Gangsters Paradise

The late afternoon spring sun was doing its best to warm the outside air, my car being closer to an oven in shape and design often required AC even in the winter if the sun was able to bake its contents. We where stuck in Traffic, my passenger Johnathan was from a major east coast city close to Baltimore. We bonded on that foundation than begun to build, what was scheduled as a 45 min ride from work to J's home was now going to be about an hour and 15 mins, but as he unfolded his story to me, the walls of time where eroded by the imagination, the illusion of time that is unacounted for in our sleep was being drummed in a silent steady cadence as my concience mind powered and manuevered thru traffic the other "unused" part became very much alive as time became unacounted for and fleeting like a waking dream. "I was inta selling dope in the east"- he said with a slight street slang. He was thin, early 30's about 5'8 and not more than 130lbs. He talked like he lived it and breathed it. He continued, "I saved up a few dollars than headed out to Cali. (California) I went for my birthday and decided to stay. I found that weed was cheaper in California, so I had the idea to send it USPS thru the mail to my contacts on the East Coast. I was killing in. I had so much dough in such a short period of time I began to live a higher standard of living, I met new people, different circles. I met a gal that I fell absolute love with. She was a stripper and a high $ call girl , she made more money than me as she had clients that flew her to Vegas just to be the weekend with and would come home with 1,500$ cash. My chill personality was perfect for her because she was usually wore out. She knew what I did and was ok with it. Down the road as we became more serious, and I wasn't jealous of her business but I wanted to provide for her and wanted her to stop eventually. I found out her Dad was a famous gangster who had escaped prison as his partner had not. I saw his photos in her house with her his daughter, also him with his friends. I couldnt believe it, since I had idoilized him growing up. I couldn't believe I was dating his daughter and was thinking of marriage wit her. She was drop dead beautiful. I had the most amazing life, I couldnt believe a poor city boy like me was living the high life in Cali. I was making tons of money, and had a rich beautiful gal that who's dad was "king gangster." It was like a dream. I was living it. She couldn't believe how chill I was when I found out what she did, and was not trying to get her out of it. Atleast I wasn't yet. Well the day came when she wanted to introduce me to her Dad. I told her not to tell him what I did for a living. She smiled and said Ok. That day came I couldn't believe it when we shook hands. I couldn't believe it. We talked for a second then he asked if he could talk with me 1 on 1 out back behind the house in the shed. I thought I was going to get kilt and put into a few bags after I got chopped up by his friends who where also there. It was a BBQ. I was terrified man. Terrified. As we got to the shed he hadn't said a word, and I could smell a familiar smell but I was to worried to notice. When he opened the door it was dark, he pointed for me to go in, the fading light of the afternoon disapeared as he closed the door behind us, this is when I said in my mind, its been a nice life. Goodbye momma. After an eternal second he switched the light switched on. All around me was black trash bags. At first I tought man, hes kilt alot of dudes or its weed?!? it smelled like it.. Then he took my hand clasped by my forearm in an embrace and said "welcome to the family" Then it clicked the bags I could see where full of weed, all kinds, I could see some opened up in the unlight parts of the shed. I could see it,&the closed ones had to be weed. I had truly died and arrived in gangsters paradise. "If you ever need let me know, we can work it out, call it a family discount." he smiled with the white teeth he had left overshinned by gold ones in his cat like grin. For the next few weeks, my girl and I partied hard, we both smoked that was the coolest thing about her, now we really smoked. We went to Vegas for a few weeks/ends, we gambled, we ate, and we made love. She took off from her job and now that her Dad was my number 1 supplier I was high rolling it out to the east coast with an Amazon style of Inventory. I used a burner phone that my hommies had the number of and I would write the number on the box of the package just incase I got a call from the Post Office I knew I had to lay low or stop for awhile. This was mid 2000s and Weed wasnt legal and it still isnt in alot of places, it was harder then. Things where smooth roses for a few months, than the phone call happened. I answered but didn't say anything becuase I didn't recognize the number. "Hello this is USPS, there is a problem with your package it got wet..." I hung up before they could tell me the rest. I smashed the phone. At first I was only sending small amounts, as I got more confident I started sending a large box full. Your talking lots of jail time my friend if they ever caught on to who when where. I was so scared, that I stopped. My girl detected my mood change and started working agian. I couldn't live with not bringing in some kind of money to our table. She didn't care but I did. I got so upset I came back home then later on got a good paying job out here where you picked me up. She called me a few times and even flew me out for my birthday. I still smoked with her and still smoke now but its different, you feel me? Its a dangerous life I didn't want to live anymore. I loved her but couldn't be the little fish in the money world. Shes got some one else now but she kept the door open for me for a few years. Whats your number, we gotta have a few beers sometime your really kool" I exchanged numbers just before he went to his humble apartment. I still have the number in my phone, and picked him up agian a year later he remembered me and was working on starting a clothing store. I get so busy with hustling in the ride share world that Its easy to be a bad friend as Im working the weekends most friends are hanging out chasing women. Chasing the dreams we all live.