The Tyler Reese Story

For Reese, things were different. He didn’t quite fit into the community that he was brought up in. His skin tone tended to throw people for a loop because he and his mother didn't necessarily look African-American, even though they were. His plan began when he was 8 years old when his mother was killed. She wanted to leave the environment they were in, but the people she “worked for” didn’t agree with this. Her leaving meant she knew all their secrets, like their operations, their specific routes, their general schedule, the members of their crew and they couldn’t have that. This gang was different from most, they focused on educating their children and then passing on the gang to the most qualified child no matter who the child belonged to. They deeply believed that every generation was different from the last and that no one should be condemned for their parents’ mistakes and short cummings. The last leader of the gang fully took over when he was 17, but he won the challenge when he was 11 and Reese was determined to be one of the two left to do this sacred challenge.

When just about all the boys (sons of the original crew) in the gang were between the ages of 9-11, the challenges began. They were groomed to be next in line. There were 5 groups. Four of them varied in amount from 6-10, but the last group only had three people in it. A nerdy little boy with glasses and two other boys who Reese had seen before but never met. For some reason this was the group that he chose along with one of the main guys’ son, Justys. Justys never admitted it out loud, but he respected Reese because he had a lot of patience, something he knew he lacked. Reese’s skin tone made him a target to get picked on and never once had he fought back, he always simply walked away. Justys understood that Reese had a different view of the world than the rest of them; though he didn’t understand why he choose the smallest and weakest looking group. The task of choosing your group wasn’t just about making or hanging with friends it was a test because the group you chose was meant to be your head crew if you were chosen as leader. And just like that the teams were chosen, and the challenges began.

Every day after school at 3:30, the teams were given tasks and the current head team were the judges. All 8 of them would give them things that they either had to find, accomplish or learn. Each team was given individual tasks that the other knew nothing about. Reese was clever about this he was letting Justys take the lead on everything that way if something went wrong, he could still qualify for the final individual challenges. One task was to take a bag of $20,000 and give it to the client in front of a police officer without looking suspicious. Another was to create a code among your group that no one would know or understand. They did different tasks like these for about a month until it was just them and one other group. It was safe to say that over this period of time Justys and Reese had grown close. Justys now knew Reese or better, yet he knew Tyler, the boy under the hard and silent exterior. It was now time for the final task for the two groups. They were brought into the center of the car lot in front of everyone and were randomly given individual stories. Based on the stories they were supposed to talk their way out of trouble without incriminating anyone in the group. It should be safe to say, you know which group won.

One day after school, Reese was in his room sitting down thinking about the day he found his mother with the bullet in her chest. While thinking about how his aunt, who lived with them, didn't even try to hide it from him, he remembered the bag that he had found next to her body. Going into the other room and rummaging through the closet, he opened the bag and found the little black book. It looked old and worn down almost like his mother had it for a long time. In it had many entries, many that he had already read, but today he flipped to the last one and started reading. It read: I'm tired of this lifestyle, constantly on the wrong side of the law. I want to do things differently and start a fresh. I want to show Tyler a side of the world that isn't all about hustling and making money. He's almost of age for the challenges and I don't want them to pick him. I've been going to church, reading the Bible and praying for a way out for me and Tyler, but it doesnt seem like its coming. I know he heard me say, I want to leave and he's never gonna let me go because i'm too valuable to him. I'm scared. If you're ever reading this Tyler, I'm sorry, I tried, I really tried.

"Yo, Ty they're calling us." Justys ran in saying. It was time for the last challenge and this would determine who took over the reigns in the years to come. After taking the small monkey keychain off the book to remind him of why he was doing this, he went outside and lined up with his team. When all 5 of them were there the leader asked, "Who will be taking the final challenges?" Without fear or hesitation Justys stepped up. That seemed to fill the leader with pride because as a leader you are to show no fear and because Justys was his second's son. Slowly, but surely Reese stepped forward, contemplating if getting deeper in was a good idea, considering that his own mother was trying to get out. He didn't want to betray his mother, but he was dedicated to seeing his plan through. As much as Justys wanted to be leader and he knew that if he were leader, he would want Reese by his side, but that if Reese won, he would follow him just about anywhere. He respected Reese more than Reese would ever know and he loved him more than he cared to admit.

The two tasks were simple control your clan, in other words, can you delegate and finally a speech. Reese couldn’t believe anymore than Justys could. “A speech, by an 11 year old, to grown men?” he asked and the leader said “Yes, make us believe why we should choose you.” Reese’s response was simple, “You don’t have to because Justys would make a great leader, but if you choose me, I’m turning this around. This right here is a company, we manage finances, know imports and exports, so why not be legal. Why not be something better than this? If I'm picked, I don’t want to just be known as your leader, call me CEO…” to be continued