Free Street Soldier 2 by Silhouettes Page A

up. Nadine jumped up from the seat, shouting for her baby and trying to protect him. When her body jerked forward, I knew she had been hit by flying bullets. I slammed on the brakes, doing a spinning U-turn in the middle of the street that left my car smoking. Nadine’s body fell backward, slamming into the dash and plopping down on the seat.
    â€œShit!” I shouted. I nervously touched her chest, trying to see if she was still breathing.
    I couldn’t believe this shit was happening, and as the other car sped away, I panicked, driving like a bat out of hell to get to Barnes Hospital, which was less than a mile away.
    â€œNadine!” I kept yelling, trying to get a response. “Get up!” By now, the whites of her eyes were showing and she had no response. From what I could see in the rearview mirror, Prince Jr. was okay. He sat quietly on the back seat and I was thankful that the laundry baskets were on both sides of him. My breathing was getting heavier and heavier, my legs were shaking, and my sweaty palms were so slippery I could barely keep my hands on the steering wheel. When I reached the hospital, I put the car in park and carried Nadine’s limp body into the emergency room.
    â€œHelp me!” I yelled at the nurses and doctors on duty. “Somebody please help me!”
    Help arrived, but it was too late for Nadine.
    I couldn’t get the thoughts of her out of my head and if it had not been for me, taking it upon myself to kill my partner Cedric, Nadine very well could still be alive. That’s just something I had to live with, and living with it damn sure wasn’t easy.
    Nate waved his hand in front of my face. “Wake up,” he said. “Are you there?”
    I blinked and wiped my tired eyes. “Yeah, I’m here. Just thinkin’ about some stuff, that’s all.”
    He squeezed my shoulder and patted me twice on the back. “Don’t be so serious all the time. You’re still young, Prince, and you need to enjoy life. Have some fun. Leave what has happened to you in the past. If I hung on to all that’s happened to me, I would be one sick motherfucka.”
    â€œNate, why haven’t you moved on and done somethin’ different? I know that workin’ at a liquor store ain’t the limit of your dreams, is it? I mean, you seem like a smart man who is capable of doin’ anything you want to.”
    Nate took the last bite of his hotdog, then squeezed the wrapper in his hand. “I had big dreams, like you did in high school. Got a basketball scholarship and my first year in college I fucked up. Started partying all the time, hangin’ out with my friends and fuckin’ any and everything in sight. Got caught up one day with some friends who decided to jump on this brotha who hollered at his girlfriend. I sat in the car while they beat that Negro’s ass, and when all was said and done, he died. They hit me up with a manslaughter charge and the life that I had known was over. I got twenty-five years, just like that, over a bitch that wasn’t even mine. That’s why you must watch the company you keep and know who your friends are, more than you know your enemies. Since then, I just live day-by-day, appreciatin’ my freedom and knowin’ that things could have been a lot worse. I’m too old to talk about startin’ over, but you have your whole life ahead of you. Make wise decisions, and your life will go a long way.”
    â€œI couldn’t agree with you more, and havin’ your mind all wrapped around women can sholl fuck up some things. That’s why I keep my distance. I’ve seen too many niggas fuck they lives up over some pussy.”
    Nate laughed while eyeing several more women who walked by. “It’s a powerful thing,” he said. “And even though there are some straight nutcrackers out there, you will find some women who will genuinely have your back. While in prison,