Little Gangster (Part 16 B) Crime and Money

During the Fall of 2000 Toke turned 16 years of age. This was a turning point for him because he felt he no longer needed to go to school so he dropped out during his junior year of high school. He started to hang out in two main places: his house and the park. In the park he mmet some older guys who saw some positive personality traits in him. Toke was dedicated to an idea. He was dedicated to a mystique. He was dedicated to a personal idea of an image from which he did not want to deviate. He smoked weed every day. He drank a little beer several times a week. He lifted weights every day. His mom gave him money. Her name was Berta. She had a couple of male friends who often gave her money to supplement her monthly welfare payments. Berta bragged about her son. "He's such a good boy," she would tell others.
One day Toke and two of his friends were discussing ways to make money. Getting a job did not enter into the conversation. "Doing a job" did. One day Toke, Felipe, and Sonny saw a well dressed man in his forties walking through the park by himself. They assaulted him with a bat and kicked him. They knocked him out and took his wallet. He had $160 in twenties in his wallet. The man suffered a severe concussion. Toke and Felipe felt powerful, nervous and experienced an adventurous feeling that they liked. They kept it a secret for a while. They contacted some more friends. They had an informal meeting at Toke's house. They planned some more attacks. Toke was an intelligent person. He had reached the age of 16 and had managed to keep from getting arrested. Toke did not like school. His only experience with religion was when he was baptized as an infant. That, plus his tattoo of Jesus on his left arm. Plans were made to rob some more people. Plans were made to sell drugs. Plans were made to make easy money. But no plans were made to get a job. Plans were made to drop out of school. Within Toke's universe, plans for glory were made. Toke was possessed by a spirit. It was a spirit of image. It was a spirit he could not overcome. It was a desire for glory. He was a leader.