Against All Odds

AAO | FirstDayOut | 1

The wind began to pick up and BG noticed as he put his hands together and started to blow into them. It didn't get 'that' cold in Georgia, but to the southern folks it was cold enough. He held his head down and thought on what he'd say next. It was starting to get colder by the second, so he had to get moving.

"I'm gone be big time ma, I promise. It might not be how you want me to be, but I'm gone be something. I'm gone get mine by any means necessary, just how you taught me too and showed me. I just wish you'd be here to see it and guide me through this dirty ass world. I know you watchin' and making sure I'm on my toes at all times. I love you ma, always and with every breath in my body will I uphold your name and never let it die. You live through me and I promise to never let your name die. It's only up from here and I can't wait to show the world the man you made."

As Benji finished his speech to his mother, he placed his fingers to his lips and pressed it into the grass. It was around noon and the sun was peaking out. With a sigh and another look at his mother's grave, he got up and finally made his way out of the cemetery. He had big plans for himself and in the name of Brenda, he'd make them reality one way or another. It was a cold dog eat dog world, survival of the fittest and it'd been all that Brenda prepared him for. He was ready to our her words to the test and apply it to the game.

Benji went on about his way, walking aimlessly with no knowledge of a certain direction. His hands were dug deep into the pockets of his hoodie as the winter air surrounded him like a coat. The sunshine was big and bright, but still not enough to knock the chill. It was ironic for BG to stumble upon his old hood and it was almost unfamiliar to him, but yet it felt like it was still home to him too. A lot was the same, but yet so different. So many memories flooded his mind, in a good and bad way. His old apartment building was now gone and there was nothing left but the stoops of the stairs. This neighborhood looked abandoned now, as if it hadn't when he lived there years ago.

As he observed his old neighborhood, he noticed all  the same old things going on. Dudes posted up at all the corners like normal, selling death to anyone who would buy it in the form of a small bag of coke. He'd known all about it thanks to Brenda who had drilled it into his skull to stay away from drugs at all cost. It had stuck so far, but he couldn't make any promises.
In the midst of admiring the world that he once lived in, he was caught off guard by his name being called out loud. A frown immediately formed on his face as he turned towards the culprit of his handle.

"BG, that you nigga?" A man called over to Benji and then made their way towards him. He frowned and it was only natural for him to get defensive. It was one of those things he'd gotten accustomed too in jail. If a nigga came towards you, be ready for whatever and that was the exact stance Benji took. It was then that he realized it was only Rick, his homie from back in the day. At the sight of him, a million thoughts raced through his mind and every red flag was thrown.

"In the flesh," Benji responded in his natural tone as it came off oh so nonchalantly. His face remained in an emotionless state. Rick was his old time friend as everybody knew, but fuck that. BG didn't trust him, it was still good to see a familiar face for him though in a world that felt too unfamiliar to him after years. With that being said, it had been years and his trust was all fucked up when it came to everybody.

Benji and Rick were boys back then, but there was a sense of jealousy from Rick that BG always caught. It was like Rick would do anything to have what Benji had or to do what he was doing. Shit was crazy. BG had even heard Rick bagged the one girl that he had ever cared about and that hurt BG to the core. It was only word on the street, but for that BG fucked with him carefully. When he got the news years ago he'd felt crossed and even now he still did. He wasn't sure what grounds the relationship went, but still.