Tales of the Hood (14 page)

“I do,” she smiled adoringly.

“Jayden, do you take Vanessa to be your lawful wedded wife, to love and cherish her, be caring and faithful?”

“I do,” I said with the same expression.

“Very well, all here today have rained their blessings on you and we sincerely hope your years to come will be filled with joy and happiness. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” he said, approaching the best part.

I leaned in slowly and kissed her plush lips. They felt so soft and tasted so sweet. A round of applause and cheers filled the room. I looked in to her eyes. “You're officially my wife now. You're the reason I don't need to keep running with the streets any more,” I smiled and picked up Shakira in my arms. Vanessa was my wife now; exactly the way it should be.

***

The reception was live. Everyone was in a good mood. There was no violence around whatsoever and that was my biggest fear for the day. It was the start of a new life with my wife and daughter. The time for people to say their speeches came and everyone gathered around the master table. First Vanessa's side of the family said what they had to say.

“Evening to all. I thank you for coming to show your support at my granddaughter's wedding today. It has been a great pleasure seeing her by the side of this young and successful man, Jayden. I wish you both all the best,” expressed her grandfather fondly.

Only a small number of my family were present and they didn't say much; just about a few words here and there. When I got too involved in the game they all acted like they didn't know me. They always criticised how my mum brought me up; blamed her for the bad behaviour Maurice and I had spread through the blocks. Now they knew I was making a name for myself, those with little shame came to my wedding.

When it came to my turn to make a speech I wasn't prepared at all: “I want thank everyone who came to the wedding today. First of all I would like to say that Vanessa is the best thing that has ever happened to me. At first I didn't know this but as past experiences emerged I realised she was the stability I needed; my backbone. I'm so happy to be married today; I just want to have fun and a good party. Bless.” I felt nourished after that. I had spoken the honest truth and it felt so good. It was Vanessa's turn to speak and I couldn't help but let my eyes roll over her radiant body in that dress.

“I'm very overwhelmed by today. I have just married the love of my life and I have a beautiful daughter that just won't stop talking. I want to thank you all for coming again and I hope you enjoy yourself. Err There's not much more to say so let me just sit down before I start talking rubbish,” she laughed.

Now it was time do get down to the real party. The music began to play and everyone was in the mood to dance. Food was being distributed like clockwork and everyone was having a great time. It was the evening me and Vanessa needed to top off our big day. We had our first dance and all our guests' eyes were glued on us. Slow and subtle; staring in to each other's eyes as we made our mark in the centre of the dance floor. Satisfaction prevailed as the hall started to empty and the cleaners started their work. When there was only a few people left me, Shakira and Vanessa got ready to head home. We both had a wonderful day but it had been a really long day and we were tired. Since we had no car to whisk us away I booked a cab; gave the owner the keys to the venue and drove home.

“So how does it feel to officially be Mrs Daley?” I asked in amusement.

“It feels exactly like yesterday. Marriage hasn't changed anything except that it has set our love in stone,” she replied tenderly.

Upon approaching the blocks I saw a strong orange light. “Can you see that?” I asked the driver.

“Yes I don't know what it is though,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. As we came closer we noticed it was a fire but I still couldn't see where it was coming from. I asked the driver again, did he know anything about this but he didn't understand much English. When we got nearer to the light I knew what it was and immediately I told the driver to pull over before getting out the car.

“Jayden where are you going? Listen this hasn't got anything to do with us so let's just keep out of it,” urged Vanessa.

“Vanessa you know this is my old house. There are new people living there so how could there be a fire so soon after they've moved in? Put two and two together, this was no accident,” I replied, convinced that Jamal had something to do with it.

I ran up closer and heard screams coming from the flat. The fire brigade had been called as bystanders waited for them to come. Ten minutes went by and they still hadn't arrived. The fire was more ferocious than ever now and the screams even more haunting. I couldn't take it any more and flung off my jacket.

“Jayden!” shouted Vanessa continuously as people held her back. I felt like I needed to do something. The likelihood of this situation was that Jamal was probably unaware that we had moved and had targeted the wrong place. I felt accountable for any harm done to those who now lived there.

I walked up to the blaze and shouted, “Where are you!”, I knew that house like the back of my hand so wherever the screams were coming from I believed I could get in and out of there quick enough. There was no reply so I shouted again. Then I saw a boy slam against the kitchen window, banging on the glass.

“Help I'm here,” he coughed heavily. He looked rough but it was a start. I ran in and heard Vanessa cry out painfully. As much as it hurt me to ignore her I knew if I acknowledged her I would have second thoughts about what I was about to do. I ran into the kitchen with my sleeve over my mouth. The smoke was harsh but I couldn't leave him. I saw him huddled on the floor and when he saw my face he stood up as fast as he could before collapsing in my arms. I dragged him through the flaming house and out the front door where we both fell to the ground gasping for breath. If he wasn't so close to the door it may have been another story. Vanessa and three other men ran to our aid.

“Don't ever fucking do that to me again!” she shouted, dragging me into her arms.

Now the fire brigade decided to make an appearance. When the boy came to his senses he ran up to the blaze and continued to shout. “My mum and dad are in there! You have to help them!” he said hysterically, pounding on the scorching building. I pulled him back and told him to sit down.

“The fire brigade are here now, they will sort it out okay?” I said, desperately trying to reassure him. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling at that moment; the shock running through him alongside anticipation for his mum and dad's survival. He nodded his smoky head and I sat next to him. “So what's your name?” I asked, trying to cast his mind away from the drama behind us.

“Cameron,” he replied monotone.

“And how old are you?”

“I turned sixteen recently. The whole family are meant to be going on holiday tomorrow and this happens out of nowhere,” he said, finally breaking down. He cried on my shoulder, leaving pale marks on my expensive but already ruined shirt. By this time there were people watching every move made. After a while the fire was put out and the fire crew ran in to search for Cameron's mum and dad before emerging empty handed. One of the firemen walked towards us and knelt down.

“I'm sorry to have to tell you this but the two adults that were in the house didn't make it. They must have tried to unlock the bedroom door and dropped the key in the process. They were locked in and we couldn't access them in time. Again, I'm sorry,” he said, saddened at the reality of the night.

“No! Go check again!” shouted Cameron as I restrained him.

“Hey. You know what? We need to get you out of here now. You've had a real tough time and this isn't the place to be. We'll go back to my house then we'll talk properly,” I said before letting the authorities know where he would be staying for the night. He didn't reply. He just sobbed. As we stood up I spotted Jamal's head bobbing in the crowd. He smiled at me smugly then walked away. It was then I became certain that he was responsible for this. Memories from my childhood came flooding back, I knew it was him.

***

When we got back to my house it felt as if a large rain cloud had followed us home. Cameron and I were dirty with minor burns but it was nothing too serious. Vanessa was still moaning about me getting involved. “Imagine if you had lost your life? You couldn't say nothing then could you? You should have left well alone!”

“For fuck's sake, just shut up Vanessa! You think if I didn't get involved this boy would be alive now? Am not going to sit back and watch a person die at the hands of someone who's after me. The boy lost his mum and dad tonight and all you're thinking about is yourself!” I shouted, feeling overwhelmed by everything. I tapped Cameron on the shoulder to follow me upstairs. He shouldn't have to hear all of this after tonight. It wasn't the right time or place and Vanessa should have understood that. He had lost his mum and dad at the same time and he was only sixteen. It's a crisis like this that has the ability to swerve a person's mind towards the negativities of life.

I let him go in the shower and gave him some clothes to wear so he could feel a bit more comfortable. Why would Jamal target random people that hadn't done anything to him? They probably didn't even know who he was. He had taken this too far beyond a joke. Killing innocent people over a grudge he had over me. I felt responsible for so many things that shouldn't concern me at all. I sat down with Cameron in my room. I needed to establish some sort of relationship with the kid.

“There's no point asking you if you're all right but is there anything I can do for you?” I asked sympathetically. He didn't reply. His head faced the floor as I shared his soundless heartache. I thought maybe changing the subject would get me some response. “What do you like to do as a hobby? Maybe it would take your mind off things tomorrow if you had something to do?”

“I like to DJ but I've never had the chance to do it legitimately; only a few gigs here and there. Now it's unlikely that I'll ever officially play,” he said slowly before he began to cry again. It was hard watching him cry. He was a stranger; a male; exposing his emotions to me in a way that I could relate to fully.

“Listen yeah, don't think that you're alone. My mum was killed when I was eighteen; in that very same house. I was shattered but I knew I had to go on. Now I have a beautiful daughter and I got married today. Life doesn't end her for you, trust me,” I replied supportively.

He looked up and dried his face; soaking his sleeve. “Thank you for saving me and taking me in. You didn't have to do that with me being at an age where legally I could take care of myself. And am really sorry about your mum,” he said, revealing more of his inner feelings.

“It's okay man. Just be cool. We'll deal with the aftermath tomorrow. You should get some sleep now.” He lay down silently as I went downstairs and sat down.

“Could you get anymore disrespectful? The boy just lost his mum and dad because Jamal thought I still lived there and you're telling me I shouldn't have got involved right in front of his face!” I roared at Vanessa. I was so hurt by her insinuations. I did understand where she was coming from with it being our wedding day and everything being so perfect up to this point, but circumstances change.

“I'm sorry. It's just that I don't want to lose you. We have troubles of our own and it seemed like you just wanted to make it worse. We got married today and I didn't want it to end with you being dead,” she said, sobbing at my anger. I didn't even want to hear it. Her actions tonight were heartless and it was a side that I'd never seen before. I went upstairs to lie down and think about my next step. It was meant to be the best day of my life: my wedding day and he was still out to break me. I owed Cameron big time. It was my fault what happened to his family and I felt like I needed to do right by him. Take him in.

The next day was weighed down with emotion. When I went downstairs Cameron was already sitting in the living room, looking blankly at the wall. I couldn't imagine what he was feeling and I wouldn't want to try. With the immense devastation roaming around his body; exactly the same way I felt discovering my mum the way I did. I went to sit next to him and make conversation.

“What do you wanna do today?” I asked casually. He shrugged his shoulders in his solemn position. I didn't want to touch a nerve but I had to ask. “Would you like to go back to your flat? Maybe see what's going on? It's completely up to you.”

He looked at me with broken eyes, “Yeah okay.”

“You don't have to if you're not ready, it was just a suggestion,” I said, making sure he didn't feel pressured into anything.

“Yeah but I want to. I have to face it sooner or later for it to indefinitely sink in that they're gone,” he said, sounding a bit more up-beat.

“Okay well you go get ready and We'll walk down the road together.”

I wanted him to feel that he had someone he could talk to. We may have only met yesterday but I felt like I had known him for ages. He jogged upstairs, leaving me feeling quite relieved. After a while he came back down looking refreshed and ready to take on the daunting day ahead. As we prepared to leave the house he did something that would be hard for a heartbroken boy to do. He smiled. Only a small one but that smile reassured me that I was giving him the support he needed.

As we approached the fire-gutted flat butterflies settled in my stomach. I didn't want to probe on what Cameron was feeling so I stayed quiet and let him take everything in his own stride. When we got there loads of flowers lay on the ground with other sympathy gifts like cards and teddy's. The flat looked terrible: black and beaten. Cameron seemed to be holding up alright but I knew it wasn't going to be easy. “Just tell me when you're ready to go okay?” I said, giving him some space. He nodded and walked over to the flowers, reading each and every card that lay against the house. He then picked up a blue teddy someone had laid for his father and bowed his head.

“I feel to cut now. Is that cool with you?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yeah course it is,” I replied. He was probably confused as to what was going to happen from here and he wasn't the only one. We began walking back to my house. “So Cameron, have you ever DJ'd in a club before?” I said, trying to lighten the mood with a topic he was interested in.

“I've played at friend's parties and stuff but my decks got ruined in the fire so there's no more of that. Music isn't really my focus right now,” he replied.

“There can be more of it. I'm in the music business and there are a lot of clubs that need a good player. I can hook you up if you want. It's a chance to make a bit of money and take your mind of things?” I said, trying convince him to take up my offer.

“Yeah that would be cool. Thanks. What I want to know is why are you taking me in and being so nice? You don't even know me. It was only by chance you were there to get involved last night,” he asked curiously.

“Because when I was your age my life was on the roads. When my mum got killed things got worse and it was time for a change. I got into the music industry to tell boys and girls that the street isn't the way to go anymore. Invest time in talent.”

“That's good. It's like you want to give people a voice through your music?” he replied, finally sounding intrigued about something.

“Yeah now you're getting it. Anyway I know a club nearby so I'm going to speak to them about you playing there one night. If you're good they might take you on as a full time DJ but you make the final decision,” I clarified. He smiled and I knew that I was slowly making him feel a little better about himself and the entire situation. As we got closer to home I noticed him clutch his teddy tighter.

***

Since the car accident we had been going everywhere on foot and public transport. Today was the day we were getting our wheels back and I was ecstatic at the thought alone. It was official; Cameron was now a member of the family. It took a while to get everything confirmed but he was happy here and I was happy to have him. He'd even grown on Vanessa. They had their little arguments sometimes but secretly she loved having him around too. He had character that the household was missing.

Cameron came and sat down in the living room, admiring the teddy he picked up when we visited the flat. Looking at him I started to feel like I had to do something good for him. I didn't want him ending up on the streets selling drugs and beating up people for fun like I did when I was sixteen. He seemed like a good kid; a dedicated kid too if he had something to dedicate himself to. I went in to the kitchen and called one of my links from a club on the south side. I wanted to hook him up with a little job so he didn't go down the wrong path. Plus now he was living here it was time for him to contribute to the household financially. He needed to become aware of the norms and values of growing up and as his guardian it was my job to provide that knowledge. I phoned my long time friend Kane, who ran the club.

“Yo what you on today?” I asked casually.

“Nothing much, getting ready for the rave tonight. Why? What's going down?” he replied.

“Could you do me a favour? My little brother from another mother wants to try out as DJ for a set. Would you be able to hook him up to play tonight? It doesn't have to be nothing big just some time in the spotlight to show his skills,” I said, emphasising his talent.

“Yeah course man. Pass through and I'll try him out,” he agreed.

“Alright cool. Safe for that D, I owe you one,” I said before hanging up.

I went back into the living room to tell Cameron the good news but he wasn't there. I shouted his name from the bottom of the stairs but he didn't answer. At first I thought everything was cool, he probably just went to the shop or something, but after a few hours had gone by worry crept over me.

“Vanessa I'm going out to look for Cameron yeah,” I said, putting my jacket on.

“Yeah okay, I'm going to get Shakira from nursery anyway so I'll see you boys later,” she said, blowing kisses as she walked through the door.

I walked down to the front line; to the park and shops but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. I walked around for an hour before I felt like giving up. I thought he had run away but he'd been with us for months now. Why would he up and leave out of the blue? I wouldn't blame him if he did. Even though we provided a good home for him it still didn't change the fact that his mum and dad were gone and he was still here; an orphan. On the way back home I had a strange brain wave. I didn't know if I was onto anything but it was worth a try. I turned around and walked towards my old house. When I got there I saw Cameron sitting in front of the dead flowers staring. As I went to sit next to him he promptly stood up in his ready position.

“Shit you scared me man,” he cursed. I smiled and sat down with him.

“What you doing here in the cold?” I probed.

“I'm reminiscing good times that will never come back around again. We didn't live here long but it was long enough,” he replied.

“Well you're going to have to make some new ones starting from today. You're playing at a club tonight so you'd better get back to mine and get ready,” I said, awaiting the excitement.

“Are you serious? You hooked me up already?”

“I said I would. If I have the sources then why not?” I smiled. He jumped up and hugged me. I wasn't that good at showing affection when it came to these situations because I was so used to being cold hearted before I saw sense. In the end I just hugged him back and took in the moment. “I'm gonna look after you. Believe that,” I assured him firmly.

“You're like the big brother I never had. I don't know what to say,” he replied.

“Then don't say anything. Let's go.”

***

It was nearly time for us to hit the road. Vanessa got our new car and it was looking fresh; better than the first if I say so myself. If anyone tried to take the piss with this one I knew I was going to have to break someone. With Jamal about that was likely to happen but I wasn't playing into his games. I put on my jacket then Cameron and I made our way to the club. The drive seemed to take forever but when we got there the music was sounding sweet and there was a lot of people looking like they were enjoying themselves. Since it was his first gig I thought I would stay and see how he got on. After a couple of warm up songs it was his time to go up and show the crowd what he could do. He didn't have his own equipment so he borrowed the previous DJ”s decks. Starting off slow he played the common RnB and Pop but as the crowd increased the demand grew greater. He started switching from Bashment to Grime then to the Old School Garage. The people loved it and I loved it too. He was moving slick. He got the whole club reminiscing about the music we had back in the day. Before guns; knives and bitches were the topic. It was raw emotions about life. After the second hour he played his last song.

“For my last track I would like to dedicate it to my brother Jayden, who's given me the opportunity to play for you tonight,” he said as he turned to me and played a track off my album. I was chuffed. The crowd went mad when they realised I was there and were really getting into it. I could tell Cameron was feeling it too by the way he bopped his head and rocked to the beat with his headphones on. I was happy to see him happy after what had happened. When he came off the stage the atmosphere died down and it was clear to see that people didn't want him to leave. He gave the place a bit more life than usual. He jogged up to me, “I felt so good up there man. Thanks for everything,” he smiled, out of breath.

“It's cool man. You looked good up there. You were born to do this,” I said, telling him the honest truth. We stayed until the rave ended; living it up and enjoying all the attention. I signed a load of autographs and a few girls' chests. This is what being a star was all about and it was pure bliss. When the rave ended D called Cameron into the back room and a few minutes later he returned with a load of notes in his palm.

“He said I was good and that I brought in new faces. I didn't even know I was going to get paid,” he said surprised.

“So what did you think you were going to play for free?” I laughed. He shoved the money into his pocket and told me that the owner wanted him to play for the rest of the week. “That's great. If you keep this up, trust me you will get far,” I replied. He nodded and we made our way back to the car. His smile faded after a while and I knew he was thinking about the fire. I wished his mum and dad could see what he was doing; what he was becoming. Know that he's in safe hands with people that genuinely care about him.

We arrived home knackered so he went to bed whilst I sat to tell Vanessa how it went. “He was the heartbeat in the room Vanessa, I don't think you understand the talent this boy has,” I stressed.

“Wow I'm glad it went well and he enjoyed it. Tomorrow if I get a babysitter for Shakira I might pass round to see what all the hype is about,” she joked.

“Yeah you need to. He's just indescribable. This is actually a great start for him. I feel like He's a little brother to me” I said even though it was already confirmed that he had that role in my life.

“He is. He's one of us now and we can't let him down after the burden He's got on his head. He really needs to stop leaving his damn dirty clothes on the floor before I get annoyed though,” she sighed heavily. I hugged her tightly.

“Thank you for letting me take him in babe. I know it wasn't easy adjusting to the change but you made the effort anyway. You're my star girl, you know that right?” I said, snugging up to her chest.

“I don't need you to tell me that Jayden, I was a star from the day I was born,” she laughed. With a brief but instinctive glance around I saw Cameron standing on the landing. I wondered if he heard all the things I said. He nodded at me then walked into his room. I think it was a signal that he did. I knew he did. I also knew he had some serious potential in that heart of his.

***

Over the upcoming week Cameron was making himself a positive name at the club. He got paid every day for the way he made the place rock. He gave people something to talk about to their friends so they could come to the club and make new friends. He was on the rise. When he finished the last gig for the week I felt like pushing his talent further. It was clear that he had an audience so why not help him branch out? There was a big club on the south side called Dreams and I thought about getting him a job there. I knew it was a risk seeing as we lived on the north side but it would give him a better chance of getting more jobs and making more money. I'd be on stand by to draw up anyone that tried to intimidate him in any way. Before I made any arrangements I wanted to talk to him about it but these days he was never around. He had all the girls on lockdown; screaming for him to play at parties and other functions. He loved the attention and I couldn't blame him. He deserved every minute of it. When he came in that evening I sat him down in the living room.

“How would you feel about working somewhere else where you can make a lot more money and have a better chance of being discovered?”

“I don't know. It hasn't really crossed my mind. I've gotten used to working at the club but why?”

“Because there's a job at Dreams on the south side and I was wondering if you would like to try it out? There would be no pressure it will just be a chance to expand your audience and your name,” I said, promoting the idea.

“But the south side doesn't get on with the north side. It's gonna be hard for me to stay focused knowing anything could happen,” he replied, sounding sceptical.

“Yeah I know but there's tight security and you would be playing your section then leaving,” I assured him.