South || Benny Rodriguez (Book 2)

22

Naomi's P.O.V.

Flashback
August 21, 1962

I was walking down the sidewalk of Minnesota with the most professional clothes that I owned, which was jeans and a button down, but I still looked good.

I held Lucy's hand in one hand and papers in the other. Today was the day that we were all getting our names changed. Cam was also with us, by shortly behind us with Charlie. The last month that we have been here, they have gotten real close.

Charlie has been teaching Cam to skate and play hockey, whereas Cam has been teaching Charlie to bat and catch a ball.

It was pretty nice seeing them so close to each other, but that also makes me scared on how the outcome would be when we leave. We passed a post office mail box and I put the letter for Benny in there with a picture of me, Lucy and Cam.

Soon, we arrived to the place that I've been dying to get to since I've left the apartment this morning. The Law Office.

I opened the door and held it open for Charlie, Cam, and Lucy to walk through.

"Hello, pick a number and wait in the group of chairs to your left." The lady at the front desk greets us.

I smile, getting a number on a paper and walking to the chairs, getting all of us in a row. I looked around seeing that there was hardly anyone even here. Due to it being a Tuesday at 11 in the morning.

I called Han this morning asking if it was okay that I came in late, which he was fine with. Charlie and Cam are hopefully doing what they said they were going to do which was go to the field at the park. Lately I've been noticing a difference with Cam though, the change of him being interested in girls and what they have.

"Number 62 come to desk B please." I hear someone call out behind me, I look at the paper seeing it read '62' on it. So I stood up with everyone and we walked to the middle desk.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?" A white lady maybe in her 20s asked.

I held onto Lucy's hand and greeted her.

"Hi, yes, I need to get an identity transfer." I put the papers down in front of me.

"Do you have the legal papers of birth for all of you?"

I nodded pulling out some papers, handing them to her.

"Come back to room 12 with Bill, he'll help with all the information transfers." She explained.

I nodded as she gave me direction to the room down the hall. I knocked on the door, hearing a 'come in'. Causing Charlie to open the door.

We all walked in, sitting in the 3 chairs that happened to be in front of his desk. Lucy sat with Cam so I could answer questions and write on papers.

"So you're asking for a name change I see," he paused looking up from the papers, "Do you have a legal guardian here?"

I shook my head no.

He closed the folder and passed it back to me, "I'm sorry but I need actually papers, and with parents consent."

I leaned forward towards him, "The birth certificates are there, and all the legal papers."

"But your parents aren't here." He pointed out.

"Are you about to bring them back to life?" I questioned, crossing my arms.

"I'm so sorry, but I-" he started.

"I was told to say I'm with James." I stressed pulled my hair.

"Oh, I see," he paused pulling out different forms, "fill out these papers. Do you have it?"

I nodded hanging over an orange envelope.

For the next 2 hours we sat in that office answering question after question. Just trying to get our names changed. Asking me my age, and trying to see some sort of I.D. Which I played out as I don't have one.

Finally, when the job was done, we walked out of that office with different identities. Starting new, hell I was 2 years older.

Checklist:
Name change *check*

—

I walked into the store with Lucy, of course doing my normal thing.

"Naomi? You here?" I hear Han.

"Yeah it's me." I call back walking to the counter.

"Can you put up this banner in the front of the store. I would but I'm too old to be moving like that." He said grinning handing me the folded banner.

I nodded, "Where's the ladder?"

He pointed to the back room, "Somewhere in there." He paused starting to walk to the office, "Make sure it goes over the grand window."

I nodded, going to the back room and pulling out the ladder, getting nails and string, then making my way outside.

I unfolded the banner, not really paying attention to the sign itself, and started to tie the string. Putting hooks in the top of the wall, then putting the string onto that hook, and hanging it up.

Standing back and making sure it looked right was when I noticed what the banner had said.

"Store closing, everything 50% off"

I walked back inside and to the office, "When were you going to tell me the store was closing?"

Han looked up from the pile of papers that filled the top of the desk, "When I thought I could come up with the money to pay for this place, and this would be something to laugh about."

"So the store is really closing?" I asked leaning against the door frame.

He took his glasses off and looked up at me, "I just can't find the money to pay for the bills Naomi, it's nothing with this place, it's the bank."

I nodded, "What's going to happen with this place then?" I paused looking down at him, "More importantly, what's going to happen to you? This is your home."

He shrugged, "I don't know yet, hopefully I'll be in a retirement home or something."

"Han, you can't live like that. You were fine before I came," I paused realizing what I just said, "Are you going bankrupt because of my employment?"

He shook his head, "No Naomi, this has nothing to do with you, it's just the bank. Promise."

I nodded, "Okay. I'm going to go finish putting up the banner."

"When your done with that, I need you to discount everything in the store." He called out as I walked out of the door.

—