0:05

Hi. This is Scott. And

0:08

know this is not a regular

0:10

new episode Friday. Today. Of

0:12

get something special for you. If

0:15

there's one thing I know about you,

0:17

it's that you love when people share

0:19

personal stories, and I love that too.

0:22

So. Today I'm giving you a preview of

0:24

a podcast that I think you're going to

0:26

really enjoy. The. Show was

0:29

called risk. If.

0:31

You've never heard of it. Well sit back

0:33

and enjoy because you're in for a real

0:35

treat. The

0:38

website sleep.com called Risk

0:40

quote jaw dropping hilarious

0:42

and just plain touching

0:45

on. Since

0:47

Two Thousand Nine Risk is where

0:49

people tell true stories they never

0:51

thought they dare to share. The

0:55

special episode presentation you're about

0:57

to here is titled Buds

1:00

as in best. Buds people

1:02

who are really good friends. I

1:04

love this episode so much I've

1:06

listened to it twice. What

1:09

you're going to here are two different

1:12

stories. The first one is from Korea

1:14

Byrom. And the second one

1:16

is told by Chris Lundy. These

1:19

two men share stories about the

1:21

best and worst times with their

1:24

friends from childhood. As

1:27

I was listening to this, it kind of took

1:29

me back to when I was a kid and

1:31

the stuff that my best friend and I. Would

1:33

do. Take.

1:36

A Listen and I hope you

1:38

enjoy this episode from Risk titled

1:40

Buds. Real

1:46

people in on real

1:49

situations. Very

1:51

a big girl hanging fire appropriate

1:54

way for telephone wires and I

1:56

call nine one one sad of

1:58

held a baby. Hello

2:00

I see. A son pointed out new

2:03

close enough I could hatch. Shoot photos

2:05

as on about all the time levels.

2:07

The gun pulls the trigger and I

2:09

go down. Her eyes were full of.

2:13

Suit Wanna leave us my hair

2:15

Sexism: Fire Services isn't It is

2:17

one of my head whereas my

2:19

life. On

2:22

Scott Johnson and this is

2:24

what was that? Fellow

3:15

Kids This is Risk V

3:17

show where people tell true

3:20

stories they never thought they'd

3:22

dare to share. I'm Kevin

3:24

Allison, this is Tammy Burrell

3:27

behind me now and we

3:29

are calling this week's episode.

3:32

but these are two stories

3:34

by Man about best friends

3:36

that they had way back

3:39

when in their childhoods and.

3:42

How complicated? That can

3:44

be sometimes to have a

3:47

good friend ticket and erupts.

3:49

I also look at. These

3:52

are very odd, tumultuous

3:55

and emotional and action

3:57

packed stories to. They.

4:01

Think it's out of the five

4:03

hundred and sixty or so episodes

4:05

that we've made. I think it's

4:07

only the second where it was

4:09

all men. In this case, it

4:11

was just sit. These two stories

4:13

were so. Kind

4:15

of interesting lead, different

4:17

and yet interestingly sitting

4:20

on some similar territory

4:22

that sub backgrounds the

4:25

backgrounds of these two

4:27

guys and. The.

4:30

Ways has their stories echo and

4:32

differ from one another. I think

4:34

it's very interesting. The. First

4:36

was recorded in Twenty Fifteen

4:38

in Denver. We thought we

4:41

had lost the audio for

4:43

this one. With. doing

4:45

a lot of

4:48

recovering, reconstituting, remastering

4:50

of old archive

4:52

material. Anyway, I

4:54

was thrilled. Define that this story

4:56

is still so great. And

4:58

sounds great to. This is

5:01

Corey Byron for you can

5:03

find on Twitter at C

5:05

D by around. With.

5:07

A story we call. The

5:10

iceberg. So

5:27

does but my friend David for a

5:29

while. if you don't mind, David and

5:31

I. Had. Been sitting in his bedroom

5:34

for a couple of hours with the blinds closed

5:36

when his parents got home and told us about

5:38

the several inches of snow that had fallen outside.

5:41

We. Were at that age were sitting around in

5:43

one of our bedrooms listening to punk rock and

5:45

much harm movies. was about as exciting as a

5:47

Friday night to get. David's.

5:50

Fashion. Themselves after the classic British

5:52

punk rockers. His hair was always

5:54

in spots. Or. In a Mohawk

5:57

and it was rarely. It's natural

5:59

color. He wore a denim jacket, was safety

6:01

pins all over it, and a huge portrait of Johnny

6:03

Rotten on the back that he had drawn. Use.

6:06

An excellent artist and while we sat around

6:08

doing nothing, he would draw album covers for

6:10

made up bands that he imagines himself to

6:13

be a part of. Well, I just ran

6:15

on the guitar and that sorta thing. But.

6:18

Snow and suburban Atlanta was a pretty rare treat.

6:20

So as soon as we found out that it

6:22

had in fact snowed, we go on a couple

6:24

extra layers of clothes and then headed out just

6:27

to kind of explore. And. It

6:29

wasn't only thing to do when the snow

6:31

but just being out in it because it

6:33

was a rare felt kind of magical and

6:35

it was nice time. and street mice task

6:38

kind of an orange glow all over this

6:40

pristine blink. His wife's know the rover everything.

6:43

We. Met up with another kid who live near

6:45

him that I was just as bored with life

6:47

as we were and we just kind of goofed

6:49

off or throwing snowballs, doing whatever. Oh, we rescued

6:51

a bird. I. Mean that's something you

6:54

do in the snow, right? The other guy, this guy. I

6:56

didn't really know that well. he saw the bird and was

6:58

kind of hobbling around and he started to go for it

7:00

and on and off. For some reason I thought he was

7:02

gonna hurt it and so I'm like not and david like

7:04

holy shit we're about to fight because this guy's about the

7:06

heard a bird. You

7:09

know, I thought I was nice enough guy but he is.

7:11

He didn't grab the bird and you are stuck it in

7:13

the pocket of his hoodie and then we walk back to

7:15

his house and he set it up in the garage with

7:17

a box and a heater and. Only.

7:19

To care for like a couple weeks and then it flew off.

7:21

Adam or that has nothing to do the rest the store and

7:24

it's like to tell people we saved a bird. So.

7:26

After we dropped off the bird, David and

7:28

I had a back out into the cold

7:31

alone. Pretty. Soon found ourselves

7:33

at the apartment complex pool.

7:36

Given. Our haircuts and our age as you would

7:38

have thought the day when I would have been out

7:40

to like really causing trouble. But. We were

7:42

sort of shrouded in a cocoon of innocence,

7:44

but it's hard even imagine existed. We.

7:47

Didn't drink or do any drugs, reading,

7:49

smoke cigarettes, We. Would. Occasionally

7:51

talk about like a wishes by some pot

7:53

from this guy or so and so's get

7:56

a massive we should get some but

7:58

nothing would ever really materialized. So

8:00

we were. x is our hands to have

8:02

a sort of a punk rock straight as

8:04

identity. but the truth is we were destroyed

8:06

as by way of extreme laziness. So we

8:08

were standing there looking through the fence at

8:11

this frigid water and the snow's falling on

8:13

as really pretty whatever. And then we climbed

8:15

the fence and they were making snowballs and

8:17

different. I'm down in a cold water and

8:19

so they're just by hunks of ice and

8:21

and thousand each other with them. And normally

8:23

that's the kind of thing I would have

8:25

been really windy about but as I was

8:28

and remain an incredible pussy. But what all.

8:30

As your clothes on you can really feel it so as long

8:32

as it in each other in the face it was no big

8:34

deal. And I don't know whose

8:36

idea was to start building the iceberg, but

8:38

we were suddenly very serious about it. It

8:40

was a two man operations are one of

8:42

us would be crass down at the side

8:45

of the pool. Holding. This

8:47

big hunk of icy snow. The weed place

8:49

to their. And the other one would

8:51

be gathering up snowed a pack on and around a to

8:53

make it bigger and taller. Building.

8:55

This icebergs really sort of emblematic. Of.

8:58

Years the david I spent together

9:00

because. He's. Were sort of our

9:02

formative teenage years and we had no car.

9:04

We have no job. I

9:06

was fifteen at the time of the iceberg

9:09

and David was seventeen. So. We

9:11

just kind of wasted time in a way that

9:13

only done teenagers can. Usually late

9:15

at night. Usually. without apparent knowing

9:17

what we're up to. Like.

9:19

Once we snuck out of his house late at

9:21

night and we're going to roll of toilet paper

9:23

roll this kid on the streets house but we

9:25

can only get two rolls of toilet paper. From.

9:28

Davis house or office. Parents would notice the

9:30

toilet paper was gone and then they would

9:32

see the house that of in total a

9:34

favorite and know that we snuck out. So

9:36

easy fight, role the shit out of one

9:38

bush. That was pointless for kids queen and

9:41

up the bush the next day it on

9:43

a. Another time we snuck

9:45

out of his house and was a couple streets

9:47

over to meet up with some girls. And.

9:49

One of their houses only David.

9:52

Took us to the wrong house. So.

9:54

We knocked on the window and then hid behind

9:57

a car for a half an hour while some

9:59

guy in his. The were with a shotgun. Sad to

10:01

find a little says the scared his wife in the

10:03

middle of a nice. Not

10:06

one of our smarter moments. But.

10:09

You know, David always had something going on with some

10:11

girl. We were always walking to see some girl that

10:13

he had a thing going on with an even though

10:15

he was his grubby punk rockers, he was just about

10:17

the most charming son of a bitch you'd ever me.

10:19

And he could say and do things get away with

10:21

stuff and most people couldn't That, I certainly couldn't. Once.

10:24

He came into our ninth grade math class

10:26

and announced just a whole class Yeah I

10:29

decided yesterday I'm just not going to take

10:31

showers anymore. I just don't give a shit

10:33

if I'm dirty and all the girls giggled

10:35

and made fuck me I that him and

10:37

I'm sitting there are jealous I finally I

10:39

couldn't do that doesn't make any sense of

10:41

he convinced that same class that I had

10:43

monkey see. If

10:46

I guess Four Sigma pursue sort of on your monthly

10:48

fee whenever to what is round pick stuff up with

10:50

them. could use a knife and a fourth is crazy

10:53

and I look if anybody here as monkeys feet or

10:55

not I don't know. It's not a big deal, I

10:57

mean will be kind of cool to be honest, but

10:59

when you're like fourteen you don't want people thinking they

11:01

are multi feet. Monday don't have monkeys. Me and I

11:04

don't have much sympathy. For the record, But.

11:06

They believed him because that's just how it

11:09

went with us. We.

11:11

Have friends who lived with his grandparents and

11:13

his grandmother was this light. Surly.

11:15

Irritable woman who cursed like a sailor

11:17

and wouldn't take shit from anybody. We

11:19

Roxana terrified. Ever. The. David like

11:22

spot down on sitting next to her and

11:24

he said can you hear my voice. And

11:26

when she barked back yes, He can

11:28

lovingly laid his head on her shoulder and said

11:31

do you like it. And

11:33

she busted out laughing and it broke the ice

11:35

or them We actually all grew to really love

11:37

and realized he wasn't nearly as frightening as you

11:39

seem. Boots reconnaissance got beneath the surface. But.

11:42

That was the kind of sense of humor the David had. He

11:45

didn't mind put himself in harm's way

11:47

for a laugh or person people's buttons.

11:49

He loved making jokes at my expense,

11:51

much like the monkeys. Once.

11:54

In one of the bathrooms and

11:56

are high school he drew on

11:58

the wall a huge gigantic. Thirteen

12:01

inches long and my four inches wide.

12:03

and again he was a great artist.

12:05

This wasn't my just some as scrawled

12:07

outlined there were like veins and heres

12:09

the mean it was. it was a

12:11

masterpiece. Frankly, And

12:14

then above and he wrote Corey Byrom

12:16

has a huge debts and of course

12:18

you didn't tell me the he's done

12:20

this I just go in the bathroom

12:22

with and I'm like god damn it.

12:26

He could have at least I'd snuck into the

12:28

girls' bathroom. If he's gonna start spreading this rumor

12:30

about me, right? So.

12:33

He was very charming guy. A.

12:36

Lot of our time wasting involved trying to play

12:38

music together. And. Play the guitar. We'd wrangle a

12:40

couple of guys and try to set a band. Sometimes.

12:43

He would play bass, but he had a

12:45

really unparalleled lack of rhythm. Other

12:47

times you start a saying in his timing was

12:49

no better there. so these sessions would usually end

12:51

with as not speaking for a few days because

12:53

I will get so irritated with his lack of

12:55

focus and he would be so annoyed by my

12:58

past and bitching about his lot of focus. Silver.

13:00

The years went by and all the towns

13:02

or the Sarbanes together We've managed to write

13:05

one song. And it was called.

13:08

My. Sister got plowed by Hitler.

13:13

Was pretty sophisticated. So.

13:17

Anyway, At least with

13:19

the iceberg. we had a physical. representation.

13:23

Of our time wasting. Once we were done building

13:25

it, we could step back and look at this

13:27

huge thing we'd made in the pool. And.

13:29

Be proud of our accomplishment. See.

13:32

Can imagine my frustration when I went to go

13:34

to the bathroom and came back to see the

13:37

thing floating off in the pool. unfinished. And.

13:39

I told him like five times to sit

13:41

here and hold it. Don't do anything. Don't

13:43

try to add any snow, just sit here

13:45

and hold it. I'm just going around the

13:48

corner or be right back. and I have

13:50

no doubt that my insistence on him sitting

13:52

there holding it is exactly why he didn't

13:54

sit there and hold of. because as is,

13:56

the kind of guy was. But.

13:58

Now the iceberg has floated off. It was

14:00

a done deal. Over. The

14:02

next year So we started to drift apart as

14:04

we both got into bands that I'm took up

14:06

a lot of our time. band's not with each

14:08

other is with that was not gonna work and

14:10

even though our being shared the bill la times

14:12

and we've been shared a band member for a

14:14

long time we just didn't see each other as

14:16

much. He got out of

14:18

high school and unfortunately even s or

14:20

earlier attempts to being straight as he

14:22

started getting into drugs. And.

14:25

As he got more more into

14:27

draws, his resentment towards me started

14:29

bills partly because. I. Was still

14:31

very vocally against all that kind of stuff. Is

14:34

ban started getting pretty popular and I think he saw that

14:36

a sound of a middle finger to me as well. Go

14:38

back to our earlier days of trying to set abandoned all

14:41

my constant criticism of him. Disorder.

14:43

Came to a head. When. He began

14:45

publicly martin me and talking shit about me

14:48

pretty much every chance he got. He

14:50

would make fun of me from stage hero song lyrics the

14:52

made fun of me. He. Was generally just

14:54

an asshole. There. Was no

14:57

event because it was just something the started kind

14:59

of building and happened over time and if anyone

15:01

asked him why you know what's your problem with

15:03

core he would just be like man, fuck that

15:05

guy. He thinks he's so much better than everybody

15:07

else because he doesn't drink, do drugs and eyes

15:09

are high and mighty. And.

15:11

Me. The truth is, I can't necessarily argue with

15:13

his reason except me Looking back on it

15:15

now, I think I was probably. As

15:18

much of an asshole as he was, I just wasn't quite as

15:20

public about it. This.

15:22

Went on for i don't know. A

15:24

few years, maybe eighteen months is fully

15:26

belt. And a thing as we

15:29

saw tons of friends in common so was really

15:31

awkward. Because. We tried our best to

15:33

avoid each other, but we would often be sore

15:35

thrust into the same space. He.

15:37

Was still the fun, loving, crazy hilarious guy that

15:39

I had always known. he just wasn't that

15:41

way around me. And. So for

15:44

example, We. Had a friend and sound

15:46

visit into a supposed to be staying over it

15:48

Davis House and a frenzy bursting into the Little

15:50

Caesars where I work and he's like hey, I

15:52

need somewhere to state and I did We get

15:54

arrested. And so I had these

15:57

conflicting emotions. My first thought was i cause jesus, what

15:59

has he done. What Was it? Drives.

16:01

Are sastre violence or whatever and in my second

16:04

thought was good. That did because I kind of

16:06

figured whatever he is guy and he brought it

16:08

on himself anyway. So you get what he deserves.

16:11

But. No, he wasn't any of those

16:13

more serious things He got arrested

16:15

for streaking buffet accounting, high school

16:17

football game. So

16:20

I'm a painter. Little seen for you. Is

16:22

missing rounds? not raining? just gonna drizzly.

16:25

This. For teenage boys and a car

16:27

for. Taking. Their clothes off. In

16:30

the parking lot. Next to the high

16:33

school football game. This. Is what

16:35

the police officer found. And not

16:37

on the window. And. David wrote it down

16:39

of being the most cool headed and charming of the bunch.

16:42

The. Offices and would you go sooner? Is that all you know?

16:44

Our clothes just got wet from the rain a little bit so

16:46

we just got a new to dry off and get on some

16:48

dry clothes. And so this police

16:50

officer did what I think any one of us

16:52

would do confronted with for teenage boys taking their

16:54

clothes off in the car. And. A

16:57

high school parking lot and he said

16:59

okay and walk off. By

17:02

to say do not pay me enough to

17:04

deal with this year So whatever these kids

17:06

are doing make and fucking do it I

17:08

don't business for sure. It off just before

17:10

halftime David in these three other guys have

17:12

offensive one end zone and ago tear and

17:15

off down through the football field but naked

17:17

the crowds going crazy the cops come in

17:19

from the other side and a coming up

17:21

behind him and as they get to the

17:23

other end zone the fence on the other

17:26

side. Our schools had jenner this

17:28

big red neck guys leaning up against

17:30

the fence and he casually tosses awesome

17:32

advise the David Guetta probably followed from

17:34

then on. You. Better move

17:36

your ass. the cops are right

17:38

behind us. Answer shirt off the

17:40

cops called him hands the others

17:42

and they were arrested for treason

17:45

high school football game. But.

17:48

These moments of you know, hilarious mannequins

17:50

aside, his drug use was starting to

17:52

meet him to some pretty dark places.

17:54

This. Culminated in a few Gg

17:56

Allen style performances with his band

17:59

involving nudity. The beer bottles, an oral

18:01

sex and whatever else it was starting to

18:03

get him a reputation of being kind of

18:05

fucked up. Meanwhile.

18:08

He. Thought I was a square. I thought he

18:10

was becoming a junkie and neither of us

18:12

was wrong. On.

18:15

The night of my eighteenth birthday, I went out

18:17

to go to a party at a friend's house.

18:19

And. There was a Papa John's box sitting on my

18:21

car. And Davis. Was. A

18:24

delivery driver for Papa John's so I was little

18:26

scared. open air because I thought he might have

18:28

like sat in it or something which was kind

18:30

of funny. I guess you know Zenith Agnes, he

18:33

didn't He didn't sit in a think away so

18:35

and I opened it up. There was a are

18:37

one of his band's t shirts inside and a

18:39

message scrawled on the box for said i'm sorry

18:41

big hairy fatty. And. Be

18:44

very fatty was a term of endearment as he

18:46

can believe it. so it is the best guess

18:48

I got that year. And. I

18:50

went to the party David was there and we

18:52

have an exchange i love use and he apologized

18:54

and I said david what happened, what cause of

18:56

this and he said he didn't even know. And

18:58

thing is, it didn't really even matter because I have my friend

19:01

back. But. Over the next

19:03

couple months when we hung out more and we tried

19:05

to go back to the way things used to be

19:07

was never quite the same. Too

19:09

much time and past or inside jokes

19:11

aren't funny anymore. Our interests had shifted.

19:14

He was still heavily into drugs. I

19:16

was still heavily not. By.

19:20

We. Released on friendly terms and all that since

19:22

in and and awkwardness between the two of

19:24

us and our group of friends. A kind

19:26

of released because we were getting on. And.

19:28

It was good. It wasn't the same as it was before,

19:31

but it was good. The. Following

19:33

year our lives took a sort of in different

19:35

directions as I went off to college and he

19:37

moved up to Athens, Georgia. To. Focus

19:39

on becoming a tattoo artist. We.

19:42

Didn't see each other quite as much, but we

19:44

were on good terms for the next two years.

19:47

Just. Before I turned twenty one, I was up

19:49

in Athens with a band. We're recording a record

19:51

and the first night we were there we get

19:53

a phone call. The David overdosed on heroin and

19:55

was in the hospital. We.

19:58

Went to visit him and. The

20:01

gulf between a seemed bigger than ever. He.

20:06

Was. Cracking jokes. he didn't remember anything that had have

20:08

and we'd hoped it would be like a wake up

20:10

call to him. But. He remember

20:12

getting off of work and then waking up

20:14

in the hospital. And. Apart

20:16

that he had miss. At. Least part

20:19

of that was his roommate coming home

20:21

to an empty house but a lot

20:23

bathroom and he pounded on the door and

20:25

it was no response and walked around and

20:27

looked in through the our side window

20:29

and found even lying on the floor unconscious

20:31

So called nine one one in Cook

20:33

the door. But. All

20:36

of was gone for David and the events leading up

20:38

to a were gone. He knew nothing of any this

20:40

when he first got he wanted to know who had

20:42

kicked his ass. He thought he must have been like

20:44

assaulted after he got off work. So

20:46

we hope it will be wake up call to him

20:48

but nothing really changed after that because to him it

20:51

was just like. I. Don't know.

20:53

a side trip the didn't really affect him. Over.

20:57

The next couple years he bounced around a

20:59

lot between Athens, Georgia and Savannah and Atlanta

21:01

and New York and even say a bill,

21:03

Georgia where we grew up in where his

21:05

parents still live. And. I run into

21:07

him every now and we see each other parties and

21:09

sort of saying said he would always say was clean

21:11

but you could tell he wasn't. Once.

21:14

My wife and I gotten a new puppy and we

21:16

took it to this party with a sunday who was

21:18

there any play with the puppy? all my. And

21:20

then I saw him again a couple weeks later and he

21:22

said a i heard you got a new dog Man I

21:24

love to see it. Everything

21:26

was just becoming a blur to him. And

21:29

as years went on, we had less and

21:32

less contact. Sport. Asked about her

21:34

out, ask people about him and the stores would

21:36

always start with well I'd heard he was clean

21:38

but and it never really ended anywhere good after

21:40

that. In two thousand and

21:42

six my first son was born and that night

21:44

I was still pretty emotional in the style Jack

21:46

and I found David on my space and we

21:48

had any contact and years at this point. I

21:51

sent him a message telling them my news and

21:53

he wrote back to sentences Best Wilde, what's your

21:55

name? It. And. He never

21:58

road again after that. The

22:01

day after Christmas or two thousand and nine. My.

22:03

Wife and I were sitting around watching Tv

22:05

and. She. Was chatting with a friend

22:07

whose husband was a fireman and our town.

22:11

The Friends order. They just

22:13

heard over the police scanner that there

22:15

had been an attempted robbery at the Walgreens

22:17

with shots fired and as a suspect had

22:19

a blue mohawk and was covered in tattoos.

22:22

And our hearts Thanks. David

22:25

It had a friend drop him off at the Walgreens and

22:27

he went inside to put out a gun and told everyone

22:29

to get out. He had a

22:31

sorry for. the pharmacy, was rummaging through the drugs

22:33

and he was trying to get the narcotic safe

22:36

open when the cops got there. He tried to

22:38

close the gate but he couldn't get too close

22:40

to pointed his gun. At the

22:42

cops in, one of them shot him twice. The.

22:45

Hit him in the abdomen. And

22:47

luckily he did not die. But.

22:50

As they were dragging him out and tossing him,

22:52

putting him in the ambulance, he was reportedly yelling,

22:54

"You were supposed to kill" Sir.

22:57

David is now sits on your six

22:59

of a twenty year prison sentence. And

23:02

we've written back and forth a few times try

23:04

to patch things up. We both on our fair

23:06

share of apologizing, And

23:09

so as you can tell from the telling of the story

23:11

that for most of david story I was just more of

23:13

a bystander. I was a witness

23:15

to his humor and charm and his talent.

23:18

But. Also his pain and

23:20

his overwhelmingly for acceptance. And

23:23

is ultimately devastating addiction. And

23:26

and all those years when we weren't as close

23:29

contact, I could have tried to help him get

23:31

clean and I could have fought with them or

23:33

begged him or staged interventions. And. Maybe

23:35

other people dead in my absence? But.

23:38

Ultimately, I didn't do any of that. I

23:41

didn't really try to help him.

23:44

And so any and he just floated

23:46

or out of my life's. Not

23:49

unlike an iceberg. In. An

23:51

apartment complex, pool, and the winner of Ninety Nine

23:53

isn't it? Not

24:21

only. Say

24:24

that you are not. A

24:37

owes. You

24:45

a normal allow. Love.

25:02

To. See.

25:06

This is risk. This is

25:08

a Clash behind me now

25:11

and we just heard from

25:13

Korea Fyrom Now Listen, there's

25:15

a documentary that was made

25:18

about quarries friend David band

25:20

It's On You Tube. The

25:22

film is called Stopper The

25:25

Rise and Fall of the

25:27

Bastard Squads Stuff of. Tissue

25:30

on a sag. that out, it's

25:32

on you tube. Let's

25:40

get to our final story

25:42

today. This is quite quite

25:44

a trip. This story this

25:46

comes to us from Chris

25:48

Lundy school is the host

25:51

of the First Person Arts

25:53

Story Slam. Oh my gosh,

25:55

We love first person arts

25:57

in Philadelphia and were so.

26:00

Thrilled that they introduced us

26:02

to Chris Lundy! You can

26:04

find prayers on Twitter at

26:06

Lundy World. This is also

26:08

extraordinary in that all of

26:11

the music in this story

26:13

was composed by our audio

26:15

editor John was Sala. So.

26:17

Let us go off on

26:19

this journey. Now see here

26:21

is Chris Lundy with a

26:23

story we call. For.

26:26

Hundred and third team.

26:48

So growing up. My. Eyes

26:51

big sister. she loved dating

26:53

gangsters x ray like Sawdust

26:55

Ruff mags liked of the

26:57

referred a better right that

26:59

was her style and arms.

27:01

The one guy she was

27:03

most head over heels for

27:05

was a guy named to

27:07

run. My sister and him

27:09

were inseparable. You would not

27:11

see one without seeing the

27:13

other and everybody knew that

27:15

around was dating. My sister

27:17

and my sister was dating

27:19

to Run. They were like

27:21

this notorious couple and Iran

27:24

was as gangster as the

27:26

guy. I

27:34

didn't know would indeed or how

27:37

he did it but everybody was

27:39

afraid of the run into Iran

27:41

was scared know by now he

27:43

wasn't the biggest guy in the

27:46

world. I consider him like lanky

27:48

and when he was smiling it's

27:50

a me and like the kind

27:52

his face in the world was

27:55

when he was angry that same

27:57

area which would turn down and

27:59

become. Extremely and

28:01

Sam a dating scow

28:03

rise suicides who extreme

28:05

opposites same face two

28:07

completely different ends of

28:09

the spectrum. He

28:15

cannot walk to the beat of his own

28:17

draw me yet his own set of rules,

28:19

his own code. And

28:22

and even though he was on

28:25

the outskirts of the rules and

28:27

can add that bad boy thing

28:29

going on because he live by

28:31

this code it seem like a

28:33

a stand up guy. Honorable guys.

28:35

Trust. Gonna do

28:38

any. Had a lot of base model

28:40

face in his voice and he knew

28:42

how to use it's I remember one.

28:44

Time as with Iran and he saw

28:47

these four guys out in front of

28:49

an apartment building in for no reason

28:51

at all he yells someone what the

28:53

fuck are you all looking at. Not.

28:59

One of them said and. I

29:17

saw these four guys out

29:19

of in scared. it is

29:21

one of the my my

29:23

business in the rides. unprovoked,

29:25

initiated obese with these four

29:27

guys. confidently and they didn't

29:29

say a thing. Storms and

29:31

I was just more evidence

29:33

that Iran was a month

29:36

of gangsters. Everybody was scared

29:38

or was he had the

29:40

neighborhood on lot. So.

29:44

I was growing up in a tough

29:46

neighborhood, but I was a tough kid.

29:49

I. Was in middle school. I love

29:51

comic books. yeah I collected pennies. I

29:53

was actually I was a puny to

29:55

like this and I would like lay

29:57

a mile in rows in my bedroom.

30:00

All by myself and the order from oldest

30:02

to newest in life. My favorite wines where

30:04

the old ones the ones that were all

30:06

the sit there on the back. They didn't

30:08

even have the Lincoln Memorial yeah just have

30:11

one since on the back like those were

30:13

my all stars. I love those. My

30:20

neighborhood. Was. Right on

30:22

the border of South East Dc

30:24

in Southeast Dc was notorious for

30:26

being be rough. This part. Of.

30:29

A rough city is this? So

30:31

by being on a Maryland border

30:33

there it was like you can

30:35

make a less and go toward

30:37

a creek where there were three

30:39

and nice flowers. Or you can

30:41

make a right where if you

30:43

weren't wearing a bulletproof vests you

30:45

might have was just going to

30:47

plan your few. It was like

30:49

this to me go annoyance and

30:51

is shared the you know and

30:53

zip code. Voice. The

30:56

world's were so different and

30:59

I had friends on both

31:01

sides of that of that

31:03

lies. So I

31:05

was raised by a single mom

31:07

Haitian immigrants and she tough. She

31:10

ran as a tough ship in

31:12

the house bouncing. She knew much

31:14

about the neighborhood or what was

31:17

going on outside of our doors.

31:19

There were fights all the time

31:21

for no reason for stupid reasons

31:23

that we're bullies all over the

31:26

place and people would seize you

31:28

about any said you had our

31:30

old shoes your didn't seize. We

31:32

call the zoning rise of someone.

31:35

We're talking about your hair say

31:37

would be zoning on m people

31:39

zone all the time. Fights were

31:41

unprovoked, you could get jumped for

31:43

no reason for worse. Guys were

31:45

getting shot for reading on each

31:47

other. cry inbreeding with that is

31:50

is is when you can us

31:52

look a person up and down

31:54

and sizing a much time away

31:56

arm and that was just considered

31:58

a sign of. Respect in

32:00

this sign of disrespect. Often times

32:03

that the somebody actually didn't sauce

32:05

actually get into in. The worst

32:07

part about it was this was

32:10

normal to us like this was

32:12

like of cultural norm everybody knew

32:14

somebody who got killed, everybody had

32:17

a friend who died in we

32:19

just accepted it as a way

32:21

of life. It was a scary

32:24

little world that we live this

32:26

but just naturally I gravitated towards

32:28

the goods hid way. Of things

32:31

like following rules, I remember nothing

32:33

made me happier than bringing home

32:35

my report card to my mother

32:38

and showing her how well I

32:40

had done like. that would make

32:42

myself. Getting

32:47

her approval mint everything the

32:49

me. So that's the past

32:51

that that's where I was,

32:53

but I was always aware

32:56

of Cs how bad ship

32:58

was around the neighborhood. Play.

33:01

Dumb. Rhymes protected me from all

33:03

of this. you know, just based

33:06

off his reputation alone. Keep you

33:08

posted the me then you might

33:10

have discussed with their hundred and

33:12

nobody wanted to fuck with Iran.

33:20

Any, he wasn't stingy with his street

33:22

knowledge steve like he would school me

33:24

up. He was give me less as

33:27

and tell me things I said. Example:

33:29

if the bullies are messing with youth

33:31

you pick out of he just one

33:33

and you hit him with whatever you

33:35

define of a brick, a stick, whatever

33:37

you could find you said i'm with

33:39

that. And

33:41

you'll probably lose, right? You'll lose

33:44

as five, but you'll never mess

33:46

with you again. And everyone who's

33:48

smaller than him, they're definitely not.

33:50

Don't fuck with you because measure seen

33:52

as a crazy too little hit some

33:54

with a friend or facts and it

33:56

was true in he told me these

33:58

types of things while. He would

34:00

cut my hair and that was

34:03

kinda like his his hidden talents.

34:05

He was the best barber I've

34:07

ever seen. Quite sharp lines, nice

34:09

seeds. It was art form forum.

34:11

He would really take his time.

34:14

We would set up in the

34:16

bathroom. You know it's to me

34:18

on a toilet. A toilet was the

34:20

barber seats. He was line of his

34:22

clippers and he would just you know

34:24

set me up and while he was

34:26

doing that we'd be talking. He was

34:28

like a comedian my he'd he'd ask

34:30

me about girls and tell me jokes.

34:32

we talk about school a me to

34:34

run so me everything from how to

34:36

shoot a dime sized so hot as

34:38

you know kiss a girl If my

34:40

mother knew. What? He was teaching

34:42

me while he was give me

34:45

those hairstyles see richard them our

34:47

right then and there and told

34:49

me and my sister to stay

34:51

far away from to run by

34:53

knew where we were, he knew

34:55

the neighborhood that I was in

34:57

in this hyper sit that I

34:59

would be subject to in so

35:01

he was teaching me in preparing

35:03

me for any situation that I

35:05

might come across because the where

35:07

we live. He knew

35:09

that I needed a he knew

35:11

I needed the help of again

35:14

single mom so there wasn't a

35:16

dad around. Older sister sodom have

35:18

an older brother. Thomas stepped in

35:21

as that male figure to teach

35:23

me how to navigate the hoods

35:25

states is boosted my confidence and

35:27

he gave me this sense of

35:30

security wind Iran was around. Bottom

35:32

line: I worship the ground. He

35:34

walked on. So.

35:37

When he asks me to take a walk with some one

35:39

night. I jumped at the chance

35:41

I was in. As.

35:44

Were walking one night a car pulls up. And

35:47

it's say Klein said Kwan is another

35:49

guy from the neighborhood older than me

35:51

but maybe a couple years younger than

35:54

drawn. Said qualm was it was a

35:56

little bad as not like to run

35:58

though. Duran was. Bad as that.

36:01

you took seriously say com was more

36:03

of a mischievous little guy. You know,

36:05

you know he didn't really go to

36:07

school or maybe he dropped out so

36:09

I'm not quite sure the no one

36:12

really took sick once. You seriously know

36:14

once feared say Klein what she knew

36:16

that if you dared say quanta do

36:18

something. Cycle. On would probably

36:20

do it. That was his reputation.

36:23

And. Die he comes up and he goes

36:25

out to see you u v. Now.

36:28

I know what the hell is users

36:31

he was before the record a you

36:33

u v means unauthorized usage of a

36:35

vehicle ha a a stolen car or

36:38

I assumed it was like the model

36:40

of a car like the Nissan you

36:42

your some adults I was I was

36:45

is low naive locates and so the

36:47

ron motion for us to get in.

36:50

And so we got his. And.

36:52

I'm thinking is all I am I'm hanging with

36:54

the boy my where we would have a about

36:56

the get into. In

36:58

so we headed to a construction

37:00

site. Where. They were building

37:03

these townhomes and Cyclone is drive

37:05

in light of com sleep while

37:07

man he's doing don't I see

37:09

spin and now you know something.

37:11

local ramp since his like that

37:13

and then Durand six the wheel

37:16

and he's even crazier than say

37:18

climb. He's doing all kinds of

37:20

Draven fasts and then outta nowhere

37:22

to run goes. A I

37:24

was like young and drive that

37:26

was me wrong I was I

37:29

was young so i just I'm

37:31

a driver's seat Mrs my first

37:33

time ever drive never sat behind

37:35

a wheel before am thrive in

37:37

the car and response is sort

37:39

of in they say. Literally

37:52

they were same let's plays. Bowling.

37:55

Let's go bowling using the car

37:58

as a bowling ball and. Port

38:00

a Potty as the bowling pins. Mounting

38:03

to myself and spaces is safe

38:05

for as I've never driven a

38:07

car to begin with and my

38:09

first time outs I'm gonna go

38:11

bowling with porta potties. ah I'm

38:13

not a mistake was gone on

38:15

for us. Acorn was have excellent

38:17

insurance on this you you V

38:19

of his and I was kinda

38:21

shocked at myself that yes I

38:23

was excited by wasn't. Nervous

38:26

I think I started to

38:28

assimilate had been one of

38:30

the bad boys. and if

38:32

Iran. Would say in this kidding this port

38:34

a potty was okay and cyclone was given me

38:37

the thumbs up since in this was the way

38:39

to go and so I like the car of.

38:42

And I'd suggest and I'm going to was

38:44

his fortified and I'm thinking to myself, i

38:47

use your arteries Are you serious Are really

38:49

about a business. Clients

38:52

crashed into the port a

38:54

potty it goes lying. there

38:56

are kids everywhere. Soon as

38:58

we were idol some find

39:01

him through of his porta

39:03

potties. it it was. It's

39:05

simmering. It felt like I

39:07

was waiting for some type

39:09

of of ward. After you

39:12

know, The world's greatest port.

39:14

A potty tiller is how I

39:16

felt after his mess. It felt

39:19

like I had graduated from little

39:21

innocent naive kid to rookie bad

39:23

boy. That's what is sell like

39:26

a mean I'm looking at the

39:28

port a potty destroyed. I'm looking

39:30

around. were in the construction site

39:33

driving this car just felt like

39:35

we could do anything we wanted

39:37

to do at that time. Is

39:41

it was exhilarating like this is a

39:43

never really did anything wrong and for

39:45

the first time I felt like I

39:47

was in a bad boys club rally

39:49

behind the velvet ropes and I finally

39:51

got to see what goes on behind

39:53

this. and I love this! I loved

39:55

every second of Is so I'm still

39:57

on this High sequences the wheel and.

40:00

The see and we're going

40:02

back to our neighborhood for

40:04

sick. Wanna drop us off

40:06

and on our way out

40:08

we see five cop cars

40:10

on their way. Is. And

40:14

I see Iran stiffen us

40:16

in San Juan. Get really,

40:18

really quiet. And

40:21

as the cops pass us one

40:23

at a time, I turn and I

40:25

see. They. All start to

40:27

make you turned in a single

40:30

file from single file. I

40:32

take another peak it's a climb into

40:35

run in there even more stiff, even

40:37

more quiet and I see something that

40:39

I had never seen in my life

40:41

and I never thought I would see.

40:43

I. Saw fear, Wonder. Runs

40:46

face. I

40:48

turned back around and I see the

40:50

cops the lights flash on. The.

40:53

Sirens. Blaring. Now.

40:56

And they hit the gas

40:58

speed up and now they're

41:00

pretty much right of Moines.

41:02

our bumper. I'm

41:04

scared shitless. I look in the the

41:06

rear view and I see sick want

41:09

cease and he looks confused. He looks

41:11

unsure. he doesn't know what to do

41:13

So I yelled so I'm stop the

41:16

car is it's because it was. It

41:18

was common sense to me. When you

41:20

see police if they tell you to

41:23

stop you stop. End of story with

41:25

Iran. Had other ideas to run, said

41:27

no go on our warrants cause I'm

41:29

thinking to myself like what do you

41:32

mean Go Cops say stop You Stop

41:34

Iran. Says go say climb

41:36

up as lies by massing

41:39

down on the guess I'm

41:41

thinking what the hell is

41:44

going on In my little

41:46

naive mind, I'm thinking we

41:49

were just saying. We were

41:51

all driving, taking turns, driving

41:54

sick, once car messing around,

41:56

and now we're being pursued

41:58

by some. And

42:01

we're actually talking about running

42:03

away. It is. Blew my

42:05

mind and accident. Wrap my

42:08

little head around and what

42:10

are your wound School I

42:12

wanted to run of possibly

42:15

zone. I'm Pam is a

42:17

cyclone. obliged to runs request

42:19

by put in, have settled

42:21

since her mother fucking metal

42:24

and learned. That

42:36

says we were in all out.

42:38

price be police chase and I'm

42:40

seeing that were headed full speed

42:42

sward an intersection and there's no lies

42:45

to resist outside. but there's no light

42:47

so because of some in east to

42:49

west, west to east they're flying.

42:51

But we're going north to south and

42:54

we're not slowing down. The funny thing,

42:56

we were picking up more speed.

42:58

I'm bracing. I'm thinking damn this is

43:00

the way I'm gonna die in a

43:03

back seat of his you you

43:05

V. We

43:07

go straight through the intersection.

43:09

I don't know what the

43:11

odds are for. We went

43:14

through on such unscathed, right

43:16

through. Now

43:20

the cost of course they are going

43:22

to be more careful through an intersection

43:24

self say stop to make sure they

43:27

weren't cause in any accidents and at

43:29

those speeds and accident would have been

43:31

fatal no doubt. So them being more

43:33

careful in stopping created separation. He gave

43:36

us a little bit of breathing room.

43:39

So by the time we got to our neighborhood.

43:42

There was a a moment of peace. Say.

43:48

Kwan brought the car to a role

43:51

He was just slow enough for

43:53

him to jump out. So

43:55

cyclone jumped out. And. Then

43:57

to run, jump down, And

43:59

ah, it go to jump out but my

44:02

door. Wouldn't. Budge.

44:04

Fucking. Child safety lox. Because

44:07

the car was still emotion, the

44:09

rear doors couldn't be opened. From.

44:12

The inside. So. I

44:14

was trapped. I was set

44:16

for fides. I look back

44:18

and I saw that the

44:20

cops had made their way

44:22

through the intersection. My stomach

44:24

dropped. I remember must cease

44:26

feeling singly just from fear

44:28

from shots from panic because

44:31

changing on the door I

44:33

even slid over to the

44:35

other side and Friday jank

44:37

that door open to neither.

44:39

sigh would open. The car

44:41

still moving is still rolling.

44:43

I'm wondering am I about

44:45

to crash. Into something. Saw that danger

44:47

in the front of me at turn

44:49

around. I see the cops. I got

44:51

danger in the back of me and

44:53

I'm fucking straps. I'm think a farmer

44:55

going to tell my mother what's gonna

44:57

happen to me. Am I going to

44:59

jail for the rest of my life's?

45:01

like my body couldn't handle the amount

45:03

of south is that it was receive

45:05

it is. it was overload, Accident I

45:08

couldn't physically process. What? My

45:10

mind. Was. Sending some

45:12

my body. he was overload.

45:15

I don't know what's going on and

45:17

out of nowhere. My. Door

45:20

swings, Office. I

45:23

look and it's Durham. Assess.

45:27

I couldn't believe my eyes.

45:29

I know how fast Darius

45:31

and I know that he

45:33

had enough time to be

45:35

saw. I mean vanished into

45:37

the night. Stop

45:45

and seen back to let me

45:47

else. I didn't even understand how

45:49

he knew that was still stuck

45:51

in the car when they both

45:53

jumped out in sprints it away.

45:55

He must have sat back and

45:57

look bad for me. I don't

45:59

know. Imagine all of these stores.

46:01

How is he here? He had

46:03

a clean getaway he's that have

46:06

been gone but he came back

46:08

circle back and opened up my

46:10

doors. I was frozen with sauce

46:12

and then he snapped me out

46:14

of a by say it was

46:17

seats exhausts. I jump out the

46:19

car. I'm running behind him and

46:21

try to follow his past but

46:23

he was too fast. This guy

46:25

was a streak. He was gone

46:27

and I'm trying to follow. weird.

46:30

He's running sue in the direction

46:32

that he's running to keep up

46:34

and I actually see this point.

46:36

There were cops all over the

46:38

place, all over our neighborhoods and

46:41

I heard one yell, three with

46:43

their guns drawn with iran through

46:45

both of his arms have but

46:47

he kept running full speed. So

46:49

is that both his arms up

46:52

in the air sprinting pulls the

46:54

getting away the sins hatch I'm

46:56

I'm telling you this guy was

46:58

a track star in. So in

47:00

all of this commotion I

47:03

noticed that. Nobody. Was

47:05

after me. No. One was

47:07

see seeing me. In. So

47:10

I took this opportunity. I had the

47:12

bright idea to save my jacket off.

47:15

Throw. It into the bushes. And

47:17

just start walking casually says blending

47:19

into the neighborhood like I was

47:22

a bystander who just happened to

47:24

be outside. Some.

47:26

Walking Com minding my own

47:28

business, And then I hear.

47:31

That. Sound. The clanging, the clink,

47:33

clang of police baton in keys

47:35

in handcuffs and peppers breaks. You

47:37

know that sound the cops make

47:40

when they're sprinting. I hear and

47:42

I'm think I just a can't.

47:44

Just. Sell out. Skyn.

47:47

Louder it's getting louder. The

47:49

clanging, the clinking, the clanging.

47:51

my i commit to the

47:54

role Chris like keep your

47:56

cool See your Su Su

47:58

Casa brought me. Sound and

48:00

they start sounding. I mean beating

48:02

the shit out of. One was

48:04

needing me in the back, the

48:07

other was grabbing my hands to

48:09

put behind my arms and I

48:11

wasn't moving fast enough and their

48:13

punching me in the spine. I

48:15

was yelling out said ahmed said

48:17

i'm sister is in hopes that

48:19

they would lighten up a little

48:21

bit and news if they were

48:24

determined the ruff me up. This

48:26

That's what was going to happen

48:28

but a lease scaling back. A

48:30

little bit to the middle

48:32

schoolers version of whatever you're

48:34

gonna do, hear some beat

48:37

up and say throw these

48:39

cuffs on me extremely tight

48:41

I'm talking with fingertips, loses

48:43

circulation, and they throw me

48:45

in the backseat. It.

48:49

Was confusing the me because I you know

48:52

I was raised. To. Be a good

48:54

boy and to do the right things.

48:56

And if the police tell you to

48:58

do something you do if you comply

49:01

with the way that I was being.

49:03

ruff does it. It was really given

49:05

me some doubts on that whole philosophy,

49:07

that whole concept. There some sin in

49:09

the back C N that hazard sort

49:12

of settling me. I remember the canine

49:14

unit guy comes in. he lets his

49:16

German Shepherd in the backseat with partying

49:18

for roses lead on the my face.

49:20

I thought I was gonna be you

49:23

know. Mauled to death in the

49:25

in the backseat there some petrified.

49:27

I'm wondering what happened with Iran

49:29

would have a with said Klein.

49:31

I'm seeing more and more cops

49:33

more more patrol car. This is

49:35

looks like this is huge sees

49:37

it completely gonna hand because all

49:39

you saw was red and blue

49:41

lights everywhere. Some.

49:44

Sit in their same cost.

49:46

Waiting. Same team. And

49:48

it started to dawn on me

49:51

that. Am I

49:53

not have been say clans car. Or

49:55

a half with a hopefully is it's

49:58

of a complete naive load to. So

50:04

because they they take me down to

50:06

the precinct, fingerprint, mugshot jail cell, the

50:08

whole thing, and their pressing me to

50:11

give up the names of the guys

50:13

who got away and I tell him

50:15

I say listen, want one was say

50:18

Klein I think and the other one.

50:20

I'd never seen them before. I never

50:22

saw that other guy before my life.

50:26

A. Couple hours later, My.

50:28

Mother gets me out. And

50:30

we watch my mother's car.

50:33

In do Ron is ducked

50:36

down. In the sea

50:38

out of sight. Duck

50:40

down and as soon as

50:42

he and I lock eyes

50:44

he ton of makes this

50:46

face this this motion him

50:48

his looked to me to

50:50

just keep quiet, don't say

50:52

anything in it dawned on

50:54

me that he must have

50:57

ran straight to my house

50:59

and told my mother some

51:01

story that got me off

51:03

the hook. There was

51:05

no punishment. Know yelling

51:07

know reprimand. Durand had somehow

51:10

cleared it all up. With.

51:12

Mama. The

51:15

police actually pin the stolen car

51:17

on me, but because I was

51:19

so young and I didn't have

51:21

any priors, a fine and in

51:23

apology to the vehicles real owner.

51:26

Was. Enough to com a

51:28

clear everything up and my

51:30

record was later expunged. And.

51:35

Then some time when by. And

51:37

I remember do Ryan not

51:39

being around as much. As

51:42

visits were on a few and far

51:44

between. And then

51:46

we got some some devastating news.

51:49

Iran had been killed. We.

51:53

Didn't know exactly what happened but

51:56

we knew that he got shot.

51:58

In the we knew that it happen. In Washington,

52:00

Dc. At. That time. that's

52:03

all we knew. Word

52:05

spread around the neighborhood.

52:07

You know everybody knew

52:09

of the road. In

52:12

so him being killed just

52:14

spread like wildfire. It.

52:16

Was the talk of the town to run

52:18

was dead. Iran was

52:20

killed. I

52:23

remember there was emptiness.

52:25

a cell like. Like

52:27

my big brother had gotten

52:30

killed. Like my protector

52:32

was gone. There was just.

52:35

Empty. Dark.

52:37

Sad times. Around

52:40

then. That.

52:44

Year Dc was the murder capital. And.

52:47

Iran was the four hundred and

52:49

thirteenth person killed in the city.

52:51

I'll never forget that number number

52:53

four in June. Thirteen. I

52:56

later came to learn that the arrest

52:58

warrant the door on had. Was.

53:00

For murder. To

53:03

separate ones actually? He

53:05

was in the life Iran was in

53:07

the life all the way. But.

53:10

What it did make me realize his

53:12

with everything on the line. Iran

53:15

came back for me that night.

53:17

He risked everything right. A warrant

53:20

for his arrest for murder. Two.

53:22

Murders any risked.

53:25

All of that. To. Get me

53:27

out of the back seat of their car. On

53:30

on It just blows my mind. Now.

53:34

Took the rounds death really hard. After

53:36

that last there was a shift in

53:39

me. I started skipping school a lot.

53:41

When I did go to school my

53:43

grades were bad. I was

53:45

in Nc any saying like sports know activities,

53:48

anything like that. I just I wasn't in

53:50

anything. My hair cuts which trash because you

53:52

got him have to run around the cut

53:54

it. It. Just was. I

53:57

was a different time, but

53:59

over time. I started to

54:01

find my way out of this started

54:03

to bounce back and make changes for

54:05

the better. My grades force our captain

54:08

of the football team. I joined our

54:10

see see you know student government. I

54:12

was homecoming king. Pretty popular kids and

54:15

a lot of this was inspired by

54:17

the rhine so you know he didn't

54:19

want to teach me the ways of

54:21

the street so that I would be

54:24

protected in taking care of thing. He

54:26

always knew that I was different. He

54:28

always knew that I didn't have. To

54:30

go to the last in that

54:33

area in fees in the lies

54:35

he knew that I had would

54:37

itself to be better than him

54:39

and to be better then there

54:41

and to be better than my

54:43

neighborhood of what my neighborhood had

54:45

to offer. So

54:49

I get a phone call.

54:51

it's a police officer and

54:54

as we're talking I'm realizing

54:56

mitten, this is the police

54:59

officer who arrested me that

55:01

nice and took me to

55:03

jail. He.

55:06

Sees being friendly, be nice.

55:08

I'm reminiscing of just how

55:10

bad him and his caught

55:12

bodies were that night. But.

55:14

Now he's it sounds like

55:16

a completely different guy and

55:18

he's being friendly and he's

55:21

checking in. Me suggests. That.

55:23

I write this essay

55:25

that I participate in

55:27

this essay contest. And.

55:30

So I did. And the essays

55:32

that I wrote. Was

55:34

inspired by. To. Run.

55:37

It was inspired by his

55:39

passing. It was inspired by

55:41

his decisions in our relationships.

55:43

It was about how fucked

55:45

up my neighborhood was. It

55:48

was about saints and about

55:50

choosing to change in choosing.

55:53

To. Walk a different path,

55:55

even know we were surrounded

55:57

by just absolute shit. So.

56:03

You know? one of the things I said in the. Essays.

56:06

That my friend's death was

56:08

a sudden turn around. I

56:11

saw how he lived in. I saw how

56:13

things ended up. And I said I

56:16

was gonna learn from his mistakes. Boy.

56:19

What was a complete shock to

56:21

me is that this essay caught

56:23

fire. I remember local news stations

56:25

coming to my school to interview means

56:28

Ah, the Washington Post did a

56:30

cover story on isn't A Printed

56:32

It on Independence Day. High schools

56:34

were bringing me in to read the

56:36

as a severe student body and

56:38

answer any questions or they may

56:40

have has. I haven't had a flow

56:42

and a local parade. I have

56:44

my own little car because of

56:46

his essay. was it was insane

56:48

how. Much it's and is hop

56:50

and circuses space there was around.

56:53

This whole damn thing is because

56:55

is as low as this. But

56:57

they all got it wrong. All

56:59

of them the Washington Post's the

57:01

local high schools. They all got

57:03

it wrong because they Zealand eyes.

57:05

Durand. To me. Drawn.

57:08

Was a protector. And. I

57:10

saw this drawn live by a

57:13

code. He had honor, He was

57:15

loyal and although he did make

57:17

some bad decisions. And

57:19

in mean, leaves a bad person. I

57:22

always some as a good person I still do.

57:25

I always had some apprehension once

57:27

I saw the direction that that

57:29

they were pulling the essay ensue.

57:31

I always had some apprehension about

57:34

it because I knew that were

57:36

pegging you're wrong and pointing out

57:38

the worst of him in order

57:40

to make Mia a turnaround story

57:42

or redemption story. But it wasn't

57:45

accurate because a lot of the

57:47

ways that I went about my

57:49

life in the ways and I

57:51

turn things around. I learned from

57:53

to run. I

57:56

still think about Durand from time the

57:59

time. I think about

58:01

everything that he taught me. I

58:03

think it makes me remember that

58:05

and lies like sits, not Black

58:07

and white is a whole lot

58:10

of gray and are you from

58:12

pool? Great things out of bed

58:14

and then there's a lot of

58:16

bad and things that are supposed

58:18

to be good at all. Was

58:20

there that one night with that

58:23

car. But. Are

58:25

always appreciate the way that to

58:27

run came back for me. how

58:30

he risks everything everything was on

58:32

the line. I didn't know that

58:34

he had an arrest warrant it

58:37

would have put him away from

58:39

Av but he knew and despite

58:41

that he came back amy open

58:44

up their fucking door to let

58:46

me out. They

59:03

just. They. Don't make em like that

59:06

and more. Drawn.

59:08

Man. He was

59:10

scared and nobody. That

1:00:22

is all for this week's

1:00:24

episode Folks This is Bobby

1:00:26

Mcferrin behind me now and

1:00:28

we just heard from Chris

1:00:31

Lundy. You can find him

1:00:33

on Twitter at Lundy World.

1:00:35

Also John the sala like

1:00:38

I was saying and did

1:00:40

all the a music composition

1:00:42

and the editing of that

1:00:45

story. John has a favorite

1:00:47

added of his own an

1:00:49

alternate at it. That

1:00:51

we're going to put up on petri on for

1:00:53

anyone who might be curious to compare, it's. Not

1:00:56

so unusual for an editor on the

1:00:58

show to have a favorite version and

1:01:01

for me to have a different favorite

1:01:03

version. And so I figure. No

1:01:06

reason we can't share the alternate version

1:01:08

over there for anyone who was curious

1:01:10

to hear the difference, folks.

1:01:14

Today's. The day. Take.

1:01:17

A risk. If

1:02:08

you wanna hear more sometimes

1:02:10

ridiculous, sometimes scary, sometimes truly

1:02:13

beautiful intimate stories, be sure

1:02:15

to check out Risk. Is

1:02:18

available now free on the Odyssey.

1:02:20

out and everywhere you get your

1:02:23

podcast. Graphics.

1:02:25

For this episode were created

1:02:27

by Bob. Breaths full episode transcription

1:02:29

was created by James Lie.

1:02:33

And. Finally, like the end of every

1:02:35

episode we're about to play this week's

1:02:37

listener story, This is a five to

1:02:39

ten minutes story set in by a

1:02:42

listener. Give. A story. Of.

1:02:44

Course you do. Recorded.

1:02:46

On your phone and email it to

1:02:48

me. Scott at what was that like.com.

1:02:52

This. Week story is about getting

1:02:54

an ambush make over on the

1:02:56

Today Show and you can actually

1:02:59

see the video of this appearance

1:03:01

on T V. You can find

1:03:03

the link in the episode notes

1:03:05

at what was that like.com/one Seven,

1:03:07

Three. Stay.

1:03:10

Safe. I'll see you next week with a

1:03:12

brand new episode! My

1:03:16

mother and I were in New. York for

1:03:19

a brief trap. We were there for

1:03:21

I think three or four days and

1:03:23

honorary first day. We. Thought we

1:03:25

would get up early and. Go

1:03:27

and hang out on the Today Show

1:03:29

plaza and for anyone who is listening

1:03:31

and doesn't know what that means and

1:03:34

the day says a morning show on

1:03:36

N B and they have an area

1:03:38

has had. Their see are they call the

1:03:40

plaza where a lot of the. Times will

1:03:42

have the camera crew kind of

1:03:44

panic cross seat and see everybody

1:03:46

waving. And they have little segments

1:03:48

were sometimes will. Have people say I us

1:03:50

on a trip to New York from

1:03:53

in our Bay City, Michigan. Or whatever.

1:03:55

Ah, the people are from earth. They're

1:03:57

celebrating something. So my mom and I

1:03:59

thought. We would go and

1:04:01

just at least see if we could

1:04:03

get. On. Tv just to see

1:04:05

so people could see us waving. Or maybe

1:04:07

we get really lucky and get to be

1:04:09

one of the people that does little segment

1:04:11

the says hello to our family. So

1:04:14

we got up early in the morning. It

1:04:16

was late January so it's pretty cold. We

1:04:18

had heavy coats on everything. We made our.

1:04:21

Little find. And

1:04:23

we were just kinda out there. Trying

1:04:26

to figure out what how this would work

1:04:28

and how we it get someone's attention to

1:04:30

be on a little segments and all the

1:04:32

suddenly saw a couple of people kind of

1:04:35

pointing at us. And someone came

1:04:37

over and said hey, you know who are

1:04:39

you here with what's going on as I

1:04:41

call This is my mother and were here

1:04:43

together. And one

1:04:45

of whom said, well, so we're

1:04:47

looking for somebody to do the

1:04:49

subtle segment. We call them ambush

1:04:51

make overs and I immediately was

1:04:54

so excited because I love mates

1:04:56

Hoover's So's early states at the

1:04:58

time. This is about. Eight

1:05:01

or nine years ago Now. And just

1:05:03

the idea as somebody giving a make me

1:05:05

a make over was just so excited. some

1:05:08

his since I mother bless her does not

1:05:10

really like to be the center of attention

1:05:12

but was willing to do it for me.

1:05:14

So we religious definitely like we want to

1:05:16

participate. So. Before they actually

1:05:19

taped as. Saying anything we had

1:05:21

to you know sign of form some sort

1:05:23

of liability for i'm I'm not sure And

1:05:25

then we had to our do the will

1:05:27

reveal on camera where it looked like they

1:05:29

picked us for the first time. We had

1:05:32

declared to seek the excitement. A little upset

1:05:34

because we already do but we made it

1:05:36

look like they were just telling us for

1:05:38

the first time. So.

1:05:40

Email we were the picked for the

1:05:43

ambush make over and what happened for

1:05:45

the next three or four hours. Oh

1:05:47

my gosh it was not at all

1:05:50

that we are expecting was much more

1:05:52

elaborate. They took us inside the studio

1:05:54

and seriously for hours we were. We

1:05:56

were in tears they were doing here

1:05:59

and Mika. In I like the I

1:06:01

had never had my hair died before

1:06:03

if such I think I had highlights

1:06:05

ones and this was like a super

1:06:08

elaborate multi step process. They did a

1:06:10

really like crazy job My here. And

1:06:13

then they cluttered as than they did

1:06:15

make up. They had us trying on

1:06:17

different clothes. And. I

1:06:19

think the thing that surprised me the most was

1:06:21

like they really didn't care what we thought of

1:06:23

the closest. They were

1:06:26

very concerned about like making the looks of

1:06:28

their producers would lights which is fine but

1:06:30

it i just I guess I just didn't

1:06:32

expect to not be a voice in this

1:06:35

decision of what I was going with. Christopher.

1:06:38

So my mom and I were in the same room

1:06:40

while they were doing our hair and stuff but they

1:06:42

have like a seat hanging up so he concedes other

1:06:45

i had no idea what she was gonna wear. Anything

1:06:47

like that because they wanted it completely

1:06:49

to be a surprise when they did

1:06:52

the big reveal. For

1:06:54

I'm gonna guess about three hours we

1:06:56

urge. You know, going through all

1:06:58

this process of hair and makeup and clothes?

1:07:01

And man at finally it gets to be

1:07:03

the part of the So where they're going

1:07:06

to see the live reveal of they had

1:07:08

us line up and you know they wanted

1:07:10

me to come out first and then they

1:07:12

were going to bring up my mom's Another

1:07:14

interesting like little tidbit is that I were

1:07:16

classes and very near sighted like space I

1:07:19

have my glasses off. Things have to be

1:07:21

you know, probably an inch from my face

1:07:23

to be clear so I can see colors

1:07:25

and shapes fine without my glasses but no

1:07:27

detail and so they didn't want me to

1:07:30

put my glasses on. I guess. Because they

1:07:32

thought it would mass some of the makeup or

1:07:34

or whatever. And so they let me carry my

1:07:36

glasses out. but they wanted me to go out.

1:07:39

And turn around to see myself in the mirror

1:07:41

and not have my glasses and so they wanted

1:07:43

me to fake it a little bit being able

1:07:46

to see the details I cameras at. I really

1:07:48

tried my hardest but. But

1:07:50

when I turned around and looked in the

1:07:52

mirror I could really see so I I

1:07:55

tried to vacate. But who'd I copy? Who

1:07:57

is one of those who was on the

1:07:59

States Said. You. Don't put

1:08:01

your classes and because clearly added

1:08:03

fake it very well but anyway

1:08:05

I turned around and my hair

1:08:07

i was so likes unrecognizable the

1:08:09

myself as very interesting but they

1:08:11

put me in designer jeans that

1:08:13

they had tailored for me and

1:08:16

the top and then a leather

1:08:18

jacket. And. I did really

1:08:20

love the hair color and there's definitely more

1:08:22

make up than I've ever had on my

1:08:24

life. So I do like the make over.

1:08:26

but then it was time to bring my

1:08:28

mom out and so they have been turned

1:08:30

my back the didn't want me to see

1:08:33

hurried away and he brought up my mother

1:08:35

whose name is to hone and I hear

1:08:37

you know gasps or whatever because they show

1:08:39

that before and after an and then I

1:08:41

turned around and my eyes got so wide

1:08:43

because my mother look so beautiful see probably

1:08:46

looked five to ten years younger because of

1:08:48

the way they. Had cut and highlighted her

1:08:50

hair and then they had put her in

1:08:52

the same leather jacket as me so we

1:08:55

kind of mad she have different opinions and

1:08:57

and top but the same leather jacket said

1:08:59

that was really sweet because we had told

1:09:01

them that we share or exceeds close and

1:09:04

time so they give us the same jacket.

1:09:07

So. As really sweet a really like

1:09:09

definitely once in a life time. Memories

1:09:12

and. I really that you

1:09:14

know really treasure that memory with my mother

1:09:16

for sure. But we always laugh because I

1:09:18

think the funniest part of the whole experience

1:09:20

is once we had done that the live

1:09:23

suit they let us stand on the stage

1:09:25

long enough to take one picks are so

1:09:27

seriously like one or two minutes they somebody

1:09:29

took a picture of us with our phones

1:09:31

and then they were like okay the want

1:09:33

to wear the clothes out or tank spec

1:09:35

in your clothes. And were like oh where

1:09:37

it and so they. Literally. Just like. Director.

1:09:41

Down the stairwell and out the store that closed

1:09:43

and it was one of those doors pizza to

1:09:45

the street. there's like no handle the get back

1:09:47

in and said exit only answer the door closed

1:09:49

at it was this l a sudden we were

1:09:52

just back in the normal real world. like. A

1:09:55

weird slick to that it was just

1:09:57

released a deceased we were in this

1:09:59

weird. As space for

1:10:01

three hours where we were doing other

1:10:03

stuff we've never been before and then

1:10:06

all the sudden very abruptly we walk

1:10:08

down some stairs out a door. It

1:10:10

was back into the real world so

1:10:12

we love that. It was a great

1:10:14

experience that always what we expected but

1:10:16

a great memory and are joke now

1:10:19

is always that we gotta have an

1:10:21

ambush make over. probably because we were

1:10:23

the worst dressed people on the plaza

1:10:25

that day.