Short, sweet or scary

A Double Life

“Let’s go someplace; I am feeling hungry. Let’s go to Mac Donald's and feast on a burger, c’mon you guys, don’t be sissies, ” 15-year-old Nathan looks at his homeboys Luis and Andrew. “It’s Saturday night!”

“We are watching ‘Bum fights’ on video. Check out this guy; that’s awesome; he is totally freaking that man out. Look at him, begging for mercy. ” Luis and Andrew stare at the frame of a man slapping around another man. The cries for help from the victim are met with a loud Yahoohoo.

“Wow, he is getting it all right” Nathan watches with interest but decides his hunger for fast food outranges his appetite for violence. “Come on, treat’s on me; I’ve got my paper paycheck like yesterday.” He throws away his empty beer can.

“Yes, but look at him bleed…that’s totally cool.” Luis can’t keep his eyes on the man in the video. He ogles the television, his hands in a fist. He is making approval sounds. “Where did you get this? It’s a snuff, man; it’s real.”

But Nathan and Luis are already at the door. “We’re leaving, come or stay.”

With great difficulty, Luis turns off the video. “Alright, all right, I’ll take the stash.”

They walk the street smoking and clapping each other on the back. It's a fun night; it's the weekend. The city is theirs. After a mile, they turn into a back alley.

It’s getting dark. The moon is like a crescent; some clouds are visible; the wind is totally gone.

The three boys take a turn peeing while the others look out for their backs. It can be dangerous out here. But the pot and the beer take their effect. They are not afraid of anything. Nooo!

Suddenly an outcry. “You filth you, you are peeing on me. Can’t you see, don’t you watch where you’re urinating? ” A man is lying against the wall, covered with a piece of carton. He just got out of his sleep.

The stench is overwhelming.

Nathan looks at Luis, who looks at Andrew. Then the three burst into laughter.

“You just peed on the guy; why did you do that? Hahaha. ” Nathan doubles over.

“I must remember to put a roof on this lavatory.” Luis chuckles.

But the man is not amused and stands up from his position underneath the carton board. His long hair is messed up and filthy underneath a gray baseball cap, his clothes torn. In his hands, a lead pipe.

“Wow, you are not hitting me with that, are you?” Luis takes a swing at the guy.

“Let’s go, Luis; that’s a homeless guy, leave him be.” Andrew sounds scared, looking frantically around. They are all alone, the three of them and the mad guy.

The man is getting angry now, swirling at Luis with the pipe. “You filth, no business here, this is my spot. I sleep here.”

Nathan and Luis close in on the guy, cornering him.

Luis jumps and pulls away from the pipe. He grins at Nathan. “Let’s have some fun with
this one.”

Two minutes later, the man is on the floor while the two boys kick him again and again.

A minute later, Andrew joins in, grabbing the pipe from Luis. “What did you want, hey, hey?” He’s all pumped up now, ready to defend his crew.

A swing with the pipe on the baseball cap, and the man is out.

The boys holler now, victoriously. Another round of kicks follow. “One for me, one for you,” they yell in unison.

When there is no movement, they walk away in haste, leaving the pipe on the pavement.

Up to Mac Donald's now, they are hungry.

It’s hot in the city that night. In a dark alley, a man is dying.

On Sunday morning, they all look very serene and placid, helping Priest Grimsley with mass as altar boys. Nathan, Luis, and Andrew. Assets to the neighborhood of those boys are the common thought in the community. They will go far in life.

“Vade in pace, go in peace!” Father Grimsley nods at the boys. They look back at him, with big eyes full of innocence. Like angels in their golden garments. Little helpers of God.

WC: 705