Akita on Boroughs Avenue

There was a girl named Akita who lived in Washington D.C.. Akita was 13 years old and lived with her parents on Nannie Helen Boroughs Ave. N.E. Akita liked to walk to the neighborhood corner store. That was one of the things that made her day. She liked to go there and buy peppermint sticks. To Akita there was nothing like a big fat peppermint stick with the bold red stripes. On this Friday Akita went there and brought 6 peppermint sticks to make sure she had enough for all weekend. On the way home Akita saw her friend Katalia sitting on the steps. Akita busted out, hay Katalia I have some peppermint sticks, would you like to have some. Sure, how many did you get Akita. I went and got 6 sticks to make sure that I have enough for the weekend. I will take 1 Akita, I am going to the store later to get some to. When I get some I will give you one of mine. Katalia what comes on T.V. tonight. You asked the right person, my favorite show Soulfood, it comes on channel 19 at 9:00 pm. Girl I have got to see my boyfriend Amaud play on his girls. He is my favorite person on the show, I have not missed a episode since the show came on. I like to watch Bird & Lem, they have gotten back together and doing real good. “POP-POP,BANG-BANG-BANG”, The girls hit the pavement, It is another shooting up the street. It looks like the 17 year old boy who lives near Akita. Katalia says, “ girl we have to move out of here it is getting worse. That is why I sit on my steeps, it is to much happening. I agree with you, my Father said we are going to move too. You like me, I go to the store, school, church and my steps. Akita thinks, life at the Boroughs Ave. homes is rough. This is supposed to be the Nations Capital. It is more like Dodge City everyday. My last seven years, I ducked drug dealers, bullets, and everyday that you wake up…you just don’t know. I have got to find a way that my family can move. Maybe I can get a job, or something like help my Dad & Mom get a second job. I will look in the newspaper everyday and see if I find anything. I will start tomorrow looking in Saturdays paper, and Sundays paper. Sundays Washington Post has a huge job section, I will be sure to find something there. Akita sits on her steps and notices the Police cars up the street. The boy who got shot was the 17 year old who lives a few doors away. Akita doe’s not know him but has seen him walking to and fro. Akita notices his Mother crying down where the crowd is. Akita thinks, it must be a terrible thing to have a loved one shot at a young age. She sits and thinks of how many in her neighborhood in the last three years that have been shot, or killed. The vast thought, of too many, and to young in such a short time in life. Akita thinks if she had the resources she would write a book, “Life on Boroughs Avenue”. She has seen many things happen on Boroughs Ave., so numerous she doe’s not know where to begin. There was the time that the old man was hung by drug dealers for calling the police on them. They took him on the third floor of that vacant building one night about 1:00 in the morning. He was found the next day, because one of the cold-hearted drug dealers called the police to report it. They did this to send a message to the neighborhood to mind their own business. The worst part of it is that they laughed at him and all of us. It was liked they did not care about us or people in the neighborhood, the drug dealers ruled the neighborhood. They wanted us scared to death of them, day and night.