THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GAME BY BARETTA WILFORD

As I set here on my bunk in this dumb ass dorm with 250 people here my bunkie jump down and asked me. Hey old school how much time you got in. I tell him i’m on my 25th year and still counting. He said damn dawg what you do. You was putting that work huh, you a gangtas. I Ask him,how old are you? He said he is 22. I said what you in for. He said getting money. I look at his feet,his bed,what he had on,I knew his box ain’t have shit in it. So I said it seems you new a new job. He said why you say that? I said when I look at you I don’t see money. He get mad. I tell him don’t get mad i’m just calling it like I see it.He said old school you don’t know shit. I said I do know this doe. He sa know. I said let me tell you about the otherside of the game. See when I Was 11 years old I did not have no one to tell me what i’m about to tell you. So don’t be to hard to take some game from someone who fuck up his life thinkin that it’s love in them street’s. Them street’s is cold and will eat you up and move on to the next nigga in line. See I was out there when crack was the top drug. Now my people had alittle money,but my dad let my mom handle the money and GOD love her soul,but she was cheap. So I didn’t get to dress as good as some of my friends, So i’m from ParkWood,the bolck back then was Lakeview. Boy it was jumppin like nothink you ever seem. Man it was 70 people out there selling crack. Then this dude name lil-man from 108th and St.Clair
pulled down on me and my dude E and asked if we wanted to make some money. I said shit,why not. So that was my first day selling crack. I couldn’t even add the money up good enough yet to be real. I’m seeing things alittle boy shouldn’t see. I’m up in dope house’s,that was before the word traphouse was useed. You young boys think it’s crazy now. Let me tell you this it was real crazy in the 80s,wasn’t no cell phones with cameras to see everything. I seen kids young as 10 get turned out on crack,babies sold for crack,I was 12 when I seen someone get killed. I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t get back up.but it was not the last time i’ve seen it. Now the game ain’t as fun as you my think. See people don’t never talk about the bad shit that come at you. This fucking life ain’t no fucking rap song!!!!!! They say that’s arap,or cut or some shit after there done. In them streets shit real 24/7 and if you doing to much niggas comming to see ya. Now i’m 11 years old who the hell can I stop from taking something from me. I’m a kid. So yeah i’ve been robbed,beatup and robbed. Now when you in that life it will do one Of two things. It will KILL YOU NOW,OR KILL YOU LATER!! It will turn you into someone that you will not recognize. It took me an 11 year old made me into a killer.I’m 42 years old and I been in & out of jails &prison for over 27 years. Do that seem cool to you? Bruh I can tell you all about them street. But damn I wish I had someone to sit me down
and tell me if I don’t stop I will go to prison. Shit by going to juvenile I thought shit was a game. I sure didn’t know that they will put you in prison and forget about your ass. And please don’t think that this 25 years I did was sweet,becasue that’s bullshit. Ain’t nothing sweet about this shit. Bruh the world pasted me by. I live only through books and t.v.
people tend to forget about you because they living there life. Try being part of a family through the phone,let me tell you shit don’t work bruh. Yeah they gone tell you all kind of shit. Then when the phone hang up they may just forget about you,they don’t mean to,but they living man and once they got you in prison it’s like you in a different world.
Man I fuck them streets !! I would give anything to get another shot at life outside these walls.but I don’t know if I will ever get the chance to,because I fucked up and took someone’s life. And I have to pay for that for the rest of my life. I hurt not just my victim,but his family & friends. And i’m not gone try to sound tough play this shit real. I have to deal with that for the rest of my life. And it’s not something that’s eazy to do. You look at me,nigga!! LOOK AT ME!!!! Do you think you can live this life!! I do the same shit everyday for years to come. And because I was in them streets this what I got. No I don’t want you to feel sorry for
me I just want you to learn from my mistakes because I don’t want no one to walk in my shoes. You say you was getting money. Yeah me to. I had the toys before most dudes my age in my hood,but they take all that shit once you get that number. So why don’t you try getting a job? He say hell nall. I just smile at his dumb ass. I say do you know your math?? He say yeah.so I said what was ya buyin? He say don’t worry about it. So I say dig look check this out. The money you make in the
street for one don’t last because you make it fast and spend it faster,plusyou can’t buy shit with it but an old ass car. Them you got to worry about the Alphabet boys comming to take it or the jack boyz,but the man who we thought was a sucka who went to work everyday don’t got to worry about none of that shit. And guess whay bunkie? His money go way longger than dope money and while we doing these bits he still making money. And damn he got all that pussy to his self. Don’t you want some pussy?? Hell yeah he said. That nigga we thought was a sucka getting sucked on right now,and ya girl might be doing da sucking. My bunkie didn’t like that,but it’s real. So i’ve learnned that we is the sucka bruh. Look man I beg you to don’t give up on yourself. Do you want to be stuck like me. Dawg I never even seen a woman in a thong in real life ha-ha. Shit what I wouldn’t give to be out there just to walk outside and look at the stars. Bunkie you never what you got till it’s took
away from you. Everyday I wake up I wish I could give back the lifeI took.So I hope you hear me bunkie.

Baretta Wiford
DOC #A291-175