WICHITA: JULY 1997

Written by Tony Adame on 23 April 2010.

There are three brothers. Two older ones plus the tag-along, Brice. He is 12, scrappy, long and tall like the older two. The games at Minisa Park start when the sun goes down. The oldest, JJ, picks up the phone at their house. Who was coming? You know who, dammit. Don't ask me stupid questions. Karon waits by the phone for him to get off. Are we going? JJ shrugs and walks by him and into the living room. They don't talk very much anymore. They come and it's different. It's a show if JJ shows up. Karon can't go by himself. If he goes by himself they'll make him play with the

scrubs. He needs JJ to go, but JJ doesn't say Nathan, just takes a new pair of sneakers out of a box around 8 and tells Brice something. Karon gets ready in his bedroom. New shorts. New shoes. Crisp wife-beater, right out of the pack. The right mix: Biggie, Tupac, Biggie, Tupac. Gotta go back and forth. Gotta be fair. JJ watches TV in the living room, calls someone on the phone then bangs on Karon's door. Brice is already outside, dribbling up and down the sidewalk in front of the house. The thermometer says 101 degrees but there's no way it's that hot. Minisa is almost a mile away and JJ says they're walking so they walk. Karon dribbles left-handed for 100, right for 100, cross ‘em over for 100. Brice tries to imitate them both; cool like JJ, calm like Karon. Brice dribbles backwards in front of JJ, teasing him, telling him he can't guard him and JJ swipes the ball from him and makes him play defense on him for a block, blowing past him and laughing as he tries to catch up. Half-mile now. Smells like barbeque, smells like beer. Quarter-mile. Smells like pot. They all mix at some point. At the edge of the park now, people as far as the eye can see. Glimpse the river to your left. Music. The hot shit.

YOU BELONG TO THE CITY YOU BELONG TO THE NIGHT (BUMPBUMPBUMP) NOBODY KNOWS WHERE YOU'RE GOING (BUMPBUMPBUMP) NOBODY KNOWS WHERE YOU'VE BEEN (BUMPBUMPBUMP) BIGGIE BIGGIE BIGGIE CAN'T YOU SEE SOMEHOW YOUR WORDS JUST HYPNOTIZE ME The man just died, JJ says without looking at them, the man is hot right now. Look at these hoes, JJ says. They walk past a big group of girls and JJ sings a popular country song at the top of his lungs I WAS THE LAST ONE TO KNOW I'LL BE THE LAST ONE TO SHOW I WAS THE LAST ONE YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEE THERE and it makes Brice laugh. The sea of people parts for JJ. Karon sees the court and his heart flutters.

The clouds are purple and the sky is deep pink.

There are people standing on top of the municipal pool building to get a look at the courts. Cars fill up the thoroughfare through the park, where they're definitely not supposed to be. Someone has dragged all of the benches in the park to line the court and serve as makeshift stands. The tag-along walks on the court like he's going to play, raising his arms and running in for a layup as the crowd laughs. What'd we tell you? Karon gives Brice a look. Don't fucking move. I want to be able to see you the whole time we're playing. There are runs going on for two hours leading up to this one, high school guys and guys off the street. This game is different. Just two high school guys in this one. Look at all those honeys, JJ says. So fine. JJ thinks they can peel their clothes off if it gets too hot. JJ thinks they can peel their clothes off for him. Woodberry sets the rules and picks the first team. Games to 11, JJ, JJ's brother, me, Manny, Tyrone. Griffin picks the other team. Jamall, Korleone, Rob, Val, me. They play five games to 11, split the first four. The fifth game turns the park into a hive. I am so combustible. I am so rebellion. I am combustion. JJ takes over. Three straight jumpers, drifting, running, spotting up. JJ starts to talk to the crowd. Fuck y'all niggas. Y'all niggas ain't shit. I'ma be on TV, nigga. 10-9 and Karon steps in the passing lane for a steal, spitting the ball out past half court. JJ swoops in, full speed. Three dribbles. Take off from outside the square. Lean, windmill. Hang on the rim. Bedlam. Throw your shirt to the hoes. Pick the tag-along up on your shoulders as he leads the mass of people running onto the court. Grab a beer. Talk to the hoes. You belong to the city. You belong to the night. Karon hangs out for an hour before he takes Brice home. Brice talks the entire way back, which is good because Karon is naturally quiet and tonight, he doesn't know what he would even say because he can't stop smiling. JJ stays at the park.

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