The Knight Shade - Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

The wind whipped through Jamal’s hair as he drove the McLaren sports car down the highway with the top down at nearly seventy miles an hour. The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren was an English racing car that Jamal’s father had imported from overseas. A sports car and supercar automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. The SLR was inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR of 1955. Assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England, it is known as one of the fastest automatic transmission cars in the world.The car accelerates from 0-200 km/h in 10.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 334 km/h (207 mph)

The wind blowing through his hair calmed his nerves after the run-in last night with his grandfather and this morning with Albert. Jamal just could not comprehend the attitude of his grandfather. Jamal wondered of what use is “Honor, Integrity, and Justice” when one is so passive that people take advantage of them. There is definitely no justice in that. While Jamal loved his family, he had difficulties understanding their motivations. There was no way Jamal was going to believe that.

After driving around for over a hour, Jamal found himself back in the barrio. He was sitting at a stop sign on Fairbanks Street, a wide three lane avenue. He looked around at the buildings that surrounded him. There was something about the neighborhood that always fascinated Jamal. In some ways, the sounds of the children at play and just the everyday neighborhood sounds sparked a small flame of compassion in Jamal’s heart. He did not really despise the neighborhood or the people as he implied the other night.  He also wanted the best for the people who lived there.

He missed the days when Albert would bring him down there as a child to hear all of the salsa and meringue music being played by the men and seeing the women and children dancing nearby. Jamal remembered the smells of various food cooking wafting from open windows along with the aroma of fresh baked tortillas and it brought back sweet memories. If there was only some way to bring back the magic of this place from his youth and transfer it to the here and now.

Jamal’s reveling in the past was broken by the sounds of a car pulling along side of him. Jamal looked out of his driver’s side window and saw the same tricked-out sea-green Eldorado from the day before stopping next to him. The music coming from the car was so loud that the McLaren started to vibrate.

The windows rolled down and a plume of smoke wafted out.  The passenger elbowed the driver and pointed at Jamal. “Mida hombres, It‘s the little rich kid again. Hey, chico, you don’t have no fancy chauffeur this time. What, he got the day off?”

Jamal tried to look straight ahead and ignore the taunts of the gang-bangers. This was not what he needed right now, or just maybe it was he thought to himself. He was already trying to blow off some steam. Jamal was certain he could take these turkeys in their jalopy. He responded by hitting the gas pedal and revving his own car engine. A grin came over his lips and he hunkered down in the driver seat.

“It looks like it on, this time chico!” the driver yelled back at Jamal. One of the guys in the back seat leaned forward and he whispered into the ear of the driver. The driver looked down the street and nodded his head. He revved his car up and looked over at Jamal. He yelled over to Jamal, “The first one to cross Powell & Fairbanks takes it all!” It was an easy three avenues away.

Jamal answered back by inching his car slightly ahead of the Eldorado. The Eldorado responded in kind, its engine roaring. “You ready chico?” the driver yelled over the sound of the two engines. Jamal nodded, his eyes stared straight ahead. His knuckles gripped the steering wheel so hard they turned white.

The Eldorado sounded like a jet plane ready to take off.  From the inside came the voice of the driver, “Ready, set…” The sea green Eldorado surged forward.

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