When Kid meets Morris at ten years old, his life changes from a lonely existence in a house full of turmoil to a hopeful future in music. A solid friendship turns fragile as money, alliances, and betrayal cause it to finally collapse.
Despite losing...
Mona did not show up and Kid did not care. He was busy charting music. He wished he was not the only one in the band who read music well. Schroeder could but his writing was illegible. He could not draw the notes on the music sheets right. Jesse was okay but somehow the responsibility fell on Kid.
Fall was starting to show itself and the stiff wind through the window felt good. Francis drove up with bags in his hand. Kid hoped it was hamburgers. The smell taco meat wafted down the stairs but he preferred cheeseburgers.
Francis planted the greasy bag of burgers on the kitchen table. His security uniform resembled a police uniform but everybody knew he was not an officer of the law. He felt fortunate to have two jobs now. Things were getting easier. Bills were getting paid ahead of time and he was not ashamed that his son made half as much money as he did in a quarter the time. He eased behind Juanita to give her a kiss on the cheek but she slid away from him.
"What's that?" she snapped, pointing at the bag.
"I made an extra few bucks in the cab last night so I picked up some dinner," he said apologetically, not knowing exactly what he was apologizing for.
"Don't you see me cooking?" she asked sarcastically.
"Well, you can stop now and relax. Save that for tomorrow," he said going in for another kiss. She stiffened.
"I don't want burgers," she snapped.
"What do you want, Nita?" Francis asked exasperated.
"I want my mouthwash!" she shouted and pulled the empty bottle out of the trash. "Why would you pour out my mouthwash?" she demanded.
Francis sat down at the kitchen table. He pulled out a cigarette box from his shirt pocket. It had a yellow star embroidered on it to make him look authoritative at work. He felt his authority in his household dwindling as he lit a square.
"Nita, if you want a drink, I'm not stopping you. There is cognac in the cabinet. But drinking morning, noon and night is too much. I think you need to go back to the meetings."
"And I think you need to go to Hell!" she shouted.
Francis blew smoke out hard.
She continued, "I am not like those people. Me and Sam, we're different. We're not alcoholics."
"You got the white lady drinking again, too?" Francis searched her face. "Shit, now I need a drink."
"See, you twist everything!"
Francis got up and went to the refrigerator. He got out the orange juice an poured half a glass. He went to the living room and returned with a bottle of Gin.
"Now that's the pot calling the kettle brown," Juanita said.
"Black," Kid corrected her as he walked in.
"Whatever."
Kid dug in the hamburger bag pulling out some fries.
"Put those on a plate," Juanita demanded.
"Kid, sit down. I want to tell you something," Francis said as he sat across.
Juanita remained standing in front of the the sink. "Since when do you want to talk to Kid? You come and go out of this house like it's a motel."
"I work two jobs, Woman!" Francis pounded the table with his fist silencing the room.
He took a drink and a breath. He looked Kid in the eye.
"I know you've been buying booze for your mother. Don't do it anymore. Understand?"
Kid nodded. He felt heat rising in his mother behind him.
"I know you think you are helping her but you're not. I'm taking her back to AA meetings so she can get a handle on this... problem."
"I don't have a problem," Juanita seethed. "I work everyday, just like you. I cook and clean and take care of everything. What do you do?" she threw up her hands. "You judge me."
"May I eat downstairs?" Kid asked. He did not want to be there for the explosion sure to come.
Francis nodded.
The yelling, foot stomping and door slamming continued for an hour until Francis left in the cab.
Kid was glad he was gone. He wanted to call Mona. He heard the front door slam and Juanita's feet trotting down the street. Liquor could not be sold on Sunday nights so he had no idea where she could be going.
He pulled the yellow receiver from the wall and dialed Mona's number. It rang a few times before he heard a car screech down the street. He hung up and darted for the front window. Juanita was on the ground on the corner. A green Gremlin was stopped in the intersection. A teenaged boy was standing over her asking questions.
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Kid sprinted down the street bare foot to meet them. "Mom, are you okay?"
"She came out of nowhere!" the boy stuttered. "I almost hit her!"
Juanita said nothing.
"Mom, are you hurt?!"
"No," she finally said as neighbors started to show up. Kid helped her up and waved the boy off. "She's cool. Just go, Man."
They walked back to the house.
"Where were you going, Mom?"
"He wants you to turn your back on me," she said solemnly. "If I don't have you, I'll be alone in the world." The words rang in his head like deja vu. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She looked up at him. "Promise me you'll never turn you're back on me, Kid."
