White Hope
Darrell Haley

First place, fiction, Heard/Arlington County Detention Center writing contest, August, 2019

Dam it’s hot out there already! D-Mak said walking into his Ethiopian friends tobacco store.

D-Mak I haven’t seen you in a while where have you been? Sameer asked.

D-Mak shook his head and exhaled deeply then put his hands behind his back like he was being arrested.

Oh I get it. Sameer said understanding that his friend had been incarcerated. Sameer quickly put Newports, a bottle of water and a mild Slim Jim into a paper bag then sat it on the counter. D-Mak pulled out a ten dollar bill.

No my friend this is on me today. Sameer said in a heavy accent.

Thanks Sameer you good people’s man! D-mak bumped fists with Sameer and army saluted him and walked out of the store in a good mood. Instantly he stopped outside of the store’s door and looked at the flier. It was a picture of a pretty older white woman with blonde hair and a shapely body of a softball player walking a white expensive looking Pomeranian. It had a cellphone number and a date of when the dog ran away.

D-Mak sat on a small white fence knowing the Newport he was about to smoke would make him light headed. He inhaled the cool menthol smoke instantly feeling the satisfaction of a pleasure only a true smokers name brand can give. He opened the Slim Jim and took a bite chewing and looking up at the clear blue sky as his mind raced — thinking about just being released from jail in Arlington, VA and he had less than a hundred dollars to his name and was stressing the fact that he had lost is 98 Ford Contour with all of his main clothes in the backseat in a expensive designer duffle gab. But he wanted to badly see his three children and spend much needed time with them and was planning to move back to his hometown to Manassas, VA and to try and get his job back which was mandatory at this point having to start over from ground zero.

Rerfff!!! Ruffereff!!! The sharp barking sound scared D-Mak and broke him out of his racing thoughts making him look down fast.

Dam you little bastard you scared the hell out of me! D-Mak squinted his eyes staring at the small dog noticing it was real dirty and mangy with gum stuck in its fur looking like it had just jumped out of a dumpster.

Refff!!! Rufffef!!!

The small dog barked at D-Mak and started wagging it’s tail then danced on it’s back legs turning in circles like a show dog. Dam I wonder where you learned that!? He said to himself amazed at the dogs little performance. He broke off a piece of the Slim Jim pitching it in the air and the dog jumped about 3 feet off the ground catching it in it’s mouth and doing a backflip all in one motion.

Holy shit!!! D-Mak was impressed and wondered what else the dog could do. He gave him another piece and the dog quickly stood on it’s front legs like a handstand then started draging it’s ass on the ground with it’s back legs kicked out in front of him leaving behind a trail of blood and started yelping in pain.

The dog stood in front of D-Mak with a pleading look in it’s eyes and he noticed that the dog was dripping drops of blood behind him. D-Mak quickly went into his Eddie Bauer book bag and grabbed some paper fast food napkins and the dog walked toward D-Mak like he knew what was going to happen next. He lightly grabbed the dog with care and turned him to the side.

D-Mak lifted the dogs tail seeing now that the dogs rectum was down to the next layer of skin and bleeding so bad that D-Mak knew the dog needed veterinary emergency care. D-Mak thickly folded the napkins and started dabbing where the dog was bleeding at. It started yelping three times louder than it did the first time as D-Mak kept dabbing not paying attention to his surroundings trying to slow down the bleeding.

The bleeding started to slow down as the dog started to lightly wimper and howl and D-Mak stopped. Still holding it’s tail up a small turd the size of a Snickers bite size candy fell out of the dogs rectum with blood and small worms moving wildly on it.

Got-Dam dog you need serious help! D-Mak said out loud. He noticed the bleeding had mostly stopped and he decided to pour water on a napkin and do one more dab and try to get the dog some help. The dog made a howling sound so loud and shocking it scared D-Mak.

He looked down to see something that looked like a piece of rope dangling out of the dog and picked the dog up and layed it down on its side and D-Mak went into his book bag and pulled out a plastic bag, lifted the dogs tail then grabbed ahold of what was now almost touched the ground. D-Mak slowly pulled and the dog cried out like it was getting kicked and abused.

A young white man comes out of the Cricket cellphone store and stops in the doorway. What in the fuck are you doing man!!! The Cricket store employee yelled more like a teenage girl than a young man.

I’m try’na help this dog now call animal control and shut the fuck up! D-Mak yelled at the man. And went back to slowly pulling what was now as thick as a mans pinky finger and about three feet long that looked like a leech and D-Mak slung it over in the grass. He slowly poured water into the dogs mouth as it weakly drank it with pleading eyes looking up at D-Mak.

I’m sorry little buddy I’m figuring I had to do it. He said to the dog.

Get the fuck away from the dog now motherfucker!!! D-Mak looked up but already knew who it was by the authoritative tone of voice.

Motherfucker get down now! The police officer shouted.

Man I ain’t do nothing! D-Mak yelled.

Both officers put D-Mak in a wrestling move, one with a knee in his back and one had him in a headlock. Sameer came out of his store shocked at what he was seeing and his friend in handcuffs. D-Mak was thrown in the backseat knowing he was going to Fairfax County Jail. A frustrating tear came from his right eye knowing he was up shits creek with no paddle.

D-Mak was charged with animal cruelty, resisting arrest, assault on a police officer, loitering, verbal assault.

And being black kneeling over a expensive white dog laying by a pool of blood.

D-Mak got processed and then put in a cell.

Busted lip, black eye and Nike boots to the ribs D-Mak layed there thinking in reality terms. Probation violation, and bogus charges and most of all lose of freedom with a high ass bail.

Haley your bail has been posted! A sheriff yelled.

D-Mak didn’t get up thinking the sheriff maybe said Bailey. The sheriff opened the cell and D-Mak was thinking to himself who posted my bail.

D-Mak gets released realizing his cellphone is turned off, low on cash and it was after 10 pm. A silver Mercedes CLS 550 pulled to a stop in front of D-Mak. He couldn’t see inside from the tint. A pretty older white lady with blonde hair wearing a black spandex Nike suit walks over to D-Mak and gives him a hug catching him off guard and she smelled like his favorite perfume.

I’m Taylor and thank you for trying to help Hope.

Who in the hell is Hope. He asked confused.

My special dog Hope you tried to help by your friend Sameer’s store, I’ve seen it on his security system!

So you posted my bail?

Yes I did and look at your face they really did a number on you. She lightly touched his face turning it to get a better look.

My bail was pretty high.

Oh that’s peanuts to a queen. Taylor said like she was talking about five dollars instead of five thousand dollars like it was nothing. Well where do you live? She asked.

Well I just got out yesterday and I was gonna try to get to Manassas and see if my cousin would let me couch surf for a few days until I come up with something because I’m low on cash.

Dam I totally forgot, I owe you for the reward.

What reward? He asked still confused.

You didn’t know Hope had a reward for up to $10,000.

What the fuck for real?!

Yes and how would like your currency? Direct deposit, prepaid credit card, bitcoin or cash. She asked.

Dam your serious! He said not believing his luck.

Well get in we gotta ways to go!

Where are we going?

You’ll see when we get there.

Dam this is nice Taylor.

It’s ok my Corvette is in the shop.

Dam you own a Vet shit!

To be correct I own five vehicals.

D-Mak whistled and threw his book bag in the backseat. Taylor typed on her cellphone then instantly August Alsina. “FEAT” Young Jeezy/make it home tonight sounded good on the premium sound system.

Taylor pulled off fast then sparked a joint.

Dam that smell like the chronic girl.

I only smoke that good D-Mak. She said with pride.

So do you know I good lawyer Tayler?

I am a lawyer and don’t stress I’ll take care of everything.

D-Mak smiled to himself reclining the leather seat. Taylor went through her playlist surprising D-Mak.

Did you eat?

Naw I didn’t want that shit.

Well I’ll cook you something when we get to my house.

D-Mak nodded his head in agreement. Minutes later pulling up to a 4 bedtroom, 4 full bath, 2 car garage, heated pool, a full gym, hot tub, pool table, x-box, flat screens and everything else you could want at home.

They get out of the Benz talking about tomorrow, little white Hope and a lawsuite.

I have already writting 3 books starting in 2009 when I could see the story line easy with no writers block. First book is titled Fa$t Money. Second is Extreme Chances. And the third is Black Girls Lost $oul. I can draw but I’m a writer at heart. And thank you for taking time out to read this short which is my first and it was fun. Better dayz to you.