𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐 | b. rodriguez

the fourth of july

You can watch the video at the end of this chapter if you want :)

"Let's go," Benny said.

We ran down the front steps of my house together and headed into the mesmeric street I became very glad to call home. Picnic benches and tables lined the curbs; burgers, hot dogs, kabobs, and all sorts of wonderful grilled food sizzled on a series of grills. Tiki torches lined the sidewalks leading up to each house – clearly, until that moment, I had been seriously ignorant of the amount of coordination and effort that preparing the barbecue must have taken.

I then felt a little guilty for leaving my mom in the kitchen to make the potato salad by herself.

Benny stopped running abruptly, and I nearly lost him in the sea of neighbors I didn't even know I had. We stood near a picnic table where a bushy haired, yet kind-looking, pretty woman sat. Quite a few dishes were displayed on the checkered tablecloth before her, and she smiled at Benny and I as I ogled the food.

"Hi, kids."

"Hey mom," Benny said, walking around the table to hug her. The resemblance between them was clear then. Mrs. Rodriguez had the same smile as Benny, warm, and sweet, and slightly mischievous. She had stress marks on her forehead, but her skin was only a slight shade lighter than Benny's – probably because she had to work and he was out playing baseball all day. Her curls were tied up in a red headscarf that complimented her navy dress that I admired in the twilight.

"Ma, this is Shaye."

The woman's eyes brightened even more so, and somehow I noticed she shared the same hazel specks with Benny. "How nice to meet you–" she said quickly, as if she'd been waiting ages to meet me. "This boy is always talking about you," she said, throwing her thumb over her shoulder at Benny. "He says he doesn't, but I think he's just not aware of what comes outta his mouth. My little man really oughta–"

"–Mom," Benny pleading gently pushing his mother's shoulder. "Ma, cut it out." His cheeks were as red as the squares on the table cloth, and I must say: it was so damn cute.

I couldn't hold back a few giggles as Mrs. Rodriguez tried to tell me what exactly she thought Benny should do: something about "bases, and a catch..?" All the while he shushed her and glanced at me nervously, and it was so sweet the way he called her Ma.

I internally swooned at least eight times within the four minute window of Mrs. Rodriguez trying to tell me things Benny had said. Finally she stopped speaking words that would irritate her son, and then she tried to stuff our faces full of irresistibly spectacular food.

"Here, try the ribs – the ribs are great," she said after giving Benny and I hot dogs and chocolate covered strawberries, watermelon and a giant brownie to share.

"Thanks Mrs. Rodriguez," I said, grinning widely as I accepted the food. I'd given up on trying to politely decline her offer of food after she started piling it up on a paper plate.

I nearly dropped the plate as Mrs. Rodriguez slid a bottle of cherry cola in the crook of my arm, but luckily Benny came to my rescue.

"Here, here, I got it," he said, gently, but insistently taking the plate from my hands. Relieved, I sighed after my hands were free and I resituated the bottle in my hand and my glove under my armpit before Mrs. Rodriguez handed me a second one for Benny.

"Now you two go eat up and have some fun, okay?"

"Thank you Mrs. Rodriguez– it was really  ice to meet you!"

"Oh, you too darling! Have Benny tell me how you like the ribs, alright?"

"Sure thing."

"Bye Ma," Benny said before falling into stride beside me as we searched for a table with the guys.