The Legend named Pablo

Part 1

Friday 11:30 p.m. 11th November 2005 Axe FM studio

It was just another Friday night at the Axe FM studio, we streamed Live from about 3 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. every night. We had to cut off at 11:00 because of sound pollution laws, and we did not want any of the neighbours to petition to get our studio shut down. We were located in Elstree Gardens just off Bounces Road in Edmonton Green. The stretch was known as the Murder Mile because of how many people had been murdered in the area. Every night that Pablo left me in charge of the studio overnight, he’d always say “Don’t get caught slipping,” to remind me, we were in a bad area. The studio had been up and running since January, and we were now in our 10th month, moving from strength to strength, with about 1000 viewers for the entire month of January to now well over 60,000 each month since July. Things were looking perfect.

The last two DJs for the night had finished their set, Pablo was shutting down the live feed, and I was on my computer still working on our business plan. Where my computer was located, if you picture a square room, the door at the top middle, and the square divided into two, the bottom half then divided into two, so this square now has three sections, a whole half at the top, and two quarters at the bottom, the quarter on the left was our storage, the quarter on the right our Live streaming room, outside, the wall on the right, from the streaming room to the door was our studio equipment, the wall on the left from the storage room to the door, a couch for guests to lounge. From outside to enter our studio, there was first an iron gate you had to pull open, then a heavy fire door you needed to push open, It swung to the left, and my computer was right behind that door, so if you came in, you would need to close that door before you see me. Pablo was in the streaming room switching off the cameras and the two DJs were sitting on the couch behind me.

I was busy working, not paying attention to anyone in the studio, I wanted to get this business plan done and dusted, I noticed the fire door was opened, It blocked my view of the DJs behind me. I heard Pablo’s voice, “What do you want, what do you want?” Then his voice raised “arr leave it out, guys!” His tone and sound made me look up, I saw a masked gunman with his gun in Pablo’s face. It never really computed what was happening, I stood up, and the gunman’s eyes widened when he saw me, “LOOK!” he shouted to his accomplice, we could not see each other because of the fire door. His accomplice shut the door and trained his gun on me, he kept switching his focus between me and the two DJs on the couch, I heard my mouth saying “Leave it out, guy I’ve got a son” I don’t know why I said that, but after I spoke, his gun remained pointed at me. Meanwhile, Pablo was arguing with the other gunman, “What you want? Cause we ain’t got no cash, what you want?”

Three months ago month Zainab Kalako, a mother from west London was shot in her head as she cradled her baby, these were the thoughts going through my mind, I looked at Pablo, I saw him glance at me, I looked at my gunman, his pistol now inches from my face, I remembered the woman shot in the head last month, my only thought was, ‘my son, he is not going to know me, he won’t know who I am or how much I love him’ then I closed my eyes and waited for the BANG!

How did I end up here? 37 years old with a gun in my face waiting for the Bang. Here is my story.

Every once in a while a real-life living legend walks on this Earth, they will eat and drink with us, laugh and cry with us, they may look like one of us on the outside, but on the inside, there is something deep, profound and special that sets them apart from all of us. I want to dedicate this writing to the only Legend I have ever had the honour and privilege of knowing up close and personal. Paul Stewart, aka, Axeman Pablo MC.