The Untold Story of Jodiean Reginalds

I’ve been awoken from my poverty and found a valid way of making grimy cash. Jacksonville, Florida—however is accustomed to youth succumbing to the gallows and alleyways of fortunes tainted in mischief. I woke up to the sun's beaming rays reflecting against my wire glasses lens, and the seas gentle soughing. I dragged my groggy body into a hunchback and slid into my plaid flannel while combing pomade through my hair. The stained carpet under my dresser when pulled back, revealed a square wooden box. I stuffed it’s four little baggies that smelled of skunk into my jeans.

On four miles of paved roads with tar squiggles mazing around the whole drive to pick up Jodi, I visited the south of Brentwood. I felt as if I knew this cife better than him at times. Every streetlight to every cobweb on the graffiti-covered cornerstones of the 15th street chapel are mesmerized in my head. I parked my car a block away from Jodi’s house and silenced it’s low bellows. Jodi poked out his hazel eye before walking out in his baggy hoodie and beanie he bought at a 7-11. Shortly after, a lanky mexican walked over to Jodi, twirling a fifty dollar bill with marker blots between his fingers. Jodi swiftly pocketed the fifty dollar bill with finesse and slid the man a baggie with a loose knot on top. They bumped fists and Jodi began walking to my car. He looked at me with his signature grin and while checking the wrinkled fifty, “Just another Wednesday”. “Hurry your ass up Jodiean. ” I told him. “I told you, my name is not Jodiean. It’s Jodi.

There’s somethin’ I need to talk to you about Kelvin. Meet us at my house after school”. Jodiean, Marcus, Samuel and I grew up together; we’re practically brothers. Marcus and Samuel have since moved to Riverside, a more stable neighborhood with fertile grass and glossy white picket fences—while me and Jodi stayed in the Brentwood area. Noon arrived as my car churns into Jodi’s parking lot. Samuel waved his hand at my car while Marcus happily shouted, “‘Bout’ time you showed up!”. Jodi however, returned me a short-lived smirk and shifted his gaze to the sidelines. His left hand deep in his pocket, and his right inspecting the same old fifty dollar bill. We all took a seat in Jodi’s room as Marcus began lighting a joint. Jodi rose to his feet confidently in the foggy room like a pleased crowd after a broadway play. My eyebrows lifted to my forehead while Jodi’s mouth kept moving, “The Southside Untouchables contacted me yesterday. ” Jodi’s eyes once again began to circle his room, studying it. “They required an initiation to begin work, we have to rape a woman ”. Samuel’s horror was enough to quiver a 60 year old man back to his first birthday. Jodi voice muffled Samuel's shrieks. “It’s what we gotta do. You guys are my brothers, aside from my mom I’ve never had any family. Look, are you guys with me on this or not?” I looked over at Samuel, whose hands laid on the side of his curly hair and dark skin. His answer was evident, but Marcus, whose right knuckle connected a sucker punch onto Jodi’s cheek, rippling a shock to his feet had a different response,“Man we’re brother’s, but this is sick. I left my problems in Brentwood, that’s where I’d like them to stay. ” Jodi’s dead gaze looked me in the eyes, My mom needs help with something, and I wouldn’t mind extra cash; so I gave Jodi a nod, and I got ready for Wednesday night.

The darkness enveloped us, wrapped around the car, and held us in the shadows of Brentwood. Rain monsooned Jacksonville’s icy grey sky accompanied by rolling thunder over the dimmed streetlights. God’s fury at our decision was palpable, but was not recognized by our laughter while smoking and drinking. We drove around the projects of Brentwood slowly searching until we found a figure move in the allies quickly along the buildings. The driver honked his horn at the figure, revealing a young african woman, who froze like a deer in headlights at the sight of our approach. The two gangsters hopped out of the car, and hunted the woman like an antelope, wrapping her shirt over her head tightly while Jodi yoked her up by the hair and dragged her into the nearest building. “KELVIN GET YOUR ASS HERE AND GRAB HER LEGS” My body acted on it’s own as I ran to Jodi and grabbed her left leg. The lady struggled, she clawed at Jodi’s arms and her curdling screams echoed throughout the building, chilling my spine and holding my heart in a chokehold. We forced her up the stairs up to the roof, where Jodi bashed her head onto the floor, repeatedly stomping it until her jaw resembled a smashed pumpkin. I felt a shove forward from behind me as I ran to the woman and swung my right leg at her ribs until she stopped moving. Her muffled screams left a sour taste in my mouth as blood leaked through her cloth. Her pain rang through the roaring rain of the skies as Jodi--with his signature smirk--and the two gangsters began to rape her violently.

Upon my turn, my blood ran cold, my hands letting go of the lady’s blood-layered, once-soft arms, “I Can’t!” I squealed at perhaps the most incorrect moment. “What do you mean?” Jodi pulled back the shirt cover of the lady and shouted to the crackling thunder, with tears rolling down coherently with the rain and his eyes more bloodshot now than when we were smoking. He screamed for god, dropping to his stained knees while clawing at his eyes, as if he wanted to pull his skin inside out by force revealing all his pearly white teeths. The two gangsters jolted towards me, and grabbed me by the hair. “You messed up kiddo. ” his breath held a taste of liquor and blood. Pulling out a. 44 magnum he held it to my temple, and th--BANG.