the ashes, the empty glasses—the evidence.
The one bedroom flat, at the end of the first floor of a three story brick, could have matched any of thousands of such apartments in the city. The couch, a futon, doubled as a bed for the girl. Her father was long gone. It was anyone’s guess where he was, or where he lay buried.
Outside, Tommy, desperate for another hit, walked to his friend Billy’s building, an acquaintance from school, and knocked on the door.
“Hey, Billy…got any stash on you?”
“Shit, if I did, I’da sucked that blow up a long time ago.”
“Yeah, I guess so. So let’s get some money?”
“I’d rather wait until it gets a little darker first.”
“I can’t wait that long. I’m gonna need a hit really bad soon and I don’t want to wait until things get desperate.”
Billy gave that some thought. “Okay…sure, if you gotta go right now, then I might as well go with you. I need a few bucks, anyway. I’ll get my knife.”
“Thanks, man.”
The chosen target leaned on a walker while carrying a shopping bag out of a supermarket; and far from their neighborhood.
“Let’s follow that guy. He looks kinda wimpy.”
Two blocks later, the old gent turned to open the gate to his building.
Across the street, Tommy stepped between two parked cars, took out the large knife and held it at his side.
“Come on, you in or not! Stop lagging behind!” He said to Billy, under his breath.
“Of course I am. You push him inside the gate and I’ll go through his pockets.”
The elderly man, pushed from behind, dropped to the floor, grunting from the hard fall.
“How much you got on you, old man?”
“You son of a bitches! Get the hell outa here or I’ll call the cops!”
Tommy rammed his fist into the old guy’s face. He was sure he heard a couple of teeth crack. The rest of them were bright red and as he spoke, blood dripped and spit from his mouth.
“Take what the hell you want and beat it, will ya?”
“Shut up, old man.”
“I got it!” his friend said. “Let’s go!”
“You two belong in jail. You’re nothin’ but a couple o’ losers. Beat it! I’m calling the cops as soon as I get inside.”
“Oh, yeah? Fuck you!”
Tommy stuck all seven inches of the blade hard into the old guy’s side, pulled it out and wiped it on the man’s pants.
Running steps was the last thing the elderly man heard. Moaning, he quietly lowered his head to the cold cement of the walkway and closed his eyes to everything that gradually went black.
Two months later
Carol Ovington set the corner table with two plates. Tired, she called out to her daughter, Valerie.
“You comin’!”
“Wait a sec, Ma, I just want to see what happens.”
“That’s such a dumb TV show. You’re not gonna miss anything.”
“Can I at least wait for a commercial?”
“You know…I’ve been noticing, you’re gaining a lot of weight.”
“What?”
“I’ll wait until you come into the kitchen. I’m not yelling.”
“What?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, come and eat, already.”
“Why are you lookin’ at me like that,” her daughter said, pulling her chair away from the table.
“You must have gained at least ten pounds since the beginning of summer and it shows. You were always so skinny.”
“So was Dianne. Look at her now.”
“Well, she probably has something wrong with her, diabetes or something.”
“She doesn’t have anything wrong with her, Mom. She likes to eat, that’s all. Can I get some ice cream, later? I’ve been dying for some all day.”
“After you finish eating.”
“I know!”
“And after you clean up the dishes.”
Seven P.M.
Sitting on the front stoop, Valerie, with a worried look on her face, said to Tommy, “I think I’m pregnant.”
“Shh! Not so loud. Whaddya mean you think you’re pregnant?”
“You heard me. I think I’m pregnant. I missed my second period.”
“Shit! I thought you was on the pill?”
“I never said I was on
The one bedroom flat, at the end of the first floor of a three story brick, could have matched any of thousands of such apartments in the city. The couch, a futon, doubled as a bed for the girl. Her father was long gone. It was anyone’s guess where he was, or where he lay buried.
Outside, Tommy, desperate for another hit, walked to his friend Billy’s building, an acquaintance from school, and knocked on the door.
“Hey, Billy…got any stash on you?”
“Shit, if I did, I’da sucked that blow up a long time ago.”
“Yeah, I guess so. So let’s get some money?”
“I’d rather wait until it gets a little darker first.”
“I can’t wait that long. I’m gonna need a hit really bad soon and I don’t want to wait until things get desperate.”
Billy gave that some thought. “Okay…sure, if you gotta go right now, then I might as well go with you. I need a few bucks, anyway. I’ll get my knife.”
“Thanks, man.”
The chosen target leaned on a walker while carrying a shopping bag out of a supermarket; and far from their neighborhood.
“Let’s follow that guy. He looks kinda wimpy.”
Two blocks later, the old gent turned to open the gate to his building.
Across the street, Tommy stepped between two parked cars, took out the large knife and held it at his side.
“Come on, you in or not! Stop lagging behind!” He said to Billy, under his breath.
“Of course I am. You push him inside the gate and I’ll go through his pockets.”
The elderly man, pushed from behind, dropped to the floor, grunting from the hard fall.
“How much you got on you, old man?”
“You son of a bitches! Get the hell outa here or I’ll call the cops!”
Tommy rammed his fist into the old guy’s face. He was sure he heard a couple of teeth crack. The rest of them were bright red and as he spoke, blood dripped and spit from his mouth.
“Take what the hell you want and beat it, will ya?”
“Shut up, old man.”
“I got it!” his friend said. “Let’s go!”
“You two belong in jail. You’re nothin’ but a couple o’ losers. Beat it! I’m calling the cops as soon as I get inside.”
“Oh, yeah? Fuck you!”
Tommy stuck all seven inches of the blade hard into the old guy’s side, pulled it out and wiped it on the man’s pants.
Running steps was the last thing the elderly man heard. Moaning, he quietly lowered his head to the cold cement of the walkway and closed his eyes to everything that gradually went black.
Two months later
Carol Ovington set the corner table with two plates. Tired, she called out to her daughter, Valerie.
“You comin’!”
“Wait a sec, Ma, I just want to see what happens.”
“That’s such a dumb TV show. You’re not gonna miss anything.”
“Can I at least wait for a commercial?”
“You know…I’ve been noticing, you’re gaining a lot of weight.”
“What?”
“I’ll wait until you come into the kitchen. I’m not yelling.”
“What?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, come and eat, already.”
“Why are you lookin’ at me like that,” her daughter said, pulling her chair away from the table.
“You must have gained at least ten pounds since the beginning of summer and it shows. You were always so skinny.”
“So was Dianne. Look at her now.”
“Well, she probably has something wrong with her, diabetes or something.”
“She doesn’t have anything wrong with her, Mom. She likes to eat, that’s all. Can I get some ice cream, later? I’ve been dying for some all day.”
“After you finish eating.”
“I know!”
“And after you clean up the dishes.”
Seven P.M.
Sitting on the front stoop, Valerie, with a worried look on her face, said to Tommy, “I think I’m pregnant.”
“Shh! Not so loud. Whaddya mean you think you’re pregnant?”
“You heard me. I think I’m pregnant. I missed my second period.”
“Shit! I thought you was on the pill?”
“I never said I was on
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