This one time I got jumped by a group of younger guys while riding my bike. On my way back from the liquor store. Knocked me off my bike. Ruffled me up pretty bad, kicking me and punching me all at once. Sides were hurting and my face busted up pretty bad. They took my bike and my bottle of Hennessy. They were all laughing, at how shitty my bike was so they just gave it back. They kept the bottle though. Laying there bleeding out my mouth, dripping back into the cracks of my teeth. Tasting copper. Wincing at the pain shooting out my body. I watched as they all walked away with my bottle in hand. Still throwing insults my way.

Pissed off. I got on my bike limping. Rode all the way to my friend Sweet Peas place. Guy was my ride or die. He was livid af too once he seen how fuxked up I was. His baby mama started treating me while I conveyed what had happened. We got the straps. Sweet Pea meant business. We were gonna find those punks.

We looked all over for them that night. We knew these vagrants would be out there somewhere. We eventually caught up to them at the park. Pistols in hand, we ran up on those fools. They were shook. Oh how satisfying. They were the ones begging for mercy this time. We lined them all up. Then sweet pea started sticking them right in the jaw one by one. The first three fell, not quite knocked out but they were obviously done for. Squirming on the floor feeling their jaw in agony. My hands were kind of shaky at this point. Sweet pea said it was my turn to do one in. So I looked the next guy right where I was gonna hit him. Letting out the anger from when I got jumped. Pulled my arm back. With all I had in me I rocked him right on the chin. Boy did I fuxk up, my hand cracked and all I felt was pain. My hand was hurting like hell. And the guy still wasn’t knocked down. Sweet pea looked at me and laughed. “Come one now.” He said. “You gotta do it like this.” He then placed his hand on the guys chin and pulled back. Sweet pea slept him in one go. These guys messed with the wrong one.

When sweet pea got to the last guy. The guy stood with his chin up. Defiantly. Ready to take the punch like a man. He looked at Sweet Pea like he was staring at an ant. Sweet pea said, “ Look at him, this Guy has heart, I ain’t gonna punch him. Nah.” Then Sweetpea started taking off his belt. I knew what was coming next.

I watched as sweet pea got on his knees and unzipped the guys pants. Sweetpea then wrapped the belt around his own neck. And began pulling on it while giving the guy a blowjob. He was an expert.

I was smiling. Watching the scene unfold. Then I cracked. I thought, what is this. All this violence. I was supposed to be feeling good. But suddenly I didn’t. Something changed within me that night. I later learned how to be a real man.