Episode 1: "Brothers Gonna Work It Out"

The cream-colored Mercedes M-Class bounced erratically along the dirt road. Small pebbles finding there way into the wheel-well caused a racket, making it hard to listen to Snoop Dogg's "I Wanna Rock" joint that was pumping out the booming speakers. Clouds of dust obscured the fading skyline of New York City that Kareem witnessed in the rear-view mirror. He pushed the car over fifty miles per hour while bouncing to the music, continuously hitting bump after bump. Evidently he didn't care about the road conditions, or the well-being of the Mercedes...since it wasn't his to care about. The owner of the Mercedes sat next to Kareem in the passenger seat. Andre was none too pleased on how his younger brother was treating his ride.


"Don't you think you oughta slow it down," Andre calmly asked in his deep baritone voice.


"Learn to pay your parking tickets on time, and I wouldn't have to be your chauffeur," Kareem came back without missing a beat. He was still cruising over fifty.


"Do me a favor, and just slow it down," Andre demanded. "As far as my suspended license, they have me mixed up with another Andre Jenkins," he said unconvincingly. Kareem laughed.


"Tell it to the judge, don't tell me," he said as the car made a heavy dip to one side.


Andre stared at Kareem. He couldn't stand his brother's lack of respect for anything that wasn't his. The cocky attitude was going to get him in big trouble one day. With just four years separating them, he just couldn't figure out why they were so different. Kareem was over six feet tall, had dreadlocks, neatly tied back into a ponytail. He stayed clean-shaven, showing off his smooth dark complexion. He was sporting some major bling on four of his fingers, and on his wrist. Always had to have on shades, even in the evening. The problem with him was that he knew he was a pretty boy. Being black, twenty-four years old, and conceded was a bad combination, Andre thought.


Taking a peek in the side-view mirror, Andre saw the major difference between the two. He was laid back, and on the short side, maybe five feet eleven inches at most. Somewhat nerdy, except for the deep tone of his voice, which seemed strange coming from someone his size. Some would say he looked like Mos Def with the horn-rimmed glasses. He was blessed with a smoothness that attracted all the ladies, but unlike Kareem, Andre was a one-woman man. Always had a clean cut, and the only bling Andre had was a charm he kept on a chain around his neck, for which he was so protective of.


"Why are we still on this dirt road? Why didn't you take the main highway to get to East Jersey State Prison?" Andre asked Kareem, who glanced at him over the top of his shades, then turned up the music without saying a word. That was enough for Andre. He put the gear in neutral, then turned the auto key off, slowing the Mercedes down. Dust surrounded the car once it stopped, eventually settling onto the car to turn the cream color to a dusty tan.


Kareem instinctively grabbed Andre's collar, and slammed him up against the passenger door. Andre countered with a blow to the chest, loosening Kareem's grip. That gave him a chance to get him into a headlock. They both wrestled for a few moments. Not getting anywhere, they stopped. Breathing heavily, the brothers cautiously gave each other a stare and backed off.


"What the fuck, man?!" shouted Kareem.


"You don't listen. You never have! I told you to slow the car down. Why is it you have a problem listening to good advice?" Andre's voice went up a notch while yelling at Kareem.


"I don't listen to punk ass bitches like you. Don't ever put your hands on me again," fumed Kareem. His fists were clinched, waiting for Andre to even hint at throwing a punch.


"Out the driver's seat. I'm driving," demanded Andre. He stepped out the passenger seat, and made his way to the driver's side. Kareem took his time, but eventually opened the door.


"I don't have to do shit!" Kareem took his time getting out the seat. When he stood up, he stared down Andre, who wasn't backing down. Andre was a tough cookie, and Kareem knew it. He moved out the way and paced behind the car. "This is bullshit. Why we even dealing with this joker? I barely know him! He was always in lockup since I can remember. Remind me, why are we even picking him up to travel down south?" Kareem was frustrated. Dust was all on his clothes and in his locks.


"Why am I even dealing with you," screamed Andre. He was also frustrated. Always the cool one, but his brother killed his patience all the time. He took a deep breath to calm down. "Listen, I told you already that he's got a job lined up, and needs partners. That's us. The pay is great from what I hear, and we can use the dough, right? It's only for three weeks, man. Brooklyn's not going anywhere. It'll be the same shit, on a different day. Only, in three weeks, you'll be richer."


Kareem stopped pacing, then looked at his iphone, not really paying attention to what he was seeing. He needed the money for sure, but he had a bad feeling about this. Andre notice all the dust in Kareem's locks.


"When are you ever gonna cut that mess off?" He sarcastically asked Kareem.


"Whenever you get a tat to cover that bald spot, that's when," Kareem shot back. He got into the passenger seat and slammed the door, waiting for Andre to take over.


Eventually, they got going again...Andre driving, and finding his way on to the main road. It wasn't long after that when they spotted the dome of the prison surfacing the horizon. They got to a security area, where the gate man gave them dirty looks.


"State your reason for being here," said the guard. Andre cleared his throat, then spoke.


"We're here to pick up Carlos Jenkins. Here's a copy of his release papers." Andre watched the guard carefully scan through the blurb, then gave the brothers that dirty look again. He suddenly felt nervous, remembering that he didn't have a license to drive.


"Look for the sign that says 'Prisoner Release' on your right. you can't miss it." The guard raised the post, letting Andre and Kareem through. About a quarter of a mile away Kareem pointed to the sign. Andre turned in, and pulled up to a thick iron fence gate. With perfect timing, a hulking figure appeared on the inside of the gate. With a few clinking sounds the gate slowly opened, presenting this huge, muscle-bound man in jeans and a tightly fitted T-shirt. Andre and Kareem turned to each other and silently gasped. When they turned back to this giant, he was already bending down through the passenger's side window.


"Good seeing my brothas again. Let's hit the road, shall we?"