NO EASY CHOICES
799 Words
Leon sat in the back of the shop, his arms resting on a workbench covered in grease-stained rags and scattered tools. The rhythmic hum of the auto shop surrounded him—air compressors hissing, wrenches clanking against metal, voices murmuring over the roar of engines. It was a normal day at Carter’s Auto, but his mind was far from normal.
Jay’s offer still rang in his ears.
“Stay loyal, and you’ll go far.”
That wasn’t the part that unsettled him. It was the unspoken part—the warning beneath the words. Leon wasn’t stupid. He knew that Jay’s empire wasn’t built on oil changes and brake repairs alone.
The door to Jay’s office cracked open, and the man himself stepped out, his sharp eyes scanning the shop before landing on Leon. “Come here,” he called.
Leon wiped his hands on a rag and followed.
---
The Job Nobody Talks About
Jay’s office smelled like leather and cigar smoke, even though Leon had never seen him light one. A large wooden desk sat in the center, papers stacked neatly on one side, a half-empty glass of whiskey on the other.
Jay leaned against the desk, studying Leon. “You been doin’ good work.”
Leon nodded. “Appreciate it.”
Jay smirked. “But you know this ain’t just about cars.”
Leon’s stomach tightened. Here it comes.
“You ready for more responsibility?” Jay asked.
Leon hesitated. He already knew what “responsibility” meant. He could pretend otherwise, but he wasn’t dumb.
“What kind of responsibility?” he asked carefully.
Jay chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “See, that’s what I like about you. You ain’t reckless.” He set the glass down and folded his arms. “Got a warehouse on 135th. Sometimes, things come in that need to go out… quiet-like. Nothing crazy. No drugs, no guns. Just business.”
Leon frowned. “What kind of business?”
Jay shrugged. “Imports. Electronics, furniture, high-end liquor. Stuff that don’t always pass through the usual channels.”
Leon’s chest tightened. Smuggling. Not as bad as drugs, maybe, but still illegal.
Jay leaned in slightly. “It’s extra money. Good money. And more importantly, it keeps you in my circle. That’s how you move up, Leon. Ain’t nobody in this city got rich playin’ by the rules.”
Leon felt the weight of those words.
He thought of his mother’s latest hospital bill. $1,500 a month.
He thought of Kia, working double shifts just to keep food in the fridge.
He thought of Darnell’s smirk, the way he’d said, “Ain’t no clean way out, Leon.”
Jay wasn’t wrong.
But Leon had spent his whole life trying to prove that he wasn’t just another kid from the block who got swallowed up by the streets. If he took this job, was he really any different from Darnell?
Jay watched him, patient. “Ain’t gotta answer now. Think on it.”
Leon nodded, but deep down, he knew—this wasn’t something he could sit on forever.
---
The Past Never Stays Buried
That night, Leon left the shop late. The air was cold, and Harlem’s streets were alive with the usual mix of music, conversation, and the occasional siren in the distance.
As he walked, his mind spun. Jay’s deal. Darnell’s warning. His mother’s failing health.
He didn’t even notice the car pulling up until the tinted window rolled down.
“Yo, Leon.”
His heart sank. Darnell.
Leon exhaled slowly and stepped toward the car. “What you want, D?”
Darnell smirked. “Heard you working for Jay now.”
Leon folded his arms. “And?”
Darnell shook his head, his smirk fading. “Man, you think that dude clean? You think just ‘cause he wears a suit, he different?”
Leon sighed. “I ain’t got time for this.”
Darnell’s voice dropped. “Then make time. ‘Cause you about to walk into the same trap—just with better furniture.”
Leon clenched his jaw. “And what, you tryna save me?”
Darnell chuckled. “Nah. Ain’t my job to save nobody. But I’ma tell you this—when Jay’s done with you, you either too deep to climb out, or you a liability.”
Leon felt his pulse in his ears. “And what you suggesting? That I work for you instead?”
Darnell looked at him for a long moment. Then, he shook his head. “Nah. You already made your choice. Just remember who warned you.”
With that, the window rolled up, and the car pulled off.
Leon stood there, watching the taillights disappear into the city.
No easy way out.
No matter which road he took.
- Writer
