Love & Lowriders

I was 17

It was three weeks before my high school graduation. Just chillin at home as usual. "Hector! Hector! HECTOR!"
"What you want ma?" I said as i took off my headphones. "Take that shit out of your ears and leave your phone alone. Come help me with the food." She said from the kitchen. I got up and walked to the kitchen to help her with dinner. "Cholo, Cholo get out the way!" I kept saying to our chihuahua.
"You had a chihuahua!" Exclaimed Carlos while laughing. "Very stereotypical ain't it?" I said sarcastically. "What? Were you not cool enough for a pitbull?" We bursted into laughter once again. We can hear the snoring coming from the same guard who told us to be quite earlier. We knew he wasn't waking up any time soon, like Carlos said, they're just here for a paycheck. It was pretty quite in the prison. I could look through the cell door and see the clock in the outside hall. Its 3 A.M and I don't feel tired at all. "Aye don't blame me fool, haha my mother wanted a chihuahua." I said through small laughter. "Lemme tell you.."
I get to the kitchen and she immediately starts handing me plates. "Here set the table, we have  a guest coming over." "Who's coming over?" I asked her. "Just finish up the table and stop asking questions." She said smiling. At that second there was a knock on the door, the same kind of knock i loved to hear when i was younger. "GRANDPA!!" I shout with excitement as i run to the door. I open the door and find my self looking at my grandfather puffing a cigar as usual. My grandfather wasn't your typical old man. See back in the old day he used to be a gang-banger and was well respected around our city. He's covered in tattoos and still dresses as he used to. I don't mean baggy pants and large tees like the gang-bangers around here today, He wears his Dickies up and with a belt, keeping his white tee tucked in under a button up shirt with just the top part buttoned. He looks at me and smiles, "Hector!" He says in his raspy old voice.
"Whats up old man!" I say jokingly as i give him a hug. "Old man? Im only 20!" He said laughing. "Yea maybe 40 years ago!" I replied laughing. "60 years old and I still get the ladies!" He said with a wink. We both walked into the house laughing as my mom looked through the kitchen door. "Hungry?" She asked. Within seconds we were all at the table serving beans and rice along with the grilled chicken she had made. Passing salsa around and shoveling food into our faces, no one says a word for about 10 minutes. My grandfather breaks up the silence, "so Hector, i hear you're finished with school". "Almost, i have three weeks before graduation, but technically yea I'm done with school." I reply. "First one in the family to graduate. Thats a big accomplishment ya know." He said looking at me. "But i thought you said you went through high school as well"?
"I did go through high school, went through the front door, and right out the back!" He said with laughter. I laughed as well, but i don't think my mother thought too well of that joke. "Ayyee, papi you're supposed to be a good example to him!" She said to him with a frown.
"He already made it, he'll be fine." He said laughing again. "Yea mom I'll be fine, I've got a 4.0 GPA and I only missed like 4 days of school this year. Coach Braxton also said he would write me a letter of recommendation to any college i apply for." I said with a smile. I was proud of my self for what I've done. "Im proud of you Hector." Said my grandfather as if reading my thoughts. "I almost forgot, i brought you a graduation gift!" He said reaching into his pocket. He handed me a small box with a little bow on it. "You deserve something great for accomplishing such a big step in life. School is good for you, dont do what i did. You can be someone in life." He told me with a straight face. I looked down at the small box and opened it.

"Ayye homie are you even listening, did your ass fall asleep?" I say as i see Carlos slumped in the corner of the cell. Damn fool fell asleep as i was talking to him. I wonder what part he fell asleep at? I look up at the clock outside and see its almost 4am. I should probably get some sleep too. I'll talk to this fool when i wake up. I lay in my bed and close my eyes as I quickly drift off to sleep.