Life in the Ghetto 2: Detroit, Michigan

It was a dark night on Gray and Kercheval, on the East Side, while, Karim Sharrieff studied for his big test, "Finally I'ma get outta here if I can just pass this" he thought as he studied, it was quite late and that meant that the gang members were out hanging on the corners servin' to the fiend. Since it was late he new he had to get to work. Karim worked as a shoveler on Zug Island, on the southwest side. He jumped on the Bus, and took it down Jefferson Ave. West, to Harrington Street and said Hello to his sister, Aisha before he left to go to work. See his job was to shovel little coal bits back onto the conveyor belt so they could make steel and ship it off to the Motor Companies. It was his only way of making money for college, he had the 3rd shift tonight which is the graveyard shift, and he had to shovel large pieces from 12 at night, to 5 in the morning and then go to school, but this was only temporary the other 2 shifts took turns, so next week he would be in the early morning.

Towards the end of his shift he knew it was about time to leave and go to Davenport, for his college education, and time to take to final test, so he could graduate, he had been told that because of his excellent computer skills he could get a job for IBM, and he knew that that would get him out of the Ghetto for good. On the bus he turned on his MP3 player and listened to his favorite song Bust yo Shit, by Gangstarr. When a bum, walked up to him and asked for some money, he had already known what it was for, but nonetheless, he gave him the money. The drunk thanked him, and got off the bus. The sun was coming up and he had to get home take a shower, if the water was working that is, and get dressed for school. Between school and transportation money he didn't have enough money for gas, electricity, food, or water, so he did what he had to do. That was steal, and that's why he wanted to leave, he didn't want to have to work, and also steal from the richer people just to get by.