IBO, Brian R. Lundin [the ebook reader .txt] 📗

hardly walk. The woman holds her by the arm and they slowly walk to the elevator. The elderly woman and Joyce arrive at Joyce’s apartment where Malik is alone and lying on the couch watching television. Joyce and the stranger surprise him.
”Hi, I’m Mrs. Williams I live at 5001 south State, is your mother home?”
“Hi, Mrs. Williams, I’m Malik, Joyce brother.”
Joyce begins to cry and Malik notice the blood on her face.
”No she's not,” Malik says to the woman as he walks over to his sister.
“What’s the matter Joyce, did you hurt yourself?” Malik asked as he walks over and help her sit down on the couch.
”What's the matter?” Malik asked Joyce again.
Quietly Joyce said, “Paco and Lobo raped me.”
I heard noises in the vacant apartment next to mine and when I went over there with my rolling pin to see what was happening, I saw three boys, and one was raping Joyce. I made him stop and he threatened me with a gun,” Mrs. Williams said to Malik.
“You’re ok, now baby? I’ve got to go home; my grandkids are there by themselves.”
Mrs. Williams walk over to the couch and hugs Joyce, “You take care of yourself honey,” she said as she opened the door to leave.
Joyce and Malik thank Mrs. Williams for her help and she leaves the apartment. As she is leaving, Barbara, their mother comes in, wearing a dirty blond wig, red high heel shoes and short shorts, she smelled of and was high off crack cocaine.
“Who’s that old bitch leaving my apartment?” Barbara asked as she stumbles to the couch.
“Just one of those 7-day Adventist Ma,” Malik answered.
“I’ve told you muthafuckas I don't want anybody in my crib when I’m gone, all you assholes do is eat, sleep and shit. Neither one of you are worth a shit.”
“Ok, ma. Come on Joyce, let’s go outside,” Malik says taking Joyce’s hand.
Malik and Joyce leave the apartment and, Barbara collapse on the couch, never noticing the blood on Joyce’s shorts or admitting that Malik has been paying the rent and buying the food since he became a member of the State Street Boys.
“Tell me what happened, Joyce”? Malik asked.
Joyce tells Malik about the incident.
”You've got to go to the hospital. I’m going to call the police and you tell them what happened, they’ll take us to the hospital, but don't tell them who did it, ok?
”Ok, but why do I have to go to the hospital?” Joyce asks innocently.
“They’ve got to examine you and make sure you are not injured down there, they might give you a shot or something so you won’t catch any diseases.”
Malik and Joyce walk to the pay phone at 51st South State Street. A mangled telephone book hangs from a chain beneath the metal shelf, the door is broken and it has the pungent smell of urine and funk. Malik hoped it was working, surprisingly it was, and he called the police. After a ten minute wait, the police officers arrived and took them to Provident Hospital. The police officer explained to the duty nurse what happened and Joyce went into an examination room. The police officer filled out a report but did not press Joyce too hard to identify the offenders. He gives Malik a copy of the report and tells him to contact the police again if he has any further information.
After about an hour a female black nurse approaches Malik who is waiting in the waiting room.
“Are you Joyce’s brother, Malik?” the nurse asks Malik.
“Yes ma’am how is she?” Malik ask.
“Well, we've stopped the bleeding and cleaned her up but she still has a little pain. We gave her a shot of penicillin, but she should come in for a complete check up.
I’ve made an appointment for her tomorrow at 8:30 am with Doctor Ellis; she's our chief pediatric doctor.
Joyce will be out in a few minutes. Let me know when you are ready and I’ll call the police to take you back home.”
“Thank you very much, but could you call a cab instead of the police?” Malik asked.
“Of course, don't forget Joyce’s appointment for tomorrow.”
The nurse left the waiting room and shortly thereafter Joyce came out and sat beside Malik.
”How you feel?” Malik ask.
Joyce begins to cry, “I’m still hurting. Malik, why did Paco do this to me, I’ve always looked upon him like a big brother, why? Why?”
“I don't know Joyce; he probably was high off something, I don't know what's going on with him, I know that he has gotten hooked on crack and he’s really screwing up.”
The cab arrived and took Malik and Joyce home; John their younger brother had fallen asleep watching TV and their mother still passed out on the couch, did not hear them come in.
Joyce thanked and hugged Malik and went to her bedroom. Malik waited until Joyce was in bed before going into her bedroom. He kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears.
“Everything going to be okadoke, Joyce.”
“Thank you, Malik,” she said hugging him.
“Get some rest,” Malik said turning out the light.
Malik went into his bedroom, Malik sat on the floor and cried.

Chapter 7

Doctor Westbrook made daily visits with Malik. After being in the hospital for three weeks, the doctor ordered the cast removed
Malik still could not walk nor had any feelings in his legs, but he was getting stronger
”How are you feeling?” Doctor Westbrook asked, holding a plastic glass containing orange juice.
“Better, I’m glad the casts are off,” Malik answered.
“Yeah, I bet, let’s talk about what the next steps are. Follow-up X-rays reveals that the bullet in your back has moved, we do not know why, that is one of the reasons we have kept you stabilized so you couldn't move. It is off the nerve, which is good, but it is too close to your spine, which is bad. It could be very bad if it gets any closer. You need an operation to try to remove the bullet but I cannot guarantee anything. If the operation is unsuccessful you could be paralyzed for the rest of your life, that’s a decision you will have to make very soon.”
“What happens if we wait?” Malik asked.
“There is a possibility that the bullet could move closer to your spine and there is also the possibility that the nerve that the bullet is laying on could be further damaged.
“What happens if you operate right away?”
“If we can remove the bullet and there is no severe spinal damage, there is a good chance you'll walk again, but I can't give you any guarantees, why don't you think about it, and I’ll come back later, do you want to talk to your mother about it?”
“No, she probably too high to understand.”
“Well, you're not really old enough to authorize the operation, but I’ve talked to your mother a couple of times and I know what you mean, we could do the operation on an emergency basis, which it is, without her consent. By the way Malik, that detective is waiting to see you; do you want to see him?”
Malik nods his head, Dr Westbrook leaves the room, and Detective Clark enters.
“How you doing Malik?” the detective ask.
“Ok, I guess, did you find the dude who popped me?” Malik asked the detective.
“Yep, we know who the shooter was, but let me tell you what the word on the street is; Paco and Lobo raped your sister, Joyce, the police took her and you to the hospital, but she wouldn't tell the police who did it. Paco, one of your gangbanging brothers and a little shit known as Lobo violated the gang code by raping your sister Joyce. Pops had them thrown out of a fifteen-floor window by the Simbas. Paco dick had been cut off how does that sound so far?”
“Cool, with me, Malik said, “I’m glad those assholes are dead, but that still don't tell me who popped me or how I got to the hospital.”
“After you were shot, somebody called the police which apparently scared DB off and the police took you to the hospital,” the detective continued
“DB, Paco’s brother shot me,” Malik asked surprised.
“Yep, the word on the street is that DB found out about Paco and Lobo raping your sister and that you gave the ok for his and Lobo’s death for violating one of your gang’s bullshit rules. DB got pissed off and shot you, but an old man who had gotten out of bed to take a piss heard the shots and when he looked out the window he saw DB shooting you. The old man shouted out of his window at DB and he ran away, the old man called the police.”
“Is he in jail?” Malik asked.
“He’s dead,” the detective said.
“The old man told Pops about the shooting and DB body was found in a dumpster.
“What happens now?” Malik asked the detective.
Detective Clark took off his hat and sat down in a chair next to Malik’s bed, and with a deep sigh he said, “Well let's see, you got a ten year old girl raped, you got one twelve years old, one seventeen year old and a twenty two year old man dead. You got another seventeen year old who might be confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life and all fucked up, now you tell me what happens next? We have an idea of who killed Paco, Lobo and DB, but we can’t prove it; everybody involved is dead except you. Let me give you some advice, Malik, you're smart and could have a good life, but only two things are going to happen to you if you keep gangbanging, you're going to wind up in jail like your brothers or in the graveyard, in my opinion neither one of those are good alternatives.”
Detective Clark gets up from the chair and starts to leave.
“Yeah, I guess you right, I’ll talk to you later,” Detective Clark said dejectedly as he left the room.
Malik closed his eyes and started to think about what has happened. DB shot him and he is dead and he had to make a decision about the operation where there was a fifty–fifty chance he will be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life, he was tired, he needed a nap. Doctor Westbrook awakened Malik an hour later.
“You fully awake”? He asked.
“Yes I’m awake,” Malik answered.
“I’m going to give you some tests and afterward they'll bring in a portable x-ray machine to monitor the bullet, ok”?
Doctor Westbrook pulled a long slender needle from a black