Lights.

You know, I really hate red lights. Especially those really long ones that are the duration of a three minute song. Like, why? I blame Donald Trump. But…the only thing I kinda “like” about red lights is that you can really think about some shit for a good three minutes and actually be into it…for three minutes. It’s a great way to pass time…for three minutes.

For instance, the other day, I stopped at a red light right before the block where my house is on. I was sort of fake-depressed because I had the “so close yet so far” mentality. But I figured I was being a bit dramatic, so I decided to indulge in some “me time” while I waited for the green light.

I started to relive the times I use to walk up and down this very block to go to school (my elementary school was on this street). After I graduated from elementary school, I use to walk down this same block to catch the bus to go to high school…which then reminded me of the time I got jumped on this block. Ha. Boy did I not have the time of my life that day.

As you may not know, Jersey City isn’t the greatest of areas. Actually, I’m lying because it depends where exactly you live in Jersey City. Let’s just say I don’t live in the greatest area. Anyway, the bus I took from my high school dropped me at the very end of the same block that I’m stopped at right now, where I’m waiting on the green light. Quick background: I was a lanky, frail, brown kid that wore braces in high school. On some real shit, the circumference of my bicep at the time was probably a quarter of your kneecap. I was your average teen with fake confidence that could dress his ass off. I mean, I was fucking fly at times. But enough about me and more about me…I really have to learn to stop talking in circles.

During the 2000’s, the two color tone t-shirts were very in. I use to go to Foot Action and get the 5 for $20 tees in like every color…now that I think about it, being fly back then didn’t cost that much money. But yeah, it use to be the white shirt underneath, and then a colored shirt right on top of the white. The white was visible from the sleeve and neck area. I mean you could have switched it up however you wanted but, yeah…this info wasn’t even that vital to the story but now you know, you know?

So yes, the time I got jumped on this block. I came off of the bus ready to trudge up this long ass block to get to my house. I was rocking an all blue t-shirt (with the white tee under, of course, you know how zaddy do). As I’m walking up the block thinking about how I’m gonna fuck up an Ellio’s pizza when I get home, I see a swarm of kids from a nearby high school running in my direction from the opposite end of the block. It looked like they were running away from a fight that was taking place up ahead. Now listen, as a young kid, watching a fight was always intriguing for some reason. I kinda picked up my speed just to get a glimpse of the shit show. But man, these dudes running in my direction were fast…as hell.

Everything from this point was very slow motion. I hear one of the kids running towards me yell: “Yo, look at this mothafucka’ rockin’ that blue shirt. Is he stupid?” There were two colors you had to be stupid to wear in rough neighborhoods and those colors were either red or blue…for obvious reasons. And guess who decided to be stupid that day? Yours truly. Anyways, at this point, I knew they were talking about me and…well, I was about to get my ass beat. The last thing I remember seeing was the distant stoplight that I’m sitting at currently.

One of the kids punched me full force in my right eye. My vision was fucked immediately after this punch. Everything was so hazy and I now saw three to four of the stoplights that I’m still sitting at. The pain was a little too real. I couldn’t even defend myself if I wanted to because right after I attempted to open my eyes, another kid punched me right into the mouth, backing me up into a brick wall. My braces smashed up against my inner lip. Now I saw two to three stop lights and red blood on the floor. This fuckery needed to end soon, I still wanted my Ellios. I’m up against the wall, physically incapable of doing just about anything. The last kid comes up to me and balls his hand up into a fist.

I closed my eyes waiting to be hit and all of a sudden, I hear a lot of honking behind me. I snapped out of it. The light finally turned green…after three whole minutes. And this time I can only see one stop light. But damn. You could really think about some shit at a red light and really be into it…for three minutes. Don’t you just hate green lights?