TEARS OF RAGE

Chapter 2

With only two months of freedom under his belt, it felt too easy to get snared into some type of situation that would lead to him being carted off to prison.

So he spent most of his time working.

He supplemented his income with gambling and minor hustles to help with the bills and groceries.

His grandmother gave countless lectures on how he held a great deal of responsibility in the way Dorian performed in school and his behavior.

Being responsible for his baby brother was something that he took pride in, knowing that his dad would have expected nothing less...

A man takes care of his family.

That was a jewel of wisdom that his dad had always taught him.

But the concept of building wealth and making it out of the 'hood was proving to be a daunting task.

Although most people would attempt to tell him to practice patience, it hurt him to his heart to come across one of his dad's old friends, and have them recognize the resemblance of his father in his features, but also see that he had not inherited his dad's money, tenacity to hustle, or his legacy.

His reputation was that of a slacker.

An ordinary thug loitering about his neighborhood.

He was regarded in his area as just another hoodlum.

An outlaw whose days were considered numbered.

When viewed in hindsight Lemario could see where his mistakes had been made, but the idea of trying to make a play at that point felt too risky.

After his dad had died and they were forced to live with Big Nanah, he had gone through what he called his chase for paper phase...

He wanted people to see that he was holding down his household like his dad would have done.

But nothing plays out quite as people plan it...

From a thirty-day stay in boot camp, for the burglary of a business at the age of twelve, Lemario spent a stint in some type of juvenile reform school six out of twelve months throughout the year.

That had defined most of his adolescence, but Lemario wanted to establish his own legacy in the city.

Something that would make his dad proud of him.

After his last bid in Milledgeville, Georgia's most notorious gladiator schools, he decided to try his hand at being a working man.

The life of a hoodlum was not showing him progress.

Everything he tried had lead to a stretch in the penal system...

But he had to do something.

Something to help his grandmother aid in the upkeep of their apartment, and providing for his baby brother.

By the time Lemario emerged from the bathroom, his morning ritual of washing and grooming complete, it was as if there was a renewed aura about him.

The demons that invaded his sleep had vanished.

Standing upon the threshold of an uncertain future, Lemario felt that his life should have had more purpose.

More meaning.

He had not quite figured out the mode of execution, in which he would need to find his fortune...

But every day he kept urging himself to stay patient.

His chance was bound to happen just when he least expected it...

He just had to be ready to embrace it.