“Man we did it,” Don said.
“Yeah brother, we did it,” Jon said trying to sound as enthusiastic as his twin brother. The twins were tall for their age, five-foot nine and rising. They were identical in every physical aspect; high yellow, skinny and often teased that their heads were too big for their bodies. They were considered to be pretty boys because they had hazel eyes and corn rolls hanging pass proud shoulders. Neither liked being called pretty boys.
At the initiation were Twon, Antwon Jones a five-foot wanna-be. Zoe, Alphonso Jackson, an albino who thought every girl was in love with him. Kory Kay Smith was five-foot seven cute and chocolate.
“We not leaving here until we come up with another name for ourselves,” Don said letting everyone know he was in charge.
“Y’all lil’ brothers get up with me tomorrow,” the man who had just blessed them in said. “I got something for y’all.”
“All right,” the boys said and went back to thinking about a name.
“I got it!” Jon shouted after an hour. “Since you Conservative Vice Lords, we gone be SCC-Straight Conservative. Keep our shit tight, ya know?”
“I think we got a winner,” Don said putting his arm around Jon’s neck and smiling. “Plus I’m freezing my balls off. We’ll meet in the Dungeon tomorrow.”
Saturday morning, the crew sat in the twin’s basement. It was known as the Dungeon. After a while they agreed the Boys Club on Fifth Ave was the spot to be. They made their way upstairs.
“Y’all bet not get ya’ll asses in no trouble.” Tina Jenkins shouted. Five-foot ten, with cocoa butter complexion and long black wavy hair down her lower back, she was the twin’s mother. She had hazel eyes and the perfect figure, she was a beautiful woman. Tina Jenkins was a nurse at a nursing home in Skokie. The boys’ father walked out on her. For the past two years, Tina was not only mother but also father to the household. She worked twelve hour shifts and had a fiery temper.
“Ma, we just going to the Boys Club to shoot some ball,” Don said.
“Ma, can you give us a ride because you know that it is freezing out there,” Jon said.
“Sure baby,” she said extending her arms to give Jon a hug. “Just let me grab my coat and keys.”
Don knew that she favored Jon. He didn’t understand if they were identical twins how she had a favorite. He always said that when he got older he’d ask her.
The boys piled into Tina’s 1991 GMC Safari. Jon sat up front with his mother. Pulling in front of the Boys Club, Tina looked at all of the boys and said, “Don’t forget what I told y’all.” Then she kissed all the boys as they made their way out.
The Boys Club was packed. Kids from everywhere were up in there. The boys went straight to the basketball area where Don called next game. The game ended and the boys stepped on the court and won onto the court. Since Don, Jon, Kay, Zoe, and Twon had played together since fifth grade their chemistry was picture perfect. Jon who was the better of the boys had been embarrassing Tyrone all game. Tyrone finally had enough and pushed Jon out of the air when he went up for a lay-up.
“Man what the fuck’s your problem?”
Don stepped up to protect his brother.
“Shut the fuck up and mind ya BI!” Tyrone snapped.
“My brother is my bizness, bitch!”
Don swung with all he had sending Tyrone flat on his ass. Jon and Kay started kicking him wherever there was an opening. Security rushed over and snatched the boys off of Tyrone. He looked like he had just gone twelve rounds with Lennox Lewis. He could barely stand up.
“This ain’t over you little punks.” Tyrone managed to say as they walked away.
The boys were outside laughing and talking shit about what they had just done when Don interrupted.
“We need to get to Bay Bro’s before we miss him.”
Bay Bro stayed four blocks from the twins which meant they didn’t have to walk far in order to get back home after seeing him. They reached Bay Bro’s house and Don knocked on the door. Lynette answered the door looking fine. Jon was in all her classes and had a huge crush on her.
“Where ya daddy at?” Don asked.
“He’s in the living room,” she said with too much attitude.
The boys walked in. Jon tried to kick it to Lynette. She just glared at him as he walked by.
“What’s up old man?” Don asked.
Bay Bro was thirty-four, stood six-foot four with walnut complexion. He had short wavy hair and his body was ripped from a three-year bid at Joilet State Prison.
“What up lil soldiers,” he smiled at the new members.
“We just had to stomp out this dude at the Boys Club.” Don said nonchalantly.
“He was bigger and older, but it wasn’t nothing.” Twon added.
“That’s right little men,” Bay Bro said. He got up from the living sofa. “Don’t take no shit from none of these niggas out here. Sit down and let me explain some things to y’all.”
The twins and Kay sat down on the living room sofa and Twon and Zoe sat on the love seat.
“Lil’ brothers, y’all part a something now, something big. Now, not only do y’all have y’all selves to look out for, but y’all got a whole nation of brothers to look out for.” Bay Bro was really getting into his speech. “Do y’all know why I was in Joilet?” He asked.
“No,” the boys answered in unison.
“I broke this G.D’s. nose, jaw and collarbone for picking on one of the young Lords. I don’t give a damn if you like the brother or not. You’re obligated to assist that brother. If you’re round and do nothing, then you’ll be dealt with. There’s no looking the other way or running. I don’t care if it’s one or one hundred. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yeah,” the boys, with the exception of Twon answered.
“I got something for y’all,” Bay Bro said and walked to a China cabinet in the dining room. He returned carrying a brown paper bag. “These are for y’all.” He emptied the bag and five black six-shot .32 hand guns were on the table.
“These are for us?” Don asked jumping up.
Bay Bro flashed a smile. “Yeah little brother, these are for y’all. But don’t go turning this city into the Wild-Wild West because these are for protection purposes only.”
“We not old-timer,” Don said smiling now that they had heat. “You know we responsible.”
The weekend flew by. Monday morning came and it was time to get back to school. With the exception of Jon, the boys hated school. The morning went as it normally did with the boys talking shit to other boys and flirting with girls. At the end of their lunch break the boys decided that they had enough school for one day and went to their skip spot. It was also only five minutes away from Delany, Tyrone’s projects.
It was a graveyard five minutes away from the school. The usual routine was chatting, wrestling and then talking more shit. Today they played a game called Gangsta. They’d pick gangsters from the mob movies and pretended to be them. The boys ran around the grave yard for about thirty minutes fake shooting at one another. Then they’d get into wrestling matches. Don and Kay were in the middle getting down. Tyrone and two older boys they’d never seen before walked up sipping on 40 ounces of Colt 45 and passing a swisher around.
“What do we have here?” Tyrone said passing the blunt to one of his boys. “I told y’all little bitches this wasn’t over.”
He dropped his 40 ounce and charged Don. Don swung as Tyrone rushed him but he missed and