5 Minutes and 42 Seconds by Timothy Williams Read Free Book Online

figured the new guy was a hit man; I figured Danger was too high up to get his hands dirty.Then Danger called the man “Boss,” and I relaxed a little bit. I figured he might be more reasonable since he wasn’t one of them street niggas who had to be all tough and shit.
    I said, “What’s up?”
    â€œShut the fuck up. I’ll tell you when you can talk.”
    He took me to this apartment he used to have across town. I was so busy trying to find a way out, and trying not to think about what would happen if I didn’t, I forgot to look at where we were going. The streets were paved smoothly and the apartments had plants, so I figured we were in a nice neighborhood. That was good news. Fashad, the boss, wasn’t ’bout to kill me where white folks could hear it, especially not where they was trying to raise they kids. Then I saw five niggas walking on the other side of the street and almost shit my pants. When they got closer I saw they was wearing they hats three different ways and knew I was close enough to the hood to hear a drive-by but far enough not to have to duck. I didn’t know if the law let niggas kill niggas out here or not. I felt a knot in my stomach—I honestly didn’t know if he was going to kill me or not.
    â€œI’m gonna open up this door. You betta not run. I got eyes everywhere. I will find your little punk ass.”
    I looked around his tricked-out Escalade and knew he wasn’t lyin’. The man had a TV with a DVD player, and this was before that shit was played out. He had white leather seats, and a black leather steering wheel. I remembered hoping I’d live to see another day just so I could have leather something someday.
    â€œGet out,” he commanded as if he were my muthafuckin’daddy. I got out, and before I could think to yell help like folks in movies do when they’re in trouble, he pushed me inside the apartment. My jaw dropped. It was like stepping into another world, like I had gone through a secret portal or some shit like that on the sci-fi channel. Everything in the room was red and white, right down to the TV and microwave. The carpet was so white, I took off my shoes without him telling me to. I took off my blue bandanna because it seemed so out of place. His bedroom door was open, and he told me to go sit on his bed. I sat on the red satin sheets slowly, because they looked like they would tear if they were wrinkled too roughly.
    â€œSo you sposed to be a dealer, huh?” asked Fashad, shutting his bedroom door behind us.
    I didn’t know what to say. I heard about my school being somebody else’s spot, but I ain’t think nobody would tell whoever was runnin’ the spot that I was steppin’ on they toes.
    â€œNaw. I mean, I was just giving some to my friends. I wasn’t really sellin’.”
    â€œNigga, do I look stupid to you?” asked Fashad.
    â€œNaw, but…”
    â€œSo why the fuck you lyin’ to me like I am?”
    â€œI ain’t lyin’, I’m just—”
    â€œNigga, you been sellin’ since last year. My dude down at the school been caught yo’ ass. If you gonna lie, at least make that shit good.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œI don’t know. Say your momma in the hospital and need to get a new kidney or something.”
    â€œMy momma in the hospital—” He put his hand in the air, so I decided not to finish the rest.
    â€œMy man down at the school came up to me about a month ago, askin’ for my permission to go ahead and cap your punk ass. I told him naw.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œWhat the fuck! Nigga, I just told you I saved your muthafuckin’ life and you hollarin’ ‘Who?’ Don’t worry about ‘who.’”
    He lunged at me like he was ’bout to punch me. I jerked back so hard I hit my head on the bedpost. He looked at me, and smiled. I’ll bet that was when he knew