Tales of the Hood (3 page)

The hours flew by. We were stoned and the vibe was elevating. “You sure you want to go after what the dumb chick done to you?” I asked, sitting in deep thought.

“I know she's dumb but I felt like I clicked with her and you know that doesn't happen to me, Jayden. I want to see what she's saying. There's no chance of us ever dealing again because I'm not a mug. It's just a passing through thing,” he replied, with no hesitation. I believed him. He would be a big fool to go back to her. She had a dark side that I didn't trust and it wasn't easy seeing my boy at his worst. We got dressed and had another spliff whilst we waited for our cab to come. It was 12a.m. and there was no way we were rolling up to a party at this time on foot. When the cab arrived we jumped in and told him our destination. It felt like forever as it was like we were moving in slow motion, but when we finally pulled up outside her house it looked dead. There were no cars. We heard no music. There were no people outside. We were starting to wonder if this was a party or a funeral. Walking up, Maurice knocked on the door, still confused as to why the place was literally deserted.

“Who is it?” a weak voice responded.

“Maurice and Jayden here for the party,” I said clearly. When Holly opened the door the house was pitch black. There were no figures in the darkness or nothing.

“Holly what is all this? Is there even anyone here? And why is it dark? This isn't a party,” Maurice said, seemingly baffled. As she turned to walk away, ignoring our efforts to find out what was going on, that's when it happened. The door slammed, Maurice and I were lying on the floor, stiff, with everything fading to black.

Tied up and gagged, I woke up on the floor with my head spinning out of control. I tried to remember what happened but it was so gruelling. I saw Holly shuffling about and talking on the phone. I tried to shout but all that was heard was the muffled sound of rolled up socks in my mouth. She turned around and walked over to me.

“Shut up you prick!” she said insolently. She took the gag out my mouth and, surprisingly, left it like that. “If you want to say something say it properly,” she said calmly.

“If there weren't a gag in my mouth don't you think I would have done so?” I replied, livid at the thought of being in this scenario. “What's going on? You set me and Maurice up, you bitch.” It was impossible for even me to interpret the outrage seeping from myself at that moment in time.

“Don't talk like that or I'll have to shut you up again,” she replied coldly. She didn't care about what she was doing at all. My lip was split open and it was stinging like hell. She laughed and walked away.

I tried to get up but the gash on my head made any sort of getaway impossible. I had been pummelled and couldn't recall any of it. I shouted Maurice's name. I couldn't see him in the dimly lit room with my blurred vision. I tried to cast my mind away and focus. That's when I saw three boys drag him from another room and throw him on the floor in front of me. The relief that came over me was immeasurable. For a brief moment it crossed my mind that he might be dead. I didn't know what Holly was capable of and I didn't want to find out.

“Fam, are you alright? Talk to me Maurice,” I said in a croaky voice. Seeing his face made me kind of happy even in a situation like this.

“Blood my head's killing me,” he mumbled. “I'm aching all over,” he added, rolling over.

“Are you sick in the head? You told us to come here so you could beat us up!” I shouted directly at Holly. As much as I wanted to shout my head off my body ached ridiculously with every word. My voice slowly faded out and, feeling dizzy, I put my head back on the floor.

“Well you see guys, I loved Maurice. He was so sweet and took me in when nobody else would, but then when he broke things off over something so silly. It really hurt. And I don't like getting hurt. So let me cut a long story short, I set you up. Now I want to see you get hurt,” she said, lighting a cigarette. The only word to describe what I was hearing was madness.

“You've got what you want. You had your people give us a bruising so let us go. Let's just end it all here,” I said, starting to feel desperate. All was not as it seemed. There was a sinful look in her eyes that made me know we had to get out of there straight away.

“You think a little beating was going to make this go away? Think again Jayden,” she replied, puffing smoke.

“What are you gonna to do to us?” said Maurice dazed.

“Don't ask me any questions, Maurice. Just know that it's your own fault. You picked the wrong girl to disrespect,” she said smiling smugly.

Moments later the three guys in ski masks came back into the room. I was getting worried. I didn't mind holding another beating if that was all it was going to be but the way Holly was talking it seemed like she had other plans for us. I was confused and there was blood gushing from my head and running onto my face. Out of nowhere two of the guys pinned me down to the ground and held my eyelids open. I was fighting now; wondering what they were doing; why would they be holding my eyes open? Kicking my feet and swinging my shoulders - it was no use. With my weak, battered body they overpowered me easily. I finally conceded defeat with the unbearable burning of my eyes. I was being tortured. The only word that ran through my mind was
torture
. I wondered what they were going to do but then I thought it best to just keep a clear mind and hope that whatever it was would end soon. I wished they would do it already because I was starting to feel sick. My eyes were in excruciating pain just being held open, watching Holly and her third companion chit-chat like we weren't there. He then walked over to Maurice and kicked him in the head, knocking him out again. It was one of the hardest things to watch. Not being able to help when your literally metres apart. He then did the unthinkable. It made me sick. It made me shiver. It made the blood rush from my face.

Maurice's trousers lay next to them whilst Holly sat down enjoying the disgusting entertainment; the screaming; the anger in his voice. The guy that was with Maurice now took off his own trousers and pulled down his shabby boxers. He lifted open Maurice's buttocks and caressed his cheeks. Now I understood why my eyes were being held open. They wanted me to see every little detail.

“What you doing to him! Let him go!” I bellowed. I didn't care what pain it caused me I just wanted whatever was about to happen to stop. No one listened. It was like a movie in HD. The guy forced himself deep into Maurice's back. The screeching was unbearable as I had to lie their silently; tears bucketing down my face. I gave up the struggle and watched all of this, which I didn't even understand. These guys were determined to make me watch my best friend get raped:
raped
; such a vile word. I stared at Holly with molten eyes. She was smiling at the destruction that was being caused. Those few minutes seemed more like hours. After Holly's unknown accomplice was satisfied he pulled up his garments and dragged Maurice to his feet like a rag doll. He looked so limp. For the first time in my life; in all the years I have known Maurice, I saw him cry uncontrollably. Floods of tears ran down his cheeks, filled with hatred and humiliation. When he was able to stand up straight I saw the blood drip from between his legs, staining the carpet dark red. I couldn't feel any feelings anymore. I couldn't think any thoughts anymore. I saw his fists clenched but he was too stiff to throw a punch. He was tensed up tightly and you could see that he wouldn't mind staying like that forever. I think any movement he made would have let him know that this was real. This really did just happen.

“Put your clothes back on batty boy!” Holly spat.

The guys that were pinning me down let go and left, slamming the door behind them. It was over just like that. I steadily got up, hands still tied and eyes blistering. The man who had just stolen my friend's dignity stood beside Holly, and I saw the size of him properly. Maybe just in case we tried to throttle her. He watched Maurice get dressed and then cut the rope that bound both our hands together.

“You can leave now,” he said, pointing a gun at us as we walked away. None of us wanted to do anything. Everything had already happened. Was there really a point in retaliating and probably receiving a bullet in the chest after all we'd just been through? As we walked away their evil laughter pierced my back; made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and made my eyes water even more. I asked myself:
how much pain am I going to experience?
Was karma really the bitch people said it was? Moments before we left the way we entered the guy stood up. “Oi!” he called smugly. As we peered over our shoulder he took off his ski mask and revealed his devilish image. I never would have thought. Never!

***

We strolled home in silence. I couldn't bear to catch sight of his eyes. To think that I just watched the closest thing to a brother get raped by the guy that I believed killed my mum. I didn't know what to think; what to do; where to turn. We arrived at Maurice's house after the lengthy walk in which we still hadn't shared a word. He limped straight upstairs, had a shower and locked himself in his room. I felt so remorseful whether I had tried my best or not. I went in the bathroom and stripped bare, analysing the dents and wounds. I stood in the shower and let the hot water escape over my frail body. I was tender all over. My eyes, back, head, everywhere! The events that took place that night would be unforgettable. It was embedded in my mind. People like us don't condone that. You could call it homophobic - call it what you like - it just weren't right! And Holly; don't get me started on Holly! If she loved him so much, why would she let someone do that? How could she set him up in such a way? My skin began to shrivel as I took time trying to piece together the puzzle that frustrated me so much. My head was hurting too much to make real sense of anything so I came out, got dressed and went to lie down in bed. It felt first-class to put my head down. As silence surrounded me I heard Maurice sobbing in the bedroom next door, but I couldn't take it. I got back up and walked to his room door but I couldn't go in. What could I possibly say to make things better? I couldn't blame him after what he had been through. I was torn up and I only watched it happen. It's a common stereotype that tough boys weren't meant to cry. As a tear rolled down my face I realised we weren't as tough as we thought. We actually weren't tough at all in this instance.

***

The next morning I was in the kitchen making breakfast. I hadn't eaten for days and it was starting to take effect. Footsteps slowly came down the stairs and emerged into the room. I turned to see the weary figure of Maurice rubbing his eyes. It wasn't my best friend; the guy I've known for so long. He looked like a stranger; someone who had just awoken from the dead.

“You okay?” I managed to stutter.

“No, I am not okay, Jayden. How could I possibly be okay? You watched me… you watched me get raped last night. You will never know what I'm feeling. You did nothing to help me and you're meant to be my brother. All I have left; my family. Just pack your stuff and leave because seeing your face makes me want to kill someone and that someone would most likely be you,” he said harshly.

I was speechless. Did he not see me tied up and gagged? Or was he just blind. Fair enough I know we didn't go through the same thing but he should know that it affected me as much as it affected him. “Don't piss me off blood because I tried my best to help you! When them guys were pinning me down I was fighting for you but no, Maurice is too ungrateful to appreciate what I attempted to do. I know I will never know what you went through but don't you think I have feelings too? This wasn't no ‘be a man moment', Maurice, I was hurting for you. Did you think I wanted to be held down and watch them shatter your pride into a million pieces? Let them mentally and physically destroy you right in front of me? If that's what it is then I'll cut and I won't come back!” I shouted furiously. He had the nerve to accuse me of sitting back and watching him get dealt with like that. I stormed up the stairs into my room and started ramming my belongings in a bag. I felt crushed but I wasn't going to back down against his assumptions. I heard the door open behind me.

“I'm sorry darg. I didn't mean to kick off like that with you. I'm just vexed about what happened. I know you would have done all you could to help me but it didn't happen and I'm just trying to get my head around things,” he explained apologetically.

I ignored him and walked out of the room, barging past him. I was going back to my house. I thought it was too soon after the murder but I couldn't stay there with Maurice because things were awkward. I grabbed my jacket and opened the front door.

“Jayden don't go, I'm sorry bruv. I don't want you going back home after all of this now, especially with what happened to your mum,” he said, running down the stairs as I went through the door. I slammed it behind me as I walked out.

I wandered down the road thinking about all the events that had taken place in the last couple of months. My life was a shambles. The only good thing was meeting my beautiful girlfriend. Without her, really what would I have? I got to my front door, which had been replaced with some cheap wood the council called a door. Round here we couldn't have expensive stuff like places in Milton Keynes and Westminster; it would get robbed before it was even completed and it was that real. We were on the blocks; gutter boys; nothing. I refused to let my life go down the drain like every other boy that used to be around here. Kadeem got shot three years back over a petty argument on the internet; his family was left distraught but he brought it on himself by getting involved with the wrong people. Dominic is doing fifteen years in a jail cell for armed robbery. That kid was so smart he could have done anything with his life. All that wasted talent because greed consumed him. Daniel, a former friend that betrayed me by sleeping with my ex, now lived on the street corner, begging for a pound here and there. I couldn't care less about him but it just shows what we have to deal with. The deprivation doesn't help the struggle. What goes around comes around. Most girls were prostitutes trying to make an honest living or undercover whores doing what they wanted to do. I wasn't going to end up like that; like any of them.

I entered my house, which still had that familiar smell of my mum's cooking lingering. I held back the tears that threatened to fall and went into my kitchen. Most of my mum's things had been taken and given to charity by my gran, so the house looked bare. I dreaded going into the living room but it had to be done. I knew I couldn't go on to live here if I couldn't face what happened head on. I walked slowly and examined inside. The blood-stained patch was still there and it got me angry. The authorities didn't even have the decency to send someone round and get it cleaned up. It shows how much they really cared that someone else lived here too. I fixated on the blood which reflected the hellish image I couldn't seem to abolish from my mind. I threw down my stuff and ran into the bathroom to get the bleach and a brush. I raced back into the living room, got on my knees and scrubbed the floor with all my strength. Scrubbed the wall, the sofa, everything. I scrubbed until my knuckles began to blister from the materials but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. Tears flowed but I refused to peel my eyes off this disgusting memory that lay before me; the memory of my mum's motionless body. I dashed the brush at the wall and cried hard. I'd had enough of holding my emotions inside. I let it all out and cried myself to sleep in that very spot.