Gangland II.

Chapter 44 - Trooper.

When Noah left the hospital, his whole world was at a disarray. Tracy gave him the papers for his next appointment, but it seemed like another death sentence. When he stepped out of the hospital, it was almost like his world was cracked open. The air didn't smell the same, he could hear 10 times better, and everything he looked at was at the utmost appreciation. Noah dazed and glanced blankly at the people walking by, glanced blankly at the sky, and glanced blankly at his world around him. He stood there for 5 minutes, listening and absorbing in the noises he didn't appreciate before. He absorbed the sounds of horns honking, the sounds of the wind whistling against his ears, and the sounds of the cars driving by.

Why? Because this might be one of the last times he see it.

As Noah drove home, he kept the same blank stare on his face. He couldn't smile or frown. The news of prostate cancer was setting in. 22 years old and he was already dealing with the big C. As he came to a stoplight, Noah slid his hands off of the wheel and stared blankly at his windshield. He didn't blink, sniff, cough, anything. He didn't know what to feel. All he could do was sit there and think about if he was going to be buried by his mother instead of burying Aunt Shay.

*HONK*

The sounds of horns shattered Noah's world of silence. The light was green. Noah looked up at the light, then placed his foot on the gas to go home. He swore himself to secrecy about this cancer. And by that is that I mean that he wasn't telling a soul.

And if he wasn't willing to tell Aunt Shay about the news, that meant that it was extremely personal.

When Noah arrived home, he was thankful to see that Asha or Lily wasn't at the house. He needed a few seconds to himself. Noah dropped all of his things at the door and plopped down onto the bed, twiddling his fingers and thinking to himself about what he was going to do. Considering the fact that he had two options, he started to have a conversation with himself in his head.

"Alright. It's between your balls in your hair, Noah." Noah whispered, closing his eyes and thinking to himself. "Think. Think. Think."

Noah thought of plenty of scenarios on what was more important than the other. Finally after thinking to himself for 5 minutes, he came to one conclusion.

"Hair can always grow back." Noah sighed, looking at his dresser. "A penis cannot."

So Noah finally came to the conclusion. He was going to get rid of his hair.

Noah got his haircut pouch and headed into the bathroom that was in the hall. He took all of the items out and placed them across the counter, glancing at the items. He took the razor and plugged it up, watching it vibrate in his hands. As his wrists shook, Noah glanced at the mirror and placed it up to his face. He hesitated and glanced at his shiny and curly black hair, thinking about how special it was to him. All he could rekindle were the moments where he washed it, took care of it, combed it, styled it, and more. It was the only think that made the difference between him and Isaiah's identities, and that was that he had more hair. Noah had silky hair with a swirl on the left side, and Isaiah had a little buzz cut type style.

Moving it close to his hair, Noah clenched his jaw and started to tear up the closer he got to it. His eyes tinted a little red as tears shot down his face, realizing that he would have to go bald or have no penis. In a rage, Noah shoved everything off of the bathroom counter and watched it all fall onto the ground. He bawled silently as he sat against the wall, running his fingers through his hair and covering his face.

He couldn't do it. Unfortunately, Noah had to hurry and made a decision before the clock was up.

For dinner, Asha made one of Noah's favorites. Lasagna and garlic bread. As she made Lily's plate and placed it in front of her along with some peas, Lily shook her head and looked back up at Asha.