"A Little Magic" by John Kaniecki

A Little Magic

            My name is Earl but on the corner they call me Big E. Allow me to illustrate to you a typical day at my occupation.  It's a dirty job but somebody got to do it.  I like to present my job with the title of private entrepreneur. If you come from where I come from you'd be smiling right about now. If you ain't from where I come from, don't you dare get some self righteous grin. Cause if you do I am going to smack it right off of your face.

          Among other things my associates and I serve as a welcome committee to those visiting the hood. A lot of my cliental are truly scared to travel in my domain. But don't talk down about it now. Cause if you talk down about it, it only proves that you ain't never been down there. Yeah we went from the ghetto to the projects. But now it's the hood. See here there's plenty of ‘hood’, in 'brotherhood' and 'sisterhood'. We are a community and somebody from the outside just can't understand that.

          Right now here comes some 'white' boy from uptown. Observe me as I approach the car, like I was going to chill with some home boys. Notice how he only opens the window only as much as necessary. He's trying to play it cool. Look how he keeps his right hand over a bulge in his jacket. What my client is trying to do is to indicate he is carrying a weapon, in particular a gun. But I know that he is bluffing. I can read the university decal on the back windshield saying N.J.I.T.  That translates into New Jersey Institute of Technology. I will guarantee you that no college boy from that school is packing a piece. As a future engineer he may design weapons of mass destruction. But as far as using one, forget it.

          Now our visitor thinks that he's cool. To him this transaction is the week's excitement.  "What you want?" I ask through the partially open window.

          "A little grass," he replies.

          I motion with a hand single what he wants to my partners. We do offer a diverse selection of products.  I tell him "drive down one block." This guys been here before, he knows the routine.  He'll meet the connection and pay his money. Later on I'll settle up with my partners. There is a trust factor built in amongst us. Worse thing you could do is betray a brother. That's cause a brother is watching your back.

          We get our share of them 'white' folks coming down here to do some business. Money is money and we don't discriminate at all. Of course some fool from the university thinking he's so cool is going to get charged five times the real rate. But hell, he'll go back to his fraternity or dorm floor and make five times his money. But they are outsiders. They are not part of the family. If they were they would do more then come down here just to get substances to get high on.

          That pale skinned customer of mine will return to his engineering school and talk us down. I've visited parties there personally. When they're down here I see them quaking in fear. When they're safe and comfortable uptown the entire story changes. You heard the music blaring from the car, didn't you? It was some mad rapper. When they get on the highway I'll bet you they turn on some rock and roll. Unless its Jimi Hendrix there's no connection, separate worlds translate to separate realities.

          A lot of people like that think they know us down in here in the 'hood' by our music. I'm talking about rap and hip hop. Those people, and might I add, narrow in mind, fail to realize some basic facts about the inner city. Not only do we have our rap, but we have our gospel, jazz and blues as well. I am proud of my heritage cause I know where I am coming from and I know where I am going.

          My corner is in the South Ward of Newark on the intersection of Davis Street and Excelsior Avenue. If you drove down from the border of Irvington into Newark down Excelsior Avenue until it ends at Siakake Park you will find no less then a dozen houses of worship if not more. I have never bothered to actually count the number. Aside from the mosque, a block away from my corner, the remainder is of some Christian variety. My point is that the numbers of faithful far outnumber businessmen such as me. So why when you think of the hood do you think of thugs like me? I ain't even a thug but I know my psychology. If you think I'm a thug you will act in according manner and not dare cheat me on a deal.

          Well you see we got this diversity and community which brings me to Elan. Elan if I may say so was a trip. Most peculiar dude I ever knew or would care to know to be honest. But I don't want to get ahead of my story.

          I first saw Elan when I was standing on my corner. Situated on my corner is a store owned by a very nice man name Sal. Sal is from the Middle East somewhere.  I make a note of that because it is a reality that in the hood almost nothing is owned by the people who live down there. But Sal is a brother as is his wife Mary a sister. As I said they are nice and respectable people. I'll get my coffee there and maybe a sandwich. Sometimes Sal will yell at us for standing in front of his store entrance. But hey he's got his business and I got mine.

          Elan always went to the store at night. Elan to put it mildly is very different. He is the blackest dude I've ever seen. I mean you look at the man and it seems that he literally sucks in light, like he's a black hole in a distant galaxy. I have a wild imagination but it never crossed my mind that the dude might not be human. I've learned a thing or two in life, its called experience. Now when I hear Jimi Hendrix ask "Are you experienced?" I can honestly say yes. But again, I am getting slightly ahead of myself.

          A funny thing about Elan was that the dude only came out at night. Like I said he is extremely dark. He would walk down towards Sal's store on the corner and he’d be almost on me and I'd just notice that he was there. Elan was a person of average height, with a very frail frame. His signature trademark was that he wore a black wool pull over hat on his head. I mean he wore it even in the summer heat.

          Now one thing about Elan too was that he only came out at night. Most people who lived around my corner would do just the opposite. A lot of action happened at night on the corner, business transactions and such. It is true that sometimes the bullets flied. I know the names of at least four people in the past three years shot dead on the corner.  Most people in the neighborhood therefore were afraid of venturing out at night.  Not Elan. He went out exclusively at night.

          Now some of my peeps or associates they would make fun of Elan. I really don't know why. I imagine it was his very frail appearance. He was also a mild individual. He would sometimes say hello but never bothered to stop for conversation. Elan absolutely never conducted any business with us. Good for him you know! But some of my so called friends would talk Elan down, like he was nothing. However I respected Elan.  Despite his frail frame, I knew that muscles were not the only thing that made a person dangerous in a fight. I couldn't have been more right on.

          Elan had been in our vicinity in the hood for about six months. As I said he never really bothered with us so we never really bothered with him. He was like the lamp post, or the street, one of the residents, simply part of the neighborhood. So it was when I ventured onto Davis Street to a car with dark windows to inquire about a potential sale my life was forever changed. The tinted window of the Cadillac descended and I checked out the occupants. It was the number one thing on the rules for survival in making a deal. My alarms flashed right away. There were for white gorillas. I mean these dudes looked bad. Worse even then the state police! It was like they were Army Rangers or some other special killing force.

          The driver beckoned me to come near with his waving finger. I wished I had visited one of those houses of worship on Excelsior Avenue because I was certain I was either going to die or go to jail. But if you're going to say something about Big E, it is that I can keep my cool. So with my heart beating like a wild drum I calmly said, "What's up?"

          "We're looking for this individual," said the driver handing me a drawing. I mean it was a hand drawn sketch. It was an exact replica of Elan. I was stunned in silence.

          "Well have you seen him?" the man demanded fiercely.

          I was about to spill the beans. I was going to say yeah this is Elan and he lives half way up the block. I mean who cares what happens to him as long as I survive? These people seemed to be serious players. But as I was about to confess I found my mouth saying, "Nay good sir, I have never seen such a character. But if perchance I do, may I have some way to contact you?"

          "Give him our number" grumbled one. There was a pause and I was handed a business card. The driver in the car snatched back the drawing of Elan that he handed me and they sped away. I looked down at the business card, where on the one side was written a scrawled number. On the other side was an advertisement for a business, "Knight Security." My mind was twirling like it was a tropical drink with some chick stirring it with a straw.

          It was a cold night and I was looking to end my business early. The four gorillas and my strange answer had really freaked me out! What in the world had happened to my tongue? Being self employed so to speak I had the option of dictating my hours. Of course I had to get along with my associates but we were pretty tolerant. Some kind of instinct told me that tonight was going to be something unusual and it would best to avoid it all together.

          Then I saw Elan coming down the street. He was acting odd. He was standing under a street lamp. Like I said it was a trip because it seemed as if he was absorbing the light. Well I got distracted by a car that pulled up. I went over to do my job. "What's up?"

I started.

          An African American lady lowered her window half an inch. "I'm only going to Kelly Street," she said in a nervous tone. I backed off. It is a good thing to be feared and it is a bad thing as well. To me it was just another aspect of life I had to accept. People from the hood would understand that. Makes you think when people cross the street to avoid walking by you.

          Well I retreated back to the sidewalk on the corner and there was Elan. "I have to speak to you," he said. His voice had this squeaky metallic sound in it.

          I got real nervous now. Elan never spoke to us outside of 'hello' and 'have a nice day'. I knew for certain that I didn't want to get involved with those four dudes that were looking for him. I mean all wild thoughts came into my mind. This Elan I knew nothing of, maybe he was some big time player escaping some heat. "I'm kind of busy," I mumbled under my breath looking to vanish away.

          "I'm afraid I must insist," said Elan as he took his hand and placed it on mine. His touch was cold and then freezing. Suddenly my belly felt like it took a Mike Tyson uppercut. I crumpled over and almost fell to the sidewalk.

          All my associates now began to notice and they flocked towards me. "What's the matter?" they cried.

          I was going to say 'kill the mother,' when to my surprise my mouth spoke, "It must be some bad Chinese food."

          All my friends well they had some grand laugh. "Man we thought the skinny dude nailed you with a punch," said Mickey Jones with a mocking grin. "Should I get you some meds?" he wondered.

          I shook my head in disbelief. Elan took my hand and we walked down Excelsior Avenue away from my corner. We had gotten to the next block when he said to me. "I believe you have something I want?"

          "Sure take my money," I said.

          Elan laughed. It was a dark experience. His cackle was sinister and evil sounding to my ears. "No Earl, the card."

          I reached into my pocket and gave him the card that the four gorillas had given me. "Sure take it," I said, "I didn't want it anyway."

          He took the card and looked at it real hard for a long time. The card actually hummed and glowed as if enchanted. Then a grand smile came to his face like he had won the lottery or something of that nature. "I'll need you to do me a favor."

          "Sure Elan," I said. I was starting to get real spooked out about this thing. Something was not natural about my recent circumstances. Then Elan told me what he wanted me to do.

          I said, "You’re out of your freaking mind," in a defiant answer.

          Elan looked at me real long and then said. "I can of course kill you or worse." There was something in the matter-of-fact way that he spoke, that I knew that he wasn't bluffing. Somehow I knew that Elan had killed before and most likely killed more than once. People who never killed talked big about killing. People I knew who have done time talk small about their deeds.  I was terrified.  What did he mean by 'or worse'? With no real options then running away for good I agreed.

***

          The same dark tinted window Cadillac pulled up. One of my associates ran up there just like I did three nights ago thinking they were coming to buy some of our products. It was High Wire Carter who approached the vehicle. High Wire was a dude always strong out. Meth and coke were his drugs of choice. As a result he was always on the edge. When he saw the four dudes in the Caddy he took off and ran. "Police," he screamed.

          Yelling 'police' in the 'hood' was just like yelling 'wolf' in the village except it had the opposite effects. Instead of everybody running to the rescue, everybody was running to escape. But I knew the situation and if I could trust Elan, I was certain that these four individuals were not with law enforcement, at least not law enforcement from this era.

          I went up to the car and one of them yelled in recognition, "There he is."

          "Hey what's up?" I said full of fake joy extending my hand to shake it. The man in the driver's seat looked at me real hard and then finally shook my hand.

          "You can tell us where Elan is?" the man asked in a rough voice.

          I am very good at my business, it is why not only have I survived, but I have prospered. Part of the art of the deal is to be aware of what all individuals in your vicinity are doing. So I noticed in the back one of the men fingering a large knife. I suspected that they suspected something wasn't on the up and up. I had called them telling them that I knew where Elan was. However they were insistent on me giving them his address and I was insistent on them meeting with me.

          "Hey be cool," I said, "I'm just looking for a little cash."

          "Thieves don't change," said the one riding shotgun and the car erupted in laughter. The humor put them at ease.

          I then reached in my pocket and took out a small black wand the Elan had given me. I pointed it at the occupants. Suddenly the world transformed. The four white gorillas were now dressed in blue state police uniforms. The black Cadillac became a police cruiser. The small black wand transformed into a gun. Then there were four successive pops though I didn't pull any trigger. Blood was flowing from each of the car's occupants. I ran in terror. I wanted to toss down the gun but Elan had warned me not to do so under any circumstances. It was a stern admonishment, "Toss down the rod and you will be worse off then dead."

          So I ran down the street in terror. I had just shot four state police in a police car killing them execution style!! The name of Big E would go down in history I thought. Big E would also fry on the electric chair, if I made it alive that long in custody.

          Then I remembered that I was a ghetto defender. I was a soldier in a drug war. If you ain't from the hood I am certain you don't understand. If you ain't from the hood I am pretty certain that you don't even want to try to understand. No you prefer to remain living in your black and white world of absolutes. Where the police are good, outstanding citizens and those involved in occupations like mine are the scum of the Earth, deserving of death and more. You see, I can see through your eyes but you can't see through mine.

          I calmed down and stopped running. Something strange was going on. I had never taken LSD so I knew I wasn't tripping. This Elan had powers. It must be magical powers because no science could ever explain the weird experiences I had in connection with him. So with the black rod in hand, which was indeed a black rod and not a gun, I calmed down. I walked slowly and deliberately down the street just as Elan had instructed.

          I walked down Excelsior Avenue for about a mile and a half. I passed all those places of worship that I had chosen to ignore for years. I had dismissed them all as a con, just another way to get you away from your money. I passed all the nice houses owned by the well to do with their tidy lawns. Finally I arrived at Siakake Park. It was night and there were no lights. Undaunted I entered. It was what Elan had instructed me to do. Believe me, I did not by any stretch like trusting him, but at this point I had no other recourse.

          As I entered in the park I traveled down the secondary road and walked to where the golf course is fenced off. Elan told me to walk past the gate and that I would find a hole torn in the gate. Following the careful instructions I found things exactly as he said. I slipped in the breech and descended to the bottom of the hill. It was there that I was to meet Elan.

          There was no moon and no lights so I could not see. I carefully tread down the hill where I saw the worst sight I had ever seen. There before me was a monstrous beast. He was like a giant ball of black feathers standing fully ten feet tall. His hands were claws and his beak full of jagged teeth. Upon seeing me he raised a paw and gave of a sinister hiss. I fell backwards in terror raising a hand in what was certainly futile defense.

          "Calm down Bert," called a gentle voice. Like a puppy being told to sit the creature obeyed lowering his claw. I looked over and saw Elan.

          "What the hell is that?" I asked still in terror.

          "Oh Bert," said the dark one, "why he's back up, just in case you failed." Then he turned to look at me, "I trust that everything went well tonight?"

          "Well I did as you said, except it was as if I was in two worlds. In one world I pointed the black rod at four guys in a black Cadillac. In the other world I fired a gun and killed four State Police in their cruiser."

          "Excellent," said Elan with his squeaky metallic voice, "now please return my wand." Elan held out hid tiny black hand. I was glad to get rid of the item. It really spooked me out.

          "What the hell happened?" I screamed. I was done playing. I knew Elan was something other worldly but still this was my life.

          "You have done me a tremendous favor," said Elan broadly grinning, "those four men you disposed of were quite tenacious in their pursuit of me."

          "So they weren't cops?" I asked.

          "No, but what you saw is what everyone saw," said the dark creature.

          "Why did you do that?" I said in quiet confusion. "You could have just let me do the deed like you asked. Now I am in a serious situation."

          "Mister Earl, you are a man with skills and I could use you in my organization," explained Elan.

          "Okay," I said, "but now I've crossed the point of no return. I can never go back to my corner."

          "I'm not a man who likes to hear no," said Elan full of glee. "I hedge my bets to always win." Then he spoke with calm assurance, "Don't worry I take care of my own, just ask Bert."

          I turned around to see Bert, the large creature, standing in silent obedience.

          I was no longer self employed, I had been promoted. I guess that was reason to celebrate. As for what the future held who knew. Maybe I'd finally get out of the hood. I did have one further question for Elan though. "Elan how did you do it?"
          "Magic of the Drow," said Elan removing his signature hat. Two pointed ears were revealed.

I trust that if you made it down to my afterword that you enjoyed my little story. The inspiration for this story came from my experiences down in Newark, New Jersey. Some of the characters, events and descriptions are based on real life, even if somewhat exaggerated. I feel that Big E’s outlook on life adds an extra dimension to the story. If you liked this story you would like my new science fiction book of short stories entitled “From Chaos To Cosmos”. It is available on pre-order for ninety nine cents. 

"From Chaos To Cosmos" Information"