Crossing 145th and Lenox, he spotted young Tech posted up in front of the bar with some cats. The bar usually didn’t open until after dark, but something must’ve been going on that day. The owners were known to adjust their hours, depending on what was happening and who made the request. Jah knew most of the faces, but one he didn’t recognize right off. The dark-skinned man, sporting a bald head and a bunch of tiny gold chains, had a familiar face, but Jah couldn’t seem to place it. As Jah approached, the cat’s eyes locked on him and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was someone he may have wronged along his travels. If that was the case, he was glad he brought his .40 out with him.

“What’s good, Jah?” Tech beamed. Tech was a few years younger than Jah and headed down the same path. At age fifteen, he was already building up a lengthy rap sheet. Tech was always down to put in work, whether it be pulling a heist or going hand to hand on the streets. He had visions of being the next Nino Brown, but at the rate he was going he’d most likely be dead before he hit drinking age.

“Jah? Is that li’l-ass Jahlil?” the stranger asked in a voice that sounded like he smoked way too many cigarettes. As soon as he opened his mouth, Jah placed his face.

“What up, Dollar?” Jah asked very unenthusiastically. Dollar was a former money getter from 144th and Seventh. Back in the day he had the streets on smash, but it all fell apart because he couldn’t keep from dipping into the poison he was selling. About eight years prior, he had gotten knocked in one of his crack houses. Dollar was so high at the time of his arrest that he didn’t even realize he was in jail until his arraignment three days later. After almost a dime behind the wall, he was back on the streets.

“Man, I ain’t seen you in what, eight or nine years?” Dollar slapped him five.

“Eight,” Jah reminded him. “When did you touch down?”

“Two or three days ago. I’m just coming through, making sure everything was how I left it,” Dollar said with a grin, showing off his gold teeth.

“Same shit, different day. It was good seeing you, Dollar, but I gotta bounce,” Jah said, trying to walk off.

“Hold on, man.” Dollar grabbed Jah by the arm, ignoring the murderous look the young man was giving him. “We was about to go inside and have a drink on some welcome home shit. I know you got time to drink wit’ ya nigga?”

“Dawg, it’s a little too early to be drinking. Maybe later.”

“Oh, you done got too big to break bread wit’ a cat?” Dollar asked in a challenging tone.