Chapter 1
It was July 26, 2004 in West Philadelphia. Della, an elderly woman from the neighborhood, was out in one of the playgrounds around the hood just trying to get some air and away from the noise of her house. Until she heard a few gunshots and had to go back in as usual. "I swear to god you people never learn." "These shots are too goddamn loud!" I'm gettin too old fuh dis!" She got up slowly, but only because of her bad back, beleive it or not she was still perfectly capable of running since she had grew up here in West Philly and had ended up in the crossfire of a few gangwars the boyfriends of her youth were involved in. They usually got her to safety, but unfortunately were never able to save themselves. They either died getting her out of the way or shortly after going back in to fight themselves. She eventually got with ex gang member Tyrone, who six months later she had her son Elijah with. She hoped this time she wouldn't end up loosing another love of her life to the violence of the gangs. Alas, her greatest fears were realized on January 5th 1980, the day Elijah was born. His ex gang leader had tracked him down and was there with several other armed men ready to kill him for leaving the gang. He yelled, "We know your in there you son of a bitch!" "I been waitin for the day to shoot your ass down!" "Get the hell outside before I get in there!" The baby in Della's arms had only been born early that morning, it wailed uncontrollably. Tyrone, the man she had grown to love more than any of the others before him, who left the gang to put his life of violence behind him grabbed his pistol and loaded it for the last time. Della screamed and cried, "NO!" "NO!" "NOOOOO!!!!" "NOT YOU TOO!!!!" She held onto his arm tight as he tried to shake her off and she cried, "I love you! Stay with me, stay with your son!" He replied, "Get off!" "As soon as I open that door run for your lives." "I'll get em away from yaw and hold them off long as I can." "You need to stay alive for Elijah now, because I can't." He ran into the night with a stream of bullets after him, shooting behind himself as he ran. He planned to run right into the enemy gang's territory hoping they'd follow him in and both gang's would end up finally killing each other off. It was a dark night, too dark to notice the graffiti which the enemy gang used to mark their territory, they followed him in and the largest gang war in history began. Tyrone of course, died in the fray, and the two gangs were reduced to almost nothing. So many shots were fired that police had heard them before getting a single call. By the end of the night a plethora of both gangsters and police officers were in body bags, and the few who didn't escape during the gunfight were arrested. Tyrone's plan had for the most part worked, or so it might've seemed. His girlfriend Della, mother of their first and only child, had already ran for her and her little boy's life to a train station in the oppositie direction. Once they arrived, they boarded a train to Frankford Transportation Center, and once there they got on SEPTA bus 84 to Bustleton County Line. It dropped them off at a stop right in front of her sister's house, her address was 7256 Edmund St. She opened the door in horror to see her little sister exhausted with a baby in her arms... without Tyrone. Della told her older sister everything (her name was Kenya) and she decided to let her stay temporarily since they both thought it would only be a matter of time before the gang eventually found her and young Elijah as well. They had no idea that the majority of both gangs were dead, until the next morning when it was all over the news. Della returned to West Philly with the child Elijah. Despite the utter devestation of the death of Tyrone, for the first time in her life, Della felt safe in her hometwon of West Philadelphia. This is where she was born and raised, and she was happy that on the playground her son would be able to spend most of his days. Chillin out, maxin, relaxin all cool. Shootin some B-ball outside of the school and wouldn't have to worry bout a couple of guys who were up to no good. Start makin trouble in the neighborhood. If he got in one little fight she'd get scared and make em move with his aunty and uncle in Bel-Air. Elijah was able to live a relatively normal life until he turned sixteen. The gangs that had killed his father so long ago were finally starting to form again and he was a target of the leaders, they had no idea he was the son of the man who ended both gangs but Elijah was all too aware. His mother had scared him with the story of what happened to Tyrone the day he was born, so every year on his birthday he wasn't allowed to blow out the candles until after he and his mom hugged each other in a moment of silence. This is how they honored him every year for saving their lives. He attended West Philadelphia Public High School, which is basically feared today as the place where gangs are born. The number of young men attending the school becoming gangsters became so large they ended up in the same classes as Elijah. There were times when they would try to make him join by force, and don't worry he didn't end up moving with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air since he always won the fights. Unfortunately his stength made him a larger target, since he was 6'2 and his longer legs and height made him faster and stronger than even most gangsters, he could become a powerful ally if they got him to join. One day after absolutely destroying seven guys who had attempted to beat him into joining, a girl finally noticed Elijah. Her name was Jade, she was one of those girls that all the guys liked but she would strangely reject every guy that asked her out. That was because while most girls in the school were already dating gangsters, Jade was the kind of girl who wasn't into bad boys and wanted to find a gentlemen who she beleived just had to exist somewhere in this part of Philly (even if it was the west). Elijah had liked Jade for quite a while so he decided it was now or never, and made his move. The next day just as everyone was coming into the school he pulled her aside and said, "Excuse me ma'am but school is cancelled for you today, lets have some fun!" So they went to the safe haven of all teenagers, Mcdonalds. They ate an embarrasing amount of Mcgriddles while Elijah flirted her face off. He'd break jokes so bad they were good such as: "Your the only girl able to make this black man blush." Then she would blush. It was truly adorable. Then when the end of the school day neared they went under the bleahcers, the real safe haven of all teenagers and before saying anything he went in for a kiss, and got it. Lifting up his head from her he said, "Will you go out with this reddidsh black man?" She grabbed his face and before kissing him, she said, "Of course I'll go out with you, you dork." To protect her from becoming a target of the gangsters they never told anyone they were dating, the relationship was kept a secret between only the two of them. After graduating Jade moved in with Elijah and his mother Della (Yeah this guy still lived with his mom, but he worked as her caregiver so stop laughing at him). They decided they wanted six years to themselves before they had kids, and on June 23, 2003 their son Mike was born. Coming back to present day, Della heard again the uncomtrollable cry of a baby in distress and it took her back to all those years ago... without hesitation she ran in the direction of the child's cry she saw in the distance a Latino looking baby boy. Without thinking she swept it up and took him home with her. Little did she was making the best descision of her life, and this little Latino and baby Mike would be the Best of Friends.
