“After all, Jesus loves everybody, even you niggers.” she spat. We both threw ourheads back and roared with laughter. This felt good; I was beginning to establish a realmother daughter connection with Maria.
“Jesus loves my ass, because I gave that puta a whole bunch of fucking money.”Shesaid between giggles.
“Luisa, I am glad that you’re here. I want to make all of those years up to you, but Ineed to get my man back. Then everything will be right again.”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Nothing, just go with me over this puta’s house.” “What about the kids?” I asked.
“I’ll send them next door to the neighbor.”
She wobbled up and roared like a mountain lion.
“Roberto.” He stomped midway down the stairs and peered through the banisterbars. Get your brothers; you’re going over Shirley’s house.
“What? I don’t want to,” he said.
“I don’t give a damn what you want. Now go and get your brothers, your sister andme got some business to take care of,” she said.
The boys rushed out of the door, shoving their arms into overstuffed coats, whichhad missing zippers and sleeves that were stained with dried snot. They pushed andshoved their way out of the door, dishing out wrestling moves, like elbow smashes andforearm clubs.
“Juan, Juan, I am going to kick your ass if I see you hit your brother like that again.“Now calm down and get outside.”
~ ~ ~
Chapter Seventeen
I think that this day was one of the longest of my life. We patrolled around town likepolice officers. Then, we parked almost half of the night like we were on a stakeout. Iwas getting really tired. I had never seen Nico before and had no idea what he lookedlike. Whenever I asked Maria to give me a brief description, she would say, you’ll knowhim when you see him. We must have waited in the car for hours.
“I got your ass.” Maria finally said. I looked around trying to spot a thin dark skinman, but all I saw was an incredibly attractive woman.
“That’s the puta that Nico’s fucking,” she spat, putting out her cigarette in theashtray.
“Come on,” she said as she hurriedly got out of the car. We trailed behind thewoman and stopped when we watched her walked into a three-story apartment building.
“Luisa, you got to go up there.” Maria said in a loud whisper.
“What?” I said. I was terrified and I would have rather her slit my wrist than ask meto walk into that building.
“Luisa, she knows me. But if she sees you, she’ll never see me coming,” she saidwith a wink.
“Maria, I can’t go up there. That building looks—” “Like a dope-house.” Maria said.
“No…. That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Listen Chica, you’re in a big city now and seeing dope fiends and bums is just partof the damn décor. Get used to it,” she snapped.
I looked down at my feet again. I was getting really cold. I was wearing basicallyeverything that I owned, and I was still freezing. My teeth began to chatter.
“Look, you’re cold. This will give you a chance to get warm. All you got to do iswalk in and ask for Nico,” she said.
“That’s all I have to do?” I asked.
Well, ask for him and get his black ass to come outside so I can knock some senseinto him.” she said shaking her fist.
“Maria, I don’t know how I am going to do that.”
“Hay Bendita, Luisa! Just try. I need your help Chica. We can’t go back homewithout him. We have nothing without him,” she said, almost whining.
“Okay. Okay. I am going in now.”
I opened the door and walked into the building. It was incredibly warm. I made myway up the stairway, and was startled when a hand reached up and grabbed my ankle.Suddenly, a man emerged from beneath a pile of smelly trash bags.
“You got any change.” He mumbled, smacking his gums.
“No. No. Get off me!” I yelled. The man was repulsive and his touch made me feellike I had been bitten by a subway rat.
“Let me lick you then,” he said. “What?
“Let me lick you,” he repeated while sitting upright, sticking out his tongue, like afrog about to snare its prey.
“Get away from me.” I yelled, disgusted.
I raced up the stairs in an attempt to escape from him. I had the chills, like I had athousand roaches crawling over me. I tried to shake them off as I continued down thecorridor. I walked to the end, when I realized that I had passed room 319. I retraced mysteps and tapped on the door lightly.
“Who is it?” someone from the other side yelled. “Luisa.”
“Who?”
“Luisa.” I yelled a little louder.
“What do you want?” The voice said. “I want to talk to Nico.”
“He ain’t here.”
I sighed. A part of me was relieved that I didn’t have to meet Nico and the other partcouldn’t wait to leave the building. But I paused and realized that I couldn’t go backdown with nothing. I stood and thought for a quick second about what to do next.
I knocked on the door again.
“WHAT!”
“I really need to speak to him,” I said with my voice quivering. “You see, I need himto take care of something for me. I have money,” I added as a final touch.
The door peeled open and a rubia who was in her twenties was standing behind it. Iwas taken aback by her beauty and candidness. She was wearing a sheer white nightgown with fancy underwear underneath it. She stared at me for a long time before shepulled me into the room.
It was smoky and took my eyes a while to adjust to the lighting in the room. I feltlike I had entered into a whole other world, where
