Todd's People - Even The Bullet Said 'Hi'

Chetel has been on this street all her life. The house where she grew up is totally boarded up and abandoned now, but when that happened, her grandma simply moved them both across the street. In 40 years of living in this neighbourhood, it's the only time Chetel's grandma has moved.

I met Chetel last summer at a job training program. She invited me over for a little tour of her area. She is so smart, just graduated college, works 45 hours a week and is still in the 'hood. It’s beyond her control. Decent jobs don’t exist anymore. As we head out the door her uncle says, “No detours round here. Don’t stray too far.”

On our walk I notice she is the mayor of Central Park and Douglas, especially since summer is over and the great weather still lingers with packs of teenagers walking around after school, flirting and beating each other up. More common than that are the packs of men gathering around cars on abandoned lots. I quickly realise something: Every god damn person knows her! People are honking their horns as they pass, residents are yelling out of windows: “Telly! Telly!” Everyone that sees her, knows her.

VICE: We’re standing where you were shot. Tell me about that.
Chetel: There was a jersey party in the neighbourhood. Everyone had a jersey on. My friends and I were standing in a circle singing Beyonce waiting for a friend to come out of my building. Next thing you know, we heard the pops and we said: “Are those fireworks?” The bullets hit ten feet away from us. Then the car rolls up, stops and shoots. We got shot with two different guns. My friend Lady fell and I ran past her. The bullet went right into my leg and probably would have hit her face, but at the time I didn’t realise either of us had been shot. We made it to the gangway, when they said: “Telly, you shot!”

Where were you shot? You didn’t feel it at first?
No, I was so happy we were alive, but I was so worried about Lady that I didn’t notice they shot me in the thigh.

Where did Lady get hit?
Got hit in the abdomen. She was pregnant. Tough as hell though, she was on the phone calling her family as the ambulance was on its way. Not to be conceited, but we still looked good, kept our cool. I thank the Lord that we’re alive. The bullet is now embedded into my muscle. It won’t come out.

Were they shooting at you on purpose?
Yes, but they thought we were someone else. So no? The guys that the car was supposed to be shooting at eventually came out with some huge guns right after. They were part of a gang called Travelling Vice Lords. There was a war for turf. I consider this a casualty of war.

Everyone says 'hi' to you. Does every person know you? These dudes driving up, will you know them?
[Car beeps and waves hello] Well, probably, yeah, hahaha. Even the bullet said hi. Hey guys!!!

Tell everyone where you stay?
Central Park and Douglas, wooo woooo!

What’s it like living here?
Well, in the 50s it was Jewish, Polish, Russian immigrants. It was so different. Sears used to have his factory here, there was a wonderful theatre on Roosevelt. Now it's ghetto. I’m so over this shit. They haven’t really rebuilt the area after people rioted when Martin Luther King was killed.

Tell me about your friends back in the day?
We always hung out right here. There used to be mailboxes on a post we sat on and that was that. People called us the Mailbox Girls. All day and night everyone knew about us on Central Park and Douglas.

When you hang out these days, what do you do? Do you have a boyfriend?
[Another car drives by, honks] Don Julio, haha. Shit, they around. One is too fat and he can’t keep up at all. So I go out with the girls and get dolled up. We drive around, go to the lake, hang on the beach, hang in the 'hood. Visit friends. Stop at a bar. Keep it simple. Five deep in the car, that's all you gotta do. We visit Austin, East Garfield Park, North Lawndale. We know everyone and we don’t stop till 4AM! This is our neighbourhood and our city. I go wherever cuz this is my world. I just need my lip gloss.

TODD DIEDERICH

Previously: Todd's People - Drums Vs Drugs