avatarJose L Romero

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How A Life Can Go As Fast As A Bullet! Life Is Fleeting So Start Living Now!

It was all dream!

Soundview area of the Bronx. Picture from Commons.wikimedia.org Joselromero $$$

It was 4am in a Bronx neighborhood. The chilly November air makes it hard to get out of bed to begin the day. I get up from my bed scratch my balls and look out my window in my shitty apartment. As I rub my eyes to focus on what is going on outside two NYPD Police Cars speed down the neighborhood with sirens blasting and an Ambulance quickly behind them.

If you lived in a place like NYC its a normal occurrence to see Emergency Vehicles speed by to an emergency. In a city with 6 million people you bet this normal to us.

I turned around and headed to the bathroom and do the three “S”. Once I’m done I get ready for work, get my clothes out and lay them on the bed and start putting everything on. Check my phone to see if I have any appointments I need to take care of today. Head out my room and into the kitchen to grab my cup of coffee and coat, I look around to make sure everything is turned off and the windows are locked and head out.

Lock my door which has like 5 different locks each with a different key! Life in NYC is no joke!

Walk into the poorly lit hallway and go down the old marble looking stairs that are covered with years of stain and grime. As I head towards the front door I see one of my neighbors who lives in the building, an old Dominican man who only speaks Spanish I see him and give him the ole “Que lo Que Loco!” and he turns to me and tells me “Aqui en esta maldita vaina!” we give each other fist pumps and off I go to work.

Heading towards the train station which was about 2 blocks away, I took my time walking towards. In the distance I see a whole bunch of Cop cars both regular and unmarked with an Ambulance. Looks like someone may have been shot at the corner like always. Dudes living the “Fast Life” trying to get to that easy money will always lead you to death over here in the “Hood”.

I just shook my head and as I walked past all of them I tend to take a quick peek and sure enough it was someone who I have seen in the block from time to time. Living here after a while you tend to learn whose doing regular work and whose into the “Game”!

Dude was always flashy, Gold everywhere, drove fancy cars and the like. Basically he was looking to get robbed or killed and I guess someone was hungry enough to “Cap his ass” and yes he’s just another young Black Man dead in the street.

A few hours before…

It was a dark cold night and its 2am. At this time the only people out here are street dudes and addicts doing their business. Sometimes you hear people yelling and arguing over some shit but tonight it was very quiet.

Then all of a sudden there was a loud BANG!

I was born out of the darkness and came out on fire! The world whizzed by me as I tried to live out my short life. I sliced through the air like a sharp knife cutting through that hard block of Welfare cheese.

The constant whiz of the wind is deafening! Where is my final destination? Why is my life so complicated and going so fast? Will I ever find true love? What is my destiny in life?

As I fly through the sky I can see my end coming. I feel as if I have not done enough in my life! I’m not ready to die yet! I try to get my life together be more productive, more loving to others rather than selfish, more…

Then death!

The Bullet hit the guy in head as he got out of his Rolls to get his coffee. As the bullet penetrated his skull it shattered bone and the pressure coming from the speed of the bullet exploded his brain into mush. He quickly fell in front of the Bodega that was playing some Bachata music from a local radio station. The owner of the Bodega quickly rushed out to check on the guy! He told one of his workers to “Llama la Policia!” and the guy got his smartphone out and called.

The owner checked the guys pulse and to his surprised the guy was still alive although barely. The owner pleaded to the guy to stay with him and don’t die in his broken English. At a distance you can hear the 6 train screeching by as it moved in the elevated tracks. You can hear the Police and Ambulance sirens coming in a distance.

Finally the Police and Paramedics show up and they quickly started working on the man laying in the street dying. as they worked to save him they were also telling him to hold on and that they are going to get you better.

Blood was all over the sidewalk and on his clothes. The Police were trying to figure out what happened and so they spoke to the bystanders who just happen to be there when it all went down and among themselves.

I walked by and peeked to see who was there while I was on my way to the train station.

He died on the way to the Hospital that morning.

Word on the street is that it was over some Gang beef. Apparently the guy that got shot was involved in another shooting incident so I think it was payback for what happened earlier.

The game is dangerous!

A few hours later…

I come out of the 6 train station and headed home on my way I pass the Bodega and see what was happening. I could see people there crying and leaving flowers at the spot where the guy was shot. The TV people were there reporting like always. You can barely see the blood stain as it looks like the owner hosed the blood into the gutter. There was lots of crying and wailing as I walked by.

I felt bad at what I was seeing but this is a common occurrence out here, and life quickly goes back to normal and that young black man that died will quickly become a faded memory.

The flowers will die, the people will go on with their lives.

So live your life as best as you can! Stop complaining and start doing! You never know what the future holds for you.

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Joselromero $$$

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