Horse

[Cole Parker]

For some reason, this didn't take the punctuation I used. So, I'll fix it somehow and bring it back.

Later.

C

 

I don't see the story here, so I'm adding it again.  I guess that's what 'Later' meant.

 

Horse

 

‘You got bills?’

 

‘Yeah, but I don’ wanna play for no money, dude.  Just play a game.’

 

‘Don’ work dat way.  Wanna play, cost you.  Not you win, though.  You win, you take the green.  What you got?’

 

‘Got five, but my ma give it ta me fo’ ta buy dinner stuff.  Can’t be playin’ for it.’

 

‘No game then.  Beat it.’

 

‘You play fair?’

 

‘You disrespectin’ me, boy?’

 

‘No.  No.  I jus axin’, we fixin’ ta play for cash.’

 

‘Don’ be disrespectin’ me, boy, you hear what I’m sayin?’

 

‘I hear.  I’m fixin‘ ta go then.’

 

‘No yer not.  We ‘bout ta play.  For dat five.’

 

‘I needs ta go.’

 

‘After.  Won’t take long.  Put you five on the ground.  Lay it on mine here.’

 

‘Well, alright.  Can I go first?’

 

‘No.  My court.  My ball.  Make this.’

 

‘Hey!  I can’t dunk!  You know dat.  I’m fi’-five, you what? Six-five?’

 

‘Not my problem man.  Make the shot or you got H.’

 

‘I can’ do dat.’

 

‘OK, H on you, den.  Here’s my nex.’

 

‘I can’ do dat man!’

 

‘O then.  HO.  You a pussy, boy.  This is takin’ candy from a baby.  Make this one.’

 

‘You just fixin’ ta dunk five times?  You said you’d play fair.  How fair is dat, doin’ sommit’ I can’t?’

 

‘You ‘bout ta cry, boy?  Crying ain’t ‘bout ta save yer five.  I don’ mind, though, you wanna cry.  You so pussy, wouldn’t surprise me none, you start bawlin’.  What you gots now?  HOR?  Two more, then.  Make this.’

 

‘You pretty good at those slams, dude.  Cept’n I see big dudes like you doin’ shit like over their head backwards, changin’ hands midair, throwin’ down with their left hands, crazy shit, goin’ all LeBron on folk, not just a one hand stuff with their right hand.  You good, dude, but not dat good, you know?’

 

‘Hey, what’s this?  You talkin’ or shootin’ here.  No one axed for no lip from you, little boy.  You makin’ dat shot?  No?  HORS then.  Fives ‘bout mine.’

 

‘You fixin’ ta dunk again then?  Yer last shot, an’ you

‘bout ta do another milk toast white boy grandma’s dunk?  I’m not even getting ta see anythin’ worth five bucks here, know what I’m sayin’, dude?  But dat the best you can do, go ‘head.  Best you can do, you do it, man.  Wanna see yer best, yer last shot.  Even if it is dat cheapass little girl dunk.’

 

‘You lots of talk fo someone who not even shot yet.  You wanna see what I gots?  OK, man, see this!’

 

‘See what, dude?  See you slam the ball off the rim and it bounce nice an’ high and never do go through nuttin’?  Yeah, I see dat.  Also see it’s my shot now.’

 

‘Yeah!  Yer shot!  Can you make a lay-up little boy?’

 

‘Can make this.’

 

‘Oh, you good, man!  Fifteen foot set shot.  They shoot those back in the day, man.  Ain’t nobody shootin’ like dat no mo’.  Maybe you not big ‘nuff ta shoot a jump shot.  Not strong ‘nuff neither.  Here, watch how you do it.  See dat.’

 

‘Hey man, dat ain’t the shot.  I got letters ‘cause I not do what you do.  You gots ta do what I do now.  You wanna shoot it right, or you wanna H?’

 

‘But no one shoot dat way no mo’, cuz!’

 

‘You gots to.  Sum a us can’t dunk, neither.’

 

‘OK, fuck.  Give it ‘ere.’

 

‘Dat’s an H.  Shoot this.’

 

‘Hey!  Dat’s crap, man.  Shoot a jump shot at least.’

 

‘This my shot, man.  This it.  Twenty feet away, feet on the ground.  Do it man, or it’s a O.’

 

‘Fuck!’

 

‘Oh, don’ cry bro.  Just a O.  You start cryin’, you miss the next one too, too blurry ta see the basket.  Here, make this.’

 

‘Dat’s the same shot!’

 

‘Sorta like dem dunks, innit?”

 

‘Gimme the damn ball.  Fuck!’

 

‘HOR.  Getting tight, man.  Pressure’s on.  Try this one.’

 

‘Why don’ you shoot somethin’ else?  Why always the same?’

 

‘Like this shot.  Like you can’t make it, too, dude.’

 

‘Stop callin’ me dude, asshole.’

 

“Sure.  No need get all agro.  All you gots ta do is make this.’

 

‘Shit!  Fuck!’

 

‘Hey, you comin’ closer, man.  You hit the rim dat time.  Guess we tied now.  HORS each.  ‘Ceptin’ it’s my shot.  Whoa, hard times, man.  Too much pressure.  I’m shakin’ here man.  See me shakin’?  Don’ know if I can make this.  Oh oh oh oh.  Hey, lookee dat!  Swish, too!  Yer shot now man.  You not ‘bout ta let some little kid beat you are ya, man?’

 

‘Just shut the fuck up.  Gimme the ball.’

 

‘Here man, don’ be nervous.  Only your pride and your five riding on this.  No pressure man.’

 

‘Shut the fuck up!  I’m tryin’ ta shoot here.’

 

‘Lips ‘er sealed, man, sealed tight.  Go ‘head.’

 

‘FUCK!’

 

‘Good game man.  No hard feelings.  Hey!  Dat’s my money.’

 

‘Cost a playin’, man.  You dinna play fair anyway, dat cheap ass ol’ man shot.  I take the money, you best get lost for I do mor’ an’ take the green.  You gots some lip on you, you say some shit ta me.  Ain’t right, man.  You best go now fo’ I jump you bad.’

 

‘Give ‘im the money, man.’

 

‘Hey, what you doin’ here?’

 

‘I be watchin’, boy.  You can’t do him dat way.  He beat you fair ‘n square.  Take it like a man.  You cheat little boys?  No one in my house gonna be dat way.  Don’ wan’ dat rep, do you?  I don’ wan’ it bein’ said my little brother do dat neither.  Look bad on me.  Give it up.’

 

‘Hey, I needs dat bread.’

 

‘Then shouldn’t be riskin’ it.  Give it.’

 

‘Shit.’

 

‘Thanks, mister.’

 

‘Better get along now, son.’

 

 

 

 

[colinian]

Wonderful, Cole. You have the argot down cold. And you din'a havt'a go axin' anyone, neither.

Colin

[Cole Parker]

Hah! Little you know!

C

[Bruin Fisher]

I think this was a very good flash, immersing the reader in the atmosphere of the scene. But I have to admit it left this Brit scratching my head. I'm only guessing, from the one word 'dunk', that it's about basketball. Beyond that I'm lost. But that's my fault, not the story's.

[EleCivil]

I think this was a very good flash, immersing the reader in the atmosphere of the scene. But I have to admit it left this Brit scratching my head. I'm only guessing, from the one word 'dunk', that it's about basketball. Beyond that I'm lost. But that's my fault, not the story's.

Do you not play H-O-R-S-E across the pond?

It's a variation of basketball that concentrates on trick shots. The first player takes a shot, and the second player has to match it - same distance, style, etc. If they can't match the shot, they get a letter (first H, then O, and so on). The first person to get all five letters loses.

[Merkin]

Skill, cunning, and bravado: survival at the highest level. Very convincing, and a wonderful ear for Street.

Thanks, Cole.

James

[Bruin Fisher]

Do you not play H-O-R-S-E across the pond?

Thank you, Ele, all has come clear. No, as far as I know HORSE isn't known over here. Basketball is very much a minority sport, we never played it.

Re-reading Cole's engaging flash with that knowledge, it all makes sense and I can really picture the scene, and smell the sweat. It's a very evocative story, wonderful.

[Cole Parker]

Believe it or not, I had intended to put a word in as a Foreward as to what the game consisted of becasue I had some feeling that Brits weren't aware of what Horse was. I can't remember why I thought that, but some preknowlege that that was the case existed. So, I meant to explain, and then it the heady glow of installing the story, I completely forgot to do it. So thanks, Bruin, for mentioning the problem, and thanks EleCivil for the excellent tutorial so others that don't know the game, or don't know the game with that name applied to it, can understand the story better.

C