#Wah Gwaan Bout Yah Man | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shikoku4k · 3 months ago

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Pato "Fireball" Grant, di top shotta from outta West Kingston, wake up inna di middle of a real strange vibe. Him did drop asleep after a long day a mek sure di crew have everything lock and di youth dem get dem share, but when him open him eye, di whole place feel wrong.

Di room weh him deh inna nuh look like di usual spot. Di walls line wid big fancy painting a high-class man dem in suit, and di desk in front a him look like it belong to some high-up boss. Di chair weh deh behind di desk leather and big, like fi some rich uptown general. Pato heart start beat fast. Dis never look like no West End base. Dis look like di headquarters of di Uptown Dawgs, di rival gang weh always a fight fi di big money and di turf control.

Pato look down pon him clothes and feel like him chest lock up. Navy blue suit? Gold chain big pon him neck like a corporate tycoon? Him try fi tek it off, but him hand dem move slow, like dem a fight against him.

Him run to di mirror. Him face still look like him own, but di green bandanna pon him neck, di colour of di Uptown Dawgs, tell him someting wrong. Him try fi shout out, fi bawl 'bout di life fi di youth dem, fi equal share fi di crew—but all weh come outta him mouth was, "Wi haffi protect di money fi di bosses dem."

Pato feel him knees wobble, but him still manage fi run out di room, di hallway long and winding in front a him. Everywhere him go, di Dawgs dem a hail him up, nodding like dem know him as one of dem own. Every time him try fi cuss out, him mouth betray him and chat ‘bout "business deals," "turf expansion," an’ "mek di youth dem wait."

As him move through di place inna confusion, him buck up pon Winston “Big W” Watson. Now, Winston was di man. Di big man fi di Uptown Dawgs, di one weh push all di deals and keep di money flowing. But someting strange 'bout him today. Di usual grim look gone, and instead di man look calm... even, caring.

"Fireball, mi don," Winston seh, clapping him pon him shoulder like dem old friends. "Mi can see yuh a fight a battle. Come, mek wi reason."

Pato still cyaan control him body, so him follow Winston down di long passage. Di warm energy weh a come offa Winston start mek Pato wonder if dis man really change.

"Yuh nah go believe wah gwaan, Fireball," Winston seh, voice quiet like him a reveal some big secret. "But mi nah go lie, mi a go tell yuh di truth. Mi nuh deh pon dis road by choice."

Pato look pon him suspicious. Di same man who lock down di turf fi di rich side a chat like him have sense?

"Mi nuh fi meself no more," Winston whisper. "Yuh ever hear ‘bout Bongo Levi Johnson?"

Pato eye dem nearly pop outta him head. "Bongo Levi from back inna di day? Di legend from Jungle Crew? Di man weh fight fi di people dem?"

Winston nod. "Yeah, mi don. Him spirit a guide mi now. Di system did try fi crush him, but him live on inside a me."

Pato couldn't believe it. Here him deh, trapped inna di body of a top Dawg, and Winston, di big man fi di enemy crew, now chat like him a one a di man dem from back inna di ghetto.

"Yuh nuh affi believe mi," Winston continue, "but mi tell yuh, Fireball. Di fight fi di people never done. Mi feel it now. Di youth dem need a better life, not just turf and money fi di bosses."

Pato still couldn’t believe wah him a hear. But deep down, someting start fi make sense. Winston never did seem di same.

"But yuh," Winston seh, turning and looking deep into Pato eye, "yuh still have di fire inna yuh, but yuh body a fight yuh. Mi can help yuh, but yuh affi do someting big. Someting weh mash up di whole system."

Pato still a wonder wah dis mean. "Wah mi affi do?" him ask, voice shaky.

Winston smile small and lean in close. "Yuh need fi change di game pon dem. Yuh haffi do someting so real, di whole a di Dawgs dem cyaan stop yuh."

Winston lead Pato through di back of di building, into one small room. Inside, sit one elder man wid locks, a scratch some note pon a piece a paper.

"Dis yah Jahman Roy," Winston seh. "Him know di way fi fix dis mess."

Jahman Roy look up, di man eye dem sharp like di razor blade dem use fi cut through di ghetto streets. "So di system ketch anedda one, eh?" Jahman seh, smile light up him face.

Pato barely able fi talk. "Wah mi haffi do fi free miself?"

Jahman Roy lean back and say, "Yuh affi mash up di money deal dem. Yuh affi stop di ting dem weh a oppress di youth and fi di small man. Push fi tek back di transport fi di people. Get rid a di private bosses dem."

Wid dat, Jahman slide one paper pon di table. "Dis yah plan fi mek di roadways free fi all a di ghetto youth. If yuh get it sign, an’ present it, di system nah go able fi stop yuh."

Pato hold di paper tight inna him hand, di weight of di mission heavy pon him heart.

Winston nod beside him. "Mi an Bongo Levi deh wid yuh. Do it, mi bredda."

Pato tek a deep breath and start fi march down di hallway, di paper clutched tight inna him grip. Di other Dawgs dem look pon him like dem confused, but him nuh stop.

When him reach di big meeting, him slam di paper pon di table. "Di streets fi di people. Di transport fi di ghetto!" him shout, voice full a power.

Fi one second, di whole place silent. Den di room start fi move again, but Pato feel di weight lift off him chest. Him did win.

Him wake up inna him bed, drenched in sweat, but free. Di nightmare done, but di lesson? Dat one stay.

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