Money and Lust

Joel and his sister Janilsa live in Long Island, an island just outside of New York City.  Janilsa is in her first year at New York University and Joel is still in high school.  Both of them have a history with the illegal drug of marijuana.  Due to Joel’s desire to be in a gang, he is willing to experiment with other illegal drugs.  They both grew up in the East New York section of Brooklyn, which is arguably the most dangerous part of Brooklyn.  Their being Dominican helped their chances since whites are normally singled out for harassment in such places as East New York.  It is this atmosphere that had given Joel the desire to be in a gang. 

                One day, while Joel was helping out at his mom’s store (still located in East New York), a Hispanic male in his late teens to early 20s walked in wearing a variety of chains, baggy phat farm jeans and a bandanna.  Joel didn’t think anything of it and approached him hoping the customer would buy something.  The boy said, “I’m looking for Joel Elderado”

                “That’s me”

                “I got a proposition for you”

                “What’s that?”

                “I b with da crips (one of the many gangs in Brooklyn), I b needing an outside cat to sell some shit, pigs have been watching me.  You do this for me, you’ll b in with us.  You in?”

                “What kind of shit you sellin?”

                “Coke, trees (marijuana) mostly”

                “Yea, I’m game, why me”

                “Nobody really knows you, and you b crashin in Long Island, so you got yuppies that’ll buy da shit and you got thugs in Brooklyn”

                “What about green”

                “I’m goin to be given you 20 kilos, 10 of trees 10 of coke, you got nine months (it was August so he had until May) to sell ‘em, you’re taking mad risk, I offer you to run with my boys, so we’re making an exchange, I’ll say that if you sell them normal price, I take half of what normal price is”

                “20 kilos is a shitload of shit”

                “You’re looking at a shitload of money boy”

                “I’ll do it”

                “Where should I give you da stuff?”

                “1AM tonight at this address but what if I can’t sell all of it” he said as he wrote down the address to his cousin’s house in Brooklyn, who wouldn’t mind a lot of drugs being stored at his house.

                “Show me how much candy (drugs) you have, I’ll take half of what you don’t have”

                The gangster left and Joel let out the excitement he had held in.  He was looking at being part of a gang and making a lot of money.  He knew that he’d be able to get people to overpay for the drugs so he was actually looking at over 50% of the cash even if he used a lot of the drugs for himself, which he planned on doing.  All he had to do was sell it.

                Larry was also a first-year student at NYU.  He had met Janilsa through mutual friends of theirs close to midterms.  They had actually met at a study group since they all had similar classes together.  Although Larry was 13 inches taller than Janilsa, he did think she was attractive.  He had not had much luck with girls but he figured he’d go for it when the time was right.  After midterms, there was a party at a classmate’s dorm.  Larry, Janilsa, and five of their friends all attended.  The alcohol at the party consisted of champagne and various liquors bought by Larry and a girl Katie since they had fake ID’s.  Not too long afterward, everyone was intoxicated in celebration that finals were over and they had a month break before classes resumed.  Larry was sitting next to Janilsa on a bed talking.  Janilsa started laughing hysterically and lied back on the bed.  Larry lied back as well and rolled on top of her lowering his right hand to her waist.  Janilsa figured out Larry was hitting on her so she immediately put her arm out pushing Larry away.  Larry did not fight her and immediately rose to his feet and Janilsa shot up.  She didn’t mind Larry’s advancement since he didn’t push it after she indicated she was not interested and they remained civil. 

                It was February and Joel had been distributing the drugs to his friends for free and doing them himself with them socially.  He had sold a little bit but his generosity to his friends was proving costly.  He was invited to a Valentines Day party at Janilsa’s friend Kate’s apartment in New Jersey.  Joel agreed he would go with Janilsa.  Larry and a few other NYU students and some people Kate knew from her town also attended the party.  Again, everyone became drunk at the party.  Larry had to go to the bathroom (there was only one bathroom in the apartment) and while he was inside, Janilsa waited for him to get out since she also had to go.  Larry exited and watched Janilsa go in and decided to wait for her.  At this point, Janilsa and Larry had become kind of close friends but when alcohol was added, the sexual tension between them got too much for Larry.  When Janilsa exited the bathroom, Larry went in to kiss her.  Janilsa did not kiss back but Larry had hit her lips.  She then pushed him away again and told him she only thought of him as a friend.  Once again Larry backed off realizing he was turned down again but he was determined to get the girl. 

                It was now April and Joel had some money but it was going to be difficult to meet the 50% quota given to him.  He began to regret all the months he had given out free drugs to his friends.  He hadn’t told anybody about the offer because he didn’t want his sister to know what he was getting into since she wouldn’t approve.  Janilsa did drugs but he didn’t want Joel to be in any danger, she would rather have him buy from drug dealers, not hang out with them or become a major one.  Since Janilsa lived in a dorm at NYU, it made it easy for Joel to keep this information from his sister.  There was another party at a mutual friend of Larry’s and Janilsa’s apartment that they went to.  The party was a lot larger than the previous ones as some of the kids in attendance worked as bar tenders so spent time making mixed drinks for everyone.  Later in the night when Larry and Janilsa were both under the influence of alcohol, Janilsa was leaning against Larry completely relaxed with her eyes closed.  Larry leaned over and tried kissing her again.  Janilsa said no, and Larry stopped and let her continue to lean. Looked as if Larry’s determination may never pay off. 

                May hit and Joel was under a lot of stress since he didn’t have much of the 20 kilos left and was extremely short on the money.  He had some money in the stock market but not enough to pay his enormous debt.  He still didn’t want to ask Janilsa for help, he would have to go at it alone.  The drug dealer that had given him the money threw a huge party at a fairly large house in Brooklyn Heights.  He told Joel that’s where he wanted the money.  Joel didn’t know this at the time but his sister would be at the party as well. 

                Kera was a sophomore in high school in Manhattan.  Although she went to school in Manhattan she lived in Brooklyn and enjoyed smoking marijuana.  When she heard about the party in Brooklyn Heights she desperately wanted to go but her friends all had other plans.  She didn’t want to go alone in case something happened so she decided to call her cousin at NYU. 

                Larry received a phone call from his cousin Kera while in his dorm.  Larry was not into drugs but he had been really close to Kera for about four years and was willing to help her out if she needed it.  He agreed to go to the party knowing that he would be bored since it was going to have an obscene amount of drugs at it in which Larry did not participate. 

                A large amount of people showed up to the party and by the time Larry and Kera arrived the atmosphere was no longer oxygen and Nitrogen but smoke filled it as well.  The only people Larry knew at the party were Joel, Janilsa and Kera.  He knew they would all be high shortly but he felt he could get through the night. 

                Joel had been smoking marijuana more than usual to try to relieve the stress he had about meeting the gangster and not having the money.  He only had half of what he expected from the few drugs he did sell and his stock money and the other half he had no idea how he was going to account for it.  The gangster sought Joel out at the party and pulled him into a room that nobody was in.  He asked him, “So you got my money?”

“Some of it”

“Some?  Did you sell all the stuff?”

“Not all of it”

“How much you got left”

“A couple kilos of coke and less of trees”

“You show me it tomorrow so I be sure you ain’t jippin me, for now, give me the green you owe”

“I’m a little short?”

“This disappoints me Joel, how short?”

“half”

The gangster smiled, “Alright, I’ll take what you got now”

Joel gave him the money a little surprised at why the gangster was not mad at him.  The gangster put his arm around Joel and said, “I be knowin it be hard to resist all dat shit, especially for a Long Island boy like you, so just let me know when you got my green”

The gangster shoved him against the wall after he said what he said and handcuffed Joel’s hands behind his back.  He then punched at his kidneys and turned him around drilling him in the face with more punches.  Joel fell and the gangster kicked at his ribs taunting him that he shouldn’t have been stupid with his drugs.  He stood him up and duct taped him to a pole and said, “Joel, I’m about to show you who you fucked with” he said and then left the room. 

Kera was holding her own talking with people and being social.  Larry kept his eye on her instinctively knowing that if she talked to any guys, although Larry would be nervous and want to break it up, he wouldn’t because Kera would probably never speak to him again.  Kera did start talking to a guy and Larry turned his head to avoid any exaggerations he may make about slight flirtation with his little cousin.  He noticed Janilsa being brought rather forcibly into a room and thought to investigate.

The gangster walked out the door and a friend whispered something to him.  He came and put his arm around Janilsa and pushed her toward the door.  Janilsa tried to resist but he grabbed her bicep and lifted her slightly off the ground while Janilsa thrashed.  The kid told her that Joel wanted to talk to her but Janilsa knew he was lying.  She tried yelling for help but then the guy covered her mouth and with the music blaring, nobody heard a thing.  He dragged her into the room and she saw Joel tied up and the gangster.  She was horrified but felt she had to help her brother.  The gangster told the kid to leave; he did.  The gangster walked to the door and locked it while Janilsa gripped the pepper spray she always carried with her.  The gangster noticed what was happening so he bent his head and charged at Janilsa tackling her just as she brought out the pepper spray.  She maintained her grip but the thug immediately pinned her arms behind her and slammed the hand that held the pepper spray against the ground.  Janilsa couldn’t hold on anymore and released her grip as the thug pushed the can away.  He moved Janilsa’s arm over her head so that they interlocked and held them with one hand as he brought the other arm down and jammed it into Janilsa’s solar plexus knocking the wind out of her.  Janilsa screamed but with the door closed and the music she didn’t think anybody would hear.  Joel yelled out, “Leave her the fuck alone, this is between you and me”

“Fuck you, you should have thought about that before stiffing me on my money” the gangster said

Janilsa snapped, “Joel what fuck are you into, what the fuck is this cat talking about”

“I’ll explain later”

“Yea later after I rape this bitch so you know not to fuck me again,” the gangster snapped

Janilsa squirmed and broke loose she started toward the door but the gangster gripped her by the waist and tossed her away from the door across the floor.  He was trying not to bloody her because he intended on forcing himself on her.  He walked to her and stomped once on her stomach and straightened her out.  He bent down and unzipped and unbuttoned her pants while she was recovering from the blow.  Janilsa kicked again but the gangster grabbed her leg and pounded his fist into her thigh.  Janilsa relaxed her body due to pain, and the gangster pulled her pants off.

Joel looked on in horror as he was about to witness his sister get raped because of something he did.  He thrashed and fought his restraints but couldn’t break them. 

Larry walked up to the door hesitant to go in.  He saw the two kids leave so figured Janilsa wanted to be in there.  While pacing around waiting to go in, he heard Janilsa scream.  He immediately tried to open the door but it was locked.  He looked at the door and realized it was one of the push in button locks that were very easy to pick.  He took out a swiss army knife he carried with him and took out the tweezers.  He pressed the tweezers into the hole and popped out the lock.  He walked in and shut the door and saw Janilsa in her bra and panties and the gangster leaning over her.  He yelled out, “What the fuck are you doing?”

The gangster had turned around when the door opened and he said, “I’m fuckin my girlfriend what the fuck are you doing here cracker”

Larry smiled, he thought it amusing that he was called a cracker but he ignored it.  “Girlfriends don’t scream when you’re stripping them”

The gangster was walking toward Larry but Larry looked back determined not to move.  The gangster was eye to eye with him and Larry stared into his bloodshot eyes.  He said, “I’m going to give you one chance to get out of her before I fuck you up”

“Go fuck yourself, that’s my friend you’re trying to rape”

The gangster punched Larry while Janilsa scurried to her brother to free him.  Larry didn’t go down and came back with a punch of his own directly in the nose backing up the gangster.  The gangster drove his shoulders into Larry and shoved him toward the wall.  Larry waited until they were close to the wall and then he shifted his hips around while wrapping his arm around the gangster turning him around just in time to sandwich him against the wall.  Larry drove his knee into the gangster’s stomach.  The gangster grabbed his stomach and fell taking out a cell phone that doubled as a walkie talkie.  He pressed a button and yelled, “Get your asses in here”

Larry stepped on his arm so he dropped the phone but the gangster pulled his arm free and wrapped it around Larry’s legs tackling him to the ground.  He pinned his waist down with his legs and punched down at Larry’s face.  Larry was bloodied from this but managed to move his head to the side so the gangster punched the ground and rolled off him.  The door opened again and another thug came into the room.  Janilsa was fidgeting with the handcuffs trying to get them off Joel.  When Joel saw the other gangster come in, he shook Janilsa off him and ran to Larry’s aid with his hands still cuffed behind his back.  Joel drove his knee into the gangster’s crony’s stomach and kicked him in the side of the head to the ground. 

Larry got up at the same time as the gangster and they circled each other.  Janilsa picked up the pepper spray and ran to help Joel.  The gangster brought his arm down and punched Larry in the stomach.  Larry bent over but the gangster pulled him up and grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall.  He said, “You don’t understand what that shithead did, get out of my business”

“When you’re raping my friend, that’s my business” Larry said through short breaths since he was being choked.

The gangster punched Larry in the side of the face knocking him down. 

The crony got up and faced Joel.  Janilsa knew that Joel wouldn’t fare to well without the use of his hands.  She saw the can of pepper spray and ran for it and charged at the crony.  The crony toyed with Joel as he slapped him in the face.  Joel kicked but missed and the crony punched him in the face.  The crony heard Janilsa coming so he grabbed Joel before she got there and swung him around ducking his head behind Joel’s shoulder.  Janilsa yelled to get the crony to turn around and then held down the spray button and accidentally sprayed Joel in the face.  Joel collapsed rolling on the ground screaming in pain.  Janilsa froze in shock and before she could recover the crony slapped her across the face causing her to drop the can.  The crony then stalked her.

                The gangster took advantage of Larry lying face down on the ground and stomped at his back.  After being stomped on a couple times, Larry rolled out of the way and to his feet in obvious pain.  Larry was getting frustrated with all the time he wasted retreating and that the gangster had no blood on him.  He spit in the gangster’s face trying to get him to charge.  The gangster darted toward Larry, Larry sidestepped him and gripped him by the back of the head and shoved him into the wall.  Larry once again punched at the gangster’s kidneys but this time when the gangster swung his arm around, Larry ducked under it and uppercutted the gangster.  The gangster backed up surprised that he found himself no longer in control.  Larry put him in a headlock and drilled the gangster’s head into his knee repeatedly.  The gangster used what energy he had left to wrap his arm around Larry’s waist and fall back slamming the back of Larry’s neck and head onto to the ground. 

                Meanwhile, the crony crept closer to Janilsa as she backed up contemplating her next move.  The crony tried grabbing her but Janilsa ducked under it and ran toward the door exiting it.  The crony followed and Joel still shook his head trying to regain his eyesight. 

                Both Larry and the gangster stirred trying to get to their feet.  Larry glanced at Joel and saw his hands still cuffed.  This gave Larry some more adrenaline as he pounced on the gangster, who was pushing up, flattening him to the ground.  Larry reached into that gangster’s pocket and pulled out his keys and darted toward Joel.  The gangster, however, reached out and grabbed Larry’s foot tripping him and the keys went flying forward toward Joel.  Larry kicked his foot free but the gangster got up leaving Larry no choice but to face him. The gangster’s face was also bloody now and his face revealed his anger.  He grabbed Larry by the shoulder but Larry stuck his arm straight out gripping his throat and shoving him at arms length.  Larry was taller than the gangster so the gangster lost his grip.  Larry let go of his throat and slapped him across the face and backed away.  The gangster sprinted toward Larry, Larry bent down wrapped his arms around his legs and lifted up causing the gangster to flip over his back.  He turned to look at the gangster and pumped his arms with an open hand signaling for the gangster to get up. 

                Joel grabbed the keys with his mouth and ran out the door that the crony didn’t shut all the way.  The gangster pulled out a knife and said, “It’s time to cheat”

                Larry reached to his waist and pulled out a pocketknife of his own that was clipped there.  The two men circled around each other knives drawn. 

                Meanwhile, Janilsa had lost the crony among the sea of humanity but saw Joel when he exited the door.  She hurried to him and took the keys from his mouth and undid his cuffs.  The crony spotted Janilsa and Joel and ran at them.  Joel ran at him jumped to the side and stuck out his knee as it connected on the charging crony’s solar plexus.  Joel gripped the hair on the crony’s head and slammed the crony’s face into his knee repeatedly.  He then threw him down, put a leg on either side of him, bent down and punched at his face.  Janilsa held the crony’s head in between her legs so he couldn’t move out of the way of Joel’s punches.  After a little bit she went inside to get the pepper spray and saw Larry and the gangster circling each other with knives drawn.                

                At this point people had gathered around to watch.  The rest of the gang was too high or with girls in separate rooms to help out.  The gangster looked at Janilsa and smiled.  All Larry needed was that split second of the gangster turning his head; he swung his knife, which the gangster blocked with his own.  The gangster reached and hooked Janilsa trying to bring her in front of him to hold her hostage but Larry slit his throat before he could.  The gangster dropped the knife and grabbed his throat.  Larry walked away and saw Joel continuing his onslaught of the crony.  The crony’s face was crimson with blood and he was unconscious.  Larry clipped his knife back on his waist and grabbed Joel’s shoulders, Joel got up and shoved Larry back but then calmed when he realized whom it was.  He looked in the room and saw Janilsa with the pepper spray in hand spraying the gangster and kicking him to get him to drop his arms before continuing spraying.  Larry looked at Joel and asked, “So do you wanna stop her, or should I”

                “I’ve already been hit once by it, she’s all yours”

                Larry instead went to a sink and washed the blood off his face.  Kera saw him and asked what happened.  Larry shrugged her off and went back to the room Janilsa and the gangster were in.  When he got there the gangster was motionless and Janilsa was standing over him.  Larry walked over and bent down and checked for a pulse; he found none.  Kera had followed Larry and froze with the sight.  Janilsa said, “Let’s get the fuck out of here”

                Janilsa got dressed and went with Larry, Kera and Joel to the subway toward NYU.  It was there that Joel told Janilsa why the gangster was after him.  Janilsa spared him the scolding; she figured that after what happened, it wasn’t necessary.  Ambulance’s came but the cops didn’t bother to try to find the killer.  The gangster had no family and nobody wanting to press charges.  The eyewitnesses told them it was a knife fight, so the cops took that as self-defense.  Before they got there, most of the people had left the party because they didn’t want to get busted for the drugs.  Brooklyn cops were used to drugs and gang wars so they just confiscated the drugs that were there and sent the body to the morgue and shut the case.

                Kera separated from the other three when they got to the subway because she was going further into Brooklyn whereas the others were headed toward Manhattan.  Joel separated at Penn Station to catch the Long Island Railroad home leaving Janilsa and Larry by themselves.  Janilsa said, “Yo, thanks for helping me today”

                “No problem, what are friends for?”

                “Yea I know but those are dangerous cats.”

                “I’ve told you before Janilsa, I don’t get intimidated in fights”

                “I know but still you helped me and my brother out, I appreciate that”

                “It was my pleasure”

                Larry walked Janilsa to her dorm, which was only five blocks from his so he could easily walk the rest of the way.  There was a brief awkward moment as Larry contemplated whether or not to kiss her.  He decided to go for it, but Janilsa put her arm out and Larry backed off smiling.  Janilsa said, “I’m sorry, it’s just that you’re my friend, I don’t want to do anything plus I’m stressed because I almost got raped, my brother got into some shit, I just can’t”

                “Don’t worry about it,” he said as they hugged and European kissed (cheek to cheek and kiss the air) and Larry headed back to their dorm. 

                A gang member did show up at the store in Brooklyn to visit Joel.  He said, “Look, I know you whacked one of our boys, but we got more, and we ain’t  leavin you alone till we get paid”

                “Give me till tomorrow, I’ll give you the shit I got left and the cash I owe”

                “When and where bro?”

                Joel gave a meeting spot and time then called Janilsa and told her about what the thug said.  Janilsa helped Joel out with the money and they had enough to pay them off.  The next day, the gang met up with Joel and he handed over the drugs and the rest of the money.  They said, “Hey man, you still wanna run with us?”

Joel smiled, “Nah man, this gang shit sucks”

“Aight man”

Joel left relieved that it was all over.  He promised Janilsa he would pay all the money back, and in time he did.  Janilsa and Larry remained plutonic friends throughout college.