[AN AVERAGE DAY] AN URBAN SHORT STORY
THE MUSIC FOR THIS WRITE OR RATHER THE SOUNDTRACK... MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN.
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL24cV6IIynrabA3JnSZcqIkkJ-F00GFnH
The sun filters through the window and falls on the mans face and he awakes.
He sits up in the bed and immediately swings his legs from under the covers and his feet fall to the floor and he stands.
This is a very important day and as always there is no time to waste.
He hears the sounds of the family in the apartment next door as they wake. Someone turns on the T.V. and he hears the sounds of Phineas and Ferb filter through the thin walls.
He walks into the kitchen and starts a pot of coffeee and rolls a blunt of some kush that he bought a couple of days ago and waits for the coffee to get ready. He picks up his android and sees that he has messages waiting but he does not answer them, not right now.
The coffee is ready and he pours a cup of it and adds some cream.
He sips it.
Ahhhh.
He lights the blunt and inhales of the sweet smoke and walks into his small living room and sits down and turns on the news and watches as the newscasters continue to feed the masses bullshit, as the politicians lie to the people.
He turns the T.V. off and walks into the bathroom and turns on the water in the shower and strips down. He climbs in and takes a quick shower and walks into the room where his clothes are already laid out and he looks at his body oil on the dresser as he tries to decide which one to use. he finally decides on the frankincense and myrhh.
He rubs oil on his head, his arms and legs before he dresses and prepares to leave his apartment.
On the way out he stops by the fish aquarium and drops a feeder stone into the water and he watches as the fish begin to feed.
He heads to the stairs and is about to go down when the door of the apartment next to his opens. He turns around and sees his neighbor she is wearing some tight ass pants as usual and her ass juts out behind her as she steps out. Damn she is fine!
She looks down the hall and sees him and they wave at each other. Her two children come out behind her and her son sees him and he runs down the hall to where he is.
"Hey Mr Jamal" the boy says as he stops short and holds out his hand. They shake and the little boy holds his hand as firmly as he can. This is something that Jamal taught him. The little boy looks him straight in the eyes as they talk and his mother makes her way down the hall to where they are.
"Jabari leave Jamal alone. How you doin Jamal?" she says as she hands the boy a brown bag. "Boy you gone be hungry if you leave that lunch."
"Sorry mama" the boy says as he takes the bag from his mother.
The little girl who is named Rasheeda waves and says "Hey Mr Mal."
"Hello little Rasheeda he says as he takes the stroller from her mother and they make their way down the stairs.
The two adults talk as they walk down and the woman who is named Mary is complaining about the fact that she is kinda late and she has to walk Jabari to school and try to catch the bus to get her baby to a doctors appointment.
Jamal thinks about this and asks her "What if I walk Jabari to school and you go ahead and catch the bus? I am going by there anyway."
"Would you do that Jamal?" she says as she looks at him with admiration in her eyes. This is the only man on the block who has never direspected her or tried to talk his way into her panties and her children like him so much.
Jabari was a handful before Jamal came along and since he started hanging with Jamal he has calmed down and he is at the head of his class in school. Everyone is so amazed at the transformation.
Jabari looks up and the joy is apparent on his face as he says "You gone walk me to school Mr Jamal?"
"I got you Jabari" he says as he takes the boys hand and they say goodbye to his mother and sister.
As they walk they talk and the boy asks him about Africa. "Mr Jamal is Africa a long way away?'
"Only if you look at it that way Jabari. Africa is you and everything around you, do you overstand that Jabari?"
"No."
"Jabari, remember when I told you that your Ancestors were African and that all man originated in Africa?"
"Yes sir."
"Okay if that is the case then what is that man right there?" he says as he points at a man standing at the corner about to cross the street."""
"He is African."
"Okay and what is that woman right there?"
"She is African."
"Exactly."
"Now what you must remember Jabari is that you carry the whole of what your ancestors were in you. So if your ancestors were African then what are you?"
"I am African."
"Thats right Jabari and no matter what anyone says to you you will be African till the day you die so that means that you carry Africa with you everywhere you go and you have to carry yourself as such. Remember when I told you that all the people that the preacher talks about were Africans, all the people he says are prophets and even Jesus himself were Africans."
"Yes sir Mr Jamal."
Okay now so where is Africa Jabari?"
The boy thinks for a minute and says "In me."
"Thats right."
They come to the school and the boy turns and shakes his hand "Bye Mr Jamal." He catches himself and says "Assalam alaikum Mr Jamal."
"Wa alaikum salaam Jabari."
The boy runs up the stairs into the school and Jamal continues on his way.
At the corner he walks into the store and the Indian man behind the counter is yelling at an old black woman.
She stands and takes the abuse and Jamal walks to the cooler and grabs a green tea and walks to the front of the store and the man is still yelling at the woman.
"You always come in here with not enough money! You need 6 cent more to buy that. That is what is wrong with you people, always not enough money."
Jamal hears this and he can not contain himself.
"Hey man you aint gonna be yelling at that sister like that bout no fucking six cents." He says this calmly.
The Indian man looks at him and says. "That is what is wrong with you black people, you lazy and drink all the time!"
Jamal looks him in the eyes and says "Have I ever owed you for anything?"
"No you good black man, you are not like them."
"Yes I am like them."
"No not like her" he says as he points at the black woman who has clearly seen better times. Her clothes hang from her and she has a rather ripe odor.
"Jamal looks at the Indian and says to him "You are a most pitiful creature. You come into our communities and take our money. You try to have sex with all the pretty women and you keep your women from us. you take our money and spend it elsewhere and drain our community. does that make you better than us or just a part of the problem?"
The Indian man is mad as hell right now and he says "Get out my store! Get out now. He grabs a bat and comes from behind the counter and walks towards Jamal.
Jamal stands his ground as as soon as the man is within reach he swings and hits him dead in the face. The Indian man is caught off guard and Jamal snatches the bat from his hand and begins to beat him with it.
He hits him 5 or six times before the old woman calms him down.
She looks at the prone form of the Indian man on the floor and says. "You better run boy. That man is dead."
Jamal finally realizes what has happened and he looks at the mans body on the floor and he says "I am not going to run. It is time that someone stood up to these people who rape our community.
He takes his cellphone from his pocket and dials 911 and he and the old lady wait util the police arrive. They make him lie on the floor as they cuff him and place him under arrest.
They ask him question after question and place him in the car as the body of the storeowner is brought out and paraded in front of the cameras under the white sheet.
He is taken to the police station and the detectives grill him and tell him that he is being held on a murder charge.
That night Jamal lies in the cell and meditates on the days events.
How a day that started so innocently could manifest into this.
The next morning Jamal is awakened and shackled along with a whole bunch of other people who have been arrested and is taken to the courthouse.
Reporters line the sidewalk where the prisoners are brought in and they yell and take pictures of him as the line of prisoners is led in.
When they enter the courtroom the people who have lawyers and who have bailed out are called first.
Money does have its advantages.
When the prisoners from the jail are called Jamal sits and waits. He notices a man walk into the courtroom and sit at the front.
He does not have time to really pay attention because it is at this time that his name is called. The man stands and walks to the podium with him and looks up at the Judge and says "Your honor I am here representing Mr Akbar and I have here a copy of the D.V.D. from the store. Your honor it clearly shows that Mr Akbar was standing his ground as as such he is protected under that same law.
The Judge looks at the baliff and says would you please put that in the player Paul?
Everyone in the courtroom looks at the tape and the judge says "Given the introduction of this eveidence I find that Mr Akbar was indeed standing his ground and he is to be released from custody post haste.
The lawyer looks at him and says "I am glad to meet you Mr Akbar. That woman you protected in that store was my grandmother and even though she looks the way she does she is quite well off. We try to make her leave that neighborhood but she has lived there for a very long time. Her children were born in that neighborhood and one of my uncles died there on that same corner where that store is today. Mr Jamal I would love for you to come to my house tonight so that we can talk further."
"Okay."
"Good. I will send my driver to pick you up. My grandmother will be there as well as my family Mr Akbar. We feel that thanks are in order. You can bring anyone you want Mr Akbar.
When Jamal departs the Jail there is a taxi waiting for him and as it cruises through the city Jamal thanks Allah for protecting him.
The taxi pulls up to his apartment building and as he walks up the stairs Mary's door opens and she is almost knocked over by Jabari who blast past her and runs down the hall to Jamal. He stops in front of Jamal and holds out his hand and there are tears in his eyes as he says.
"I thought you were gone Mr Jamal."
JERALD HAMZAHFARUQ MURPHY
