The Belt

THE BELT 

Walking home through the park, a stranger came upon a fight on a neighbourhood soccer field.  Two boys were pounding on a smaller child.  Coming to his aid, the stranger quickly scattered the older boys.  "You wait punk!"  shouted the larger ruffian.  "My gang will teach you about interfering in our hood!"  Ignoring the threat, shouts and curses, the stranger gave his attention to the child that was hurt, cleaning him and sending him on his way.
Days turned into weeks and the stranger never gave another thought about the incident until exiting his favourite neighbourhood store one day on the corner of Pleasant and Vine.  Suddenly, two tuffs began grabbing and tearing at his bags strewing his goods all over the ground.  Taunting and prodding the stranger, they showed no fear even in the openness of day and others about.  Then slamming him into the store wall, they drew knives to finish the job.  Reaching for his belt, the buckle adorned with an eagle in flight, he would end up the better man.  Surprised and taken aback, the two began to rethink their rash decision fearing more their fate at his hand than what would become of them should they succeed.
"BOO!" the stranger, shouted lunging at the pair.  Retreating, the pair found him too formable to continue the attack.  Again the stranger lunged striking one with his belt and the other with the lid.  Cursing and calling out the name of their leader the two thugs now wimps ran down the street.  The stranger simply smiled.  Late that evening a long dark shadow fell on the stranger's street.  Walking slowly up the street draped in leather came the leader of the gang.  With a creak of the porch step, a glance through the front window, the shadow fell on the front door. Immediately it opened with the smiling face of the stranger greeting him.  "Come in and make yourself at home"  was the invitation.  "You know why I am here?"  Questioned the leader of the gang.  "Sure," was the response from the stranger? "I have been waiting all day."
Pawing over the stranger's items as he surveyed the house, he said.  "This is my neighbourhood and I run it the way I see fit.  You have twice interfered with my boys and I don't like it."  Isaac was a bit taken aback as the stranger made his threats in his house and not wanting to fight the gang leader, he stood up slowly from the couch.  "What seems to be your problem mister?"  Bracing himself for any fierce blows from the gangster.  Not much was uttered from the gangster's gold plated mouth.  He seemed more furious as to not get any emotion from the stranger.  Isaac knew, if he threw the first blow, he could wind up been injured as he did not have any weapons to arm himself.
The leather clad leader left Isaac's house and turned slowly as he got to the gate, shouting, "Beware laaitie!"  This could not be happening as Isaac realised he was targeted by the gangsters.   The 28's and the 27's ruled the neighbourhood.  Was this the end of him as he was only protecting the little boy at the soccer field.
The next morning Isaac got up early to go to the store as he was running out of provisions, he saw Solly at the cafe and asked him whether he knew the leather man.  "Ja, of coz my broer", was Solly's reply, "That man is very dangerous as he rules most of our neighbourhood and the one across the railway lines.  Don't ever get between him and his gang.  You will end up like the Cross and the Switch blade.  Please be careful Isaac!"
This was the time for him to protect himself, did the leader know he was fully functional with his belt, secret gadget that buckle, if they only knew that it was a blade. The blade was set deep in the leather part of belt.  So any crazy 28 or 27 that would spring on him could get seriously injured.  He was fully prepared for them.  His judo days at the reformatory could help.  Those were real delinquents at that place.  He set strict rules to reform that bunch of ruffians.  Mr Long leather jacket and his gold plated mouth was no match for  him.
Faizel stood at the soccer field as his troops of runners were standing in a line for their payment and next stash of tick to peddle to the neighbourhood school kids and young adults.  Mr Faizel only had one plan in mind and that was to make himself richer,  the black Honda Civic with the "Mr Big ", number plate was parked at the entrance of the soccer field.  Isaac watched them every afternoon behind the trees, making his plans on how he was going to end this corruption in his territory, how he was going to clean the area, if the police were tired of arresting then releasing Faizel on insufficient evidence.  
There were two business men that lived in the same area as Isaac that had enough of the Numbers, they wanted them out as they vandalised their shops and threaten them daily to close their business, if they could not deliver the protection fee that they demanded from them.  Faizel made it his duty to park outside of their shops every afternoon when it was closing time, making sexual suggestions to the female staff of Mr Omar and Mr Kleinbooi.  Was this what the coloured and Malay community must succumb too?.  Was this the last days of their existing?.
Isaac could no longer take this victimisation from the gang.  He had a plan of action on  how he was going to get rid of this terrorising gang.  Solly, Mr Omar and Mr Kleinbooi all went to the house in Living Vine Circle and knocked on the elephant carved door.  "We are tired of Faizel and his minions.  We want them out of this neighbourhood my china, we cannot take this terrorising of our innocent kids and staff.  We want them gone."  Mr Omar angrily shouted that he wants to burn down Faizel's house and tavern that he has in that vicinity.  Was that to be the best idea thought of....
A few days after their get together, Isaac walked past Mr Omar's hardware store.  To his dismay he stared at the graffiti covered building that had become an eye sore in the vicinity.  Why did Faizel do this to these people? What right did he have to have power over them, letting them be his puppets as he pulls the strings? That night some teenagers went around the neighbourhood tagging cars with spray paint and vandalising them with gang symbols.  His observation of the soccer field gatherings made him notice  six - year - old Nataki.  They might have ruined the cars with spray paint, however Nataki seemed happy in her essence.  The evil in their small community did not affect her at all.  Her mother, Katie, kept a close watch over her daughter, like a hen clucking over her chickens. The dark skinned girl stole his heart, she never noticed his disdain and always greeted him with a huge smile and wave of the hand.  Her words, "Hello Isie, what you gonna do today Isie?" made him aware of his ugly insides.  In the beginning, her affection made him uncomfortable.  But as he learned more about her life his hardened heart began to soften.  The Numbers must fall. 
The techno beats vibrating out of Faizel's Honda Civic, made him turn in his steps and look towards the car.  Not much could be seen as the windows of the vehicle were tinted with a super black window film.  Those Kinetic mags could easily set him back about R3000, new tyres, another R3000. His enterprise must be shut down permanetly.  Too many kids were getting killed or injured in their gang fights.  How could Isaac succeed in this mission without killing anybody?  He wanted to keep his hands clean of blood. 
Days turned into weeks, still nothing seemed to come to Isaac on how he would handle the gang leader.  He stared into the bathroom mirror, the steamed glass made him see a reflection that he did not want staring back at him.  He felt within that he let down Solly, Mr Omar and Mr Kleinbooi, including Nataki and the rest of the community.  Isaac was mowing the lawn in his yard when he noticed Faizel's car pulling up to the curve.  "Ekse' laaitie,  I told you that I don't want you meddling in my business.  You don't understand that you going to get hurt if I find you near the soccer field again.  This is your last warning, laaitie." Isaac could not keep quiet anymore, he responded very abruptly telling Faizel to watch his back as he is going to make sure that his drug enterprise is going to shut down.
Faizel jumped out of that car as if demon possessed.  He flew over that fence going at Isaac like a rabid dog.  Isaac blocked the fist that was meant to hit his jaw.  The tanned 32 year old Isaac's muscled biceps bulged as he hit back.  His large fist connected with the leader's gold plated mouth.  Blood dripped from his split bottom lip.  The leader wiped the blood away from his mouth with his left hand.  Isaac ripped off his khaki T-shirt, a toned stomach showed Isaac's well muscled body.  Although Faizel was tall, he had a much scrawny body than Isaac's.  Faizel drew a 9mm from his leather jacket aiming at Isaac's head, the gangster's foot got caught in the wire fence that protected the roses in the garden, making him fall to the ground.  The gun fell out of his hand as Isaac kicked it further away.  "You only know how to use your silly weapons to threaten us.  I am tired of your kind in my sight." Isaac screamed on top of his voice, this making neighbours come out of their front doors to see what was going on at 67 Living Vine Circle. 
 The crowd gathered at the yard, making mothers shout and throwing stones at the gang leader.  Isaac motioned for him to stand as he was ready to beat the day light out of him.  Faizel kicked his thigh but that did not deter the judo master.  Isaac made a kata stance as he lunged his body doing a round kick to the drug dealers neck.  This vicious blow dropped him like a sack of potatoes to the ground once more.  Isaac buffeted his head and face as he was releasing his anger.  The sirens of the cops made Isaac stop pounding the leader.  Some parents screamed as they held sjamboks. The cops lead Faizel out the yard handcuffed.  Now was the time for the parents to beat the dreaded gangster.  Mr Omar was first in line to give him a few stripes on his upper arms. The crowd went ballistic sjambokking him over and over.  The two constables whom arrested him could not protect the leader and the crowd as well, their anger was uncontrollable. 
The back up police van, SK53, came speeding around the corner as the crowd was about to stone the black Honda Civic.  Two warnings shots were fired into the air stopping the crowd proceeding. Parents dropped the stones as Faizel was lead to the back of the police van defeated.  The police sirens and blue lights faded as they left the neighbourhood.  Faizel's second in command drove his car away.  The parents shouted that they did not want to see them again in their community.
Isaac's bright white smile as he buffed his chest to the gathering crowd at the gate, Mr Kleinbooi approached him and said that he was thankful that he beat Faizel instead of using a weapon on him.  That would of been very bad as he would of been arrested as well.  He held his belt's buckle firmly in his right hand as the sun's rays made it gleam.  More smiling face's were seen as the children were now free of the drug lord.  Talks were among them as they wanted to start a "neighbourhood watch".  Isaac guaranteed them that he would head the team however he asked them politely to leave as he wanted to tend the slight scratches on his face and torso.  Tomorrow is the big day to talk and plan for the next phase of eliminating the Numbers out of the community permanently.  The afternoon was jovial in community as the sun was setting.  As the hot water steamed out the shower nozzle onto his sweaty body, as Isaac lathered his body, he knew victory was the calling card of the day his and no blood was spilt on his ground.
COMMON SENSE SAYS:- Fear is a two edged sword.  The problem is to have it always swing in the other man's direction.