"Ya safe G, what y'all sayin?" asked O-Dog another youth in Los Angeles, who belonged to a different hood, came over and collected his cigarette, "yeh fool u gotta light, ya safe" as B took out his lighter. O-Dog lit the cigarette up, shouted "safe" for the third time and walked off while puffing the tobacco. B got up from his space, and stretched, "yo I'm out man, gonna get some more liquor, I'm thirsty proper" as he shook all his friends hands, and strutted down to the store down the road. B knew what life was like in the hood, he had lived their all his life. Taught everything by his respected cousin, he had hustled for money for about 7 years. Though stress had been tough as well, watching his cousin being shot dead in a drive-by shooting, after one argument with him. B thought his cousin's death was all his fault. Also, losing close friends after they had been shot, beaten and stabbed, this was the stress of a 'gangsta' life. He had thought many of a time, when he would go as well, he knew he weren't scared of death, but just knew that would be it, end of time, but also could be an escape of life and stress.
As B walked in the store, the Asian owners of the shop watched B carefully. He had no intent on doing anything that is what really made him angry. One of the female workers continued to follow B as he walked to the fridge, "what bitch? I just want some drink" the female Chinese worker seemed in total fear, "just hurry up and buy" she said quickly. "Whatever bitch", B took his time over choosing his drink, walked to the counter, took out a roll of 50 dollar notes, took the elastic band off, and handed a 50 dollar note over. The change was given and without counting if the amount was correct he just put the rest of the money in the pocket and continued to walk.
As he stepped outside, he walked down the street and another youth seemed to barge him, he looked up to see if he could recognise the face. "You remember this face, huh?" and continued to barge B. B took a closer look, and knew he didn’t recognise where he had seen the face, but he knew it was in a violent encounter. B's first reaction was to use the bottle, so he hit the other youth with the bottle across his head, not once, but twice, blood across his face, B continued to punch the youth, then getting up, and kicking him in the stomach, watching the youth throw up blood. "Yeh, you like that fool? You like that?" B walked off slowly, he knew this may had caused trouble but it had to be done. He continued to walk slowly down the road, until he got to the hood again, as he sat down, his pager started bleeping, and read "1 MESSAGE", B continued to read the message, "YO, PARTY AT CAPONES TONIGHT COME ABOUT 9 COOL". Now B knew he had something to do tonight he decided to go back home and prepare.
B reached home it was now about 8pm in which he had about 45 minutes to sort everything out, first he decided to have a little smoke to himself, so he decided to roll a 'J' using Los Angeles' finest cannabis, or weed. He took the drugs out of his pocket, and looked at them closely, and thought "the remedy of stress". Today he had a busy day, and didn’t know what the next weeks would be like. He continued to put everything in the 'rizla' paper and roll a perfect 'J', lit it up and continued to smoke his stress away, he knew life was hard. The whole 'J' burned down slowly and after it had burned down completely, B continued to roll another. After he smoked the whole two, he collected the things in which he needed cigarettes, money, pager and his most prized possession a silver "Smith N Wesson" gun. He decided he was ready so stepped out the door.
As he was waiting for a lift, he got another page, again "1 MESSAGE" B, continued to read it "YO MAN, RIDES BUSTED MAN, HOOK YOU UP AT THE PARTY". This meant B had to walk and he knew it was the same way in, which had been earlier, just past the store. It was now dark, and the street was lighted, he strolled down the street slowly, he continued to walk.
A car drove past, and then again. This time it stopped, and the doors opened, two men wearing hoods came out the car and lifted guns at B. B just froze as shots were fired, he went for his own gun but it was to late, then he could feel sharp pains drifting across his body. His body started feeling numb and then he couldn’t find energy so he fell, "this is it" he thought, "I'm out of here". He knew he couldn’t do anything, as his whole body went completely light, "the fight, the stress is over" he thought, as his eyes closed for the final time. B had been shot 6 times in the stomach and twice in the back. Another young man shot dead in the prime of his life. Another young man shot dead in the hood. But he had escaped the stress, and the fight. He could now rest in peace.
