Small Books, Big Money

It was Wednesday evening when Jerome was walking down Harmony Street. The sun was setting, and the sky was shades of fuchsia, peach, lavender and a dark reddish orange color. Usually, he loved to see it but not today, today he was sad and angry to see it. “Jerome ! Jerome !” He heard from down the street. When he turned around, he saw his homeboy Tran running up to him. Jerome and Tran had been best friends since they were babies. They were born two hours apart, in rooms next to each other since their mother’s had been in the maternity ward together. Since then, their families had become great friends, and Tran wanted Jerome to marry his sister Iesha.

“Yo what’s good my G ?” Jerome said as they did their handshake. “Ayo bro, why you walk-in’ down the street lookin’ mad at the world ? You look like you just got fired or something.” Tran said. “Bro, I did get fired. Mr. Johnson said I was stealing, but all the days he said inventory went missing were days I wasn’t even in the store !” Jerome replied. “Damn man I’m sorry, that’s tough. It was probably his son that was stealing” Tran said. “I’m positive it was his son, but you know Mr. Johnson wouldn’t fire him” Jerome replied. “Well I never liked you working there, they lost out on a good employee. Since you have no job and not a damn thing to do with your night, let’s go get something to eat with Iesha down by the beach”. Jerome thought it over for a second, he could look for a job in the morning but tonight, he’d celebrate.

Just as he got home to change he heard his phone ping with a notification and just as he was about to check it, he saw something on his stoop with an envelope marked FOR JEROME. “Yo Tran, come here !” Jerome yelled before either of them could go in the house. “What’s good Jerome ? And what the he’ll is that ? Is it mail ?” Tran asked. “Nah, the mail would have come in the mailbox. Someone just left this here” Jerome answered. “Open it man, let’s see.” Tran said. Jerome shot Tran a look and said “Alright mom”. As he opened the envelope, he saw a letter and a black book. The letter read:

“Hello, Jerome

By the time you’re reading this letter you will have been fired from your job at Johnson’s Liquor & Spirits. Good for you ! You were wasting your life and talents there. Since you now have a free evening, I need you to make a delivery for me. In the envelope I’ve given you, you’ll find a small black book. DO NOT READ THE CONTENTS OF THE BLACK BOOK. I know that you’re going to need money since you’re now unemployed, so I’ve deposited $20,000.00 to your account.

Deliver the book to 1249 South Frasier Street by midnight tonight and you’ll keep the money in your account. If not, I’ll simply reverse the transaction and take it back out. Your choice, the clock is ticking.

-Q”

“That’s wild as hell. Twenty g’s for a delivery ? Are you gonna take it, cause I would.” Tran asked. “I don’t know man, this seems too good to be true.” Jerome answered. “Man take a fucking risk and live life !! You know you need the money man.” Tran said. “Fuck it I could use the money, let’s go.” Jerome replied. “Bet. How are we gonna get there cause you know the trains are all closed down for maintenance tonight. And they won’t run until midnight” Tran replied. “Damn I forgot about that. Guess we’ll have to go on foot.” Jerome said. “Yeah but that’s eight blocks from here and it’s South Frasier street. It’s about to be dark out here and you know how crazy it gets there after dark.” Tran said. “Yeah but that’s twenty k bro, as long as we do it quick, we’ll be fine. In and out of there with all that bread. Then when the trains start back up we’ll just take the train from Frasier Street back to Harmony Station.” Jerome replied. As they walked down the street things were going smoothly, no one bothered them, and surprisingly no one tried to jump or rob them.

It was 10:30 pm and they were four blocks away on Slaughter street when things started to get weird. “Aye who you ?” they heard from down the block. They didn’t look, but simply started walking faster and ignored whoever yelled at them. “I know you heard me !! Who are you ?” the man called as he walked faster to catch up to them. “What’s it to you ?” Tran asked. The man who called caught up to them and asked “Y’all two look like them boys from Harmony Street. What you doing down my way this time of night ?” Tran started texting someone, and two seconds later Jerome’s phone pinged with a text from Tran that said “it’s more of them out here, head on a swivel. They’ll try to box us in, so we hit the two guys to the right and make a run for it”

Just as he finished reading the text, they were swarmed and encircled by five men who looked like they wanted nothing more than a fight. As the circle got tighter, Jerome and Tran hit them and ran across the street, and cut through the alley to get over to Manchester Street. “How close are we ?” Asked Jerome. “About two blocks, but if we cut through the alleys we can be there in ten minutes. They cut across Manchester Street to one of the most dangerous alleys in the city: Brickbat Alley. Brickbat alley was responsible for 22 % of the murders and beatings in the city, but one could avoid that by simply paying their toll. The toll however, fluctuated and depended on whoever was taking it.

After they got halfway through Brickbat Alley, a man stepped out in front of them and said “Harmony Street boys ain’t you ? I know y’all have money and my pockets is kind of light today so the toll is... two hundred dollars”. “Boy fuck you, I ain’t paying that and neither is he !!” Jerome said angrily. “What did you say to me ?” The man asked with rising anger. “I said fuck. You. I ain’t paying that and neither is he” Jerome repeated with tremendous audacity. “Your funeral. Get em !!” The man yelled as fifteen men came from nowhere. Tran threw the first punch and Jerome followed, when there was no one in front of them, they ran, avoiding or hurdling over all of the obstacles the Alley Boys had put down to prevent people from getting out safely. As they got out, the man yelled “you’re lucky today ! But you’re gonna have to come back through here and when you do we’re gonna kill you !” “Yeah well suck my dick and get a job you dirty bitch !” Tran yelled. “What time is it now ?” Jerome asked Tran. “Fuck, it’s eleven ! We only have an hour but ROME GET DOWN !!” Tran yelled as he pulled Jerome to the ground.

Down the street two men in red started shooting in their direction, when they looked up and saw who the man was shooting at, they saw that they were shooting at a man in green across the street. Liberty Street. “Damn, I forgot. The Liberty Street Soldiers are at war with The Manchester Madmen again. Bruh we gotta get out of here quick before we get shot up” Tran said. “Nah fuck that, we gotta go home. This money not worth-“ before Jerome could finish, Tran slapped him and said “Nah fuck that !! This money and that book is gonna change your life. We came too far to give up now. Let’s cut across the alley to Frasier Street !” They grabbed hands and said “let’s go” as they got up and ran across to Liberty Street to the alley. Just as they got there Jerome said “bruh we gotta get off the street before we get Swiss cheesed. Up the fire escape!” When they got to the top of the building, Tran was holding his side and bending over in pain. “Bro hold on.” Tran said. “Fuck man we gotta get you to a hospital.” Jerome replied. “It’s 11:15, we’re almost to Frasier Street and we can just go there before we go to the hospital bro.” Tran replied. “Plus I think I can run, it just grazed me. Even if it’s worse, you got the money to get me patched up” he added. They laughed together but their laughter was short lived when they heard a man running at them. “You Manchester boys just think you can walk down our block and won’t shit happen to you ? Lay down.” They got up and ran, and jumped across to the next building, and the next. The man chased them until they got to the end of the street. “You’re mine now” said the Liberty Street Soldier, and when he reloaded his gun, Tran and Jerome wrestled his gun out of his hands , knocked him out and climbed down the fire escape. They ran through the back alley and were two buildings down from 1239 South Frasier Street.

They walked in and bullets started whizzing past them. “You Liberty Street bitches are done !!” A man in black yelled as he shot at them. Tran shot back and yelled “get on the elevator !!” “Come on man, I’m not leaving you !!” Jerome yelled as he pulled Tran on the elevator. Jerome’s phone pinged a text that said “top floor. Don’t be late, Jerome”. Jerome pressed the button for the top floor and the elevator started ascending when the doors closed. “So when are you going to finally ask Iesha out on a date?” Tran asked Jerome. “Are you serious ? After all the stuff that’s happened in the last few hours, who I’m dating is what you’re thinking about ?” Jerome answered. “Man, tonight showed us that life is fuckin’ short. We could’ve died so many times tonight and didn’t but what if we had ? You would’ve died the way you’ve been living, scared. Iesha too, I got some words for her ass when we make it out of this. You two have been in love for years and haven’t said anything about it cause you’re afraid of losing a friend. If it doesn’t work out then it doesn’t but you won’t know if you won’t try. Had we went your way about things, we would be safe at home but you would be broke Jerome. You took a risk and now you’re twenty thousand dollars richer. After tonight stop being afraid and go do what you’ve been dreaming of. Whatever that is. But the first thing better be taking Iesha out, you bum” Tran said. When the elevator stopped and they got off, A lady was waiting for them and said “hello Jerome, I’m Ng. Q is waiting for you in the office. Down the hallway to the left.” “I have to get my friend to the hospital, ma’am” Jerome replied. “I’ll be fine man, go to the office” Tran told him. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your friend. You just go to the office”

When he walked into the office, a lady was sitting down and said “Jerome, I presume ?”. “I’m Jerome. You’re Q ?” “Yes”. “Do you have the book Jerome ?” “Yes, here.” Jerome said as he gave her the book. “Thank you, sit down Jerome. I need to talk to you” Q said. “About ?l Jerome replied. “About an opportunity”.