Chapter 17 : The Prejudice.

"What's wrong Aston, why are you here?"

I asked curiously while fixedly staring at him. 

His face had a trace of surprise. It was certain that he hadn't expect me to be arrested too.

"Oh. He is your friend. I just taught him some manners"

These words were said by the thin gangster.

'So he is the one who beaten up Aston. I have to teach him some manners' 

I thought. 

Nevertheless, I ignored him for now. I first had to find out the reason Aston was arrested. I got a hunch that he had been treated unfairly. 

"Tell me Aston."

I asked in hushed voice that only Aston could hear me.

I didn't want the thin gangster to poke his nose in our business. 

"I'm going to prison, I'm finished"

Aston whimpered.

I could see desperation on his pale face. Seeing him in this pitiful situation, my heart ached. 

"Aston, you won't go to prison. Tell me what happened? I help you get out here."

My hand was scrubbing his head. It looked like a father consoling his young son.

He didn't understand why I asserted that I would help him gets released. But he was smart enough not to concentrate on it for the time being. 

"I had an argument with. Gisele because I suspected that she was cheating on me. I was just asking about it but her reaction alone was enough to tell that she was really cheating on me."

Aston calmly started revealing it to me and I paid attention to any single word leaving his mouth.

Gisele was his beautiful girlfriend. When I heard that she was suspected to be cheating on Aston, I wasn't surprised and I even concluded that she really did it.

Gisele was extremely beautiful and a graceful figure. Many guys had clearly shown their interest in her. However, that was not the reason for my conclusion. 

Aston was a quiet, shy and antisocial guy. He spent most of his time on his computer. In addition, he was not good at dating and flirting with women. To date Gisele it took some of friends especially his wealthy friend.

It was normal for Gisele to cheat on him. 

"She responded in rude way so It became an argument. I told her that its over. She was mad. 

"It just happened that two cops were passing by. She complained to them that I was abusing her and that I threatened to shot her. The cops didn't even hear from me. They started beating me. 

"In the end I was taken here. I have been charged and soon I'll taken to the court of law. I'm devoid from hope. The certainty is that I'll rot in prison."

I listened to his explanation with beaming eyes.

According to my understanding, Aston didn't lay a finger on Gisele and he had no gun with him. Aston had been treated unfairly just like me.

"This is unfair. However, there's no way you can be found guilty on court. You..."

I was cut by Aston desperation roar.

"No!, not to talk the fact that no one have mercy for men, these people are prejudiced. They consider us as trouble makers. They thought we're all criminals."

What Aston said touched my heart. Indeed many people especially law enforcers ill treat African-Americans because they thought we were all gangsters. Gisele was a white girl, she had higher advantage.

Although according to national crime statistics, 60% of our population were indeed gangsters there was an exceptional of 40% and that was a large number. 

It was a wrong to forsake that amount and concluded that we were all criminals.

In addition, most of African-Americans gangsters were poor and had little effect on criminal activities in the country. They relied on white criminal organizations to obtain armes and drugs.

In other words, some rich white people were masterminds behind crimes.

I always hate it when someone blame African-Americans for the crimes and all illegal activities in the country.

Even when a robbery, shooting, kidnapping and ambush happened, the police put the blame on African-Americans even if no concrete evidence was found.

"Bro, remember what happened to uncle Lucas, Jorge and Hugh and you'll understand."

Aston stroked another nail on top of the other into my head.

Uncle Lucas had quarrel with some white residents concerning a private property, a commercial building. He was treated unfairly and the property was seized.

Jorge and Hugh were teenagers who assaulted a man to steal from her. I had to admit that they were guilty but their punishment was too heavy. They were sentenced to 12 years in prison.

That was too cruel for 19 year olds men. Some human rights activities including white activities tried to fight for them but ask me what was the result? 

Nothing. Nothing happened. Jorge and Hugh were still serving the sentencing. As Aston was speaking, 3 years had already passed.

'Aston will be charged with violation of woman's rights. That is so dangerous. Everyone put great importance on women. To make matters worse, the woman is a white woman how bad. The only way to save him is to use violence.

Yeah, I'm also tired of being called a criminal by this foolish cops. Starting from today I will be a real criminal. I will show them what a real African-American criminal is.

"I will also annihilate white criminal organizations so that the police could blame us for our true crimes."

White criminal organizations were mafia that sell drugs, arms and many illegal merchandise to individuals and small crews.

Small crews were also known as black crews despite its consistency of both black and white gangsters. In fact, over 70% of members of these crews were African-Americans.

Even the white criminal organizations had some African-American members but the authorities and sponsors were white.

The only known-to-all white criminal organization was Menus.

I turned around, stood up and charged toward the cell entrance.

Bang!

I kicked the metallic bars of the gate. This frightened everyone in the cell.

Bang!

Bang!

Before, they could think what to do or say, I kicked the gate twice more.