In chapter 22 of Basketball Jones: HUIGAYUFGAUYFATYFTYAFUYGAUYFYATFA! Intrigued? It’s time for Kingett to read Basketball Jones.
Alright, sit down. No, I’m serious, find a chair this minute and slowly sink into it because what I’m about to tell you is really epic, in a suspenseful anticipation kind of way.
Alright, have you sat down? Have you prepared yourself? Good, because I’m about to tell you something very, very important.
Shit just got real.
I know that I have said that in the past, shit was going to get real, but this is it. Chapter 22 is where shit gets real, and it gets real very fast… well, OK, kind of fast.
AJ starts this chapter off by going into his bank to get the sum he was asked to get in the last chapter. Nothing really exciting happens in this beginning part except for the notion that Cisco is now actively helping him out, yay! Cisco and AJ are working together, can this day get any better? Any better at all?
There’s just something that I would like to stress, again, as I’m a firm believer in healthy relationships that thrive because people work out whatever issues they have. Communication is important in ANY relationship, and when I say any, I mean every. Its very important. If people don’t communicate with their partner this sparks jealousy, worry, and a slue of other things that can lead to fighting. I don’t understand why AJ is so bad at communication and expressing what he’s going to do or what he’s thinking. I don’t understand why AJ is so bad at talking to the people he loves, even the ones who have been through this as well. I don’t understand AJ, period, but I guess that’s because he and I are at very different places with our sexuality. I’m very much OUT and open about it to everyone, even people at the workplace. Why? Even though they might be huge homophobic twats? Because drama and everything else won’t befall me because I was straight with everybody from the beginning. I don’t understand, then, why AJ has this kind of mindset.
It wasn’t as if he knew how to handle the blackmailer all that well. He had caved in at the demand, anything to save his ass. But even so, we had been in that together and for some reason that had made a difference, made the situation feel a lot less scary than it felt this time around.
AJ, what the fuck? Are you serious? You haven’t been able to do a better job, buddy, because you have been giving the blackmailer money ever since this entire thing began. How can you say that about Dray? Seriously, how can he think that he’s better at this than Dray? Because Dray caved in at the first threat? This is completely wrong, AJ. What you should do is tell someone other than Cisco about this. This is NOT the attitude that someone should have about this situation! Ugh!
He doesn’t tell anyone else, however, so he goes to his bank to get the money out. This section consists of security checks and the complete process to AJ taking out $200,000. This process takes up the entire first half of this chapter, but what I’m baffled about is AJ’s attitude towards the whole thing, security checks and the like, even if he has all of his information. He even goes as far as to say this bit, which makes me want to stomp on his foot really hard!
“Not long. But I hope you understand, we’re trying to protect you,” she said. I started to say, “Yeah, by keeping me from my own money,” but I didn’t see any advantage in playing my angry-black-man card, so I simply smiled back politely. Nikita still looked at me with a hint of suspicion, like she was thinking, What is this nigger up to?
The angry black man card? Is that seriously a thing? The angry black man card? AJ, what in the world are you saying! Buddy, I understand your scared but what you’ve been saying lately just doesn’t make any sense. Seriously? The angry black man card? How is that even a card? Do black people SERIOUSLY get angry just so things can happen? AJ, I don’t think there’s an angry black man card… the stereotype is there, but…..
JILAJHUHAIUGAUYATUADHTFAJUHAUKYAF***(%%r%e^rfTYFTHFHTFHTD! APLMJHVCVCVNBADRSERAS!
SHE IS GETTING YOUR MONEY FOR YOU. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON WITH YOU AJ?
Unfortunately, AJ has an angry internal monologue whenever he can and for the bulk of the chapter, I’m subjected to it! Oh my god! AJ, STOP! Seriously. They are not racist, they like black people, just, stop, PLEASE… JUST SHUT UP WITH THIS RICH BLACK MEN ARE HATED EVERYWHERE. It doesn’t work on me. I don’t buy it!
The good part in the chapter comes at the end, where AJ meets the blackmailer at last. The blackmailer calls AJ at his house and agrees to meet AJ at a park. When AJ goes, he sees a black man and a white woman standing by the tree. The black man, who looks like a “thug nigga” according to AJ, takes the bag of money and gives AJ the porn video the blackmailer promised upon a successful transaction. As AJ leaves the park, however, he runs into Judy, and my mind is TOTALLY blown!
Guys, you are not prepared, you are so not prepared for the mind warp. Oh my god!
Remember how I suspected that the culprits have all been men because they had deep voices? She has been hiring men to make the calls. She says this, outright. She is the one who has been doing this. I don’t know how she figured it out, that AJ and Dray were together, but she did and she has been planning this for a good year, digging up information, and the like.
HOLY SHIT! This woman scares me to death! She is a lot smarter than I gave her credit for. She LET Dray go see AJ so she could get more money in a few years from the two of them, AJ and Dray. Oh my god! HUIAGYFATYDGRAFAHTFHTADA!
I can’t! I don’t know what to even say! This is insane! This is genius! Wow!
AJ kind of annoys me, though, even though she is spilling it out in front of him, THIS is what AJ has to say.
“Just making sure that our transaction came off without a hitch, and to give you my own personal message,” she said with a steely directness.
“What are you talking about?” Was this bitch behind all this shit?
No, AJ. Actually, it was Edward from Twilight. HUHAUIGAYUFAYTFA!
The chapter ends with AJ going home with Cisco, knowing who the target is now. I’m interested to know what will happen! Seriously, with everything she has done, everything she has on file, it would be REALLY easy to call the police. To get back at her somehow. It would be very easy indeed. Will AJ do it? Will he dish it back with no limits? Will he be smarter than Judy in this confrontation? I HOPE SO!