I’m watching but don’t want to. For a few minutes nothing out of the ordinary happens unless you like boring, no-traffic roads and skinny pine trees as a landscape view. Then a toothpick white teen pulls up to the run-down gas station. He fills up a red gasoline can, goes in and pays for it and then gets back in his beat-up blue Chevrolet. I start to fidget on the white leather seats, thinking to myself these must be custom-fitted.
“Pay attention, Eje,” says Mr. Bling, forcing me to look out the window.
The car pulls out of the gas station and goes about a mile down the road and then…boom. The kind of blast you feel all the way to the marrow of your bones rocks our vehicle.
“What the fuck!” I scream. I’m about to open the door to run and help the kid when Mr. Bling slaps his beefy paw on top of mine.
“That’s what happens when debts don’t get paid. I heard you were a smart kid so that’s why I had you come along for this ride. That there boy took the only option left to him. My reputation is key and I’m not about to let some punk take advantage of me. His other option was to watch as I had my guys have some fun with his family …you feel me…then of course, we’d off them. You understand what I’m telling you?”
I nod, but I can’t process what he’s telling me. Inside I’m screaming what the fuck over and over again, trying to figure out how the hell I ended up in Mr. Bling’s car in the first place.
“What’s that got to do with me?” My voice cracks and I can’t help but gulp as the stench of smoke fills the area like a mean storm cloud. Another minute passes before the sounds of sirens fill the space, but still we don’t move from our hiding spot. We’re parked on a dirt road halfway between the gas station and the burnt-out car. I’m trying to hold it together but the image flashing in my head is that of a skinny white kid on fire.
“You,” says Mr. Bling, unwrapping another expensive Cuban cigar, which he casually lights. “Eje, you are my collateral. You see, your father owes me a lot of money and he missed his last payment, so considering how kind I am, I thought—why go to the father when I could go to the son?” He grins. I shiver. “A son, who I’m sure will want to help his family.”
I blink. “My Pa owes you money.” I know that comes out sounding stupid, but I’m in shock. First the kid who literally blew up in front of my freaking eyes and now this…this shit, Pa said he’d never do again.
“Smart. That’s right, your father owes me a good twenty G’s and normally I’d laugh that away but since he didn’t pay his interest, well, you know how it is. Reputation is key.”
He laughs, like the dozen fire trucks screeching to a halt is nothing new to him. “So you want me to talk to him?” My glance keeps sliding to the car on fire and that sick feeling I had earlier comes back to life. I force myself to calm down. Mr. Bling loops his arm around my bony shoulders, drawing me in close. His body sweat, cologne and cigar do nothing to ease the bile trying to work its way up my throat.
“No, Eje, I’m giving you a month to get me five thousand, or I’ll be collecting what was owed to me my way and trust me your sister won’t like it.”
Okay, I’m not a genius but only an idiot wouldn’t get his meaning. I might not like my sister, Keisha, much at the moment because of our early morning fight, but she’s still my sister. And, right now the hatred I feel for my Pa is roaring like the car fire down the road, totally out of control.
* * *
You’ve got to be kidding me! I should have stayed home today. Instead I do what I’m told. Get my butt in gear and go to school, like Pa orders. Why can’t he do what I want? Stop gambling. Since that’s about as likely as me ending up without a detention today, I’m not holding my breath. Instead I’m here and hurting from round three with the school’s bully. Since he’s twice my size and thinks of me as his latest punching bag my gut still feels on fire. I knew I should have waited for Charlie this morning. Charlie’s my friend, but more than that he’s a homegrown boy who’s got tough stamped all over him. One side glance from Charlie to bully means I’m safe. Not so today because Charlie overslept and my attempt to get to class on time only earned me a black eye and fat lip along with any hope of not being labelled a coward in my neighborhood .
Nitty Gritty series, Book Three
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