Ch2: Spring Creek

"God damit Thomas, what the fuck are you doing now," said Percy. "You're my buddy, you're my nigger, but I don't wont you to spend this green on some fucking jive-ass stereo." This was my best friend, Percy Washington. At the orphanage friends were hard to come by, especially a friend as loyal and funny as Percy. The 2nd taste of racism I experienced was when I was at the gate of Spring Creek Orphanage when I met the head of the operation, Ms Emily Gerber. My mother had just died of an overdose, and I never had a father. He walked out when I was still in my mother's womb. What the hell, right. My mother probably knew that her addiction would overpower her till the point of death, so she saved the rest of the money she didn't spend on crack for me. Spring Creek was the premier orphanage of its time in Baltimore. Ms. Gerber ran an almost white orphanage with the strict atmosphere of a Nazi interment camp, and she wasn't about to let some coon with a good chunk of money infect the purity of her own. So she put me in with Percy. I looked at Percy as a father and brother, but Percy wouldn't take shit from no one. He didn't however know his limitations, and I sure as hell didn't know mine. But the sky was the limit.

"I'm not going to spend it on some stereo," I said. "I was going to by Winnie a present."

"Oh, I see you would like to be intimate with her." Said Percy.

"No that's not it, I."

"Yes it is," said Percy. "I really don't see you and her have a relationship. One we live in a orphanage, two you're immature."

"And 3rd," I said retaliating with a cutoff of my own. Percy chuckled and I laughed, but as I gained back the ability of breathing I asked the question that started the foundation of our business. "Percy, what are you going to do when you're older?" Percy scratched his head and looked down at the asphalt.

"In all the years that we've known each other you finally ask me this question," said Percy "This is showing me that your growing up, and are coming into your own, and that your worried about the future. You need a job to earn money, and money is happiness. In America, you are invisible without money.

"And love," I said. There was a long silence. "I wont to be an ontropunore. "Heeeey I got an idea, lets go into business together you and me. We can split the profit right down the middle.

"Hmmmmmm………………. Ok, what the fuck."

"Hi Thomas, hello Percy." yelled Winnie from across the street.

"Don't run Ruth said Percy," said Percy. "Its uncouth"

"Your not the boss of me." Said Ruth

"I'm the oldest, meaning I have the right to be the boss of you." Yelled Percy. This was Winnie Ruth Lorna. We called her Ruth because we hated the name Winnie. She came here right after, like a months time difference. She was like no I had ever met before, but then again I had only two friends at that orphanage. With her high energy and free spirited personality, and walk with grace style only slowwitted the warmth of her heart, which was encased in that body of hers. She had outstanding features for someone her age. I can see why she was raped. Ruth wasn't black or white. She was all of the ethnic groups combined. Her mother was a Chicago hoe that belonged to various gangs around the metropolitan, and after all that intercourse she was born. Her intelligent to her wit to her mind, body, and soul were all originated from all the gangbanging that was done to Ruth's mother. Although her mother came from Chicago, she was a southern bell, born and bred in Atlanta Georgia. She had that southern ignorance too. Ruth was like a sister and along with Perisy's comradely brotherly attributes; we were like a real family. Nothing could separate our companionship, and no cage could hold the astonishing monumental love and respect we had for one another closed. Especially the love I had for Ruth.

But then it happened……………. The day I met my new white parents.