I remember that day; I could hear police sirens going up and down the street. It all started when my brother Kado and I were sitting on our porch. When we looked across the street we saw one of Kado’s really good friends in a fight. My brother wanted to go help him, but I told him it wasn’t worth ruining your career as a basketball player. I held him back. I couldn’t even match the strength my brother was giving me. The rest of that day he was mad at me for holding him back. My brother is in a gang, I myself am too but my brother had a career.
The next day, I saw my brother meeting up with his friends at this gas station that was ghetto. I looked really close and I saw his hand reach out and grab something out of his friend’s hand. I drove up to him and I was like bro get in the car. He turned to me and said no with the voice that he thought was tough. I let him do his own thing and as I am stopped at the stoplight I think to myself how I could just let him stay there. I turn around one final time to make sure everything is ok and I heard a very loud POP POP POP. I got out of my car lickety split and I dashed to where the gunshots were fired at. Nowhere could I find my brother. I got back in my car and sped home hoping there were no boys in blue around the area. I figured there would be because of the gunshots that were fired. When I got home my brother was not there. In the next 3 hours or so I hear a car door shut outside of the house. I walk to the screen door and my brother is outside. He walked in the house and I told him I wanted to have a talk with him. He sits on the chair and I take a seat on the couch. I looked at him and said “You have to give it up, you can’t keep doing this.”
“I know what you mean but I just can’t” Kado replied back to me.
“Do you wanna end up dead or shot?” I asked him.

“No but doing what I do now brings in money for the family.” He said back to me under his breath.
“Ya know Kado you play basketball and you’re really good at it too, you may get accepted to the University of Florida and a full ride scholarship.” I said to him with a very serious look on my face.
“That’s all I wanted to say to you Kado.” I said to him to finish the conversation.

The next morning I wake up to the sound of a basketball dribbling outside. I walk out there with only a robe and my house shoes. I had shorts on under but it was cold outside. It was my brother Kado shooting around. He had never been up this early in less something was going on. I looked at him and said “Why are you up so early?” I asked him with my eyes barely open and crust all around my mouth.
“Jamal, I got an acceptance letter from the University of Flordia with a full ride to, I’m going to be a gator.” He said so excitedly and with a huge smile on his face. I thought to myself I can’t believe he did it.
“I am so proud of you and promise me
You’ll stay away from all that gang related stuff?”
“I will and I want to thank you bro for helping me through all the stuff I’ve been through.”
“You’re welcome, I’d just hate to have to see you go downhill, you know what why are we still standing here in the cold talking.” You have a college to attend. My brother called a cab and it picked him up about an hour later. He opens the door to the cab and looks back one final time and smiles.