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head. It wasn’t the first time he got into trouble with the law but the charges were the most serious he faced.
    The days passed and Vince’s lawyer informed him that Spoon confessed up to owning everything. Spoon would take a plea and the judge would give Vince a year’s probation. His mother was ecstatic and so was Vince. Spoon took the heat and would do jail time. The news did nothing to relieve the strained relationship between father and son. Mr. Grey was still angry.
    Spoon called Vince collect.
    “Yo, why you confessed and copped a plea?”
    “Cuz you don’t need to be caught up in this system. I’ve been through it before and know how to do my thang. You about to start school this fall and got a lot going for you. If it wasn’t for me and Tyriq you’d be doing your thang at your job. Do your thang, my nigga. Live life, don’t worry ‘bout me.”
    “I owe you, Spoon,” Vince said.
    “Yo, do your thang and stay away from ‘em slutty, white bitches…
too much heat.”
    They both laughed.
    Spoon got a five-year stretch. Vince tried to get on with his life. But when it rains it pours. Vince’s pops died from a severe heart-attack two weeks before school was to begin. The passing of his father crushed Vince. He was unable to mend the hardship between his father and himself. He knew his father loved him so much and only wanted the best for him. The day he got arrested, he knew that hurt his pops so much. The experience haunted Vince and left him thinking if he would’ve gone to work, his pops wouldn’t have been so stressed.
    When they lowered his father into the ground, his mother held Vince tightly, sobbing. Vince stared at his father’s casket and made a promise to himself to get his life right and do just.

Part One
    Today... 2002

My alarm went off at exactly 6:10 every damn morning, indicating that it was time to get my ass up and ready for work. I didn’t know why I was getting up to go to work. I had two weeks left then I’d be permanently laid off. I received my notice in the mail a few days ago. My job sent me papers saying that they regret to inform me, but my employment status will be affected by reduction in workforce requirements in my classification —which meant I was soon to be unemployed.
    I worked for American Airlines for four years. Things started going bad after 9/11 happened. I knew it would be my turn soon. I’d hope and pray that the downfall wouldn’t affect me, but it did. The economy took a nose dive and had a big domino effect. Businesses started closing down and layoffs were next. Now it was my turn and soon I’d be out of a job.
    I didn’t fall asleep till two in the morning and was still groggy when I jumped in the shower. Unemployment was not an option. There weren’t any companies hiring at the moment. I applied at Jet blue Airlines, the sanitation department, MTA, even the local Pathmark and was placed on waiting lists.
    I started working for American Airlines when my girlfriend was seven months pregnant. I tried juggling getting my bachelors degree and working full time to pay the bills. That wasn’t easy.
    After pops died, I started helping my moms out. She was heartbroken. We fell behind on the mortgage payments and the bank foreclosed. My moms moved in with her older sister in St. Albans. It was a fucked-up situation.
    Eventually I gave up my fulltime status at college to earn a steady paycheck. I was planning on going back full-time once I was back on my feet.
    I met my baby moms five years ago while we were in John Jay college. Chandra and I had three classes together. We started talking at first, getting to know each other then we became friends. One thing led to another and a year later she was pregnant.
    Beautiful with silky, dark skin, Chandra was charismatic with long, black hair extending past her shoulders. She was tall with a curvaceous body. Her legs were well defined, stretching up to the heavens.
    Everything started changing after my son’s