Recap Renegade

David Makes Man – Dai Out

August 26, 2019

Season 1, Episode 2

This episode covers exactly ONE day in David’s life, but it seems like it was forever. This time, we get fully acquainted with “Dai” – child of the projects 

Apparently JG and David have different fathers.  It’s time for JG to go visit his grandfather in Overtown, but Dai has to get him there. Dai doesn’t want to take JG to see his “ole mean” grandfather, but he has no choice. And it’s this day that may have very well changed his life forever.

JG and Dai finally head out for Overton, and Dai takes the long way through the projects in order to avoid Shenobi and the others – because he previously failed at his lookout job.  JG knows this (because JG knows A LOT for a 9 year old) and tells him that he knows Dai ain’t tryna fight, but he’s with it. Lawd. This little boy is #teamtewmuch.  They make it to the bus stop, get on the bus and Raynan comes running and screaming for Dai to hold the bus. Of course, Dai does not, but Raynan makes it on anyway – and flashes a smile. Dayum.

The brothers make it to Overtown – with Raynan following them every step of the way. Raynan even tries to provide some enlightenment for this field trip. You know what they used to call this place when it was segregated? Of course JG knows – Color Town.  And David was the one who taught him that.  Raynan is in Overtown to visit his uncle and to attend a party and he can’t have JG and Dai walking around “unprotected.”  Dai doesn’t want his protection, which Raynan is offering because he is family.  What we learn in the convo with the three of them is that Dai doesn’t live in The Ville (he just works there), JG’s dad (who is deceased) is from Overtown, and JG and David do not have the same father – which also surprised Raynan.  JG takes offense to anyone talking about his dead father and Dai reminds JG that Raynan’s dad is dead, too.

Dai finally delivers JG to his grandfather. Saul’s (young) wife answers the door with an attitude and Pops (his name is Saul) immediately gets on Dai for yelling at JG and for having an attitude every time he comes to the house.  Meanwhile, Raynan puts on quite the respectful act and Pops appreciates it. At Pop’s house, JG is thee man. Got a fridge with nothing but juice, high-fructose corn syrup and Pops giving him new Jordans. He is living his best life.  While Raynan is doing his best to sweet talk a girl at Pop’s house, Dai tries to sneak out without Raynan – epic fail.  Raynan catches up and tells Dai he has to come to the party with him tonight and they can chill until tonight.  Dai doesn’t want to partake and Raynan takes offense – especially since he failed at his lookout job the other night.  Raynan was trying to “squash it out here” but Dai isn’t being cooperative.  But if Dai wants to continue on this path, Raynan promises that they can “settle up” when they get back to The Ville.  Dai backtracks and gets back on Rayan’s good side.

Poor Dai is being held hostage by Raynan. Raynan is sharing his favorite snacks, showing Dai how to holla at girls (Dai actually seems to enjoy this one), walking through the city and eventually they arrive at Raynan’s uncle’s house. Out front is a car that Raynan’s father purchased for him. But the car now sits in the garage damaged from Raynan’s stupidity (drag racing.)  The car brings out Raynan’s softer side as he sits and reminisces about his dad. Dai reminisces too. They both feel regret.  Sky was Raynan’s father. Sky was David’s father figure.  David was about to tell Raynan about how he sees Sky, but then a car comes barreling at them in the driveway. It’s Raynan’s uncle, Teo.  Dai reluctantly goes in the house.

Raynan and Teo have business to discuss and much of it comes down to how he almost got busted the other night – while Dai was on lookout.  Teo says Raynan is messy and he’s made mistakes and that’s why he doesn’t want to give Raynan a package when he can barely handle a nickel and dime operation.  Uncle Teo’s interrogation of Raynan gets the best of Dai and he fesses up. He was the one who messed up. He was the lookout and he failed. Why, David…why?  Teo is impressed with him owning up to it, but those mistakes are dangerous and won’t be tolerated.  Nonetheless, Raynan is ready to come to Dai’s defense, because his dad said that Dai was cool. Teo isn’t ready to see all of that just yet or trust David.  But David completes his next sentence and Teo is impressed, which is both a good and bad thing. So now Teo is recruiting Dai to do much more than be on the lookout. Teo’s brother in law was Sky and Teo assumes that Dai used to work for him. Why else would he have been a lookout? But, no, Sky was just a mentor and Teo doesn’t even understand that. Sky was a drug dealer, but he never wanted Dai to sell drugs. Teo is different. He is ready to sign Dai up. Raynan is new to The Ville, but Dai is not.  Teo basically forces Dai into the business.  Raynan tries to intervene by saying it was time for them to go and Dai is relieved. But this nightmare ain’t over yet.  Outside, Dai collects his backpack…filled with drugs to take back to The Ville.  Dai is in shock.  Raynan said he handled the lookout situation with Teo, but now Dai has to return the favor.  Ha has to see Shenobi when he gets back to The Ville. Then it’s done. David is pissed.

Dai finally escapes from Raynan and is on his journey back to The Ville via Bus #1. He takes a seat in the back and nervously checks out the package in his bookbag.  He pulls out pills and the insert for them to try to figure out what they are.  Somebody on the bus makes a comment about an odor and that puts Dai on high alert.  He gets off the bus and heads to a store to purchase plastic oven bags (with the last bit of money he has in his pocket.) The cashier is eyeing him the whole time and I just KNEW he was going to get caught.  He pays and heads to the restroom where he packages ties up the weed in a plastic bag, sprays himself and the bag with Lysol and attempts to answer his mother’s millionth call – but now his phone is dead. *le sigh*  David heads out of the store and no one stops him, thank Gawd.  But, now that he has spent his money on oven bags, he doesn’t have enough to get on the bus.  At least he was able to persuade a girl at the bus stop to use her phone to call his mom.

Without money for the bus, David heads home on foot.  By the time the night falls, he is tired, hot, thirsty, sweaty and totally over the entire day. In his mind, he stomps his backpack filled with drugs out of frustration. In reality, he keeps walking.  He eventually wonders right into a woman, with water. I thought he was hallucinating, but she was real.  Her name is Remela, but they call her Fammie. And then people come out of the bushes and a boy named Starry throws him some water. David asks what they were doing out there and Fammie says they are all waiting on their rides. Starry is waiting on the same bus David is.  She knows about “The Ville” because there’s “plenty of trade” going on out there.  As a cab comes barreling their way, Fammie tells Starry and David to go because the bus is coming. David says he is going to keep on walking, but Fammie tells him that he cannot get home with his backpack smelling like Raggaefest and no protection. Go with Starry, you can trust him.  The cab driver is BIG MAD because the person he picked up for “certain purposes” has deceived him. Even David asks if the person being kicked out the cab is a girl or a dude and Fammie tells him not to be transphobic. I cackled.  Fammie apparently has a whole (sex trafficking?) operation going on in the woods.  The cab driver didn’t know who he was messing with and got a beat down courtesy of Fammie and her crew, while David and Star walk to catch their bus. 

Of course Dai doesn’t have money for the bus, but Starry handles it for him and they finally make it to The Ville together. Once they get off and are walking to the projects, Starry tells David that he’s sweating hard. Now…that is something that I have noticed about David. He is ALWAYS sweating! The only times he’s not is when he’s in school.  Dai tells Starry it’s hot.  Starry tells him his adrenals must be up and he must be anxious and gives him a towel. Thanks for that Starry…because I was tired of it, too.  Starry is from Tampa and Fammie set him up with a friend of hers who will look out for him for a while.  They finally get home and Ms. Elijah (we didn’t talk about her last week, but she is the trans-gendered neighbor and eyes of the hood that takes care of JG and David sometimes) is outside to greet them. She tells Dai that Gloria isn’t home yet (thank Gawd) and she greets Starry. She’s been waiting on him. Hmmmmm. She gives Starry the rules…she’s the only hoe in this house and while he’s there, he’s family to anyone who asks. Lawd, what is this all about?

David books it through the projects and summons Shenobi.  Shenobi wants to know what took so long.  They go back and forth on where to make the exchange and as David walks to the wall to meet Shenobi, Sky appears.  He is disappointed and David knows it. He apologizes.  Shenobi wants to know what’s going on and looks around for David. He sees David talking to himself (because Sky is a ghost.)  David can hardly make it up the stairs to his apartment.  This poor child done been through a lot.  He fills his backpack with dryer sheets to mask the scent and goes to sleep.  His mom comes home. He barely made it.  Whew.

My, Lord. What’s next for David? Is he officially in “the game” now? And if so, how will he get out?  Is all really forgiven between Raynan and Dai? What will Shenobi have to say about all of this?  And what about Starry? Why is he there with Ms. Elijah.  I hope we get to see David back at school next week. I am still worried about Seren and how the counseling sessions will go for David. He needs therapy for sure.  I also need to know who David’s father is.  What happened to him? And what is Gloria’s story? I am invested in finding out all of these answers.

Until next week…

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