Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I gotta give the one up above all the glory.
First for bringing a long-lost friend by the name of Sterling Haywood back into
my corner just when I was on the brink of losing all hope. He told me with God
anything is possible. And that’s what led me to write this book. Even though I
had no idea where to begin. But the real inspiration for me sticking it out,
even when I felt I had no business even trying to write a book, was my two
beautiful daughters Tykia. S. A. Gore and Tazzaria J. Gore, My oldest, (Tykida)
it’s been a long time since I held you in my arms. The last time, but not the
final, was August 11, 1999. Now it’s 2012, but I still remember it like it was
yesterday, and, Princess, I love you more than you’ll ever know. You’re the
reason I’m still striving to do better. My baby girl, whom I call bad to the
bone. (Tazzaria) Even though I never got the chance to hold you. Just know
the time is coming. It’s just around the corner, and believe me, we’ll travel
the world together if you want to. Baby girl, you’ll always be my little
princess, and I thank you ’cause you always showed your love for me over the
phone. And that alone helped me in so many ways. I just want you to know I love
you, and no matter how old you get you’ll still be my little princess!
No, Shakia, I didn’t forget about you. You’re the mother of my two
beautiful daughters. Without you, I would never knew real love. I just want you
to know, I give you a 110% salute. ’Cause even in my absence, you did what
you had to do as a woman and took care of our babies on your own. And I already
know times weren’t always easy, but you did your thing, and I’m proud of you.
And I’ll always love you! Rosa Walls, my mother, every woman could learn from
you what a real queen is made of. You did this time with me, day for day,
minute for minute, and hour for hour, tear for tear, worry for worry; now it’s
almost over. And I want you to know, if I could choose another mother in this
world, it would still be you. Your love is real, and I love you. And I just
hope I’m doing something that will make you proud! Last but not the least, I
gotta thank my three sisters. First my oldest, Tiffany R. Gore. TP, I really
don’t know how you do it, but you always manage to find time for me and all you
do for me. I could never repay you. Not even in a million years! You have
walked in my shoes. You did 7 years, and with the letters we wrote each
other while locked up. I just want to say thank you, ’cause every promise you
made you kept, and there’s so much more I could say, but you know how
little bro feels about ya! Just keep doing your thing, and hopefully one
day soon, we’ll make it rain! Tia and Renee Gore, I just want y’all to know, I
love y’all, even though y’all caught up in the world doing y’all own thing. I
respect the fact y’all still send and show love, and that’s a plus in my book.
Before I bring this to a close, I gotta give all my nieces a shout-out. Trirena
Anderson, my oldest and wisest niece, keep up the good work, and don’t forget
the things we talked about. Go to college and become that lawyer. You said
you’re gonna be! Tashamah, Blessing, and Bre, I love y’all and hope this book
touches ya lives to never make the mistakes I made. Love those who love you my
two nephews, Zell and Chris. When I come home, y’all gonna hang with me. So I
can teach y’all the do’s and don’ts of life. To all the people who just gave up
on me and left me for dead—no letters, no pictures—it’s all good. That’s what
haters do. So I ain’t mad, ’cause now I know and understand the meaning of
GABOS. So holla when you C-ME.
GABOS
Prologue
“Damn, it’s been a long time coming. But it’s finally here,” Pokey
said to no one in particular, as the day arrived for him to be released from
the prison that held him hostage against his own will for the last eighteen
months, day by day, as he walked out the open gates. He was blinded by the
bright sun. Reaching up to cover his eyes, he heard a horn blowing. Looking
around for the sound of the horn, he spotted his mother’s beat-up Honda. As he
watched his mother get out of the car and slowly walk toward him, Pokey had one
thing in mind. “Man, I gotta make sum Major Doe,” he was thinking, as his
mother reached out and gave him a hug. “Thanks, Mom. Glad I didn’t have to ride
that stank-ass bus all the way home,” he told his mother, who just smiled as she
turned around and made her way back to the car, with Pokey on her heels.
“I don’t know what you coming on this side for,” his mother said,
pushing him over to the driver’s side. “You driving,” she said. “I gotta get
some beauty sleep,” she said, sliding in the car.
On the ride home, it was quiet, with Pokey in his own thoughts. As
he was listening to his mother snore lightly, he promised, “Momma, I’mma make
shit happen.” Being in prison, Pokey learned a lot, but he also learned that if
you want something bad enough, you gotta go get it. With that in mind and the
words Old School used to tell him all the time. “Young blood, you gotta be
ruthless in the game of life. Sometimes you will be forced to bite the hands
that feed you, so always keep in mind game ain’t based on sympathy. If a
motherfucker wanna get in your way, don’t hesitate to roll over them, and leave
them where they lay.” As he was in deep thought, his mother brought him back to
the here and now.
“So, boy, now that you free, what you gonna do to stay free?” his
mother asked, turning in her seat to face him.
“Whatever I gotta do,” Pokey said, keeping it real.
“So you gonna get a job?” his mother asked.
“Never, Mom. You know me. I ain’t working no nine-to-five for no
minimum wage so that working shit is dead,” he said. While driving, as he
looked out the corner of his eye, he saw his mother shake her head, as she
closed her eyes and stopped talking. But he went back to thinking. “Damn shit
crazy, when ya own momma trying to keep you down, she on some ‘get a job’ shit,
but I’mma live and die in the streets.” As he pulled up in the projects, where
they stayed, he noticed nothing has changed, but changes were about to take
place, if he had something to do with it. “My thing is, to be paid and get my
game sharper than a motherfucking razor blade.”
As he pulled up and parked, he said, “Ma, we here.” Waking up, all
his mother did was look at him, then exit the car. As Pokey watched his mother
enter the house, he said, “This the shit I’m talking about, a nigga been gone
eighteen months, leave with nothing and come home with nothing, so it’s time I
make something.” Looking around, shaking his head at all the dirty buildings
that held this project together, his last thought was, “Now I gotta get some
soldiers on my team and make this picture come to life,” as he looked around
one more time before walking into the house. He mumbled, “GABOS, this time
around, that’s how it’s gonna be. Niggaz showed no love, they receive none.”
With that being said, he walked into the house ready to take a nice long shower
before he could formulate his next move, not forgetting his next move better be
his best move ’cause GABOS.
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