Tales of the Hood

by T K Williams-Nelson

“Okay well you go get ready and We’ll walk down the road together.”

  I wanted him to feel that he had someone he could talk to. We may have only met yesterday but I felt like I had known him for ages. He jogged upstairs, leaving me feeling quite relieved. After a while he came back down looking refreshed and ready to take on the daunting day ahead. As we prepared to leave the house he did something that would be hard for a heartbroken boy to do. He smiled. Only a small one but that smile reassured me that I was giving him the support he needed.

  As we approached the fire-gutted flat butterflies settled in my stomach. I didn’t want to probe on what Cameron was feeling so I stayed quiet and let him take everything in his own stride. When we got there loads of flowers lay on the ground with other sympathy gifts like cards and teddy’s. The flat looked terrible: black and beaten. Cameron seemed to be holding up alright but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. “Just tell me when you’re ready to go okay?” I said, giving him some space. He nodded and walked over to the flowers, reading each and every card that lay against the house. He then picked up a blue teddy someone had laid for his father and bowed his head.

  “I feel to cut now. Is that cool with you?” he asked hesitantly.

  “Yeah course it is,” I replied. He was probably confused as to what was going to happen from here and he wasn’t the only one. We began walking back to my house. “So Cameron, have you ever DJ’d in a club before?” I said, trying to lighten the mood with a topic he was interested in.

  “I’ve played at friend’s parties and stuff but my decks got ruined in the fire so there’s no more of that. Music isn’t really my focus right now,” he replied.

  “There can be more of it. I’m in the music business and there are a lot of clubs that need a good player. I can hook you up if you want. It’s a chance to make a bit of money and take your mind of things?” I said, trying convince him to take up my offer.

  “Yeah that would be cool. Thanks. What I want to know is why are you taking me in and being so nice? You don’t even know me. It was only by chance you were there to get involved last night,” he asked curiously.

  “Because when I was your age my life was on the roads. When my mum got killed things got worse and it was time for a change. I got into the music industry to tell boys and girls that the street isn’t the way to go anymore. Invest time in talent.”

  “That’s good. It’s like you want to give people a voice through your music?” he replied, finally sounding intrigued about something.

  “Yeah now you’re getting it. Anyway I know a club nearby so I’m going to speak to them about you playing there one night. If you’re good they might take you on as a full time DJ but you make the final decision,” I clarified. He smiled and I knew that I was slowly making him feel a little better about himself and the entire situation. As we got closer to home I noticed him clutch his teddy tighter.

  ***

  Since the car accident we had been going everywhere on foot and public transport. Today was the day we were getting our wheels back and I was ecstatic at the thought alone. It was official; Cameron was now a member of the family. It took a while to get everything confirmed but he was happy here and I was happy to have him. He’d even grown on Vanessa. They had their little arguments sometimes but secretly she loved having him around too. He had character that the household was missing.

  Cameron came and sat down in the living room, admiring the teddy he picked up when we visited the flat. Looking at him I started to feel like I had to do something good for him. I didn’t want him ending up on the streets selling drugs and beating up people for fun like I did when I was sixteen. He seemed like a good kid; a dedicated kid too if he had something to dedicate himself to. I went in to the kitchen and called one of my links from a club on the south side. I wanted to hook him up with a little job so he didn’t go down the wrong path. Plus now he was living here it was time for him to contribute to the household financially. He needed to become aware of the norms and values of growing up and as his guardian it was my job to provide that knowledge. I phoned my long time friend Kane, who ran the club.

  “Yo what you on today?” I asked casually.

  “Nothing much, getting ready for the rave tonight. Why? What’s going down?” he replied.

  “Could you do me a favour? My little brother from another mother wants to try out as DJ for a set. Would you be able to hook him up to play tonight? It doesn’t have to be nothing big just some time in the spotlight to show his skills,” I said, emphasising his talent.

  “Yeah course man. Pass through and I’ll try him out,” he agreed.

  “Alright cool. Safe for that D, I owe you one,” I said before hanging up.

  I went back into the living room to tell Cameron the good news but he wasn’t there. I shouted his name from the bottom of the stairs but he didn’t answer. At first I thought everything was cool, he probably just went to the shop or something, but after a few hours had gone by worry crept over me.

  “Vanessa I’m going out to look for Cameron yeah,” I said, putting my jacket on.

  “Yeah okay, I’m going to get Shakira from nursery anyway so I’ll see you boys later,” she said, blowing kisses as she walked through the door.

  I walked down to the front line; to the park and shops but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I walked around for an hour before I felt like giving up. I thought he had run away but he’d been with us for months now. Why would he up and leave out of the blue? I wouldn’t blame him if he did. Even though we provided a good home for him it still didn’t change the fact that his mum and dad were gone and he was still here; an orphan. On the way back home I had a strange brain wave. I didn’t know if I was onto anything but it was worth a try. I turned around and walked towards my old house. When I got there I saw Cameron sitting in front of the dead flowers staring. As I went to sit next to him he promptly stood up in his ready position.

  “Shit you scared me man,” he cursed. I smiled and sat down with him.

  “What you doing here in the cold?” I probed.

  “I’m reminiscing good times that will never come back around again. We didn’t live here long but it was long enough,” he replied.

  “Well you’re going to have to make some new ones starting from today. You’re playing at a club tonight so you’d better get back to mine and get ready,” I said, awaiting the excitement.

  “Are you serious? You hooked me up already?”

  “I said I would. If I have the sources then why not?” I smiled. He jumped up and hugged me. I wasn’t that good at showing affection when it came to these situations because I was so used to being cold hearted before I saw sense. In the end I just hugged him back and took in the moment. “I’m gonna look after you. Believe that,” I assured him firmly.

  “You’re like the big brother I never had. I don’t know what to say,” he replied.

  “Then don’t say anything. Let’s go.”

  ***

  It was nearly time for us to hit the road. Vanessa got our new car and it was looking fresh; better than the first if I say so myself. If anyone tried to take the piss with this one I knew I was going to have to break someone. With Jamal about that was likely to happen but I wasn’t playing into his games. I put on my jacket then Cameron and I made our way to the club. The drive seemed to take forever but when we got there the music was sounding sweet and there was a lot of people looking like they were enjoying themselves. Since it was his first gig I thought I would stay and see how he got on. After a couple of warm up songs it was his time to go up and show the crowd what he could do. He didn’t have his own equipment so he borrowed the previous DJ”s decks. Starting off slow he played the common RnB and Pop but as the crowd increased the demand grew greater. He started switching from Bashment to Grime then to the Old School Garage. The people loved it and I loved it too. He was moving slick. He got the whole club reminiscing about the music we had back in the day. Before guns; knives and bitches were the topic. It was raw emotions about
life. After the second hour he played his last song.

  “For my last track I would like to dedicate it to my brother Jayden, who’s given me the opportunity to play for you tonight,” he said as he turned to me and played a track off my album. I was chuffed. The crowd went mad when they realised I was there and were really getting into it. I could tell Cameron was feeling it too by the way he bopped his head and rocked to the beat with his headphones on. I was happy to see him happy after what had happened. When he came off the stage the atmosphere died down and it was clear to see that people didn’t want him to leave. He gave the place a bit more life than usual. He jogged up to me, “I felt so good up there man. Thanks for everything,” he smiled, out of breath.

  “It’s cool man. You looked good up there. You were born to do this,” I said, telling him the honest truth. We stayed until the rave ended; living it up and enjoying all the attention. I signed a load of autographs and a few girls’ chests. This is what being a star was all about and it was pure bliss. When the rave ended D called Cameron into the back room and a few minutes later he returned with a load of notes in his palm.

  “He said I was good and that I brought in new faces. I didn’t even know I was going to get paid,” he said surprised.

  “So what did you think you were going to play for free?” I laughed. He shoved the money into his pocket and told me that the owner wanted him to play for the rest of the week. “That’s great. If you keep this up, trust me you will get far,” I replied. He nodded and we made our way back to the car. His smile faded after a while and I knew he was thinking about the fire. I wished his mum and dad could see what he was doing; what he was becoming. Know that he’s in safe hands with people that genuinely care about him.

  We arrived home knackered so he went to bed whilst I sat to tell Vanessa how it went. “He was the heartbeat in the room Vanessa, I don’t think you understand the talent this boy has,” I stressed.

  “Wow I’m glad it went well and he enjoyed it. Tomorrow if I get a babysitter for Shakira I might pass round to see what all the hype is about,” she joked.

  “Yeah you need to. He’s just indescribable. This is actually a great start for him. I feel like He’s a little brother to me” I said even though it was already confirmed that he had that role in my life.

  “He is. He’s one of us now and we can’t let him down after the burden He’s got on his head. He really needs to stop leaving his damn dirty clothes on the floor before I get annoyed though,” she sighed heavily. I hugged her tightly.

  “Thank you for letting me take him in babe. I know it wasn’t easy adjusting to the change but you made the effort anyway. You’re my star girl, you know that right?” I said, snugging up to her chest.

  “I don’t need you to tell me that Jayden, I was a star from the day I was born,” she laughed. With a brief but instinctive glance around I saw Cameron standing on the landing. I wondered if he heard all the things I said. He nodded at me then walked into his room. I think it was a signal that he did. I knew he did. I also knew he had some serious potential in that heart of his.

  ***

  Over the upcoming week Cameron was making himself a positive name at the club. He got paid every day for the way he made the place rock. He gave people something to talk about to their friends so they could come to the club and make new friends. He was on the rise. When he finished the last gig for the week I felt like pushing his talent further. It was clear that he had an audience so why not help him branch out? There was a big club on the south side called Dreams and I thought about getting him a job there. I knew it was a risk seeing as we lived on the north side but it would give him a better chance of getting more jobs and making more money. I’d be on stand by to draw up anyone that tried to intimidate him in any way. Before I made any arrangements I wanted to talk to him about it but these days he was never around. He had all the girls on lockdown; screaming for him to play at parties and other functions. He loved the attention and I couldn’t blame him. He deserved every minute of it. When he came in that evening I sat him down in the living room.

  “How would you feel about working somewhere else where you can make a lot more money and have a better chance of being discovered?”

  “I don’t know. It hasn’t really crossed my mind. I’ve gotten used to working at the club but why?”

  “Because there’s a job at Dreams on the south side and I was wondering if you would like to try it out? There would be no pressure it will just be a chance to expand your audience and your name,” I said, promoting the idea.

  “But the south side doesn’t get on with the north side. It’s gonna be hard for me to stay focused knowing anything could happen,” he replied, sounding sceptical.

  “Yeah I know but there’s tight security and you would be playing your section then leaving,” I assured him.

  “I don’t know. It sounds risky. How much do they pay?” he queried.

  “Three bills every time you play.”

  “Hmm that’s good money still. I’m gonna think about that one is that alright?”

  “Yeah let me know by tomorrow so I can tell the manager.” And with that short conversation over he was out the front door to greet the girls waiting for him. I shouldn’t have to worry about him because He’s a big boy but I didn’t want all this minor fame to get to his head. He still had a long way to go and if he did make it big as a DJ then God knows what he was going to be like then.

  That night was restless for me. Vanessa and Shakira were already fast asleep but Cameron’s loud conversation on the phone was getting to me. Eventually I got up and went to knock on his door. “Keep it down rude boy, you’re keeping me awake,” I laughed. I didn’t want to make it seem like I was getting onto him but he was grating on my nerves.

  “Yeah I’ll come off the phone now. Sorry about that,” he apologised.

  I closed the door and went back to my room. Over an hour went by and he still hadn’t come off the phone. It seemed like he was getting louder and louder every minute. I couldn’t be asked to get up again so I slowly dozed off but the next morning I was knackered. I looked in the mirror and despised the bags hanging from my eyes. I went downstairs to see Cameron and Vanessa in the living room eating breakfast.

  “Had a nice conversation last night?” I smiled with minor annoyance.

  “Yeah I was talking to some girl that I kind of like but I don’t know if the feeling’s mutual. If she likes me for me or for the money I’m making,” he explained.

  “Just get to know her better and see how it goes. Just hope she isn’t a fool like Vanessa,” I joked, kissing my wife on the forehead.

  “Do you want a slap?” she said, returning the humour.

  “Oh shut up,” I said, walking into the kitchen. Moments later Cameron came in. “I’ve been thinking about the job you were talking about and yeah I wouldn’t mind playing in Dreams if you feel it’s better for me. I recognised that if I want to excel in what I’m doing I have to be willing to play in areas that I’m not too keen on,” he said maturely.

  “I’m glad to hear that. You can start next week if that’s alright with you?”

  “Yeah that’s fine. I’m not gonna lie, I’m feeling amped up to set the place alight,” he said confidently.

  I was happy he’d said yes. It was an opportunity of a life -time. Dreams only hired the best DJs in London so he was lucky. I went to sit down in the living room and put my feet up on Vanessa’s lap. I was starting my new album tomorrow so I wanted to think of some themes that I could create masterpieces from. Cameron was already getting ready to go out so there was no point asking him for any advice so I spoke to Vanessa to see what she thought.

  “What do you think my next album should be about babe? In terms of general topics,” I asked spontaneously.

  “Well since your last one was about the bad things about our community and past experiences, why don’t you talk about something good? I don’t know, maybe love or something to do with the success you’ve gained
?” she suggested.

  “Hmm I like that. Maybe it should be about you - not.” I laughed. I honestly believed I was hilarious.

  “Ha-ha no. You would love to do an album all about me, love,” she replied boastfully. She bared her teeth into a smirk. She was right though; she was my everything.

  ***

  I’d woken up early and decided to make my day a productive one. Last night I was thinking about how Cameron had lost all his equipment in the fire so I thought I would go out and buy him a new set. It was to get him started so he didn’t have to depend on no one for nothing. The moral in this world is trust no one but yourself and your family. The moral on the streets is to trust no one but yourself. Sometimes it’s difficult but if you don’t do it you feel more pain and sorrow than anything else. People start to turn against you. Their happiness turns to jealousy when they see your success growing. He needed to learn this now or he probably wouldn’t make it to eighteen with his sanity.

  I got in the car and made my way to the electronics superstore. I don’t know why I was up so early but these days my sleeping pattern was messed up with all the late night studio time I was putting in. The decks that I saw were all expensive but he deserved the best. £1200 for the whole set that he would need. I bought them as a gift for him. He’d taught me that when you save a life you grow an attachment that no one else can comprehend. Sometimes it still didn’t register that he was a part of my family when it wasn’t even a year since I had dragged him out of my old burning kitchen.

  On my way back home I passed the burnt down house. There were now squatters moving in with their manky blankets and worn-out clothes. Seeing things like that made me feel grateful to have a roof over my head, a family that loves me and a solid job that helps me provide for my girls. I pulled up to the house and took the things out of the boot. It didn’t seem like anyone was awake yet so that was good. I wanted to surprise him. I left it on the living room table and went upstairs to wake Vanessa. The girl was meant to be taking Shakira to nursery and she was banging out some big sleep.