We wasn’t doin nothin, just shootin hoops on the roof.

I just made a bank-shot when everything stop. We never seen that guy, not in our life. He come out of nowhere looking for trouble. That how weird it was, him at the far end of the roof.

BRONX ROOFTOPS BY PAMELA WALKER 34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 129

Luís

We wasn’t doin nothin, just shootin hoops on the roof. We rigged a hoop we found in the trash. We play teams of five. Whole bunch, not just me and Luís, but Will and Tito. Jesus, Santos, all our guys. My team’s hot.

I got to tell it straight. Luís, he don’t listen and he too fast to play by rules. You want the truth? He Special Ed even if he read and do fractions good as me. I never choose him for my team but now I keep thinking if I would’ve took him just this once, he would’ve been right close to me.

We strip to our T-shirts and I’m sweatin. When I shoot I smell my stink, strong and bitter. If I lick my arm I taste myself but not on the roof with the boys from the hood. Be cool we say. Or die.

I just made a bank-shot when everything stop. We never seen that guy, not in our life. He come out of nowhere looking for trouble. That how weird it was, him at the far end of the roof.