Chiraq IV

Chapter 4

At around 7:30 P.M., the atmosphere at the barbeque slowed down to a dull mode. Big Shorty heard the name "Top Cat", then heard Top Cat's voice as it reverberated off the walls inside the townhouse. Top-Cat was decked out in black khakis and a blue bandana that was tied around his head. His eyes were dark and looking into them was like looking into an abyss because they displayed no expression, no smile. Clearly making a statement regarding the caliber of Gangsta he definitely was. Top-Cat stood motionless as his eyes zoomed in on Charles, deliberately making it aware that he was suspect and as Charles saw, he returned Top-Cat's stare while sipping on a can of beer.

Top-Cat, in a gesture that represented his true Gangtsa character, began to reminisce out loud about his near fatal encounter of being shot by Charles. Being caught up in retelling the story, Top-Cat exhibited a mad-dog expression upon his face. Quickly getting worked up, Top-Cat moved towards the patio, kicking the screen door off it's track and into the grill which sat in the lawn off the patio. "Where's your gun at now, nucca?", yelled Top-Cat.

As Charles stood up, Demont moved in-between them, putting his hands on both of their shoulders, saying, "Easy Playas. Let's stall that out.", said Demont in his deep voice. Then just as Top-Cat was going to put a curve on his intentions, Charles got jazzy with the mouth and said the wrong thing to Top-Cat by saying, "I should have toe-tagged you and left you in the guttah, you donut-head nucca!" "Donut", was really a forbidden word used in a way to disrespect a Gangsta. Their words only heightened the tension and everyone could tell it was about to hit the fan.

Top-Cat was a Gangsta with a short fuse, hot temper, and who bares none, took flight on Charles. They locked-up viciously, each throwing blow-for-blow. The tension then hit it's apex between the gangs after Top-Cat fired a one-hitter-quitter that sent Charles staggering into the grass, dazed. Top-Cat and Charles were both highly recognized as being the "Truth" among both gangs. Lester and Mister, both under the Stone Nation, helped Charles back onto his feet. The sharp blow left Charles with a nasty cut on his eyebrow. Lester and Duke, who was also under the Stone Nation, began instigating.

Duke threw up Stone gang signs in Top-Cat's face. Duke and Lester were only a year or so older than Big Shorty. Top-Cat mean-mugged Duke and said, "I'll have Big Shorty smash you!" Duke stood only a few inches taller than Big Shorty and he turned to boldly face Top-Cat and replied, "I'll ball his little punk self up and I put that on Stone!" On that note, partiers began to leave, some tripping over empty chairs as they tried to exit the townhouse.

With no hesitation, Big Shorty took off on Duke. Hitting him with a combination of punches. Duke made an effort to swing back, but that was proven to be no match for Big Shorty. Demont and the other gang members broke up the fight almost as soon as it started. In anger, Lester stepped up and challenged Big Shorty with a head-up fight. "Me and you,dude?", Lester challenged. Big Shorty didn't back down and so the two of them squared-off in the backyard. Big Shorty sensed that this fight was one he was going to lose.

Big Shorty took off on Lester with full force, but Lester was more skillful and caught Big Shorty in the right eye. He then grabbed him in a headlock to choke him. Only then did the rival gang members pull the two apart. It was clear that Big Shorty was tapped out from the fight when he noticed the swelling of what was going to be his first black eye ever. In the confusion between the rival gangs, Big Shorty sat back and silently plotted his revenge as he thought, "This chump blacked me."

As the two gangs argued about the fight, Big Shorty stealthily approached Lester with an empty vodka bottle and the next thing anyone heard was, "WHAM!". For the next thirty seconds, Lester tried to escape the savage attack by Big Shorty, but was unable to defend himself because of the tight grip Big Shorty had on his collar. The smacking of flesh was the only sound to be heard as the crowd went silent. When Lester finally broke free from Big Shorty's grip, he fled home bloodied, with knots already beginning to form on his head.

The Stones and the Lords had no chance of starting a brawl with the Gangsta's in Eden Green, so they dipped back to the Golden Gates Projects, which was their geographical turf that belonged to them. The Alligator Garden Projects was on the opposite side of the Golden Gates Projects, which was also the Gangsta's territory, leaving the Golden Gates Projects vulnerable to be invaded. These three housing Projects were low-income based townhomes, troubled with the problems of gang violence and drugs that led to drive-by shootings and even shoot-outs with the police.