Maestro Douglas Means Jr., Son of Maestro Means Sr. and Beverly Renee Cummings-Means. I’m the middle of 3 kids. I have an older brother and a younger sister. They are most certainly deemed to be very respectable citizens in our community. They got it right. My parents did a great job with them. But me, I needed more answers than the ones I was given about things in life.
Our household was, is, and always will be, firm believers in the truth and the faith. So, there were a lot of things that i just didn’t get to see but i wanted to know. And telling me stay away from all things that were quote unquote harmful just wasn’t enough for me. In hindsight, i wish it would’ve been. Granny always use to say that a hard head makes a soft behind. And she never told a lie.
The people that my parents wanted me to be cool with were alright. But they didn’t think about the things that I did. Nor did they question the things that I wondered. So, I began to associate with, well let’s just say some people that liked to bend the rules and laws to their liking. One guy i went to school with, 9 is what he goes by, but his name is James wright, was always cool with me. We never hung out like that on purpose but if he or I went in the club, we both were welcome in each others vip section. It was just respect.
James’s family were gangsters. Gangsta in every sense of the word. They had the city in a vice grip. Gambling, drugs, women, forged documents that were legit…. they had it all. All of what, I don’t know. But women loved them and everybody I knew wanted to be down with them. So, when James said swing thru, you know that I had to go.
I won’t forget the day because that’s the day that everything changed. For me. And for my life’s course.
March 25, 2001. The last Sunday of the month and also the beginning of spring break. The Wright’s had a ranch on the back side of town with a lake, pool, and a shooting range in rear of the property. It was probably about 35 acres with a 50-yard-long gate encasing the majority of the property. In the bigger areas this would probably cost around 5 or 6 million. But this is the country, and the land has been passed down and built on. It’s a compound to honest. Heavily protected.
Whipping my truck down the winding road leading up to the property after passing thru the gate, it looked rundown, heavily wooded. Until I got to the next gate. I didn’t know there were 2. Once I was buzzed thru and started driving in, my mouth dropped. It was like a whole different city inside. I mean there are literally townhouses inside here. Community pool. This is insane. I’m not sure how I feel but I’m here now.
He told me to drive all the way to the rear. That’s where his family’s house was. Definitely not a house. Looks about double in size of that house in the one movie that that lady got dragged out the front door by her husband. Huge. In our little country town. I would’ve never known.
“Stro! What up bruh? I didn’t think you was gonna show. You know how your daddy is. You stay away from them people. They don’t mean nobody no good!”. James, I mean 9, laughed real hard at that one.
“9, it’s my first year out of school. I’m a full-grown man. And you’re my dawg. I wouldn’t have missed it for nothing. Plus, you said, they gone be out here, so Maestro gone be out here.” My love for women would always be my downfall. Sometimes I just don’t say no when I know that I need to.
“Come on to the back. I’ll show you the house later, but everybody is out back. Here homie.” 9 passed me the blunt as we headed down the walkway on the side of the house. They should have golfcarts for all this. “I would’ve pulled up on the golfcart, but they took them in the woods for something.” Yeah. They had it all.
We hit the back by the lake and the pool, and it looked like something out of a music video. Half naked women everywhere doing whatever they please. I’ve only dreamed about stuff like this. And this was 9’s life. As we are walking thru, he’s getting hugs from some beautiful women and introducing me along the way. I even snagged a hug or 2 myself.
I’m not sure how long the party lasted but around 1 a.m., I knew that I had to head out. I was half drunk and I smoked more weed today than I have in the last year. There’s no way that I can go home smelling like this. Where’s 9? His brother is about my size. I wonder if I could borrow a shirt until tomorrow.
I scanned through the party for about 30 minutes, and I couldn’t find him. He must be in the house. I went in thru one of the back doors and it led to the kitchen. I passed thru looking for the stairs. I’m sure everyone sleeps upstairs. A double set of stairs dead center in the front of the house. This house is too big. I check a couple of rooms, and they look like girl’s rooms. Once I opened the 3rd door, I knew I needed to go home. It looked like a gun store inside. I closed the door as soon as I saw what looked to be a machine gun. The next door was a man’s room. I quickly hit the closet to scan. There’s barely anything in here that I could pass off as mine. There was a hoodie in the back. It’ll have to do.
As I started to head back toward the stairs, I thought I heard 9’s voice so I went down the next hall. I cracked the door slowly and there was 9, sitting on a table, getting blown away by a lady who I thought was his auntie because she was there with his mother. All while he counted a stack full of money. Unfazed. This was his life completely opposite mine. Do you know what I would have to do to get that type of service? Good guys obviously finish last because the bad guy is buying Gucci and getting free coochie. I closed the door and headed home. I need a piece of that life.
Jacki3... 
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