American Gan

Chapter 2

You always gotta start from the bottom and work your way up. You get more credit if you do it that way, more respect. If you're born with a gold spoon already shoved up your ass people won't believe in your struggle, they won't trust you. They won't trust that you know what you're doing to lead them, because you never been anywhere, you never led anything or anybody, you never seen anything. I mean, when was the last time you questioned "Old Wise One". How many times have you sat there and realized your parents were right. 

"Aye aye, Mark come here!" I looked up from my phone to see Donte pointing at me gesturing me to come to him. 

Donte owned this block, and that block and a majority of the neighborhood. But he was sloppy. How he managed to own so much square feet? I couldn't tell you. He lost money, he lost product, he knew none of his works names, not to mention that he could be seen in broad daylight handing out packages. It made my skin crawl how messy and reckless he was. He was 20 years my senior. This was the type of hustler you didn't want to be like. 30 something years old and still having to be on the block. 

"It's Michael! Donte, Micheal!" 

"Yeah, yeah Malcolm, that's what I said! Come here, I need you to take this, to this address." He handed me a clear plastic bag that was wrapped around itself, containing four small bags of cocaine. Then handed me a white piece of paper that had an address and directions on what to do once I got there that was written in chicken scratch that only a doctor or a four-year-old could read. I squinted my eyes shaking my head. 

"Wait! Donte, this is on the other side of town man! Aye, who is this customer!?" 

Donte looked up from his phone with a smile, he chuckled at my clueless face. "That there customer, is the future of this beautiful country we call America! Aye aye, Steven go with Mark!" 

Donte turned and pointed to my best friend Steelo, he too rolled his eyes and frowned at Donte's lack of concern to know simple names. "It's Steelo, Donte, and that's Michael." 

"Yeah, whatever, go with him! And! AYE DON'T MAKE NO OTHER STOPS! COME BACK HERE!" 

We both did as instructed the drop off was for sure on the other side of town, the further we got the cleaner the neighborhoods got, the houses got bigger, the cars got fancier, the grass was even greener it seemed, definitely wasn’t the “Kansas” I was used too.

"WHAT THE HELL DO I NEED BLACK VOTES FOR!? BLACK PEOPLE DON'T EVEN f*****g VOTE! JESUS f*****g CHRIST WHERE'S SARAH WITH MY GOD DAMN CIGARETTES!?" I stopped dead in my tracks, me and Steelo looked at one another, this was how politicians spoke in the safety of their own homes and offices. Growing up black in a poor neighborhood you're automatically raised to not trust the white man in a business suit yelling out catchy slogans on how he can make the city better. It was funny how they didn't need our votes but needed the drugs they were promising to get off the streets. 

We all know Illinois as both "The Land of Lincoln" and "The Land Where Four of the Past Nine Governors Have Ended Up In Prison". There's "HOPE", and then there's "HOPE... no one traces these campaign funds!" I can name off the top ten most corrupt Illinois politicians right now and you probably wouldn't know who none of them are. At the time Rod Blagojevich was in office. Supporting his budget for haircuts and tracksuits, Rod conspired to commit pay-to-play schemes. The shadiest one was attempting to fill the vacant US Senate seat of now President Barack Obama, the FBI busted him on tape as he ranted, "I'm just not giving it up for f*****g nothing". After he was removed from office, he maintained his innocence through appearances on Late Show with David Letterman and The Celebrity Apprentice before heading to a federal prison in Littleton, Colorado. He was sentenced 14 years.

"You call upon the devil and he will come. Who the f**k are these kids!?" Rob said looking between me and Steelo. 

"Sir, they have your package." Another shady looking guy leaned into him whispering in his ear, he himself looked annoyed with Rob and his ongoing need to have some bullshit going. 

A woman opened the door with a pack of cigarettes in her hand and slammed it on his desk. "There's your God damn cigarettes!" She turned around and walked off. "Asshole!" She said loud enough before slamming the door behind her. 

"Why don't we start spring cleaning early and f*****g fire that b***h!" I frowned as I watched him pick up the box and open it, pulling out a long cigarette. "Where's my s**t!?" He hissed before putting it to his lips and lighting it. 

I tossed the clear bag across his desk, there was no way I'd physically hand that bastard anything. Drugs or not. The package stopped inches from him, he looked up at me frowning, I assume he was waiting for me to look scared, but when he saw I wasn't and I was simply waiting to get my money he smiled. "I like you kid, you got potential, get yourself a real job! Nobody will respect you if you're doing this shit." He reached down in his pocket and pulled out two hundred dollar bills from his wallet and slid it across his desk. "Here, there's more where that came from... for your troubles, you doing this I know you got some." He said chuckling as he pulled another hundred dollar bill from his pocket and tossed it my way. 

At seventeen that was my first encounter with a shady politician and it wouldn't be my last. I held three hundred dollars in my hand and one hundred of it was for "just because" at that moment I realized just how much those assholes had to offer. Besides his blatant racism and lack of properly running a terrorized city being overrun by drugs. He willingly offered his money and nose. I never saw anything like it. Sure you'd overhear the adults in your family talking about this governor and that candidate, but you don't pay attention to it. I stood in the home of the governor of Illinois and sold him four bags of cocaine. That very night I went home and familiarized myself with every politician my computer search engine could pull up. You go home and type "corrupt politicians" in your google bar and see if your views on the government don't change. I mean these men got away with s**t I wouldn't even think was possible. These men would sell their soul to keep from getting in trouble, I'm talking about selling their families up the river to keep a clean name, and not even feel bad for it.