In June of 2007, I was passing the project, and my mama and I saw people cleaning out their houses. We called all her friends and my friends and told them to come help.  My house was on the first floor so it flooded.  I was cleaning my room and throwing everything away. I thought about my stash and found my little hole in the wall by my bed.  The twenty dollars I hid two years was still there.

We finished cleaning up and people started barbequing and playing music. My friends and I started a football game.  It was the old side versus the new side.  The older men were playing, too. Before you know it, it was like the whole project was back there. Sun, my cousin step-daddy, started barbequing.  My cousin’s name is Dan, but we call him Black.  The boy so black, he look purple. 

All of my friends are from different parts of the St. Bernard. My little partner, Jamal, he’s out Junimville. My uncle Melvin, he from the other side on Hamburg. My little partner Tee, he’s out the green top; and Dee Dee, he’s out the baseball court.  We decided to make a name for ourselves.  Melvin came up with S.B.M.  Jamal asked, “What that means?

Melvin said, “St. Bernard Mob, fool.” 

Mal said, “That’s what up.   Y’all gonna stay true to it?”  Everybody said, “Early!!!!”

Charles, he stay out Foy with me, said, “Slug, he not gonn stay true.”

Slug said, “Your momma not true.”  Everybody laughed. 

I was like, "I’m gonna be the president.”  Melvin said he was going to be the hitman.  He don’t have feelings for nobody.

After the game was over, everybody went their separate ways.  My mama asked me when I got home, “You had fun?”

I said, “Yeah, while it lasted.”

She said, “You will see them again.” I did see my lil homies from time to time, but the S.B.M. broke up because we were scattered.