hood wit’cha hommie?” I asked as we walked away from the field. “I be chillin’. I don’t be doin’ much Kore, takin little trips n’ shit like that. I stays on some extra low incognito shit for real dog, but damn my nigga, I’ll start comin around more if you be missin me that much my dude, ha ha.” Mike joked.

  “It ain’t like that nigga ha ha ha.” I had to laugh. Mike always had a way of making jokes out of things, except when it came to Sal. “I’m sayin I be chillin too, with my girl mostly, but sometimes I might hang out with my cousin Jay, but sometimes I wanna see what’s good with my dude Mike. You know, go drink a few brews and shoot some pool or a game of All Madden and what not.” I said."I feel you my nigga, I aint got no problem with that, but yo if we do chill you can chill with me cause I ain’t feelin’ none of these spots around here. Shit every time you turn around a nigga gettin his wig popped, but it’s all good we gonna chill Kore word up.” Mike stated. “Yo son, you do be on some down low incognito shit for real.” I said. “Yo whatever happened to that chick that used to come by the shop all the time?” I asked him. “Who? Nikki?” He replied.