Hereafter

There are social moments I observe in the hood in which I have applied the term, The Butterfly Effect or the Ripple in the Pond Effect.  Moments in which small occurrences result in eventual chaos or negative consequences.

At 6 pm this evening I slowly walk my sweaty body through the NY heat and humidity back to the block.  Just returning from a vicious workout, I’m feeling pretty good.  My thoughts are all over the place as usual; my family and friends, politics, what my drunken a$$ got myself in to this past weekend…hahaha the usual…  

My thoughts break when I observe a late 20’s to early 30’s young woman, not THAT young, take the wrapper of the Twinkie or Ding-Dong she was about to scarf down and casually discard it on the community grounds, as if the world was her garbage can.  She’s ignoring a teenage girl that follows her annoyingly calling out, “Mom, Mom! Mommy!!.”  The mom wobbles her obese body up the ramp of her building as she eats her wrapper-less, high fructose corn syrup treat that she washes down with a 16 oz Pepsi. The teenage girl, no more than 14, is dressed extremely provocatively, in tiny cut off jean shorts and a shirt that exposes her entire core.  Her shirt barely covers her developing upper body; a visual disturbance to the decent person and a delight to the deviant.  The visual and sounds of the moment fade away as I enter the yard.  Four dope-fiends pass me, talking and laughing in raspy voices about what they were gonna’ do and how they were gonna’ do it.  I continue walking forward and witness a woman yelling obscenities at her tiny, stunned toddler from a bench.  On the left of me is a very young brother, counting a knot of money in his hands the size of a Chihuahua.  I enter my building, and wait patiently for the elevator.  As I wait, a young brother shows up at the magnetic door with his two small kids.  The elevator door opens and I get in.  The young brother was struggling with the key and couldn't open the door.  You gotta’ wiggle that thing a bit, it takes practice.  He struggled enough for me to decide to race over and hit the button that releases the door.  He doesn’t Thank Me.  I race back to the elevator before the doors close and hold them open for the brother and his two toddlers. He doesn’t Thank Me.  When the doors open, a few floors before mine, I speak, “Have a good night brother.”

Alligator

Number 1 Lieutenant is arguing with Number 2 Lieutenant in a tent after a failed reconnaissance mission in where a 17 year old soldier was just killed.  Number 1 Lieutenant chucks a personal Item of the young soldier who just died at Number 2 Lieutenant and says, “ You got him killed today…”  Number 2 Lieutenant, in a mellow, numb voice says. “This is war, many have died…”  Number 1 Lieutenant, “Is this how you made 1^st Lieutenant from Private in 2 years??”  Number 2 Lieutenant, “I guess it is.  I did what I had to do.”  Number 1 Lieutenant is interrupted from his next set of angry, disgusted words by a tiny voice.  An orphaned 6 year old girl and her 7 year old brother have entered the tent.  They seem to be having a bit of an argument as well.  They’re both dressed in raggedy, dirty clothes. Children of War.  They live in the temporary camp / base with the soldiers.  Despite what she’s wearing, she’s still beautiful.  She’s got short black hair, big brown eyes and has lost her two front teeth as children her age do.  A casualty of war, her Left, little arm has been amputated just below the elbow.  “Excuse me?.” She says.  “Excuse me?.” In her baby voice.  She demonstrates her stump and says to the Lieutenants.  “Isn’t it true that my arm will grow back when I grow up??”  Her brother, “It will not grow back, It will not!  Her, “It will grow back, it will…”  Lieutenant Number 2 breaks in to a long, loud, crazy, hysterical laugh.  Number 1 Lieutenant stares at him in disbelief.  Number 2 Lieutenant says to the 6 year old, orphaned child with the raggedy clothes and her missing limb in a crazy, humorous voice.  Her big brown eyes begin to swell with tears. “Look.  What do you think you are, a Lizard? He continues his laugh.  “It will never grow back.  Arms don’t grow back.  You’ll be armless till you die, you little freak!”  Number one Lieutenant loses it and begins punching him in the face as the baby runs away crying, wailing that it isn’t true.  Number two Lieutenant doesn’t fight back, takes the beating.  A beating he craved... Scene Ends.

The Front Line - Hangul: 고지전 Gojijeon - 2011