As General gazed out the tiny window he sipped on his ginger tea and reflected on how he got here. He remembered his first kill like it was yesterday. He was 14 when his mother, in a panicked state, told him he needed to find his older cousin “Philip” who was somewhat of a thug. After calming his mom down and a little prompting, he learned his father was in danger. General and his team crossed the street; they approachedthe pimp and his bodyguard. It’s worth noting that the pimp was a slim light- skinned brother about 6’1”, His bodyguard was every bit of 6’6” and, was built like a silverback. His dark skin menacing, making him resemble a cat. General squared off with the pimp while Fruitquan squared off on the silverback. Zone, who stood to their side stayed alert. “You have to pay before your furniture is unloaded!”General stated never taking his eyes off the pimp. The pimp looked at what must seem like three little kids and laughed, “ha ha ha” he belted then gave his bodyguard five and replied. “Little nigger you better step off before I take my belt off and beat your ass!” The bodyguard had stopped laughing, his street instincts kicking in. He stepped closer to Fruitquan and was alert, his boss, however, was too busy ego tripping so he didn’t sense a thing until it was too late. General pulled his .45 revolver and blew half the pimp’shead off; his brains splattered on the bricks. Fruitquan lifted his sawed-off double-barreled shot gun and put a hole in the silverback’s stomach followed by Zone putting a hole in his face with his .357 Magnum. The impact completely destroyed the silverback’s head. General slowly looked around, then casually walked back to his van. He saw the shock on his father, uncle,and cousin’s faces as his dad told him to get out of there. As General sipped his tea he pondered what his father must have thought. His dad didn’t raise him to be a thug and had no idea until that moment his oldest child was sub-human. The year was 1980; the President was Jimmy Carter, Governorof New York Hugh Carey, and the Mayor of New York City was Edward Koch. They were all relative in who he became. From a good boy to a bad teenager to a great man….. At seventeen General was sentenced to 25 to life for murder in the second and 81/3 to 25 for manslaughter running consecutively in Bronx, New York. At twenty he was sentenced to 15 to life for murder in the second, this to run consecutively with another 15 to life for murder in the second degree in Brooklyn, New York. At twenty-five while serving a sentence of 63 years to life he killed his first inmate and received a sentence of 12 ½ to 25 years for manslaughter to run concurrently with 2 to 4 years for promoting dangerous prison contraband; his knife. General was a dead man walking before he was twenty, but his journey was just beginning. In 1991 he thought Jabar was his brother then Jabar put three inches of cold steel into his back. He was in Clinton Correctional Facility; a supermax. The worst were sent there.Before he knew it, he had his knife buried in Jabar’s neck and watching his eyes roll back. General wanted to finish him, Carlito screamed to finish it, “dale, dale Bishme dale” but for the first time he knew he couldn’t. It’s been a long time since General could breathe. Today he defied his captors, he did the impossible, he walked through the prison’s gate after 27 years. His mind was a machine gun; his family his bullets. I am the General and I am ready for war.