"When I Was A Moonrunner" by Union_Jack & The Lady Warrior
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:42 pm
Hi, thought I'd put it all in one thread to make it easier for everyone not least me and LW. I've copied these over so some of the text formatting is gone such as italics but i can't see this bothering anyone but me. I hope some of you will read it again or give it a go if you haven't so far. im pretty proud of some of me and LWs work on this story which is why i hope we finish it off soon!
Here's chapters 1-8
*
When I Was A Moonrunner by Union_Jack & The Lady Warrior
Chapter 1 - Rembrandt
by Union_jack
I was just a kid, three years younger than I am now. I guess looking back I didn't know much about gang life – but I wasn't exactly on the right side of the law. It was one run-in with the cops that set me on my path to being a Warrior, but there was a few stops on the way.
The Bronx 20th July 1976, 2.35am
My heart was racing. I was almost worried my heartbeat would give me away in the still night air - the winter chill going right through my denim jacket. I tried to get my hands steady. I had adrenaline pumping through me, topped off with the endless cups of coffee I'd drunk, in my mom's apartment to get myself ready.
The train yard was a creepy place at night. Full of shadows and empty ghosts of trains. Every now and then noises would break through the air – breaking glass? Footsteps? - and I'd stop in my tracks unsure whether it was the cops or another gang or whatever else. I wondered why I put myself through this test. Graffiti was my life. Growing up with no money it was all I could do to make something of myself. I started off small, throwups, racking spray to master my handstyles and now I was back at the trainyard with a design I'd been working on, unable to sleep till I got it just right. This was gonna be it.
I pulled out the piece of paper, from my jeans. It was wrinkled up and thin where I'd erased each line a hundred times. My tag was Rembrandt and I'd drawn it out in spiralling wildstyle. Looking at it I was ready to go and without so much as looking behind me I began. Nerves all gone now. The base was up pretty quick then the outline bouncing off the shapes of the letters. I pulled the next can out of my shoulder bag and began the detail. Steady strokes, I was in the zone. There was nothing but the piece. I stood staring at the it, finished. By tomorrow this would be all-city.
Before it had time to sink in, I heard the cops.
“You son of a bitch. GET OVER HERE, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!” I saw their silhouette in the dim trainyard lights and they ran into the darkness, straight for me. I sprinted as fast as I could, one last look – REMBRANDT – and I was gone. I ran about 300 yards in and out of dead trains and then ducked behind a one of them, deep into the shadows. I tried to catch my breath.
“Gotcha, you little punk. We're taking you in.” He grabbed my shoulder. Panicking, I pulled out my paint and sprayed him right in the face, fists clenched. He screamed, “You little shit! Aagh!”
With my other hand I punched him square in the jaw, knocking him down. He was curled up on the ground, groaning. I'd never done something like that, I didn't know I was really capable.
That's the last I remember. The other cop must knocked me out, from behind. Like a sucker.
I woke up in a cell and bleary-eyed I saw the cop who wrecked me talking, all soft, to my mom. She saw me open my eyes and frowned at me.
“He's a little vandal, Miss Sanchez” he said to her, mocking me with a smug smile.
“Is he...” she replied cooly.
She bailed me out and I was relieved. Then she turned to me with a look that could kill.
“This is it Marcelino. I've had enough of you acting like some hood. You think I can afford to pull you outta the cells, like this? I shoulda left you in there. Some son of mine you are.”
I pleaded with her but wasn't having it and I soon realised I was out, on my own, in the Bronx. I was scared. I wondered the streets, I had $8 on me. I figured I should keep myself awake till morning to be safe. I bought some more coffee and strolled out, into the streetlight shivering and jittering from the caffeine at the same time. I felt myself start to cry, my eyes burned, but I wasn't gonna break. I was angry. I wandered, fists clenched, through the streets. I was looking for trouble. I didn't care.
*
chapter 2-bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the bronx
For me gang life was easier to bare then the life i already had.i was eighteen years old, still young,fresh.... i had no father i knew,my mother had died when i was young. i got put into care.i met my girlfriend cassandra and once i was eighteen moved in with her. i had been living with her for 3months when she kicked me out for joining a gang, the week before , and not "paying attention to her" as she had put it. this is my story of when i was a moonrunner!!
"Honey what are you doing, just calm down and we can talk this through" i had said softly. it was cassandra- she was kicking me out for joining a gang on the exact week it was our girlfriend and boyfriend anniversary, i ended up not buying her nothin and now she was kicking me out for it.
"No jake i dont wanna hear it! you didnt even give me anything all week and plus i am not having a man who is in a gang. maybe some slutty girl will take ya when your having your little victory-gang party's but not me jake!" she was throwing my clothes and stuff out of the window. i was starting to get pissed off and i BLEW!!
"YOU EXPECT ME TO ALWAYS GIVE YA SOMETHIN ON OUR SHITTY ANIVERSARY BUT Y'KNOW WHAT? I WONT BECOS ALL YOU DO IS MOAN ON FOR THIS 700 DOLLAR RING AND WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? MISTER MONEY-BAGS" she started to feel sorry for feel sorry for me but being that age i wasd having none of it.
"oh im sorry honey i shouldnt-"
"NO cassandra no apoligies ok-listen i grew up in an orphanage, in the slums of tremont and you expect me to pull out money for a stupid ring, well fuck it".
it got all hectic and we started screaming at each other then this peddy shouted" hey you son-of-a-bitch", by then cassy had closed the window and i ran up to the dude and grabbed him then pushed him into a dark-alley and said"what did you just say?", he was shitting himself"nothin man, i didnt say nothin"!
"oh yes you did and now your going to get knocked out punk!" he screamed as i punched him and i grabbed a trash-can and knocked him out cold!!
i knew i couldnt go back to cassandra now, so i got my stuff off the street and walked through the errie, pitch-black night and was making my way to the old, run-down train-yard- my hanout, the moonrunners hangout....!!
*
Chapter 3 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
I walked in a haze. I felt so lost. This one night had taken everything away from me. Right now all I had was who I was in the street. I had no mother, I wasn't even a Sanchez anymore. I was Rembrandt... but I wasn't even sure who Rembrandt was yet. My denim jacket hung on my limp frame, moving step after step into a dizzying blur of noise, neon and pure, dark night. Suddenly the streets seemed to narrow, everything closed in on me. I lost my breath. The darkness took over me. I closed my eyes, a searing pain passing through my temples and I stumbled further, not knowing where it was taking me.
“Hey, Afro!”
A voice found it's way through the night air. Mocking, laughing voices echoed behind it. I opened my eyes. I was in a small alley, filled with shadows and shards of street light. On one side a laundrette and on the other a tall building, derelict and fire-damaged, the walls were flame licked and sinister. I raised my head up, and winced – the man wore a shiny silver jacket. He moved closer.
“Hey, I'm talking to you.. Afro.” He was no older than me, but taller, blonde haired, blue eyed and dressed with a mocking smile that signalled to his buddies - dressed all the same - who semi-circled me, dutifully.
“What?” I said wearily, my mind beginning to clear. He continued, pumping bravado:
“Are you freakin' wasted or something, man, I'm talking to you.” I wasn't sure what to do. He dropped the act and narrowed his eyes, “What you think you're doin' here, man?” I turned away, I couldn't handle anything else tonight. My emotions were so high, out of control, I felt guilt and loss ... and anger, burning in the back of my head.
“Hey, ANSWER ME!”
He grabbed me by my jacket and jerked it, violently, pulling me back. I stumbled towards him and into a blade.
“You see this, kid?” he said through clenched teeth.
“Angels's gonna carve you up real nice, bro.” Another said with vindictive joy, as I tried to escape, the shimmering blade teasing my skin, cruelly.
A third walked up, staring at me struggling in Angel's grip, he was chewing gum and smiling at me wildly. He brought his face right up to mine, at spat at me. I stopped struggling.
“Now you get the fuck outta here. Don't you know who we are?” Angel threw me to the filthy alley floor, smashing my mouth and chin. The fourth man leant over and spat on me while I lay there, and they all began to walk off into the darkness, laughing. At me.
Adrenaline began to flow.
I pushed my self off the ground in one motion. I'd nearly lost everything already tonight, I wasn't about to lose this, my dignity - my rep – all I had. They were still laughing at what they'd done to me. I felt the anger begin to flow out of me, and heard the crack as my fist collided with his smug head. He fell out cold to the floor and the others stepped back, startled. They realised he wasn't going to get back up and hardened themselves, arms raised against me. I breathed heavily - looked at Angel, wasted - and clenched my fist. They moved in and I spat blood out on the floor and met them dead in the eye. Bring it on, I thought.
Then, a whistle broke the tension.
Another approached, he shouted ahead of himself, curiously.
“Guys... what's going down?”
He entered the light and looked at the carnage, looked at Angel, and the others. He was taller than the rest, he dressed the same but his jacket had yellow bands on the sleeves and he carried a canvas bag over his left shoulder. He looked right through me. The others stared back at me and then to him, looking for the order.
“He wasted Angel... we're gonna destroy him, B.”
He replied coolly.
“Wait.”
*
chapter 4-bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the bronx-near the moonrunner's hangout
"wait" i replied coolly, the cockiest one out the newblood group zeddy angrily said"what the fuck bullet let us waste him now"
"listen to me you assholes you dont just go around picking on peddy's for nothin"
"yeah but bullet he was our turf, we didnt know what to do"
"well you should of just warned him to back off, now get outta here let me deal with him". i was indeed ready to knock-him-out but when i looked at him closely he was very young and scared,i had had enough done to his pretty face so i decided to leave him! i let him go and explained"just go home kid, your not welcome here"! he stared at me longingly and i said out of the blue"what do you wanna fuckin picture,boy you heard me get outta here"
"well before i go thank's for saving me er...er...er
"bullet and dont thank me i only took pity on you because your young and i didnt want that on my guilty consience, ok"
"ok", he replied sadly for some reason this kid seemed to like me and i dont know why because after all im just another thug in a gang. i looked back as he was slumping his feet off the ground barly able to move them, i walked through a couple of alley-way's and came to the train-yard i opened the gate and checked all the train's and saw one of them had rembrandt on it and it looked pretty good. then it came to me that must of been him because when i had looked at his hand's they had all the colour's that were on the train on his hand's and his top said rembrandt on it, so then i decided to run after him,to talk to him about his talent. i had to run pretty fast but soon i catched up with him then i patted him on the back he flinched as he turned around"hey you what do you want"
"i saw your piece on the abdoned train it was amazing i never knew you could do somethin like that rembrandt", he looked up in suprise as i said his name.
He questioned me saying" how do you know my name"
"because you know your piece well it had a lotta colour's on it and all them colour's were on your hand's and you got your name on your top, rembrandt huh just like that great himself"
"well i wouldnt say i was as great as him but my real idol is scopes he's the grand-master and ive heard about your gang they just love they're tagging". we were now walking up to the big, train-yard rembrandt stopped and looked at me saying"hey where we going this is your hangout"
"exactly seen as you got no place to go and i havent,we can stay in the un-used train's and sleep in them and in the morning i'll take you to our warlord", he looked happy about this and said"cool i could be one of youse". then we talked as we strolled through the big gates and in one of the most cleanest, comfy abdoned train's they were!! i brung one extra blanket in my canvas-bag so i gave him one and dished one out for me and lay down on the seat's. i decided to strike a conversation just to hear what he is like and where he's from... so i said"hey rembrandt where do you come from?"
"oh i come from the south of the bronx"
"gee's so you've walked a kinda long way then"
"yeah"
"i noticed the way you speak has got a little ya know funny twang to it is that coz your....
"yeah im hispanic, my mamma she came from porta-rico in spain to here in the bronx with my father who was a lawyer but he died when i was about 10"
"woa that's some heavy shit, well i think we should get some sleep and i'll tell you about me tommorrow before we meet the warlord see what he think's of you and you probally have to an inatiation.... goodnight"
"night nice guy bullet", i laughed at that before snoozing off into nodddy-land!!
*
Chapter 5 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
The sun was coming up, showing the town for what it really was. A bare wasteland, that looked so full of dreams in the night now just reminded me of the past and made me sad. Talking to Bullet gave me a chance to think. It had been a hell of a night but now I could see straight. I had to cut the ties and move on.
I went back home for the last time. It was empty, mom must've been shopping or something. I stopped and looked at our shack. I was going to miss this, miss my family but I knew there was no turning back. This was it, and I knew I could make a life for myself on the streets. I climbed up the drainpipe to my bedroom window. Seemed I did this all the time these last few years. More and more I was out all night practicing my style or out drinking. That's when I thought I should probably talk to Django.
Django was the guy who got me into writing. When I was growing up in the Bronx, around 15, I started seeing his tag appearing on, what seemed at the time, like every building in my neighbourhood. I didn't know much about graffiti back then but what I started to see blew my mind – and I couldn't even pronounce his name yet. I wanted so bad to spray like him so I hit the streets with a can of spray from my dad's old tool box.
I stood in front of the wall in a small alleyway, not knowing what to do, nervous that someone might see me. I started with a big red, dripping “M” for Marcelino. It didn't look great but it still gave me a big rush. I breathed out deeply, when a voice emerged from the shadows.
“You got guts, toy. I'll give you that.”
I backed myself into the wall in one movement of complete terror. I stuttered, lost for words. I knew what guys did who hung around in the shadows. He stepped out of the darkness, casually. He was dark skinned, wore a camo jacket with a red undershirt and a black beanie hat.
“Shame about your handstyle though, brother.” I couldn't place his tone, he drawled sarcastically. Either way I wanted to run but it was all so sudden - I dropped the spray out of fear. He laughed.
“You don't know this is my spot do you?” he looked up gesturing me to do the same, I did.
About 10 feet above us was a huge piece that he'd done above a fire exit. “DJANGO” in huge red and yellow letters. It was the best piece I'd seen at that time.
“I'm sorry you won't ever see me again, I swear,” I turned to leave but I had to tell him, “but that piece is insane.” He grinned at me.
“Hey.. don't go just yet. What's your name?”
I was still so nervous, “Err... Marcelino.”
“No, I mean your tag, man...” I didn't know. “See my tags Django..”
He pronounced it “Jango”, I laughed as the tension fell away. “You know, I've been calling you Duh-jango all this time.”
This caught his attention.
“So, you've seen my stuff before, then?”
“Yeah it's... amazing, Django.” He beamed smugly, the guy was as cool as his art. The thing I noticed most was how at home he was in this little back alley. He walked the streets like an Indian, like only he knew the land.
“I suppose you wanna write like me then, huh?”
“More than anything, man.”
“Well then, you need a name, lil Marcelino.”
Together, we came up with Rembrandt. I knew he was a great artist, and that's what I wanted to be, but here in the streets. The name felt right, down to the shape of the letters. These letters I now see in my head when I try to sleep until I give up, climb out my window to go and bomb, all city.
Django taught me a lot that night and by sunrise I could already feel my ties to the streets becoming stronger. I'd lived in this neighbourhood all my life but I'd never felt such a part of it. I knew I was a part of something big, something growing in the city, and these ties began to pull me in, deeper and deeper.
*
Here's chapters 1-8
*
When I Was A Moonrunner by Union_Jack & The Lady Warrior
Chapter 1 - Rembrandt
by Union_jack
I was just a kid, three years younger than I am now. I guess looking back I didn't know much about gang life – but I wasn't exactly on the right side of the law. It was one run-in with the cops that set me on my path to being a Warrior, but there was a few stops on the way.
The Bronx 20th July 1976, 2.35am
My heart was racing. I was almost worried my heartbeat would give me away in the still night air - the winter chill going right through my denim jacket. I tried to get my hands steady. I had adrenaline pumping through me, topped off with the endless cups of coffee I'd drunk, in my mom's apartment to get myself ready.
The train yard was a creepy place at night. Full of shadows and empty ghosts of trains. Every now and then noises would break through the air – breaking glass? Footsteps? - and I'd stop in my tracks unsure whether it was the cops or another gang or whatever else. I wondered why I put myself through this test. Graffiti was my life. Growing up with no money it was all I could do to make something of myself. I started off small, throwups, racking spray to master my handstyles and now I was back at the trainyard with a design I'd been working on, unable to sleep till I got it just right. This was gonna be it.
I pulled out the piece of paper, from my jeans. It was wrinkled up and thin where I'd erased each line a hundred times. My tag was Rembrandt and I'd drawn it out in spiralling wildstyle. Looking at it I was ready to go and without so much as looking behind me I began. Nerves all gone now. The base was up pretty quick then the outline bouncing off the shapes of the letters. I pulled the next can out of my shoulder bag and began the detail. Steady strokes, I was in the zone. There was nothing but the piece. I stood staring at the it, finished. By tomorrow this would be all-city.
Before it had time to sink in, I heard the cops.
“You son of a bitch. GET OVER HERE, YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!” I saw their silhouette in the dim trainyard lights and they ran into the darkness, straight for me. I sprinted as fast as I could, one last look – REMBRANDT – and I was gone. I ran about 300 yards in and out of dead trains and then ducked behind a one of them, deep into the shadows. I tried to catch my breath.
“Gotcha, you little punk. We're taking you in.” He grabbed my shoulder. Panicking, I pulled out my paint and sprayed him right in the face, fists clenched. He screamed, “You little shit! Aagh!”
With my other hand I punched him square in the jaw, knocking him down. He was curled up on the ground, groaning. I'd never done something like that, I didn't know I was really capable.
That's the last I remember. The other cop must knocked me out, from behind. Like a sucker.
I woke up in a cell and bleary-eyed I saw the cop who wrecked me talking, all soft, to my mom. She saw me open my eyes and frowned at me.
“He's a little vandal, Miss Sanchez” he said to her, mocking me with a smug smile.
“Is he...” she replied cooly.
She bailed me out and I was relieved. Then she turned to me with a look that could kill.
“This is it Marcelino. I've had enough of you acting like some hood. You think I can afford to pull you outta the cells, like this? I shoulda left you in there. Some son of mine you are.”
I pleaded with her but wasn't having it and I soon realised I was out, on my own, in the Bronx. I was scared. I wondered the streets, I had $8 on me. I figured I should keep myself awake till morning to be safe. I bought some more coffee and strolled out, into the streetlight shivering and jittering from the caffeine at the same time. I felt myself start to cry, my eyes burned, but I wasn't gonna break. I was angry. I wandered, fists clenched, through the streets. I was looking for trouble. I didn't care.
*
chapter 2-bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the bronx
For me gang life was easier to bare then the life i already had.i was eighteen years old, still young,fresh.... i had no father i knew,my mother had died when i was young. i got put into care.i met my girlfriend cassandra and once i was eighteen moved in with her. i had been living with her for 3months when she kicked me out for joining a gang, the week before , and not "paying attention to her" as she had put it. this is my story of when i was a moonrunner!!
"Honey what are you doing, just calm down and we can talk this through" i had said softly. it was cassandra- she was kicking me out for joining a gang on the exact week it was our girlfriend and boyfriend anniversary, i ended up not buying her nothin and now she was kicking me out for it.
"No jake i dont wanna hear it! you didnt even give me anything all week and plus i am not having a man who is in a gang. maybe some slutty girl will take ya when your having your little victory-gang party's but not me jake!" she was throwing my clothes and stuff out of the window. i was starting to get pissed off and i BLEW!!
"YOU EXPECT ME TO ALWAYS GIVE YA SOMETHIN ON OUR SHITTY ANIVERSARY BUT Y'KNOW WHAT? I WONT BECOS ALL YOU DO IS MOAN ON FOR THIS 700 DOLLAR RING AND WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? MISTER MONEY-BAGS" she started to feel sorry for feel sorry for me but being that age i wasd having none of it.
"oh im sorry honey i shouldnt-"
"NO cassandra no apoligies ok-listen i grew up in an orphanage, in the slums of tremont and you expect me to pull out money for a stupid ring, well fuck it".
it got all hectic and we started screaming at each other then this peddy shouted" hey you son-of-a-bitch", by then cassy had closed the window and i ran up to the dude and grabbed him then pushed him into a dark-alley and said"what did you just say?", he was shitting himself"nothin man, i didnt say nothin"!
"oh yes you did and now your going to get knocked out punk!" he screamed as i punched him and i grabbed a trash-can and knocked him out cold!!
i knew i couldnt go back to cassandra now, so i got my stuff off the street and walked through the errie, pitch-black night and was making my way to the old, run-down train-yard- my hanout, the moonrunners hangout....!!
*
Chapter 3 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
I walked in a haze. I felt so lost. This one night had taken everything away from me. Right now all I had was who I was in the street. I had no mother, I wasn't even a Sanchez anymore. I was Rembrandt... but I wasn't even sure who Rembrandt was yet. My denim jacket hung on my limp frame, moving step after step into a dizzying blur of noise, neon and pure, dark night. Suddenly the streets seemed to narrow, everything closed in on me. I lost my breath. The darkness took over me. I closed my eyes, a searing pain passing through my temples and I stumbled further, not knowing where it was taking me.
“Hey, Afro!”
A voice found it's way through the night air. Mocking, laughing voices echoed behind it. I opened my eyes. I was in a small alley, filled with shadows and shards of street light. On one side a laundrette and on the other a tall building, derelict and fire-damaged, the walls were flame licked and sinister. I raised my head up, and winced – the man wore a shiny silver jacket. He moved closer.
“Hey, I'm talking to you.. Afro.” He was no older than me, but taller, blonde haired, blue eyed and dressed with a mocking smile that signalled to his buddies - dressed all the same - who semi-circled me, dutifully.
“What?” I said wearily, my mind beginning to clear. He continued, pumping bravado:
“Are you freakin' wasted or something, man, I'm talking to you.” I wasn't sure what to do. He dropped the act and narrowed his eyes, “What you think you're doin' here, man?” I turned away, I couldn't handle anything else tonight. My emotions were so high, out of control, I felt guilt and loss ... and anger, burning in the back of my head.
“Hey, ANSWER ME!”
He grabbed me by my jacket and jerked it, violently, pulling me back. I stumbled towards him and into a blade.
“You see this, kid?” he said through clenched teeth.
“Angels's gonna carve you up real nice, bro.” Another said with vindictive joy, as I tried to escape, the shimmering blade teasing my skin, cruelly.
A third walked up, staring at me struggling in Angel's grip, he was chewing gum and smiling at me wildly. He brought his face right up to mine, at spat at me. I stopped struggling.
“Now you get the fuck outta here. Don't you know who we are?” Angel threw me to the filthy alley floor, smashing my mouth and chin. The fourth man leant over and spat on me while I lay there, and they all began to walk off into the darkness, laughing. At me.
Adrenaline began to flow.
I pushed my self off the ground in one motion. I'd nearly lost everything already tonight, I wasn't about to lose this, my dignity - my rep – all I had. They were still laughing at what they'd done to me. I felt the anger begin to flow out of me, and heard the crack as my fist collided with his smug head. He fell out cold to the floor and the others stepped back, startled. They realised he wasn't going to get back up and hardened themselves, arms raised against me. I breathed heavily - looked at Angel, wasted - and clenched my fist. They moved in and I spat blood out on the floor and met them dead in the eye. Bring it on, I thought.
Then, a whistle broke the tension.
Another approached, he shouted ahead of himself, curiously.
“Guys... what's going down?”
He entered the light and looked at the carnage, looked at Angel, and the others. He was taller than the rest, he dressed the same but his jacket had yellow bands on the sleeves and he carried a canvas bag over his left shoulder. He looked right through me. The others stared back at me and then to him, looking for the order.
“He wasted Angel... we're gonna destroy him, B.”
He replied coolly.
“Wait.”
*
chapter 4-bullet
by The Lady Warrior
the bronx-near the moonrunner's hangout
"wait" i replied coolly, the cockiest one out the newblood group zeddy angrily said"what the fuck bullet let us waste him now"
"listen to me you assholes you dont just go around picking on peddy's for nothin"
"yeah but bullet he was our turf, we didnt know what to do"
"well you should of just warned him to back off, now get outta here let me deal with him". i was indeed ready to knock-him-out but when i looked at him closely he was very young and scared,i had had enough done to his pretty face so i decided to leave him! i let him go and explained"just go home kid, your not welcome here"! he stared at me longingly and i said out of the blue"what do you wanna fuckin picture,boy you heard me get outta here"
"well before i go thank's for saving me er...er...er
"bullet and dont thank me i only took pity on you because your young and i didnt want that on my guilty consience, ok"
"ok", he replied sadly for some reason this kid seemed to like me and i dont know why because after all im just another thug in a gang. i looked back as he was slumping his feet off the ground barly able to move them, i walked through a couple of alley-way's and came to the train-yard i opened the gate and checked all the train's and saw one of them had rembrandt on it and it looked pretty good. then it came to me that must of been him because when i had looked at his hand's they had all the colour's that were on the train on his hand's and his top said rembrandt on it, so then i decided to run after him,to talk to him about his talent. i had to run pretty fast but soon i catched up with him then i patted him on the back he flinched as he turned around"hey you what do you want"
"i saw your piece on the abdoned train it was amazing i never knew you could do somethin like that rembrandt", he looked up in suprise as i said his name.
He questioned me saying" how do you know my name"
"because you know your piece well it had a lotta colour's on it and all them colour's were on your hand's and you got your name on your top, rembrandt huh just like that great himself"
"well i wouldnt say i was as great as him but my real idol is scopes he's the grand-master and ive heard about your gang they just love they're tagging". we were now walking up to the big, train-yard rembrandt stopped and looked at me saying"hey where we going this is your hangout"
"exactly seen as you got no place to go and i havent,we can stay in the un-used train's and sleep in them and in the morning i'll take you to our warlord", he looked happy about this and said"cool i could be one of youse". then we talked as we strolled through the big gates and in one of the most cleanest, comfy abdoned train's they were!! i brung one extra blanket in my canvas-bag so i gave him one and dished one out for me and lay down on the seat's. i decided to strike a conversation just to hear what he is like and where he's from... so i said"hey rembrandt where do you come from?"
"oh i come from the south of the bronx"
"gee's so you've walked a kinda long way then"
"yeah"
"i noticed the way you speak has got a little ya know funny twang to it is that coz your....
"yeah im hispanic, my mamma she came from porta-rico in spain to here in the bronx with my father who was a lawyer but he died when i was about 10"
"woa that's some heavy shit, well i think we should get some sleep and i'll tell you about me tommorrow before we meet the warlord see what he think's of you and you probally have to an inatiation.... goodnight"
"night nice guy bullet", i laughed at that before snoozing off into nodddy-land!!
*
Chapter 5 - Rembrandt
by Union_Jack
The sun was coming up, showing the town for what it really was. A bare wasteland, that looked so full of dreams in the night now just reminded me of the past and made me sad. Talking to Bullet gave me a chance to think. It had been a hell of a night but now I could see straight. I had to cut the ties and move on.
I went back home for the last time. It was empty, mom must've been shopping or something. I stopped and looked at our shack. I was going to miss this, miss my family but I knew there was no turning back. This was it, and I knew I could make a life for myself on the streets. I climbed up the drainpipe to my bedroom window. Seemed I did this all the time these last few years. More and more I was out all night practicing my style or out drinking. That's when I thought I should probably talk to Django.
Django was the guy who got me into writing. When I was growing up in the Bronx, around 15, I started seeing his tag appearing on, what seemed at the time, like every building in my neighbourhood. I didn't know much about graffiti back then but what I started to see blew my mind – and I couldn't even pronounce his name yet. I wanted so bad to spray like him so I hit the streets with a can of spray from my dad's old tool box.
I stood in front of the wall in a small alleyway, not knowing what to do, nervous that someone might see me. I started with a big red, dripping “M” for Marcelino. It didn't look great but it still gave me a big rush. I breathed out deeply, when a voice emerged from the shadows.
“You got guts, toy. I'll give you that.”
I backed myself into the wall in one movement of complete terror. I stuttered, lost for words. I knew what guys did who hung around in the shadows. He stepped out of the darkness, casually. He was dark skinned, wore a camo jacket with a red undershirt and a black beanie hat.
“Shame about your handstyle though, brother.” I couldn't place his tone, he drawled sarcastically. Either way I wanted to run but it was all so sudden - I dropped the spray out of fear. He laughed.
“You don't know this is my spot do you?” he looked up gesturing me to do the same, I did.
About 10 feet above us was a huge piece that he'd done above a fire exit. “DJANGO” in huge red and yellow letters. It was the best piece I'd seen at that time.
“I'm sorry you won't ever see me again, I swear,” I turned to leave but I had to tell him, “but that piece is insane.” He grinned at me.
“Hey.. don't go just yet. What's your name?”
I was still so nervous, “Err... Marcelino.”
“No, I mean your tag, man...” I didn't know. “See my tags Django..”
He pronounced it “Jango”, I laughed as the tension fell away. “You know, I've been calling you Duh-jango all this time.”
This caught his attention.
“So, you've seen my stuff before, then?”
“Yeah it's... amazing, Django.” He beamed smugly, the guy was as cool as his art. The thing I noticed most was how at home he was in this little back alley. He walked the streets like an Indian, like only he knew the land.
“I suppose you wanna write like me then, huh?”
“More than anything, man.”
“Well then, you need a name, lil Marcelino.”
Together, we came up with Rembrandt. I knew he was a great artist, and that's what I wanted to be, but here in the streets. The name felt right, down to the shape of the letters. These letters I now see in my head when I try to sleep until I give up, climb out my window to go and bomb, all city.
Django taught me a lot that night and by sunrise I could already feel my ties to the streets becoming stronger. I'd lived in this neighbourhood all my life but I'd never felt such a part of it. I knew I was a part of something big, something growing in the city, and these ties began to pull me in, deeper and deeper.
*