Living in a neighborhood where gang members live sounds like it could be pretty scary. You wouldn’t want to cross the wrong person!

In today’s story, one kid grew up in a neighborhood like this, but lucky for him, he was on good terms with a neighbor who was part of a gang.

When he ran into a bully at the bus stop, his neighbor was the perfect person to help him.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

Thieving bully demands I take him home in order to give him my fundraising earnings. I comply and it works out beautifully for me.

I was in middle school in the 90s.

I loved growing up then and even though there were gangs in my area, I generally avoided trouble.

One of my classes had this big field trip planned and they had us selling chocolates to raise money for our trip.

I was pretty good at it and was selling at a good rate.

This sounds like trouble.

I would take the bus (public transportation) to school and my stop was about 2 blocks from my home.

I got off at my stop one day with my box of chocolates and there was this older kid (around 16-17), pretty big for his age hanging out there.

He saw me and came towards me.

This guy is clearly a gang banger.

He tries to avoid trouble.

“Payaso” comes up to me and says “Hey homie where you from?”He was asking what gang I was from.

It’s not the first time I get challenged like this so I just reply “I don’t bang man, I’m just a junior high kid”

Payaso looks at my box of chocolates and takes it from me “what’s this?”

I tell him it’s nothing, it’s something for school.

Now there’s a big problem.

He opens the box and sees a bunch of dollars in there.

He grabs the bills (around $15, my sales for the day) and takes a bunch of chocolates as well.

“Tomorrow you’re going to give me $20 more. If you don’t, we are going to have a real big problem.”

I walk away feeling scared and upset.

He came up with a plan.

I realized I’m going to have to pay back the lost money from my birthday money. And I definitely didn’t want to give this guy any more money.

I think about it and decide I’ll get off at a later bus stop from now on and walk a little more just to avoid this guy.

The next day this is what I do.

I stuff my box in my backpack just in case and I exit about two stops later.

He thought his plan worked…at first.

I don’t see the guy and think I have solved my problem.

Then I get to the liquor store a block away from home and who do I see but this overgrown idiot Payaso.

“Hey man, you didn’t forget about me did you?”

I said “look man, I don’t have any money right now. I don’t even have my chocolates. I left them at home.”

He really shouldn’t have said that!

I shouldn’t have said that.

“Ok, let’s go to your house and you’re going to give me the money or something else if you don’t got it.”

I begin getting real nervous.

My mom is at work and my grandma is home. I definitely don’t want to bring him home with her there.

He thought of another plan.

I glance at him and notice the tattoos on his arms.

At this point I saw the perfect opportunity for malicious compliance.

I tell him “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you just let me go man”

Payaso grabs me by the collar and says “I tell you what to do and you better do it. You understand?”

I nod my head and tell him to follow me.

Being on good terms with the next door neighbor could work to OP’s advantage.

Now it’s time to give a little background.

My neighbor, that lived in the house next to mine was a “Veterano”, a veteran of one of the biggest, most notorious gangs in the city. He was in his 40s and a real chill dude.

He loved my grandma because she would often share plates of food she made with him and his wife, and he was fond of me because I taught his 8yr old boy how to play baseball.

His son had a disability, a problem with one of his legs, so most other kids wouldn’t play with him but I often did.

Let’s call my neighbor OG. OG always had a bunch of guys over at his house.

He made sure they never caused problems and they were all respectful towards my family in particular.

Payaso seemed suspicious that they were up to something.

Back to Payaso.

The tattoos on his arms? I realized he was from the same gang as OG.

I have a big smile as I’m walking home and Payaso asks me “Why are you smiling pendejo(idiot)?”

I say “no reason” and keep walking home.

They reached the neighbor’s house.

As we get closer I see a bunch of guys hanging out at OGs house.

Payaso narrows his eyes then smiles as he recognizes some of the guys.

We get to OGs house and Payaso says “wait here pendejo, let me talk to my homies”

OG is sitting on his porch and Payaso starts greeting some of the guys and then heads towards OG and greets him in a reverential manner.

OG notices me and says my name “Hey OP, what’s up?”

They explains the situation to OG.

Payaso turns to look at me and I say “Payaso told me to wait here. I have to go home and give him money.”

OG stands up and says “Why do you have to give him money?”

I say “Because he told me yesterday at my bus stop that the $15 and chocolates he took from me wasn’t enough and I had to give him more today”

Payaso begins to speak “you know this kid OG?”

OG is clearly in charge now.

OG gives him the scariest look I’ve ever seen and tells him to shut up.

OG looks back at me and asks “Is this from the chocolates you are selling?”

I said yes.

OG asks me how many chocolates I have left to sell.

I say about 50.

Payaso did as instructed.

He tells me not to worry, Payaso is going to pay me for the 50 I have left, plus 20 for the day before, and an extra 50 for my trouble.

He tells me to keep whatever else I sell.

He tells me to go home and Payaso would be back later with my money.

About an hour later there is a knock on my door and Payaso has an envelope and says “here’s $120 little homie. I messed up. I’m sorry. Do you have Nintendo? I brought you some games”

I just stood there stunned and thinking how I never would have guessed that getting robbed had so many benefits.

I didn’t see Payaso too many times after that, but whenever I did he would wave at me and never bothered me again.

They were clearly lucky that Payaso and OG were part of the same gang.

I wouldn’t want to be on OG’s bad side.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person shares a story from the 1940s.

This sounds like a smart code.

This person shares a similar story.

Another person had a great grandmother who was a lot like their grandma.

Based on this story, this seems to be true.

It’s a good thing his neighbor was home!

Things could have gotten out of hand.

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.