by Ca$H
Man Dog heads to the kitchen, returning with a butcher knife. He hands it to Nard with a sinister smile.
“I’ma cutt off your daughter’s fingers one at a time, until you get naked, bitch,” Nard snarls at Mama.
“Wait!” Mama cries and gets undressed.
I close my eyes and turn my head away when Big Nasty forces Mama onto her hands and knees, and positions Lil Nasty behind her.
I can hear Mama crying. Danyelle, too.
“Peep that shit, yo! Lil Nasty tearing that old beat up pussy up!” Nard laughs sadistically.
“He can fuck all night. Gave him some crushed up Viagra,” I hear Big Nasty say.
They all laugh.
Nard allows the dog to violate Mama for what seems like a half hour. I’m so sorry, Mama, I cry silently.
“Lil Nasty, you want some slow neck? Tamika is good at that shit.”
Hell no! This nigga gon’ just have to kill me.
“Bitch, give Lil Nasty some neck!” Nard says, grabbing me by the hair and slinging me down. I wonder where CJ’s at.
“No, Nard, I’m not doing it!”
Boc! Boc! Boc! Mama’s head explodes from the sudden eruption of Nard’s gun. Danyelle and I both scream. Big Nasty shoots Danyelle right between the eyes! I cower up against the base of my entertainment center.
“Please don’t, Nard!”
“I don’t have no pity for you, bitch!” he snarls over the dog’s barking. He rips open his shirt, and I see that he has gotten a tat’ across his chest. It reads: Loyalty or Death.
The bullet rips through my face as I try to scurry up onto my feet. A second shot rips into my side. I stumble over an ottoman as a third shot brings darkness…
TO BE CONTINUED
In-depth interview of Cash by Nene Capri (author of The Pussy Trap)
NC: Tell us, who is Cash the Author?
CASH: I’m like all people. I’m complex and multi-dimensional. I’m a father, a brother and a friend. As an individual, I’m a man who is conscious of my origin and my own god power. I have, above all, a fierce deleshmation atone for the harm I’ve caused before I elevated to this level of understanding.
NC: Where did you get the inspiration to write your books?
CASH: I’ve always been a writer at heart but the streets had me in its unrelenting clutches for a long time. On lock, I’ve been able to put my energy into writing and my inspiration comes from within. I did not want my crime to be the final chapter to my story.
NC: What sets your books apart from other books in the same genre?
CASH: My books will never border on make-believe. Of course there are some other authors who rock the same way. There’s nothing new in the hoods that we write about, I just strive to tell my story more profoundly and with a strong message.
NC: As an author, what is your writing process? How long does it take you from start to finish?
CASH: Well, for me it all begins with a message that I want to send. Then a title comes to mind. I can’t proceed without either. And my pen won’t flow fluidly if I don’t have an ending in mind. It’s like life, if you don’t know where you’re headed how can you know which direction to take? Now, a book can take a few months to write or a few years. It depends on how the story grows on me. Once I become the characters, it’s no stopping my pen.
NC: As an African American author do you see your work as being relatable to a general public?
CASH: I consider the general public to mean mainstream. There are morals in my stories that anyone from any walk of life can relate to because loyalty, deception, love, betrayal, greed, heart break and perserverance is not limited to urban life. However, mainstream might not like the grittiness with which I write. But that doesn’t fade me, I write for my people, which is anyone who feels me. I’ll never sugarcoat my pen for sales. I tell it like it is so nobody is left disillusioned. You wanna thug it? Well, thugs cry too. Your gun ain’t the only one that will pop off. And prison ain’t no picnic. They get you in here and snatch away your life. A few get away but they got scars on their souls. That’s how I write it because that’s the truth.
NC: Urban fiction has a lot of negative press as being a “so-called” bad influence on the youth and perpetuating black sterotypes. What are your thoughts on that?
CASH: People always criticize what they don’t like or agree with. Street-lit aint nothing but telling it like it is. You can’t hide the truth and you shouldn’t try. In the hood people look out of their front doors and see the very thing that street-lit portrays. And anybody that follows the genre but is not caught up in that life is not going to go change their stripes because of a book. They read it for entertainment and to learn about a life they want no part of. Speaking for myself only, there’s the glitz and glitter in my books along with the consequences. I put it all out there and let the reader see that it’s not a fairytale. When a book misrepresents the game, and portrays it to be all peaches and cream, that’s when I trash it.
NC: What do you want the readers to get out of your work?
CASH: I want readers to always gain a better understanding of the hood through my stories. I want them to understand that all misbehavior is not a flaw in the person’s soul. Circumstances matter too. Don’t try to tell me that if your plate runs over with food, what you won’t do for a meal is the same as what you wouldn’t do if you were starving. On the other hand, there’s always consequences for your actions, and there’s really no right way to do a wrong thing.
NC: What type of literature does Cash read?
CASH: I’m an insatiable reader. I read everything but science fiction and fantasy. If it can’t happen, I’m not wasting my time.
NC: What can we expect from you in the future?
CASH: In the future, you can expect more classics from my pen, and a few collaborations with other authors. But writing is a platform for me to ultimately be in a position to positively affect the lives of my urban brethren, so look for me to do that. That is my duty.
NC: There is a lot of passion in you and it is refreshing. Are there any thoughts you would like to leave us with?
CASH: Yes, indeed. As a man who’s been in prison for 21 years I urge you not to forget about your family members and friends on lock. Brothers and sisters behind bars have nothing if they don’t have family support. Peace.
NC: Thank you Cash for taking the time to do this interview with us, we wish you continued success.
