I kept climbing endless flights of stairs. When I finally reached the 9th floor, the doors opened, almost like I was inside an elevator. My best friend David was standing there and almost looked shocked to run into me. It was awkward and quiet. He didn't give me the hug he usually gives me...the same hug he's given me since first grade with a strong smooch on the cheek. It was strained, and inside I felt like sobbing. We had been best friends since we were 5...but I guess me moving away from Puerto Rico and rarely keeping in touch with him had finally taken it's toll. He was wearing his scrubs (he's a nurse) and asked me if I was there to visit lil Cristina Roman. She was a thing younger girl from church that used to follow me around when I was in PR, looking up to me and such. Cool lil girl. Anyway, it seems she had gotten into some kind of auto accident that destroyed her face. I felt awful, though I really don't know why...I hadn't been that close to her.
We walked into her hospital bedroom right as her mom was walking out. I liked her mom, Norma. She took one look at me and gave me a limp hand shake and in no way seemed happy to see me. I felt sick to my stomach again...that's two people that apparently got used to me not living in PR anymore and had no idea how to treat me. I leaned over her hospital bed and Cristina's face was wrapped in clear, cling wrap paper. Her face looked pained, and her body thin. I couldn't look at her longer and left the hospital.
Roy was meeting me downstairs, and we were walking down a nice street somewhere in the northeast with row homes and trees lining it for blocks. The leaves were that poignant shade of dull orange...maybe late October, early November. It was cold and we had our hands tucked in our pockets. He asked if I wanted to go have a few beers at a local bar around the corner, to which I said sure...but I was nervous because I heard it was a rough crowd. I didn't have a good feeling. He was wearing this big, dark blue coat and he zipped up higher, shivering slightly while saying "It'll be ok".
We made it as far as the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the bar before I heard him mumble some curse words and yelling me to run. I felt a burn on my back, shoulder and right arm at the same time I heard shots ring out. I kept running fast, screaming for Roy to talk to me. I knew he was hit too but I could hear him running behind me so I didn't turn to look around. Pretty soon I made it to a gray house and started knocking on the door. A beautiful woman with Native American features opened the door. I was taken aback by her beautiful eyes, dark and scary...her full lips...sensuous. She asked me where Roy was, and I looked over my shoulder. I was alone. I started sobbing and the pain on my shoulder was worse, blood was dripping everywhere and I felt nauseous, weak. She told me to come inside, that she was Roy's wife and would take the bullets out while he got home. Three kids came out of their rooms...a girl and two boys. They stared at me wide eyed as she took out 4 bullets of my arm and shoulder blade, then poured whiskey over my wounds.
There was a knock on the door and it was Roy, pale and bleeding worse than I was. I sat down and tried to act calm, to hide my panic. She was out in the doorway tending to him and I heard the kids whispering to each other about my hair. I looked over at them and the girl piped up "You have really nice hair. Can you curl mine like yours?" I nodded towards the woman and said "If your mom says it's ok, I'll fix your hair". She rolled her eyes and said "She's not my mom. She's dad's new wife." I flinched and looked down for a few seconds, composing myself and the youngest boy was staring intently at me. I smiled softly at him and he said "At least we like you. We didn't even get a say in anything when he picked her. You seem nice." I leaned forward and gave all three of them a kiss on the forehead. I told them it was great to meet them, and to take good care of their dad. I slipped out the back door into the alley. Some of their friends were pulling into the house along with Roy's mom. She gave me a quick hug and asked me if I had met his wife. I just nodded and then his wife was there in the alley with us, out of nowhere appearing between us.
The wind blew through her hair, and she gave me a serene look. His mom said "She truly is a beauty. So feminine, so delicate...some kind of wonderful. That's what he says when you ask him about her. He just says she's some kind of wonderful." I nodded and said "She's beautiful".
I got in the back of a car, and it sped off. I leaned my forehead against the cold window and it had started to snow.
I wanted to wake up already.
We walked into her hospital bedroom right as her mom was walking out. I liked her mom, Norma. She took one look at me and gave me a limp hand shake and in no way seemed happy to see me. I felt sick to my stomach again...that's two people that apparently got used to me not living in PR anymore and had no idea how to treat me. I leaned over her hospital bed and Cristina's face was wrapped in clear, cling wrap paper. Her face looked pained, and her body thin. I couldn't look at her longer and left the hospital.
Roy was meeting me downstairs, and we were walking down a nice street somewhere in the northeast with row homes and trees lining it for blocks. The leaves were that poignant shade of dull orange...maybe late October, early November. It was cold and we had our hands tucked in our pockets. He asked if I wanted to go have a few beers at a local bar around the corner, to which I said sure...but I was nervous because I heard it was a rough crowd. I didn't have a good feeling. He was wearing this big, dark blue coat and he zipped up higher, shivering slightly while saying "It'll be ok".
We made it as far as the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the bar before I heard him mumble some curse words and yelling me to run. I felt a burn on my back, shoulder and right arm at the same time I heard shots ring out. I kept running fast, screaming for Roy to talk to me. I knew he was hit too but I could hear him running behind me so I didn't turn to look around. Pretty soon I made it to a gray house and started knocking on the door. A beautiful woman with Native American features opened the door. I was taken aback by her beautiful eyes, dark and scary...her full lips...sensuous. She asked me where Roy was, and I looked over my shoulder. I was alone. I started sobbing and the pain on my shoulder was worse, blood was dripping everywhere and I felt nauseous, weak. She told me to come inside, that she was Roy's wife and would take the bullets out while he got home. Three kids came out of their rooms...a girl and two boys. They stared at me wide eyed as she took out 4 bullets of my arm and shoulder blade, then poured whiskey over my wounds.
There was a knock on the door and it was Roy, pale and bleeding worse than I was. I sat down and tried to act calm, to hide my panic. She was out in the doorway tending to him and I heard the kids whispering to each other about my hair. I looked over at them and the girl piped up "You have really nice hair. Can you curl mine like yours?" I nodded towards the woman and said "If your mom says it's ok, I'll fix your hair". She rolled her eyes and said "She's not my mom. She's dad's new wife." I flinched and looked down for a few seconds, composing myself and the youngest boy was staring intently at me. I smiled softly at him and he said "At least we like you. We didn't even get a say in anything when he picked her. You seem nice." I leaned forward and gave all three of them a kiss on the forehead. I told them it was great to meet them, and to take good care of their dad. I slipped out the back door into the alley. Some of their friends were pulling into the house along with Roy's mom. She gave me a quick hug and asked me if I had met his wife. I just nodded and then his wife was there in the alley with us, out of nowhere appearing between us.
The wind blew through her hair, and she gave me a serene look. His mom said "She truly is a beauty. So feminine, so delicate...some kind of wonderful. That's what he says when you ask him about her. He just says she's some kind of wonderful." I nodded and said "She's beautiful".
I got in the back of a car, and it sped off. I leaned my forehead against the cold window and it had started to snow.
I wanted to wake up already.
No comments:
Post a Comment