Chronicles of Caesar
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Episode Two: Nightmares
Chronicles of Caesar
“ Listen…when we go in this mothafucka, and don’t nobody clam up! This the lick that’s gone put us on the top! This gone put us on top of all those hatin’ ass niggas! Ya’ll hear me! Ya’ll ready or what!”
Lil’ Jake stood at the kitchen table and loaded the bullets into the spindle of the snub nose .38 caliber handgun and looked to amp up the other four members of the L.Gs. The L.Gs; or Lakeview Gangstas, consisted of Lil Jake, Rel, Da Da, Tavion and Caesar.When you grow up in the projects of Dayton, Ohio and on a daily basis you see ya momma struggling and scrapping to make ends meet…shit gets real! Not only does shit get real; but real people get desperate. The Lakeview Estates Apartment complex lays nestled on the west side of Dayton and is well known for its viscous reputation of breeding survivors. Whether it be pushing dime sacks of weed, powder cocaine, human beings, or the newest thing to hit the city by storm…crack cocaine.The dope boys; who were fortunate enough to get in on the ground floor of the dope game, fight to maintain their newly elevated hood status that they now enjoy. In recent months, The Lakeview Estates has seen an unbelievable rise in violence, as more and more crews move to get a piece of the pie. Lil Jake; who at the age of 14, is the oldest of four boys, who now live with their grandmother in a two bedroom apartment, has decided that he has a master plan.
“What we gone do is catch Cadillac Kid going into his stash spot over Shamicka house. That’s where he be keeping his shit. We gone knock out the street light outside her house, and when he show up to walk in the house… that’s when we hit him and the house! It’s enough shit in that house to put us where we need to be, and… we take that cat out the game and out the way! “
Caesar stands with a firm grip on the street sweeper and listens to Lil Jake hype up the crew in preps for the robbery…Even though the pits of Caesar’s armpits are beginning to get wetter and wetter; Caesar knows that despite his fears of what could all go wrong with the lick; now is not the time to show his fear.BEEP BEEP…BEEP BEEP…BEEP BEEP…BEEP BEEP…BEEP BEEP!
The alarm clock on the nightstand alerts Caesar to the fact that it’s 6.00 a.m and time to get up and start his day. Each year around Thanksgiving and Christmas time, the nightmares flare up and haunt Caesar’s nights.Though it was over 20 years ago, every year around this time the nightmares of what went down that night haunt him and disallow him to sleep. What went down that night changed the lives of all involved and even the lives of some who weren’t directly involved.Not wanting to get stuck in the drab feeling that is threatening to once again take over his holiday spirit, Caesar throws himself into the hot shower and prepares to head out to the gym and get his morning workout in… The beautiful thing about getting up early in the morning and working out, is that not very many other people actually venture out to do the same…especially once the weather changes. In addition to the lack of people at the gym at this time of day; which lessens the struggle to get to the pieces of equipment that you want, it also allows a person to get a piece of mind prior to going into the day to deal with all the non sense that no doubt is headed your way. Lol…ijs! The clanking of the weights becomes a cadence for the thoughts that run thru Caesar’s head. (Please press Play on track one: " CRY FOR ME" ) Every since Mayor Coleman made the grand announcement that the city of Columbus would be receiving the Hollywood Casino as a big boost to Westside economy; it seems like the rest of the city’s highway system has been a total gridlock of highway reconstruction. Each day seems to bring with it a new detour and with this brings hella accidents and thus; more delays. Though the heated seats of Caesar’s 2013 BMW 328i offer the ultimate level of comfort, today is the day that he has scheduled a team meeting to announce their new project.
It was a great moment when Caesar was promoted to President of Urban Affairs at Whiteman Associates; however, it was also the moment that he soon realized just how much things have really not progressed that much for the African American Community in the last 50 years. Sure…we are now “allowed” to hold higher positions in the larger companies, however, these “offered” positions come with some of the same struggles that our ancestors faced. The saddest reality is that now, we also face opposition from those who appear to be “of us”. Today, we must not only work to dispel and extirpate the deeply rooted “isms” placed on us by “others” but, we must also constantly fight to ward off the hatin’ antics of other African American People…who, mind you; are not qualified or even interested in the “position” that you maintain! Their only irrational reasoning is: “because”! So as Caesar goes about his daily battle to represent as one of the highest positioned African Americans and the highest positioned African American Male in the Fortune 500 company; his focus remains set on acquiring knowledge, building credibility and establishing a strong network of industry relationships… simply put… GET IN A POSITION TO HAVE YOUR OWN! With today being the Monday after Thanksgiving and the first day back to work after an extended weekend of no work; for some, Caesar’s game plan is to start the day and meeting off with a no nonsense tone. The attire for today: All grey, three piece, five button DeVonte Tress Executive Cut suit. The designer is an up and coming brother from Atlanta; that Caesar met during a business trip a few years ago. The young brother has put in countless requests to do internships with some of the bigger names in fashion but, due to a felony in his background, doors have not been opening for him… despite his undeniable talent. This suit and the other six that Caesar commissioned DeVonte Tress to make were the first step in Caesar’s plan to assist the brother in his plight to establish his own label. The smoky grey fabric is the subtle backdrop for the light layers of thin pinstripe that forcefully ushers the eyes down the body of Caesar and delivers the glance to modest coordinating grey snakes on his feet. A late night visit to Jeff; his personal barber of Styles And Beyond Barber Shop 614 260 0366, has given Caesar a crispy hairline to frame the serious look of determination to frame his face. The key to building a successful team is to first look to surround yourself with those you can trust! This was the reason that Caesar chose Tawanda to his assistant. The mother of a five year-old beautiful girl, daughter of drug addicted mother, product of an absentee ass father, but most importantly the owner of courageous soul. When Caesar saw her on the elevator; after leaving what appeared to be a failed interview for a lower level position, the tears that she held back were obviously not born of pity for self, but instead of anger. The anger that was now breeding would not convince her to give up on her goal of self-sufficiency and independence…It would be the fuel to fight harder!Caesar waited until she exited the semi crowded elevator and spoke:“Excuse me miss..”
The look on Tawanda’s face told the tale of many lame ass lines, countless stale ass pitches, and unfortunately endless amounts of disrespectful ass tries to get at the nicely shaped body; that was now being put on display via the tight fitted leggings that she now donned. Though he felt her plight; Caesar had to work hard to subdue the smile that wanted to be displayed his face as she responded with her hand on well endowed hips.“What!”
The other occupants of the crowded lobby took notice to Tawanda’s aggressive response; so Caesar looked to defuse the situation and get to the point of his conversation.
“My name is Caesar Jordan…I believe that under that curtain of hurt, pain, anger, disgust, and contempt for bullshit; you are an extremely devoted, committed, ambitious and driven woman…I believe that your worth as a workplace counterpart far exceeds what is shown via the five tattoos, tight fitting leggings, four rings, three bracelets, four earrings, and high-heeled sequined boots that you’re sporting. I believe that you would be an asset to our team; if you’re interested in a possible position, call my office within the next 57 minutes to schedule a meeting with me to go over social media ideas. Have a great day.”
With no more words; Caesar walks across the lobby to return to the elevator. Once the elevator lets him out on the garage level, Caesar call’s his office to let his secretary know that someone will be calling to schedule a meeting with him and that she should receive the earliest slot available. Thirty minutes later, Caesar received a phone call from his secretary to inform him that a Tawanda Stewart had called and scheduled a meeting for the next day to review ideas for social media marketing for an upcoming project. This told Caesar a few things…but mainly that she could follow directions! The next day, Caesar and Tawanda met in his office. The transformation in her attire was pleasantly visible, and she further impressed him with the presentation that she placed on the desk along with her freshly printed resume. The presentation was a mock draft for a product line; that she had taken the time to input the company’s info, facebook account, twitter account, instagram account, email account, possible Q.R code designs and other relevant marking tools.Caesar smiled on the inside and immediately called H.R to have his previous secretary moved to another department. The rational was that Tawanda would be filling both the position of his secretary and assistant. Caesar combined the standard company pay for secretaries with half the salary of the company standard for an assistant to offer Tawanda twice as much as she has ever made. In addition to that; Caesar also cut the probation period of 90 days down to 30 days. This was for two reasons…
One: it would take no more than 30 days to figure out if she could hang.
Two: it would lessen the amount of time that she would be eligible for full benefits; if she could hang for 30 days; then she deserved it.
That was two years ago and one of the wisest decisions that Caesar has made in recent history.
Tawanda was on the phone when Caesar walked into his office but, offered him a good morning wave of the hand and an energetic smile. The oblong conference room table, in Caesar’s large office, was already set for the meeting scheduled in 20 minutes. Caesar went about preparing himself to present the new project to the team. With a glance; he could see that the four Giftwrapped black boxes had been placed on the table in the positions that he had requested. Caesar sat at his seat at the head of the table and pointed the large remote towards the far wall to cue his thought music. He knew that his team would begin to file into the room in a few minutes and with the music playing it would relax the aura and discourage the first person in the room from feeling compelled to indulge in idle conversation with him. True to form, “Computer Guru”…Javon entered the room and took up position in the first on the right flank of Caesar. The music was purposely put at a volume to discourage conversation without having to shout. A simply mouthing of “Good Morning” was given as Javon sat. At times Javon could be nerve racking with his constant need to be reassured and applauded for doing his job; but he was indeed a Computer Guru and was able to do anything that Caesar asked him to do with a computer. The next member of the six person team to enter was Terrence “The Pulse Monitor”. A product of the Atlanta suburb circle; Terrence is the person responsible for keeping the team in the loop as far as to what is hott and what is not. Now…his flamboyant swag and flow make his personal chosen sexuality hiddenly-obvious (yes...I made that word up…roll with it…lol) but, he keeps it in a professionally appropriate tone. Plus…he keeps Caesar on his fashion toes with discreet text reminders of fashion season flaws…lol A fan wave of the hand precedes his runway style stroll to the furthest leather seat on the same side as Javon. As usual, “The Financial Boss”; Vanessa walks in with her phone to her ear. Four out of ten times she’s really having a conversation, but the other six are simply a way for her to discourage unwanted conversation(s) from others. Vanessa probably owns more ladies business suits than any other woman on earth and is always on her game…at least that’s the appearance. And that is what makes her such jewel. When growing up in Detroit, Michigan and being the oldest of four girls to a single mother, there isn’t much room for bullshit. With an accounting and business management degree under her belt, coupled with an impeccable eye for all details, she makes a perfect member of the team. But you already know that there has to be some drama associated with the scenario right? Lol… Well… it’s hard to explain! Though there is a respect between she and Caesar, there is also a hint of something else. Her smooth, make up free cocoa is the canvas for a beautifully strong face, and well-toned body, lures unsuspecting men into her web. Once there or even close, she immediately releases her mental enzymes. Like food ingested into the stomach, the enzymes are meant to breakdown the particles and separate nutrients from waste. Wanted and needed goes to the places designed while the rest goes down the drain. The only thing is…sometimes the enzymes are too strong for some foods (people). She and Caesar simply exchange glances as she continues to hold the phone to her ear and take the seat furthest from Caesar on the left side of the table. (Side note: hit me up on the facebook link or email link and let me know if that last metaphor makes sense)
At exactly 10:00 A.M, Tawanda walks into the room and hands Caesar a stack of messages prior to taking up her post in the seat to his immediate left. Caesar glances down at the empty seat at the far end of the oblong mahogany table. Caesar turns his attention to the messages to avoid displaying his anger at the missing team member. MESSAGE
FROM: Black Box
RE: I got a couple things to get at you about…I’m trying to get a couple of projects to set the city on fire…got the dough…let’s roll!
Caesar smiles at the thought of working with Black Box and makes a mental note to contact him to schedule a meeting. Knowing Black Box; he’ll probably want to have the meeting at a spot in Las Vegas.
MESSAGE
FROM: CITY CITY
RE: Be sure to check out @MekkaDon with that new song “Juicy” the official Buckeye song. #Bang…O-H!
MESSAGE
FROM: Nikki Ransom-Alfred
RE: Next stop…Adult Recess @ Rhythm & Soul 12/28…hosted by @shadyontop…and also check out the additions to the site: www.NikkiRansom.com
MESSAGE
FROM: Building A Better Tomorrow
RE: Don’t forget about the Pastors Vs. Artists celebrity Basketball Game at Briggs High School this Sat Dec 7! Lamont already talking about beating up on Pastor Wesley’s team. I also have the shirt for you from the Clothesbox Custom Apparel & Design… its hott! Oh…and Lydia said: Hi! Thanks…Jarod
Caesar placed the other messages to the side and pretended to just notice that Edwin had finally taken his side. Edwin; whom Caesar had known for five years, was obviously the weakest link of the team. Edwin was actually the person who put Caesar on to the available position with the Whiteman Associates. After graduating from Central State with an Associates in Marketing; Edwin gained an entry level position via a reference from a fraternity brother. Whiteman Associates handles a wide array of marketing and multimedia ventures. Edwin never seemed to show a level of initiative that would allow him to elevate himself up thru the ranks of the tight-fisted, good ole’ boy and nepotism laden agency. Three years ago; Edwin mentioned that Caesar should apply for a position at the firm. Caesar was initially reluctant, due to the years of negative reports that Edwin would dominate their conversations with. (Side note: ******Everybody has that one friend that always has something negative to say about the job that they have been at for years…Use the link to weigh in on your opinion of that one person that don’t like their job; but aint doing nothing about finding another one!
Even though he thought it would be a great challenge…Caesar thought it would be a great challenge, so he applied for the low level position at the firm and got it. Averaging a promotion every ninety days; Caesar moved up thru the ranks of the firm; while still enrolled at The Ohio State University full-time. Three days after graduating with his degree, he accepted his current position. There was/is an obvious sense of envy from Edwin towards Caesar for being able to move so quickly, but Caesar; out of a sense of loyalty continues to ignore it and work to mend their friendship.
When Caesar gained his current position, he immediately requested that Edwin be promoted to be a part of the team. Edwin’s role: “The Hype Man”….I know…I know…that’s kind of a token position and it probably effects Edwin’s ego; but…sometimes when building a team, you don’t always have all of the WANTED pieces or members…but you have to WANT to effectively utilize and optimize all of the pieces that you have. ( snap…snap) So…with Edwin always being a fixture at Puckers, The Zanzibar, Lounge 62, ( My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the recent victims at Lounge 62) and any other club that he thinks might be poppin’; Caesar decided to try and help him find a niche on the team. However, in the last two months, Edwin has continued to disrespect their friendship. Everyone on the team is expected to carry their weight. Most of the team, each member pretty much remains within the realm of their expertise, but sometimes the situation will call for certain members of the team to step up and fulfill other tasks. Not only has Edwin been slipping on the tasks that he was pulled onto the team to handle; but he has been unwilling to handle other things either without hassle or in the needed time frame. Caesar looks down the table and decides: the shit ends today!“Edwin…that new recording artist that you told me about last week…you got that c.d in ya office?”
“Uh…the rapper?”
Caesar stays in character and pretends to be searching his memory.“No….the other one…the one that was 107.5 featured artist of the week.”
“oh…oh…you mean the pretty chick!”
True to his arrogant ass nature, again…Edwin uses the term “chick”, to describe a woman; despite the fact that Caesar has asked him on countless occasions to not do so when they are in meetings. This type of behavior and lack of professionalism thru verbiage and actions is beginning to undermine the needed structure of the team. But again; Caesar stays in character.“ Laur’e Pen…is her name I believe…”
“Yeah…Yeah…nawl…the c.d is down in the car.”
“Do me a big favor and grab that for me please…I want the team to hear that; so we can look at using her for this new project.”
Caesar knew that Edwin wouldn’t put up much fuss about going all the way down to the garage to grab the c.d…even though, the smartest thing to do would have been to just pull up either her “SoundCloud” © account or her website at: www.laurepenmusik.com. The real reason for his willingness to run down to the car is the fact that he can’t go 30 minutes without slipping a Newport© break in. “Never let a person know that your weakness is really a weakness because then it actually becomes just that…a weakness! Let your weakness be a motivator; to ensure that those who attempt to use it as a weapon against you will only find that their deceit is truly your blessing…and then be sure to thank them! (snap.. snap) Once Edwin has been removed from the room; Caesar presses: “SEND”…“Ok…Good morning team! I hope that everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. The BUCKEYES handled Michigan..and we already know what's gone happen to Michigan State...O-H !"
"I -O!"
"Now it is time to work! We have a new project on the table and it is the largest that we have knocked off. I am extremely confident that not only can we accomplish the goal, but we can also set the bar so high, that we will create a new industry standard! As you’ve noticed… everyone; with the exception of Tawanda and I has a black box in front of you that is marked do not open…well team; it is now time to open the box!”
While the other three team members eagerly unwrapped their boxes, Tawanda and Caesar began to power their devices up. Once everyone’s box was unwrapped; Caesar kept on schedule.“ok…these are your new tablets… these will be used only for this project. If there is something that needs to be handled pertaining to another project, use something/anything else. These are only for this project. Javon; please get with Tawanda immediately and get the security specs up and running with the necessary links and team sync for everyone to be tied into one connect; and as soon as the tablets are linked, the new project is already loaded onto the account that you gave. The overall project specs and proposed individual tasks are outlined, so let’s get connected, let’s review it, propose feedback and meet back in 48 hours! Any questions…get with Tawanda…Let’s make history!”
Right on schedule with Caesar’s plan; by the time Edwin made it back to the meeting, the meeting was over and everyone but Caesar was gone. Edwin reentered the room with a look of surprise on his face.“Come on in Ed…do me a favor and shut the door behind you please.”
Edwin closed the door and extended the c.d towards Caesar.“Oh…I got a copy right here; thanks!”
Caesar gestured towards his copy of the c.d next to his tablet on the table.“Have a seat Ed…we need to talk.”
Edwin made his way toward his seat and moved the box out of his line of sight before sitting so that he could see Caesar from down the table.“Go ahead and open ya box…everyone else opened theirs.”
Caesar sat and waited for his longtime friend to open his black box and pull out the three sheets of paper. The look of shock on his face let Caesar know that he had read the heading: Notice of Discipline
After giving him about twenty seconds to read; Caesar finally spoke.“I won’t take up much of your time…I known you for a long time and I have always considered you to be a friend, however, you are now becoming a liability. A liability to this team and a liability to my position. I’ve asked you countless times as a friend to boss up and respect my position and thus our friendship, however, you keep shitting on me; so….as of now; fuck the friendship, I’m your supervisor. So…in that roll… Mr. Simmons; this is a notice of discipline in accordance with Employee policy I have listed all the issues and in 30 days’ time we will meet with a company rep and at which time we will review your progress and decide as to whether or not further disciplinary action is needed. I need for you to sign the top two copies and the third is yours to take with you. Also, the team as a whole will be taking on a new project; however, we will need for you to focus your attention on the previous tasks of our other ongoing projects. Now…I hate to be so brief, but I have another meeting that I’m late for, so if you could leave the signed copies on the table when you’re done, I have to excuse myself.”
Caesar gathered his things and walked out of the office without any further words. Those it was a difficult decision; Caesar felt that he had no other options left; especially after Edwin’s drunken rant at a mutual friends’ party two nights ago, unaware of the fact that Caesar was overhearing the conversation from another room. Unaware of Caesar’s late arrival to the party Edwin assumed that he wasn’t in attendance. Caesar resisted the urge to walk into the room and #SHARKEISHA the drunk dude, but instead handle it differently. To solidify his decision…even though…Caesar called Edwin this morning and asked him to not be late for the important meeting; his friend Ed, still showed up late. (Side note: hit me up on the facebook link or email link cause I know ya’ll got some feedback on this…lol)
