A Lower East Side Robbery

3

I try to be an ethical thief if that makes sense, I mean people admire Robin Hood, right? A Robin Hood with curly hair and brain cancer. I'm not stealing to sell whatever I get on the black market or anything, or buy dangerous drugs or weapons. I mean how far can I really justify what I do? My cafe job isn't paying me 5 figures so how else am I going to survive? I have so much life left to live. I'm sure Maverick and his buddies do much worse than me and Sarina. So I steal. When I do it and it's not a constant urge, it's just to make me happy or because I could really need it.

Maverick told me his plan for this small heist. He estimates we could get around 20k each and there are 6 of us, Sarina, Maverick, Nathan, Rick, Luca, and me. There's an incoming shipment tonight of diamonds and a re-supply of cash so they can empty the safe out the next day. And to quote Maverick, "They'll never know what hit 'em."

"Here you go, Mami. Be careful it's hot." I said placing a bowl of oatmeal on the table. I rubbed my mother's back in circles and kissed the top of her head. My breath is caught in my mouth in the split second before her eyes rise to my face; will she remember me?

"Who are you?" She asked.

I frowned and said, "It's me, Nikita! Your daughter?" I pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

"I have a daughter?"

Just a year ago, my mother was in good health. She would take to subway to her bakery job every day, rain or shine. She was never still, whether she was baking, socializing, or singing along to her favorite singer Selena. She told me she was devastated when she died. The early-onset Alzheimer's claimed her beautiful mind and the doctors told me it would worsen. She is present at times and absent at other times. I'm well aware of the path ahead of her, and it's almost difficult for me to remain headstrong considering I have health problems of my own.

I stroke back her greying hair that used to be so tidy as I look into her confused face. At least I wasn't a frightening stranger to her today.

"Yes, and your name is Melina Reed, remember?" I asked.

She furrowed her brow and silently shook her head. She picked up the spoon and dipped it into the oatmeal, blew the steam away, and took a bite. I got up to turn her record player on, I got her Selena's album last Christmas and she was so happy. I pressed play and saw her face lit up.

Smiling, I grabbed my jacket off the coat hanger and said goodbye before leaving. It was time to meet up with the group at the same place where I first met them.

I eventually got there within the hour, subway delays will be the death of me.

"Aye! Nikita! How the hell are ya?" Luca shouted from across the room, he was packing tools into a black bookbag with a yellow smiley face spray-painted on the front of it.

"Hey, Luca. I'm good, a little nervous if I'm being honest with you." I said, walking over to the couch he was sitting on.

"I would be too if it was my first heist. Don't worry we've done this before, my only advice is to not get in Rick's way. He's hotheaded, like a match just waiting to be struck." said Luca. The bathroom door opened and Rick walked out with a stern look on his face. He made eye contact with me and rolled his eyes, he's had some sort of an attitude with me since I got here. Probably a woman-hater or something.

"Noted." I scoffed.

Maverick and Sarina came in through the front door holding empty duffle bags in each hand, I assumed they were for holding the merchandise. After a while, they started to talk about the plan one more time before we started to head in the unmarked van. When I entered, I suddenly got a very bad feeling seeking into the bottom of my stomach. Maverick started the car and the noise almost made me jump out of my seat.

Sarina noticed quickly and laughed, "Jeez girl, any higher and you'll jump out into the street. Here maybe chewing some gum can mellow you out a bit." She went into her leather jacket pocket and pulled out mint Trident gum, my favorite since I was a kid. She knew me so well.

I went out to reach for it, but for some reason, I missed her hand by a few inches. I swear I was right next to her hand. I stared at our hands for a couple of seconds before sheepishly smiling at her.

"Whoops," I said.

"Haha, how funny. When did you become such a comedian, Reed?" said Sarina. She grabbed my hand and made sure to place the gum right in the middle.

The van started to glide against the road and I dazed out into the window, watching everything pass by in a breeze. The anxious feeling started to come back again.