We Are Climbing David's Ladder, Soldiers Of The Cross
Brotherman

 

The majority of the nurses thought that David Ezekiel Shufford was the nicest patient in all of Western State Mental Hospital. Where most patients were either unruly, foul or violent, Shufford was a Gentle, soft and quiet old man who said nothing when you took him in a wheelchair, ate his food quietly, took his medicine without a whisper and let out a gentle smile when TD Jakes was on television. Watching TD Jakes was usually the highlight of his day, as from 6-7 PM he would asked to be wheeled in front of the main TV to hear Jakes speak. Whenever he would be in midst of his sermons, you could hear David quietly whisper � Daddy. What�d I do daddy?�

His entrance into the hospital 10 years ago was cause for great sadness. � CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, SON OF RENOWNED PREACHER, HOSPITALIZED FROM COCAINE INTOXICATION� read the local paper. A week after he was admitted, First A.M.E church, the church his father, reverend David Shufford sr., was the pastor of for 40 years, held a candlelight vigil for him. And once or twice a month somebody, either a deaconess, parishioner or one of David�s old friends from the church, visits him to either talk up good times and cheer him up, pray for his health, or pray for his soul.

His journey there began years ago, when he was a bright little boy who would go across the street to eat at
Lamont and Laura�s soul food restaurant with his father every Sunday after his sermons. He would sit on the far left corner with his father, right next to the big table where the reverend could eat his favorite meal of catfish and scrambled eggs and prepare his sermon. A 30 by 30 foot square building, it was crammed, busy, and to David Jr a second home. He remembered the big jukebox, with half the songs being Jerry Butler�s, cause Mrs Laura had a crush on him, the pictures of Martin Luther King, Mahaila Jackson and Ray Charles and all of those enticing smells that came from that always overheated kitchen.

He had come there for so long that Lamont and Laura considered him second family, and when his father died when he was eighteen years old David would come there more often, almost once a day when he started going to the University of Puget Sound. He had a routine every time for dinner. Monday: fried chicken and waffles, Tuesday: Ribs and okra, Wednesday: Pig feet and collard greens, Thursday: Smoked sausages and biscuits, Friday: fried chicken and pork ribs, Saturday: chicken wings and biscuits and Sunday the catfish and eggs that his daddy loved so much. And every time he would have Lamonts extra large lemonade bucket- which Lamont would put extra sugar because he thought David �was class people�- and leave a 4 dollar tip, in which Laura would say upon receiving it, � That boy is just like his daddy.�

But when he graduated from UPS in 1974, he gradually lessened his visits and then stopped coming altogether. And around 1990 David hadn�t been around Lamont and Laura�s in nearly a decade. By then he had been famous around the neighborhood for his lectures berating the white man and his rumored cocaine habit. Laura didn�t want to believe it and would reminisce about the David that came here everyday.� He�ll be back Lamont.� she told her husband. � You wait and see , he�s just lost.�

� Nope.� Lamont replied � Not my David. My David is dead.�

One day a young man burst into the restaurant right before it opened, wearing a blue North Carolina sweat shirt , blue jeans and a blue bandana.

� What you want boy?� said Lamont in a huff. � We don�t serve no hoodlums here.�

� I just came to let you know that you all are getting served today. We got some new folks running these streets, and we came to get our money from y�all.�

�Your money, I don�t owe you no money motherf*cker.�

� You pay 5,000 dollars a month to my crew, and we don�t shoot your place up.�

� Pay you my a$$! n!gga get out of my store.�

� You got some lip on you old man.� the crip said while pulling out of his pistol. � How would you like it if I blow it off.�

� Lamont� screamed Laura as she saw the crip put a gun to his cheekbone �what the hell�s going on�

� This little n!gga thinks he�s gonna be a man by putting a bullet in my head.� said Lamont. � But you ain�t no man, you can blow my brains out and take everything in my store, and it still wont make you no man.�

� Lamont don�t be a damm hard head.� she screamed. �What does he want?�

� five thousand dollars a month.�

� We barely make a thousand a month overhead, we cant pay.� she said. � Give us time, we can getcha something. You need money? We can get you a job.�

� I don�t need no job from you, b!tch. I�m an westside crip!�

� Why you mother�.� Lamont screamed as he put his hands in his throat. They struggled for two minutes until the crip pointed his gun at Laura, which caused him to stop and hold his hands up.

� What you want from me, boy?� he said, welling up in tears. � You can take my manhood, but don�t take Laura. Just gimme time, I can give you something but I cant give you a grand a month.�

� Ol n!gga what did I say? Five grand a month or yo b!tch gets it.�

� Please, son.� he said � I been at this restaurant for 40 years. It pays my bills, it�s my life. Just give me a chance keep my restaurant. I�ll pay you. Just give me a chance to keep my place.�

� f*ck you n!gga, telling me this old a$$ sob story. I better have my five grand by tonight or the b!tch and your place gets it.� he said as he walked out the door.

� What we gonna do, Lamont.� said Laura

� We gonna go see your old David.� he said as he bolted out of the store � To see is that little black leader of yours can actually lead.�

At room 1917 of the Safeco building in downtown Tacoma, David Ezekiel Shufford was shuffling up and down his office, sweating up a storm while he waited for his shipment of cocaine. It was two minutes late, but to David it felt like forever. He had used up his last batch with his councilmen buddies and 6 strippers last night while supposedly in a meeting for extra funding for hilltop recreation centers, and he planning to spend the rest of the proposed funding on 25,000 dollars worth of blow. He had built an empire by going to local business and corporations and threatening them with the charge of racism if they didn�t pay them a stipend, and by that time his stipend around Tacoma reached a high six figures.

The organization for afrikan unity office in room 1917 was known as party central to much of the African American elite in Tacoma, with strippers moonlighting as office secretaries to keep the mirage of propriety. As the door buzzed he took his glass pipe and ran to the door. He was dismayed to see Lamont and laura

� What the f*ck you want?�

� Is that the way you talk to us after all the food we cooked for you!� Lamont screamed � Boy, I knew you wasn�t sh!t.�

Cool down cool down, David thought. Think it out , david, just bullsh!t them. � Hello my afrikan brother and sister, what may my blessed organization of strong black kings��

� David, why you talking that way to us.� said Laura � You know us. We come for your help. You gotta help us , David.�

� Well, what can I do for you?�

� David, these crips come to our restaurant and threatened to kill us if we didn�t give them 5 thousand dollars a month, You gotta help us, you know us David. We need your help.�

Crips? Crips? Crips give me my cocaine. I gotta get these people out of here before they see me with these people. They�ll blow my brains out. Worse they wont give me my cocaine! � I�m sorry, sister. You see these afrikan kids are lost young brothers who need guidance and counseling , why don�t you give them a chance to spread their wings and become the kings they can be.�

� What the f@ck are you talking about boy!� Lamont screamed. �I knew you wouldn�t do nothing. And look at that pipe in your hand? I knew you was a base head.�

� Please, David.� she said while grabbing his arm � For all the food we cooked you. For your daddy�s sake. If we give them 5 grand we lose the restaurant. Please david.�

� Why..dd..don�t you consider it as a reinvestment in the community, to help them out. Uhhh �..�think of it as a job, besides..i ..i..it isnt my fault that you cant balance your books.�

� Balance my books!?!?!?? You basehead sonofab*tch! I been balancing my books for 40 gawd damm years. Through 9 presidents and 4 recessions�.�

�This�.this ,�isnt my fault , I have business to attend to, now please leave.�

� Lord, david please help us.� she said looking him dead in the eye. She grabbed his arm harder as he began to drag her out of the door � We don�t deserve this. After all we done for you, we don�t deserve this.�

� Laura, you need to get off of me.�

� C�mon baby the boy ain�t worth it.�

� I cant! I cant lose my restaurant david!�

� I said get off me.�

� Laura, baby the boy just ain�t worth it.�

� I said I cant!!�

� GET OFF OF ME YOU STUPID N*GGER B*TCH. �

At that instant Lamont socked him with a right cross and dragged him to the ground � Boy I�ve killed folks for less that what you just said.�

� I �am�sorry for what..what I said, but you people don�t understand that I am a man of high society.�

�Boy you ain�t nothing to me.�

�You�you..cant treat me like this Lamont, I�I�am a leader.�

�THEN LEAD BOY LEAD!� He said with his arms around his neck. Just then two security guards busted through the door and dragged Lamont off of him. � Is there a problem, Mr Shufford.�

�Yes, these people are trying to solicit in my office.�

As the guards dragged Lamont and Laura away, David took a deep breath and awaited his shipment. But as he heard Laura let out a large scream, his conscience took a hold of him. He remembered how Laura would always come and give him a big hug the days after his father passed away; how she would send his hot plates back if they weren�t absolutely perfect and how she was always there for encouragement when he failed a test or a girlfriend left him. And now, as David saw through the window, she was being shoved around by a guard twice her size who was treating her worse than a piece of meat.

� Is there a problem.�

He tried to say something but he couldn�t. He knew that it was him that put her in that situation. As the door closed, he went back inside and slumped to the ground, weeping openly at what he had done. She had done so much for him, cooked him so much food and treated just like family and in response he called her two of the filthiest names in the planet. Just then there were two violent knocks at the door. As he opened it, a violent butt of a pistol went across his head, knocking him to the ground.

� Why were those old n*ggas here?� said the same crip who accosted Lamont and Laura. � They messing with my money dawg.�

� Nobody was here.�

� Then why were they in the building!�

� I don�t know what your talking about?� he whimpered while on his knees. � Here�s the 25,000 dollars, now gimmie my stuff.�

� You better not.� he said while grabbing his neck and putting a gun to his head.� Because if you do, You�re dead�. He then threw the cocaine all over the floor and left. David snorted a considerable amount before passing out on the floor.

The next thing he remembered, he was in the back office of his father�s church, watching him change from his robe into his suit after one of his sermons. As he heard his father hum while changing his shoes, he remembered how his father loved to do so, how he used it as a spiritual balm, establishing a rhythm with his spirit and keep in touch with god. As he was humming, the sun came out, going past the window covers to make the papers on his desk glow and give his fathers brown skin a shiny lacquered look.

� Good sermon, huh boy.�

� Uh�..yes daddy.� said David

� See, the story of David needs to be told in these trying times today. Like you, son, David was a blessed boy with many gifts that god gave him.�

� Uh huh.�

�He went and slayed the mighty goliath, was banished in the wilderness by Saul and was harrased, oppressed and almost killed by god�s enemies�

�Yeah� he said as they were walking out of the church

� And he kept on pressing on his word and god blessed him with many, many riches.� he said as they turned toward Lamont and Laura�s, which looked just like it was 25 years before. Deacons Jackson, Ellison and Frazier were playing dominoes in the right corner while waiting for their meal. Deaconess Taylor was talking her sons ear off about the wonders of her Jesus. Ushers Darryl and Daniela were kissing and playing footsies when they were supposed to be passing out food, which caused Lamont to go in a huff. Laura, while serving, caught the eye of the reverend and let out a big smile as she waved them in. He thought about how much he missed this, how this was so close to heaven and how much joy he had here.

� But boy,� said his father. � Of whom of what is given what it expected much of. And David fell into the life of sin. He saw the temptation of bathsheba and arranged for her husband to be killed.�

�Dad� said david noticing where he was going with his story. � Why are you telling me this�

� He could have saved Bathsheba�s husband�s life, just like you could have saved Lamont and Laura, but ,like you, he fed his addictions, his own impulses, the pathos of his carnal self.�

� Dad c�mon, don�t talk like that. I�ll take care of it. I�m just sick that�s all. You know street gangs, there full of it most of the time.�

� He had to pay, and so do you.�

� No daddy!I�ll fix it. I�ll get clean. I swear to god.

�And so do you�

Just then, an explosion broke all the windows in Lamont and Laura�s, knocking david 2 whole foot feet backwards. When he opened his eyes it was the present and the restaurant was up in flames. David went in to see Lamont standing there still as stone.

Frightened he ran to him � Lamont? C�mon Lamont lets get out of here� but Lamont stayed still as a stone.

� C�mon Lamont! Where�s laura? We can take her to the hospital. I�ll pay with my own money to put the restaurant up good as knew.� But he just stayed still.

� Why are you doing, this. I�m sorry for what I done that doesn�t mean we cant save you and Laura.� But Just then Lamont screamed why and blood came running out of his eyes and mouth.

Frightened out of his wits he ran to the door, only to see Laura come from out the ground and Lock it. � why david.� she said

� im sorry, I don�t know why� he cried � let me go� but then blood came out of her eyes and mouth. Nearly delerious from fear he ran toward the window only to see a row of fire burst high into the air. He tried the window across the room but an even higher row of fire rose up he turned to see Lamont and Laura�s corpses right in front of them, with their blood running to the ground, saying � why David, why , why, why, why, why, why!���..


Just then he awoke from the dream, ran to the elevator and then to his car. As he drove to the restaurant, he went through what he was going to do in his mind. He would beg for their forgiveness in tears, call the police to give them protection and save Lamont and Laura�s all by himself. But when he got to the site, he saw that the restaurant was reduced to ruins, with a crip insignia in front of the street and two cops putting up a fence around the property.

� What happened � said David, trying to hide his grief

�Looks like they had a fire and with two dead bodies.�

�Well are you gonna do something about it?�

�About what?�

"The crip insignia? This means that the crips burned the place down. As a leader of this community, I demand to know what you are going to do about this�

� Nothing! remember last year when the crips robbed a 7-11 4 blocks down. You went to us and threatened protests if we didn�t pay you 50 grand? Well we paid you the money. This case is closed."

Folks say that David was never the same after that. He lost track of his appearance, came to work with the same clothes everyday and started talking gibberish to anyone who would listen. Then one day they found him naked with �I�m� sorry written all over the office walls in his own blood. That�s when they took him to Western state , where the majority of the nurses thought he was the nicest patient in all of western state mental hospital.





 

 

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