A Just Cause.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It's been a couple weeks since I've seen Dad again, so I figured it was time for another visit. To make sure he was still in check. I always tend to forget about him most of the time since he was such a low-maintenance person to take care of. I just had to make sure he didn't go running around, finally getting to release that big mouth he has.

I began walking towards my father's apartment building, with the soft breeze bouncing on the black T-shirt I was wearing. The weather had slowly been getting better, which meant this whole thing I was working on, had to come to an end soon. More and more people have started to come down from their apartments more often, and now I could see most of the familiar faces I would see around the neighborhood. I hadn't been that popular in the area for many reasons, but the main ones would firstly be that I'm a cop. Most kids didn't like cops because society would brainwash every young child into thinking that being a snitch was a bad thing. Personally, I couldn't agree or disagree with that. I found that one can be on both sides of all things. Yin and yang was the idea. And secondly, I hadn't made any effort to get to know the people living here. Brooklyn was a weird palace filled with all different kinds of people. There could be a millionaire in a suit and tie walking on the street to his Porsche, and behind him could be a crackhead walking towards his shopping cart. Ever since I was young, because of this reason, it felt impossible for me to find someone that was really like me. I got used to living solo, though; I got in less trouble.

It was so hard to resist a tempting hot dog every time I walked by one. Every time I could get a whiff of those tempting fried onions on the grill, I would, without exception, ask Mom if she would buy one for me. However, I remember she would never be willing to. I got a sudden flashback of how my mother's face would look when I had asked her for one. Her eyes would be full of energy, and her hair would swing around every time she looked in any direction. She was indeed a beautiful person. Too bad she was gone, though. After passing the main streets and swinging open the front gates of the property my father's apartment was on, I stepped only a couple steps when I could notice a large group of what looked to be hoodlums posted by the main doors on the building. They were all wearing something to cover their face, a face mask or some balaclava.

"YO!" one of them called out, taking a couple steps in front, "you know anyone here?" he said demandingly. All I could really think about was how pathetic some people could be. I knew the real reason why I was being checked up like this. These types of crime groups would have drug labs and other illegal businesses being run in some of these apartment rooms, and the big bosses would have their little henchmen at the bottom of the place, looking out for potential dangers to their businesses. That meant when off-duty police officers, such as a person like me, would want to come inside the building, the henchmen would alert the big boys up top to keep an eye out. Working as an officer had benefits such as this, where I could understand what was really a reality in a city full of tricks.

"I'm just here to see my dad, guys," I said with a surrendering tone. "Fourth floor – Armstrong, you guys might've heard of him,"

One of the guys from the back of the crowd speaks up, "I know about that dude. Give him some space – let him through."

I walked through what I counted as close to fifteen people separated into two different sides. They all reeked of liquor and marijuana, which made me contemplate if I should've pulled out my badge so I could ruin all these pathetic kid's days. I found it odd that an old man was living in a place like this. Whatever, I hadn't really cared anyway.

My legs become slowly weary as I climb up the staircase of the building, eventually reaching the fourth floor. The floor creaks in the same spots as the previous time, again making me afraid of suddenly collapsing through the floorboards.