Shout

                                                                      “Pour out a Lil liquor young queen”- Tupac  The smell of coffee and gas was the first to hit me most mornings but this time it was a different aroma, pancakes,  my mom’s infamous cinnamon strawberry vanilla pancake. I guess she had time today. I grabbed my robe and put on my bunny slippers since it's always cold in this busted down apartment. I made my way down the hall checking to see if my brother, Corey, was up yet he sleeps in like we don't have school everyday which causes us to be late, and not to my surprise he was fast asleep.   "Let him sleep in, baby, there's no school today and no need for you guys to wake up this early!" my mom whisper-yelled to me just before I walked into his room. I made my way to the kitchen to see she had made a full breakfast, I quickly made myself a plate as she finished cooking and made myself comfortable at the table while turning on the tv and trying to see if I could catch any early morning cartoons. I quickly flip through channels passing the news talking about someplace getting robbed, some story about a girl who can feel no pain, then something caught my attention it was about this songwriting contest they were holding in Bushwick, Brooklyn not that far from where I live in Queens, jamaica. I could easily take a couple of trains and id be there, I listened as they said their requirements to join. “you must be above 15 and have parental support if you plan on physically dropping off your song,” said a dark-skinned woman with brown braids, jhene I think her name was she dressed more casual then the other two, she looked like she was in her late 20s. ” you can also send in the song at www.trackplay.org,” said lunar a light skin guy, with black jeans, a polo t-shirt, and probably some matching jordans and a chain with LV on it.  Then Apolla who was 19, she was a graduate from my school last year everyone knew she was destined to end up on tv someway closed it off “you can also call us at 347-982-7645 and the chosen contestants are gonna have a chance to present their songs to Gabriel Acolus in a one on one interview and he’ll choose which song he wants to produce and record.” I heard my mom drop whatever she was holding in the kitchen after they said the producer’s name. “you okay in there ma need some help,” I say leaning back in my chair trying to see what dropped but not really trying to get up just yet and trying to not fail so I don’t bother the neighbors. “no I’m fine baby, thank you though” I hear her say as she scurries to pick up the now visible plates and bowls she dropped, she sounded distraught but I didn’t mind it since it was still morning and she could’ve just realized she was gonna be late.  Gabrial Acolus he’s known for signing some of the biggest artists and helping some smaller artist who is new to the industry, his whole family can sing and dance, his sister Andromeda is one of the best  known actors to come from greece along with the rest of his family. When asked about it they say its in their blood thanks to the gods and the rich land they come from which isn't entirely wrong.  “This is something you don’t wanna miss out on new york, it a chance to represent your city, show people why you and your people matter, to get your voice out there and be heard for, you,” says lunar looking over at jhene for back-up. “This is your time to speak and be heard even if it’s your first time writing music still submit something, speak and be heard,” jhene says looking away from the camera like she was having a flashback. “ Well that’s it for today guys I would like to thank our beautiful new host apolla” she smiles which flashes her shiny white teeth and the little green gem to match her eyes in them “ and all of you for watching each and every day or whenever you can remember even if you’re in the darkest part of the city there’s beauty in it somewhere you just need to find it or be it,” jhene says then the show rolls out. After that, I begin to hear the rest of my neighborhood wake up, babies begin to start a cry for their moms, and kids yelling out the window no school and planning what time they’re gonna go play, busses driving down the streets and motorcycles starting up. I can’t say its ugly here cause I’ve seen the beauty of living in queens and having a real community of people who look out for each other and care enough to call you out on your stuff.  “Lay I’m leaving for work now, wake your brother up to eat soon and Trevor will be over soon to pick him up for football practice,” my mom says as I hear the front door close and lock. Trevor is my mom one of my mom’s brothers, her twin brother to be exact, brown-skinned with maple color eyes, little freckles sprinkled all her their face, curry brown hair but my mom dyed hers black and the same heart-shaped birthmark on their neck. While he’s my cooler and more collected uncle he’s also the crow’s football caption which is my brother’s football team. I finish my breakfast and make my way to Corey’s bedroom to wake him up for the day, he’s really not a morning person.  “Corey common uncle tre is gonna be here soon and you need to eat and get ready before he gets here,” I say as I try to shake him awake which is rattling his whole bed. “Give me 5 more minutes, please I promise ill be up,” he says moving to the other side of his bed, trying to get me to stop bothering him like he hasn’t slept all morning already. “You say that every day and your definition of 5 is 20” a knock at the door cuts me off and I check to go see who it is, we really weren’t expecting anyone just yet.  When I look through I see uncle tre and his rottweiler crumbs, I still don’t know why he named him that but I open up the door and invite them both in while crumbs immediately run to my room to go lay down on my carpet. If I didn’t know any better I would say crumbs like me more then he likes my uncle.  “Hey munch did your mom make any food this morning or can your favorite uncle through down in the kitchen” my uncle ask me rubbing his palms together and standing in a game stance, he looked like he was watching a blitz from one of his football games. “ How do you know that uncle Conall isn’t my favorite,” I say teasing my uncle, my mom’s other brother Conall was adopted into the family when he was a baby but he fit right in immediately he’s Irish and Scottish so just white which made him stick out in our Trinidadian family but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.  He has black hair, green eyes, and surprisingly enough freckles just like my mom and uncle but his red spread all over his face and much more visible, he’s 6’7 just an inch taller then uncle tre but momma never got the height in the family. He runs a magazine company that does issues on what it’s like to travel to different parts of the world, so he’s not really around as much. “ What!! Name one thing that old con does that’s cooler than me” uncle tre ask again wiping away fake tears, he’s the actor of the family. “Gifts from around the world, he stopped calling me munch years ago, he cooks way better than you and doesn’t burn food either,” I say back  “I. okay fine he may be better at that but you’re always gonna be munch to me lay,” he says going into the kitchen to fix himself a plate “wheres your brother shouldn’t he be up,” he asks me looking for Corey who’s 5 minutes was up 10 minutes ago. “ he’s still in bed too tired to get up,” I say taking a seat next to him at the table and turning the tv back on to find some cartoons, this is how we bond, me uncle tre and looney tunes.  “I’ll wake him up,” he says and he puts his plate down and goes right to my brother’s room with me following behind him from behind he looks a lot taller either that or being 5’7 cant be considered tall any more. “Corey Osin Stobong, I know you’re not still in bed when we have practice in 20 minutes and 3 games coming up” and with that, he got up and scrambled around his room looking for his bathroom essentials, I just held back a laugh he looked like he had just been told he has 5 minutes to get ready and leave otherwise he’s not playing any games.  “Gimme 15 minutes and ill be ready,” he says running into the bathroom. Me and uncle tre share the same this fool look before laughing and going back to the table,  “Did you hear about that songwriting contest beginning held in Bushwick, if you’re I could drop you off to deliver your piece?” he says while stuffing his mouth full of eggs, my grandmother would’ve slapped the back of his head if she saw him talking with a mouthful like that. “yeah I did I’m not sure if I’m gonna join tho and if I did id have to write a new song for it,” I say really taking this contest into thought now, it would be a good chance to get myself out there and I have been feeling like something good was coming my way for a little bit this may be it. I’ve always wanted to get into music writing and singing music has been a passion of mine since I learned how to write it was either that or become actor, well second best to uncle tre. “You’re telling me that you Layla Erato Stobong are gonna miss out in a chance to get yourself discovered and put out there, you love to sing and write music what’s holding you back,” he says genuinely looking like I told him heart-shattering news “ what’s that new song you wrote” he gets up and starts dancing around the kitchen trying to remember the lyrics to my new song cliche  “I don’t wanna be a like, another trophy on your screenplay, I’m tryna bump you- is it bump you,” he asks realizing that he got my lyrics totally wrong but still shaking what grandma didn’t give him. I hummed the tune to the song then it started, the words came easily to me almost as if I was reading it off a sign but they were mine, I created this and i was proud of it to not to say I'm not proud of all my songs but this one is particularly my favorite. “See munch you got this, I know my sister may not find singing as the best job for you or anyone but you have a real gift that not everyone has and you found yours at a young age some people may never get to see that day for themselves but you found it, don’t lose it,” he says as he gets up to go wash his dish and get my brother. Who was now running down the hall with his shirt on backward and a shoe missing. Like we said a fool. He ran past us to put his breakfast in a to-go plate and yelled out “love you i'll call you once practice is over '' then he slams the door and the house is quiet again beside the background noises from outside and crumbs. I go back to my room and see crumb’s laying on my carpet perfectly still as to let the sun warm him up, it being this sunny in October is not normal for us but its new york everything changes here. What uncle tre said still lingers in my head  that if i wanted this i needed to go after it, this has always been a dream of mine to be recognized it was within my grasp yet so far away.