Blackface: A Novel by Q. B. Wells

Author:Q. B. Wells [Wells, Q. B.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Urban, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction & Literature, United States, African American, Genre Fiction, Literature & Fiction
Amazon: B00375LYI2
Publisher: Art Official Media LLC
Published: 2010-02-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Face arrived at the apartment building as dusk settled. The busted streetlight flickered on and off. A few weeks ago, Face remembered the Stones broke one of the Moors legs for being too late to service. Each time someone jeopardized the values of the gang, the Rubber Band Man violently punished them.

A juvenile dressed in a ruby red coat and black mask over his mouth stopped Face as he approached the building. “All’s well, Moe?” the teen muffled, staring directly into Face’s eyes.

“All’s well, Moe,” Face replied, staring back and shaking hands with the young man. Face could tell from the way the teen’s hand shook that he was afraid.

“What you holding? A sword or something, Moe?” Face asked, proceeding up the stairs. “You look paranoid.”

The young teen dug deep into his pants front and flashed the crown of the pistol. Face glimpsed at the pearl pink handle. “Face, Mo, you know you late, right?” the teen replied, letting Face know he knew some of the gang’s literature and laws.

“Whatever, Moe,” blurted Face as he compiled reasons for his late arrival. He approached the apartment door where the service meeting was held.

There was a fumbling noise behind the door as Face waited, then the door finally opened and he entered the one-room apartment. The apartment had no furniture and the walls were dirty and cracked. About twenty-five young teens stood around in a perfect circle. In the middle of the circle stood the young man they called The Rubber Band Man.

As Face entered, the meeting stopped, allowing Face to join the circle between Zero and Penny and wait anxiously to see how the Rubber Band Man would handle the situation. Face felt the Rubber Band Man owed him from the job he performed and should forgive any violations until his bill was paid.

“Push that refrigerator and mattress against the door,” the Rubber Band Man ordered, pointing toward the door. “Make sure them police cannot get in here.” Zero and Penny broke the circle and pushed the refrigerator against the thin door as instructed.

The Rubber Band Man looked like a prince, but had the mind of a king. His lean platinum chain and a pyramid medallion hung down to his waist. Canary diamonds sparkled around the chain and matched the studs in his ear lobes. The custom diamond clustered Cartier wristwatch he sported glistened in the dim light of the apartment. The diamonds shined so brightly that most of the Moors became entranced with them and were distracted from the words coming out of the Rubber Band Man’s mouth. To the Moors, his words were like gold, anything he said about the street could be done and they followed orders in hopes to come up.

When the circle was again complete, the Rubber Band Man continued. “All of us know that the police are going to bring a lot of heat over here. The murder of that white boy got them kicking in any door they can. His daddy will do whatever he can to lock somebody up.

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